This Saturday (20th of May), we'll be meeting at Lincoln's Inn Field for some very laid-back drinks and games. If you're a fan of frisbeeing, volleyball or just meeting up with some of the best humans London offers, then this is the meet-up for you.
The idea is everyone brings their own drinks and whatever they want to snack on. If you have any games or a football etc bring that along as well!
I will arrive around 1:30 so you don't have to worry about being the first one there.
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I have picked a spot that's close to everything you could desire.
w3w location - ///priced.strong.whites
Coordinates - 51°31'00.5"N 0°06'56.5"W
I will update the stickied comment with what I am wearing and if there is a change of location.
---
My name is Shelley.
My number is oh7eighteight3twoeight99eight9 if you need to find us or DM me on here.
I shall see you on Saturday!

Salutare baieti si fete!
Lucrez pentru un client din US, mai exact Pragma. E o firma de game services care are peste 4 studio uri de gaming ca si clienti.
Cautam un unreal engineer cu minim 6 ani experienta care sa lucreze b2b, contractul va fi de un an cu posibilitate de prelungire.
Suma alocata pentru acest role este intre 9000 si 12000 USD.
Las aici si JD ul, va rog sa ma contactati in privat cu un CV si un Linkedin updated.
JD:
Job Title: Unreal Engineer
Location: Fully Remote
Salary Range: $6,000 - $12,000 per month, commensurate with experience

About Our Company

We are a dynamic technology company creating a backend game engine — a platform of services and tools that enable game studios to launch live-service games.
You'll be joining a passionate, remote-first team that has scaled games such as League of Legends and Destiny 2 and many more games at Riot, Bungie, PopCap, and EA. We have also scaled platforms at traditional tech companies including Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and SendGrid.

Job Overview

We frequently embed our talented teams into various studios, ensuring smooth onboarding onto our platform, and aiding those studios in successfully completing their backend features in the game client. We are currently seeking a skilled and passionate Unreal Engineer to support our embedded teams and help our partner studios bring their backend features through to completion in the game client. The ideal candidate will possess extensive knowledge and experience with the Unreal Engine, backed by a deep understanding of gameplay systems and client/server communication. This is an opportunity to leverage your unique skill set and influence the success of many cutting-edge game projects simultaneously.

Responsibilities

1. Collaborate closely with our team's embedded engineers and partner studio teams to understand the game's vision and backend requirements.
2. Implement game features using Unreal Engine, ensuring high performance and robustness.
3. Design and architect client-side solutions for complex gameplay systems.
4. Integrate our backend technology and systems into Unreal-based game clients.
5. Troubleshoot and resolve engine-related issues, improving functionality and streamlining the process.
6. Mentor and guide other team members, fostering an environment of shared knowledge and progress.
7. Stay updated with the latest technological trends and advancements in Unreal Engine.

Qualifications

1. Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.
2. 5+ years of professional experience working with Unreal Engine 4 or 5.
3. Extensive experience in C++ programming, with a strong understanding of object-oriented programming principles.
4. Proficient in understanding and implementing client/server communication within a game context.
5. Familiarity with game servers and meta-game platforms.
6. Excellent problem-solving skills with a focus on robust and efficient solutions.
7. Strong understanding of multiplayer game systems and architecture.
8. Ability to work effectively in a dynamic, team-oriented environment.
9. Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

Hello. I currently live in Japan as an ALT (starting my 4th year here) and I am posting this in hopes to see if there is any possible information that I can research in seeing what other jobs are available out there with some specificities. I have some ideas on what I want to potentially do but I am curious if there is anyone who knows about video editing or article writing? Those especially have been my passion, but I was curious if there are any possible positions that don't require Japanese? My Japanese isn't quite there yet but I am still studying as much as I can. I would say I am more or less on the conversational level, as hard as it still is but I'm still working on it. I know that there are marketing positions like at Iwakuni Base for MCCS careers. I keep looking but no position has been open. I know there are other bases around Japan including Tokyo and Okinawa, but it has been hard to navigate where I could find certain positions in relation to editing and writing. If there is anyone who by chance knows how to navigate these kinds of jobs that would be much appreciated. I have been debating about moving to another dispatch company, as questionable as they are, like Altia Central. It is not perfect but at least I have heard they are slightly better than most companies, even though I work for one of what is considered to be the better ones, which is Interac. This is mostly because my current location which is quite small. Hoping to one day move closer to a city type area so that I can potentially start networking with others that are close to my passions and goals. There is of course moving back to the US which I have been considering, but I thought it wouldn't to at least ask here if there is any possible information on opportunities. Regardless I will still keep looking. If anyone here needs any advice on the ALT life let me know. I would be more than willing to help out.

Queen has 3 Forms:

1. Base Form
2. Brachiosaurus Form
3. Hybrid Form

Base Form Attacks and Weapons:

1. Queen carries 2 swords
2. Gatling gun loaded with Ice Oni Poison
3. Large Pistol
4. Machine Gun

​
Brachiosaurus Form Attacks and Weapons:

1. Double-barreled Gatling gun
2. Artificial fangs
3. Laser beam cannon equipped at the end of his brachiosaurus tail and hair braid, as well as inside of his mouth
4. His neck area is modified with an in-built mechanical cable that allows him to extend his already long brachiosaurus neck beyond its normal range
5. Retractable needles in his teeth
6. Voice activated rocket launchers in his sides
7. Brachiojaurus - Queen lifts his tail to ready himself for the technique, and from there, launches his inner, snake-like body from his torso and legs
8. Brachiotoguros - Queen coils around his opponent like a snake, exerting immense pressure on their bones and organs

​
Hybrid Form Attacks and Weapons:

1. Clawed tentacle appendages located on his tail and braided hair, which is also capable of firing lasers
2. His prosthetic left arm changes shape, sporting a claw similar to the aforementioned appendages
3. Ichiji's optic beams
4. Niji's lighting shocks
5. Sanji's invisibility
6. Yonji's extendable metal arm

​
Queen The Plague - Where the name comes from:
Befitting his epithet of "The Plague", Queen is a genius virologist. He has invented abnormal and deadly viruses and weaponized them through ammunition known as Excite Bullets, which instantly spread the disease upon striking their victims. Two of Queen's viruses have been seen so far, and both of them are able to easily spread through physical contact, meaning Queen and anyone with Excite Bullets can quickly infect an entire closed-off group of enemies with only a few hits. He has shown sufficient medical expertise to develop an antidote for one of his deadliest viruses as a safety measure.
Created Viruses:

1. Mummy) causes a high fever and constant bleeding. Not long after, its victims become shriveled and dehydrated and suffer everlasting pain.
2. Ice Oni covers its victims' skin in ice, which alters some parts of their bodies to make them look like oni. It also enhances their physical abilities. Victims are left freezing and seem to turn savage. The frost combined with the strength boost causes its victims to die after roughly one hour.

