hey whatever you do dont think about how charlie was given half a stack of landmines and a bunch of items that help with hiding/getting away quickly right before promising to do anything “flippa” asks him to do

GOD. GOD GOD GOD. HE WOULD MOVE HEAVEN AND EARTH FOR HER TOO HE WOULD DO WHATEVER SHE ASKED WITHOUT QUESTION AS LONG AS SHE PROMISED TO STAY.

Come Back Part 3

Paring- Dean x Reader

Word Count-3810

Summary- After everything you and Dean have been through to get together you deserve some happiness right?

Warnings-Smidge of angst, fluff, some language, maybe just a couple words.  Implied smut

A/N As of right now this is the final part.  There is a chance someday there will be a fourth.  There are a few more pictures in this one, I like to visualize things, was trying to help you see what I was.  Pictures found on google.

Part 1    Part 2 

Three months later

Chaos, mayhem and craziness, that was what surrounded you.  Currently you were hiding in your old room in the bunker trying to get away.  Unfortunately the knock at the door told you that they found you again.  Charlie, Donna, and Jody, all of whom you had renamed in your head, hurried in. They were trying to help get everything ready for the wedding in a few days.  They all had an opinion on how it should be, the problem was, their opinion didn’t match yours.

Chaos, I mean Charlie thought you should do a Star Wars theme. They women could all dress like Princess Leia and the guys Jedi, with the robes and hoods. You think you just about had her talked out of it.  You had told her if that was what she wanted to wear, go right ahead, but she would be the only one. 

Mayhem, oh miss Donna wanted you to learn square dancing.  She was also hoping for big dresses with these crazy bows, and so so many ruffles.  You told her she was more than welcome to have one herself.  At this rate it was going to be more like a costume party than a wedding.  You mentioned to Donna you didn’t think Dean was going to learn square dancing this week for the wedding, but if she wanted to show people that night it was fine.   

Craziness, bless her heart. Jody’s ideas were probably the closest to what you were thinking.  After you lost your parents you spent most of your time at Bobby’s before going off hunting with Dean.  You saw Jody as a mom figure, and she knew the inner girl you kept hidden.  You just didn’t want to make things as grand as she did.  You appreciated everyone’s help, they were just a bit overwhelming when you had them all at once.

You weren’t expecting too many attendees.  Besides the three ladies, Alex and Claire would of course be joining.  Garth and his family would be here, a few other hunters the guys kept in constant contact with also coming.  You expected, but weren’t completely sure Crowely and Rowena would also make an appearance.  Rowena liked you, and the two of you had become friends over the years, even if Dean wasn’t thrilled about it.  Sam was Dean’s best man, Donna your maid of honor.  Since Dean was legally dead, and also wanted for numerous federal crimes a marriage license was out of the question.  Cas was officiating, both you and Dean figured married by an angel would make it legal and binding for the two of you.

Turning your attention back to the three ladies in front of you, you figured it would be wise to see what questions they had this time.

“What are you doing for decorations?”

“Where is the caterer going?”

“Where is your dress”

Jody’s question was the easiest so you started there.  “My dress still needs to be picked up, they finished the last alteration yesterday.”  While hunters don’t often get normal things, one thing you always dreamed about watching chick flicks was a beautiful wedding dress.  When you told Dean you were just going to get a simple dress or wear one you had, he encouraged you to go after your dream one.  He joked about wanting to see you in a big fancy dress in your real wedding pictures, not just your fake ones Sam had made.

As for the decorations, “Dean and I talked, we will move the tables aside in the library and rearrange the chairs for people to sit.  I don’t have any decorations.”  

“What nothing?  No fancy lights or even flowers?” Charlie wanted to know. 

 “No, we figured simpler was easier.”  Charlie just rolled her eyes.

“There aren’t that many of us, we didn’t exactly get a caterer.  There is a restaurant in town we’ve gone to a few times that does party size orders.   We ordered a few dishes to serve 30 that should give us plenty.  Sam or Dean are picking them up the day before the wedding, we just need to reheat it the next day.  Dean joked that we can order pizza later if people are hungry.  Honestly, I don’t care much about any of those things, well other than the dress, but it still isn’t as important as Dean.  End of the day what matters most is actually being together with Dean.  I want to be able to truthfully say he’s my husband.”  

They all chuckled at that.  You still had to humor them with a few more answers before they left you alone.  You had about two minutes to yourself when there was a knock on the door.  Turning your head toward the door you saw Dean walking in.

“How’s it going with your wedding army?”

“Not funny, they are driving me nuts.  I know I said I didn’t want to go to Vegas before, but is that completely off the table now?”

“Personally, I wouldn’t want to face the wrath of those 3 if they found out we eloped now, but if you really want to Baby is gassed and ready to go.”

“UGGHH, you’re right, we would never hear the end of it now.”

“I’ll talk to them, see if I can get them to calm down.”

“Thank you, Honey, you're the best.”   

After giving you a kiss your fiance left to try and wrangle in your help. Fiance, what a crazy year you two have had. It started with the fight that had you leaving the bunker and Dean.  Followed by the amnesia and being Dean’s fake wife.  They two of you had been together since the memories returned, you had officially moved into his room.  He didn’t say anything else about a wedding after the comment about getting real pictures so you didn’t push.   A month after all of Dean’s memories of you came back  he took you out to dinner then a walk by a nearby lake.  It was by the lake he dropped down on one knee and asked you to be his wife.  With tears in your eyes you had said yes. Dean didn't want to ever lose you again, hunter’s don’t always have the longest lives so he wasn’t going to waste any more time making you his actual wife.

The next month and half had kept you all pretty busy with hunts, you had not had much time to do anything for the wedding.  One of the few things you two finished was picking out your rings while gone on a case. 

 Your lack of completed tasks is why the girls are here now trying to help you.  You appreciated the help because honestly the last couple of weeks you hadn’t had a lot of extra energy.  You were thankful Dean hadn’t noticed that yet though.

Dean talked to your three friends and got them to tone everything down a bit. It made the next few days so much easier for you.  The night before your wedding they took you out for your bachelorette party.  You mentioned to them you didn’t want a hangover the next day so you wanted to avoid the alcohol.  They took you out for dinner, and still ended up with a trip to the bar after.  Things went pretty well though, and it was a fun night with the girls.  You weren’t sure what the guys were doing for Dean, but you knew they were hanging around the bunker.  When you made your way from the garage to your old room, you could still hear them in the library. 

You know those days where everything that can go wrong will?  That was your wedding day.  It was now 11:30 and the wedding was supposed to be starting at 1, if it ever did.  You could not believe the morning you had had.   Dean and Sam had picked up the food yesterday from the reception. Everything was sealed and labeled just how you had ordered it.  The guys brought it home and put it in the fridge.  This morning when you, Jody and Donna were in the kitchen talking about when to reheat everything and what goes where you took it all out of the fridge, good thing. What was supposed to be an alfredo pasta was, well you weren’t really sure.  It was something slimy.  In the container labeled chicken breasts, raw vegetables, at least those were edible. They would work too since Sam forgot to grab anything to make a salad.  Instead of mashed potatoes you got yams.  The cornbread Dean wanted, just cream corn.  

Jody called the restaurant to see if they could fix it and get you the right things.  They were extremely sorry, but could not fix it right now.  Apparently your food got mixed up with another catering they had today for a bigger group.  They were working on fixing that one right now, and it would take a few hours to start on yours.  They told Jody they would be giving you a refund though.  Looks like you’ll be ordering pizza after all. 

Leaving the kitchen after that mess you headed up to the library.  The site that met you had you closing your eyes hoping it was all a nightmare.  The guys little bachelor party the night before  looks like it got out of hand.  For some reason there were books everywhere, the tables and chairs all over and as soon as your shoe hit the library floor it stuck to it.  They apparently spilled a bit of alcohol, you could smell it now.  That had you running for the bathroom.  You carefully made your way back to the library, Sam looking around the corner when he heard your approach.  

“Hey we were going to come clean this up before you woke up.  Guess we overslept.  Don’t worry about this.  It will straighten up in no time.”

“What about the smell Sam?”

“We’ll find something.”

“What happened in here anyways?”

“Cas might have had a bit too much to drink and he was trying to show off some of his powers.  Didn’t go well as you can tell.  Used too much energy and passed out before we could get him to fix it.”

As you were talking you didn’t notice Charlie and Donna coming behind you.  They were going to finish the cake table and chose to bring the cake out now.  Charlie hit the sticky floor and stumbled. She held her balance until she hit an out of place chair and the cake went flying. Now you had another mess and no cake.  At least you had bought Dean a pie, which Donna was carrying.  Never mind it met the same fate as the cake.  What else could go wrong?

You should not have asked.  After trying to help clean up some of the mess, Jody sent you to shower.  She was going to start your hair after.  You two had practiced your updo a few times and she knew exactly how you wanted it.  Problem was today your hair didn’t realize it was supposed to cooperate.  The half up half down with curls you wanted was mostly down, and extremely limp.  Oh well, it was just hair you told yourself.  While looking in the mirror at the flop on your head someone knocked on the door.  It was Sam.

“What’s up Sam”

“Is anyone here any good with alterations?”

“What kind, to what and why?” You asked with your eyes narrowing in the mirror.

“Slight problem with the tuxes. Um how do you feel about purple?”

‘What’s wrong with the tuxes?  What’s purple that I need to feel something about? Again why?”

“Cas’ tux apparently came in purple. Now is the first time he’s opened it.  He must have hit the wrong box.  The alterations are for Dean and I.  My tux is a bit too big, and his is too small.  He can’t even get the coat on.”

“Didn’t you get measured for your tuxes? Why didn’t you try them on before?”

“We sent in our measurements and they sent us things to try on and we told them what fit.  Things have been hectic.  We all thought they would be fine.”

You didn’t say anything just stared straight ahead for a minute.  “I guess your Fed suits will have to work.”

You were hoping to do a few pictures outside before people came, that way you weren’t holding up the reception after.  You had figured if everyone here was ready by 11:30 it gave you time for pictures and to get back to your room before anyone else arrived. 

Shortly after 11 Donna and Charlie were helping you into your dress while Jody looked for your shoes. 

“I can’t find them anywhere Y/N do you know what they were in?”

They were in a white box.  They were on the counter, I grabbed the dress and Charlie grabbed my shoes.”

“I didn’t carry anything out of the shop.”  The redhead behind you spoke up.

“Did anyone carry the white box out?”

Silence great, you left without your shoes.  You had white flip flops guess that will have to do.  Donna started to zip the back of your dress with Charlie helping when you heard a ripping noise.

“What is that?”

“OH NO!  Y/N, I am so sorry!” Charlie exclaimed.  Apparently she had ended up standing on the dress while they were pulling the zipper and it was enough to tear the fabric in the back.  They unzipped it, while Jody left to see if there was any thread in the bunker to try and sew it up.  Charlie kept apologizing, but you told her accidents happen, and ushered them both out for a few minutes of quiet for yourself.

There was a knock on the door.

“Who is it?”

“Babe it’s me.  Jody told me about all the problems, are you okay? Can I come in”

“NO!  If the only thing that goes right today is the tradition of not seeing the bride then so be it.  You can open the door a smidge, but don’t peak in.”

“Okay, okay.   How are you holding up.”

 “I’m beginning to think someone cursed us today.  Who did we piss off now?”

“Just a rough morning, we aren’t cursed this time.  I’m sorry about the mess we made in the library.  We got the spills cleaned up.”

“Does it still smell like beer?”

“Eh, maybe some.”

“Okay.  Thank you for getting the rest ready.”

“Sweetheart, I’m sorry this isn’t the day of your dreams.”

“It’s okay, I’ll survive.   At the end of the day the most important thing is I have you by my side.”

“Always, Sweetheart.  We’re in this together.”

As you and Dean were talking you heard the clank of heels coming down the hall. “Is that Jody coming back?” 

“No, it’s Rowena.  Hello Rowena, can I help you?”

“Hello Dean. No, you cannot, I just fancied a word with the bride to be.”

“Dean, be nice.” You whispered out to him

“Fine, I’ll see you out there Sweetheart everything will be fine.”

 As Dean walked away you opened the door and let Rowena in.

“I heard from Samual, it’s been a bit of a rough morning for you? That library smells like a brewery.”

“That’s one way to put it.  Not much is going right, the food is wrong, the cake hit the floor, along with Dean’s pie.  The library was a mess this morning.  They cleaned it, but like you said it still smells.  The guy's tuxes don’t fit, Cas’ is the wrong color, I forgot my shoes and my dress ripped.  My hair has decided this will be the day it does it’s own thing.  This isn’t exactly how I thought this day would go.  I guess I should just be happy we haven’t been called for a hunt yet.”

“Sit here and let Rowena see what she can do Lass.”

You had been sitting in your room for about five minutes when Jody and Donna came back. They took your wedding dress and an old pair of shoes and left again. They must have found some thread, not sure what they are doing with the shoes though.  Five minutes later they returned again, much too quickly to have actually sewn the dress.

“Okay, let’s get you dressed,” Jody said.

“Wait, what about the dress? Did you fix it already?”

“We did not.  Your witchy godmother did.  She fixed your dress, shoes, the tuxes, cleaned up the library a bit.”

“Oh my.”  You were speechless. 

As they were finishing closing your dress there was another knock at the door. Rowena entered a moment later.

“You look just about perfect deary.  One more little thing.”

Rowena spoke a few words and you could suddenly feel your hair moving around.  She was fixing that too.

“Rowena, I’m going to cry thank you so much!”

“No tears today, it’s a happy day.  Even if you are marrying that Winchester.”

“Thank you so much.”  You gave her a hug and she went back out to the library.  

You had just enough time to get a few pictures finished before you needed to come back inside.  While Dean was outside getting his pictures with the guys, and ladies, you went to the library.  You could not believe your eyes, Rowena had worked her magic in here also.  It was no longer the library you knew, but a ballroom.  Gone were the bookcases, tables and chairs.  White Chairs were set up for the guests and a beautiful wedding arch where you would say your vows.  

“This is amazing Rowena, I can’t believe you did all this thank you!”

“You are more than welcome.  Alas I can’t take all the credit in here, your fiance made the arch as a surprise for you.”    

You couldn’t believe Dean had done that.  It was perfect.  The door opened and Jody came in to see where you were, so Dean wouldn’t see you when he came in.   She ushered him to the hall, then helped you up the stairs. When your pictures were done, she went inside and looked for Dean, to keep him out of the way.  Sam came over to talk to you.

“You look stunning, my brother is one lucky guy.  I’m glad you both came to senses.  I’m glad you decided to come back here.”

“I am too.  Mostly I’m thankful we got our Dean back.”  Sam gave you a hug as you both headed back inside.

Soon it was time for the ceremony to start.  You had asked Jody to walk you down the aisle, being the closest thing you had to a parent.  Dean actually had a tear in his eye when you reached him, and he told you how beautiful you looked. You told him how dashing he was.  The ceremony went much quicker than you imagined.  Both you and Dean reciting traditional vows.  When Cas pronounced you husband and wife Dean grabbed you to him in a longer kiss than you thought he would.  After you walked back down the aisle and people were getting up from their seats, Rowena changed the room to a different setting again.

