I only have access to dumbbells. I have been doing split squats, goblet squats, using a dumbbell for barbell hip thrusts, and calf raises. Honestly wish I had some more equipment available its getting kinda boring. Any advice on changing it up a bit.

Looking for a steer on a programme I’ve written for training at home.
I’m new to CrossFit, no box nearby and a young family so I’m training at home.
I don’t have all equipment but do have rack, barbell with plenty weights, pull up bar, rings, kettlebells up to 32kg, dumbbells up to 40kg, weight vest and a treadmill.
Programme:
Strength A - Bench Press and Trap Bar Deadlift - 5 sets of 5 linear progression.
Strength B - Back Squat and KB Clean & Press - 5 sets of 5 linear progression
Strength exercises to be swapped out every 6 weeks.
Monday - Strength A + WOD. Tuesday - Strength B + WOD. Wednesday -Slow 5km run or 1.5km swim. Thursday - Strength A + WOD. Friday - Strength B + WOD. Saturday - Rest. Sunday - Slow 10km run.

Willing to bundle for the items I want.
GT: MADDL007
——Weapons for trade——
AA/50crit/25 Plasma Rifle
AA/50crit/25 Crossbow {mule}
AA/E 50 Cal Machine Gun (2 Star) {mule}
B/E/Break The Dragon 3% Explosive 419 Range (Legacy) {mule}
B/50crit/15crit The Fixer
B/50crit/15crit Handmade {mule}
B/50crit/15crit Handmade {mule}
B/E/1A Handmade {mule}
B/50crit/25 Radium Rifle
B/50crit/25 Railway Rifle {mule}
B/50crit/FR Railway Rifle
B/E 50 Cal Machine Gun (2 Star) {mule}
B/50crit/Break Gatling Plasma {mule}
B/50crit/25 Harpoon Gun
B/E Light Machine Gun (2 star) {mule}
B/FF90 Light Machine Gun {mule}
B/FSS/Break Chainsaw
B/FSS/1S Death Tambo {mule}
GS/E/25 The Fixer {mule}
Junkie/FFFR 50 Cal Machine Gun {mule}
MUT/E/25 Handmade
Q/E/DRWA The Fixer
Q/AP/25 Handmade
Q/E Handmade (2 star)
Q/E Handmade (2 star) {mule}
Q/E/Stealth Handmade
Q/50crit/FMSWA Railway Rifle {mule}
Q/E Railway Rifle (2 Star)
Q/FFR Tesla Rifle (2 Star)
Q/50crit/25 Flamer {mule}
Q/E/1P Gatling Gun {mule}
TS/50vhc Alien Blaster (2 Star)
TS/AP/Stealth Alien Blaster {mule}
TS/LD/Break Alien Blaster
TS/E Handmade (2 star)
V/FFFR Alien Blaster
V/FF25 Gatling Laser
V/E Light Machine Gun (2 star)
V/BASH/FMSWA Minigun {mule}
V/25DAM/1S Chainsaw {mule}
V/40PA/Block Chainsaw
V/AP/90 Chainsaw
Enclave Plasma Rifle #1 w/ Automatic Barrel, Stabilized Stock, Reflex Sight
Enclave Plasma Rifle #2 w/ Stabilized Splitter, Stabilized Stock, Reflex Sight
Enclave Plasma Rifle #3 w/ Aligned Automatic Barrel, Stabilized Stock, Standard Sights
Enclave Plasma Rifle #4 w/ True Flamer Barrel, Stabilized Stock, Reflex Sight
Enclave Plasma Rifle #5 w/ Stabilized Flamer Barrel, Stabilized Stock, Reflex Sight
Enclave Plasma Rifle #6 w/ True Automatic Barrel, Stabilized Stock, Reflex Sight {mule}
Fancy Pump Shotgun AA/LD/DRWA
Fancy Revolvers: Assassin, Berserker, Executioner, Mutant x2, Troubleshooter x3
Dross, Pearly Peepers, Red Fireworks Mine, Troglocide
——Plans & Recipes for trade——
Plan: Assault Rifle {mule}
Plan: Backpack Armor Plated Mod {mule}
Plan: Backpack High Capacity Mod {mule}
Plan: Backpack Insulated Mod
Plan: Backpack Refrigerated Mod
Plan: Barbed Walking Cane {mule}
Plan: Bear Arm
Plan: Bear Arm Heavy Mod
Plan: Camo Backpack
Plan: Deathclaw Gauntlet {mule}
Plan: Hatchet Electro Fusion {mule}
Plan: Large Ultracite Shard {mule}
Plan: Nuka-World Cowboy Duster {mule}
Plan: Pitchfork Flamer {mule}
Plan: Poker Set {mule}
Plan: Protective Lining Raider Underarmor
Plan: Radioactive Barrel
Plan: Scorchbeast Queen Plushie
Plan: Sheriff’s Hat
Plan: Shielded Lining Marine Underarmor {mule}
Plan: Spiked Walking Cane {mule}
Plan: Tomb Stones
Plan: TV Aquarium {mule}
Plan: T-60 BOS Elder Paint
Plan: Ultracite Calibrated Shocks
Plan: Vintage Water Cooler
Plan: Wild West Show Entrance Sign
Recipe: Cutting Fluid {mule}
Recipe: Formula P {mule}
Recipe: Fried Scorpion On A Stick {mule}
Recipe: Healing Salve (Mire) {mule}
Recipe: Nuka Cola Dark {mule}
Recipe: Stimpak Diffuser {mule}
——Armor & Other items for trade——
UNY/1L/WWR Metal Chest Piece 51DR 11ER {mule}
UNY/1L/WWR Urban Scout Armor Chest Piece {mule}
UNY/1P/WWR Urban Scout Armor Right Arm {mule} [armor from my want list only please]
UNY/1S/WWR Leather Left Leg 21DR 51ER {mule} [armor from my want list only please]
UNY/AP/WWR Combat Armor Right Leg 27DR 37ER {mule} [armor from my want list only please]
UNY/AP/WWR Forest Scout Armor Right Leg [high end apparel bundle or armor from my want list only please]
UNY/AP/WWR Urban Scout Armor Right Leg [high end apparel bundle or armor from my want list only please]
UNY/HungeWWR Urban Scour Armor Left Arm {mule} [armor from my want list only please]
W/AP/WWR Raider Left Leg 17DR 8ER
Ultracite Jet Pack Helmet Level 50 {mule}
50K+ Ultracite 5.56 Ammo
All 8 Holotape Mini Games
All Non-Rare apparel available - just ask
Misc Items: ask me for my list
———
———
——Items I want——
B/50crit/25 Fixer or Handmade
Q/E/25 Fixer or Handmade or Railway
TS/50crit/15crit Alien Blaster
TS/50crit/25 Alien Blaster
V/40PA/40PA Chainsaw (Will consider other third star: prefer Break, 90rw, or any of the +1)
Baseball bats level 45 - indigo, pink, yellow
Enclave Plasma Gun Aligned Flamer Barrel Mod (one or multiple)
UNY/AP/WWR Forest Scout Armor Chest Piece, Left Arm
UNY/AP/WWR Urban Scout Armor Left Leg and Right Arm
Plan: Meat Tenderizer
Asylum Worker Uniform Forest
Asylum Worker Uniform Red
Asylum Worker Uniform Yellow
Blue Ridge Caravan Gas Mask (will pay caps)
Blue Ridge Caravan Uniform (will pay caps)
BOS Jumpsuit
Fasnacht Brahmin Mask
Fasnacht Buffoon Mask
Fasnacht Crazy Guy Mask
Fasnacht Deathclaw Mask
Fasnacht Demon Mask
Fasnacht Fiend Mask
Fasnacht Hag Mask
Fasnacht Loon Mask
Fasnacht Raven Mask
Fasnacht Winter Man Mask
Forest Camo Jumpsuit
Forest Scout Armor Mask
Leather Coat
Prototype Hazmat Suit Level 50
Radicals Face Mask
Responder Fireman Helmet
Responder Fireman Uniform
Tattered Field Jacket
Traveling Leather Coat
Urban Scout Armor Mask
White Powder Jumpsuit
I’m really only after the items listed above, make me an offer. No caps, flux, or junk offers please.

