#sustainable metal extraction

[townpostin]

NML Jamshedpur Scientist Wins Prestigious Award for Sustainable Metal Extraction

Dr. Abhilash honored with Vigyan Yuva – Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award CSIR-NML scientist recognized for groundbreaking work in sustainable metal extraction and waste recycling. JAMSHEDPUR – Dr. Abhilash, Senior Principal Scientist at the CSIR-National Metallurgical Laboratory, has been awarded the Vigyan Yuva – Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award for Engineering Sciences. Dr. Abhilash was presented…

[reasonsforhope]

"Scientists have developed a way to dramatically reduce the cost of recycling certain electronic waste by using whey protein.

Their method allows for the easy recovery of gold from circuit boards at a cost of energy and materials amounting to 50 times less than the price of the gold they recover—these are the numbers that big business likes to see.

Indeed, the potential for scalability depends on this sort of cost savings, something traditional e-waste recycling methods just can’t achieve.

Professor Raffaele Mezzenga from ETH Zurich has found that whey protein, a byproduct of dairy manufacturing, can be used to make sponges that attract trace amounts of ionized gold.

Electronic waste contains a variety of valuable metals, including copper, cobalt, and gold. Despite gold’s public persona as being either money or jewelry, thousands of ounces of gold are used in electronics every year for its exceptional conductive properties.

Mezzenga’s colleague Mohammad Peydayesh first “denatured whey proteins under acidic conditions and high temperatures, so that they aggregated into protein nanofibrils in a gel,” writes the ETH Zurich press. “The scientists then dried the gel, creating a sponge out of these protein fibrils.”

The next step was extracting the gold: done by tossing 20 salvaged motherboards into an acid bath until the metals had dissolved into ionized compounds that the sponge began attracting.

Removing the sponge, a heat treatment caused the gold ions to aggregate into 22-carat gold flakes which could be easily removed.

“The fact I love the most is that we’re using a food industry byproduct to obtain gold from electronic waste,” Mezzenga says. In a very real sense, he observes, the method transforms two waste products into gold. “You can’t get much more sustainable than that!” ...

However the real dollar value comes from the bottom line—which was 50 times more than the cost of energy and source materials. Because of this, the scientists have every intention of bringing the technology to the market as quickly as possible while also desiring to see if the protein fibril sponge can be made of other food waste byproducts.

E-waste is a quickly growing burden in global landfills, and recycling it requires extremely energy-intensive machinery that many recycling facilities do not possess.

The environmental value of the minerals contained within most e-waste comes not only from preventing the hundreds of years it takes for them to break down in the soil, but also from the reduction in demand from new mining operations which can, though not always, significantly degrade the environments they are located in.

[Note: Absolutely massive understatement, mining is incredibly destructive to ecosystems. Mining is also incredibly toxic to human health and a major cause of conflict, displacement, and slavery globally.]

Other countries are trying to incentivize the recycling of e-waste, and are using gold to do so. In 2022, GNN reported that the British Royal Mint launched an electronically traded fund (ETF) with each share representing the value of gold recovered from e-waste as a way for investors to diversify into gold in a way that doesn’t support environmentally damaging mining.

The breakthrough is reminiscent of that old fairy tale of Rumpelstiltskin who can spin straw into gold. All that these modern-day, real-life alchemists are doing differently is using dairy and circuit boards rather than straw."

-via Good News Network, July 19, 2024

[amons-hat-enthusiast]

A petition to stop Rio Tinto’s mine from destroying Serbia’s nature

"We call upon you to prohibit extractive mining projects and metal processing in the Jadar Valley in Serbia.

In particular, we demand that you cancel the proposed Rio Tinto lithium mine in Loznica. We demand that you protect the biodiversity, fertile ground, farming villages and rich cultural areas.

Serbia’s most fertile land can be found in the beautiful Jadar Valley. Small family farmers grow raspberries and plums, engage in beekeeping and sheep and goat herding. The valley borders mountains, is surrounded by water and home to thousands of sustainable multi-generational farms.

But instead of protecting it, the Serbian government has approved a project with multinational mining corporation Rio Tinto, for the exploitation of “Jadarite”, a lithium ore in the valley. The government and the company have ignored scientists and mining experts who advise vehemently against the mine and are threatening to cause irreparable damage to the water, land, air and it’s people. Local citizens, who do not want to give up their sustainable agricultural land which has been in their families for generations, are being ignored.

The process of separating chemically stable lithium from jadarite ore involves the use of concentrated sulfuric acid. The process would take place 20 km from the Drina River and use 300 cubic meters of water every hour, while the chemically treated water would be returned to the Jadar River.

The outpouring of inevitably polluted water, as well as underground waters which contain arsenic, mercury and lead, would contaminate entire river basins and continue their journey across the Jadar to the Drina and Sava, polluting not only Serbia's but other countries' water sources as well.

We reject the pollution of the air. Treatment with the above mentioned (and additional) aggressive acids produces toxic gases that can spread within a radius of over ten kilometers and which will corrode the skin and lungs of humans and animals.

We reject the endangerment of the population around the Jadar Valley in the interests of a multinational corporate profit. Rio Tinto has promised 700 new jobs, but forgot to mention that 19,000 people are set to be displaced or severely effected.

Rio Tinto in 2020, destroyed a 45,000 year old sacred Australian Aboriginal cave. The company and its representatives have been repeatedly convicted of fraud and paid billions of dollars in damages and fines for illegal destruction of land, but continue to ravage and destroy natural environment around the world. The company is accused of participating in war crimes in Papua New Guinea, where a ten-year civil war broke out due to the presence of their mine.

The citizens of Serbia have the right to clean air, clean water and healthy living conditions. Stop Rio Tinto’s lithium mine and protect the people, our heritage, our environment and the rivers of the Jadar Valley. United we can save our environment."

https://action.wemove.eu/sign/2023-03-stop-rio-tinto-EN?akid=s1568260..uAF-ha

The text above explains the situation. This is a very important petition and I'd be very grateful if you could sign it and spread it.

(I see that only people from European countries can sign it, others please reblog for this to reach as many people as possible)

[thewidowsghost]

The Perils of Avenging (Natasha x Civilian!Reader)

Main Masterlist

Natasha Romanoff Masterlist

Not me posting for once, also, English class coming in clutch with this one (?)

Natasha Romanoff had faced countless dangers in her life as an Avenger and a former agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., but this particular assignment felt different. It was supposed to be routine reconnaissance — a simple extraction and intelligence gathering operation in a remote part of Eastern Europe. 

Natasha, clad in black tactical gear, reviews the mission parameters one last time with Steve and Sam. The briefing room was starkly lit, seriousness etched on Steve’s face, creating an atmosphere of tense anticipation.

"Remember, our primary objective is to retrieve the data from the Hydra facility without alerting their operatives," Steve reminds them, his voice steady and authoritative. "Natasha, you'll lead the infiltration. Sam and I will provide aerial support and stand by for extraction."

Natasha nods, her mind already calculating possible scenarios and contingencies. She had seen Hydra's resurgence firsthand, remnants of the organization scattered like poisonous tendrils across the globe. This mission is crucial in unraveling their latest operations and preventing further destabilization. 

The team departs from their base under cover of darkness, their Quinjet slicing through the night sky with practiced precision. 

As they approach the drop zone, Natasha's focus intensifies. She’s the first to descend, a shadow slipping silently from the aircraft and disappearing into the dense forest below.

The Hydra facility is nestled deep within the wilderness, its existence hidden from all but the most trained eyes. Natasha moves with grace through the underbrush, her senses attuned to every rustle of leaves and crack of twigs. She approaches the perimeter with caution, utilizing her years of training to evade detection.