  The white chairs were now around tables, a buffet line was set up that smelled delicious.  In the corner a beautiful wedding cake, with smaller circles surrounding it on the table.  Upon closer inspection they were mini pies.  You were going to need to hide some of those from Dean so he didn’t get sick.   This was incredible and more than you could imagine, you were going to owe her big for this.

You and Dean spent the afternoon and even talking with guests, dancing and enjoying the wonderful food Rowena provided.  When it came time to cut the cake, you told Dean if he made a mess it would be a long time before you made him another pie.  He took that warning to heart and did his best not to smear it on your face. You doing the same with the piece of pie you cut him.  Dean picked your first dance song, Aerosmith’s "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing."  He said he wasn’t missing anymore of your life together.   Most of your guests were crashing at the bunker tonight so it was one long party.  At one point you caught up to Sam.

“Think Rowena could have helped us with Dean a few months ago?”

“Probably, wish we had thought to ask her back then.” You nodded your agreement before going to find your new husband. 

You and Dean finally decided to call it a night and head back to your shared room for a little alone time.  There was something you wanted to share with Dean tonight.  Opening the door and turning back to pick you up Dean carried you in and placed you on the bed.  You were staying in the bunker tonight before heading off to your honeymoon.  Dean had actually rented a house on the beach, but far enough away from others you would have some privacy. 

“I missed you in my arms last night wife”

“I missed being held close to you, husband. I like being able to honestly call you that now.”

“I love hearing it.  I like the idea of filling those frames with pictures I actually remember.”

“Dean I have something for you.”

“Yeah, is it under your dress”

“Not in the way you're thinking.”

 Getting off the bed you went to your dresser and pulled out a gift wrapped box.  As you handed it to him, he told you he didn’t get you anything.  You told him he already did, and just open the box. He tore the paper off and when his eyes shot up to you when he removed the lid.  He looked at you and then back to what you had made for him in the box.

“Really… are you?.. Am I?”  With tears in his eyes he could finish his sentences.

“Yes, we are going to have a baby, you're going to be daddy.”  He grabbed you and pulled you in for a tight hug before he thought better of it and loosened his grip.  Leaning down his lips met yours in a slow sweet kiss.

“How far along are you?”

“Just about 6 weeks I found out this past week. Cas told me and I swore him to secrecy.”

“You know this means no more hunting for you right?”

“Yes, I kind of figured that.”

Dean leaned down to kiss you again.  It didn’t take long till you were working the buttons on his shirt and he was trying to figure out your dress.  You had to break apart to deal with clothes before coming back together and finishing your wedding night wrapped up in one another.  

Tags @flamencodiva​ @deanwanddamons​ @katehuntington​ @winchest09​ @emoryhemsworth​ @waywardbeanie​ @malfoysqueen14​ @talesmaniac89​ @whatareyousearchingfordean​ @superfanficnatural​ 

@fantasydevil2002​ @vicmc624​ @lilballofemotions @sandlee44​                       @multi-fan-lover

Watching Star Trek TOS For the First Time! Season 1 Reaction

I’ve been a TNG, DS9 and Voyager fan for maybe 10 years but had never watched TOS until I decided that I would. And then I realised I couldn’t live with the possibility of the internet not being able to know my incoherent rambling reactions if it so desired. Most of these were written the day after I saw them but with the early ones it was later so sorry if I don’t remember your favourite.

Season 1:

The Cage: Be still my beating heart why must number 1 leave the show? Why?! Imagine a world in which Majel Barrett got to continue to be her in the Star Trek universe instead of Lwuxana (sorry I don’t love her) and Nurse Chapel. She’s so beautiful I love her. And she gets to where pants and be the second in command. While the episode for sure has sexist moments it does seem like there was more of an actual effort to present to future as having gender equality. When you compare this to the ultra mini skirted version of the actual show, it does feel like executives went through it to make it more marketable. It’s been noted by others that she is quite similar to what Spock’s character became: the cold, logical one, while Spock smiles in this episode. While I ended up loving Spock I still would’ve loved to see a woman in that kind of role, especially in the 60s. Although I’m not sure she would’ve been treated that well.

So Vina can’t like, get medical treatment from Starfleet doctors who know how to put a human body together? No? We’re just gonna leave her there? She’s too ugly? She’s better off living in a fantasy world where she’s pretty? Ok then…

The Man Trap: I don’t even really remember this one so I’d have to rewatch it.

Charlie X: Charlie sees women and becomes an incel, Kirk has to try and teach him not to be. This is a decent goal that somehow culminates in a space boxing match. Kirk loses his shirt. Sexual tension is presumably resolved. Uhura sings.

Where No Man Has Gone Before: The pants are back. Man becomes some kind of god and Kirk beats him up if I remember correctly.

The Naked Time: This is where The Naked Now comes from. This one was less sexual, which is probably a good thing, and less drunk, which is too bad cause I love drunk Crusher and Picard trying to focus on work while their brains won’t brain. Highly relatable mood. This one is where the immortal line “sorry, neither” comes from, spoken by Uhura in response to Sulu calling her a “fair maiden.” According to the internet that was an ad lib and I so hope that’s true cause it’s amazing. Also according to Spock Sulu is a “swashbuckler at heart” which is cool and all but I wish we got to find that out by him actually being a character that we know the personality of rather than a background diversity guy who gets to say a couple of lines sometimes. Also each to their own but shirtless Sulu is infinitely more attractive than shirtless Kirk.

The Enemy Within: Bad. Women at Warp podcast said it best, it’s bad because they say the evil Kirk is still Kirk and is needed for him to be a good captain/person. This could’ve been ok if he didn’t do something so irredeemable, or they could’ve not had him be defined as a true and necessary part of Kirk, but you can’t have both and sell it as an ok message. Rand not being able to look at ‘good’ Kirk after really makes it feel real, her acting in general makes it feel too real.

Mudd’s Women: Women take beauty pills that make them have makeup on and men find them too ugly to marry without them even though they are still beautiful. Also said women were kinda slaves but don’t worry about it! *hand waves*

What Are Little Girls Made Off: I don’t know what the title has to do with the episode. This is the episode where Nurse Chapel is introduced even though she was in a previous episode. And she’s taken more seriously than I thought she would be. Kirk gets an android version of himself made by a guy who he already doesn’t trust and doesn’t predict that maybe that’s not a good idea. Apparently to make an android all you need to do is put one person and one dummy on a giant plate and spin them around real fast. If only the guy who wanted to take apart Data in Measure of a Man knew.

Miri: Problematic. I think the crush angle could’ve worked if it was one sided, but Kirk played into it and it was creepy, and you know, also manipulative, assuming Kirk doesn’t actually feel the same way and is using it to get her to help them. That’s my more charitable interpretation anyway. Also McCoy doesn’t know how vaccines work. Also this episode doesn’t know what puberty is, or rather when it starts. If the virus is supposed to get to you then, that starts round the preteen age. Miri is older than that even though she’s not an adult.

Dagger of the Mind: This was the first one where I was starting to quite like it and it was feeling a little more like Star Trek to me (I know this is the first Star Trek but there’s a certain way 80s/90s era Star Trek feels to me). I really liked the beginning where it was setting up this whole maybe prisoners become violent because of how the prison treats them thing and that it was challenging the viewpoints of some of the main characters, although McCoy was already team prisons are bad and I love him for that. It then went more into the lobotomising asylum type story which was still ok. The guy turned out to be a doctor rather than a prisoner which I didn’t like cause I wanted the prisoners to be humanised. Although you could’ve done a “see anyone, even ‘innocent’ non criminals can be turned violent with this treatment” but they didn’t really emphasise that.

The Corbomite Maneuver: I don’t remember this. Kirk playing poker with some alien I think. Edit: I’m been informed this is the one where the alien turns out to be a lollypop guild kid lip-syncing to an adult’s voice, which I do remember, and probably thought it was some kind of sleep-deprived fever dream.

The Menagerie Part 1 & 2:  I laughed so much when they wheeled Pike out and I finally got the Futurama reference in Where No Fan Has Gone Before. I mean I obviously knew the whole thing was a Star Trek Reference, but I had never seen that specific imagery before and now the joke makes sense! Also Pike wanting to go back there seems kinda wrong. I mean they say he’s a vegetable mentally I think but he doesn’t seem to be? I can kinda get that he’s got more incentive to be there than Vina who could probably be helped by Federation doctors but also, he hated that place and spent the whole episode trying to get out of it and it doesn’t feel like a fitting ending for him.

The Conscious of the King: And here begins Star Trek’s love affair with Shakespeare. The only thing I have to say really is, if I didn’t mishear something… a father and daughter played Macbeth and Lady Macbeth? A married couple. And no-one thought that was weird? She was the daughter of a dictator though so there was an Ivanka Trump vibe.

Balance of Terror: Romulans. Spock wasn’t sure that they were related to Vulcans till this ep, though he suspected it. How far back did they split for it to be unknown? I like that the Romulans were sympathetic and we had scenes with them just in their ship from their perspective, and they had some conflicting views with each other. And I really like how Spock was suspected as a spy cause racism and of course he wasn’t and saved that guy cause he’s the better person. That said I found this episode pretty boring and I don’t know why. I kinda wish it turned into a witchhunt situation and was more about the racism on the Enterprise, kinda like The Drumhead from TNG.

Shore leave: Wtf was this episode?! And I don’t ask that because the white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland showed up, or that it was a random holodeck planet episode, that’s fine. When the White Rabbit appeared I was just like, ok it’s going to be one of those episodes, that’s fine. Holodeck episodes are fun, I don’t even mind a random magic alien or two appearing for no reason to wreak havoc, say by making everyone larp as Robin Hood, that’s all Star Trek, that’s Star Trek doing a Star Trek, what I didn’t like is this episode goes nowhere! McCoy sees the White Rabbit, we’re off to a good start, Sulu “Swashbuckler at Heart” sees an old gun that he geeks out on, cool. Kirk sees some woman of course. Also there’s some guy fending off a tiger. Random female guest star of the week rather than letting Uhura be part of the story gets her uniform torn by some guy. Then she imagines a princess dress and if that were me as soon as I realised I could think things into existence I would just imagine all my dream clothes. Kirk imagines an old student friend who is attempting very hard to be Irish (thank you Colm Meany for saving us from this).

Anyway so the planets a holodeck cool. And I’m like, Spock should beam down, I wanna know what he’ll see, this is where the episode could get interesting. And then it happens, but nothing happens, they don’t even make much of a deal of him not seeing anything. But then I thought what if! What if Spock didn’t beam down and this was another imagination?! What if he was some alien with some ulterior motive OR better than that we get to see Spock as imagined by whoever was thinking of him. You could go down a very fanfic road if it were Kirk’s imagined or desired view of him, or maybe you could show different people’s perceptions and then they still suspect he’s not acting like himself even though it’s how they see him, but its not quite right, cause it’s not actually how he is. Or at least I thought they were going to find out what was going on. But NOPE none of that happens. Instead leprechaun guy shows up again and Kirk just wonders off to fight him for the next fucking millennium! The uniforms they wore at the academy seem like they were made out of better quality material than that of a Starfleet captain’s. Poor Kirk must be having to replicate new uniforms every other day. Then they laugh I think, and sexual tension is presumably resolved. Then the aliens show up and are like yeah this planet is a holodeck we thought you’d like it also McCoy died but he didn’t and I’m like THEY DIDN’T CONSENT TO THIS. But then they decide to party.

It reminded me of a Red Dwarf episode called Better Than Life where they knowingly go into a virtual reality game which is basically the same as this planet. But over time Rimmer keeps sabotaging what he imagines cause he hates himself so much his brain won’t let him have nice things. And it’s still a comedy, but there’s an opportunity for exploring the character’s psyche with this setup that wasn’t done here and that made it boring.

The Galileo Seven: This episode was good!! In contrast to the last one it delivered on promises it made, it had a satisfying ending, it’s probably my favourite so far. The whole time I was like this should be about how Spock can be wrong and logic isn’t everything to be a good commander. But given the quality of the previous episodes wasn’t that great and Spock was always right about everything I didn’t trust them to do that. BUT I WAS WRONG. I thought it would be about how just because you don’t have emotions doesn’t mean you can disregard those of the crew. But instead it was about how he couldn’t predict their enemy wouldn’t act based on emotion rather than logic. And then he admitted he was wrong and helped the guy bury the other guy, and then they were about to die and McCoy was like at least I’ve lived to hear Spock say he fucked up. And then Spock jettisoned the fuel so that it might act like a flare but it gave them less time and I was like no you’ve learned nothing! Don’t just do things that severe without asking your crew. But then after they were saved it was described as an act of desperation rather than anything logical and Kirk was like that’s an emotion isn’t it? You acted on emotion? And Spock was like well yes but I’m not gonna say it like that.

I like that emotion was good actually. I think it’s a fine balance between the message of its ok to be different and using Spock as an analogy for racism, and inadvertently neurodiversity, but also not buying into the idea that emotions = weakness and lack of emotion, or emotional repression = objectivity. Even if you don’t factor emotion into your decisions (which would be impossible unless you don’t experience emotions at all) it doesn’t mean that you don’t have personal biases in your perspective. So I’m glad Spock was wrong for once.

The Squire of Gothos: This is Q this is Proto-Q. He does all the same things that Q does; he shows up in clothes that are way out of date (and he thinks they’re from 900 years ago when they’re clearly early 19th century) and he flirts with the captain. Oh and he has powers, maybe they were computer powers, but not all? And he goes on about humans being brutal, warmongering people but he’s kinda into it. He fights Kirk but there was actual tension so it wasn’t annoying like the one with the Irish guy. And then it turns out he was just a kid exactly like the Futurama episode, except he is a kid not 35. I think him being a kid makes the flirting seem weird though.

Arena: Kirk and the Gorn at Tanagra. Kirk fights a lizard because aliens wanted to encourage them to not fight by telling them to fight. I thought maybe these lizards could be proto Cardassians but then I thought they can’t be they don’t talk, but then he spoke so I thought they could be, but then he was the one who was invaded and was only defending his people so I thought they couldn’t be, unless that was actually just lies and justifications in which case they definitely would be, but then that would undermine the message of the episode so I guess not. I wonder how many leaders have killed each other before these alien’s negotiation tactic actually worked.

Tomorrow is Yesterday: This was fun. There were a lot of twists and turns. I wonder if it was before or after the moonlanding. Every plan just makes it worse and more and more people keep getting exposed to the future. Kirk could’ve easily just closed the door and beamed back at the end but instead opts to punch like six people. (I think this is where “a woman?” “Crewman.” Comes from).

Court Martial: What if Kirk actually did it though? Would that be more interesting? Maybe. At least here he has an age appropriate love interest. She’s prosecuting against him which is surely a conflict of interest. AND she has a uniform with a longer skirt! And it actually looks good, like it looks like an actual dress that she can sit down in and it still looks like a dress and not a crumpled up shirt. It’s elegant but it’s still short. I could see this being an option (for any gender) as a dress uniform but it would still make no sense when they’re serving on a ship.

Return of the Archons: I am LIVING for Spock in a medieval style hood. It’s giving me Peter Cook in a Mother Superior’s wimple in Bedazzled vibe, it’s not quite on that level of beauty, but it’s close. For some reason Sulu returned from the planet in 18th century gear but then everyone else is dressed like it’s the 19th century, with some medieval robes thrown in, and this annoys me more than it should. Maybe it’s because he’s a swashbuckler at heart. Apparently they had a completely peaceful society except for the nightly purge they seemed to have going on that is never mentioned again.