Absolutely willing to hear offers, especially on bundles!
All images
​
Patagonia Zemer bomber men's M, black with company logos $65
Bought on a whim, but more relaxed fit than I wanted.
​
Patagonia Los Gatos Pullover men's L, "El Cap Khaki" tan/blue $50
Super cozy sweatshirt, perfect for work from home! Worn a couple times, but too big for me. Retail link
​
Patagonia Altvia Alpine pants 34 x 30, "plume gray" $95
Nice hiking pants. Wore for one trip, worked great but I wanted a trimmer fit. Retail link
​
Arc'teryx Kole down jacket men's M, "penumbra" gray $200
Awesome jacket, but I have too many jackets. Fits TTS.
​
Osprey Exos 38 large, red/black $95
Classic bag in excellent condition. Decided I want more volume. Bought used, but never took it on a trip myself.
​
2x Nemo Tensor Field camp pads 20" x 72" x 3" $100/each
Super burly camp pad with great warmth and packs super small, considering. These are made with extra strong materials and an extra coating, so they can be used directly on the bare dirt/forest floowhatever. Fair warning, these are a bit crinklier than the average camp pad, due to an aluminized film layer, which enhances warmth. Retail link
​
Showers Pass Transit rain pants men's M (fits slim in the waist) $65
Barely used as they're too small in the waist. These are some nice, compatible rain pants, designed to stay in your commuter bag til you need 'em. I'd say best used by folks who wear a 29-32 inch waist. Retail link
​
Peak Design Summit Edition Slide camera strap lassen red $80
One-off limited edition Slide strap. Barely used! Review link

LOST CONNECTION TO THE SERVER MID-GAME? DIDN'T WIN IN HEX-A-GONE DUE TO LAG? UNABLE TO GRAB TAILS? AFK TEAM PLAYERS?

YOU'RE IN THE RIGHT PLACE!

Use this megathread to rant, rage or vent about everything you need to get off your chest.

Rules:

• CAPS LOCK ALLOWED
• KEEP IT CIVIL (no personal attacks, etc.)

Other Recurring Megathreads: - Looking for Players - Success Stories - Questions & Discussions

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Timestamp: https://i.imgur.com/ONG5mY9.jpeg
PICS
Selling:
Aimpoint CompM4s - $560. GAFS catch-and-release from a while back. Comes with QRP2 mount, spacer, lens caps, and screw-in ARD. In good condition but please note:

• Does not come with box or manual
• There is a small blemish in the top right quadrant of the front lens. See Pic. I can't see it at all unless I focus on it. YMMV.
• There is a light scuff on the rear see-through lens. See Pic
• Does not come with short screws for mounting directly to the QRP2. Only comes with the longer screws to use with the spacer

Aimpoint M4s Flip-up front cover with ARD Filter -$45 . Has some minimal wear from attaching and removing from the sight.
Geissele Super Precision Comp M4 mount - $85. Some light wear from attaching and removing sight. Comes with screws to mount directly to CompM4. Also comes with extended screws to use the 9mm spacer that comes with the CompM4s. This brings the CompM4/s optical axis to 1.89", which is close enough to be compatible with 1.93" height optics.
Aimpoint 3X-C Magnifier - $240. Very good condition, no mount, no box, optic only
SOLD Primary Arms 3X-LER Magnifier - $50. Kinda bubba'd up with the rubber coat partially removed at the bottom to work better with a scalarworks mount (see pic). Otherwise in good shape, no mount, no box, optic only.
I'll drop $8 for each additional item purchased (i.e., buy 1 thing - it's full price, buy 2 things - sum the costs and subtract $8, buy 3 things - sum the costs and subtract $16, etc.)
Not currently looking for any trades. If you are interested, please post a comment here and also PM me. Dibs take priority.
Payment through paypal. Listed prices include shipping costs. If buyer wants G&S protection, buyer pays the fee. Please do not leave any notes on the paypal transaction.

I know it’s better than nothing, it won’t be as efficient as barbell compound training at the gym, and diet matters. However, with two adjustable dumbbells up to 52.5 lbs each, I was wondering whether that would be enough for supplementing calisthenics.
My main question for upper body is whether it will be enough for OHP? Could lateral raises replace OHP?
HOWEVER, I’m moreso concerned about it being enough for lower body. Is a full body routine where my only lower body exercises are BSS and split-stance RDL’s good enough for Hypertrophy? I know I won’t be this beefy bodybuilder, but I still want to have an athletic physique where my legs match my upper-body and I can wear shorts well!
Thanks!

All Chapters First Chapter of Alien-Nation Previous Chapter
Chapter summary: Vaughn liberates a bunch of people. Elias can't sleep and makes some decisions and receives a weird offer.
Chapter Art- Vaughn's Mask, a World War One Tanker Splatter Mask

