#turbo and tremors

[momentofch-aos]

I may have said it before but todays m’s shield though of the day is…

Mack calling Alya “Tiny Turbo” and Daisy’s daughter “Tiny Tremors”

Oh he calls Daniel “chief” as his nickname too. Daniel likes it because it reminds of Rose, Jarvis and the SSR

[the-faultofdaedalus]

elena and mack,,,, my BELOVEDS,,,,,,

[starlit-mansion]

the funniest and dumbest takeaway from the somerton debacle is that this proves the importance of networking lmao

[cipheramnesia]

Hiii beautiful Cipher!

Recently we were able to watch Nope and absolutely loved it!! Her at home we have a couple of roommates who are not really into horror but Nope worked for them as it is a horror that feels like a western/sci-fi.

So we come to you asking for recommendations on horror movies that work that way.

Nope is kind of a tough act to follow, because it's one of those movies that hits on all levels - story, subtext, character, plot, cinematography. You name it, and Nope knocked it out of the park. So, tempered expectations, there's nothing else which will hit quite the same, I think.

Two movies I think are quite good and complimentary are Prey and Tremors. Tremors in particular comes pretty close to the same scifi western monster movie vibe of Nope, including a pretty similar pace and similar plot beats. While it doesn't quite aim as high as Nope, it's a classic of the horror genre for a good reason, and a whole lot of fun. It leans more into humor, although it's firmly a horror movie. If you or your friends somehow never heard of it, and you don't have "hard out" triggers, my advice is go in fully blind because much like Nope it has a lot of enjoyable twists. Some triggers I'd add would be animal death (sheep), fear of heights, child in danger, and obviously fear of earthquakes or similar.

Prey was all over Tumblr so I don't think I need to add a whole lot. It's one of the movies in the Predator series, and easily one of the best. The original Predator could also work to compliment Nope, but I think Prey fits it better. Watch it in the Comanche dub obviously. It's more of a departure from being directly a Western movie but syncs up enough to fit the vibe and it's likely to find a similar positive reception with anyone who enjoyed Nope thanks to the way it balances character, story, and action while using a deft but light touch with the horror element. This is one that's not really much for twists and turns so ahead and go nuts at doesthedogdie.com if you wanna.

A few others that mash-up horror, science fiction, and western movie tropes or themes, but which don't compliment Nope as well, are Pitch Black, Turbo Kid, and Prisoners Of The Ghostland. Pitch Black is from back in Vin Diesel's early days, and feels like something right in between Aliens and Firefly. It's a low stakes, mid-budget monster movie that doesn't reinvent anything but makes for a fun ride. Turbo Kid is a retro 80s movie more than western per se, which imho leans too hard on the style and not enough on the characters, but it's full of weird mechanical devices and showdowns and standoffs. Prisoners of the Ghostland is something fully different than Nope, but it mashes up the western and samurai genres along with post apocalypse themes and an overall dreamy surrealism that puts it more in line with Mad God. But it sure is scifi western horror, kind of. Content warning: Nicholas Cage.

If we get a little further outside the western area, there's definitely some other films that are a good follow up for Nope. Immediately to mind is the spectacular scifi horror movie Attack the Block. It's another great movie to in blind on if you can, not so much for specific plot twists, as purely the story unfolding is so good and so fun that getting to enjoy it unspoiled is deeply satisfying. It's a fantastic bit of humans versus aliens that illustrates how to masterfully take a very conventional story and tell it in a way so unique that it feels new each time you watch it.

Related and tangential to the western movie is the apocalypse road trip movie, aka the Mad Max genre. One of my favorites is the little seen 80s movie but released in the 90s Highway To Hell. It's a curious bit of film with some bits that aged poorly, but for the most part it's surprisingly smart and chock full of iconic moments, including racing the devil for a soul. More recently I would suggest the Wyrmwood movies (Road of the Dead and Apocalypse), as absolutely balls out zombie movies like nothing you've seen, unless you like Z Nation, but even then they're still unique. In particular Wyrmwood Apocalypse has some of the western movie vibes, but it's uniquely bizarre in execution.

Lastly I wanna give a shout-out to Red Hill, which is not science fiction or horror, but is a banger of a modern day western movie, particularly with how it tricks the viewer into the idea that it's heading one way and then, well... something quite a bit else.

[outoftheirdifferences]

Vanellope have you heard of a virus sellsman Double Dan 😐?

"Uh, no? C'mon, a kid like me doesn't have anything to do with that kinda thing."

She was trying to play it off; but suffice it to say, yeah, viruses were a bit of a sore subject for Vanellope. Between the Cy-bugs acting as such, then Turbo becoming one, and then whatever Ralph had stuffed into Slaughter Race to play off her glitch that one time... which she had forgiven him for, but still made her code run cold to think of how much worse that could have turned out...

Well. Suffice to say, she was in no great hurry to go looking for any more.

"Do I need to count the number of times viruses have almost ruined my life? Why would I ever seek out someone like that?"

Okay, okay don't freak out, Vanellope, it was just a question. The girl took a deep breath, a tiny glitch tremor running up her frame, but actually managed even a little snicker.

"Yeah, I gotta ask, though. What's a guy gotta do to get a nickname like Double?"

Hey, wasn't her fault that raised a ton of questions now, was it?

[blogueericdescarries]

Ford Maverick: hybride ou turbo AWD ?

Le 29 novembre 2023

Ford a lancé une mini-camionnette pick-up en 2021, le Maverick. Mais, avec la pandémie et la pénurie des puces électroniques, son arrivée sur le marché québécois est passée presque inaperçue. Aujourd’hui, plusieurs automobilistes semblent finalement s’intéresser au Maverick sans, toutefois, bien le connaître. Notez qu’en même temps, Hyundai lançait le Santa Cruz (à ne pas confondre avec le Vera Cruz du passé…) qui, lui, malgré un prix plus élevé, connaît un certain succès.

J’ai déjà publié un premier essai du Maverick mais, il a certes été oublié. Cette fois, je vais donc vous parler de deux Maverick, c’est-à-dire les Maverick selon les deux configurations mécaniques disponibles, celle «de base» avec moteur hybride électrique mais qu’avec la traction avant et le Maverick avec le moteur turbocompressé qui vient, lui, avec la traction intégrale. Ce dernier m’a été proposé en finition Tremor plus élaborée.

Le mini-pick-up Maverick commence à se faire connaître (Photo Éric Descarries)

Au départ, j’ai déjà demandé aux gens de Ford à Detroit pourquoi avoir ressuscité le nom Maverick que les gens plus âgés ont connu chez nous comme une voiture, la remplaçante plus «moderne» de la Ford Falcon (les autos étant sur une plateforme presque identique créée, au départ, pour la première Falcon en 1960). Je leur aussi fait part de mon goût personnel où j’aurais plutôt vu le nom de Ranchero pour l’actuel Maverick. Première réponse, selon les études et les «cliniques» menées par les administrateurs de Ford, il semble que le nom Maverick correspondait mieux à l’utilité du petit pick-up. Le mot «maverick» veut dire en américain «sauvage et libre» un peu dans le sens de «rebelle». Quant au nom Ranchero, il serait toujours en réserve chez Ford (la Ford Ranchero de 1957 à 1979 était une forme de voiture familiale (station-wagon) dont le toit avait été retiré après le compartiment avant transformant la familiale en camionnette pick-up). J’ai déjà eu trois Ranchero dans ma vie alors vous comprendrez pourquoi j’espérais que le nom revienne sur le marché!  Le nouveau Maverick est ni plus ni moins qu’une version tronquée du petit VUM Ford Escape dont la partie du toit au-dessus du compartiment cargo aurait été retirée. Incidemment, le Maverick est construit sur le principe de la plateforme C2 de Ford qui sert aussi au Ford Escape et au Ford Bronco Sport.

Le Maverick est une camionnette pick-up basée sur la plateforme C2 des Escape et Bronco Sport. (Photo Éric Descarries)

De nos jours, il est plus facile de se procurer un Maverick maintenant que la production semble s’être stabilisée et déjà, on constate que le modèle est destiné à une devenir une véritable réussite…au point même où, selon la publication spécialisée Automotive News, les concessionnaires américains de Toyota pressent le constructeur nippon d’en produire une version semblable sur base de RAV4!