Her entrance is swift and silent. Natasha incapacitates the guards with calculated efficiency, swiftly disabling surveillance systems and securing the outer defenses. Each step brings her closer to the heart of the facility, where the encrypted data awaits extraction. The corridors are cold and sterile, lined with doors that lead to rooms filled with ominous machinery and clandestine experiments.

Meanwhile, above the Hydra base, Steve and Sam maintained a vigilant watch from the Quinjet, their eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of trouble.

Inside the facility, Natasha encounters unexpected resistance. Bullets ricocheted off metal walls, and Natasha’s combat skills like a deadly dance amidst the chaos. The mission had escalated beyond reconnaissance — for now it is a battle for survival.

Minutes pass in a blur of adrenaline and danger. Natasha fights her way deeper into the facility, each confrontation testing her resolve and skill. She sustains minor injuries — a graze here, a bruise there — but her focus remains unwavering. 

Back in the Quinjet, tension mounts as Steve and Sam monitor Natasha's progress. They dispatch drones to provide additional reconnaissance and firepower support, their hearts pounding in unison with every transmission from Natasha.

Suddenly, a burst of static disrupted the comms. Steve's voice crackles through moments later, strained but resolute. "Natasha, report."

There was a tense pause before Natasha's voice came through, breathless but determined. "I've secured the data. Heading to the extraction point."

Relief washes over both Steve and Sam. They guided Natasha through the facility, clearing a path for her retreat while monitoring Hydra's response.

Outside, the night air crackles with tension as Natasha sprints towards the extraction point. She can hear the distant shouts of Hydra operatives closing in, their footsteps echoing through the darkness. Adrenaline surges through her veins, every sense heightened as she navigates the treacherous terrain.

Just as Natasha nears the rendezvous point, a sudden explosion rocks the ground beneath her. Debris rains down, and she is thrown off her feet, the force of the blast sending shockwaves through her body. Pain flares in her left arm, and dazed but determined, Natasha staggers to her feet, her vision blurred. The extraction point is within reach, a beacon of hope amidst the chaos. She sprints towards it, every step a battle against exhaustion and pain.

Meanwhile, in the Quinjet, Steve and Sam watch in horror as the explosion erupts on their screens. "Natasha!" Steve shouts, his voice filled with urgency.

Sam's hands fly over the controls, adjusting their position to provide cover fire. "She's almost there, Cap," he says, his voice tight with concern. "Hold on, Romanoff."

Back on the ground, Natasha pushes herself, the extraction point looms ahead, its promise of safety a tantalizing reality. She can hear the whir of the Quinjet's engines, feel the rush of adrenaline as rescue draws nearer.

With a final burst of energy, Natasha reaches the extraction point. The Quinjet hovers above, its hatch open and waiting. Steve and Sam lean out, their arms extending to pull her aboard amidst a hail of gunfire from Hydra operatives.

Natasha dives into the safety of the Quinjet, her breath coming in ragged gasps as Steve and Sam secure the hatch behind her. She collapses against the cold metal floor, relief flooding her weary body. The data secured, the mission accomplished — but at what cost?

As the Quinjet ascends into the night sky, Natasha's thoughts turn to (Y/n). Her anchor, the steady presence that grounded her in a world of chaos and danger. She knows (Y/n) will be waiting for her back at their shared apartment, her worry and love a beacon of light in the darkness that Natasha had been forced to endure through her childhood.

Hours later, the Quinjet touches down at the Compound, the team dispersing with practiced efficiency. Natasha heads straight for the debriefing room, her mind still processing the events of the mission. Steve and Sam followed close behind, their expressions a mixture of exhaustion and relief.

Inside the debriefing room, Natasha recounts the mission. She details the layout of the Hydra facility, the resistance she’d encountered, and the extraction of vital data. Her voice is steady, betraying none of the turmoil that churns beneath the surface.

Steve and Sam listen intently, asking probing questions and offering insights based on their observations from above in the Quinjet. The debriefing is thorough, every detail scrutinized in their quest for understanding and improvement.

Finally, the debriefing concludes, and Natasha is dismissed to MEDBAY so her injuries could be treated. Steve and Sam accompany her, their concern palpable as they watch the medical team tend to Natasha's wounds.

The MEDBAY is a stark contrast to the chaos of the mission — a haven of sterile surfaces and hushed voices. Natasha sits on the exam table, her mind still reeling from the adrenaline-fueled rush of combat. The medical staff works swiftly, cleaning and stitching her injuries with practiced efficiency.

As Natasha waits for the medical team to finish, her thoughts inevitably turn to (Y/n). Her girlfriend was her constant, the one person who understood the weight of her choices and the dangers she faced every day. Natasha longs for her embrace, her touch a soothing balm to her battered soul.

Finally, the medical assessment is complete, and Natasha is cleared to leave the bay. She dresses in fresh clothes provided by the medical staff, the weight of exhaustion settling heavily upon her shoulders. Steve and Sam wait outside, their concern etched on their faces.

"You did good back there, Nat," Steve says quietly, his voice tinged with admiration. "We'll get through this."

Natasha nods, her gratitude evident in her eyes. "Thanks, Steve," she murmurs, her voice hoarse with exhaustion. "And Sam, you too."

Sam grins, though there is a flicker of worry in his gaze. "Anytime, Nat," he replies, his voice steady despite the underlying concern. "Let's get you back to the safehouse."

The journey back to the apartment is quiet, the hum of the car’s engines a comforting backdrop to Natasha's thoughts. She leans against the cool leather of the seat, her mind drifting between the mission's successes and its costs.

Upon returning to the apartment building, Natasha headed straight for her apartment, her steps heavy with fatigue. She pauses at the doorway, steeling herself before entering. Inside, the living room is bathed in soft lamplight, casting shadows across the walls.

And there, sitting on an armchair reading, is (Y/n). Her presence is a welcome sight, a beacon of warmth and love amidst the darkness of Natasha's thoughts. (Y/n) looks up as Natasha enters, her eyes widening at the sight of Natasha’s disheveled appearance.

"Baby!" (Y/n) exclaims, her voice filled with concern as she rushes to Natasha’s side. "You're back. Are you okay?"

Natasha manages a faint smile, though it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. "Just a scratch," she reassures her girlfriend, though the weariness in her voice betrays her attempt at nonchalance.

(Y/n) frowns, her hands gently cupping Natasha's face as she studies her injuries. "You're hurt," she murmurs softly, her touch gentle against Natasha’s skin.

Natasha leans into (Y/n)’s touch, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly. "It's nothing serious," she insists, though her voice holds a note of weariness. "Just a part of the job."

(Y/n) shakes her head, her expression a mixture of frustration and affection. "You shouldn't have to go through this alone," she says quietly, their voice tinged with concern.

“I don’t have to come home alone anymore,” Natasha murmurs, stepping into a hug offered by her girlfriend. “I have you now.”

“And you’ll always have me,” (Y/n) replies firmly, and Natasha nods, smiling widely into (Y/n)’s shoulder, despite her exhaustion. “Now,” she takes Natasha’s hand, leading her to the bedroom where their cat, Liho, lies at the foot of the bed, “let's get to bed.”

Word Count: 1581 words

Taglist:

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@whoreforlizzieolsen

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[probablyasocialecologist]

A team of researchers at ETH Zurich in Switzerland has made a discovery that they say could turn recycling e-waste into a literal goldmine. The researchers devised a novel way to extract precious metal from electronic waste, a sustainable method that is based on a byproduct from the food industry. And it's pretty lucrative as well. For each dollar spent, the team suggests you could make $50 worth of gold. Best of all, they say, it's an incredibly environmentally friendly process. The team found that protein fibril sponges, made from protein-rich byproducts from cheesemaking, can be used to extract the gold from discarded e-waste.