Space Seed: KHHANN! I liked this a lot until the end. I want to know the lore behind Data’s Dad having his middle and last name. Edit: Actually only the middle name is the same and the last name is just similar. I still think there’s lore there (excuse the pun), probably he’s a descendent of his cult followers or something. The story seemed to be eugenics bad and also the type of guy to basically be a eugenics cult leader would be super manipulative and abusive but just charming enough in a relationship. It does a pretty good job of showing the abuse in his relationship with the historian woman, how he switches between being loving and I guess charming, and flattering to being abusive and degrading. I wish that the historian woman could find someone that she can explore domination and submission with consensually cause that seems like it would be what she really wants. Anyway but in the end they just let him go? Like he tried to take over the ship but they were like here have a colony. They compared the place to Australia when the colonists arrived at Botany Bay and that it could be... I forget what the word was but basically ‘civilised’ and No NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO STOP RIGHT THERE NO Australia was already populated and didn’t need eugenicist cult leaders who were demonstrably bad to show up make it ‘better.’ AND THEN the historian is given the choice to go with them and she does and its framed like it’s good? Or at least ok? When they just did a pretty decent job of showing how abusive and manipulative he was and she had redeemed herself by turning against him? So I get that they probably wanted to bring him back although they’re probably not gonna bring her back, but they could’ve easily had him escape instead.

A Taste of Armageddon: Suicide machines. I forget the rest.

This Side of Paradise: SEX POLLEN! Well it’s more fall in love pollen, I guess, for one character. There’s a woman and there’s the music and the soft focus and BUT WAIT then the camera cuts to Spock not Kirk! Because she has taste. It’s about this point that I think the ‘Spock’s the most popular but Shatner wants to remain the star so we’ll emphasise their character’s relationship thus inadvertently inventing slash fic’ might’ve started. It’s time for a love triangle! She makes Spock get the sex pollen, which is not getting consent, and then he falls in love with her and is climbing trees and is all happy. Kirk can’t get a text back from Spock. Then Kirk and two others get the pollen except Kirk didn’t, but he did, but anyway I thought everyone would be horny but they weren’t they were just brainwashed. Soon Kirk is all alone on the bridge, then he gets the pollen and is happy to live as a poly triad but then he gets angry and it’s gone. Then he calls Spock to the ship and approaches the situation in the only way Kirk knows how: Homoerotic punching! So they fight for not long enough and then Spock is cured but he’s a little sad, there’s sadness in his voice, it’s not quite so matter of fact. Then Spock’s gf gets sad and the sex pollen is gone too, Spock might still have feelings for her but he has responsibilities to the ship and “to that man on the bridge” which if he was saying to just mean once again the whole ship, and its mission and the captain in a professional sense, seems a little redundant, which would surely be illogical.

The colonists get sad that they haven’t done anything for years because the sex pollen made them unambitious but I would argue maybe the sex pollen was right and you were better off just vibing. This episode was more interesting and less silly than I thought the creator of sex pollen would be. At the end Spock says that for the first time in his life he was happy. While every other character could still easily become addicted to a thing like that they could at least know they would experience happiness or any feelings again in their life, for Spock it was going back to nothingness.

Devil in the Dark: Spock calls Kirk Jim which I don’t think he has before, when he’s talking over the communicator and he’s worried he’s in danger, there’s some actual fear or urgency in his voice. Also the moment that got me was when Kirk wanted to send Spock back the ship cause he didn’t trust him to kill the creature and Spock was like “but… I’m not really as useful there I am here… so…” If I was writing it I would’ve played that up more but anyway, I like that they didn’t kill the creature. I like that McCoy said the thing. And also said “I’m starting to think I can cure a rainy day.” He’s my favourite.

Errand of Mercy: It’s kinda becoming the Kirk Spock show now, I like the ship but I miss McCoy. I like that the passive pacifists who Kirk was so angry with were actually more powerful. And KLINGONS! Oh yeah the orientalism, the yellow peril, it’s… it’s there all right. They were played a lot colder here, a little Cardassian maybe, still bloodthirsty but I don’t believe this guy has to do it himself to feel honourable, he can kill for sure but he’s fine ordering someone else to do it and being a chessmaster too.

The Alternative Factor: God this one was boring. But it does have a man with the worst beard wig I’ve ever seen. Now he’s stuck fighting the bad version of himself or something to save the universe. So remember that when you’re watching later Trek series, all of this could suddenly be destroyed if one of them gets tired.

The City on the Edge of Forever: UHURA GETS TO GO ON AN AWAY MISSION! Aaaand she doesn’t get to do anything :/ The usual three go back in time! To the 60s again! Oh wait… that’s meant to be the 30s? Oh. That’s some tall hair that lady has for the 30s. But at least said lady is a character, she’s a little perfect but she does things, she has strong beliefs, she might be written a little idealised, but she is still written like a person compared to almost every other Kirk love interest. “He says it (captain) even when he doesn’t say it” is an interesting line. So she has to die, I still think they could’ve just convinced her that you don’t make friends with fascists but ok. They never say what the Clark Gable movie is.

Operation Annihilate! Kirk’s brother dies, and so does his sister in law, leaving his nephew without parents. This is never resolved and the episode ends with them laughing about how Spock got his eyesight back.

The Derivative  Chapter 2: Shots

Chapter 1<- 

I stared across the darkened classroom at my blinders. They were perched in captivity on my history teachers desk. Stolen away from me and promised release upon the end of class today. The teacher himself was blathering on about something that I didn’t find important about how history continues on today. It seemed rather a redundant point to make. Of course we were living history I mean at one point every person we learn about in history had been in their present time.

There was movement in the corner of my vision and I turned to see Mr. Hopkins had turned on the tv in the room. “...let’s see what’s on the news nowadays as an example.” after flipping past a couple static filled channels Hopkins finally found the news station he was looking for.

I was about to turn back to my thoughts when I caught what the reporter was saying “This is a live breaking report from the channel 8 news. Flying over Central Los Angeles Savings Bank. I can see multiple people lying on the ground. One appears to be a federal agent several bystanders also seemed to have been injured in the crossfire, where the shoot out between federal agents and suspected bank robbers is in progress...”

I felt like ice water had just been pumped through my veins. I froze completely in shock. I remembered back to just the other night when Don had asked Charlie for help tracking bank robbers. Could it be the same robbers? Could Don be in the shootout? Was he injured? The class continued to watch through a car explosion and more gun fire and more cops arriving. Even into the aftermath.

“I’m receiving confirmation that three people were killed in his tragic incident one of which being an FBI agent. ” The bell rang and Hopkins turned off the tv. Seeming only to have been half listening. Most of the students in the class only seemed to be half listening.

I however was shaking. I was terrified. What if it was Don? What if he was dead? Shot down in front of a bank. I swallowed the lump in my throat rising from my desk with the rest of my classmates. I sweeped by the teacher’s desk and rescued my blinders before heading into the hallway.

My next class didn’t seem at all important as I ducked into the bathroom and locked myself in a stall. I pulled out my phone and speed dialed my father’s number. He didn’t pick up. I tried again. More of the same. I tried Alan; he didn’t answer either nor did Charlie. I repeated Don, Alan, Charlie. No one would pick up their phone. After hearing my father’s voice mail for the fifth time. I pocketed my cell and grabbed my backpack.

The hallway was clear as the final class of the day had already started. I headed straight for the exit. I was going to catch a bus to Alan’s house and get some answers. I was stopped by a hand on my shoulder.

“Abby Calvin” the voice spoke. I turned to see none other than the school principal smiling down on me with a fake grin. “Skipping class are we?”

“Sir I was-”

He held up a hand “this is the third time in the last two weeks you’ve skipped a class. It’s not happening again, come on” he led me to the office.

The rest of my time at school was taken up by me being talked at by the principal. I tried to explain what was happening multiple times. He wouldn’t hear it and I was given a note for Don to read when I got home. My stomach churned as I imagined him shot to death in front of a bank. I quickly banned the image and beat my imagination into submission.

I tried each of the men I called family again twice on the bus before I was let off at the apartment building. I hurried up to my and Don’s apartment and let myself in. I threw my backpack on the couch and turned on the news grasping for any information that it might tell me.

As I sat watching the various unrelated news streams and casters talking about things I could care less about. I felt a sharp pain hit my head like a rock and with a blink I suddenly wasn’t sitting on the couch in Don’s living room.

I was crouched by a fire. I could hear the rain. People were talking all around me, there was music, laughing. Then there were shots. They echoed loudly in-

I stood and shook my head like it was wet. Pushing away the intrusive memory. I grabbed my binders out of my pocket putting them on and taking multiple deep breaths to try and calm down. I didn’t want to think about that. I didn’t want to think about her.

_________________ 3rd POV.

Don sighed sitting down on his desk and pinching the bridge of his nose. Tonight was not going well for him. His arm hurt and his head hurt. Worse he had just gotten back from talking to Agent McKnight's parents at their hotel. Nothing hurt worse than the look on McKnight’s mother's face when he told her what happened.

“I should be looking at mugshots, right?” Don voiced to Terry who was at her own desk nearby.

“Did you get a good look?” she inquired.

“Yeah, definitely” the man muttered in reply. Just then his phone rang. He pulled it out and glanced at the caller ID. It was Abby he was about to answer it.

“Agent Eppes.” Don turned to see the forensic scientist had appeared nearby. “That piece of evidence you found at the scene. We know what it is”

“Excellent” he told her and glanced back at his phone declining the call from his daughter and making a note to call her back once he got a chance. Then him and Terry followed the scientist down to her lab. ________________________ Don reached the door to his apartment and began digging for his keys with a sigh. This case had taken a major turn and it was really late. He wasn’t here to rest though he was here to pick up Abby and take her to his father’s house. Alan could watch over her while Don worked late at the office on this case. As he turned the knob of the door he grimaced at the shot of pain his arm gave him. Then he entered his apartment and heard the immediate stomping of feet running to the door.

“What the hell were you thinking!?”

It took the FBI agent a moment to register the unexpected outburst to be coming from his daughter. “What?” he asked, confused.

“You were getting shot at!” Abby yelled walking up to him. “It was all over the news! An agent was shot and another was dead and I didn’t know who was who because you wouldn’t pick up your goddamn cell phone!” she yelled.

Don thought back to all the times he had dismissed her calls that day. He hadn’t thought anything about it at the time. However now he realized how stupid it had been not to let her know he was alright. “I’m sorry Abby I-”

“You could have been dead for all I knew!” she cut him off “and where would that have left me? Huh?” Her voice broke.

“Abby I risk my life everyday” Don explained trying to keep his voice level and calming.

“I know but you can’t just act like I’m supposed to be okay with it or just leave me in the dark to suffer you unbelievable jerk” she shoved him harshly in her anger.

“Abby. Abby. Abby!” Don tried to get her attention to make her calm down as she whacked at his chest and struggled against him in anger.

“I already lost my mom, I can’t lose you to Dad!”

Both parties froze at her last outburst. The anger in Abby’s face faded as she realized what she had said. “You just called me Dad” Don muttered.

“No no I said Don” Abby objected.

“No you said Dad” Don countered a small smile threatening his face. Despite the circumstance it was the first time she had ever called him that.

“No I said Don” the girl muttered.

“You called me Dad” Don let off a light chuckle.

“Oh shut up you stupid sperm donor” Abby grumbled as he pulled her into a hug.

“Are you done yelling now?” he inquired. Abby nodded into his chest. “Then listen cause the truth is I’m sorry I should have told you I was alright rather than just leaving you in the dark. I just- I’m still figuring out this father thing alright. We both are and I’m sorry but risking my life and possibly getting shot at is my job” Abby squeezed him tighter “but I will make this promise to you though. For every moment I am alive I will be fighting to make it back here to you. Alright?”

“Alright” Abby nodded as they stepped apart. “Donald”

Don sighed “Dad things not staying huh?”

“I wouldn’t bet on it” Abby replied with a smirk that mirrored her fathers.

“And here I was actually liking the idea of being called Dad” Don murmured. They both chuckled lightly. _______________________ Abby POV.

Me and Don pulled up outside Gramp's house and loaded out of the truck. Alan came out to meet us near immediately with a look of concern clear on his face. “Donnie, you all right?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m okay. It’s fine- ow! Ow!” he exclaimed as his father touched his injured arm. “Look it’s just, my arm’s a little sore.” he addressed the blatant concern on Alan’s face. “I got a- a scrape during an incident.”

I rolled my eyes at the lame excuse coming over to their side of the driveway. “A scrape? From what?”

“Well, a bullet, if you have to know” Don muttered with a sarcasm very much like my own.

“A bullet oh my g-” Alan exclaimed immediately.

Don quickly spoke over him “but it’s not… dad, please listen to me, okay?Just relax. We had an arrest go bad, and we lost an agent, okay? And three people died”

“It was all over the news” I added “check your voicemail I left messages”

“My word” gramps breathed out in shock.

“Now I’m dropping this one off and looking for Charlie. Where is he?” Don questioned.

“He’s out in the garage with Larry.” the other man informed. “He’s upset. I can see why now.”

“What’s he doing in the garage?” Don asked, confused. I had to admit I was confused as well last I heard they only used the garage for storage and laundry.

“He’s just working on that problem. You know.” Alan spoke directly to Don. “the problem he can never solve.”

“The P vs. P thing?” Don inquired.

“Yeah, yeah, that’s the one.” gramps nodded.

“Aw man” Don groaned in aggravation. I got the sense there was more going on here than I was privy to.

“Wait do you mean P vs. NP?” I looked between the two men. “The millennium prize problem?”

Neither seemed to be listening to me as Don started trucking toward the house. “Where are you going?” Alan called after him.

“I got to talk to him.” the son replied “I need a new equation”

Alan seemed as though he wanted to say more but Don had already disappeared into the house. “What’s the problem with Charlie working on P vs. NP?” I asked.

Alan sighed and looked to the ground “It’s not Charlie working on the problem that’s well the problem Abby. It’s why” I thought on it for a moment but was still not sure what he was saying. “Come on” he finally spoke up. “I’m assuming you haven’t had any kind of dinner yet” I nodded and followed my grandfather inside. ________________ 3rd POV.

Don came storming into the kitchen from talking to Charlie. It was aggravating after everything that happened with McKnight and the shootings. Charlie should be motivated to stop these guys but instead he just such down. Don was a kind of frustrated that only his little brother could make him whether it was rational or not and he knew it.

“Are you okay?” Don turned to see Abby perched sitting cross legged on the kitchen island. She was eyeing him quizzically.

“Yeah” he answered immediately “no.” he answered honestly “been better” he finally decided to go with. Abby nodded and bit her lip in a way that for half second made Don feel like he was looking in a mirror before he brushed the thought away “what are you doing in here?”

“Thinking” the girl replied honestly holding up her blinders which the man could infer she had just removed. “Gramps and your partner Terry are in the living room. She’s nice. I thanked her for the books she got me for my birthday.”

Don nodded and let out a breath feeling his irritation slowly ebbing away “yeah I’ve known Terry for a long time”

“Really?” the girl inquired.

“Yeah about ten years. We met in the academy” he explained.

“FBI academy?” she quizzed further.