La caisse du Maverick en est son secret le mieux gardé! (Photo Éric Descarries)

Question «styling», le Maverick est le plus petit pick-up de Ford bien avant le Ranger. C’est une camionnette à quatre portes avec une courte caisse dont le plancher fait 4 pieds et demie (six pieds avec le panneau arrière abaissé) alors que beaucoup de grands pick-up ont un plancher qui ne fait que 5 pieds et demi. Comme c’en est le cas pour les pick-up intermédiaires, le traditionnel panneau de contreplaqué de 4 x 8 ne fait pas à plat entre les puits d’aile mais si l’on abaisse le panneau arrière de la caisse qu’à moitié (en détachant les câbles de retenue pour les repositionner un peu plus haut), ces contreplaqués reposeront alors sur les puits d’ailes et leur extrémité arrière sur le rebord du panneau de la caisse. Notons ici que les ingénieurs de Ford ont imaginé des partitions dans la caisse que le propriétaire peut faire selon les instructions qu’il pourra trouver sur un site Internet disponible par le code QR imprimé sur un petit portillon dans le flanc de la caisse. Ford a aussi publié une courte vidéo sur Internet pour donner des trucs afin de maximiser l’utilisation de la caisse incluant des plans pour y faire un support à bicyclette! De plus, il est possible d’y avoir une prise de courant de 120 volts dans un des flancs. La capacité de charge est d’environ 1500 livres.

Un intérieur simple et pratique

Le tableau de bord du Maverick est simple mais très fonctionnel. (Photo Éric Descarries)

Lorsqu’on monte à bord du Maverick, on est surpris par la simplicité de sa présentation. Tout ou presque y est en plastique. Il faut dire que les matériaux ont été soigneusement choisis par les concepteurs de Ford pour ressembler à du cuir. Mais si tout y est en plastique, c’est pour que le nettoyage y soit facile.

Le tableau de bord est peut-être un peu simple mais encore une fois, c’est voulu pour que le Maverick soit considéré comme une véritable camionnette. Son design est rectiligne avec une niche pour les instruments et un grand écran au centre. Sous ce tableau de bord se trouve une console centrale avec un sélecteur rotatif de vitesses et des espaces conçus pour contenir le téléphone cellulaire (avec chargeur à plat), les clés et les gobelets. On verra d’autres grands compartiments et porte-gobelets dans les garnitures de portières (toujours en plastique). Le plus remarquables, ce sont les poignées de portières de conception très robustes dont le design permet de les agripper de plusieurs façons.

Les places arrière sont modestes mais quand même accueillantes. (Photo Éric Descarries)

Les sièges d’avant (avec des tissus très robustes basés sur des matériaux plastiques) sont confortables. Il y a une banquette à l’arrière qui est à la fois accueillante et relativement confortable, même pour des déplacements plus longs. Le fauteuil se relève pour découvrir d’autres compartiments utiles pour grader de précieux objets hors de la vue des curieux parfois malfaisants. Le dossier se rabaisse aussi mais il ne révèle qu’un panneau pouvant accepter certains «bricolages» (même électriques) des propriétaires.

Sous le fauteuil arrière on découvre de petits compartiments de rangement. (Photo Éric Descarries)

Une mécanique sur mesure

Lors de son lancement, les dirigeants de Ford ont pensé que la version de base du Maverick serait mue par un quatre cylindres hybride combiné seulement avec la traction avant. Il fallait alors commander le moteur turbocompressé si l’on voulait la traction intégrale. Plus maintenant. Quoique le quatre cylindres de 2,5 litres avec deux moteurs électriques qui fait 191 chevaux et 173 li-pi de couple. Il est combiné à une boîte automatique constamment variable CVT soit toujours disponible (maintenant facultatif), le nouveau moteur de base est un quatre cylindres EcoBoost de 2,0 litres qui fait 250 chevaux et 277 li-pi de couple. Celui-ci est obligatoire avec la traction intégrale et il vient avec la boîte automatique à huit rapports.  Le freinage est à disque aux quatre roues et la direction assistée électrique est à crémaillère. La suspension est semblable à celle des Bronco Sport ou Escape avec des jambes de force à l’avant et des bras multiples à l’arrière. Le poids variera de 3700 à 3900 livres selon la version et l’équipement choisis. En ce qui a trait aux capacités de remorquage, elle sera de 2000 livres pour la version hybride et 4000 livres pour celle à traction intégrale.

Le moteur du Maverick Hybrid est reconnaissable à ses connections à câblage orange. (Photo Éric Descarries)

Mon Maverick Tremor d’essai avait ce quatre cylindres bi-turbo Ecoboost sous le capot. (Photo Éric Descarries)

Sur la route…et hors-route

J’ai donc eu droit à deux versions du Maverick, tous deux avec la finition Lariat, la première étant l’hybride à traction, l’autre, la plus récente Tremor à traction intégrale. Au départ, je dois avouer que le Maverick n’a rien de sportif. Ses accélérations peuvent varier de 6 à 8 secondes selon le modèle, la version avec le quatre turbocompressé étant la plus rapide. Mais, le Maverick est un petit camion, pas un coupé de sport! Si le Maverick Hybrid vient avec une boîte auto CVT, celui-ci procure des changements de rapport nettement plus doux, virtuellement imperceptible. Toutefois, durant mon essai, cette boîte CVT a produit certaines hésitations en décélération qui m’ont agacé. Cependant, dans ce cas, il s’agit d’un véhicule à traction avant (encore une fois, trop de consommateurs peu informés ont voulu m’obstiner que le Maverick était à propulsion…nooon! Un Maverick de base est à traction. Point final!). Cette configuration pourrait s’avérer un peu moins efficace en hiver dans notre bout du monde mais avec des pneus d’hiver appropriés, la traction ne devrait pas être un handicap!

Dans sa version Tremor, le Maverick vient avec la traction intégrale (et le moteur EcoBoost) plus utile sur des chemins plus rudes. (Photo Éric Descarries)

Le Maverick avec la traction intégrale est un peu plus rapide puisque son quatre cylindres EcoBoost biturbo est reconnu comme une moteur plus performant. On peut atteindre le cap des 100 km/h en moins de sept secondes. Et les reprises sont plus convaincantes (et plus ressenties) grâce à la boîte auto à huit rapports. Par contre, grâce à la traction intégrale, j’ai pu faire quelques excursions hors-route (modestes) avec la version Tremor. Notez que celle-ci possède une suspension légèrement relevée en plus de quelques réglages électroniques qui lui permettront d’attaquer certains sentiers non pavés.

Dans ce cas, j’ai encore emprunté les installations de mon ami Pierre Archambault à Laval (Pépinor) pour mesurer les capacités du Maverick Tremor. Les chemins de sa pépinière ne sont pas des plus exigeants mais ils sont invitants. Ici, je dis avouer que les pneus Falken Wildpeak A/T se sont révélés plus efficaces sur les sentiers boueux que des pneus plus conventionnels. Ces A3T3W ont été créés non seulement pour les excursions hors-route modestes mais aussi pour l’hiver ce qui signifie que l’utilisateur n’aura pas besoin de les changer pour l’hiver.

J’ai utilisé les terrains et chemins de culture de mon ami Pierre Archambault (Pépinor) pour apprécier le système intégral du Tremor. (Photo Éric Descarries)

Autrement, en conduite régulière, autant la version Hybrid que la Tremor se sont avérées très agréables à conduire. Elles sont relativement silencieuses et leur conduite ressemble à celle d’une berline intermédiaire avec une visibilité sécuritaire. Qui plus est, leur conduite en ville est des plus faciles, le gabarit des Maverick rendant leur manœuvrabilité des plus faciles pour le stationnement.

Évidemment, avec le temps, nous verrons de plus en plus d’accessoires créés pour améliorer l’utilisation des Maverick alors que j’ai déjà vu des cabines de caisse adaptées à cette camionnette pour des besoins commerciaux ou privés.

Question consommation, la version Hybrid s’est avérée un vrai charme car mon calcul à la pompe a résulté en une moyenne de 7,2 l./100 km (mi-ville, mi-route alors que le tableau de bord indiquait une moyenne de 6,5 l./100 km). Sur 359,8 km parcourus, l’ordinateur de bord m’indiquait que 133,7 l’avaient été en mode électrique). La version Tremor m’a un peu déçu puisque sa consommation moyenne selon mes calculs à la pompe l’ont été de 10,4 l./100 km (alors que l’ordinateur de bord indiquait 10,2 !). Cependant, ce Maverick a été un peu plus sollicité (incluant des excursions dans la boue).