[...]

According to the World Health Organization, e-waste is the fastest-growing solid waste stream in the world, with millions of electrical devices being discarded and thrown away. Without being recycled properly, this waste is not only incredibly harmful to the environment, but it can also be toxic to humans.

[mysticstronomy]

DOES THE MOON HAVE OXYGEN??

Blog#398

Saturday, May 4th, 2024.

Welcome back,

The Conversation report, published on November 10, 2021, said there is plenty of oxygen on the Moon, which is the Earth’s only natural satellite, but it is not in gaseous form.

A study has claimed that the Moon’s top layer alone has enough oxygen to sustain as many as eight billion people for 100,000 years.

According to a report by the Australian website The Conversation, the top layer of rocks on the Moon, called regolith, is made up of approximately 45 per cent oxygen.

The report, published on November 10, said there is plenty of oxygen on the Moon, which is the Earth’s only natural satellite, but it is not in gaseous form.

"Although the Moon does have an atmosphere, it’s very thin and composed mostly of hydrogen, neon and argon. It’s not the sort of gaseous mixture that could sustain oxygen-dependent mammals such as humans,” it added.

In October this year, the Australian Space Agency signed a deal with NASA to send a rover to the Moon to collect lunar rocks that could provide breathable oxygen.

The Conversation report on November 10 further said that oxygen can be found in many minerals in the ground ‘around us’, adding the Moon is majorly made up of the same rocks found on planet Earth.

"Minerals such as silica, aluminium, and iron and magnesium oxides dominate the Moon’s landscape. All of these minerals contain oxygen, but not in a form our lungs can access,” it added.

The report has suggested that Electrolysis technique can be used to extract oxygen from silica, aluminium, iron and other minerals found on the Moon.

“In this case, the oxygen is produced as a byproduct. On the Moon, the oxygen would be the main product and the aluminium (or other metal) extracted would be a potentially useful byproduct,” it said.

However, for the procedure to be sustainable, it has to be supported by solar energy on any other sources of energy on the Moon. “Extracting oxygen from regolith would also require substantial industrial equipment.”

Earlier this year, a start-up from Belgium said that it was making three experimental reactors to improve the process of making oxygen through electrolysis. The Space Applications Services is planning to send such reactors to the Moon by 2025, the report said.

Originally published on www-hindustantimes-com

COMING UP!!

(Wednesday, May 8th, 2024)

"WHY IS PLUTO NOT A PLANET ANYMORE??"

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Finding pearls in the mud: Eco-friendly tungsten recovery from semiconductor waste

Semiconductor industry waste is typically seen as a costly disposal problem and an environmental hazard. But what if this waste could be transformed into a valuable resource? In an exciting development, researchers from Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) and the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) have unveiled an eco-friendly method to extract rare metals from semiconductor waste. This innovative approach not only recovers precious tungsten but also assesses its economic viability, offering a sustainable solution for waste management in the tech industry. Professor Jeehoon Han from the Department of Chemical Engineering, alongside Ph.D. candidate Yoonjae Lee and alumnus Hyunseo Choi, collaborated with Dr. Soonchun Chung and Dr. Joonsong Park from SAIT to pioneer an environmentally friendly and cost-effective process for tungsten recovery. Their research was featured as a supplementary cover in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.

Read more.

[helix-enterprises117]

Halo Reloaded: Master Chief & more about Spartans

Born and raised on Eridanus-II, John Downes was the son of bioengineers and gardeners, who wanted to genetically modify Earth-plants to be sustainable on other planets (everyone, up until this point, had just been using the indigenous plants from the alien worlds they colonized); up until he was taken into the Spartan Program, John attended a school known as "The Reach For Life Foundation," a prestigious upper-class school (that was created on Reach before expanding out to the rest of the galaxy) designed to turn all of it's students into the next generation of pioneers, colonizers and explorers who will bring life into the uncharted reaches of space. Humanity came in contact with The Covenant in the year 2511. The Spartan Program saw production in 2517; most of the Spartans were born in the year 2528, while John Downes was born in the year 2530. That two year gap may as well have been a chasm between him and his brothers-&-sisters-in-arms. But, like in canon, the main reason why John was chosen despite being everyone's junior was because he still exhibited the exact same unique genetic-markers that all of the others do. With John being the youngest, he's needed to prove himself to the others by working and training thrice as hard as everyone else; his angst comes from the fact that, because he's the youngest, he's the most generic one of the group. He's not the fastest (that's Kelly), not the strongest (that's Samuel), not the biggest (that's Jorge), the best combatant (Fred), the best at weaponry (Vannak), the best at demolitions (James), the best shot (both Linda & Kai, who are rivals to each other, beat John out), the smartest (Riz), the best pilot (Daisy), the best at technology (Joshua), the one with the best intuition (Kurt), or the most charismatic leader (Jerome); he's only really impressive in comparison to the standard marine, this angst he faces is something he later comes to accept as he gets older. He eventually embraces his status as 'The Generic One' and becomes the Jack-of-all-trades, the one everyone can lean on for just about anything; the "Swiss-Army Spartan," if you will. They all got augmented, and the rest is history; but it wasn't until Operation SILENT STORM, the Spartans' FIRST mission as Spartans, where John was given the rank of "Master Chief Petty Officer," the highest rank a non-commissioned serviceman in the Navy can attain; he even got his first metal, "The Purple Heart," after he got shot on the line of duty (and survived, obviously). When he was a kid, before being inducted, John had discovered an ancient Forerunner rock (not that anyone knew what it was) that had almost possessed him; his obssession over it resulted in his father forcing John to bury the drawings he made of it in the backyard. The training and conditioning of the Spartan Progran, while not designed to brainwash anyone, did result in John repressing any memory of the rock. In the present (2552), John had discovered a similar rock during an extraction mission on Biko, which brought a terrifying wave of memories back to him; this drives him to rediscover the rock he found as a kid back on Eridanus-II, in cave beneath the abandoned ruins of his father's old Solar-Paneled Garden Field. After some back and forth battles between The UNSC and The Covenant, John is quick to deduce that the rock he found on Biko is a keystone to the artifact that he found as a kid; with two rocks joined together, they create a starmap that leads to the one thing The Covenant had been after this entire time: Halo.

Spartans are much younger here than in canon, being in their early 20s as opposed to being in their 50s like in the show and the games. Their youth, combined with their less traumatizing upbringing, makes them more colorful in their personalities (still professional and their canon personalities are about the same, but they're less sociopathically brusque and terse like in-canon). Super-Soldiers in media are usually portrayed with two major qualities: Extreme Aggression and Complete Obedience. They're designed to be ruthless killers, desensitized to violence, who are more aggressive than the average soldier, as they are more than willing to make the hard-choices and will not stop until their opponents are dead ("They [Spartans] just... keep killing. Until there's nothing. Left. To kill... You in or out?" - Angus; Halo, Season 1 - Episode 1) and the battle is won. As for complete obedience? Well, that's self-explanatory; they are happiest when given an order and only do what's asked of them ("Good soldiers follow orders." - Crosshairs; The Bad-Batch). The Spartans as seen in Halo Reloaded are the opposite. They're trained in: Lateral Thinking, Improvisation and Freestyling. They're very creative, on and off the field, people who are capable of salvaging a busted plan and thinking on their feet in the midst of high-stress situations; which is precisely why they're so good at their jobs, BECAUSE they're not dependant on the word of their superiors. They're less an army of Robocops and moreso an army of Captain Americas. John himself, particularly in his later years at 22, is a more "Commander Shepard' type of person: Swashbuckling, noble, still emotionally guarded but far less traumatized, charismatic (again not as much as Jerome) and often goes with the flow. He's still much more brusque and aggressive in comparison to the other more lively Spartans (the others often call him "the mean one"), but he's still as nice and compassionate as he's always been.