“Yeah” Don nodded and a small grin came to his face “what you think I learned all this on the streets. Trial by fire style?”

Abby laughed slightly. “Well I don’t know I’ve only known a real FBI agent for the upside of a month”

Don scoffed and looked to his shoes. “Yeah”

“Is Charlie helping with this bank robbing case still?” Abby inquired, glancing toward the backdoor through which Don supposed she must have been able to hear the shouting.

“Apparently not” Don grumbled. “All he wants to do is work on the stupid P vs. P thing he’s completely shut down.”

“I can’t really blame him for being worried” she stated “and neither can you Don. You could have died and Charlie’s the one who sent you to the bank where the shooting happened.”

Don sighed and looked at his daughter quizzically “yeah I know but like I told you it’s my job to get shot at and I can’t change that. The more he helps though the less likely it is for that to happen and he just doesn’t want to help”

Abby looked like she was about to respond when the door to the kitchen opened and Terry stepped in “hey Don sorry to interrupt but we have to get back to the office.”

“Yeah coming” the man replied to his partner. Then turned to his daughter “I’ll see you later kid”

“Bye Don” the girl replied.

Don nodded and followed Terry out of the kitchen. Thinking in the back of his mind that he really wished she would have said Dad. __________________ Abby POV.

I walked slowly down the stairs of the house heading for the living room. Two books in hand that I wanted to read. I was mildly preoccupied with my own thoughts to the point that I didn’t realize Charlie had returned from the garage until I was about to turn the corner. I paused out of sight of the two men in the living room as the younger spoke.

“Dad. I’ve been working on a problem.” he explained “P vs. NP, it can’t be solved.”

“I think you knew that when you started” Alan replied wisely flipping through his paper.

“I could work on it forever, constantly pushing forward, still never reaching an end.” Charlie admitted. I bit my lip realizing I shouldn’t be listening in on this conversation however my feet wouldn’t move from the place they had planted themselves.

“You know, sometimes you want to think that things don’t end.” gramps mused “but they do.”

“When mom was sick I couldn’t stop working on it.” Charlie’s voice was breaking and I felt something clench in my chest. I had gathered enough knowledge about Margaret Eppes, my grandmother, to know she had died of cancer about a year ago. None of them really talked about it in excess. It was still fresh in their minds. Like my mom’s death and the state of mourning it procured were still fresh in mine.

“Yeah. I know.” Alan spoke to Charlie gently. “I didn’t get it. Uh, not then. And your brother sure doesn’t understand why you spent the last three months of your mother’s life working on a math problem.” I shifted on my feet listening despite my growing urge to leave “But Charlie, you mother she understood why. Because she knew how your mind worked.”

I finally pried myself off the wall and left the house. I wandered through the yard to the garage. My mom knew how my mind worked to. Even though she couldn’t think like I did she always understood why I behaved like I did. She knew what was in my head. _~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_ 3rd POV.

Abby sat another book on her already read pile. Grabbing a new one from her, going to read pile. She had just opened the cover when there was a clearing of the throat from the entrance to the small nook she had claimed in the back of the library.

She looked up to see her mother standing there, arms crossed. “Busted huh?” The girl asked. 

“Uh huh” the mom responded. Removing her purse from her shoulder she sat down across from her 14 year old on the floor. “I got another call from the school. You know most moms when their kid ditches don’t check the library first.”

“But you know better” Abby commented with a smirk.

“Yeah I do kid but you still have to stop skipping school even if it is to go read books” Janice stated.

“But the classes are pointless and boring” Abby objected. “They want to either put me in the need help classes because of my spotty elementary school education or in equally boring regular courses and then are shocked when I ace it all” Abby explained adamantly. “It’s patronizing”

Janice sighed “I know I asked again about the advanced courses but they are still sticking to their plan” 

“If they’d just give me the chance I could show them” Abby muttered.

“You’re a brilliant girl Abbs one day people will see that” Janice reassured. “But you still have to go to school” Abby groaned “Hey, hey it’s not just about the school work maybe you could make some friends. You know you can’t hide in the library forever. Eventually you will run out of books. Especially at the rate you read” 

Abby nodded “yeah I know. But people are well… people” 

Janice smiled slightly “yeah they tend to be like that. What are you reading there?” 

Abby glanced down at her book. “I don’t know haven’t started it yet” 

Janice smiled “alright then you read I’m going to grab a computer and do some of my school work for my new online classes” 

“Mrs. Wiat wasn’t kidding about homework never ending was she?” Abby commented as Janice got to her feet the woman chuckled lightly with her daughter. _~_~_~_~_~_~_~_ Abby POV.

I was sitting in the garage with my blinders on just absently thinking when I heard someone else walk in. I raised up the blinders to see it was Charlie. He plopped down in the chair nearby and grabbed his laptop.

After a moment he glanced up at me “Abby’s why are you sitting on the floor?”

I shrugged “it’s comfortable”

The man wasn't interested in discussing the topic. “So your millenium problem.” I gestured to all the boards around us. “Are you going to keep working on it?”

Charlie froze in the typing he had been doing. “I don’t know but, it can wait”

“And Don can’t” I finished his thought. Charlie nodded slightly and continued on his computer. I half wanted to talk to him about my mother for some reason. As I felt he might understand. I wanted to tell him that my mom got it too. However, I didn’t want to reveal that I had overheard him earlier, nor did I want to upset him. “The numbers are easy aren’t they?” I finally voiced after a moment “easier than people anyway. Answers to questions and a solid foundation. Easy to hide in.”

“Yeah” Charlie breathed in response and looked up at me “but we can’t hide in the numbers forever can we?”

“Nope” I muttered, popping the p. We were silent for a moment with the exception of Charlie’s mouse clicking.

Then Larry, Charlie’s friend and fellow CalSci professor, entered the garage. “Well,” he voiced upon his arrival, “I was heartened to hear that you’ve shifted your focus off P vs. NP.” he meandered further into the garage “So tell me what is it that I can help you with?”

“I failed” Charlie admitted and I snapped my attention back to him. “I failed to notice something significant. These robberies display certain highly eccentric characteristics.”

“Okay” Larry murmured, taking a seat on my other side a top some stuff “well how so?”

“Many were conducted in under two minutes, but in many cases,” Charlie explained “the perpetrators remained on the premises far longer despite having the money. Why would they wait around?”

“Don’t know.” the cosmologist replied “leaving quickly would seem to be the essential strategy when fleeing a felony.”

“Or any kind of crime” I added. “It’s risky cops could show up”

“You see this game, Larry? Abby?” Charlie pivoted his computer screen to show he had been playing Minesweeper. “You have to clear mines without blowing any up. Each time you’ve cleared a square, a numerical value is revealed. That number tells you exactly how many squares containing mines are directly adjacent to the square. This allows you to predict where the next mine will be located. And then the more boxes revealed, the more accurately one can predict the location of the mines.” he finished explaining the game and then continued with its relevance “the pattern used in these bank robberies is similar to this same type of problem-solving pattern. These robbers have used the banks they’ve been robbing to tell them which ones to rob next.”

“To what end would criminals be playing Minesweeper with banks?” Larry posed the same question rattling in my brain.

“I don’t know,” Charlie admitted.

“Are they using it to find high cash sums.” I suggested.

“No the takes varied, some as low as one hundred dollars.” Charlie objected thinking.

“Well then you’ll have to gather more information on your robbers” I pointed out “see what they’re after.”

“Information” Charlie murmured then quickly stood up closing his laptop with a snap. “I have to go.” with that he had dashed from the barn.

“It seems you’ve inspired him young Abigail,” Larry sighed.

“Don’t call me Abigail please” I asked the professor “and I don’t know what I did to inspire him”

Larry made a humming noise as I got up from my seat on the floor. “Well does it matter how in the grand scheme of things really?” he asked philosophically. “Whether you meant to inspire him or not it is still the outcome” I nodded lightly in agreement. “So if not Abigail what would you prefer to be called?”

“Abby” I stated thinking it was rather obvious considering everyone else just called me Abby.

Larry let out another humming noise. “You know you are quite a unique being”

“Thanks” I murmured not sure where he was going with this.

“You have a mind such as your uncles but your traits portray your father in quite a respect for you only having known both for a month. A true statement of nature versus nurture” Larry observed “you are an enigma”

“Okay” I sighed “then call me the enigma”

Larry nodded and stood up “very well then” and with that he left the garage. I hoped he realized I wasn’t being serious. _______________ “Here you go, Pop.” Charlie called walking out of the kitchen with a bowl in his hands. “I got it.” he sat it down “now you got it.”

“Thank you,” Alan replied.

“Spoon” Charlie stated holding up the utensil.

I scoffed “I think he knows what a spoon is Uncle C”

My uncle gave me a look and messed up my hair with a small shove like gesture as he went to sit down next to me. He didn’t sit however as just then the main door opened. “Hello” my father called.

“Donnie!” Alan greeted getting to his feet. “Wow, it’s good to see you.”

“Oh, you guys ate. I’m starving” Don voiced coming into the dining room.

“Ah there’s plenty come on” Alan objected quickly.

“Yeah?” the agent clarified “did Terry call, tell you guys what happened?”

“Yeah, she said you arrested every suspect.” Charlie informed shuffling back toward the kitchen. “Only one shot fired, huh?”

“That’s impressive.” I mused “snipers are cool.” Don gave me a look as he made his way to the seat at the head of the table “sniper math is cool” I emphasized pointedly.

“One? How’d you pull that off?” Alan inquired.

“We knew roughly where’d they’d try to hit the next shipment,” Don explained as Charlie disappeared to get him some food. While I turned back to consuming mine. “And I knew they’d have an escape plan.”

“That’s very clever.” Gramps declared digging into his dinner.

“Out thinking the bad guys” I voiced “that’s got to be fun”

“Keep talking like that and someone might think you want to join the FBI” Don muttered giving me a look.

I shrugged and held up my hands in a defensive gesture “hey I don’t even know what I’m doing once I escape high school” I explained “don’t go pegging me to early”

“And I don’t think I can take two members of the family dodging bullets for a career” Alan voiced.

“Yeah well, I guess I was inspired by Mr. Heisenberg” Don continued as he went to grab a beer in the kitchen. “Just like Charlie here suggested”

“Heisenberg?” Alan gave Charlie a perplexed look. “You mean, the physicist?”

“Yeah” Don called in reply.

I chuckled lightly as Charlie took the seat next to me “Don goes to confront a bunch of crazy and armed bank robbers and your pep talk is about the movement of subatomic particles?”

“Yep” Charlie replied simply. Me and Alan exchanged an amused look. “It worked, didn’t it?”

“Yes” Alan replied. “I guess it did.” There was a moment as Don joined us at the table and we all turned to our food but Alan “I’m telling you,” he began “if your mother could see you two guys now, she would be… so happy” he voiced and turned to me “and Abby. She would have loved to have known you”

I smiled lightly as the brothers exchanged a look themselves. “How are you doing on your P vs. P thing?” Don inquired after a moment.

“NP?” Charlie corrected with an amused breath.

“Sorry” Don murmured.

“I’m not pursuing it anymore.” the mathematician declared.

“No?” the agent questioned.

“I got plenty of problems to work on,” Charlie explained “ones that I think I can actually solve.”

Don nodded “Glad to hear it.” The two clinked their glasses and Alan raised his. I grabbed my glass of water as well and we all knocked glasses in the center taking a sip. As normal table conversation resumed. I found myself smiling. I was among family.

Chapter 3 -> 

Fabulous Olicity Fanfic Friday - August 24th, 2018

Happy Friday! So this is my attempt to both thank awesome fanfic writers for their amazing work and offer my recommendations to anyone who is interested. Here are the fantastic fanfic stories I read this week! They are posted in the order I read them.

Is it a Malfunction? by who_seeks_shall_find - There are problems with Felicity's spinal implant and Oliver struggles to see her in pain. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15701811

And I Wonder (If You Wonder About Me Too) multi-chapter complete by @charlie-leau - When Felicity was eight years old, her father tucked her to bed. He read her a bedtime story and bid her goodnight. When she woke up the next day, he was gone. She never heard from him again. Heartbroken, Felicity decided not to let anyone in, ever again. She just couldn’t bring herself to trust anyone. That was until she met Ray Palmer. She fell for him, he fell for her but she still expected him to leave her. He didn’t. They got married and they were happy for a while. But deep down, she still expected him to leave her. Little did she know that she’d be the one leaving him in the end. https://archiveofourown.org/works/5899057/chapters/13599040

P.S. Hong Kong: Was it Real?!? multi-chapter WIP by @cruzrogue for Olicity trope-tastic award: Fake Marriage - This is off season 3 Flashbacks. When Tommy goes to Hong Kong he doesn’t go alone he takes his friend Felicity as the best information system being to help him locate Oliver Queen. Tommy may leave empty handed but Felicity gets to be a bride… https://archiveofourown.org/works/15025697/chapters/34832747

Love and Little Cupcakes multi-chapter WIP by @christinabeggs - Felicity loved sweets so much that she paid no attention to her lovelife. Until Thea Queen came into her store wanting fabulous cupcakes for her sixteenth birthday. SO ADORABLE! http://archiveofourown.org/works/12400539/chapters/28216053

The Queen's Mage multi-chapter WIP by @the-shy-and-anxious-fangirl - Words have power, and mages, those with the aptitude to draw on that power, are few in number. Thus, their services are highly sought after by anyone who has exhausted all mundane means of solving whatever problem is plaguing them. Felicity is reminded of this fact the hard way when she is hired by Moira Queen, the Lady Starling, to find and return to her son Oliver, who fled his family home five years ago following the death of his father. With a threat hanging over her should she return without Robert Queen's heir, Felicity begins her search. When she finds Oliver, and ends up joining his vigilante crusade while she waits for him to decide whether to return home, the last thing she expects to do is fall in love with him. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14617068/chapters/33781269

Re-Airrow: Episode 2x03 by @lostolicityscenes - These scenes take place after the end of the episode and specifically references the events in the above YT clip (Felicity in the field using herself as bait for the dollmaker). Again, just trying to flesh out Oliver and Felicity’s nascent friendship/feelings. https://lostolicityscenes.tumblr.com/post/177105189894/re-airrow-episode-2x03

Life's All About Changes multi-chapter WIP by Crazyreader2468 - After agreeing to plead guilty to being the Green Arrow in order to get FBI assistance in capturing Diaz, Oliver finds himself in a supermax, a maximum security federal prison, serving a life sentence. As he struggles to become accustomed to life in prison, his family, friends, and teammates struggle to live without him, as well as continually attempting to find a way to get him pardoned. Will they succeed in obtaining a pardon and will Oliver survive until they do? Mostly AU from right before the ending of episode 6 x 22 and after most of 6 x 23. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14936172

The Mantle by @who_seeks_shall_find - Oliver and Felicity enjoy a slow morning in their bed. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15721899

Whiskey and Romance multi-chapter WIP by @mindramblingsfics - Felicity Smoak gets the opportunity of a lifetime to compete for the hand of Prince Tommy Merlyn. She is taken from her normal mundane Vegas life and is soon swept up into a lifestyle full of nobles, drama, obligations and chaos. All the while trying to stay afloat, someone else begins to win her heart, Tommy’s best friend, Oliver Queen. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14441952/chapters/33357156