Il ne reste plus que la question des prix. Le plus abordable Lariat Hybrid à traction avant affichait un prix de base de 36 150 $ mais les 10 455 $ d’options incluant un toit ouvrant vitré de 1120 $, un ensemble de décoration noire, la finition Lariat de 4100 $, l’assistance Co-Pilot360 de 850 $, la WiFi 4G de 25 $ et quelques autres options intéressantes et utiles (en plus de la taxe fédéral d’accise pour la climatisation) ont ajouté 10 455 $ à facture en plus des 2 095 $ de transport et préparation ont fait grimper la facture finale à 48 700 $...plus taxes.

Mon véhicule d’essais à finition Tremor avait un prix de base semblable mais les options incluant l’ensemble Off-Road de 5 400 $, l’ensemble de luxe de 4 100 $ et autres options comme le toit ouvrant vitré, la WiFi et j’en passe ont fait ajouter 13 605 $ à la facture. Ajoutez à cela le transport et la préparation de 2 095 $ et nous voilà à une totale de 53 350 $...encore une fois, plus taxes!

Alors, lequel choisir?

Quelle version choisir? C’est alors une question de besoins ou de goût. Dans mon cas, je suis un bricoleur (on y va pour le petit pick-up qui sera alors utile) mais je ne ressens pas toujours le besoin de parcourir des sentiers hors-route (ai-je vraiment besoin du Tremor?). Par contre, la consommation de la version Hybrid m’a impressionné et vu que la plupart de mes déplacements se font en situation urbaine, là où la technologie hybride aide à l’économie de carburant, j’irais pour l’hybride.

Mais vu que nous vivons au Québec où les conditions hivernales nous font apprécier la traction intégrale et où la possibilité d’attaquer certains petits sentiers plus ou moins exigeants demeure une tentation fréquente, la version à traction intégrale (encore plus rassurante avec la finition Tremor, je me demande si les presque 5000 $ de plus n’en valent pas le coup!).   

[thebirdandhersong]

Mack gives nicknames to the people he loves :’))) and this is the cutest thing :’)))))

[theclaravoyant]

the fire’s out (but still it burns) - 5x14 coda

AN ~ I wasn’t feel up to it last week, and even now I’m only scratching the surface, but... basically I wanted to give Daisy the chance to react and deal with some of the shock of what just happened and have a good cry... and then Mack feels came along... and now I have this! angsty, slightly hurt-comforty bc we need SOME relief, 5x14 coda. to those who can stomach it... enjoy(?)

CW: there are no graphic flashbacks or anything, but some description of her injuries, and a lot of angsty/complicated feelings about Fitz. If you would like any more detail about what is in this fic before deciding whether to read it, feel free to message or chat with me (off anon for specifics please).

title from Flares by The Script

Rshps: Mack & Daisy, also some Jemma. Discussions of Fitz & Daisy and Mack & Fitz (though Fitz is not present). Rated T for torture & injury mentions and general angst. Set immediately following 5x14.

Read on AO3 (~1300wd)

the fire’s out (but still it burns)

“Mack, can you help?”

He gets up, moves towards the sound before he even really takes in what’s happening. Jemma’s voice is shaking, like a fence about to fall down, and Daisy is shaking just as badly, draped between the Doc and Deke and looking pale as death.

“What the hell happened out there?” Mack wonders, taking Jemma’s place under Daisy’s arm and helping lower her to the bed.

“F-Fitz,” Daisy replies.

Her voice is shaking – with fear, with anger. The air around her shakes too. The tools in the tray Jemma brings. Mack’s heart begins to feel heavier as he takes in the horrendous, bloody bruise to the side of Daisy’s head. The rope-burn on her arms. The bloody gauze that Deke is holding to her neck.

Mack’s stomach twists. He tries to imagine how Fitz could look at this, let alone carry it out, and the image won’t reconcile. A little angry spat, maybe, he could imagine. A slap, a punch, maybe even a black eye – after all, Fitz could be passionate, irrational at times, and Daisy never backed down from a fight. Mack had suspected that, should he snap one day, that might be how it would go. That would have been bad, very bad, terribly bad - but this isn’t just bad, it’s… gut-wrenchingly wrong. It’s hard to tie somebody down and cut them open in a fleeting moment of rage or frustration. This is something else entirely. Something pre-meditated. Something incomprehensible.

“Fitz did this to you?”

Daisy looks like she’s going to be sick. Over the other side of her shoulder, heart heavy and eyes brimming with tears, Jemma nods.

“Damn,” Mack whispers. It’s the only word he can find. The unspeakable, confusing horror of it all is like a nightmare.

A nightmare Daisy has just lived.

“Are you okay?” he asks. “Are you going to be okay?”

“It’s just a flesh wound,” Daisy hisses, but there are tears in her eyes, and fury competes with fear in her voice. Deke frowns doubtfully at the amount of the blood on the gauze at her neck, and he’s about to interrupt when she waves him off. “I mean it’s… It’ll heal. I’ll be fine.”

“You need stitches, Daisy,” Jemma points out.

The silence is tense as Jemma works. Daisy stares straight ahead at the wall, grinding her teeth, blinking back tears. She clutches Mack’s hand with a bone-crushing desperation, and Mack puts a hand over hers. He hopes it is comforting, despite his own nerves and uncertainty. Questions flood his mind – What happened? How, and why? - but the silence between Jemma and Daisy is too fragile to interrupt.

In the end, it’s Daisy who speaks first.

“It wasn’t really him, right? Jemma? Tell me- tell me it wasn’t him.”

Daisy holds her breath. Mack does too. The only sound is a pained sigh from Jemma, and the soft clink of metal as, task complete, she carefully lowers the tweezers and needle and steadies her hands on the tray.

When at last she replies, it’s like she has to drag the words over glass to make it out of her throat, and Mack’s not surprised. He’s a little impressed actually, by the way she maintains eye contact even though it feels like she’s reaching out and snapping the last strings of hope they have.

“I’m afraid it was,” she clarifies.

Daisy blinks at her. Reluctant. Disbelieving.

Jemma continues, dropping eye contact at last in a battle to find the words and push through to the end of the sentence. “What happened, I think, was called a psychic split. It can happen sometimes when a person with- with schizophrenia under a large amount of pressure develops a- a- an alternate personality, sort of thing-“

“So I’m right then?” Daisy presses. “The Doctor, the alternate personality, it took him over. Right? So then it wasn’t him?”

Jemma shakes her head. Tears are spilling down her cheeks now and the whole tray trembles violently in her hands. “It doesn’t work like that. It’s not like possession. The Doctor may have pushed Fitz to think from a perspective that he wouldn’t ordinarily, but… It was Fitz who made the decisions in the end. It was Fitz who– who-“

She chokes up, and Mack can’t blame her. The world is shifting around them, the whole place uncertain, and with the two people he’d bet good money on being closest to her in the world at the heart of this mess, Mack can’t imagine how twisted Jemma’s universe has become. A bullet in the leg, suddenly, is nothing.

“I got this, Doc,” he insists gently. “Go.”

Nodding frantically, Jemma shoves the tray back onto its cart and bolts from the room before she loses her last semblance of strength. Deke mumbles uncertainly and takes his leave after her, and with a heavy heart, Mack takes her seat by Daisy’s bedside.

Daisy props herself up on her arms, and her fingers clench the bedframe, even as Mack works as gently as he can to clean the wound on her head.

“I knew it,” she growls. “I knew it was him. He didn’t sound insane. He looked like he- he didn’t want to. The Doctor would have liked it. He was- He was crying. He could hear me. He knew what he was doing. He knew.”

Anger cracks and crumbles in the face of fear again. It’s more than fear, it’s horror. It’s heartbreak. It’s violation.

She sobs. Mack starts. He should have seen it coming but it feels like a gut punch out of nowhere. Never had he imagined – it was almost as unspeakable as the laws of the universe – that Fitz could have hurt Daisy so much, willingly or otherwise.

“He knew,” she sobs, tears streaming down her face in a matter of seconds. Her body shakes with them. “He knew what it means to me, what it means to us, and he still- How can I- How can I forgive him when he still-“

Mack puts the tweezers and gauze aside. This truly is a flesh wound; it can wait if it has to. It’s more important in this moment to wrap his arms around his friend. Hold her steady while the fabric of the world not only shifts, but tears beneath her feet. He’s not sure what she’s talking about, he’s not sure what Fitz did – not beyond the obvious anyway – but he’s sure that it must be something, that it must be bad, as Daisy howls and sobs in his embrace. There’s so much pain there, and anger, and grief, he starts to cry just listening to it.