@ionlymadethissoicouldleaveanask

@mrtobenamedlater

@killer-orca-cosplay

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@authortobenamedlater

[explodingfurby]

ok i’m posting the cooks illustrated recipe for thai tea bc it’s the only thing sustaining me

7 tea bags assam black tea (or any strong black tea. If you have loose leaf do 7 tsp)

1 star anise (pod? one star thing)

1 cinnamon stick 

1 tsp turmeric

Put it somewhere, a bowl maybe, and pour 3 cups of boiling water over it. Steep this for 15 minutes then strain. 

They say to use 3 layers of cheesecloth and a fine metal strainer, but I don’t have that so I use coffee filters, but you must note that this will take forever and you will have to do it multiple times. 

Anyways. Add 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tbsp sugar. Then add 1/3 cup of sweetened condensed milk. 

This is the concentrate, and when you want to drink it do 1 part milk and 2 parts of the concentrate. And ice and whatever else you want to drink it with. You can add more sugar but I personally think it doesn’t need it. 

[weministertomonsters]

𝐕𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐡

The healing power of a vampire lies not in their blood, but their teeth. The extraction shop is brightly lit to combat the night outside, and it smells of old blood and a strange, musty smell that comes from the tiny jars filled with single fangs behind the counter. Those jars go for crazy prices, as you can see from their labels.

The young shopkeeper leans on the counter and frowns as you track mud on the floor as you step in. His hazel eyes flick up to meet yours, a little disdainful. You wince at the full assault of his handsome face.

"Sorry for the mess," you say, your countryside accent comes in strong. "I came straight from the night market."

"Yes, yes," the shopkeeper grunts, returning to carefully polishing empty glass jars. "What can I help you with?"

"My mother is terribly ill, and the doctor said nothing more can be done for her. I'm here as a last resort," you announce, keeping your chin high even as he stares at you doubtfully.

"Miss, you don't look like you have a penny to your name," he says, running a hand through his sleek, short black hair. "I wish I could offer help to everyone who needs it, but I have a business to run."

"Oh, I'm not asking for charity!" You tell him with a small, embarrassed laugh. "Isn't there any other way I can pay?"

"Unfortunately not," he replies crisply. "I can run this store perfectly on my own."

"You misunderstand me. Again." You decide to stop beating around the bush and take your chance with the truth.

You push up your sleeve slightly, turning your arm so your wrist is facing upwards. No other words need to be said. The shopkeeper licks his bottom lip and glances warily at the door of the shop.

"Did anyone see you come in?" He asks.

"No. I am discreet about it," you say firmly. "Please? For the price of just one fang."

He drums his fingertips nervously on the counter.

"Fine," he says. "You know how much to give?"

"I know my limits, yes. I assure you I can walk out of here without a twitch in my step. If I go against my word, you are free to throw me out onto the street."

"Very well. Do be careful, he may be weak, but he is cunning," the shopkeeper says. "Go now, before someone comes in. If there is someone here when you come back, act as if you are under my employ."

"Understood."

He lets you step behind the counter and through the back door, which leads down into the basement which is almost entirely dark, save for a single candle that is about to gutter out.

The shop above may look clean and sparkly with its jars of polished white fangs, but the setup below is paltry. There are enough cells to hold three vampires if the shopkeeper were to be so lucky. As it is, there is only one bloodsucker huddled in the far corner of the cell. The metal door is ajar but even if the vampire wasn't chained, he would not have had the strength to walk out by this point.

Giving vampires blood from the vein is illegal, and that is why extraction shops had to find other means of feeding them, usually with blood from cows. Vampires need more substantial fare than that, so no amount of cow's blood could sustain them for long. They withered and faded into nothing soon enough, dying off eventually.

You're not sure if this one is alive, and considering that vampires do not need to breathe, he has turned into a statue of sorts.

"Hello," you say, and adjust your volume when you hear your voice echo back at you.

"I have no fangs to give," a dry voice mumbles from between the vampire's knees. "They have not finished growing back."

"I'm not here to extract any," you murmur and step warily into the cage. "Can you bite me if you try?"

"No," the vampire replies, lifting his head to see who he is talking to.

His eyes take you in and he frowns.

"You're no extractor."

"Like I said," you huff. "I told the shopkeeper I would give you blood from my vein in exchange for a fang."

The vampire's eyes flood with red when he hears this, and he makes a keening sound in his throat.

"Come then," he demands, crawling towards you, his chain rattling after him. "Feed me."

You back away strategically. When the chain goes taut and you are out of his reach, he grows frustrated, grabbing the empty metal bowl he is fed with and flinging it at you.

"Do not lie to me!" He hisses. "Worthless human brat!"

The ruckus brings the shopkeeper down.

"What in god's name are you doing to him?" He demands as he descends the stairs. "You promised discretion!"

He enters the room, but you're nowhere in his sight and the vampire is raging in the cell, screeching and hissing curses as he pulls at his matted hair in wild hunger.

You emerge from the shadows with the hefty stick you had tied to your leg and concealed under your dress before you came to the shop. You swing it at the shopkeeper as hard as you can, just as he is turning to you. It connects with his face with a sickening crack, and he slumps to the floor, stunned.

"I will be needing more than one fang to keep my mother alive," you whisper, leaning over him. "This is the only way I can do that. Forgive me."

You hit him again on the head, and he groans and his eyes flicker shut. You lean over him to make sure he's still breathing, your heartbeat racing from exertion and from being so close to him. He smells nice-such a pity.

You straighten up and go to the vampire, who bares his blunt teeth at you. His fangs are barely peeking through his gums and are useless.

"You liar," he growls.

"Not quite," you say, and go to him, pressing a blade to your palm until the blood wells up steadily.

Despite his weak state, his grip is surprisingly strong as he snatches your hand up, forcing you onto your knees on the floor with him. He presses his lips to the source of the blood, groaning. He has lost the healing agent in his saliva, but you can still feel the slightest itchy tingle of your flesh trying to heal. You flex your hand to keep it open, counting the seconds down until you deem he has had enough to sustain him without making him stronger than you. Then you tear your hand away.

He tries to grab your arm, but you slap him across the face and stand up, putting some space between the two of you.

"That's enough!" You snap. "Unless you obey my instructions, I will leave you chained here to continue your miserable existence."

"Please," the vampire says, wiping the blood from his chin and then licking it off his fingers. "I'll do whatever you say, just take me from this place."

"We will have to sneak out the back door," you tell him. "And you will have to stick very close to me. Try anything funny, and I will use my stick on you. See this sharpened end? I will not hesitate to plunge it into your chest if you behave wildly."

The vampire blinks up at you.

"Very well, human," he rasps, possessing none of the charms a free vampire would. "I will do as you say."

He brings himself to his feet and comes to stand more than a head above you. Your only savior is his weakened state, otherwise, he could easily have you, and both of you know this.

You go back to the yet-unconscious shopkeeper to pat around for the keys to unlock the shackles on the vampire. There is a chance that as soon as he is loose he will take the risk of fleeing by himself. You make eye contact with him as the key turns in the lock of the first handcuff, and the second. You crouch down remove the shackles from his ankles and pause. He is now completely free.

The evening wind blows in through the tiny window in the corner and the shopkeeper groans as he begins to come to, but the vampire stays with you.

[hurtmyfavsthanks]

Febuwhump Day 13: "You weren't supposed to get hurt,

The first thing Whumpee saw upon being reactivated was Caretaker’s face standing over them. They looked tired, deep shadows resting under red eyes. A quick check of their internal clock told Whumpee that it was late into the night.