Haki:
Queen is able to utilize both basic Haki-types.
​
Devil Fruit:
Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Brachiosaurus, an Ancient Zoan-type Devil Fruit.
​
Named Attacks:

1. Black Coffee - In his Full Beast Form, Queen fires a laser beam from his mouth or tail, while in his human-beast form he can fire it (individually or simultaneously) from either his mouth, mechanical arm, hair, or tail. The beam works similarly to the ones used by the Pacifista and Franky's "Radical Beam", generating an explosion after hitting a surface.
2. Bridal Grapper - While in Human-Beast Form, Queen heats up his mechanical hair claw and attempts to grab a target while burning them with it
3. Bry Pan - While in Human-Beast Form, Queen rapidly punches with his hair claw, tail claw, and left arm claw.
4. Brachio Launcher - While in Beast Form, Queen activates rocket launchers equipped to his torso via a voice command
5. Sparking Queen - Queen's variant of Germa 66's Sparking Red, Queen fires beams from his eyes.
6. Henry Queen - Queen's variant of Germa 66's Dengeki Blue, Queen electrifies his body and then extends his mechanized neck in order to bite and electrocute his enemy.
7. Winch Queen - Queen's variant of Germa 66's Winch Green, Queen extends his mechanical left arm, grabs his opponent, and swings them around, slamming them into various walls.
8. Brachio Bomber - Queen dives from a high place and lands headfirst on his opponent, crushing them under the immense weight of his full brachiosaurus form.

Durability:

1. Took a large amounts of Attacks from Sanji without taking much damage (pre awakening)
2. Fought Marco with King, Marco did a little bit of damage, he recovered quickly.
3. Took an attack from King without taking any damage while being distracted. That same attack sent Zoro flying.
4. Fought Big Mom, took some damage, but recovered quickly.
5. Took almost no damage from Chopper while playing with him

​
This is it. I probably have repeated myself quite a lot, but my point still stands. Respect the GOAT. Queen TOP 1 EOS, you ain't ready for him.
And i also have probably missed some attacks, since Queen is so awesome, and since he has too many of them.

First, I would like to introduce myself. I am Adam Frydrych, a Meshnet evangelist at NordVPN. From time to time, you will see me around, but today I am here for a more important and significant reason.
nordvpn moderators came up with the idea to start the NordVPN Expert Series, so it's an honor for me to open it! In this series, we, the NordVPN team members, will share our expertise, knowledge, points of view, guides, etc., so that you can better understand what we are doing and ask us questions.
Since I’m working closely with Meshnet, I have come to shed some light on why we decided to offer Meshnet as a freemium product.
So, why is Meshnet free now?
We believe that everyone should be able to access the security and convenience of a VPN. However, not everyone is ready to invest in a premium service like NordVPN. So, we’ve been thinking for a long time about a free version that could be maintained without huge infrastructure costs, and Meshnet is exactly what we have been working on for quite some time.
Meshnet does not require many servers, has minimal maintenance, and offers a high level of customization for the user.
NordVPN offers many benefits, from global server locations to built-in security features, but not all users need all these functions. For those who are just looking for security and remote traffic routing, Meshnet has a role to play.
The service allows routing encrypted traffic through almost any device. For example, connecting to a home computer while abroad, or routing traffic through the device of a friend who lives overseas, using the IP addresses of these devices.
Turn your device into a VPN server
Setting up a VPN server requires technical expertise and a good understanding of network security. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to seek assistance from cybersecurity professionals. Still, by incorporating Meshnet into the process, you will be able to configure your VPN quickly, even if you have no previous experience.
So for eg., if you have a family member or friend abroad, you could let them route their traffic through your computer, allowing them to access the internet in their home country while traveling. Meshnet has an integrated routing traffic feature that allows you to set up one of your devices to act as a VPN server without additional software. To learn more about the feature and its capabilities, check our Routing traffic guide.
Here you will find a full article and use cases that I believe will shape the future of the Internet itself: https://nordvpn.com/blog/why-is-meshnet-free/ .
Making Meshnet free to everyone is a huge step towards furthering our ultimate goal, as it gives everyone a chance to enjoy the benefits of having their own private VPN.If you have any questions regarding why, how, or what's next in terms of Meshnet or NordVPN, feel free to leave them in the comments.

This is the best tl;dr I could make, original reduced by 62%. (I'm a bot)

New Delhi: After news of the minor female wrestler withdrawing her complaint against Wrestling Federation of India chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh went viral on social media Monday, her father clarified to ThePrint that they have not withdrawn the complaint.
In the viral video, over which the Delhi Commission for Women served a notice to Delhi Police, the uncle also revealed the identity of the minor and her father.
In April, seven wrestlers, including the minor, had lodged complaints of sexual harassment against Brij Bhushan, following which he was booked in two separate FIRs.
Speaking to ThePrint, he said that after the FIRs against Brij Bhushan were leaked on WhatsApp, the media came banging on his doors, asking to meet her.
A senior coach close to the wrestlers told ThePrint that for now the minor and her family have been moved to a safe location.
Wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who along with others is seeking Brij Bhushan's immediate arrest under the POCSO Act, had earlier alleged in a conversation with ThePrint that their families were receiving threats from the WFI chief.

Summary Source FAQ Feedback Top keywords: minor^#1 ThePrint^#2 wrestler^#3 complaint^#4 Brij^#5
Post found in /india, /india, /IndiaOpen and /unitedstatesofindia.
NOTICE: This thread is for discussing the submission topic. Please do not discuss the concept of the autotldr bot here.

There may be something simple I'm missing, but has anyone looked into using an ultrasonic humidifier as a swamp cooler?
For example, a module like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mxmoonant-Ultrasonic-Humidifier-Hydroponics-Preservation/dp/B08B7XTLTG
That uses up to 250W (actual power usage not known, but I can measure it), and evaporates 4.2L/h. Water has a latent heat of vaporization of 2260kJ/L, which is 9492000J/h, or 2636W. Even if it takes 250W to run (heat added), that's net 2386W cooling, or about 8141 BTU/h.
The design would be extremely simple - a reservoir of water, the humidifier sitting on a float (it needs to be 6-7cm below water surface). Cut two holes on the lid, and put a computer fan on one to help dispersal. It can be a nice and quiet low powered fan as there is practically no flow restriction at all. No loud bilge blower needed. The cooler itself does not need air from the outside. In a standard swamp cooler, the hot dry air from the outside is needed to evaporate the water at a reasonable speed. In this case the evaporation is done with ultrasonic vibrations (making tiny water droplets that evaporate naturally once it hits air in the tent because they are so tiny).
So the construction of the cooler itself is extremely simple, but of course, that's not all we need, unless we want to live in a tent at 100% humidity. We also need an air exchange system. But that's the same as for other high saturation-efficiency coolers like the yurt cooler, that push out air at close to 100% RH. A lower efficiency cooler (eg. the bucket cooler) is functionally the same as the combination of a high efficiency cooler and an air exchange system, as it brings in more air than strictly necessary to evaporate the water.
So we also need a fan somewhere to bring in outside air for exchange. But the beauty of this system is that this fan also doesn't need to drive any static pressure, so it can also be a quiet low power fan. It also doesn't need to be co-located with the cooler. It can be anywhere convenient in the tent.
Besides simplicity, I think the biggest advantage is quietness - 1 ultrasonic atomizer (should be ultrasonic/silent in audible range), 2 low pressure fans.
What am I missing? Why aren't people already doing this?
u/plumitt?