She howls and the windows shake, the wheels of the bed and the med cart squeak, bottles and supplies start to drop to the floor, and Mack feels a knot tighten in his gut. He hadn’t picked up on it before but he sees it now. He pieces it together – the blood on Daisy’s neck, the profound sense of intimate betrayal, and the fact that her quaking is back. Fitz must have removed her inhibitor. Tied her down and took her Inhumanity back by force.

“Ah, Tremors,” he breathes, and it feels a bittersweet choice of nickname now. “Daisy. I got you, okay? You’re gonna be okay. You’re gonna be okay.”

He murmurs sweet nothings and rubs her back, and it doesn’t do much to soothe the otherwordly lament of agony that’s pouring out of her, but he figures it can’t hurt either. He stays with her, holds her, until the trials of the day catch up with her and she falls into a restless sort of sleep. Then he quickly, carefully finishes cleaning her head wound and posts himself as watchman over her. He’ll move her bed to be beside Elena’s as soon as he gets the chance, but for now he sits back in the chair and turns it a little more toward the door. He holds the scalpel, lightly, in his fist, just in case they get an unwanted visitor.

He wipes the tears from his cheeks.

Apparently, you really never can tell.

[queen-daya]

3. Alphonso Mackenzie and Elena Rodriguez

Mackelena

First, her nickname…I love that Mack nicknames so many of his fellow teammates…turbo, tremors, yoyo (and then her nickname for him…turtleman! So good!!!) But seriously they are so cute together!!!! I totally agree with Daisy about him being a cute little fluffy teddy bear. And Yoyo, honestly I liked her from the moment she showed up in season 3, but I’ve just grown to like her more and more every time you see her, and she’s just so cute. (Side note: I love how tiny her hand is compared to his in bottom left gif). I love the fact that they are both sweet, but also very sassy and so they make fun of each other, but they also make fun of the other team members together. I just love this ship so much and they get better the longer you watch.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments!!!

[eirikrjs]

Is there anything distinctly Japanese about SH’s Headless Rider or is he just a generic biker ghost?

It appears as part of Kaneko's "creature features" (not their actual name) for Game Criticism magazine.

Here it's with other Japanese urban legends (Old Lady's Turbo!) and the columns featured 'real' legends or horror movies like Tremors and The Shining, so I'd wager it's authentic. This description from the wiki...

Headless Rider is an urban legend about a man who was riding a motorbike along the road at a very high speed when a piano string extended across the street. When he rode into it he was decapitated, but his headless body continued to move along with the bike for a short while after.

...seems to line up with that of Kaneko's in the column, particularly the decapitation by piano wire (ピアノ線). Search for Kubinashi Rider or くびなしライダー and you'll probably find more.

[scarlettdragnastan]

Mack to Daisy : Tremors ❤️

Mack to Elena : YoYo ❤️

Mack to Fitz : Turbo ❤️

Mack to Lincoln : Sparkplug ❤️

Hunter : what about me?

Mack : a mess ❤️

[burlveneer-music]

VA - Tsonga Tremors: Explorations in Tradition, Technology & South African Dance Music (1983-1991)

In the last decade, the breadth of plugged-in African music has become increasingly apparent. Samplers and synths have spread across the continent; nowhere is this more striking than in South Africa, where the end of apartheid coincided with the gradual move away from funk and soul-based township sounds and the emergence of electronic styles. Enter Shangaan Electro, a seminal compilation released in 2010 of 180-plus bpm South African dance tracks; its rapid dispersal through global dance channels introduced ecstatic audiences to a previously marginal scene. Shangaan Electro has its own prehistory in electronic variations of neo-traditional Tsonga music (Tsonga has replaced Shangaan as the favoured designation since the 1994 national elections). A new style materialised, pioneered in the early 1980s, integrating Western elements with electrified neo-traditional sounds, known as Tsonga Disco. Tsonga Disco emerged at a time when apartheid-dictated radio censorship laws exerted near-impenetrable control over radio airwave access. Despite the restrictions, a raft of Tsonga musicians rose to national prominence. Tsonga Tremors highlights a small but necessary sign of an emerging future. A stunning example of home-grown magic; something both organically arrived at and politically expediated through a cross-wiring of local rhythms, imported dance-pop, cultural censorship, emerging technology and limited means that became the catalyst in shaping the future of South African dance music, paving the way for Shangaan Electro’s international emergence nearly two decades later. This compilation seeks to revive an important moment in Tsonga music history. These 18 tracks compiled by chOOn!!, a label specialising in obscure, archival and forgotten releases, should serve as a necessary starting point. Featuring early Shangaan-influenced dance music from legendary producers Paul Ndlovu and Richard Siluma alongside lesser-known Tsonga Disco and neo-traditional rarities from South Africa (1983-1991), they offer a disorientating and frenetically accelerated rhythmic bricolage of programmed drum patterns, cascading percussion, squeezebox keyboard lines and truncated vocal interjections sung in rich harmony. Infinitely absorbing and tangled with rhythm in a knotty osmosis between beat and pitch. The effect is both ecstatic and unusually elegiac, a DIY brand of pastoral neo-traditional soul, amplified minimalism and infectious body music. Mastered for vinyl (2LP) and digital by Josh Bonati. Artwork by the acclaimed book designer Luke Bird. The companion EP, Tsonga Tremors: Remixes, features four exclusive edit/remixes by Hysteric, M. Baba and DJ Turbo Boom-Boom - available from  tsongatremors.bandcamp.com/album/tsonga-tremors-remixes

[1-800-gaygentsofshield]

Agents of SHIELD Characters | Love Languages

feat: Daisy Johnson, Jemma Simmons, Leo Fitz. Alphonzo Mackenzie, Bobbi Morse, Lance Hunter, Phil Coulson, Melinda May

daisy johnson

touch: since daisy grew up in the foster system, she didn't have much experince with physical touch. she developed this love language during her time at SHIELD, being comforted by her teammates, simmons caring for her injuries, mack's bear hugs, etc

acts of service: daisy will do anything for the people she loves, including acts of service like putting herself in danger on a mission so others dont have to, checking up on Fitz and Simmons when they're up late working, making food for the team even though she can't cook that well

quality time: this is a rarity inbetween missions but it means alot to daisy if she spends it with the people she loves. and, because they have such a limited amount of free time it just makes spending time with daisy all the more meaningful

jemma simmons

words of affirmation: words of affirmation are a daily occurance with simmons, especially around her team, phrases like "you're doing amaizing" "you got this" "don't worry about it, you're going to crush it" "brilliant idea" "i'm here for you"

acts of service: she likes to check up on people when theyre stressed, buy things at the store that they know the person will like, and other actions like that

touch: simmons has never been a really physical person, always choosing comforting words over touch but that doesnt mean she doesnt like it. she will still place a comforting hand on her teammates back when she reassures them, she will hug her teammates (mostly daisy) after they get back from a life-threatening mission, and things like that

leo fitz

words of affirmation: his dad always undermined him so when somone else accomplishes something (especially someone he loves) he'll shower them with words of affirmation. he wants to make sure that no one else goes through what he did, so he'll voice his opinion like "that's such a brilliant idea" "thats good, perfect actually" "absolutely brilliant" "that's what i was missing, you're a lifesaver" or just a simple "thanks, you're amazing" accompanied by one of his signature gentle smiles

acts of service: sometimes words speak more than actions, especially with fitz. when his injury is acting up or when words sometimes seem too hard, he shows his love through acts of service (like doing things for you around the base, grabbing you your jacket when it's cold, etc)

mack hammer

touch: shows affection through touch ex. bear hugs, shoulder pats, putting a hand on your back to let you know that he's there

quality time: spending time with you in the workshop/in the lab is also how he shows affection

words of affimation: is probably from his natural leadership skills but he always says things like "great idea, turbo" "i've got you, tremors, i've got you" "hey, we don't give up. i know you, i know all of us, we're all stronger than we know it and we can't give up now"

bobbi morse

acts of service: will get tourtured for you. enough said.