And yet Caretaker was smiling.

“Oh thank god–,” A relieved giggle burst from their lips, a hand reaching to grab one of Whumpee’s. “You’re okay! Thank god, I was so worried…”

Whumpee’s eyes scanned the room, system slow to respond. They were in Caretaker’s lab, body laid flat on top of a metal table. They could see various pieces of themselves scattered around, twisted and ruined metal plating tossed aside, damaged limbs in the process of being replaced.

Error warning flashed across their vision, making them aware of the various forms of damage they’d sustained. They did not recall being damaged.

They took a moment to look through their memory. There had been an attack on the base. As a safety and recovery unit, Whumpee fulfilled their duty by extracting non-combatant staff to a safer location.

They’d been found on the way. Whumpee remembered a mask figure shouting at them to freeze, lifting their weapon before anyone could comply. They remembered the weapon aiming for Caretaker–

Whumpee forced their error messages away, wincing at the unpleasant sensation. They ignored the discomfort and launched their scan protocol. Caretaker froze on instinct as the warm green light emitted from Whumpee’s eyes and ran across their body, searching for injury. Bruised skin, wrapped in a thick layer of bandages, were hidden underneath Caretaker’s oil stained shirt. Two of their ribs appeared on their scan, highlighting them as cracked.

They’d been hurt. Whumpee was supposed to protect them. “You were not supposed to be injured. I apologize.”

“Whumpee, it’s okay. I’m fine–,”

The wound seemed to already be tended to, but that was not enough. They were injured, they should be resting in the medical bay.

Whumpee moved to transport Caretaker to the medics. Or, they tried. Their system was still running slowly, still readjusting to their limited functionality. And so they didn’t realize their legs had not been fully reconnected until they’d tipped off the table.

“Hey hey hey, slow down!" Caretaker caught them, body trembling with effort. “I just needed to make sure your AI was undamaged; I haven’t fully repaired you yet,” With a strained hiss, Caretaker pulled Whumpee back onto the table. Whumpee did their best to assist, uncoordinated limbs pushing themselves back into place.

When Caretaker let go, they were panting, one hand moved to carefully hold their ribs.

Whumpee’s protocol screamed for them to act. “You should be resting. You are injured.”

“Whumpee,” Caretaker huffed, “I’m fine. Your legs are currently half attached to your body.”

“You have two broken ribs. I do not consider that ‘fine’, Whumpee countered. “Further, I could have waited until after your recovery. My damage was not enough to put my system in jeopardy, and leaving me deactivated would have done no harm.”

“Your chest was torn open. I wasn’t just going to leave you like that while I waited for a few injuries to heal!” Caretaker hissed, turning away. The gingerly sat themselves down at their computer table, the slightest sigh of relief leaving them. They focused their attention on the screen.“Now hold still, I need to run some tests.”

Whumpee did as commanded, body locking. “I would have been fine. I am not human, despite my appearance. An injury such as that is not fatal for me. You should have begun repairing me after you recovered.”

Caretaker didn’t respond. They began entering commands into the module, brow furrowed with an expression Whumpee was unable to decipher. As they worked, Whumpee could feel the tests running through their system, warning signs fading one by one.

They fell into a peaceful silence, the only noise the gentle clicking of Caretaker’s typing. After several long minutes, the clicking stopped. Caretaker paused, staring at the screen, expression contemplative.

“You saved my life, you know,” Caretaker suddenly spoke. “When they turned their weapons on me, I froze. I would’ve died if you hadn’t stepped in.”

“Yes.” Of course they had. It was their duty.

“You put yourself on the line for me. You could’ve died doing that. How could I leave you carved open, collecting dust while I sat around waiting to recover?”

“I did not nearly die, I simply sustained too much damage to be functional. Waiting to repair me would have done no harm.”

For a moment, Caretaker looked prepared to argue. But then they sighed, shoulders slumping, a hand coming to run through unwashed hair.

They turned to face Whumpee. Distress was written on their face, brows knitted. Whumpee longed to comfort them, but did not know how.

When Caretaker next spoke, their voice was slow, words chosen carefully. “I’m not here because fixing you now is the smartest thing to do. I’m here because I care about you, and seeing you injured hurts me.”

Whumpee flinched at their words, immediately beginning to run a new scan on Caretaker to find any new injuries. Without looking away, Caretaker pressed a button on the module and canceled their scan. “Emotionally, Whumpee,” they clarified. “It upsets me to see you hurt.”

Whumpee paused, considering. They knew they were limited in emotional reactions. It wasn’t beyond inorganic life, but it was something they had to learn, not a skill that could be programmed into them.

It wasn’t logical, but Whumpee knew better than to dismiss Caretaker’s words simply because of that.

They recalled how it felt, saving Caretaker. The programming that caused them to move without regard for their own safety. The blaring warning signs that flashed through their vision, the sight of their body tearing apart, crumbling. They remember feeling themselves fall apart, and only feeling joy knowing they’d protected Caretaker.

If they hadn’t shut down after that, wouldn’t they have used their damaged and struggling body to tend to Caretaker’s wounds? Is that what Caretaker felt now?

The situation was not the same. Whumpee was designed to protect Caretaker, not the other way around. A human should never hurt themselves for an inorganic.

Caretaker’s distress was illogical, but Whumpee would not say as much. They knew that continuing to argue would only upset Caretaker further. And that outcome was…unacceptable.

(nothing in their programming stipulated Caretaker’s emotional well-being as a priority. It was just something Whumpee knew-)

“I understand,” Whumpee said. They weren’t quite sure if that was true. But the smile that came to Caretaker’s face, twinged with exhaustion and yet full of relief, made that uncertainty feel unimportant.

[reasoningdaily]

Children still mining cobalt for gadget batteries in Congo

A CBS News investigation of child labor in cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo has revealed that tens of thousands of children are growing up without a childhood today – two years after a damning Amnesty report about human rights abuses in the cobalt trade was published. The Amnesty report first revealed that cobalt mined by children was ending up in products from prominent tech companies including Apple, Microsoft, Tesla and Samsung. 

There's such sensitivity around cobalt mining in the DRC that a CBS News team traveling there recently was stopped every few hundred feet while moving along dirt roads and seeing children digging for cobalt. From as young as 4 years old, children can pick cobalt out of a pile, and even those too young to work spend much of the day breathing in toxic fumes.

What's life like for kids mining cobalt for our gadgets?

So, what exactly is cobalt, and what are the health risks for those who work in the DRC's cobalt mining industry?

What is cobalt?

Cobalt – a naturally occurring element –  is a critical component in lithium-ion, rechargeable batteries. In recent years, the growing global market for portable electronic devices and rechargeable batteries has fueled demand for its extraction, Amnesty said in its 2016 report. In fact, many top electronic and electric vehicle companies need cobalt to help power their products.

The element is found in other products as well.

"Cobalt-containing products include corrosion and heat-resistant alloys, hard metal (cobalt-tungsten-carbide alloy), magnets, grinding and cutting tools, pigments, paints, colored glass, surgical implants, catalysts, batteries, and cobalt-coated metal (from electroplating)," says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

More than half of the world's supply of cobalt comes from the DRC, and 20 percent of that is mined by hand, according to Darton Commodities Ltd., a London-based research company that specializes in cobalt.  

Health risks of chronic exposure 

According to the CDC, "chronic exposure to cobalt-containing hard metal (dust or fume) can result in a serious lung disease called 'hard metal lung disease'" – a kind of pneumoconiosis, meaning a lung disease caused by inhaling dust particles. Inhalation of cobalt particles can cause respiratory sensitization, asthma, decreased pulmonary function and shortness of breath, the CDC says.

The health agency says skin contact is also a significant health concern "because dermal exposures to hard metal and cobalt salts can result in significant systemic uptake." 