Alien-Nation Chapter 169: Jailbreak

A Leslie's Pool Supplies retail outlet made for a strange rally point for any group of people, even moreso now that the whole strip mall along what had been Concord Pike had long since closed. The stainless letters spelled the forgotten name of the shopping center, still proudly adorned the top of the diagram of blank signs ensured at least the brick obelisk was a conveniently obvious marker for the men to find and make preparations for assaulting the jail.
'Morningstar' squadron had swelled their cell's numbers to well over twenty by absorbing the miscellaneous fragments of other cells, whose skills were more generalized. The name carried over to the newly formed Strike Force by virtue of being both the largest and the lynchpin of the operation's success.
This was the largest force of the three organized groups they'd split into, each aiming to try and hit the larger jails along Route 202, the other two branches making a target list of their own. Vendetta had given them an extra half hour to at least get themselves close to in-position, but with only one shortwave had no way of knowing if they would coordinate their strike. He was a known element to everyone even if only by name. At least Elias's words stayed true; All seemed very familiar and well-practiced with their carried weaponry. More importantly, none contested his assigned leadership or questioned his orders.
Vaughn cradled the RPG he'd been given, eyeing the well-lit building just over the carefully landscaped hill. The last had been over a half hour ago. The box-mart across the old highway was the temporary headquarters of the repositioned Troop One, after the suburbs near Camp Death had been cleared, likely soon to be repositioned again. But the size of the old box-mart seemed to indicate several things, that it was largely indefensible, could contain a fair few prisoners, and by its proximity to Camp Death, could be useful to strike regardless.
The flow of traffic was unusually heavy for being well before the crack of dawn. Perhaps people were trying their luck getting up old 202 to try and reach the border that way, after having no luck along other closed border checkpoints. There was a feeling of self-consciousness in carrying heavy weapons out in the open along a suburban highway most had driven along during peacetime, the juxtaposition of old familiar environment and newly familiar activity showing just how much their lives had changed. Moreso as cars rolled along it like it was a Friday night of olde, the two lives- old and new, bumping shoulders for a moment.
"You ready?" He asked, snapping them back to the present.
Mutters of assent was good enough. Haltingly, everyone in the mishmashed strike team moved toward the precinct's bright lights, taking advantage of the long shadows and occasional noise of the passing cars.
It was an unassuming building, the repurposed garrison made out of some retail outlet built back in the turbulent seventies, all brick and little else but tiny glass doors, with not even windows for the occupants to know the impending violence had been approaching. What era will this be known as? Early Imperial? Resistance? Revolutionary? Wondered the teen, as he leveled it at the lobby. Good? Bad? Hell, I'm just the man with the gun.
Everyone levelled their weapons as once, and Vaughn held a hand high. "We're here to liberate the prison, not blow it sky high," he chuckled. It was hardly armored or reinforced- or at least, so it seemed to him. And if it was, then the Data Center had shown the virtue of striking the same spot with concentrated fire beat showering it with dispersed impacts.
At least the glass door looked normal enough. "Bump and grind, forward. Forward!" He hissed. "Aim at that- there- the front door." Easy enough for the homemade launcher to hit, and these were arguably of the lowest utility if things went sideways. Elias had taught him asset management well- it was a waste to throw your best equipment at a stationary target. While the design was tried-and-tested, Vaughn still took a few steps away.
The improvised launcher let out a metallic clunk, and with a surprisingly subdued noise and recoil the projectile was sent tumbling freely, end over end, the cap blown clean off the improvised launcher. A second later, the giant projectile more than made up for it as the round smashed through the glass door, taking the automatic door slightly off the rails and bowing slightly inward- before then blowing both them and a hail of glass fragments outward as the detonation went off inside the main lobby.
Someone in a security forces uniform staggered out.
"Infantrymen, Fire!" Vaughn roared to the infantrymen, most of Morningstar dutifully restraining themselves as a hail of bullets sprayed into the storefront and even stitched up the exterior brickwork. Clearly, some insurgents were better trained than others judging by the tracer rounds and slowly tapering off rounds.
"Advance and reload! Morningstar, spread out and cover!"
The smoke and dust was subdued, at least for now, and left them with a surprisingly clear view into the front entrance. Red streaks were painted up on the wall, black and grey of smoke-dusted debris mixed in like a spin-art collage.
The lobby's contents were an absolute shambles- everything set on a ledge had been knocked about, including the ledges and desks themselves. The security forces inside responded by charging out the main doors to follow just a second later.
A hail of gunfire met them, most of the armored troopers flinching reflexively, their armor plates overlapping and protecting their wearer. A few reflexively tried returning fire despite the harsh stings of rounds tugging on the mix of fabric, bulletproof weave, and shattering off the neosteel plate they wore. The gunfire never let up on those unfortunate few who had charged out from their cover, the complete lack of coordination, dissimilar reloading times from infantry with unequal amounts of time spent with their weapons. Effective equipment and enthusiasm was undercut by poor training, surprise, and total lack of a plan to counter being outnumbered. Morningstar, on the other hand, had the numbers, the angle, and the element of surprise.
One by one the Security Forces lay flat. Either they were dead, had the fight knocked out of them, or were trying to present as minimal target as they could while they lined up their own rifles to return fire. It was hard to say for certain what the intent was, but the outcome was little different. Round after round continued pouring into them from dozens of unevenly sized magazines, an RPG or two sending the bodies of any who tried opening fire tumbling, their limbs likely held on by the durable material underneath. When they landed, their bodies folded like misshapen laundry, pressed into unnatural shapes with the wearer still inside.
The whole front engagement was over in less than a minute. A pale, non-gauntleted hand waved frantically from behind a shattered brick front, red streaking down the fingers.
"Hold!" Vaughn shouted. "Identify!" The hand continued waving, and Vaughn shoved an unwitting volunteer forward to pull the man out from behind, to reveal a man in a stained tee shirt with a dazed expression and blood dripping from a series of scratches on his cheeks, cut in like a cat's claws had raked over them.
"Civilian!" Vaughn bellowed over his ringing ears. "Any others inside?"
The man shook his head and mouthed 'no,' his voice seemingly too hoarse- perhaps from having spent an untold amount of time screaming.
The man was wrong- there were, or at least 'had been' more security forces inside. A sudden blast and the tinkering of shrapnel caused Vaughn to duck, then charge forward, his improvised explosive launcher discarded, swinging his shotgun around from his back to rest in his hands. A Technical had tried to leave via a service bay exit, apparently not even managing to round the corner before an RPG wielded by a Morningstar veteran had upended the uparmored pickup as it pulled out.
A survivor crawled from the wreckage, and Vaughn sprinted forward, pressing the barrel against the shivering man's temple as he raised his empty hands. The wet splatter kicked high, and Vendetta checked for any other survivors, the smoking tip of his shotgun wafting grey in the fluorescent tubes of the old retail outlet.
The technicals were indeed tough, he noted, but the round seemed to have flown into a wheel well, bypassing the plating. No one else inside seemed to be moving- yet still, he made certain. There'd be no theatrics of announcing himself to an enemy who played dead by standing in the open and giving orders, letting them try and exact some measure of revenge, or gasping out some warning to the shil'vati. No, a strike was to be calculated, and that calculation was to be total.
Two minutes later and a clear picture of the aftermath had emerged. Over five hundred prisoners rescued from the cells, cramped together like sardines, hastily erected concrete laid in a grid backstopping a prefab prison. PVC pipes ran from room to room for toilets no less roughshod in their construction, set straight into the dirty linoleum. Quite a few of the prisoners were deafened somewhat. The skeleton crew of Security Forces personnel hadn't stood a chance- supposedly, most were out, working from some kind of list, or perhaps had finished their shift after a long day of throwing people into prison.
Vaughn gestured with the shotgun. "There's your exit, people. If you're still undecided about the Shil'vati, then this was your wake-up call. If you're still undecided about us, then I'm not sure what to tell you. We just risked our lives to save yours. You want to pay it back? You can either pay it forward by helping us with the next prison, or you can help the Emperor of Mankind. Blankets, food, water, soldiers, guns, ammo, whatever you've got that you think might help. He hasn't said it, but I reckon you all owe him, if you've got a decent bone in your body, you'll at least bring him something, offer to try and help. If you want, you can listen in on the radio for instructions, and if you haven't got a shortwave, I'll separate off a few from our strike squad who can fill you in and get you there, if you feel like chipping in on the war effort."
Vaughn lowered the shotgun, taking a shell off his bandoleer and loading it in to replace the one he'd fired.
"That went well," Parker remarked. "And not a bad speech. Short, to the point, and all that. Honestly, I wish I'd brought a whole crew. One for the close-up on that impact. But, uh, that execution..."
"Completely necessary," Vaughn snapped, irritatedly. "That guy was fatally wounded. Putting him out of his misery was an act of mercy. And you'll remember to narrate that, if you got that on film."
"Of course." Parker didn't deny where he'd been aiming the camera- saving Vaughn at least the headache of reviewing the footage, and then having to kill Parker, if it turned out he'd been lying.
"I'm starting to think of these jail cells as something more like a pinata full of prizes. Namely, insurgents and good PR," he muttered. Truth be told, he'd wanted more of a fight. Vaughn pulled the radio from his pocket, and sent out the broadcast. "Done here. 202 North has been cleared. About four fifty good to go in some sense of the word, though where's anyone's guess. Tried sending them your way, don't know if they'll take it. Another fifty will need medical treatment. No casualties on our end. Surprise was total. We've got pictures. No enemies taken prisoner."
Vendetta stared around the lobby, an idea slowly dawning on him.
"Hey! Hey hey hey! Snag armor off any of the ones that you can. Grab any goods that are stocked up, and arm up anyone who says they're headed to Camp Death with the weapons the guys had here. Come on, we can't stay too long here. You-" he pointed at a man who had held down the trigger on his rifle, spraying the building at full auto. "-You're fucking useless at fighting. Gather up the ones who are able and willing to fight, get them packed into a civilian-style police cruiser, and drive them on over to Camp Death. Everyone, help him load up. Get everything you can out of the Evidence lockers into the trunks- they can fit a lot, trust me, I'd know. Camp Death's going to need goodies. Come on, move, people, move!"
Morningstar Squadron had re-mustered on Vendetta.
"Alright, now what?" They almost seemed eager for more.
A smile crept across Vendetta's face, invisible to all as he pointed at the row of vehicle keys.
"I think it's time we hit 141 and a couple more," he muttered, pulling it off the hook. "Now...wheelman, shotgun, or turret?"