She and I [33M] have been together for almost 2 years and recently decided to move in together. She has a newer, bigger house (I had a small condo) and it is in a really nice location. So, we decided that I would move into her place. We are all happy and life is good… except for a few logistical issues like the kitchen. I hadn’t noticed it so much prior to moving in, but the kitchen countertops in her house are significantly higher than standard. Also the cabinets are higher (9ft ceilings). I should mention at this point that I am quite short for a guy (5’2”) and my girlfriend is fairly tall (a bit over 5’10”). Her ex-husband that she built the house with is like 6’3” so I can only imagine that they intentionally decided to design the kitchen this way as it is more comfortable for them. But I am living here now, not him… and I find it quite awkward using the kitchen with these higher countertops. The bathrooms are the same way I might add.
Since I sold my condo, I have some money that I could use to reno the kitchen and make the countertops and cabinets more ergonomic for me. I have suggested this and offered to pay for it, but she doesn’t want to touch the kitchen at all. She loves how it is set up. Admittedly, she does most of the cooking in our relationship. She has said that selling the house and moving is not an option because the location is ideal for her kids going to school, it’s across from a park and on a quiet street etc. Also close to her sisters which she likes.
The kitchen isn’t a dealbreaker for me, overall I am extremely happy and I will suck it up if she doesn’t want to redesign it. But AITA for just wanting it to be a bit more accessible for me?

Company Name: Extendigo
Location: USA
Experience: 8 + Years
Industry: Consulting
Job Title/Role: Sales Head
Base/Commission/OTE: Minimum $80k+other benefits
About the job
If you have a winning attitude and are highly motivated, and who loves every aspect of Sales- Extendigo has an exciting sales position. The successful candidate will enhance relationships and target potential new accounts. Well-developed organization and planning skills will ensure your success in servicing the account including managing the order, complying with Company norms. .
Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing or communications or commensurate work experience
• 5-6 years of experience in selling B2B Services, with good communication skills.
• Highly motivated and target driven with a proven track record in Sales.
• Must be legally authorized to work in USA.

What you will do @ Extendigo:
Here are some of the key responsibilities that you will be tasked with:
Conducting research and identifying potential corporate clients through market research, cold calling and LinkedIn networking
Managing and maintaining a sales pipeline, including tracking leads and following up on sales opportunities.
Preparing regular reports on sales activity, market trends, and competition.
Creating proposals and quotes for potential clients, and negotiating and closing deals.
Building and maintaining positive ongoing business relationships with C-suite teams.
In this role, you will play a critical role in driving the company's growth and success in the US market. You will be expected to be a hands-on leader who is comfortable working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
Our Diversity Pledge:
Extendigo is an equal-opportunity employer. We encourage people from all backgrounds to apply. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, colour, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, religion, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, family status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Interested applicants, Please mail your resume to [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