It's Time by who_seeks_shall_find - Felicity and William made a few phone calls before they left for the protective custody. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15730620

The Eternal Love multi-chapter WIP by Mellowyellowdiamonds - Forced into a loveless marriage to Al Sah Him by her ageing and clearly looney adopted father Ra's Al Ghul, Felicity Smoak tries her best to plot her way out of this "terrible" marriage in a bid to regain her freedom. Her husband however has other ideas and is determined to foil her plans every step of the way. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15328269/chapters/35564142

The Paths We Take multi-chapter WIP by griever11 - Rival CEOs AU. Felicity Smoak, CEO and founder of her own company, is trying to prove herself in the cutthroat world of the technology industry among the other bigwigs in the game. Oliver Queen, recently back from the dead is trying to prove to the world that he's no longer the same man-child who went down on the Queen's Gambit and is finally worthy of his family's legacy. Both equally formidable names in the corporate world. And both with a long, complicated history with each other that no one but themselves are privy to. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15314133/chapters/35530296

Time for a Story multi-chapter WIP by @smkkbert - This fic shows Olicity and their life as a (married) couple with family. Although Olicity (and their kids) are the protagonists, other characters of Arrow and Flash make appearances. YOU NEED THIS STORY IN YOUR LIFE. http://archiveofourown.org/works/3912157/chapters/8757172

To Those I've Loved Before multi-chapter WIP by @felicityollies - Felicity Smoak is invisible. She keeps to herself, does her school work, and is pretty much under the radar in every possible way. Felicity loves love, but has never been able to take that leap of faith to be with someone else. Instead, every time she has a crush on someone, she writes them a letter and hides it away. This was all working well for her until her letters were mysteriously mailed to each of her five crushes. Based on the film: To All the Boys I've Loved Before https://archiveofourown.org/works/15736440/chapters/36588351

I'm Watching You by who_seeks_shall_find - Donna Smoak isn't exactly happy and she has a few things to say to Oliver. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15742068

Pieces of Always multi-chapter WIP by @so-caffeinated and @dust2dust34 - Life continues after Forever is Composed of Nows. Ongoing non-linear collection of family moments for the Queens. http://archiveofourown.org/works/8220479/chapters/18840356

10 Rules of Rebounding multi-chapter WIP by @smkkbert - Oliver and Felicity start a sex relationship as rebounds for each other. What’s supposed to be just fun, soon gets complicated when it turns out that their work lives collide, Robert Queen fears their sexual relationship could threaten his company and an ex comes back into the play. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15403404/chapters/35749620

Unexpected Meeting or Fate? multi-chapter WIP by CaptainSammyAngel - Since she was a little girl, Felicity Smoak has been apart of the League of Assassins. While Oliver Queen for the past six months has been the CEO of Queen Consolidated and trying to keep it afloat. When the League decides to start the hunt of Malcolm Merlyn in the last place he was located, two people will meet but circumstances and pasts will make it difficult for them to be together. Will they find a way or will they be torn apart? https://archiveofourown.org/works/15007139/chapters/34783916

Deep Water multi-chapter WIP by @it-was-a-red-heeler - A Season 7 Speculation fic. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15081917/chapters/34968092

Shut Your Mouth by who_seeks_shall_find - Oliver wants to enjoy a calm dinner with his family but a few drunken men have something to say about the Green Arrow. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15753147

| ONE | (Oliver the Footballer) multi-chapter WIP @someonesaidcake - Felicity Smoak had a plan; to save enough money to kick her monotonous job and start up the company of her dreams. She made good plans, solid plans, attainable plans. He was never part of her plan. His name was Oliver Queen, the reclusive Brazilian football star with a broken smile and a story to tell. He'd never planned on her either. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15005402/chapters/34779542

Falling for an Angel multi-chapter WIP by @missafairy - What happens if an angel falls from the sky? Oliver Queen is a respected club owner in his hometown - Starling City. His life abruptly changes when one night he finds a beautiful girl claiming to have fallen from heaven. With her wings tucked into a jacket he helps her navigate her now human life while trying not to fall in love. Nothing can go wrong even if she drinks all of his coffee and cries in the shower, right? http://archiveofourown.org/works/9368912/chapters/21209975

In a Perfect World multi-chapter WIP by @smoaking-greenarrow - Based on a prompt: "What if Oliver (being cut off from Queens billions) follows his true passion - photography, meets Felicity and they become THE internet famous family of the world?" Oliver fell in love with photography after he received his first camera at sixteen years old. Now, he spends his time alone, traveling around the world and capturing breathtaking moments- like the beautiful woman he meets on a beach one night. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15758463/chapters/36651615

A Parent's Love by @smkkbert - When the Queen Kids come home for a weekend with their parents and siblings, Millie tells Oliver something she has been keeping secret so far. http://smkkbert.tumblr.com/post/177235474400/a-parents-love

Too Much Blood by who_seeks_shall_find - William suffered from terrible nightmares when his dad was in prison although Felicity always tried to help him. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15757143

// @emmaamelia95 // @mel-loves-all // @oliverfel4 // @green-arrows-of-karamel // @coal000 // @miriam1779 // @memcjo// @captainolicitysbedroom // @tdgal1 // @spaztronautwriter // @lalawo1// @quiveringbunny // @wrongshipper // @thebookjumper // @vaelisamaza // @myhauntedblacksoul // @lovelycssefan // @laurabelle2930 //

Hope floats for summer gatherings It’s been almost a year since social distancing became a catch phrase everyone recognizes and a concern that shut down everything from small storefronts to massive festivals and events. As the summer of 2021 approaches, here’s a look at what’s being planned for major events like Laconia Motorcycle Week, Fourth of July, summer camps, the annual boat show in Wolfeboro and the Multicultural Festival in downtown Laconia. For the most part, event organizers are busy planning, but they also have a wait-and-see state of mind.  Laconia Motorcycle Week, June 12-20, 2021 Charlie St. Clair, executive director of Laconia Motorcycle Week, said the event is definitely happening from June 12-20 this year, but what is not clear is to what extent.  Last year, for the first time since motorcycle week was launched in 1916, the event was postponed from June to August in hopes that COVID-19 restrictions would have loosened. That did not happen, St. Clair said, so motorcyclists got in a lot of riding time, but there were few organized activities. “Some venues were open — bars and restaurants and the beach — and there were some organized rides,” St. Clair explained, noting participation was still good, with folks coming from as far away as California. But there were few vendors at the Weirs, except for the organization’s own booth and several others on the boardwalk, and there were no beer tents or activities around the rest of the state.  “We’re definitely going to have the rally in June this year,” St. Clair said. “The only thing that could affect it is if the state and city don’t issue permits for beer tents, or outside vendors on private property, which is what they did last year.” St. Clair said he was grateful to the city of Laconia and the state of New Hampshire for allowing the rally in 2020. He said he will encourage them to wait until April before making any decisions. “They never attributed a spike (in COVID cases) to the rally after the fact last year,” he said. “The kicker is, the virus is going to be here going forward. And we’re going to have to get shots every year and behave and treat it as another potential illness. We can’t lock down the country for a year (while everyone gets vaccinated.) I can’t imagine it. I think the whole country would go upside down.” St. Clair said organizers of the event would take the same precautions they did last year — hiring a firm to sanitize everything at Weirs Beach, from surfaces to sidewalks. They will also lease handwashing stations and place them around the area and launch an advertising campaign encouraging participants to wear masks.  “We’ve had an awful lot of inquiries,” St. Clair said. “Motorcycle Week is so important for a lot of businesses statewide. It affects businesses all around the state. It brings in hundreds of thousands of people.” The virus was not the only catastrophe the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association suffered in 2020. On Christmas day, a fire destroyed the organization’s headquarters in Laconia. St. Clair has been working out of his home and a rental unit in Gilford since. “We’re just doing the best we can,” St. Clair said. Fourth of July festivities in Laconia, July 4, 2021 Matthew Mansur, assistant recreation and facilities director for Laconia Parks & Recreation, said his department is waiting for state and local officials to offer a go-ahead that everything’s back to normal. At the very least, the city can offer a display of Class B fireworks this year, as it did in 2020. “They went extra high in the air so people can see them further away, at their homes,” Mansur explained. “That’s the very minimum of what we can do.” The hope is, though, that the event can be offered in the traditional way, with a display in Opechee Park at 10 p.m. on July 4, and events offered there all day.  “We’ll probably land somewhere in the middle,” he added. Federal and state governments need to guide the leaders of the Parks and Recreation Commission, who he expects will put the matter on an agenda sometime soon. “Now is the time that we need to be planning for summer, but we have no idea what the summer’s going to look like, so it’s tough to make a lot of those plans and move forward,” Mansur said. The same goes for the day camp at Opechee Park. Registration begins April 1, and Mansur said the camp is a go at present, but he is not sure what level of activities are possible. “We had to shut it down last year, but we’re gearing up in hopes it can happen. I do have high hopes because day camp regulations that come from the governor’s task force are more obtainable than they were last year,” Mansur said. The task force’s guidelines for day camp reopenings aren’t official yet, but camp cohort sizes — the size mandated for maximum grouping of campers — is expected to double from 10 last year to 20 this year.  Last year, it was not possible to provide staffing and supplies for groups as small as 10 campers.  As for the five beaches that the Laconia Parks & Recreation oversees, including Weirs Beach, Mansur also doesn’t know what to expect. “That’s going to have to be a decision that’s made closer to the season,” he said. “Those are the balls that are in the air right now. For every decision, there are four or five different actions that need to happen. We’re preparing for each of those actions. Lake Winnipesaukee Antique & Classic Boat Show, July 24, 2021 Last year, the 47th Lake Winnipesaukee Antique & Classic Boat Show was not able to take place at the Wolfeboro Town Docks, thanks to COVID-19. Dennis Schauer, immediate past president of the Land of Lakes Chapter of the Antique & Classic Boat Society and a member of its board of directors, said this year’s show is scheduled for July 24. “It all depends on COVID, but we are hopeful,” he said.   At the show, antique boats that have been restored are on view like works of art. “We have the permits from the town, and we’re ready to go, but at this point, even though it’s scheduled for the normal time, if for some reason this pandemic drags on, we’ll have to make a decision on whether it will be safe or not,” Schauer said. “There’s so much uncertainty at this point, we just don’t know.” Those who are interested can stay updated at necacbs.org. “If we have a choice of waiting and pushing it back, we would push it back to the fall,” Schauer said. “This would be the second year without it. The boat owners like doing this. People are missing it. There’s nothing been going on. The association cancelled all its events in the past year.” Belknap County Fair, August 7-8 Kathy DeNutte, secretary of the board that oversees the Belknap County Fair, said the event will happened as planned on August 7 and 8 — unless the 4-H organization cannot participate. “It would be hard to have a fair if we cannot have animals,” DeNutte said. “Our plan is to keep planning and preparing for the fair. We are trying to find other attractions to add at the fair that would attract the public, so that if 4-H formally announces it cannot attend, we will still have something fun and educational to offer.”  The Belknap County Fairgrounds is hoping to host several outdoor events this summer, she added, noting anyone who is interested should watch the website at bcfairnh.org and the organization’s Facebook page. Updates on the August fair will also be posted on the website. Laconia Multicultural Festival, September 11, 2021 The 2021 Multicultural Festival in Laconia is scheduled for Sept. 11 this year, but Becky Guyer, executive director of the event, cautions that that is a tentative plan.   “I think we’re all feeling it, like everybody in the world,” Guyer said of the uncertainty. “We don’t have a clue as to how we could socially distance this kind of thing.” She added that the festival costs from $12,000 to $15,000 each year to produce, and that money is raised through donations. “We really don’t feel comfortable asking people for money at this point. That’s the biggest thing,” she added. The festival is an annual event with a mission to celebrate Laconia’s rich cultural diversity with live music all day long and food and products from around the world. Guyer has been coordinating it for about 10 years, along with a board of directors. “We will decide in the next month. Personally, I’m holding out hope that maybe we can do some small, condensed version,” she said.  Last year, would have marked the 20th annual festival.  Source link Orbem News #association #clair #commerce #company #concern #dennisschauer #economics #Festival #floats #gatherings #Hope #Organizer #Politics #summer #vendor #website

BLAM Oct. Writing Contest Runner-up

Congratulations to Charlie Judd ‘24 on winning second place in this month’s literary contest with his piece, titled “The Lethe Protocol”!

“Where am I?”

“This is a secure containment facility. For security reasons, I can’t tell you exactly where, but rest assured that nobody will accidentally stumble upon it.”

“Why am I here?”

“Test results show that you have been infected with a pathogen that, if released, could bring an end to Western civilization. You are to be under quarantine until the pathogen has been eliminated.”

“Why don’t I remember anything?”

“That may be a side effect of the treatment. Some slight damage to long-term memory is to be expected. You will likely gain back your memory within the week.”

“And I assume you’ll mark the days somehow? I think I read something about how keeping the lights always on messes up sleep cycles, and-”

“Unfortunately, the lights will not be turned off throughout the quarantine period. Preliminary tests suggest that the effects of the pathogen are heavily linked with circadian rhythms, so the procedure will call for a disruption in that way.”

“How long will it take?”

“That is unclear at this time.”

“Do you know what this thing is? A virus? Bacteria?”

“That is unclear at this time.”

____________________________________________________________________________

The man went to sleep at about 18:00, five hours after he woke up. 

“He seems to be adjusting well.”

“That’s just the first few hours. Give it time, he’ll begin to show signs of mental degradation.”

The first scientist smirked. “I never thought I would get the chance to observe such a fascinating case. How long until you think he... breaks?”

“Now, Emily, this is science. We’re going to find out in due time. No sort of gambling or personal interest should be in play here,” the second researcher carefully enunciated. His colleague couldn’t say those sorts of things, not when they were being recorded. He leaned in closer to her and whispered, “I’ve got twenty bucks that say it’s a week.”

“Deal.”

“I’m actually quite hungry. Could you get us some food from the cafeteria?”

“I did it last night!”

“Really? Oh, that’s right. My mistake.” He made his way over to the door.

“Wilson? Remember to get the-”

“Yeah, the paleo option, I remember, I remember.”

“Just making sure.”

____________________________________________________________________________

The man woke up in the bed. It was completely white, as was everything else in the room. That was the most unremarkable night’s sleep he had ever had.

His eyes scanned the room, taking note of everything that was in there. A sink, a toilet, a closet full of white medical robes and nutrient-rich liquid.

He chose to have breakfast. The liquid wasn’t tasteless, but it was entirely unremarkable. Slightly sweet, with an aftertaste of… mango? No, that wasn’t it. His sense of taste was thrown off. It was some sort of fruit, he decided. 

He spent the next few hours trying to remember anything. His job, his name, even just a face. Absolutely nothing came to the surface. The time slipped by with no meaning, rhyme, or reason to it, and still nothing. The only thing he could look at were the four blank white walls, which seemed to be a reflection of his own state of mind.

“Are you going to take a blood sample now? Or a mouth swab or something? I’m just curious how you’re going to study the illness.”

“We’ve already obtained samples. It’s just taking a while to determine what they are.”

“I would imagine that the type of the pathogen would be identifiable pretty easily. This is a particularly special case, I take it?”

“Yes, it certainly is… special. The Foundation has the best epidemiological and pathological resources in the civilized world available, and all of those are being put towards this cause.”