"Accidentally Cut Content"

[Author's Note: Hey Everyone. I made a really dumb mistake and included part of the next chapter in the previous one's end in my rush to get it out the door. So the first couple paragraphs will be a repeat, but this IS a new chapter. I even updated those first four or five paragraphs slightly.]
I couldn't sleep well on the cot that night. Though I noticed hours ticked by, every moment seemed to be spent tossing and turning. I even tried resting with the mask off, held in my hands, but the risk to my identity being discovered if anyone barged in caused me enough stress to worsen the situation. Eventually, I gave up, kicked the covers off and donned the mask again, making my rounds around the camp, trying to calm myself down by taking a midnight stroll. Instead, I felt eyes countless following me, and I had to force myself to stand tall for them. For the thousandth time, I thought of this as my Valley Forge.
As I patrolled, I could hear whispered prayers, muttered plans of action, and mercifully, snores. At least some were getting some sleep. I could see orange lights reflecting off the clouds from where I knew Wilmington lay. It seemed Vaughn was keeping busy, if indeed it was his handiwork.
A few shipment inspections and a routine update from a sentry later, and I felt caught up to speed. I noticed Radio from the corner of my eye, seemingly also unable to sleep.
I almost jumped a foot in the air when I felt the tap on my shoulder, only to find G-Man's mask staring into mine. How strange that such a haunting visage was a comfort to me.
"Hey. Can't sleep?" He sounded surprisingly serene. Or maybe it was just tired resignation. His hands seemed stuck in a familiar claw-like shape after holding the soldering iron for so long, and my fingers ached in sympathy. My mask's filters took much of the scent of smoke I could smell from the distant fires, but I was sure that if I wasn't wearing my mask that G-Man would smell faintly of molten silver solder. I'd wondered how we'd repaired and updated so many railguns so quickly. Now I knew what he'd put himself through.
"I can't," I confessed. "G-Man, I'm sorry what happened with your father. Hell of a birthday." I hadn't even had a chance to give him the present I'd bought him- a couple new filters, and vintage craftsman toolkit, 'from before they sold out,' as Verns had phrased it. The memory of his voice already felt distant, somehow.
"Wasn't your fault. Even if Town Hall wasn't your big idea to get them to retaliate, you know? Then they'd still have done something. But, uh, thanks for saying that. And thanks for trying to get dad out. I'll remember that." George said quietly, then the conversation ended when he turned away and went to the edge of the embankment. Just like that.
I could never quite get a read on him, but I wanted to respect his distance. Whatever he was feeling, he seemed to want to feel it alone, and to keep his own counsel on the matter.
I continued course toward Radio.
"Any word from Miskatonic?" I asked hopefully.
Radio offered a noncommittal shrug, then dropped it in a hurry, raising one hand to massage his chest. "They say 'this is your war,' but did ship us a small container."
"I saw."
I hadn't exactly expected them to line up alongside us in the trenches in their white coats, but I'd hoped they'd have had some kind of wonder drug or noxious gas we might deploy. Something toxic to the Shil'vati but not us. The best they'd given us so far were experimental bullets and toxic-tipped arrows and knives, the former of which supposedly could potentially the armor, if fired with enough force and impacted with a good angle. If true, then I supposed they might be moderately useful in an ambush, and they had helpfully included a pair of compound bows. I had conducted a pretty decent survey of the defense, but I hadn't thought to ask if any were experienced archers. I also couldn't imagine taking someone off a railgun, large caliber rifle, or even an old cannon to hand them a bow and arrow without feeling like I was somehow offering them an insult without equipping it myself, and there was better I could think to do with the remaining minutes before the Shil'vati would inevitably come looking than to practice.
They'd fallen out of favor for a reason, and it wasn't that the earliest guns outperformed bows.
They had also supplied a small cache of rifles that were more likely to pulverize than penetrate unless the armor had been compromised already. These were still appreciated, but hardly the game changer I wanted in return for all we'd sent them.
Then Radio leaned in, voice kept conspiratorially low. "They did, however, mention an exfiltration for you."
Sam had been right, I wouldn't get back anything close to the value of what I'd sent out. At least, not unless I was willing to abandon everything and everyone, to cut and run for my life. Such a decision would be the inglorious end of the revolution, spelling doom for everyone in it, and all of humanity's culture. I'd forever be remembered as a coward, if I was so lucky to be remembered at all.
"Well, I'm not going."
"Okay, but here's a real head-scratcher. Did you show them where Camp Death is? I've been careful not to broadcast our coordinates, and my little helpers haven't been talking with Miskatonic. And the person on the shortwave mentioned that the border would free up tomorrow morning, then mentioned the interstate right up against the back of our base as a meeting point. They said Last Exit Before Pennsylvania. That's right there." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "And I didn't mention broadcasting without a cat's paw or relay. I mean there's a chance they triangulated, but throwing together a plan that fast? Nah, man, they knew."
I searched my memory. "I'm certain that I didn't mention it to them...did Hex? She did that internship. No, wait, she got picked up and dropped off at Warehouse Base. Unless she mentioned something on the drive past? She said they were somewhere North." Now that Radio had mentioned it, I was left with a bit of a puzzle. How did they know? How much did they know about us?
"They had to have known somehow. And if they didn't know before and just figured our location out, then I bet you it's not long before the Shil'vati figure it out themselves and come sniffing," Radio resignedly threw a hand up. "Should we update the signal? Start directing people straight here?"
We had numbers, yes, but we could still do to take more in, especially if the fighting dragged on or casualties mounted higher than I projected. "How long until they're sure we're here?"
Radio yawned under his mask, the animated glass-plated mask he wore misinterpreting it with an ASCII shocked ":O" face. "We've been broadcasting all night, so, who knows?"
"Well, if it was just a signal they picked up on any random given day, how long would it typically take for the Shil'vati to muster a response?"
"Depends on the day." At my silent stare, he objected further. "They sometimes respond pretty fast to that sort of thing, but these aren't normal times, E. They used to come to check out wherever I broadcast from within an hour or two or two, but remember, they've kind of got their hands full right now thanks to Vendetta's jailbreaks. Plus, there's so many more signals." He checked the screen of his shortwave and chuckled, then lightly massaged his chest again. "I'm sure we've already gone way past."
"Alright. If we see anyone snooping around us, add our location to the broadcast. That way, anyone in the resistance or is sympathetic but isn't sure where Camp Death is can find their way here. In the meantime, though, I still think we're best not leaking it. At least with the sentries having set in the final claymores and outer defenses, we should be well-situated to ward off anything they throw at us."
"Maybe. Maybe not," George said from behind me, and I froze.
"Why not?"
He'd helped build this place. He'd know any weaknesses as well as his father.
"They might have cloaking tech, or some other means of infiltration," his voice was a dry rasp.
I shuddered thinking about it. "That's a good point," I muttered. "Assassination and recovery might be up their alley...except, I think they're terrified of what losing me might mean for their hostages."
"I'll be honest. I don't think she cares at this point," G-Man countered. I couldn't fault his gloomy disposition. I could just hope that he didn't want something bad to happen to us, to balance out that something bad had happened to him, from some weird sense of fairness.
"Yeah?"
"Think about it for a second. What happens if you die? Then what does that let her do if that happens?"
It was with a startle I realized he had a good point. Azraea had committed to a shocking all-in, something that would shake the political landscape and memories of countless denizens of the state. Months of carefully planned schemes involving carefully planned defensive patrols meant to reinforce one another, frustrate, and hinder our operations had culminated in us adapting, learning. We thought we had her beaten, especially when we destroyed her monitoring, data collection, and reporting asset in Something Else Square. Then she'd pulled something like this out of a hat, catching us totally flat-footed, rounding up who-knew how many of us before we could muster. What other assumptions had I made that were incorrect? Would she hold fire, if she knew where I was if it meant sparing the hostages? Or were they now just an 'acceptable, if regrettable' loss? When your opponent becomes unpredictable, issues arise, especially when you're counting on them to do certain things.
If it was, then I'd just done her work for her, and all of us would be dead the moment she figured out where we were, and at least the end would come faster than I knew it had arrived.
I realized I was staring up into the orange-lit cloudy night sky. I could voice none of this, not without undermining morale and potentially sparking a panic.
"If she was going to start bombarding the state, she'd have started already by now," I chuckled. "The borders are sealed, right? Why wait? Why bother trying to build some sense of dread? She's not a vampire who feeds on fear. I choose to not be afraid of what she may do. I instead intend to plan around it, to the extent that we can. Besides, if I die, what would the twins do to the hostages?"
George made a disappointed growl, his sore hands turning from awkward claws into shaking fists. "That may be the point. If the Twins do anything to the hostages in retaliation for your death, then maybe as long as she didn't pull the trigger, she thinks she'll be absolved of whatever damage their deaths mean to them."