After remaining invincible and impregnable for centuries, the mighty Pir Panchal is witnessing enormous developmental activity for a new expressway, a challenging railway line and most of the dam-fed hydropower projects involving an investment of tens of thousands of crores. At places, this is triggering the fragile range to cave in at the cost of homes and livelihoods of age-old villages, a situation that experts believe could have been avoided with better pre-feasibility studies and sophisticated project implementation, reports Masood Hussain
Anticipated for years, finally, the increased incidence of land subsidence and sinking in the Pir Panchal Mountains is Jammu and Kashmir’s new normal. The young fragile and unstable mountain range separating Kashmir from the rest of the world is in news frequently as the slopes housing small habitations for centuries are caving in.
On February 19, 2023, around 16 structures of Duksar Dalwa (Duksar Dal), a hamlet almost 45 km uphill from Ramban, suffered serious damage as the land caved in. It crippled road connectivity between Gool and Ramban where almost 500 meters developed cracks, tripped the electric supply and snapped the water supply. Three homes developed cracks forcing authorities to shift the impacted population to safer areas.
Officials said while they are working overtime to resume power and water supplies, they are also improving the Dharam-Salballa road to make it an alternative supply route to the “literally disconnected” area. In the sinking village, the official encouraged the residents to move swiftly to safer spots. For residents, however, the gradual 3-day sinking was a painful watch of their life earnings slowly cracking up and becoming black holes over hills.
It started with a crater that widened to almost 500 meters during two nights, making almost everything around unsafe, unstable and life-threatening. A mosque, Darsgah, the village seminary and the village graveyard were destroyed. Residents quickly exhumed a recently buried body and laid it to rest at a “safe” place.
Officials who visited the spot said the village’s agriculture fields were rendered useless, pushing residents into poverty. They lost homes and their livelihoods too.
The Duksar erasing came less than a fortnight after Doda lost a cluster of houses to a similar instance on February 3, 2023. Located on the foothills on the road to Kishtwar near Thathri, nearly 35 km from Doda, the volunteers, residents and government officials had to quickly shift 117 members of 19 families as the patch of slope housing the Nai Basti cluster gave in within three days. A total of 21 structures cracked and became unsafe.
Horrific Tunnel Collapse
The last horrific tragedy took place on May 19, 2022, when the workers were digging into an adit (minor access to the T3 tunnel) near Khooni Nalla at Ramsu’s Makerkot area. It collapsed over them killing ten workers including two local residents and eight Nepalese labourers. The tragedy struck during the day amid incessant rain but still, only two persons could be rescued alive.
The workers were on the challenging stretch of the national highway between Digdole and Khooni Nallah, which is otherwise notorious for frequent landslides and shooting stones due to fragile geology. It was part of the twin-tube tunnel that would connect Digdole to Panthyal and was implemented by Ceigall India Limited in a JV with Patel Engineering Limited. (The contractor has been imposed a heavy fine.)
The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) that has taken over the Jammu Srinagar national highway from Border Roads Organisation (BRO), a few years back, is constructing at least five tunnels to bypass the highway’s 3-km “killer’’ stretch from Panthyal to Makerkote. Tunnel T3 is part of this intervention.
Unlike the rest of the highway, the 36-km Banihal Ramban stretch has been the most challenging one and that is why it is still under implementation. On this stretch are six “killer spots” located on a 14-km road stretch and NHAI intends to spend Rs 2000 crore to manage this. Implementation of this would offer some safety from frequent halts owing to shooting stones at Marog, Panthial, Digdol and Battery Chashma.
Triggering Instability
Implementation of these projects is triggering crises for the localities living around them. As many as 13 houses in Sujmatana village near Ramsu were literally devastated. The round-the-clock blasting for the tunnel projects and cutting work made these houses inhospitable after they developed cracks. Most of them have left their unsafe homes and migrated elsewhere. Though officials are looking into the crisis since 2017, it is yet to be settled.
On August 4, 2022, 36 families had a providential escape when their Bassan village in Reasi became the casualty of sinking and erosion at the same time. Without any notice, landslides carried down boulders and muck that crashed the houses and put the agriculture fields out of sight. It was so abrupt, villages said, that they had no time to take their belongings along.
Officials admitted that almost 60 kanals of land sank as another 400 kanals patch was rendered useless. Almost all the fruit trees, mostly walnut and apricot, were engulfed in mud. Almost 200 meters of a PMGSY road was also downthrown by around 25 meters from its actual alignment.
The earlier worst case was reported from Dalwas when on March 28, 2020, the residents fled when their homes and fields were literally buried by landslides. Almost 40 households were impacted.
The village has been there for ages and never experienced any such threat. Then one day it literally disappeared. Residents alleged that being away from Srinagar and Jammu, deep into the mountains they hardly were reported. At one point in time when they wanted to protest, authorities invoked Covid19 concerns to prevent it.
Response Protocol
Over the years, the government response has remained unchanged. Once the reports land that spots are sinking, they as the first quick reaction, send cops, paramilitary, SDRF and revenue officials to oversee and, in most cases, extend help in quick evacuations. In stage two, the respective Deputy Commissioner writes to geologists and the Department of Geology and Mining and, off late, to the Geological Survey of India, who rush their experts to these spots. In the subsequent few days, they study the local rock formations and submit reports, part of which goes to newspapers and by and large the files get closed.
At the same time, files start rolling about relief and rehabilitation. It takes its own time. In many cases, people who lose their homes and livelihoods are yet to be properly rehabilitated.
Invariably, the policymakers and the administrators avoid two vital ingredients of the story – the assessments that the local populations make about the crisis they land in and the wider angle that remains unchanged across the Pir Panchal range.
Resident Assessments
Affected populations are unwilling to accept that these crises are natural. They see them as man-made disasters. Raqeeb Wani, a former Sarpanch of Daskar Dalwa told The Telegraph that his village’s erasing is directly linked to the construction of two railway tunnels downhill, that would link a 3km rail track between Sangaldan and Chaddi. He attributed it to the “continuous blasting” that loosens the soil and adds to the instability of the mountain.
“A few years ago, we had a similar disaster in Sangaldan a few years ago when an entire market caved in,” Wani was quoted as saying. “That also was owing to the railway project.”
In the case of Dalwas, for instance, a former lawmaker from Ramban Ashok Kumar Dogra said the “unscientific planning” of the widening of the national highway is responsible. “The highway authorities started excavation of the road from beneath the village without raising any wall on the side of the village. As no concrete measures were taken by the NHAI to protect the village and debris was also disposed of at the same place, the tragedy was bound to happen and the houses collapsed and the village sank,” Dogra told Outlook. “I will not call it a natural disaster. It was the unplanned construction that destabilised the soil of the whole area, leading to its sinking.”
Right to A Road
Pir Panchal mountain range has remained literally invincible and technically impregnable for centuries. It took decades of thought process and a lot of resources to lay a foot track between Jammu and Srinagar, to have an alternative to Mughal Road. Known to history as the Banihal Cart Road, it was difficult and always retained by Dogra despots as a private route. It remained inaccessible to people till 1922. Till the Jawahar Tunnel was inaugurated, the road would pass over the Banihal pass, the abandoned remnants of which still exist.
This made Kashmir rely on the Jhelum Valley Road (JVR) as the main highway.
Almost 225 residents from 48 households who somehow survived the tragedy moved to another village and are still struggling to pick the threads of their lives. Though life has returned to the village, they are still fighting for an electric supply line and the rebuilding of the school building.
An Upcoming Railway
The road is just not the only thing that is happening deep inside the Pir Panchal mountain range. While the road is being upgraded, there is a railway project in an advanced stage of implementation.
Unlike the road that is being laid over the foothills not far away from the old alignment that also followed a foot track of the eighteenth and nineteenth century, the railway track is passing through a virgin area, part of which has not seen even a bus. For making rail reach Baramulla from Udhampur, the 272-km project is going to cost a whopping Rs 37012 crore of which more than ninety per cent has already been spent.
Work on JVR started in 1880 and was formally thrown open in September 1890, when Maharaja Partap Singh was driven through from Baramulla to Kohala. The construction of this gigantic road project was implemented by a major British Indian contractor M/S Spedding, Mitchell & Co and was overseen by different British engineers at different stretches. While General de Bourbel oversaw everything as the Chief Engineer Kashmir, it was Alexander Atkinsonmanagedmost of the road up to Chakoti (on the other side of LoC now) and a few parts on the Kashmir side; Farrant was in charge of construction between Chakotiand Baramulla; as EG Hebbert supervised its completion in November 1889. Resources apart, it cost too many lives. Between Chakoti and Baramulla, 54 Pathans were killed in four years. Besides, 20 lives were lost to snake bites.
Post-partition, the Banihal Road became arterial and pressure built with a surge in population and demand in Kashmir. For seven decades, this road bore the brunt of all the pressures of travel, demand and consumerism and gave in. The rise of the Kashmir apple added another pressure factor so did the security requirements.