"words of affirmation": this is in quotations because bobbi shows her affection through tough love. it's not sappy or obvious but the people on her team know that when she says "don't die out there, okay? or else i'll kill you" it means that she cares

lance hunter

"words of affirmation": once again, this is in quotations because it's the same tough love that bobbi gives. it may sound like he's arguing and/or insulting you but if you look past that, his words show that he truly cares

quality time: will drink beers with you to show his love. maybe even provide you with said beer if lucky

phil "dad" coulson

touch: dad hugs, pats on back, wrapping an arm around you, holding your shoudler, rubbing your back, anything a dad does basically

words of affimation: dad jokes, "you're doing great kid "i love you" "yes! you did it!" and having those dad moments like "i missed you two working together? didn't i? dang it!" (also checking up on you after missions)

gift giving: "okay look, don't tell may but i got the team muffins"

melinda "mom" may

acts of service: will fight off an army for the people she loves, checks everyones wepons before a mission and will switch them with her own if she finds that it's deffective in some way, makes sure no ones looking before she does it, but everyone knows anyways, stealthy but not so stealthy

gift giving: is like a angel or something because she always leaves her Bus Kids sandwiches/premade meals on the counter when she knows that they haven't eaten all day (doesn't announce it though, she just knows that they'll find it and takes amusemnt each time when they find them + hiding her grin when they ask around "do you know who keeps on leaving food out for us?")

[glittercake]

Director Mackenzie meeting Captain Wilson? I would explode and enjoy every moment of it! Also Sam's dorky jokes with Mack's dad jokes? I can HEAR their teams rolling their eyes already 😂

Omg yes😭😭 they will be the most annoying duo every time they have to team up. They'll probably have nicknames for all the team members, i mean come on: Turbo, Tremors, Cyborg brain??? Or jokes about Bucky’s grumpy ass.

Mack: "Whoops you said Buck again better go sit in the naughty corner!!" *uncontrollable giggling*

This is them all the time

[the-delta-42]

Ghosts from the Past

Ghosts from the Past

Beckett glared down at her station, pointedly ignoring the Captain, and the Captain vice-versa. She was vaguely aware of Boimler’s happy little hums as he worked and how Commander Ransom was glancing between both her and the Captain as if he was waiting for something to happen. At the moment, everything was peaceful.

That peace was broken when the ship was rocked to one side and an automatic red alert sounded. Beckett released her grip on her station, looking down to in put a new heading, she found that her hands were dirty, covered in dust and soot. The next thing she noticed was that her sleeves were rolled down and one was torn. She then noticed that it was her old uniform, black with a single red band around the wrist. Captain Jonas was demanding a damage report from Ops, while Commander Alias was checking the Ship’s structural integrity. Beckett vaguely heard that the USS Columbia had been destroyed and its hulk is what collided with the ship.

The ship rocked again, making her head connect with the console. Suddenly, Beckett was on the Cerritos, with Commander Ransom’s hand gripping her shoulder. She felt herself being hauled to her feet and moved towards the turbo-lift.

“I’m fine.” Slurred Beckett, not noticing the look that was exchanged between Captain Freeman and Commander Ransom.

Shaxs checked Mariner’s console.

“Appears to be a left over mine from the war.” Said Shaxs, before wiping the blood off the console.

“Damage?” Asked Freeman, looking over at Boimler.

“Minor damage to the underside of the saucer section, Captain.” Said Boimler, “I thought all the mines were dismantled after they surrendered.”

“Don’t trust Dominion,” Grunted Shaxs, going back to his console, “or Cardassians.”

A Cardassian lieutenant threw the Bajoran a filthy look.

The Captain sighed, “Renew our course, keep an eye out for anymore mines, Ensign.”

“Aye, Captain.” Said Boimler, before freezing and turning back to face her, “Captain, if you don’t mind me asking, what was Mariner talking about?”

“In regard to what?” Asked Freeman, sitting back in her chair, “If she was fine, then it was in reference to her concussion.”

“No, about The Columbia and The Serengeti.” Said Boimler, making Freeman and Shaxs stiffen.

“Just a couple of ships that were lost, nothing to major.” Dismissed the Captain, using her PADD send a notice for a meeting with the rest of the Senior staff.

A sudden moan echoed throughout the bridge, making everyone look at Ransom’s seat.

“Hm, doesn’t even sound like him.” Grunted Shaxs.

GOTP

Mariner tried not to groan when the light from the tricorder scanned over her eyes. Doctor T’Ana growled as the Ensign winced.

“Stop doing that, if you keep it up, I won’t be able to get a proper scan because you’re not staying still.” Growled T’Ana, while Tendi fluttered around the sick bay, checking up on the other patients.

“Doc, I’m fine.” Whined Mariner, trying to get off the bio bed.

“You have a concussion and your skull is fractured, now hold still.” Snapped T’Ana, placing a hand on Mariner’s shoulder and forcing her down into the bed, “Tendi, hold her still.”

The Orion moved to stand by Mariner’s head, glancing apologetically at her friend, Tendi placed her hands either side of Beckett’s head and held her still as T’Ana went over the head wound with a dermal regenerator. Beckett blinked and she was suddenly on the USS Argentina, with Dr. Solek scanning her.

Tendi removed her hands, inadvertently jerking Mariner back to the present.

“Okay, you need to be on light duty for the next couple of days,” Said T’Ana, “bother Nurse Westlake if you have any other pains.”

Beckett sat up, non-verbally acknowledging the Chief Medical Officer. Commander Ransom had left as soon as he had handed Mariner to the medical staff. T’Ana picked up a PADD and frowned, before quietly telling her staff that she was needed elsewhere, and that Nurse Westlake was in charge.

Beckett took a deep breath and stood up, waiting for another tremor to shake the ship. When nothing happened, she took another step and within moments she was walking the corridors of the Cerritos, casually undoing the top of her uniform as she approached her bunk. After hauling herself up onto the bunk, she lied on her side and pried a panel off the wall, carefully manoeuvring a PADD and a book out of the hole.

The PADD had a series of letters on it, all from the same person, with the most recent ones unread. Beckett glanced at the PADD, before opening the book. The first thing she saw was Lieutenant Commander Hur, along with Ensign Smythe, she flicked through the book, finding pictures of other Starfleet officers and crew members, until she came across a picture of her with another girl next to her. Both Beckett and the other girl had many visual similarities, same eyes, same face structure, same grin, Beckett glanced down at the caption underneath the picture.

Ensign Sarah Mariner & Lieutenant Beckett Mariner

Beckett’s throat started to tighten up, as tears started to burn her eyes. She took a shuddery breath, as she attempted to stem the flow of tear falling into her bunk. Beckett curled into a ball, subtly rocking herself.

GOTP

“Computer, display Starfleet Service record, Mariner, Beckett.” Said Captain Freeman, as she and her senior staff were gathered in the conference room. Boimler quietly stood in the corner, having entered just before the senior staff to clean the surfaces, only for the Captain to deadlock the doors and soundproof the room.

Mariner’s record appeared on the screen, listing five ships, each a different class and her various merits and demerits, along with a note for her demotion to Ensign.

“Display Postings during 2373 to 2375.” Said the Captain, as a section of Mariner’s record highlighted and was enlarged, “Read out the text.”

“Posting; USS Argentina, Akira Class Heavy Escort. Commanding Officer; Marcus Jonas, Captain. Executive Officer; Maria Alias, Commander. Science Officer; Maria Alias, Commander. Chief Medical Officer; Solek, Commander. Chief Engineer; Hur, Lieutenant Commander. Chief of Security; Beckett Mariner, Lieutenant. Operations Officer; Sarah Beckett, Ensign. Tactical Officer; Beckett Mariner, Lieutenant.” Said the Computer, as the commanders frowned.

“Computer,” Said Captain Freeman, her voice strained, “Display and read the current postings of the Senior Staff of the USS Argentina.”

“Marcus Jonas, Captain, current posting; Rear Admiral, Deep Space 11.  Maria Alias, Commander, current posting; KIA. Solek, Commander, current posting; KIA. Hur, Lieutenant Commander, current posting; KIA. Beckett Mariner, Lieutenant, current posting; Ensign, USS Cerritos. Sarah Mariner, Ensign, current posting; KIA.”

“Computer, was the USS Argentina, involved in any major conflicts.” Questioned Commander Ransom, leaning forwards.

“USS Argentina served in the Dominion War, served with distinction and was named the Flagship of the Seventh Fleet.”

The temperature in the room dropped, Boimler’s grip on the tools he was carrying loosening slightly.

“Computer, how and when did the Officers on the USS Argentina die.” Questioned Billups, while the Captain looked as if she wanted to be sick.

“Maria Alias, Deceased, Cause of Death; Console overloading in close proximity, Conflict; Battle of Tyra. Solek, Deceased, Cause of Death; Sudden decompression of deck 14, Conflict; Battle of Tyra. Hur, Deceased, Cause of Death; Dilithium chamber decompressing in close proximity, Conflict; Battle of Tyra. Sarah Mariner, Deceased, Cause of Death; Hull breach on Deck 1, Conflict; Battle of Tyra.”