I wasn't sure she thought that way. Heck, after months, the woman was still an absolute enigma to me. Governess Bal'shir, I understood- the flurry of speeches and photo-ops and handshakes at civic meetings with 'literally-who's-that' of 'what-community' had been carte blanche for us to grow. Ministriva was a lying snake, and once we pieced that together, I ripped her apart. But Azraea? What drove the Fleet Admiral to come down here? Duty. There wasn't any sort of hard policy she followed that I could tell, not that I knew Shil'vati military doctrine well, being an outsider such as I was. Perhaps it was the greater liberty afforded her of being both Governess and General that made it seem like her plans shifted and changed in ways that made it hard for me to keep up. Or maybe she was just at such a rank and in such a position of power to where she could make her judgment calls. If so, that begged the question: What was 'the line' for her? I had a feeling I'd somehow crossed it already. Probably Radio's tape of me fucking the Empress, if I was to be honest. Most unfair to be judged for something that hadn't been my decision, though I doubted an apology from either of us would amount to much.
I looked over to my Lieutenants. They'd helped carry me this far. I'd be foolish to ignore them now. What could I do to at least mitigate the risk that he was right, and there was someone looking to kill me, right here and now?
"Alright, fine, you've convinced me. Instruct the sentries to get the next dozen people who we intake to help patrol the inner perimeter, and to keep a watch for...well, I mean, a stealthy seven foot tall purple alien with giant tits?"
"Something invisible," George supplied.
"Alright, for anything shifting in the tall grasses that they can't immediately see- I can't really ask them to keep an eye out for something they can't see, can I?" I was suddenly too tired to think properly.
"I'll explain it," G-Man offered.
"And I'll get the sentries ready to take over the radio, explaining how it works, then I'll try heading to bed, too," Radio offered, and I realized that a yawn sounded very strange through a voice modulator- his ASCII helmet seemed to fritz out again for a second.
"I should change my sleeping quarters, too," I muttered. "They'll almost certainly check the command cabin for me, if they manage to enter. I'll pick a tunnel- uh...somewhere."
"Might be smart. Could be they'll try and take out the explosives shed, too. Make it look like an accident on our part, get rid of any hostages, and then get a free pass to exact vengeance on the state. Got anywhere in mind?"
I thought to myself. Where might be a good resting area? There were many tunnels that led to bunkers, firing outposts, and even to stowage areas. Any one of them might do in theory, but I knew of one that overlooked one of the two streams that ran along the side of Camp Death. I didn't want to situate myself either too low to where I was on the very front of the lines- why make an assassin's job even easier by putting myself on the perimeter, after all? But the creek should make a pleasant bit of white noise- and also get me away from the center shed. "Probably facing North, along Perkins run. G-Man, you look absolutely dead on your feet. Get some rest if you can, you've certainly done enough and gone through enough for today."
"There's...still things to do."
"There always will be. If the others are finished doing their repairs, lock the shed," I muttered. "I know the hostages are in there, so post a sentry or two there, too, to watch over the entrance. You're right that she may try some kind of underhanded tactic." It wouldn't do much if they decided to set charges against the side or something, and the subsequent explosion would be, in a word, 'cataclysmic'. "This was supposed to be a relaxing walk to help me rest..." I scratched at my chin under the mask, feeling the beginnings of the few scratchy hairs that had grown since I'd last shaved, and feeling the cool fresh air without the filter as the wind kicked up.
"Sorry," G-Man offered sheepishly. "I'll go tell 'em."
While he ambled off, I followed Radio back to his pile of equipment.
"Before we split then, one last thing."
"Yeah?" Radio asked.
"Have we recovered Verns?" I asked Radio. "Any word?"
"No, not that I've heard," Radio confessed. "Vendetta's been mostly quiet, I think to hide his heading from anyone who might be listening, but I know that he's struck at least three jails and counting. Some of the ones he's freed are trickling up to us here on foot, and it seems he and Morningstar are acting like a human wrecking ball. The troops are calling it Operation Smash-and-Grab."
"Smash-and-grab," I laughed, thinking of the pun. "I like it. Do we have a more recent headcount?"
"Sam said we've got enough to last about three days of continuous, round-the-clock fighting with the hundreds of people we have here. If we get a resupply run- well, I suppose it would depend upon how big a hole gets blasted in the encirclement. Or, well, something to that effect. Look, man, I'm 'Radio', not 'Telephone,' and I don't have the head for this logistics shit that you two do. You want to talk to Sam, you get the man on the radio yourself, or ask one of the Sentries I'm sticking here to manage the comms. Point being, you try and get hold of him. I'm done for the night."
I could have said something witty back, but it felt counterproductive, and would only delay the sleep I was now well overdue for.
"I've got an idea for an update. The ones Vendetta's letting loose? They can gather supplies and wait for the signal to reinforce, or to agitate, or can organize people into a more focused group, one that can punch through whatever blockade they try and form up. It'll also force the Shil'vati to not concentrate forces on our back door-" I pointed back at the interstate. "Even if they clear them out, the opportunity for us to encircle and destroy and then break out is too high for them to really try to do a mass deployment along our back." Sam was, I knew, something of a career criminal. Able to rub elbows with the worst elements of humanity. He was a facilitator, I knew, not really a leader. "Can you tell him-"
Radio was already fiddling with the dial. "Already on it," he muttered. "Lotta profit in looting, should be easy for him to steer people with that, or something. Get some sleep, E."
I went up to a sentry, requisitioned a sleeping bag someone had helpfully brought, went into a trench and told him where I'd be if I was needed. I waved to Radio, and crawled into the gunnery tunnel, almost stepping on another four people already laying in it. I loosened my laces, clutched my sheathed knife, and fell into a fitful sleep.
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Hello, spacers!
On this episode: a post-apocalypse shuttle tour, a look at the latest in Earth tourism fashion trends, and a bit of paperwork- …though with some juicy details to be found within. ;)
As always, I hope you enjoy. :)
——
As Y’ggdrasog helped Kate move both herself in microgravity and what little luggage they had packed from his ship to the shuttle, she found herself surrounded by dozens of Collective aliens who only had eyes (where applicable) for her. As he helped her to her seat and got her strapped in, she leaned toward Y’ggdrasog and whispered to him.
“Y’know, I might find all this staring flattering if I had a bit more self-esteem. As-is, it’s just creepy…”
He chuckled as he strapped himself in beside her.
<“In their defense, they’ve never seen a human in person before now.”>
Kate was about to respond when she saw something move out of the corner of her eye, and glanced up. An alien, one of the armadillo-octopus looking ones like Zapaht-Toh- a spaxar-tickoss, she reminded herself- was leaning over her seat from the aisle behind her. They stared down at her as one would stare at an unusual bug under a rock.
Kate slowly raised an eyebrow.
“…Can I, um… help you…?”
<“Sorry to bother you, I just had a quick question; is it true that you humans have an organ inside you that’s full of extremely corrosive acid?”>
Kate’s eyes narrowed in confusion.
“Yeah, that’d be the stomach. A lot of species on Earth have them. …Why?”
The alien dropped back down into their own seat without answering, but Kate could hear them whisper to the alien sitting next to them.
<“Told you! You owe me five credits.”>
Kate shook her head in bemusement as she heard the one the alien was whispering to sheepishly grumbling to themselves. She turned to Y’ggdrasog to see him only just barely holding in his snickering at the exchange.
“This is probably close to what being an animal in a zoo is like. Well, if the animals could talk, and did Q and A sessions, and- …alright, maybe it’s not really much like it, but-”
There came a small crackle over the speakers, sending her train of thought careening off the tracks.
<“We are now preparing to depart for the surface. Keep yourselves strapped in for the entirety of the descent. Descent beginning in three… two… one.”>
And with that, the shuttle lurched as it turned and slowly began to accelerate towards the planet below.
Kate rarely stopped staring out the shuttle windows at the tortured landscape of her planet as the ship descended. She had seen plenty of smoke in the atmosphere and the occasional wildfire from Y’ggdrasog’s ship, but it was another thing entirely to view it all from this close. The ashen remains of past forest fires. The veritable seas of rubble where towns and cities once stood. Highway after highway of derelict vehicles. The occasional roof with things like “HELP,” “OUT OF WATER,” “PLEASE SAVE MY CHILDREN” or “WE ARE DEAD AND THIS IS HELL” painted on them.
It was like watching a disaster play out before your eyes that you’re powerless to stop. A train wreck in the distance, when you’re out of reach of a track-switch to pull to prevent it. A pedestrian too far from you to push out of the way before they’re hit by a car. You can’t stop it, but you can’t seem to drag your gaze away either.
She only realized she had started crying when Y’ggdrasog nudged her, holding out the familiar cylindrical container of silk tissues that she accepted with a grateful nod. He gently put his hand on her good shoulder.
<”The Collective can fix this. It might take years, but we can.”>
Kate glanced at him as she dabbed away the tears.
“Can you guys bring back all the people who died?”
Y’ggdrasog merely remained silent.
Kate pursed her lips.
“Then you can’t fix it, can you? …No one can.”
<”...It is true, we can’t bring back those who were lost. But we can still do our utmost to rebuild, and help those who remain.”>
“At this point, is it even worth rebuilding it? Helping us?”
Y’ggdrasog winced at the bitterness in her voice.
<“…If you truly thought it wasn’t, would you have agreed to come down here?”>