Finally, a stage reached that the health of the national highway was directly linked to the economic well-being of Kashmir. This paved the way for the decision by the Government of India that distances need to be reduced and the highway must be improved so that commuters do not end up spending a day on a 300-km highway.
More than a decade after the first spadework, it is emerging as one of the best roads. There are three major tunnels that have skipped dangerous patches while reducing distance and uphill driving: a set of four small tunnels near Nandni with a combined length of 1.4 km; 9.2 km Chenani-Nashri tunnel has bypassed a gruelling uphill drive and 8.5 km Banihal-Qazigund tunnel is going to tame dangerous Banihal Pass forever.
Distance has dropped from 300 to 270 km and the travel time from 12 to around 5 hours. But the Banihal-Ramban stretch remains a challenge. Earlier, it was merely a technological crisis, now it is a serious ecological issue.
These villagers were fortunate in comparison to the Sadal hamlet of Udhampur which was buried under a massive mudslide at noon on September 6, 2014. Following incessant rains for many days, it triggered massive floods in Kashmir and the rest of the erstwhile state. As many as 41 residents from 65 households were killed by the wee hour mountain collapse that brought an almost 30-foot-thick blanket of rafted rock fragments mud, sludge and rubble.
The rail is already chugging between Udhampur and Katra (25 km) since July 2014, Baramulla to Qazigund (118 km) since October 2009; and Qazigund to Baramulla (18 km) since June 2013. This leaves the most challenging stretch of 111 km between Banihal and Katra to be implemented.
However, the cost of the track does not define the project. It is the work that details the challenge. Nearly 119 km of the entire track will pass through 38 tunnels, the longest of which is 12.77 km long.
What is interesting is that in the 111-km Banihal – Katra track, 97.42 km are tunnels and most of the rest are bridges. Railway officials have to do 163.82 km of tunnelling in total – 66.4 km are escape tunnels – to make the track possible. For making these tunnel spots accessible to men and machines, there is a network of 205 km of roads, which remain busy round the clock.
This track will have 37 bridges – totalling 7 km in length, including the iconic Chenab Bridge, which is tipped to be the highest railway bridge on earth. While this bridge is ready, the current focus is on the first cable-stayed railway bridge on Anji Khad.
With thousands of people working deep inside the mountains with basic cutting and blasting machinery a lot of activity is generated.
There were dozens of instances in which the portions of various tunnels collapsed resulting in either changing the alignment or repairing the damage and restoring the tunnel. In July 2006, an almost 3 km long tunnel on the Udhampur-Katra track gradually started sinking after massive soil swelling on the two ends making it unusable and thus delaying the project. Northern Railways later hired an Austrian consultant, Geo Consult International (GCI), to salvage the project after many years of delay. The causes of the damage were visible to even the then Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, who said he saw “a river flowing under the tunnel”.
A number of tunnels between Katra and Sangaldan witnessed “abnormal” water discharge making construction a challenging task. In Sangladan, the managers were shocked when they saw a 500-meter track between two tunnels actually missing one fine morning. Reported in 2006, it destroyed a vast stretch of land on a slope housing as many as 100 structures besides over 400 meters of the road connecting Mahore and Gulabgarh.
In 2016 summer of 2016, authorities shifted 124 families – almost the entire village of Dharam, after the vast patch of land that housed the hamlet caved in within three months. Though the officials attributed it to natural reasons, the residents linked the unprecedented situation to the ongoing work on the railway line passing close to the village.
Oceans In Gorges
Piercing the Pir Panchal mountains for smooth, faster and better communication is just not the only thing happening in the region. Owing to the mighty Chenab, the region is Jammu and Kashmir’s powerhouse. More than 90 per cent of the hydropower potential is restricted to the region owing to the availability of water and enough space to construct dams within the mountain gorges. This has led to a situation where the region holds a massive amount of water in its dams.
The region’s tryst with power generation started late last century with the implementation of the 900-MW Salal power project in Reasi in 1978. The project’s 1.45 million cubic meter dam has created the Salal lake which has the capacity to retain more than 28 million cubic meters of water.
Then came the 390-MW Dul-Hasti Power Project near Kishtwar. It was followed by the 900-MW Baglihar power with 1.8 cubic meters of the dam and an additional reservoir capacity of 39.5 cubic meters – a facility that has created a huge water body in the mountain gorges between Chanderkote belt and Thathri to the extent that certain localities and infrastructures had to be relocated. Quite a few people still live in the highway town of Pul Doda.
The region has many other power projects at different stages of implementation. These include 850-MW Rattle, 100-MW Pakal Dul, 624-MW Kiru, 540-MW Kwar, 800-MW Bursar, and 930-MW Kirthai-II. This is an investment of tens of thousands of crore in mountain gorges on a single river within a river length of fewer than 100 km.
Baglihar is the only project that Jammu and Kashmir’s fully-owned JKSPDC owns. Chenab Valley Power Projects Ltd, a joint venture between JKSPDC and NHPC, India’s hydropower giant, is implementing four power projects – Pakal Dul, Kiru, Kwar and Karthia-II. Salal and Dul Hasti owned fully by NHPC and Ratle is being executed under a fresh JV with JKSPDC in which the latter holds 49 per cent stakes.
Stakes apart, hydropower stations are gigantic projects. These need huge spaces for water storage – even in the case of run-of-the-river schemes, and a lot of tunnelling. All projects have main tunnels, both head race and tail race, and then there are a lot of additional adits and small tunnels for servicing. Even though most of the tunnels and the dams are concrete structures, having such critical infrastructure usually triggers soil erosion and soil swellings too often. The 110-km Batote Kishtwar road has been ailing for all these years. Never in a year could it operate for all 365 days.
Cause versus Consequence?
Science has fundamentally opposed the idea of correlating causes with consequences especially when there is no plausible explanation. In the case of the Pir Panchal region, however, there are striking correlations. For most of recent history, land sliding has been happening around the national highway only. However, in the last decade, land subsidence is a routine and it is happening at all places where developmental activities are going on.
Bhaderwah town and its surroundings are witnessing “region-exclusive” tremors almost every year. In August 2022, there were 21 tremors, reaching up to 3.9 on the Richter scale. Such summer tremors have been there in 2013, 2016, 2017, and 2018. In fact, 2013 was harrowing as the earthquakes touched 5.8 on the Richter scale.
Land patches are caving in at spots closer to some kind of major developmental activity. This is as true with railway projects as it is in road widening projects. Certain spots caved in because works were implemented without a detailed study.
In Sangaldan, for instance, when the railway track collapsed, it was pointed out by geologist Prof GM Bhat that it had been built “on a fossil slide”, which failed to withstand the weight and crumbled down. “We knew it for decades but we were never consulted,” Bhat said. “In this part of the Himalayas, rock types change after every half a kilometre.”
A respected geologist, Bhat insists that developmental activities can take place in any space that is as fragile as Pir Panchal but it needs adequate pre-implementation study and proper implementation mechanism.
“In the four-laning of the highway, the crisis would have been manageable had there been least vertical cuts,” Bhat said. “Impounding so much of water (in power projects dams) within a small patch has the potential of inducing earthquakes.” He insists that the managers of the water projects must ensure better maintenance of the tunnels or these could become a serious crisis in future.
Bhat, however, sees society also going unruly. “In Banihal near the Mahu Mangat side, a hillock is a completely populated town now,” he said. “Has anybody tried to verify where the waste goes? Are we expecting a major crisis in the coming days when the hill will cave in because of seepage?”
The region is a risky belt given its fragile geology. The upcoming railway line is built over three major active geological fault lines: the Main Boundary Thrust (between Udhampur and Katra), the Muree Thrust (between Baglihar and Sangaldan) and the Panjal Thrust (between Digdol and Mahu Mangat). “I never say railway tracks cannot cross fault lines but I believe that had local expertise been involved, extensive fieldwork would have reduced the costs and perfected the alignment”. Entire Jammu and Kashmir is classified as seismic zone-V, the highest earthquake-prone area. CAG has already done a thick report on the resources that were wasted because of the geological surprises that erupted after various rail projects were implemented. Parts of the alignment were changed and completed works were abandoned.
A fault line actually passes through the centre of the Baghlihar dam and most other reservoirs are very close to the fault lines underneath. “A dam burst will be worse than the earthquake itself,” Bhat, who retired recently after heading the University of Jammu’s Geology Department for a long time, said. Interestingly, the area is reporting an increased incidence of cloudbursts, seen as an indicator of climate change. “One major cloudburst near a dam can trigger unprecedented devastation.”
One such cloudburst on July 28, 2021, almost decimated Honzer, a hamlet concealed within inaccessible mountains of remote Dacchan, killing 26 residents. The bodies of almost 18 of the victims were never found.
Many geologists who studied Dalwa fall attributed the land subsidence to water seepage, and extensive cutting of steep slopes. They have suggested a robust urban land use plan, a prerequisite for any activity, especially in hilly areas.
https://kashmirlife.net/o-pir-panchal-vol-14-issue-49-311779/