“Computer, are there any notes attached to the USS Argentina?” Asked Dr. T’Ana, her claws releasing the arms of her chair.

“Lieutenant Beckett Mariner is demoted to Ensign after physically assaulting a senior officer.” Said the Computer, just as Boimler’s tools fell out of his hand.

Everyone jumped and looked at Boimler.

“Brimler?!” Yelled Shaxs, “What are you doing in here?!”

“I, er, well, um-” As the Bajoran stomped towards him, “I came in here to clean, but then you all came in and locked the door, so I was stuck and couldn’t get out.”

“Ensign, you know Mariner fairly well, don’t you?” Said the Captain, still looking at the screen.

“N-not particularly, we work together sometimes.” Said Boimler, making the Captain pinch the bridge of her nose.

“Ensign, cut the bullshit.” Said Freeman, spinning her chair to face Boimler, “The two of you are practically joined at the hip, if one of you goes somewhere, the other is not far behind.”

Boimler swallowed, as the Captain leaned forwards, “Has Mariner made any remarks about the Dominion War, either directly or in-directly?”

“W-well she has said she’s seen things.” Said Boimler, getting a groan from Freeman.

“Anything specific?” Questioned the Captain, barely containing her exasperation.

Boimler shook his head.

“Computer, unlock doors, remove sound proofing.” Said the Captain, making the computer beep twice, “Dismissed.”

Everyone got up to leave, except the Captain, who remained in her seat. Boimler quickly gathered his equipment and rushed out of the conference room.

Carol remained in her seat, only moving when she heard the doors close after the ensign left. She let out a heavy sigh, The Cerritos hadn’t seen action during the Dominion War, being deemed inefficient during battle scenarios and ‘not important enough’ to be put on active duty. She’d heard from Ian that the Quito had been placed on Medical duty, only going in after the battles were won. She had mistakenly assumed that Beckett had been with them.

Carol had friends that had either been killed or had someone that had been killed, it broke her heart when two Officers arrived to inform her of Sarah’s death, but now knowing that she’d almost lost both nearly broke her.

“Computer, hail Admiral Ian Mariner on my private channel.” Said Captain Freeman, she wanted to know if Ian knew about Beckett’s service.

GOTP

The ship suddenly shook at it dropped out of warp, the jovial mood drying instantly as the ship shook again.

“Shield’s up, Red Alert!” Barked Captain Jonas, as the MDS shorted out.

“Shield’s up, Captain,” Said Beckett, as the ship shook again, “initial scans complete, reading 248 Dominion and Cardassian Vessels.”

“Damn.” Swore Jonas, turning back to the view screen, “Helm, evasive pattern Alpha-4.”

“Aye, Captain.” Said Sarah, turning to the Helm controls.

The ship suddenly shook with a greater magnitude, making Beckett’s head slam against her console. Captain Jonas demanded a damage report from Ops, while Commander Alias was checking the Ship’s structural integrity. Beckett vaguely heard that the USS Columbia had been destroyed and its hulk is what collided with the ship.

“Mariner, get your sister down to sickbay.” Ordered Jonas, as Sarah got up.

“No,” Slurred Beckett, trying to keep herself standing, “I’m fine.”

“Bullshit.” Said Sarah, putting one of Beckett’s arms around her shoulders.

“Deck 14.” Said Sarah, as soon as she and Beckett were in the turbo-lift.

Beckett blinked in and out of consciousness, waking up to Dr. Solek running a dermal regenerator over her head wound.

“I don’t suppose you’ve got anything for the headache, doc.” Groaned Mariner, vaguely aware of Sarah and Mike arguing.

Solek pressed a hypo spray against her neck, “That should deal with the pain for now, Lieutenant.”

“A head wound like that; she should remain here.” Said Mike, while Sarah shook her head.

“We’re out numbered at least 2-to-1, Beckett’s needed on the bridge.” Argued Sarah, as Beckett, hobbled over to them.

Mike opened his mouth, only for Beckett to put her hand on his arm.

“Babe,” whispered Beckett, getting Mike to look at her, “I’ll be okay.”

Mike sighed, and quietly acquiesced. Beckett gave him a quick peck on the lips, before leaving sickbay with her sister, both stumbling at the ship shook.

“Bridge.” Said Beckett, as soon as she entered the turbo lift.

The two arrived on the bridge to Commander Alias spraying something with a fire extinguisher. Both Mariner’s took their stations, Beckett immediately firing a salvo of torpedoes at a Keldon class warship.

There was a sudden explosion from the science station, sending Commander Alias flying. The woman landed, with her neck hitting the Captain’s chair with a crack.

“Bridge to Engineering.” Said Jonas, immediately checking on his First Officer.

“Engineering here.” Came a distinctly non-Tellarite voice. It belonged to a human cadet, Sam something.

“Where’s Chief Hur?” Demanded Jonas, as another console exploded.

“He’s dead, sir, Dilithium explosion in the face.” Said the Engineer.

Jonas groaned, before tapping his combadge, “Bridge to Sickbay.”

There was silence, until the ship shook again.

“Ops, what’s the current status of Sickbay?” Said Jonas, as Beckett fired at a Dominion attack ship.

“The Glenn, Cicada and Sebrova are gone, Sir.” Reported Beckett, as Sarah checked one of her consoles.

“Sir, deck 14…just decompressed.” Reported Sarah, making Beckett freeze.

“What?” The young woman asked, weakly.

“I’m sorry Be-” Sarah was cut off when the bulkheads in front of her suddenly went, sucking her out into the vacuum of space.

An emergency forcefield suddenly burst into life. Beckett stared at the space Sarah had been occupying moments before.

Beckett was suddenly shaken out of her trance when the Captain put his hand on her shoulder.

“Lieutenant!” Barked Jonas, “We can mourn later, but right now, we have no time for emotion!”

Beckett nodded minutely, before looking at her console, “Sir, the Star Ships Discovery, Sulu, Sutherland, Totem, Destiny, Sentinel, Vancouver, Macedonia and Churchill have all just dropped out of Warp.”

“How many of ours can get out?” Said Jonas, going to the helm.

“Six or Seven, sir.” Said Beckett, as the Captain took the helm.

“This is the Argentina to the Fleet, fall back, head toward Federation space at best possible speed.” Ordered Jonas, as the USS Argentina started to turn around.

“The fleet are acknowledging, Captain.” Reported Beckett, before two explosions caught her attention, “Sir, USS Cardiff and USS London have just been destroyed.”

“Well, 14 is better than nothing.” Grumbled Jonas, as the ship went to warp, arriving at Starbase 615 after a few hours.

Jonas looked out the hole in the bridge, “Wonderful, we’ve warped in just in time for Captain Picard and Admiral Paris to see our sorry asses.”

Beckett didn’t say anything from her place on the floor next to her console.

Beckett was shaken away by a worried looking Tendi. Beckett saw a whole crowd of ensigns gathering around them.

“What?” Snapped Mariner, glaring at everyone.

“Mariner,” Said Tendi, cautiously, “you were screaming.”

Beckett was glad it was dark, so no one could see how red her face was.

“It was nothing, go back to sleep.” Said Mariner, rolling over so she was facing the wall. Mariner heard the crowd slowly disperse. She waited another few minutes before rolling over and carefully swinging her legs down and quietly creeping down the hall, unaware the Boimler was following her.

Beckett quietly slipped into Sickbay, thankfully finding it empty. She immediately started rummaging around the draws of medication. Finding the desired vial, Beckett grabbed a hypospray. She looked down at the draw, before grabbing a handful of vials and slamming the draw shut. Shoving the vials in her pocket, Beckett left Sickbay, unknowingly being seen by Boimler and Dr. T’Ana.

T'Ana stood still for a moment, before she tapped her combadge.

“T’Ana to Commander Ransom.”

GOTP

“I had my suspicions.” Said Ian, as Carol sat pinching the bridge of her nose, “She returned to the Quito a changed person, I just assumed that she was on clean up duty.”

“You mean like the Quito was?” Asked Carol, looking at her husband.

“Yes.” Responded Ian, “But to actually hear she was on one of the fourteen, it’s horrifying.”

“Her record states that she was serving alongside Sarah, specifically during the same battle that Sarah was lost in.” Carol leaned further into her chair, trying to gage Ian’s expression, “I’m surprised that, given her service record, she was demoted for assaulting a Senior Officer.”

“I’m not,” Said Ian, darkly, “It was Nechayev.”