"Sustained exposures can cause skin sensitization, which may result in eruptions of contact dermatitis," a red, itchy skin rash, the CDC says.

Despite the health risks, researchers with Amnesty International found that most cobalt miners in Congo lack basic protective equipment like face masks, work clothing and gloves. Many of the miners the organization spoke with for its 2016 report – 90 people in total who work, or worked, in the mines – complained of frequent coughing or lung problems. Cobalt mining's dangerous impact on workers and the environment

Some women complained about the physical nature of the work, with one describing hauling 110-pound sacks of cobalt ore. "We all have problems with our lungs, and pain all over our bodies," the woman said, according to Amnesty.

Moreover, miners said unsupported mining tunnels frequently give way, and that accidents are common.  

Miners know their work is dangerous, Todd C. Frankel wrote late last month in The Washington Post. 

"But what's less understood are the environmental health risks posed by the extensive mining," he reported. "Southern Congo holds not only vast deposits of cobalt and copper but also uranium. Scientists have recorded alarming radioactivity levels in some mining regions. Mining waste often pollutes rivers and drinking water. The dust from the pulverized rock is known to cause breathing problems. The mining industry's toxic fallout is only now being studied by researchers, mostly in Lubumbashi, the country's mining capital."

"These job are really desired"

Despite the dangers and risks of working as miners in the cobalt industry, at least of the some miners in the Congo "love their jobs," according to Frankel.

"When I talked to the miners there, none of them want to lose their jobs or give up their jobs. They love their jobs," Frankel said Tuesday, speaking on CBSN. "In a country like Congo, mining is one of the few decently paying jobs to be had there, and so they want to hold onto these jobs."

They also want fair treatment, decent pay, and some safety, "and they would love for their kids to not work in the mines," he said.

"It's a poverty problem," Frankel said. "These parents I talked to – they don't want their kids working in these mines. The problem is that their school fees – schools cost money, and you know, food costs money, and they sort of need their kids to work in there."

Poverty also drives children into the mines instead of school – an estimated 40,000 of them work in brutal conditions starting at very young ages.

The thousands of miners who work in tunnels searching for cobalt in the country "do it because they live in one of the poorest countries in the world, and cobalt is valuable," Frankel wrote in the Washington Post article.

"Not doing enough" 

CBS News spoke with some of the companies that use cobalt in their lithium-ion batteries. All of the companies acknowledged problems with the supply chain, but said they require suppliers to follow responsible sourcing guidelines. Apple, an industry leader in the fight for responsible sourcing, said walking away from the DRC "would do nothing to improve conditions for the people or the environment."

Read company responses here

Amnesty said in November, however, that "major electronics and electric vehicle companies are still not doing enough to stop human rights abuses entering their cobalt supply chains." 

"As demand for rechargeable batteries grows, companies have a responsibility to prove that they are not profiting from the misery of miners working in terrible conditions in the DRC," the organization said. "The energy solutions of the future must not be built on human rights abuses."

An estimated two-thirds of children in the region of the DRC that CBS News visited recently are not in school. They're working in mines instead. 

CBS News' Debora Patta spoke with an 11-year-old boy, Ziki Swaze, who has no idea how to read or write but is an expert in washing cobalt. Every evening, he returns home with a dollar or two to provide for his family.

"I have to go and work there," he told Patta, "because my grandma has a bad leg and she can't."

He said he dreams of going to school, but has always had to work instead.

"I feel very bad because I can see my friends going to school, and I am struggling," he said.

Amnesty says "it is widely recognized internationally that the involvement of children in mining constitutes one of the worst forms of child labour, which governments are required to prohibit and eliminate."

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from the LA Times:

There’s a lithium bonanza happening at the Salton Sea.

The boom started when one of the world’s largest supplies of lithium was discovered one mile below the dying lake. The metal is required to produce electric car batteries and is essential to reducing carbon emissions.

Yet lost in the excitement about the money and new jobs that the mining projects could bring are the concerns of the people who live there.

The impoverished area — which is more than 80% Latino — already has a childhood asthma rate that is more than twice the national average.

The asthma cases have been tied to the toxic dust created as the Salton Sea recedes from lack of water. And some local residents fear that the number of respiratory cases could soar even higher as the lithium mining projects drink up more of the area’s much fought over allocation from the Colorado River.

Residents also worry about the hazardous waste that the mining projects could create. And the area’s Indigenous tribes are concerned that sites they consider sacred, including Obsidian Butte, a volcanic outcropping on the Salton Sea’s shore, could be disturbed.

In March, a local community group called Comite Civico del Valle, along with Earthworks, a national nonprofit, filed a legal petition to stop the first of the planned lithium mining projects, which is known as Hell’s Kitchen.

The groups say the potential hazards of the project by Controlled Thermal Resources, a privately held company, were not properly studied before the Imperial County Board of Superiors unanimously approved it in January.

“Controlled Thermal Resources boasts about the sustainability attributes of direct lithium extraction, yet public health, hazardous waste, and water concerns remain unresolved,” said Luis Olmedo, executive director of Comite Civico del Valle.

The two groups want the project halted until the risks are studied and measures are taken to mitigate any harm that could happen to the communities or environment.

The county and company disagree and say that the project’s potential risks were properly considered in the environmental impact statement that California law requires.

“The County believes that the concerns were adequately addressed during the initial stages of the project development,” said Eddie Lopez, a county spokesperson.

Jim Turner, Controlled Thermal Resources’ president, said the company spent two years performing studies to ensure that the lithium could be extracted safely. The board of supervisors agreed that the company had completed that work, he said. “The official opinion is that the job was done very well,” he said.

Government officials are among those who want to move quickly. They say the Salton Sea could be the cleanest major source of lithium in the world and make the U.S. a major player in production.

Controlled Thermal Resources and two other companies with mining projects in the works use a process in which the metal is extracted from the hot, steaming brine that geothermal power plants bring up from the depths to produce electricity.

Lithium is removed from the brine before it is reinjected back into the geothermal reservoir deep underground.

The process, known as direct lithium extraction, is said to be far less damaging to the environment than hard rock mining or by pumping brine into large evaporation ponds.

The U.S. produces very little lithium even though the demand is great and growing fast with the rising purchases of electric vehicles.

Already 11 geothermal plants have been built around the lake. Controlled Thermal Resources’ project would be the first to combine electricity generation with lithium extraction.

[khalid-albeshri]

Key sectors in KSA manufacturing market:

Here’s a concise overview of the key sectors in Saudi Arabia's manufacturing market:

1. Petrochemicals

- Central to Saudi Arabia's manufacturing, leveraging vast oil and gas reserves to produce chemicals like ethylene and polypropylene.

- Major players include SABIC and Saudi Aramco.

2. Pharmaceuticals

- Rapidly expanding with a focus on local production of generics, vaccines, and biotech products.

- Supported by government initiatives to reduce import dependency.

3. Food and Beverage

- Vital for food security and economic growth, focusing on dairy, processed foods, beverages, and halal products.

- Expanding into regional and international markets.

4. Automotive

- Developing sector with a focus on assembling vehicles, manufacturing parts, and electric vehicles (EVs).

- Growing interest from global manufacturers.

5. Construction Materials

- Driven by mega-projects, producing cement, steel, aluminum, and sustainable materials.

- Key to supporting infrastructure development.

6. Metals and Mining

- Emerging sector with significant resources like gold, phosphate, and bauxite.

- Focus on extraction, processing, and downstream industries like aluminum smelting.

7. Textiles and Apparel

- Small but growing, with potential in high-quality textiles and traditional clothing.

- Opportunities in fashion and design.