On Friday I had reconstructive surgery to fix 4 broken ribs. They rebroke the ribs and reattached them with metal plates so they can heal correctly. I was informed by the surgeon the biggest risk of this surgery was a collapsed lung. I am very tall and very thin, so supposedly the risk was a bit higher for me. I was told about the symptoms I needed to look out for.
Right after I woke up from the surgery, an xray was taken of my lungs. The surgeon informed me the surgery went well and my lungs looked good. According to him I could leave immediately after the surgery, even though initially I was supposed to stay for 5 days to monitor me (and mostly my lungs).
Back at the hospital room, it became clear I couldn't leave quite yet. On my way to the bathroom I fainted twice, and I also learned that while re-breaking 4 ribs, they likely damaged another one. The pain was immense. After a few hours, when the iv pain medication wore off, I started noticing a terrible pain when breathing in, in my chest and back of my shoulder. I was short on breath. I realised these were the symptoms I was told to look out for and informed the nurses. After insisting that I really couldn't take full breaths, not just because of the pain, I was told I was probably just stressed and anxious, but she would discuss it with the doctor. She returned later to examine my heart. My heart was fine, I was told I am having some sort of panic attack causing me to have chest pains and be short on breath.
I was honestly so doped up on oxy, i could not feel anxious if I tried. Later that evening I called in a nurse again, at this point just begging for pain relief, it hurt so much. So much, that my body hardly registered the pain of having multiple freshly broken ribs, all I felt was a knife stabbing my chest and shoulder whenever I took a breath. This nurse said he'd talk to a doctor, but I was really just feeling anxiety.
At 1am the nurse comes back and he informs me they saw a miniscule airbubble against my lung, but it shouldn't cause any symptoms so it is really anxiety. He says the airbubble really is nothing noteworthy.
Now, I did not know what having an airbubble in your chest meant. So I did the obvious thing and googled it. Collapsed lung. A collapsed lung is an airbubble that presses against your lung. When he used "airbubble" he meant "collapsed lung", but had refused to call the animal by its name. A light bulb went on in my head and I logged into my hospital account where I can view any xray results and read doctors notes.
The notes from the xray, logged immediately after the xray was taken:
"Patient has pneumothorax along side topleft lung. Size approximately 3.5 cm". Now at first I thought, 3.5 cm doesn't sound big. When you imagine 3.5 cm it's tiny. But later, I realised that lungs aren't that big either, so I did some research.
And 3.5 cm is NOT MINISCULE. I looked this up later, but anything exceeding the size of 2cm is considered a major collapsed lung. They knew i had a fucking collapsed lung, and they wanted to send me home with fucking paracetamol. Even worse, they KNEW I HAD A COLLAPSED LUNG AND TOLD ME I HAD ANXIETYYYYYY. They told me they had no idea why my shoulder hurt, when on another xray taken the day after it specified that the location of the airbubble is close to my shoulder blade.
The gaslighting.
Yknow, I get they didn't want me to worry. They didn't want me to freak out. But I am in intelligent woman that was too stoned on pain meds to get worried anyway. I would have been far less concerned if they just told me straight up: "hey, Jinera, you have a collapsed lung that is causing your pain and shortness of breath. However, we know it's going to cause any danger and we do not need to intervene. It will solve itself with some time." Instead of being kept in the dark! Also, to straight up tell me that a collapsed lung should not cause any symptoms is lying to me and making me feel crazy for the pain I experience.