“The Foundation?”

“I’m sorry, what foundation?”

“You just mentioned a-”

“You must be experiencing slight auditory hallucinations. That seems to be the first stage of the disease.”

“Oh.”

____________________________________________________________________________

“Emily, what was that?”

“What was what?”

“The foundation thing. You can’t try to flex your false-narrative creation skills here. If you contradict yourself, he’ll get wise and there goes the entire experiment. We’d have to wipe his memory again, and you know it’d be a heck of a time getting the grant money for that.”

“Come on. You really think the higher-ups would risk him getting out there? It would be such bad news for this whole operation if even one person escaped with the truth. Frankly,” she sighed, “I don’t think they’d care about the expense of the mind-wipe if the future of the organization were at risk.”

Wilson sighed. “I just feel like it’s reckless nonetheless. You’d still be blamed for it and you’d probably never get a promotion again.”

“I like my current position.”

“Why’d you do it, though?”

“It’s kind of embarrassing…”

���This isn’t something to be shy about.”

“Well, I’ve always just been a fan of the idea of top-secret science experiments and stuff, you know…? There’s this horror creative writing website that centers around that idea called SCP and… I guess I accidentally channeled my inner nerd for a second.”

“Well, I don’t want your insatiable love for SCP roleplay to get in the way of your growth.”

Emily smiled. “Well, if I weren’t into that sort of thing, I probably never would have come here in the first place. Or stayed.”

“You’re here because they asked you to be.”

“I’m here because I said yes.”

The man chuckled. “Well, I’m going home for the night. Just don’t do anything stupid, okay?”

“Scout’s honor.”

____________________________________________________________________________

“What’s going to happen to me? You said this disease could end the world. I take it that it’ll also end me?”

“We’re not sure. As you know, this is still an incipient situation, so we don’t have much information about the effects of the pathogen upon individuals. The information we do have access to, however, indicates that it is highly contagious and possibly dangerous for the world at large.”

The man ruminated on this for a while.

“May I ask your name? I don’t remember anything about anything right now, so it would be nice to know something about this situation.”

“Doctor Angela Johnson.”

“Pleased to meet you, Doctor.”

The man stared at the wall for another few hours and went to sleep again.

____________________________________________________________________________

“Good morning, Emily.”

“Wilson, so great to see you! Last night, I had some rather riveting conversation with our… patient, here.”

“You didn’t let anything slip, did you?”

“Only my amazing fake name. Angela Johnson, M.D. at your service.”

“You use that for every experiment! Would it kill you to be a little more creative sometimes?”

Emily laughed. “You know how Einstein wore the same outfit every day? If I wore myself out creating a new name for every case, that would detract from the energy I can spend on actually helping with the experiment.” She lowered her voice even though only Wilson was around. “Besides, it’s not like this guy could ever report Angela for malpractice.”

“They also couldn’t report, say, Eve O’Deorian.”

“I can’t do an Irish accent! It always just sounds like Crocodile Dundee in an immense amount of pain.”

“Well, it’s time for you to get some rest, guv’na. I’ll take it over from here.” Emily stared at the man through the one-way glass window. “Alright,” she said, “but just so you know…”

She walked over to the silver lab door. “That was Cockney.”

“Ah. Right.”

____________________________________________________________________________

Wilson watched the man sleep. This was the first time he had been given such a large role in this kind of experiment. His official title was “Data Collector and Containment Overseer,” so his job was to monitor the subject, record data, and head the post-experiment data analysis.

Before this, he had been working with Emily as an aide to an analyst who was studying rodent behavioral patterns. Their work in this capacity had been praised as exemplary, so they were accelerated through the ranks more quickly than any other researchers had ever been. This was their first day as “DCCO”s.

The man stayed entirely quiet, without even moving a muscle. He must be in denial about his situation, Wilson decided. This was different from stimulating pain receptors in mouse brains or studying the behavior of infant gerbils separated from their mothers. This is a person, he thought, who can feel true psychological agony beyond simple pain response. Is this really right? He remembered the ethics training from when he joined the organization.

They were given a booklet to go along with the oral presentation. When skimming it, he found a paragraph under the “Ethics of Human Experimentation” section that read:

Many of our researchers grapple with the idea of subjecting human beings to unpleasant experiences for the purpose of scientific advancement. However, within this organization, we choose to go beyond the values of society at large in some cases so that we can gain scientific knowledge unobtainable through conventional methods. This scientific knowledge, in turn, is covertly released back into society. Fear of the law is also a factor in many researchers’ problems with these experiments. However, we assure all our scientists that every action taken within this building is completely exempt from federal and international law. The studies of this institution have been fully and totally approved by the United Nations, so long as the knowledge gained is shared with the world in some way. 

This was just words on a page to him when he read it at orientation. He was never one for the philosophy of ethics. As a general rule, he never thought much about whether his actions were acceptable to some unseen force that supposedly ruled the universe. However, now that he was looking at a real human being subjected to total isolation, he felt… dirty. Sinful, almost. 

This subject was going to be in this chamber for… how long? The higher-ups never informed him or Emily about when this man would be mind-wiped and released back to his old life. He decided to ask when his shift ended and Emily took over. 

____________________________________________________________________________

“Is anyone there?”

A long pause filled the air until a man’s voice responded.

“Hello, sir.”

“Oh. I just wanted to talk to Doctor Johnson a little bit.”

“Oh, well, I guess you are.”

“I mean Angela Johnson.”

“Ah. Well, we share both a last name and an assignment.”

“Okay. That makes sense. Are there any updates on the whole… pathogen... thing?”

“Unfortunately, no. This thing is quite hard to pin down. Top scientists are working on it, though.”

“Good to know.”

“For some… data… would you mind responding to a few questions about your overall health, mentally and physically?”

“Sure.”

“How would you describe your current state of mind?”

“I think I’m just in shock right now. My life, if it goes on from this point, probably won’t ever be the same. It’s just a lot, you know?”

“Yes, yes. I understand. Any physical pain?”

“Not pain exactly, but a lot of… discomfort and grogginess. I feel like I’m at least twenty pounds heavier than I really am.”

“Okay, thank you.”

____________________________________________________________________________

“Wilson, you didn’t fall asleep while checking his vitals, right?”

The scientist found himself with his head resting on a reflective steel desk, being woken up by his partner’s voice.

“Maybe…”

“You’ve got to try to stay awake, man! This is potentially groundbreaking stuff. Nothing to snore at, you know what I mean?”

Wilson groaned. “Emily, we talked about the puns. Please, for the love of all that is holy, stop with the puns.”

“I can’t help it.”

It took a while for the scientist to stand up. When he did, he walked over to Emily.

“Um, can I ask you a question?”

“Fire away.”

“Do you ever think about what we’re putting this guy through? I mean, he’s all alone in there except for our voices now and again. I wouldn’t say that’s exactly a humane thing.”

Emily smirked. “Oh, you tease, you!” She noticed her colleague’s stern, serious face. “Oh, you’re not joking. Well, I wouldn’t have expected you to get all touchy-feely, but I guess I don’t really think about that. Even if he doesn’t particularly enjoy this, the whole world will benefit from this much more than he suffers.”

“We’re destroying his life here! I know this is groundbreaking research and all, but you can’t ignore all the data! Look at Harlow’s Pit of Despair! Look at what that did to people! Don’t pretend like that’s just not particularly enjoying something!”

“Woah, I didn’t expect you to go all Boy Scout on me. Look. You’re not you right now. You’re not acting like yourself. I think the night shift got you all up in your head. Go home, get some rest, and we can continue this conversation when you’re thinking straight.”

Wilson marched out without saying goodbye.

____________________________________________________________________________

“Hello, ma’am?”

“Ah, Doctor Gregory. Sit down, sit down. Have some peppermint.” She handed him a hard candy from the jar on her desk. “How can I help you today?”

“Well, I just wanted to ask for some more information about the isolation experiment I’m performing with Doctor Bueller.”

“Of course. You know, of course, that I can’t provide you with any information above your position.”

“Of course.”

“Good. I just wanted to make sure. What’s your question?”

“What’s the projected timeline for how long this experiment will last? A week or two?”

“Well, if everything goes smoothly, there should be enough resources to keep the subject in the chamber indefinitely.”

“So he could spend the rest of his life in there?”

“Yes, I suppose so. This truly is an amazing opportunity for scientific advancement, no?”

Wilson’s face went pale. “Yes. Truly… truly amazing.”

“Doctor? You seem sick. I think the night shift might have been a shock to your system. Go home, rest up.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

____________________________________________________________________________

The man woke up for what seemed like no more than five minutes and then went right back to sleep. The next thing he knew, he was being shaken awake by a strange man in a white lab coat.

“Come on, we don’t have much time.”

“Okay.”

The man wearing the lab coat pulled him by the arm out a door that seemed to have materialized in the wall. 

“Is the pathogen spreading? What’s happeni-”

“There was never a pathogen. This is all a cruel experiment designed to keep you in isolation for the rest of your life. I’m busting you out.”

The man recognized his voice. “Wait, Doctor Johnson?”

“Not really my name. Come on, we need to go.”

The strange man led him down a pristine white hallway lined with the same lights that adorned his isolation room. After a few seconds, another person in a lab coat came out a door.

The first man in the lab coat jerked him to the side, quickly opened a door, and closed it again. They found themselves in a storage cabinet, with ample amounts of medical masks, thermometers, test tubes, and the like. 

“I’m keeping the door cracked so I can see. I’ll give the all clear, and then we go that way.” He pointed to the left. “We’ll have to run like all get out, okay? Be ready.”

“Uh, okay.”

Time stood still until the man whispered, in the same hushed tone, “Go.”

They busted open the door and ran as fast as they could. Finally, they reached an elevator at the end of the hallway. The man in the lab coat frantically pressed the up arrow again and again. They were greeted by an elevator, just as white and spotless as the rest of the building. 

An old woman wearing that same lab coat was waiting in the elevator, and she cheerily greeted them. “Hello, dears. What floor?”

“Ground level, if you please,” the strange man said. The words were interspersed with heavy breathing and they had a surprising tension to them.

“Excellent choice, dears.” The woman paid no mind to the man’s attire, and acted as though she dealt with things like this every day. She punched in the button with a G on it. The door closed.

Suddenly, she grabbed a pearl-colored walkie-talkie from around her waist and spoke into it.

“Escaped test subject on level B-5, coming to ground floor right now. He seems to have been aided by one of our own.”

The two men looked at each other, all hope dashed within the span of two sentences.

____________________________________________________________________________

“Well, well. How ironic that our best and brightest would betray the organization like this. You knew what you were getting into when you accepted the offer, correct? Why, after all that time and hard work, would you throw it away for… morality?”

“What you’re doing here is wrong! Any decent human person can see that.”

“Only foolish people would think that. In any case, I trust you’ve inferred what the procedure from here would be.”

“You’ll erase my memory, I imagine.”

“That’s just the first part. You see, the Institute has been presented with a problem in recent years. With the omnipresence of the internet in human lives, it’s become increasingly difficult to find people whose absence nobody would notice. As per your agreement from when you started here, you have cut all ties with friends, family, and social media, correct?”

He didn’t respond.

____________________________________________________________________________

“Where am I?”

The Killing of Rhonda Hinson Installment XVIII

Charles McDowell on 

Veteran's Day 2017

By LARRY J. GRIFFIN

Special Investigative Reporter For The Record

 Whatever the trigger of our passion, we cross a line that we once believed inviolate, and by so doing, throw the world out of balance in such a way that it must eventually right itself, regardless of human casualties.—Author Greg Iles in Cemetery Road

 On Thursday Sept. 29, 1983, Steve Whisenant and Charles Whitman paid the Hinsons a visit.  Judy Hinson detailed the essence of the visitation in her handwritten journal.

“Steve [Whisenant] and Charlie Whitman came by today.  Mr. Whitman did most of the talking…He does not think McDowells are involved.  He says the things he is working on are more important than the McDowell Family.  He says a lot of the information we have is wrong. The times we were told are not right. He says the McDowells have no motive, which I disagree with. I still am not convinced they are not involved.  

It seems that Charles Chambers, of the SBI, shared Whitman’s perspective that Charles McDowell was not guilty of perpetrating Rhonda’s murder and attempted to convince Judy Hinson of his innocence. “He told us that Mr. McDowell was a good, concerned man—that he had visited the SBI office everyday inquiring about progress in the investigation,” Judy Hinson recalled.  

But, if you ask Judy Hinson about it, she will admit that for 37 years she believed that Charles McDowell either killed their daughter or arranged for it to be done.  “I believed that from the very beginning—like the day after Rhonda was killed. And frankly, I asked him to conduct Rhonda’s funeral hoping that he would break down in the middle of it and confess to everyone there.”

And clearly, law enforcement was aware of Ms. Hinson initial suspicions relative to Rev. McDowell’s involvement in the murder of her daughter.  In a conversation with McDowell’s attorney, Steve Settlemyer—on Monday, Aug. 3, 1983—John Suttle and Charles Whitman warned him that the “…Hinsons may be in the state of mind that they would cause Charles McDowell bodily harm...”

But Judy Hinson was not alone in implicating the Rev. Dr. McDowell.  “We were even told by Becky Weatherman and Charlie Morris that, in an interview with Betty McDowell—after she and Charles were no longer together—Betty told them that she and Greg had always believed that Charlie had something to do with Rhonda’s death.”  [Becky Weatherman was contacted, before publication, for comment regarding the aforementioned conversation.  As of this writing, she has chosen not to respond.]

Later, Detective James Pruett would recall that in a Tuesday, Dec. 23, 1997, interview with Greg McDowell—exactly 16-years after the killing of Rhonda Hinson—he averred that he did not have “…the best relationship with his father.  He and his sister and mother are bitter toward Charles McDowell for his infidelity.” Then, in the same conversation, Greg proceeded to insinuate his father in the death of his former girlfriend.  

Jill Turner-Mull, Rhonda’s best friend, had drawn a similar inference to that of Mother Judy—Rev. McDowell was responsible for the death of her best friend:

“I suppose I started to suspect McDowell’s involvement given that Rhonda told me of his unwanted advances when we had lunch together at Pizza Hut, at Thanksgiving before her death.  My suspicion grew stronger when Mark and I visited Greg later the morning of [December] 23rd and discovered that Rev. McDowell had flown out of the airport earlier.  I mean, you fly away shortly after you discover that your son’s girlfriend had been murdered? Why would you do that?  But what really did it for me was when I sat and listened to Rev. McDowell’s eulogy at her funeral—when he said that “…he didn’t know whether or not Rhonda was in hell.”  I kept listening for something that would comfort me; but, I heard nothing.”

In the first couple of years of the investigation into the murder of Rhonda Hinson, her parents were told very little by law enforcement.  “We were basically in the dark most of the time; we knew very little.”

So, during the ensuing two-years of sketchy investigative information from county and state law officers, the Hinsons decided to reach out to other government agencies for intervention.  “I called everyone I could think of—including the governor and the attorney-general—asking for assistance in the investigation.  I got nothing.”  