“Oh, her.” Groaned Carol, her face going into her hands, “How did she get to Fleet Admiral, everyone who’s worked with her or known of her hates her.”

“I was surprised that Beckett lasted till last year, before knocking her teeth out.” Said Ian, smiling, “Something similar happened with you, if I remember correctly.”

“That was an Orion and it was an away mission.” Giggled Carol, before her combadge beeped.

“Ransom to Freeman.”

“Freeman here.” Said Carol, frowning.

“Dr. T’Ana just saw Mariner in sickbay,” Said Ransom, “Apparently, she took a handful of diphenylmethane vials from one of the draws and a hypospray.”

Carol sat in her chair silently, before leaning forwards, “Who else knows?”

“T’Ana and I have already alerted Shaxs to the situation.” Responded Ransom.

“Have Shaxs take Mariner to one of the guest quarters, the sooner the better.” Said Carol, standing up, “Have a security team check her bunk and get me a list of all the Officers that have experience with counselling.”

“Aye, Captain.” Said Ransom, before cutting the connection.

“The Quito will be joining you shortly,” Said Ian, getting up from his chair, “I’m going to try and get Admiral Jonas to join us, if Beckett went under the radar, I want to see his entire crew manifest for the entire Dominion War.”

“I guess I’ll be seeing you shortly.” Said Carol, before the connection cut off. She sighed and leaned forward, resting her forehead against her knuckles.

T’Ana had told her that drugs were going missing from sickbay for the past few months, sometimes it was pain killers, other times it was anti-depressants and sometimes, like now, it was sedatives. Carol really hoped that Starfleet Command would take her suggestion of Security cameras seriously, although she doubted that they would.

GOTP

Beckett carefully stashed the vials in the wall, before taking the hypo spray and pressing it against her arm. Before she could inject herself, the hypospray was snatched from her hand and she was yanked off her bunk. Mariner yelped, waking the surrounding ensigns, creating the sight of her dangling from her wrist, which was being held in a vice grip by Shaxs.

“I don’t suppose you could give that back and we can just forget anything happened?” Asked Mariner, hopefully.

Shaxs just shoved her into Ransom and a couple of security officers.

“Really?” Squawked Mariner, as Security grabbed her upper arms and practically carried her away from her bunk. The group passed Boimler in the corridor, before they carried her into a turbo lift.

Tendi and Rutherford shook sleep from their eyes, as Shaxs and a security officer started searching Mariner’s bunk.

“Wha? What’s happening?” Slurred Rutherford, before he accidentally rolled off his bunk.

“Mariner’s been arrested.” Said Tendi, as the female Trill started tapping the wall panels next to Mariner’s bunk, with one of them making a hollow sound, before prying the panel off the wall.

“Wow.” Said the Trill, before looking down at Shaxs, “You gotta see this.”

The Trill then started to pull different things from the wall.

“Legal, legal, legal, illegal, illegal, how the hell did she get one of these?!” Exclaimed the Trill, pulling a Mek’Leth that had what looked like dried blood on it, out of the wall.

Shaxs grunted, before picking up a bottle of blue liquid, pulling out the cork and smelling it.

“Romulan Ale.” Said Shaxs, before smelling it again, “A good brand as well.”

“The Doctor can sleep easy now, seeing that none of the drugs were actually used.” Said the Trill, before she started tugging on something, letting out small grunts as she pulled. She pushed the object down, rotated it and pulled it out.

“A book?!” Said the Trill, before she started flicking through it, “A picture book?”

A PADD fell out of the book, turning on as it hit the floor.

“Ah, crap.” Said the Trill, jumping down to pick it up, her thumb accidentally hitting play on a video that was on the screen.

“-and here we have Lieutenant Mariner and her wonderful fiancée Lieutenant Richards, enjoying a wonderful lunch together as we travel through the stars.”

The voice was similar sounding to Beckett’s, with the exception that it had an almost giggly quality to it.

“Sarah, what did we say about you recording on that?” Everyone recognised Beckett’s voice, even if it sounded slightly different, “I can’t keep telling the Captain that the PADD’s are faulty because you recorded over a briefing.”

“That was one time.”

“Every couple of weeks.” The new voice was male, after it let out a bark-like laugh.

“So, any feelings about the next assignment?” It was clear from her tone that Sarah was changing the subject.

“Oh, it’s going to go down in history.” Said past Beckett, “One that’s going to be celebrated and honoured for years to come.”

“I can see it now,” Said the male voice, “Gran! Gran! Tell us about the day we got our planets back!”

“Well, joking aside,” Came Beckett’s voice, laughter still clear in her tone, “I’m sure that the Seventh Fleet and our victory at Tyra will be what everyone’s needed since this war started.”

The Trill finally managed to hit pause, looking as if she was about to throw up. Shaxs glanced around, spotting the ensigns staring at them.

“Everyone, go to bed!” Snapped Shaxs, before gathering everything up and charging down the corridor. The book was left on Mariner’s bunk, before Tendi gingerly picked it up.

“Should we tell them they left this behind?” Asked Tendi, quietly.

“Let’s just leave it on the bunk for now.” Said Rutherford, rolling back over, opting to ignore the world around him.

GOTP

Mariner was deposited onto a chair in one of the guest quarters of the ship, a quick glance around told her that anything that could’ve been used as a weapon had been removed. Mariner scowled, as Ransom left the room with the Security officers, locking the door behind him. She folded her arms and waited for the Captain to make an appearance and bitch about how she was dragging the family name through the mud.

Ransom arrived on the bridge, carrying a PADD with the list of all Officers that had counselling experience.

“Mariner’s in Guest Quarters Gamma, the rooms been deadlocked and made child proof, anything that could be used to harm anyone has either been bolted down or removed.” Said Ransom, handing the PADD over to Captain Freeman, “The Doctor said the drugs will most likely leave her system in the next few hours.”

Freeman nodded, her eyes scanning each name and the associated rank that followed it.

“Commander, five of these Officers have left the ship.” Said Freeman, crossing off the names in her mind.

Ransom shifted, glancing to his feet in embarrassment. Shaxs walked onto the bridge, clutching the PADD that was found in Mariner’s bunk, “I think you’re going to want to see this, Captain.”

Freeman took the PADD and glanced over its files, noting the unread letters and the video that was paused mid-sentence.

“I’ll be in my ready room.” Said Freeman, walking off the Bridge, “Mr. Ransom, you have the Conn.”

Down in Sickbay, Dr. T’Ana, Nurse Westlake and Tendi were sorting through the vials. Most had been mixed together, which left them in a dangerous state, fortunately the diphenylmethane was practically untouched, with the exception on the one in the hypospray.

“She had enough to knock out a Terran Equine,” Growled T’Ana, going through the vials, “it’s as if she built up an immunity to it.”

“Well, it’s been five years since the war ended,” Said Westlake, “There could be a chance that she was doing thing before she was on the Cerritos, perhaps even before the war ended.”

“She was screaming in her sleep,” Said Tendi, getting a look from T’Ana and Westlake, “it happened just before she was arrested.”

“It could also be that she’s forgotten the war ended,” Said T’Ana, going through the vials, “I looked into her service history, there was a period where she’d been captured with a couple of Klingons.”

“That would explain why she’s made suicide combinations.” Said Westlake, before handing the vials over to T’Ana, “A couple of those would kill someone fairly quickly, the others appear to go for the slow approach.”

T’Ana shoved the vials into a machine to work on separating the liquids, before freezing.

“We’re missing one.” Said T’Ana, suddenly making Westlake and Tendi freeze, “Computer, monitor Ensign Beckett Mariner’s life signs, report if there is any change.”

The computer beeped.

“We need to check her bunk again.” Said T’Ana, stalking out of sickbay.

GOTP

Beckett scratched at her arm, hissing slightly as she drew blood, she felt the craving for the hypospray that Shaxs took from her. She needed the hypospray. Any hypospray. Beckett froze, swearing that she could hear Jem’Hadar marching down the corridors. They’d taken the ship, and most likely killed the majority of the crew.

She’d been deemed a target of high importance by them in the past, she didn’t know why, she just knew she needed to get out and she needed to get out now. Beckett quickly started to rush around the room, checking each wall and piece of furniture for a way out of the room. She could wear she could smell the burnt flesh that came with their energy weapons, the sound of their polearms cutting through the officers that lined the corridors.

She heard Captain Jonas yell, before going silent. Beckett frantically scrambled around the room, before readjusting herself and feeling the weight of a hypospray in her pocket. It was one of the slow ones, but she didn’t have time to go and find one of the fast-acting ones. Beckett placed the hypospray on her arm and injected herself with it. The screaming had stopped, and everything was going quiet. Beckett curled into a ball, as a searing pain flared to life in her chest.