Kate stared at him for a few more seconds before a small smile finally cracked through the emotionally exhausted look on her face.
“…You always know just what to say to pull me back from my bad thoughts, you know that?”
J’Ffrane’s disembodied head floated into view from their seat behind the pair of them.
<“What can I say? He had a simply marvelous teacher.”>
This spurred Kate to laughter, finally banishing her sour mood, if only for a time.
——
As the shuttle touched down, Kate zipped up her jacket and put on the beanie cap Y’ggdrasog had fabricated at her request. The same gray as her Giger-esque jacket, the cap was an artificial wool weaved so tightly together that it retained all the benefits of wool without any of the itchiness associated with it. She turned to see that Y’ggdrasog has just finished struggling his way into-
“…Yiggy, what are those?”
He glanced up at her as he finished fastening the last strap.
<“Just my shoes. …Or at least the closest thing to them I can wear to protect my feet from the cold, anyway. I just wish they weren’t such a hassle to put on and take off…”>
It was all Kate could do to keep herself from bursting into laughter as she stared down at the footwear. For all intents and purposes, they resembled the feet of a duck, albeit a grossly oversized duck with an extra toe in the back. A thin membrane extended between each of his forward talons, presumably to retain warmth between them like a mitten would for fingers, and to top it all off they were made of some shiny, bright orange material.
Y’ggdrasog’s eyes narrowed in suspicion as Kate averted her own gaze, trying and failing to hide her smile as she only just barely continued to suppress her laughter.
<“…What’s so funny?”>
“Uh- well, it’s just that, um… N-nevermind, it’s not important…”
If anything, his eyes only narrowed further as his suspicion reached its zenith, but he had other things to attend to.
<“…Right then.”>
With that, he pulled his own jacket out of his carry-on, and-
With her defenses already weakened, Kate couldn’t hold back an amused snort, much to Y’ggdrasog’s chagrin.
<“Oh, what is it now?!”>
“I- *snrk* …I’m sorry, but that is by far the single ugliest jacket I’ve ever seen…”
Y’ggrasog looked down at the pink, orange, yellow and green (all bright neon) crime against fashion he had fabricated, and winced.
<“…Is it really that bad? I only really had visibility in mind when making it, in case I were to get lost in one of these “blizzards” I’ve read about.”>
“On that front, you are 100% good to go. You’re probably going to be visible from space. I just- …nevermind. Maybe it’ll grow on me.”
As Y’ggdrasog put the jacket on and zipped it up, he looked down at his now-covered chest with disdain and let out a reluctant sigh.
<“Ugh… I know I’ve made fun of lumigogs who never cover up, but I can’t remember the last time I wore anything over my sacs. It just feels so weird! …Still, I guess it can’t be helped...”>
“Oh, chin up Yiggy. You’re a big boy, you can do this.”
<“Doesn’t mean I have to like it. …Now, where did I put those zip-up leggings…”>
As Y’ggdrasog finally finished bundling up, the shuttle came to a stop and parked. The pilot- a large but squat alien in an orange uniform that resembled what would happen if you were to somehow take a malformed gorilla with dwarfism, graft the skin of a rhinoceros onto it, and then give it some steroids for good measure- addressed them one last time.
<“Alright everyone, remember: make sure to always mask up whatever body parts you need to when you’re outside to protect your internal organs, always clean off your clothing before entering any occupied enclosed space to prevent potential radioactive contamination, and most of all, always be on your best behavior!
Each and every one of you represent the Collective, and the governing powers of this particular planetary territory have extended to us the ENORMOUS privilege of allowing us on their homeworld when they are at their most vulnerable. We do not want to give them a reason to regret it! Got it? …Good.
…Now get off my shuttle already. I have twenty more rounds of volunteers to bring to various territories today alone.”>
As Kate and the rest of the first round of volunteers made their way down the shuttle’s exit ramp, she winced at the sudden drop in temperature that brought the occasional snow flurry with it as they exited the controlled climate of the ship and entered the crisp, late-autumn air. Suddenly, she heard a sharp intake of breath from beside her.
<“SPIRITS! How can you people survive in these conditions?!”>
She turned to see Y’ggdrasog clutching his coat closer to himself, his mandibles chittering together under the translucent face mask they had both been issued to protect themselves from fallout. Kate couldn’t help but grin under her own mask at his reaction to the chill.
“Oh don’t worry, it gets much worse from here on out. …In a couple months, you’ll be wishing it were only as cold as it is now.”
<“Ugh… forget the taboo, remind me to print another three coats or so. Maybe then I won’t worry that my algal sacs might crystallize before my very eyes!”>
As they continued down the ramp, Kate looked around at the flurry of activity around them on the runway they had landed on. The vast majority of it was human, but she recognized a few aliens amidst the crowd. …It was hard not to, when almost every human around was giving them a wide berth.
Suddenly, one such alien began to approach them, alongside a human in a military uniform. Kate struggled to hold back her laughter at the alien’s appearance. It seemed as though the Collective contained a species that, against all odds, resembled a stork of all things, albeit with a large blue cranial crest not unlike that of a rooster, and thicker legs with small hand-like appendages instead of feet- opposable thumbs and all. They were wearing a sleek blue uniform alongside several bags hung about their body at seemingly random intervals.
The alien’s auto-translated voice was bright and cheery as they met the new arrivals.
<“Greetings! You must be the first of the rounds of volunteers coming planetside, correct?”>
Kate nodded as the aliens around her made similar gestures or noises of affirmation.
“Yeah, that’s us.”
The alien’s feathers ruffled slightly in mirth, and the man in the military uniform looked at her with a cold, unamused gaze before speaking.
“Sorry, ma’am, he was talking to the Collective representatives here.”
Kate’s brow furrowed in confusion.
“What?”
“The Collective agents that just came from orbit. He was addressing them. If you’d step aside, maybe head back to whatever group you’re with…?”
“…But I did just come from orbit.”
The bird-like alien laughed (a sound like that of a songbird’s call) before he saw Kate’s expression.
“I’m not a refugee. I came down with Yiggy here-“
<“Y’ggdrasog,”> he hastily corrected her whilst internally cringing. <“My name is Y’ggdrasog, and I can attest that she was aboard my ship for a time.”>
The uniformed man’s eyebrows shot up like rockets in surprise, and the bird-like alien’s feathers puffed out a bit in shock before he found his voice.
<“…It seems a few details of this group were left out of my dossier! I suppose apologies are in order for the misunderstanding. …If I might inquire, how did a human end up-“>
Kate interrupted them with a dismissive gesture.
“It’s a very, very long story. Could we just focus on what we’re supposed to be doing down here?”
The stork alien clearly wanted to ask a million questions or so, but simply nodded.
<“Right, sorry, I just wasn’t expecting- …sorry. Anyway, my name is Migtryl, I’m a member of the Collective’s diplomatic branch. And this is Jack-”>
“Senior Airman Jack,” Jack clarified. Migtryl’s feathers puffed up a bit in embarrassment at this.
<“Ah, yes, right, sorry. I’m still getting used to this weird ranking system you all use- er, no offense. …Anyway, right this way, we need to get you all registered.”>
Jack nodded and tagged behind Migtryl as the alien led the group over to a nearby tent and began rifling through a set of filing cabinets inside. As he waited for Migtryl to finish up, he turned back to the group.
“We have to be very thorough about keeping track of everyone here, be they human refugees or Collective volunteers. Names, faces, what group they’re part of, if they have any special dietary or medical needs, that sort of thing. It affects everything from how we distribute rations to sending out a search party or two in the event that anyone were to go missing from the fort.”
Kate cocked an eyebrow.
“How often does that happen?”
“More often than I’d like. Usually it’s just people getting delayed on their way back from scavenging runs, or someone going for a walk and getting lost. Other times, well…”
He pursed his lips, and his next words were somber in tone.
“…There’s one less mouth to feed.”
An awkward silence ensued for a few seconds before Migtryl came back bearing a holo-tablet.
<“Right, this should only take a few minutes. Just pass the tablet around.”>
He went to hand the tablet to Kate, but she motioned to her broken arm.
“Uh… do you have a table or something around here I could set it on? I can’t hold it and write at the same-”>
<“Ah, not to worry, not to worry. I’ll just hold it for you!”>
Kate went to protest, but closed her mouth and let out a defeated sigh, averting eye contact.
“Fine…”
Migtryl balanced on one leg and held out the tablet for her with the other. As Kate activated her visor and began to fill in the various blank portions of the interface with her good hand, Y’ggdrasog peered over her shoulder- hard not to, when one only had to glance down to do so at his height.
<““Katherine Alba Olson-Davis?””>
Kate took a break from filling in the blanks to swat him on the arm quite a bit harder than the more playful ones before now (though he still barely felt it), earning a rather concerned glance from Migtryl. Her next words to Y’ggdrasog came as a harsh, VERY irritated whisper.
“Do not call me that. I’m Kate. Not Katherine, and DEFINITELY not my full name!”
As she finished up writing and Migtryl passed Y’ggdrasog the tablet, he saw the familiar sight of Kate’s good hand going to clutch her nanite cast. He connected the mental dots with ease.
After filling his information in and passing the tablet to the next person, he turned to Kate.
<“…Your parents called you Katherine, didn’t they?”>
She bristled at his words.
“For the love of- …Yiggy, I’m warning you-”
<“Ok, ok! I’ll drop it. …Sorry…”>
As the last of the group finished, Migtryl bobbed his head up and down in approval.
<“Excellent! Now, if you’ll all follow behind us, we’ll lead the way to the fort.”>
With that, he turned and began hopping along towards the edge of the base with Jack in tow.