Finally, the Hinsons decided to employ a private investigator.  According to his billing records, Tom McDonald scrubbed the unsolved/unresolved case from approximately November 1982 until Feb. 25, 1985.  In the course of his inquiries, McDonald contacted over 60 individuals and agencies—inclusive of local and state law enforcement.  He noted one such interaction that occurred, almost 35-years ago, on Monday July 23, 1984:

“On July 13, 1984, [Sheriff Jerry] Richards, [SBI Supervising Agent Charles] Whitman, [Lt. Steve] Whisenant, and [SBI Agent John] Suttle met with this investigator to review the HINSON [McDonald’s emphasis] case.  They were very cooperative and will help in any way possible to clear this homicide case.  They agreed to assist this investigator and provide any needed information.  They requested that they be provided any information developed in the case.”

Private Investigator McDonald also inquired of the Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI) about the possibility of state and local law enforcement corruption relative to the Hinson case.  He spoke with Special Agent Wayne L. Russell, FBI, on Monday Aug. 6, 1984.  Of that conversation he wrote:

“This investigator was interviewed in regards to complaints of police corruption involving the Valdese Police, Burke County, North Carolina Sherriff’s Department and N.C. State Bureau of Investigations.  I do not believe there is or has been police corruption involving this case.”

During the course of the private investigation that persisted over two-years, McDonald charged the Hinsons $20 an hour and 25-cents per mile driven while conducting active inquiry.  He failed to make any significant progress; but in the end, he concluded that the most viable perpetrator of the crime was Rev. McDowell.  “And he told us so, but said that he would only provide oral feedback concerning his findings and would put nothing in writing,” Judy Hinson recollected.  

Overlapping the private investigation was an intervention from a Bakersfield, Calif., psychic named, Dixie Yeterian.  “I heard about Dixie through a book she had written.  We had to fly her from California and pay her $500 a day for a week.  She stayed in our home while she was here,” Judy recalled.

In a missive dated, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 1983, Ms. Yeterian indicated that she was forwarding the transcription of her original analysis, which reads like a Gertrude Stein literary work.  Though the stream-of-consciousness narrative provides some interesting insights, it fails to produce any significant guidance or direction.  Perhaps Dixie’s most significant contribution was not included in the transcript of her original reading, according to Judy Hinson.

“She and Rena Benfield attended a church service at Wilkies Grove while she was with us.  Afterwards, Dixie told us that during the sermon, Rev. McDowell spoke of doing things in his life that if people knew, they would not agree with. But God told him to do them; so, he didn’t care what people thought about what he had done.  Dixie also told us that when she shook hands with Charles after the service, she knew he was the man who had done it.”

On the surface, it appears that the Hinsons fell victim to the esurience of two individuals whose retainers exceeded their results.  “But we were desperate back then for answers, and we spent money that we should not have had to spend just trying to find them,” Judy explained.  

But both of the private investigations seemed to reinforce Judy’s initial belief that Charles McDowell was the responsible party.  “Most of my friends and family members shared that belief with me.  And I was blamed for the conclusions reached by investigators. Law enforcement told me that I had influenced them to conclude what they concluded.”

But something happened within the first couple months of this year that disabused Judy Hinson—and several others—of their inferences that Charles McDowell was responsible.    

In 1987, a Burke County woman, who went to school with Rhonda and wishes to remain anonymous at this juncture, accepted employment at the Pepsi plant in Hickory.  

“I worked at the plant from 1987 until 1990—I believe it was. We had moved there; and, I rented a mailbox at the Longview Post Office—Box 4181, as I recall.  I started receiving some very suggestive literature to which I had not subscribed—first, catalogs from places like Frederick’s of Hollywood and such. But then, I received a letter in the mail from a woman dressed in a negligée with an invitation that seemed like a—well a prostitution solicitation.  It read, “…And the next time you’re in town, call me....”  You know that kind of thing.”

The letter and other materials were addressed to a Charles McDowell.  “I wasn’t certain who that was at the time,” the informant explained.  “So, I approached the postmaster pretending to locate someone with whom I graduated from high school.  He said, ‘No, this couldn’t be him.  The man who had this box before you is an older man in his 50’s and is a pastor at a church, but has since moved to Asheville.’  

When Judy Hinson last spoke with Charles McDowell in a recorded phone conversation—as previously reported—it was in 1987 while he was residing in Asheville.

“In an interview with Detective Lee Turner, I told him about the mailbox and the contents.  And as I did so, his eyes grew wider and wider,” recalled the anonymous informant.

And that which Detective Turner subsequently told her was a startling revelation to Rhonda’s former classmate.

 Editor’s Note: Both Charles and Greg McDowell have been issued repeated invitations to comment on the details contained in stories in which they prominently appear.  To date, neither has accepted the invitations to go on record.

Ugggggh, this Saw Gerrera arc on Clone Wars is fucking retarded.

Clone Wars highlights 

-Asaji Ventruss

-Count Dooku

-Savage Oppress

-Darth Maul

-They all hate each other and it’s amazing.

-It makes me wish the Clone Wars were legitimately two Sith Lords, Dooku and Palpatine, jockeying for power and not an elaborate false-flag operation.

Clone Wars lowlights.

-Savage Oppress’s name (in the classic SF tradition, it’s pronounced with apostrophes for extra future. Sa’vag’e Op’pre’ss)

-The Mortis arc. Hey, kids, there are these dumb Force Gods and one of them is a really nice Force lady and one of them is a really mean Force dude and Anakin Skywalker sees his fate (which is to become Darth Vader because he has no free will) and he basically falls to the Dark Side before becoming Vader but then they make him forget all about it so that was important.

-Also, Lucas’s conception of the Force is that the Dark Side is a cancer, a virus. The Force in balance is all Light Side, no Dark Side. I expect better from an official LucasArts story then this idea of the Dark Side and the Light like they’re Ralph and Sam punching in at the time-clock. It’s like saying that too much consensual sex or too much rape is bad, but as long as you have a certain amount of consensual sex and a certain amount of rape, then they’re in balance and that’s Good. No! You want all sex to be consensual and there to be no rape! Duh!

-Guess that brings us to this Saw Gerrera crap.

-Okay, so this is explained pitifully, but... the Jedi hear about a Confederate world where the citizenry are rebelling against the CIS, hey, why don’t we help out the rebels since we all want to take down the Separatists? They’ve done it before with Hera’s dad (spoilers!) on Ryloth.

-Nope! For some reason--this is explained pitifully--the Jedi are all whinging about ‘overthrowing a legitimate government.’ Uhm... ba-huh? I thought the official Republic stance on the Separatists was that they were insurrectionists, not a legitimate political movement. That’s why Republic senators aren’t even allowed to meet with the Separatists to negotiate. They are not considered legitimate one bit. Any government that supports the Confederacy is ipso facto illegitimate and there would be a regime change when the Republic defeats them. Anything else would be like Ohio trying to secede from the union, the National Guard going in to make them stay, then the governor of Ohio being left in power so long as he promised to keep paying federal taxes. I say again--ba-huh?

-This turns into, I swear to God, some sort of Vietnam/Afghanistan analogy by way of a YA novel love quadrangle. 

-Okay, but really, Anakin & Co go in to train the rebels on how to fight droids, but they can’t officially get involved because... it would piss the Confederacy off? Only this isn’t a Cold War situation--the Separatists and the Republic are already in a shooting war. It’s like if in WW2, Americans were sent in to help the French Resistance, but told not to shoot any Germans because???????

-Effectively, this ends up in Ahsoka doing the observe & report thing for weeks on end, but not being allowed to get involved. So we have a Jedi Knight just sitting on her duff in the middle of a shooting war. Why not just send in a clone? It seems like any of them could handle teaching the rebels about small-unit tactics and reporting their progress to the Republic. Why waste a valuable Jedi on doing literally nothing?

-I swear, the Jedi have a big thing about not letting the Separatists know they’re involved, so they have to do a run-around with Hondo to get rocket launchers to the rebels, that’s how uninvolved they have to be. I get why this would be the case if they didn’t want to escalate hostilities, but the Separatists are about to attack Coruscant and kidnap Palpatine. Why are the Jedi pussyfooting around except to keep to some pointless Charlie Wilson’s War analogy?

-I guess you could say that they wanted to see if the Rebs could succeed without a Jedi, but if that’s the case, why send a Jedi? If you can send a Jedi, send a Jedi, what is this, Marquis of Queensbury rules? And geez, no wonder the Order got wiped out if this was how they interacted with people. “Hey, beleaguered allies? We’re sending in a ninja demi-god with magic powers to help you out. What? Oh, no, she’s not going to chop robots in half with her laser swords or anything, she’ll just give you a few tips and stuff. Other than that, she’s just there to watch your horrible deaths doing our dirty work and see how that works out for you. Yes, OF COURSE we’re on the same side!”

-Did I mention that the leader of the rebels is some lame Mary Sue named Stele Gerrera and she dies a martyr and, after the general in charge of the entire planet’s army comes over to their side, she’s put in charge of the armed forces over him, even though she’s a teenage girl (judging by how she’s in a love triangle with Ahsoka and Lux, so it’s either that or she’s a pedo) and she continuously gets herself involved in frontline fighting which, surprise, ends up getting her killed.

-I know this franchise has a dumb tendency of making every main character and every Jedi ever a general, as well as making Natalie Portman ruler of an entire planet before she was old enough to buy beer, but it’s still dumb here. 

-Oh, and all this dumbness is supposed to be the birth of the Rebel Alliance. Even though they’re not affiliated with the Old Republic and they’re rebelling against the CIS instead of the Empire.

-This. Is. So. Dumb.

-The Rebel Alliance officially began when, after Palpatine seized power, Mon Mothma, Garm bel Ibis, Bail Organa, Padme Amidala, and some others decided he had to be removed from power and the Republic restored. Hence, the Rebellion To Restore The Republic. It was an organized anti-Imperial resistance with an established goal from day one. The whole Force Unleashed video game was about that. If you’re going to say the first Rebel was ‘really’ Stele/Saw Gerrera, you might as well say the first Rebellion was against the occupation of Naboo in the Phantom Menace, or the resistance against the Sith Empires back in Tales of the Jedi. Or was Saw Gerrera, like, the first person in the universe to come up with the idea of a riot?

-If you’re going to retcon that, it could be interesting to involve the CIS. After all, we’re told there were heroes on both sides--the Separatists were against a draconian and corrupt Republic, the Rebels are against the draconian and corrupt Empire which the Republic turned into, makes sense there’d be overlap--that would at least be dramatically compelling. Having the ‘Rebel Alliance’ just go from fighting the CIS to fighting the Empire is boring.

-It would also be interesting to have the Jedi set the principles that the Rebellion is guided by, but judging from what a torturing prick Saw Gerrera is when he shows up in Rogue One, it’s pretty clear that these proto-Rebels didn’t learn a damn thing from the Jedi. So, again, what’s the point?

-And yeah, Saw Gerrera is based on mass-murdering lunatic Che Guerrera. I suppose next we can expect fun-loving smuggler Adol Litler.

Powell’s Wake-Up Call; Uber Eats It All; Progyny Stands Tall

Powell’s Wake-Up Call; Uber Eats It All; Progyny Stands Tall:

You Don’t Have to Call Me Darlin’

When Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell spoke this morning, well … it was all that Wall Street could do to keep from crying.

Speaking during a webcast with the Peterson Institute for International Economics, Powell warned that the COVID-19 pandemic could “leave behind lasting damage” to U.S. economic productivity.

“The recovery may take some time to gather momentum, and the passage of time can turn liquidity problems into solvency problems,” Powell said.

It was a reality check for Wall Street. For some investors, it seemed so useless to remain. The Dow quickly plunged more than 500 points.

Even renewed promises of “infinite” stimulus weren’t enough to stem the selling.

The Takeaway:

This may be the start of the reversal Great Stuff has called for throughout this market rebound.

But you don’t have to call me Jerome Powell.

And you don’t have to call me Charlie Pride.

And you don’t have to call me Mr. Great Stuff … anymore — even though I’m on your fightin’ side!

(Ok, that’s enough David Allan Coe … for now.)

Speaking of “your fightin’ side,” I ran across a millennial-centered article yesterday that I just had to address.

Per CNBC: “Young investors pile into stocks, seeing ‘generational-buying moment’ instead of risk.”

According to the article, discount brokers Charles Schwab, TD Ameritrade, E-Trade and Robinhood all saw a surge in new accounts when the market cratered in March.

In a note to clients (mostly non-millennials, I’m sure) Citi Chief U.S. Equity Strategist Tobias Levkovich said that young investors saw the plunge as a “generational-buying moment.”

Yes, Tobias, I’m sure millennials saw it that way, especially since they “do not have much background in the equity space.”

You can almost hear him thinking: Back in my day, young people didn’t invest in the market … and I had to walk to school in snow uphill both ways … or something like that.

Once again, we’re seeing Wall Street’s old guard dump on the millennial generation. But it’s not about takeout coffee and avocado toast this time — it’s their retirement.

Unlike those investors in or near retirement, March’s mayhem was a buying opportunity indeed for younger investors. Millennials have a longer investment time frame and can afford to be more aggressive with their capital.

But that’s only if they don’t panic and instead, hang on through the economic madness yet to come. And as today’s Powell reality check shows, there’s still considerable downside risk in the market.

If these new younger investors panic when the market rolls over again, they’ll get wiped out. How’s that for leaving behind “lasting damage?”

See, there are only two ways that this goes down. And it’s better to learn now than when you’re buried under 18 positions bleeding red like stuck pigs.

The wave carries you … or it crashes on you.

That’s it. No surfing analogy, no nothing. It’s crush or get crushed.

If it sounds like I’m oversimplifying things, it’s because I don’t want the wave to crash on you! I don’t care how long you’ve been in the market — first-time investor or a decades-long HODLer — you have what it takes to make it through this pandemic market with pride.

I believe in you … Paul Mampilly believes in you…

Heck, Paul Mampilly has been a guide for thousands upon thousands of readers, no matter their investing background. And the tech mega trends that he follows are exactly the kind of buying opportunities that come once a generation.

In fact, Paul just found one tech stock that’s set to transform the way we use and create energy: “This technology can single-handedly power a major American city … virtually free of charge.”

Click here to learn more!

And remember: Don’t let the wave crush you … or sweep you by.

Going: Uber Eats Grubhub

Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE: UBER) is hungry, and it reportedly set its sights on gobbling down Grubhub Inc. (NYSE: GRUB).

The ride-hailing/food delivery company offered an all-stock deal for Grubhub — 2.15 UBER shares for every GRUB share, according to The Wall Street Journal.

As of yesterday, that valued Grubhub at $71.36 per share. That’s quite a tip compared to GRUB’s current trading range near $31.30.

Uber has yet to comment on the news, but Grubhub said that “consolidation could make sense in our industry, and, like any responsible company, we are always looking at value-enhancing opportunities.”

Very noncommittal there, Grubhub.

While the deal makes sense for both companies, it’ll be interesting to watch the political and social fallout from this news … especially in California, where the “gig economy” these companies helped create has been under fire for some time.

Wall Street feels the same way, with both stocks down today.

Going: If I Work From Home Forever…

Will it all remain unchanged?

Twitter Inc. (NYSE: TWTR) CEO Jack Dorsey knows that his employees are scared inside, and they don’t really understand. Is it profits on Twitter’s mind, or is it health care?

But heaven is now in the palm of Twitter workers’ hands. “If our employees are in a role and situation that enables them to work from home and they want to continue to do so forever, we will make that happen,” Doresy said in a company email.