8. Renewable Energy Equipment

- Focused on producing solar panels, wind turbines, and related components to support renewable energy projects.

- Significant growth potential aligned with sustainability goals.

9. Packaging

- Expanding due to growth in food, pharmaceuticals, and e-commerce.

- Innovation in sustainable packaging solutions is on the rise.

10. Defense and Aerospace

- Strategic priority with efforts to localize military equipment production.

- Supported by GAMI, focusing on parts manufacturing and maintenance services.

These sectors highlight Saudi Arabia's drive toward economic diversification, with strong government support and strategic investments fostering growth across the manufacturing industry.

#KhalidAlbeshri #خالدالبشري

[solarpunkbusiness]

Electrochemistry helps clean up electronic waste recycling, precious metal mining

A new method safely extracts valuable metals locked up in discarded electronics and low-grade ore using dramatically less energy and fewer chemical materials than current methods, report University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers in the journal Nature Chemical Engineering. 

Gold and platinum group metals such as palladium, platinum and iridium are in high demand for use in electronics. However, sourcing these metals from mining and current electronics recycling techniques is not sustainable and comes with a high carbon footprint. Gold used in electronics accounts for 8% of the metal’s overall demand, and 90% of the gold used in electronics ends up in U.S. landfills yearly, the study reports. 

The study, led by chemical and biomolecular engineering professor Xiao Su, describes the first precious metal extraction and separation process fully powered by the inherent energy of electrochemical liquid-liquid extraction, or e-LLE. The method uses a reduction-oxidation reaction to selectively extract gold and platinum group metal ions from a liquid containing dissolved electronic waste. 

In the lab, the team dissolved catalytic converters, electronic waste such as old circuit boards, and simulated mining ores containing gold and platinum group metals using an organic solvent. The system then streams the dissolved electronics or ores over specialized electrodes in three consecutive extraction columns: one for oxidation, one for leaching and one for reduction. 

“The metals are then converted to solids using electroplating, and the leftover liquid can be treated to capture the remaining metals and recycle the organic solvent,” Su said. “The stream containing the organic extractant is then pumped back to the first extraction column, closing the loop, which greatly minimizes waste.”

An economic analysis of the new approach showed that the new method runs at a cost of two orders of magnitude lower than current industrial processes.

“The social value of this work is really its ability to produce green gold quickly in a single step, greatly improving transparency and trust in conflict free recycled precious metals,”

said postdoctoral researcher Stephen Cotty, the first author of the study. 

Su said one of the many advantages of this new method is that it can run continuously in a green fashion and is highly selective in terms of how it extracts precious metals. “We can pull gold and platinum group metals out of the stream, but we can also separate them from other metals like silver, nickel, copper and other less valuable metals to increase purity greatly – something other methods struggle with.”

The team said that they are working to perfect this method by improving the engineering design and the solvent selection.

[just-here-with-my-thoughts]

Welcome To The Outpost: Part 1.4 - No Way Out

@badthingshappenbingo prompt: Kick Them While They Are Down

Fandom: The Bad Batch Characters: Clone Commander Mayday, Clone Trooper Hexx, Clone Trooper Veetch, Additional Clone Troopers Word Count: ~2075 Warnings: Minor Character Deaths, Suicide Mention Read Here on AO3

Synopsis: A request for extraction is ignored, with Imperial orders reiterating that Mayday and his remaining squad members are to keep the base secure and protect the cargo at all costs.

Read Part 1.1 - Frozen Read Part 1.2 - Rise From The Ashes Read Part 1.3 - Lost Battle

“I’ve never seen a shiny lose their spark so quickly.”

Mayday was standing at the top of the metal stairs, watching Veetch sweep snow from the hard-standing in front of the depot buildings. Hexx passed him a cup of caf as he joined him, both of them focusing on the young clone who moved stiffly, shoulders hunched against the cold and against his own inner turmoil.

“Kid’s got nothing to distract him,” volunteered Hexx. “Usually they go through a tough battle, but then there’s another mission to distract them, or an influx of new shinies who need their support.” He glanced at Mayday with a wry smile. “Worked for me.”

The comment drew a faint huff of amusement from the commander, an increasingly rare sound. “I remember,” he agreed. “I didn’t realise you’d only been deployed six weeks longer than me.”

“Helped me to have a new shiny to adopt,” said Hexx softly. “Didn’t think back then that this is where we’d end up.”

Mayday knocked his vambrace affectionately against his friend’s. “Glad I’ve still got you to keep me on the straight and narrow.”

“Is that what I do?”

“It’s the reason you’re my second-in-command.”

They lapsed into silence, tense with the unspoken weight of their situation. Hexx knew as well as Mayday how dire things were becoming.

The weeks following the ice wyrm encounter had been tough on all the remaining troopers. When Atlas had snapped out of his catatonia to corner Veetch and beat him bloody for his perceived role in Axis’ death, it had taken Hexx and Helix both to pull him off the young clone.

Brothers coming to blows cast a further pall over the diminished squad, the camaraderie which had sustained them through the long months of the posting all but evaporated. Half a squad meant double the work for each of them, and the clones were constantly running on the edge of exhaustion.

Mayday’s request for additional troops to be sent was declined. The Empire’s assessment was also that, if three of their number had died, they could stretch their remaining rations further and defer sending the next supply ship to save on the fuel cost of the run.

The doors to the storage unit which had been blown open couldn’t be repaired. Ferox was in a foul mood almost daily, no matter who was assigned to help him with his duties.

The next time the perimeter sensors failed, Helix suggested they stop sending daily reports to the Empire. The Empire might bother to send a team to investigate the outpost; it would be the quickest way to secure reinforcements and new supplies, he said.

Telmer was overheard saying they’d have more luck abandoning their post and joining the raiders.

Mayday cracked down on such chatter quickly, quelling the mutterings of rebellion with his usual brand of calm, confident leadership. He let them see his frustration though; didn’t hide his disdain at the repeated rebuttals the Empire gave him to his daily appeals for support.

It was only when he and Hexx patrolled alone, far from the others, that he confided his sympathy for his trooper’s views.

Six months stretched into eight, then ten. The isolation ate at the squad’s morale so that Mayday’s whole focus became the wellbeing of his men.

The only saving grace was the weather. A new storm front meant Barton IV’s climate went from being merely inhospitable to actively endangering life. It was all they could do to keep the base running; but at least the same cold that degraded their equipment and caused them such discomfort stayed the frequency of attacks from the raiders.

*

Ferox’s luck ran out when he tried – again – to repair the heating systems in the base. The corroded component sparked, and electricity surged in a lightning-bright snap to course through his frame and blast him across the room.

For three days he hovered on the threshold of death, skin blistered and cracked, burned inside his body in a way none of them knew how to treat. His groans and sobs were a constant soundtrack of pain permeating the main building, grating on his brothers’ resolve.

In the end Atlas took it on himself to put Ferox out of his misery. Then he turned his blaster on himself too.

Two more helmets joined the sombre memorial in the crowded room. The empty buckets now outnumbered the living members of the squad.

*

“Commander.”

“I hear you, Veetch. What is it?”

“There’s… something in the snow. I… I think you should come look.”

By the time Mayday and Helix had found Veetch he was shivering from standing still so long. His gaze was riveted on a dark metal pad on the ground, the edges just uncovered by the way the wind gusted away the powdery snow.

“Pressure mine,” breathed Mayday, crouching down to inspect the device. “Where did it come from?”

Helix surveyed the horizon through a set of binoculars. “I can’t see anything out there.”

Veetch had relaxed marginally now that his commander was there. “What do we do about it?”

“Let’s head back to base,” said Mayday. “Go through the kit boxes again and see if we’ve got something to deal with it.”