So I (16,M) have really been interested in fitness and lost 15kg by working out at home with a 5kg pair of dumbells and my father also encouraged me very much and now I want to build some muscle and be more healthy and even 10kg dumbbells are light for me now and getting new ones every time I progress will put me in debt and he gave me two options
1.join a gym close to our house like only a km away maybe less and it is a good gym with everything you need and costs only 10 bucks because I live in India but sometimes it gets crowded and I have social anxiety and a little nervous about it.
2.he can give me 500 bucks to make a home gym with which I can get about 150lbs of weights a good Olympic barbell 30mm a flat bench and a pair of adjustable dumbells which go upto 80lbs with a alright squat stand
I kinda want the home gym option but I don't know if this little and MEDIUM quality equipment can take me so far but I love to workout whenever I want with no nervousness and also like to own the things I use

Living in this subreddit, we can often hear the phrase "DYOR" being thrown around a lot, almost to be worshiped. However, many people can get confused on what DYOR really means, and how to do it well.
DYOR stands for "Do Your Own Research", implying that one should not simply trust what they read, but rather do their own analysis and investigation before coming to a conclusion. Wether it is related to the lated rumor, or to an investment opportunity, DYOR is crucial.
There is no foolproof method to DYOR, however, here are a few points that one should follow to increase their chances of success:
- Be skeptical of all information. Never simply assume that something is true
- Use reliable sources. When dealing with crypto related new, using well know and trustworthy sources can help a lot
- Take information at face value. Everything you read (even from official source), should be taken at face value. Don't let anyone "sugar coat" it into sounding better than it is
- The founder of a shitcoin is BIASED. IF you choose to go down the shitcoin path, listening to paid promotion posts/shills or the founder is NOT an accurate representation of the tokenomics and its worth.
- Always try to do fundamental analysis. When dealing with a token, try to go to its contract address. See the market cap. See the holder and their % share of token holding. Can the token be minted out of thin air, or is there a cap? All of this will help you come to an informed decision.
- Don't fall into FUD. It is easy to make irrational decisions when scared. Always look at the fundamentals and make your own decision.
- Same for FOMO. Don't FOMO. Do your research, analyze the fundamentals, and then make an informed decision
​
Let me know if I missed anything,
As always, good luck and happy trading

No power armor, ammo, misc or junk offers please
Wishlist:

• oe/7led/fdc scout ll
• reverse urban scout (painted forest)
• Leather Coat
• Fiend
• Maybe Legacy Prototype Hazmat?