The doors suddenly sprung open, Dr. T’Ana and Nurse Westlake rushing into the room.

“We need to get her to sickbay, stat!” Came T’Ana’s muffled voice, before someone gathered Mariner up in their arms and started sprinting down the corridor. Mariner was not embarrassed to say that her final thoughts were on how firm the sprinters chest was.

T’Ana rushed after Ransom, while Westlake grabbed the hypospray off the floor and checking the contents, noticing a small amount of the liquid pooling at the bottom.

Tendi jumped as Commander Ransom rushed into Sickbay, closely followed by Dr. T’Ana and Nurse Westlake bringing up the rear, holding a half used hypospray. Tendi’s heart stopped when she saw a shaking Mariner, who’d started to foam at the mouth. Ransom deposited Mariner on a bio-bed, just as T’Ana ordered Tendi to restrain Mariner.

Tendi did the best she could to restrain her friend, silently hoping that everything was just a really bad dream. Tendi didn’t even realise she was crying, until another nurse relieved her. Nurse Westlake finished identifying the components of Mariner’s self-made poison. Quickly throwing an antidote together, T’Ana took the hypospray from Westlake and all but jammed the instrument into Mariner’s neck and injecting the serum into her bloodstream.

Beckett stopped seizing almost instantly, allowing for the Medical staff to place her on her side. Tendi absently recognised it as the recovery position, given the number of times she had to perform the same practice on fellow cadets who’d drunk so much they passed out.

“Right, now that’s been dealt with,” Said Dr. T’Ana, rounding on the security officers, “did none of you think to check her pockets when you put her in there?!”

There were some guilty murmers, before Sickbay’s doors shot open, admitting Captain Freeman and two Starfleet Admirals. The dark-skinned Admiral ignored the sudden salutes from the command crew and stepped closer to the bio-bed.

“How is she?” Asked the Admiral, looking down at Beckett’s prone form.

“If we’d been any later, she would be under and sheet.” Said Dr. T’Ana, quietly noting that Captain Freeman seemed to be retraining herself.

“Have her family been informed?” Asked Commander Ransom, looking at T’Ana.

“They already know.” Said Captain Freeman, stepping up to stand beside the Admiral.

“Great, are we going to tell them that she didn’t die or…” Ransom trailed off, waiting for the Captain to speak.

“They already knew.” Said the Admiral, as Boimler and Rutherford entered sickbay, after getting a message from Tendi.

“How?” Asked T’Ana, looking between the Captain and the Admiral.

The Captain looked around, “What is said does not leave those bulkheads.”

After getting a nod from the rest of the crew, Freeman continued, “Ensign Mariner is my daughter.”

There was a collection of noises from the assembled crew, Shaxs, the security officers, Tendi and Westlake gasped. T’Ana yelled “I knew it!”. Ransom gulped and Boimler whined. Rutherford just blinked, before stepping closer to Beckett.

“Is she going to be alright?” Asked Rutherford, getting looks from the other crew.

“How are you not surprised?!” Demanded Tendi, scowling at Rutherford.

“When it comes to Mariner, nothing surprises me anymore.” Said Rutherford, before looking down at Beckett.

The other Admiral, who’d remained silent, looked at Rutherford closely, “Cadet Rutherford?”

“Ah, well, Ensign, but who’s keeping track, er, sir.” Stuttered Rutherford, getting a curious look from the others.

“Figures.” Muttered the Admiral, “He was a Cadet on the Argentina during the war, he was also one of the fifty survivors from Tyra.”

“Wait, you were there too?!” Exclaimed Boimler, getting everyone to look at him, “How many of my friend have been in a war? Tendi?!”

“I was fresh out of the Academy last year!” Protested Tendi, before Mariner groaned.

Beckett braced herself as she slowly started to sit up, only to gag and vomit on the other Admirals shoes.

“Nice to see you as well.” Groused the Admiral, getting Beckett to look up at him.

“Captain?” Asked Beckett, lightheaded, “I think that mine hit us harder than we thought, Chief Hur should take a look.”

Everyone froze, realising that Mariner thought she was on the Argentina.

“No need.” Said Jonas, looking down at Mariner.

“Okay, do you know where Dr. Solek is? I have a massive headache.” Groaned Mariner, clutching her head, “If Solek’s not available then I’ll take Mike or he’ll take me, whatever.”

“You might want to sit down.” Said Jonas, as Mariner started to stand up.

“Can’t.” Strained Mariner, “Got a tactical review to complete and a call to make.”

“The War’s over.” Said Jonas, getting an alarmed look from Beckett, “The Dominion Surrendered.”

“Great,” Moaned Beckett, “The war ended and everyone saw it except me.”

“It ended in 2375.” Said Jonas, “What year do you think it is and when?”

“2373, we’re supposed to be heading to Tyra,” Said Mariner, “They have a small fleet of ships, so retaking it should be easy.”

“The Dominion had 248 ships there,” Said Jonas, as Beckett’s eyes widened, “It was a massacre, almost the entire crew was killed.”

Beckett suddenly seemed to regain her bearings, before gagging and throwing up again.

“Oh fuck.” Groaned Mariner, “Has anyone got anything for me to wash this taste from my mouth?”

Tendi hurried off and returned with some water.

“I meant something stronger, but whatever.” Said Beckett, hopping to her feet and staggering slightly. She collided with Commander Ransom and immediately felt his chest, “Why is a brick wall in sickbay?”

“I’m not a wall ensign.” Said Ransom, making Mariner jump.

“Oh, it’s you.” Sighed Mariner, before looking around and spotting the Captain and the Admiral, “Captain! I didn’t pass out on the bridge, did I?”

“You can stop the whole ‘I don’t know who you are beyond rank’ shtick.” Said T’Ana, smirking at Mariner, “You’re mother already told us.”

“Oh.” Said Mariner, before looking over at her mother again and spotting the Admiral and paling, “Fuck.”

“Language.” Scolded the Admiral, folding his arms.

“Whatever happened, I didn’t do it!” Said Mariner, as soon as the Admiral stopped talking.

“So, you didn’t steal drugs from sickbay?” Asked Jonas, silently daring Mariner to deny it.

“Nooo…” Beckett trailed off, sounding unsure.

“Try again.” Said Jonas, his frown deepening.

“…yes.” Beckett’s voice had become small. Jonas sighed and stood to his full height.

“I honestly thought that had stopped when the war ended,” Said Jonas, his arms going behind his back, “Did you ignore the counsellor’s advice?”

Beckett stared at his blankly, “What counsellor?”

“What couns-You mean to say that in the five years that you’ve been serving, you never once got recommended to a counsellor?” Said Jonas, staring at her, “Didn’t anything show up during your physicals or at least your mental check-ups?”

“No,” Said Mariner, “I haven’t had a physical or mental check-up since Solek.”

T’Ana suddenly appeared behind Mariner, who suddenly realised what she just said and found herself being scanned. Mariner glared at Jonas, who smirked in return.

“Alright, everyone who isn’t medical staff, get out!” Snapped T’Ana, before collaring Mariner, “Not you, you have an overdue physical.”

Mariner silently pleaded for help, and was subsequently ignored.

GOTP

Despite what the Captain said, the news that Beckett was her daughter spread through the ship like wildfire.

“If they’re related, why is Mariner an ensign?”

“Did she really throw up on an Admiral’s shoes?”

“Why do you think she’s been so busy?”

Of course, all the chatter died down whenever Mariner actually appeared, given how she reacted when someone from Gamma shift tried to get a promotion by trying to convince her to talk to the Captain. He wound up in sickbay with a fork shoved into his hand and a glass decorating his head.

Not to mention the incident when the Captain walked into the bar and found Mariner mixing a concoction of drinks together, while sitting on a pile of unconscious ensigns. Beckett had given a vague explanation that translated to “They thought they could get a promotion by talking to me and got violent when they found they couldn’t.”

Mariner eventually staggered into the bar after going a few rounds with Shaxs.

“Reminded me to never smack talk Shaxs again.” Groaned Mariner, slumping over next to her friends, “I’d rather fight Jem’Hadar.”

Things were slowly getting back to its own version of normal.

Then Admiral Jonas turned up.

[youaremysoulmate1330]

My absolute fav thing about Mack is his knack for giving people nicknames.

Tremors. Turbo. No Eyes.

I love it.