“Protocol would be for every member of the squad to carry the equipment to disarm these at all times,” said Helix dubiously. “Reckon they’ll have sent us enough for that?”

Mayday’s reply was grim. “We can hope.”

*

There was no proper equipment to deal with the mines. Mayday sent a request for additional supplies, despite his misgivings about the likelihood of such things materialising.

Telmer bodged together a set of tools for each of them to use and showed them the theory of dealing with the pressure triggers using scrap metal to practice on.

The appearance of the mines marked a resurgence of activity from the raiders. With the storms abating, their probing attacks tested the degraded defences of the outpost.

Every fight was a fight to protect a brother. Yes, the clones were still aware of their duty to guard the outpost and its Imperial cargo. But it was a lesser concern than banding together to defend each other, five of them against everything Barton IV could throw at them.

Every skirmish with the raiders was an outlet for their frustrations about the unfeeling disregard of the Empire.

The pressure mines eventually did their job. Without proper detection equipment, noticing them, and therefore disarming them, was a matter of chance.

They claimed Telmer as their victim, a quick and bloody death that painted the snowscape red.

The rest of the clones added the raider’s blood to the scene in vengeance for their fallen brother.

*

Mayday gently turned Helix’s foot in his hands, inspecting the necrotic flesh without flinching.

Helix offered a strained grin. Sweat beaded on his forehead, his skin pallid and greying.

“Sorry, commander. Don’t mean to leave you like this.”

Ghosting his fingers over the blackened decay that was eating at Helix’s leg, Mayday shook his head. “Don’t be ridiculous,” he replied, voice little more than a murmured growl. “I’m just glad this transport is arriving today. We can get you the treatment you need elsewhere.”

“Are they bringing reinforcements too?”

Mayday pulled out his datapad and checked it. “Additional labour to assist with storage and management of Imperial cargo,” he read off. “So yeah, sounds like it.”

“Better late than never, right?” said Helix with a forced laugh.

Mayday patted his trooper’s knee and carefully re-covered the frostbitten flesh.

“I’m going to go meet this ship. Com me if you need anything.”

“Yes, sir.” Helix managed an exhausted salute before flopping back in his bunk, shivers of sickness wracking his body.

Mayday stalked from the base, pulling his helmet on as he stepped into the frigid world outside. Veetch and Hexx were waiting impatiently on the hard standing, gazes trained on the distant dot against the skyline that was rapidly growing bigger with approach.

“Better late than never indeed,” Mayday echoed gruffly. Then, “Veetch, get a pallet, be ready to unload any supplies they’ve seen fit to furnish us with. Hexx,” and the clone turned to look at him, “You and me will carry Helix to the transport. Make him as comfortable as we can.”

“Yes, sir,” came their dual responses, and the three waited together for the ship to land.

Snowflakes swirled in dizzying eddies as the ship touched down on the outpost’s forecourt, dancing streaks of white against dark grey. Almost before the ship was still Mayday was striding towards it.

The pilot descended from the cockpit to meet him. Mayday fought the urge to crane past him and watch for other troops departing the transport.

“Welcome to the Outpost, sir,” he said with a smart salute. “Glad you’re here.”

The pilot turned his visored helmet to regard Hexx and Veetch over Mayday’s shoulder.

“Is this all of you? Gonna take a while to stack the cargo with just three.”

Mayday’s thoughts stuttered. “The cargo?”

“Yes,” drawled the pilot, as though Mayday was slow of mind. “The cargo. To be stored in the depot.”

Shaking his head cautiously, Mayday said, “I was expecting troop reinforcements.”

It came out more plaintive than he intended. The pilot was unmoved.

“If you’re due reinforcements, they’re coming on another ship. I have a delivery of fifty crates, plus four droid units to help manage them, but they’ll need to be hooked up to your power supply to charge before they’ll be any use.”

“Droids,” echoed Mayday in disbelief. Some small part of his mind registered that he wasn’t sounding particularly authoritative, but the sudden reversal of his expectations had thrown him. He had been waiting for more clone troopers. He needed them.

Taking Mayday’s echolalia as reason to ignore him, the pilot hailed Hexx and Veetch. “Hey. You two. I’ll drop the cargo ramp and you can start unloading these crates.”

Mayday grabbed the man’s arm as he went to climb back to the cockpit. “I have a man who is injured, sick. He needs evac. You’re taking him, right?”

The pilot snorted. “Does this look like a medical transport to you? Don’t be stupid. I’m not equipped to carry passengers, let alone provide treatment.” He brushed Mayday’s hand off roughly. “Now do your job, trooper, and unload the cargo.”

Hexx and Veetch had drawn alongside them now, shifting uneasily as they sensed the tension between the two men. Mayday stared at the pilot a moment longer, visor to visor, willing him to change his mind. To say it was all a joke. Of course they were taking Helix.

The other merely stared him down in silence. Mayday broke first, turning away, gesturing to his troopers.

“C’mon, boys,” he muttered, voice hollow with defeat. “We’ve got some crates to stack.”

*

Clasping one of Helix’s hands in both his own, Mayday bowed his head and pressed his brother’s chilled fingers to his forehead.

“I’m sorry, Helix.”

Helix’s breathing was laboured. His words were slurred, but he still managed a grimace of a smile for Mayday.

“Won’t… hold it ‘gainst you, c’mmander. Know you did… ev’rythin’ you could.”

Mayday reached out a trembling hand and smoothed it across Helix’s clammy brow, stroking sweat-laden hair back from his face.

“Try and hold on a bit longer for me, Helix. I sent an urgent com for aid.”

“Y’did that… before… c’mmander.”

Helix’s gaze roved, glassy, over Mayday’s face, seeing but unfocused.

“Empire aren’t… coming f’r us,” he panted out, fingers spasming weakly in Mayday’s grip. “No way off… this rock. No way… ‘cept the way th’ others went.”

Mayday forced a false smile to his lips, face aching with the rictus grimace of it.

“Don’t talk like that, vod. You’re going to be fine.”

The blankets rose and fell shallowly with Helix’s rapid breathing. “Maybe… Atlas had it right.”

“Helix-”

“Would y’do that f’me… c’mmander?”

Mayday gazed in despair at the glint of lucidity in his trooper’s eyes.

“What Altas did… f’r Ferox….”

“Go to sleep, Helix,” said Mayday, voice trembling. His eyes prickled unexpectedly and he rubbed at them, then dragged a hand through his own untamed hair.

“Sure.” Helix wheezed a chuckle. “Sleep… sounds good.”

“Yeah.” Mayday squeezed his hand hard. “When you wake up, we’ll have a transport ready to evacuate you.”

“’Vacuate…” Helix’s head lolled on the pillow, eyelids drifting closed above sunken cheeks. “Sounds… good. Y’re… th’ best…… c’mmander…”

Read Part 1.5 - Rock And A Hard Place

How's it going, reader? Have you been here for all of Angstpril so far, or just stumbled on this story today?

This writing project is a collaboration between myself, @the-little-moment and @kybercrystals94 to bring you a fabulous series of angst-based Bad Batch fanfiction. We've shared the prompts between us so don't forget to check all of our blogs to catch the whole month's worth of stories!

My series of 10 stories will focus on Clone Commander Mayday and the Barton IV Outpost. Stay tuned to follow Mayday's journey to the bitter end...

I think my Bad Things Happen Bingo prompt 'Kick Them While They Are Down' applies to pretty much the whole cast of characters in today's chapter...

Don't forget to check out @the-little-moment's stories:- Day 1 - Homesick Day 4 - Longing Day 7 - Bad Dreams Day 10 - Phantom Pain

And @kybercrystals94's stories:- Day 3 - Broken Hearted Day 6 - This Isn't Going To Work Day 9 - Trust Issues