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Chapter One
Chapter Seventeen
Martinez slouched his way into the kitchen. He wasn’t really paying attention to his surroundings; in his defense it was early in the morning and he’d failed at getting some appropriate shut-eye before he went and, you know, bared his entire soul to Chao. At least that was his plan. But as usual, the universe laughs at plans.
He placed a sealed plastic package into the coffee machine, then put a styrofoam cup in the appropriate location. He yawned as the machine began its burbling.
“Hey.”
Martinez snapped his head over at McCoy, who’d suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She leaned against the counter, with a big and very evil grin on her face.
“Um…” began Martinez, before he was interrupted by a voice from his other side.
“Hey.” Matt leaned there, and if McCoy looked evil then Matt looked positively diabolical. Martinez glanced behind him and saw more soldiers, all with looks of ill intent on their faces.
The corporal didn’t waste time in asking what the hell they were up to, he just started throwing hands and feet. Future scholars would count the resulting battle as one for the ages; Martinez even managed to tag Toke with a couple of pretty good punches and one really sweet roundhouse kick.
But in the end, it was still a case of one against many.
__________
“Mmmm mm mmm m mmm!” protested Martinez.
Chao sighed as she beheld his bruised and very taped-up state. “What did those idiots do to you?”
“Mm MMM mmm mm!” The corporal’s mouth was now duct-taped shut, so verbal acuity was not amongst his strong suits at the present.
She put her hands on her hips. “For crying out loud. Matt goes and gets me all worried that you’re somehow in trouble, he leads me over to some random closet and shoves me in here and I find you like this. What’s the game?”
“Gmmmm?”
Chao squatted, examining his bonds. “Well, they sure got you trussed up like a roast for the feast. Hey, if you want me to pull the tape off of your mouth just nod.”
After a moment, Martinez nodded. She reached for the tape covering his mouth, then hesitated. “Um. I don’t have much experience with this so I’ll leave it up to you. Is it better to go fast or slow? Blink once for fast, two for slow.”
With deliberation, Martinez blinked once. Chao nodded and yanked the tape off. They’d even left a convenient tab for her to grab ahold of.
“FUCKING OW!” yelled the corporal. “Um, sorry.”
Chao seated herself before his figure, which was tied up in a fetal position. “You know, the last few weeks have given me a bit of a crash-course on the types of grab-ass shenanigans you soldier types get up to. This is a new one, though. Care to educate me?”
Martinez stared at her in horrified disbelief. “Toke didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what? He just said you were in trouble and that I needed to help out.”
“That…that evil, evil son of a bitch. He said he’d explain everything!”
“Explain what? Luca, I am just about ready to walk out and leave you in here to eventually soil yourself.”
Now that he was literally hog-tied and unable to escape, Martinez realized he had to ‘fess up. “I like you,” he said in an almost-gasp. “I mean, I like you like you. In that way. I mean, I know it’s sudden. We’ve only known each other for maybe four weeks but you’re so smart and pretty and…and, you know about Asimov and Heinlein and Clarke and about orbital mechanics and star spectra.”
She sat in stunned silence while he continued. “I don’t bring much to the table, I get that. But I want to learn. After we come back from the Rithro’s repair mission, I want to go to college…I’ve started looking into that. I’m not much of a catch right now, but maybe one day you’d consider liking me that way as well…”
He was interrupted as she leaned down, grabbed his head, and planted a firm kiss upon his lips. After a moment of pure bliss for both of them, she pulled away. “You utter and complete idiot,” she said, but she said it with a smile. “Did you never think that perhaps you have some attractive qualities of your own?”
Martinez tried to shrug as best he could, being all tied up. “I mean, Toke did mention that I have some pretty nice abs?”
Chao’s eyes glinted in good humor. “Pretty nice? You’ve got an eight-pack. I could shred cheese on those bad boys.”
He looked up at her. “Wait. When did you see my abs?”
“Back when we were sequestered within Cheyenne Mountain, and we were strictly on sponge baths.” She patted his taut stomach, feeling up those aforementioned abs. “Anyways, do you want me to get you out of these bonds?”
“Um…”
Her good humor turned into a diabolical grin. “Or, would you like to remain in these bonds? Toke said something about a safe-word and safe-gesture, he said you’d explain it.”
“Of course he did. That fucker. Um. Chao, this has gone better than I could ever have imagined but I don’t think you need to know…”
“Know about what?” Her caressing of his unprotected stomach did not cease. “Does my corporal have a bit of a fetish?”
His brain seized up again at her emphasis on ‘my’. “I…”
“Let me put it this way. Would you like me to be all mean and nasty, or more cuddly and dommy mommy?”
After a long, long moment of silence he finally murmured, “Dommy mommy.”
“See? That wasn’t so hard. Well, admitting it wasn’t hard.” Her hand continued its explorations. “Now this here is indeed quite hard. Hmm. Good thing you are just too cute for words.”
“Cute?” He looked in disbelief at her, and then flinched at her continued caressing.
“One can be a badass and also cute, my dear corporal. You tick both boxes. Not to mention you’re into a fetish which I’ve wanted to indulge in for a while. Never found anyone who was into it, until now.”
Outside the closet, McCoy stood guard. She smiled in triumph as she heard Martinez yell out in pleasure, and turned to give Toke a thumbs-up.
“It’s about fuckin’ time,” she said.
Matt smiled back at her. He now sported an epic shiner under one eye. “Eh, some kids just need a bit of a nudge, you know?”
__________
It was…it was a wall. A wall he was looking at.
A wall covered in white stucco. Nothing too fancy, but it was indeed a wall and Joachim realized he was looking at it. That might seem like a substandard feat, but for a man who’d been in Joachim’s proverbial shoes it was a grand accomplishment.
His mouth worked as he swished his tongue around in his mouth. He looked around. He sat in a lawn chair in the middle of a beige room, lined on every wall with the stucco he’d just realized he was looking at. “H…hello?”
His voice felt old and clotted. Joachim looked down at his hand, and he saw wrinkled skin and age spots that he didn’t remember seeing there before.
This room only had one exit door, and now it opened. A lean man with dark skin entered. “Joachim Neimyer? I’m Zawahir Ibn Harith. How are you feeling, sir?”
Joachim fixed the newcomer with a steady eye. “I’ll be feeling better once I know where I am. And where is Corina?”
“Corina is on her way, she should be here within minutes. We had great hopes that your treatment was progressing well. Do you know what day it is, sir?”
“Of course I know what day it is! It’s…” Joachim trailed off as he realized that he didn’t know. The last few…years? Decades? He had glimpses of moments in time, as if viewed via a strobe-light. He now realized it was much, much later in time than he thought. “I…what happened?”
“Alzheimer’s, Mr. Neimeyer.” Zawahir’s eyes were kind. “You’ve been suffering from it for the last seven years. But we discovered…or, I should say, we adopted a methodology for treating it. It not only stops the damage, it has a way of reversing at least some of its effects. I fear you will never regain the memories from the time during which you suffered the most, but from now on your mind should function properly once more.”
Joachim rubbed his now-bald pate. “Is Corina all right?”
Zawahir pulled over a chair next to him and seated himself. “She is, blessedly, un-marked by the same affliction. We are, of course, putting her on a similar treatment as yourself just to make sure she remains so. With her consent, of course.”
The old man fixed Zawahir with a direct stare. “This whole thing smells experimental. Why choose me?”
“Mmm, you are as sharp as ever, sir. This is indeed an experiment, and we chose you because you are one of the preeminent rocket experts who ever lived. We need such skills now.”
“What?”
Zawahir leaned forward. “I will do my best to catch you up…”
__________
She walked through the door, supported by a cane. The one person, the beacon in Joachim’s life. Corina lit up upon seeing his gaze. A gaze with intent, with purpose. “They said you were feeling better!”
Before he or the surrounding interns could react, Joachim now found himself with a hundred-ish pounds of enthusiastic elderly woman in his lap.
“Tell me something only you know,” she whispered.
Joachim smiled. “Do you remember what I told you when we saw the green flash? That one time, in Hawaii? During our honeymoon?”
“I do. You said that the flash was the souls of those who’ve gone before.”
“And I promised you that, if I passed before you, that you would just need to look for the flash to see me.”
She clasped his wrinkled face in her own equally-lined hands. “You did better than that. You came back to me.”
“I guess I did.” He kissed her, reveling in the fact that this time he’d remember it.
Zawahir motioned to everyone else in the room. They all quickly got the hint and left the pair to their mutual happiness.
__________
The door of the simulator cracked open and Kifa came scuttling out. She peered up at the normally stony face of Master Sergeant Wilkes; right now the latter looked like he’d just been kicked in the chest by a donkey and was still trying to process it. “How did I do?” asked the xyrax. “It seems like I did quite well.”
“Um…Kifa. Well. Um. Did the controls seem to operate right?”
“Oh, yes! Very much, quite intuitive! It’s been ages since I simulated combat within an atmosphere! That was fun!”
“Fun. You do realize that you were going up against aces. I mean real, human aces?”
“Oh. I thought that was the case.” Kifa peered back into the simulator. “Was I not supposed to know that?”
Wilkes finally laughed, something that was fortunately captured by several cameras and used as blackmail material for many years after. “You did fine. You also just utterly smoked several of the finest pilots on Earth, and that includes non-Americans.” He regarded her with a steady gaze. “I wish I could recruit you to TOPGUN, I’d love to see you show those strutting peacocks a thing or two.”
“What is TOPGUN?”
He sighed. “Right now, it’s in the same exact department as buggy-whip manufacturing. You just showed these punks that, even in atmosphere, you’re death from above.”
Kifa seemed to shrink into themselves. “I didn’t mean to…”
“Now, now, Kifa, this is a good thing. Gotta keep those aforementioned strutting peacocks on their toes. But soon we’ll be dealing with fighting using orbital mechanics, something with which our air-combat people have about as much actual experience as they do with chatting up the fairer sex.”
“Which fairer sex? I mean, my kind is hermaphroditic so I know the mechanics but…” Kifa trailed off as it blinked its four big, oil-drop eyes.