The company laid out a considerably employee-centric plan to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, which includes allowing employees to decide when or even if they come back into the office.

The move should reassure TWTR investors that the company has the pandemic situation under control. That’s a pretty big feather in their caps. Now, Twitter traders just have to worry about the company’s slowing online ad spending.

Gone: Wink Wink, Nudge Nudge

Not every stock is down with the sickness today. Shares of fertility-benefits manager Progyny Inc. (Nasdaq: PGNY) soared more than 20% after the company beat first-quarter earnings and revenue expectations.

Progyny, which went public back in October, said it earned $0.04 per share as revenue surged 72% to $81 million.

The company noted that customers’ access to care was “meaningfully disrupted” by the pandemic. But it also said that the disruption would be temporary, as “fertility is commonly recognized as an essential medical service.”

Essential service? Say no more … a nod’s as good as a wink to a blind bat.

In fact, CEO David Schlanger added that “the prevalence of infertility means people will still need assistance in order to pursue their dreams of having a family.”

Here’s yet another initial public offering (IPO) that’s outperforming market trends and defending the niche it carved out. Very good. Very good.  It’s wicked. Wicked. You know who else is wicked?

Paul Mampilly with his IPO research. Eh? Know what I mean. Know what I mean? Wink wink, nudge nudge.

IPO research? Click here. Grin grin, wink wink, say no more?

Confidence — that’s our word of the week.

Government disapproval? That must be the theme of the week.

And right now? It’s time for the Poll of the Week!

In last week’s poll, we asked for your thoughts on how the government — yes, every level of it — is reopening the economy. A bit broad, yes, and here’s the rub: Depending on your exact location, your experience during the Great Reopening could vary drastically from every other Great Stuff reader.

That’s why we love to hear from each and every one of you — especially amid the great scrambling brouhaha of local, state and federal government bodies alike.

A big ol’ 54% majority of you believe we are on the “They botched it again!” front. And with how many different stories I’ve read from friends nationwide … I hear you.

But, before we team up with Elon Musk’s latest “freedom fighter” campaign, let’s turn our attention to something that surely couldn’t cause any disagreements at all — printing more Benjamins.

How would you feel about another round of stimulus checks? Is this exactly what the brave souls need right now on America’s front lines? Or are we devaluing the dollar like there’s no tomorrow?

Click on below to answer our poll!

Great Stuff: Sing Me Back Home

As long as my two hands are fit to use, Great Stuff is what you’ll read. And here on our team, we’re ready to hear from you!

You have one day left to make it in this week’s edition of Reader Feedback. That’s right: If you’ve resorted to tallying up the days out there, it’s almost Thursday already!

Send us a message at [email protected], long or short, night or day, rain or shine. And you can always catch up on the latest Great Stuff on social media: Facebook and Twitter.

It’s always great to hear from you. So until next time, stay Great!

Joseph Hargett

Editor, Great Stuff

You Don’t Have to Call Me Darlin’

When Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell spoke this morning, well … it was all that Wall Street could do to keep from crying.

Speaking during a webcast with the Peterson Institute for International Economics, Powell warned that the COVID-19 pandemic could “leave behind lasting damage” to U.S. economic productivity.

“The recovery may take some time to gather momentum, and the passage of time can turn liquidity problems into solvency problems,” Powell said.

It was a reality check for Wall Street. For some investors, it seemed so useless to remain. The Dow quickly plunged more than 500 points.

Even renewed promises of “infinite” stimulus weren’t enough to stem the selling.

The Takeaway:

This may be the start of the reversal Great Stuff has called for throughout this market rebound.

But you don’t have to call me Jerome Powell.

And you don’t have to call me Charlie Pride.

And you don’t have to call me Mr. Great Stuff … anymore — even though I’m on your fightin’ side!

(Ok, that’s enough David Allan Coe … for now.)

Speaking of “your fightin’ side,” I ran across a millennial-centered article yesterday that I just had to address.

Per CNBC: “Young investors pile into stocks, seeing ‘generational-buying moment’ instead of risk.”

According to the article, discount brokers Charles Schwab, TD Ameritrade, E-Trade and Robinhood all saw a surge in new accounts when the market cratered in March.

In a note to clients (mostly non-millennials, I’m sure) Citi Chief U.S. Equity Strategist Tobias Levkovich said that young investors saw the plunge as a “generational-buying moment.”

Yes, Tobias, I’m sure millennials saw it that way, especially since they “do not have much background in the equity space.”

You can almost hear him thinking: Back in my day, young people didn’t invest in the market … and I had to walk to school in snow uphill both ways … or something like that.

Once again, we’re seeing Wall Street’s old guard dump on the millennial generation. But it’s not about takeout coffee and avocado toast this time — it’s their retirement.

Unlike those investors in or near retirement, March’s mayhem was a buying opportunity indeed for younger investors. Millennials have a longer investment time frame and can afford to be more aggressive with their capital.

But that’s only if they don’t panic and instead, hang on through the economic madness yet to come. And as today’s Powell reality check shows, there’s still considerable downside risk in the market.

If these new younger investors panic when the market rolls over again, they’ll get wiped out. How’s that for leaving behind “lasting damage?”

See, there are only two ways that this goes down. And it’s better to learn now than when you’re buried under 18 positions bleeding red like stuck pigs.

The wave carries you … or it crashes on you.

That’s it. No surfing analogy, no nothing. It’s crush or get crushed.

If it sounds like I’m oversimplifying things, it’s because I don’t want the wave to crash on you! I don’t care how long you’ve been in the market — first-time investor or a decades-long HODLer — you have what it takes to make it through this pandemic market with pride.

I believe in you … Paul Mampilly believes in you…

Heck, Paul Mampilly has been a guide for thousands upon thousands of readers, no matter their investing background. And the tech mega trends that he follows are exactly the kind of buying opportunities that come once a generation.

In fact, Paul just found one tech stock that’s set to transform the way we use and create energy: “This technology can single-handedly power a major American city … virtually free of charge.”

Click here to learn more!

And remember: Don’t let the wave crush you … or sweep you by.

Going: Uber Eats Grubhub

Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE: UBER) is hungry, and it reportedly set its sights on gobbling down Grubhub Inc. (NYSE: GRUB).

The ride-hailing/food delivery company offered an all-stock deal for Grubhub — 2.15 UBER shares for every GRUB share, according to The Wall Street Journal.

As of yesterday, that valued Grubhub at $71.36 per share. That’s quite a tip compared to GRUB’s current trading range near $31.30.

Uber has yet to comment on the news, but Grubhub said that “consolidation could make sense in our industry, and, like any responsible company, we are always looking at value-enhancing opportunities.”

Very noncommittal there, Grubhub.

While the deal makes sense for both companies, it’ll be interesting to watch the political and social fallout from this news … especially in California, where the “gig economy” these companies helped create has been under fire for some time.

Wall Street feels the same way, with both stocks down today.

Going: If I Work From Home Forever…

Will it all remain unchanged?

Twitter Inc. (NYSE: TWTR) CEO Jack Dorsey knows that his employees are scared inside, and they don’t really understand. Is it profits on Twitter’s mind, or is it health care?

But heaven is now in the palm of Twitter workers’ hands. “If our employees are in a role and situation that enables them to work from home and they want to continue to do so forever, we will make that happen,” Doresy said in a company email.

The company laid out a considerably employee-centric plan to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, which includes allowing employees to decide when or even if they come back into the office.

The move should reassure TWTR investors that the company has the pandemic situation under control. That’s a pretty big feather in their caps. Now, Twitter traders just have to worry about the company’s slowing online ad spending.

Gone: Wink Wink, Nudge Nudge

Not every stock is down with the sickness today. Shares of fertility-benefits manager Progyny Inc. (Nasdaq: PGNY) soared more than 20% after the company beat first-quarter earnings and revenue expectations.

Progyny, which went public back in October, said it earned $0.04 per share as revenue surged 72% to $81 million.

The company noted that customers’ access to care was “meaningfully disrupted” by the pandemic. But it also said that the disruption would be temporary, as “fertility is commonly recognized as an essential medical service.”

Essential service? Say no more … a nod’s as good as a wink to a blind bat.

In fact, CEO David Schlanger added that “the prevalence of infertility means people will still need assistance in order to pursue their dreams of having a family.”

Here’s yet another initial public offering (IPO) that’s outperforming market trends and defending the niche it carved out. Very good. Very good.  It’s wicked. Wicked. You know who else is wicked?

Paul Mampilly with his IPO research. Eh? Know what I mean. Know what I mean? Wink wink, nudge nudge.

IPO research? Click here. Grin grin, wink wink, say no more?

Confidence — that’s our word of the week.

Government disapproval? That must be the theme of the week.

And right now? It’s time for the Poll of the Week!

In last week’s poll, we asked for your thoughts on how the government — yes, every level of it — is reopening the economy. A bit broad, yes, and here’s the rub: Depending on your exact location, your experience during the Great Reopening could vary drastically from every other Great Stuff reader.

That’s why we love to hear from each and every one of you — especially amid the great scrambling brouhaha of local, state and federal government bodies alike.

A big ol’ 54% majority of you believe we are on the “They botched it again!” front. And with how many different stories I’ve read from friends nationwide … I hear you.

But, before we team up with Elon Musk’s latest “freedom fighter” campaign, let’s turn our attention to something that surely couldn’t cause any disagreements at all — printing more Benjamins.

How would you feel about another round of stimulus checks? Is this exactly what the brave souls need right now on America’s front lines? Or are we devaluing the dollar like there’s no tomorrow?

Click on below to answer our poll!

Great Stuff: Sing Me Back Home

As long as my two hands are fit to use, Great Stuff is what you’ll read. And here on our team, we’re ready to hear from you!

You have one day left to make it in this week’s edition of Reader Feedback. That’s right: If you’ve resorted to tallying up the days out there, it’s almost Thursday already!

Send us a message at [email protected], long or short, night or day, rain or shine. And you can always catch up on the latest Great Stuff on social media: Facebook and Twitter.

It’s always great to hear from you. So until next time, stay Great!

Joseph Hargett

Editor, Great Stuff

Court continues to cover-up Pelosi's spy ring

Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), to the right, with Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL).

Nancy Pelosi and Debbie Wasserman Schultz got away with it.

Reaffirmed in another federal court case this morning in the District of Columbia.

Pelosi is Speaker of the House and fourth in line to the Presidency.

Wasserman Schultz is former campaign manager for Hillary Clinton.

A spy ring in Congress.

Some would call it a “A Muslim IT Spy Ring in Congress”.

Still going strong after 16-years.

No arrests for selling American patents, technology, weapons, and other intellectual property to the highest bidder.

https://brassballs.blog/home/patents-remain-unprotected-says-inspector-general

Filtered through Pakistan from Capitol Hill servers.

Two of them.

One for the House.

The other for the Senate.

The Awans were federal workers with top secret clearance to Congress' computer systems since 2004.

Hina Alvi and her husband, Imran Awan (above)

They configured phones for 45 Congress people and their staff.

With phones that were programmed to be undetectable by the FBI.

NSA.

Or anyone else unless they had a phone linking to the Pelosi secure phone system.

The Awans were hired by Pelosi and Wasserman Schultz.

https://brassballs.blog/home/imran-awan-receives-immunity-for-allegedly-operating-a-spy-ring-in-congress-for-14-years-selling-state-secrets-to-pakistan-and-stealing-2-million-of-equipment

Based on today’s hearing in D.C. Federal Court, neither the Judge or Prosecutor will expose Pelosi’s Spy Ring.

As officers of the court, they have a duty to report it.

Judge Amit Mehta granted another delay.

The federal prosecutor’s excuse this time was they “needed more time”.

To produce public records.

As if a year is insufficient.

The lawsuit was filed Nov. 7th, 2018.

James Peterson is the prosecutor.

He is top gun in the Justice Department’s Capital Case Section.

https://www.justice.gov/criminal/capital-case-section

It specializes in crimes committed on Capitol Hill.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmo/pr/federal-prosecutor-recognized-national-award

Who hires the Capitol Police?

Nancy Pelosi.

Peterson was hired by former Judge and Attorney General Eric Holder.

Holder was impeached and removed from his position by Congress.

He lied about “Fast and Furious”.

It was a federal program that gave guns to Mexican drug cartels.

The guns were traced to 234 deaths in the U.S. and Mexico.

It has been over a year since the request for public records was made on Nov. 17th, 2018.

Guess who else works as a federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C.?

Steven Wasserman.

His sister is Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL).

The Prosecutor let it slip.

Hina Alvi “wanted to expunge her conviction in order for her to be able to get employment”, said Peterson.

It was reported by John O’Laughlin, a lawyer.

John’s video below was taped minutes after this morning hearing.

Alvi is Hina Alvi, Imran Awan’s wife.

Imran Awan pled guilty to a felony.

Bank fraud.

He admitted falsifying a mortgage application from the Capitol Employee Credit Union.

The FBI allowed his wife to escape to Pakistan.

With millions.

At Imran Awan’s sentencing, FBI agent Brandon C. Merriman said:

Awan's wife and three children have left the country "with no intentions of returning".

https://brassballs.blog/home/imran-awan-and-wife-hina-alvi-to-accept-plea-deal-on-july-3rd

Please fast forward to minute three

“It is going to be a job to protect the defendant’s rights against the public’s right to know”, said Peterson.

Say what?

Protect Alvi’s rights in Pakistan?

Or maybe she and her husband never left the country?

Peterson lied.

First, Hina Alvi never pleaded or was found guilty of anything.

Next lie.

What record to expunge?

None exists.

Trial Judge Tonya Chutkan ordered the records of the Awan case destroyed.

Chutkan ruled the same way in the Mariia Butina case.

Butina pled guilty to being a Russian spy.

https://brassballs.blog/home/mariia-maria-valery-butina-case-is-judge-tanya-chutkan-third-d-c-scandal-case-in-a-year-glenn-simpson-fusion-gps-imran-awan-susan-rice-american-university-professor-james-goldgeier-robert-driscoll-a-j-kramer-public-defender-mcglinchey-com-fox-news

Judge Amit Mehta (above)

https://www.scribd.com/document/409441109/Judge-Mehta-Hip-Hop

Here’s a partial list of the Pelosi Spy Ring:

Andre Carson

Luis Gutierrez

Jim Himes

Terri Sewell

Jackie Speier

Mike Quigley

Eric Swalwell

Patrick Murphy

Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Joaquini Castro

Lois Frankel

Ted Lieu

Robin Kelly

Tammy Duckworth

Mark Takano

John Sarbanes

Diana DeGette

Cedric Richmond

Charlie Crist

Jacky Rosen

Sandy Levin

Karen Bass

Marcia Fudge

https://www.shiftfrequency.com/awan-ensnares-clintons-pelosi/

Another group of 45 persons in Congress will be listed as soon as it can be verified.

A summary of today’s public information request is spliced into these four images:

Judicial Watch’s request for records dates back to January, 2015.

Imran Awan entered this country from Pakistan in 1992.

He helped set up Pelosi’s Congressional Spy Ring in 2004.

Who will tell Judicial Watch to amend its complaint?

Office of Inter-American Affairs (OIAA)

https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/229.html

Besides John O’Laughlin, only one other person was there at this morning’s hearing.

He reported that “nothing happened”.

That’s news?

Patreon@Harry the Greek

Twitter@thaaak