“You are too damned cute for your own good. Pick a sex, any one, I for one do not give a fuck anymore. Point being, we humans need a crash-course in how to fight in space. No atmo, so trying to maneuver using flaps and wings and things is right out. We need to understand how orbits work. Not just intellectually, but in our bones.” Wilkes patted the simulator. “We need you to teach us. We need you to teach an army. Well, navy. Technically. I guess it would count as a navy. Either way. You know how to do this shit, and you just proved that even in atmosphere you can run rings around our best and brightest. So. Are you willing to show us your voodoo?”
“My voodoo…” The blue-furred spider suddenly rose on all of its legs. “Of course! This will be used against the Breakers, yes?”
“Of course.”
“Then it will be my greatest pleasure to show you all of my voodoo!” Kifa paused. “Although, if I received a headpat or two it would also help me properly consider how best to teach you.”
Sergeant Wilkes sighed and reached down. Kifa purred in delight as the usually-taciturn sergeant unleashed the full might and power of Human Headpats upon the alien pilot.
__________
Sadaf watched as the two dark-haired women and one blonde-haired woman had a black-and-white cap fitted over their heads. Both had received a haircut for this day; Parvati for one seemed to be less than thrilled about losing some of her tresses.
“This is the snoopy-cap,” said the aide who stood between the two women. The surroundings were sterile and very, very white. “This cap contains your communications, and it will keep your hair in place during launch.” This was the actual process getting shown to the world. Behind them, Ravindar and Martinez were also in the process of getting suited up, but this was done with much less fanfare. The aide’s words carried to them all, of course.
“Arms up!” Everyone going into space today raised their arms, and a large tubby-looking upper suit then slid down over five figures. Many human hands made sure that their heads made it through the upper ring. “This is the upper part of your pressure suit,” said the aide. “The gloves and helmet will complete that part, but that will come later. Now I will need you all to step into your pants…”
Everyone did so; Chao was the one who didn’t quite make it look elegant. She grinned at Martinez as she fumbled for a bit getting her pressure-suit trousers on; his resulting blush was caught for the cameras but it wasn’t until a week later that someone realized what it meant.
“Latch!” The aide’s voice was hard as metal.
Many hands reached out, twisting multiple metal rings to lock the upper and lower halves of the four pressure suits into one cohesive piece.
“I still say we could make them some proper hardsuits,” said Sadaf to Takh. The two stood off to the side, not exactly part of the dance but not apart from it either.
“No, I think this is better,” said Takh. “We need to make this look more like a…human effort.” Her XO stood at parade-rest, with both sets of arms clasped behind his back.
Sadaf nodded. “I will default to your judgement. By the way…how are you and Corporal McCoy getting along?” She nodded towards the last-minute addition to the crew.
“Um…Ma’am, I…” His faltering was not helped by watching the humans in the clean-room getting clear helmets fixed over their heads. Each latching was followed-up by a tap on the shoulder and a thumbs-up.
The big human, Ravindar, waved his arms over his shoulders as he got the feel for the suit. He’d managed to get the helmet on without an issue, in spite of his substantial beard. “Need more air?” asked a much smaller woman at his side. He shook his head, while he continued to flex and get comfortable with how the suit restricted his motions.
Getting the Sikh to this moment had been a master-class in diplomacy. Not least of which was because he still carried a weapon upon his person. Sadaf had no experience with ‘Sikhism’, but she could appreciate any culture or creed which dictated the need to carry a protective weapon at all times. It appealed to her nature.
“Do you think Parvati knows that he’s, well, into her?” asked Takh.
His captain’s voice became damn near sultry. “Now Takh, and here I thought you were all clueless. I’ve heard of the effort these humans went through to get Chao and Luca together. Would you like me to ask them to perform a similar effort for you and Corporal McCoy? Hmmm? It would make for quite the photo-op, as the humans would say.”
Takh felt a bit of panic, somehow. “No!” His panicked reply was low, hopefully not picked up by the surrounding cameras. “I mean, she’s so small. I could hurt her…assuming she wants to be romantic, of course.”
“Romantic? Takh, I admit I am still learning about human body language but trust me…if you want that, she wants that.” She pondered the humans in the room still going through some last-minute checks of their pressure suits. “Let’s put it this way. If you don’t make a move, then I just might ask Dhuz if it’s okay to add a human to our harem when we get back.”
“What?”
“I have learned quite the delightful human phrase. It is, as they say, Time To Nut Up Or Shut Up. I do find McCoy really cute, after all. As do you.”
Her XO grumbled semi-silently for a bit. “Fair enough, Captain. I’ll ask her. While we’re out there.”
“Good.” The humans in the clean room were now about finished with their checks, and Sadaf felt a bit of a thrill. She was, after all, witness to a species taking their first steps into a larger universe.
Five hoses were now shoved into five chest-mounted receptacles, each hose leading to its own hand-held air-conditioning unit. Another complicated round of checks, slaps, and thumbs-ups then followed.
“They do know that we’re just going to walk beside them right into the landing boat, right?” asked Takh. “This whole process isn’t really necessary.”
“Let them have this moment,” said Sadaf with a gentle smile. “They’re having fun.”
__________
The five white-suited individuals emerged from the hallway to pretty much universal uproar, both in person and online. The suit color was all NASA, but the logos were not. All four wore the emblem of the United Nations at their shoulder, a pair of olive branches surrounding a polar view of the world. The four humans all did their bit and waved for the cameras. Those in charge of the cameras did as instructed, and ignored the two black-and-sliver figures behind the quartet. The latter weren’t wearing any sort of pressure suit.
In the middle of the courtyard hovered the real talking piece, a landing boat from the Rithro. Its entry door was already lowered, and with another wave to the cameras from each of the five humans, they walked up the ramp and into the craft.
The five of them then looked at each other as the door began to close behind them. They’d trained together for a bit, enough to get a feel for each other. But now there was a real sense among them of holy shit what now?
Their mutual what-nows were interrupted as Tofa appeared. The arachnoid alien held a tray in one pedipalp, and upon that tray sat a little dish of what looked like Brazil nuts.
“Greetings!” chirped Tofa. “Welcome to Rithro Air, I assure you we have an excellent safety reputation. Well, almost excellent, if you don’t count the affair around Barnard’s Star. You may now take off your pressure suits. May I interest you in a nut?”
The four humans (and a few of the aliens) flinched as Ravindar let loose with a hearty belly-laugh. He reached up to undo his helmet while he beamed a brilliant white smile at their greeter. “You? I like you. We’re going to be fast friends.” He reached down to pluck a nut from the tray. “Madame? Do you want to take the first nut? Or should I taste it first?”
“Um…” For once, Parvati looked uncertain within her glass-and-cloth cocoon. “If you wish to taste, then please go ahead.”
“As you wish.” Ravindar held her eyes as he bit into the proffered nut. “It seems to be all right,” he pronounced.
After the great ceremony with which they’d been ensconced into their pressure suits, the humans then with reluctance emerged from their cocoons.
“We set up some chairs for everyone!” exclaimed Tofa, who gestured to the sides of the landing craft.
“Um, where do we put all of this?” asked Martinez as he held up a pressure-suit gauntlet.
The alien spider blinked. “Oh, right! Kexal, would you mind helping our guests stow their material?”
__________
The conference room at ULA now looked out over an even-greater bustle of activity. They were determined to at least match SpaceX in terms of tonnage-to-orbit; maybe they’d do so more efficiently? The mere notion had set a fire under everyone.
Joachim sat in a wheelchair while he studied those in front of him. “Ladies and gentlemen. I have, through some strange technological miracle, been re-granted the use of my mind. Not only that; they tell me that I and my wife might, if certain tests go well…we could become that which we once were. I intend to make sure that this gift does not go to waste. Not for me, nor for my wife, nor for the rest of humanity. Anyways. We have some aliens who need our help, we have some psychotic robot idiots who are fucking things up for everyone, and we need to get some serious tonnage into orbit as a result. Is that about the shape of things?”
“That’s pretty much the shape of it, sir,” said Dwight.
Joachim pointed a wrinkled finger at the speaker. “You. I’ve been caught up enough that I know you were the one to advocate for the use of Sea Dragon.”
“Just as a Hail Mary,” Dwight protested.
Clara cleared her throat. “I mean, I understand the enthusiasm but nobody has ever fired a pressure-fed engine that big. A single engine, mind you.”
Joachim rubbed his chin. “I understand your concern. But also keep in mind, this is a pintle injector, not a shower-head like they had on the F-1s on the Saturn-Five’s first stage. Pintle injectors were classified at the time. That’s a pity, because pintle injectors are safe as houses.”
Clara looked over at him. “Really?”
“Oh yeah, they’re pretty much bomb-proof.”
The team regarded the design now up on the screen. Clara was the first to speak their mutual thought. “Could…could we make this work?”
Joachim’s exclamation brought them all up short. “Of COURSE we can!” He thumped his cane into the floor for added emphasis. “Gentlemen…and ladies, please forgive me Clara…not one month ago I was a drooling wreck of a human. Today I come before you with my mind re-borne and in full function. I intend to make full use of that function. As does my wife, God bless her. We are going to set an example.”
Joachim stood, levering himself upright via his cane. “Here I stand,” he said. “Like Martin Luther before me, I can do no other.”
After a moment, everybody else in the conference room stood as well.
“Welp, we’re all standing,” said Dwight. “Okay, so what do we do now?”
Joachim pointed his cane at the screen. “Now, my dear Dwight, we Build. That. Fucking. Thing. We’re gonna show these Coalition assholes how we humans put some serious fucking tonnage into orbit.”
“Fuck yeah,” said Clara, as an unholy light came into her eyes.
“Fuck yes indeed,” replied Joachim. “The question now is, what do we put into it?”
The other people in the room looked at each other, just before bursting out into exclamations as to what they wanted put into that first launch. It was the sound of people on an expense account to beat the band.

​
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Hacking Mobile Devices
How to Take Over an Android Device
Hacking Phone Lock Codes
Hacking Phone Lock Codes
Message Control Attacks
What we suggested to access a phone's operating system
On iOS
Google Android
Hacking Mobile Devices
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On iOS
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Google Android
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