What I have:
Chainsaws:

• j40padur
• v40pa+a

Handmades:

• b50vhc25
• j50c25 x2

Railway:

• j2525
• Q25250
• AA25dur
• aa50c90
• b50c90
• b50c+a
• Ari2525
• Q15apbreak
• Q50cSF
• v50c25
• v2515fr

Fixer:

• b50c15fr
• Q50vhc15c
• JE15fr
• Q50vhc15fr
• aa2525
• Q50vhc25
• Q50cdur

Pump Shotgun

• VE25

Combat Rifles:

• b2525

- qe25

Cryolator:

• AA2550
• F2515fr

LMG:

• Q25
• A2590
• FE15fr
• Q2515fr
• V2525

LAR:

• Q50c15fr
• b50c25

10mm Pistol

• Q50c90

10mm SMG:

• QE

SMG

• QE+P
• exe50c25

GP:

MINIGUN:

50 cal:

• j2515

Plasma Rifle:

• V50c25

EPR:

• bad roll w/ aligned auto + ss + reflex
• Q50c15v w/ aligned sniper + ss + reflex
• perfect mod enclave pistol
• aligned flamer mod
• 3x aligned sniper

4x slug buster (7.5k caps per or 50 leaders)
Dragon(legacy damage and range):

Misc Melee:

• Aa/ss/s tire iron
• v/ss/s spear
• ari40pas

Armor:
Aristocrats:

• ap/fdc sturdy leather cp
• ap/fdc heavy leather la

Assassins:

• +i/sent fsa rl
• +i/fdc fsa ra
• +i/fdc sturdy leather ll
• 25rsent fsa ra

- +e/fdc marine ll

Chameleon:

• ap/sent marine la

Mutants:

• +i/wwr USA ll
• ap/wwr USA ra

Nocturnal:

• +i/sent heavy metal cp

Overeaters:

• end/wwr heavy robot cp
• +L/poison Heavy Combat CP
• hungerdr Heavy Combat ra
• +c/fire heavy combat la
• +c/sent USA ll
• +p/wwr fsa ll
• rwwr heavy metal cp
• hungewwr marine ll
• +i/fdc heavy raider ll
• led/fdc wood la
• led/fdc usa ra (only would limp swap)
• +i/fdc usa ll (wearing currently would only trade for oe/led/fdc scout ll)

Regenerating:

• +L/fdc fsa ll
• +e/fdc marine cp
• ap/wwr combat ra

Unyielding:

• +s fsa la 2*
• +a/fdc fsa rl
• 25edwwr sturdy leather cp
• +p/wwr sturdy metal ra (lvl 30)
• 25edwwr raider ra
• +a/wwr trapper ra
• ap usa cp 2*
• ap/swim fsa ll
• +i fsa rl 2*
• +s/cav usa ra
• +L/wwr heavy raider
• +a/wwr Trapper ra
• +s/wwr heavy raider rl
• +s/wwr trapper rl
• +e/fdc usa rl
• cfdc heavy combat cp
• led/cav marine la
• edsent USA ra
• ap/jwr marine la
• ap heavy combat la 2*
• rfdc fsa cp
• ccav usa cp
• ap/5frost fsa rl
• ap/jwr sturdy raider rl
• +i heavy raider rl 2*
• ap fsa la 2*
• +i/5frost fsa cp

Vanguards:

• +i/sent heavy robot cp
• +i/sent heavy robot ra
• +i/sent fsa ra
• 25rwwr fsa ll
• +s/fdc fsa cp
• ap/awr usa la

Weightless:

• ap/wwr combat la
• end/wwr marine ll
• +L/wwr heavy metal ra

Apparel:

• crazy guy x3
• deathclaw x5
• raven x3
• Brahmin
• fsam x3
• demon
• wpjs x4
• usam
• bos
• forest asylum x2
• hag x2
• Winter Man x2
• fcjs x2
• responders set
• tlc

Aid

• 1500 leaders bbh
• 137 g&b7
• 90 ts7
• 150 ts8
• 110 energy bbh

Ammo:

• 120k 5mm

Free:

• Q50L railway x2
• Q railway
• 1* unyielding pieces scout pieces mostly

I work a 7 days on, 7 off schedule of 10 hour shifts. I have about an hour most mornings on my work week that I can dedicate to training. On my off week, I can usually go to the bouldering gym 2-3 times, and maybe get outside a few times instead depending on the season and life events. I’m hoping to send a v10 before I hit 41, so I have about 2.5 years. I’ve hit a few v7s in the past, a few more v6s, but probably would call myself solidly v5 right now.
At home I have a Tension Grindstone Mk2 hangboard, a tiny (4x8 foot + kicker) 45° mirrored systems board, a barbell and squat rack with enough plates, a pull-up bar, and deadlift pad. (Plus miscellaneous dumbbells, a few kettlebells, etc).
My gym is a short drive and finally has someone setting legit problems in the 7-9 range, a wide variety of wall angles, resets aren’t super often- maybe every 4 weeks or so lately. We also have a 20° Tension board.
I’m trying to stop treading water on training and get a consistent routine going with reasonable, sustainable progress. I’ve been in and out of climbing various disciplines for a long time and I’m currently most psyched on bouldering and it feels the most attainable and practical (and I love the purity of focusing on just a few perfectly executes moves and learning them vs enduring a long route).
With my work schedule, how would you set up a training plan? Right now I was trying to rebuild my v5 foundation so I’ve focused on trying to send a few a session the past few weeks at the gym.
I’m can provide more info on what I’ve been doing and roughly current stats but also hoping to get some good blank slate ideas too.
I live in the southeastern US so I have access to great boulders, they’re all just a several hour drive generally. I think I could project some outdoor climbs once the seasons roll around.

I've started working out 4 days a week. 45 minute sessions and made a big diet change. Dumbbells, barbell, bench, and a bunch of different weights. I bought some equipment and thankfully my parents have some. Cheaper than a gym membership if I manage to keep the habit up for months or longer. I can't really justify it other than I want to look more attractive and remove a major insecurity, but my face is so bad it feels hopeless on some level. I guess I want to stop being a hiki at some point and I want something to show for it. Does anyone else do things like this so you feel like you're not rotting away with no progress in case you leave the lifestyle, or are you all doomers? 😆

The biggest store in the world is in Manhattan, or so does Macy's claim. There's a few others that has made the same claim, I seem to recall. But regardless of what the actual ranking goes like, it's a pretty big store. And on Memorial Day, it had a pretty big sale. I entered behind a crowd into the store.
I really did need some new summer shoes, so I walked towards the first sports shoes section that I saw. I looked around, picked up something I wanted, checked the price to make sure, then brought it to the counter to ask if there's one in stock.
"What size?"
"10.5."
"We don't carry in half sizes, it's gotta be either 10 or 11."
"Oh, 11, then, but I will also try 10s."
"...women's, or men's?"
"Women's."
"Give me a sec."
I sense the familiar hesitation, but I don't mind. Then I get told that theres no 11 or 10 for this model. I return to the aisle. I find a different one, and bring it to the counter. I get told the largest they come is an 8. Then I return to the isle, then the counter, then the isle, then the counter. "There's lots of people here", I think to myself. "Many are trying out a lot of shoes, and the counter people are very very busy." There was one that came in size 10, but it didn't fit when I tried.
The last time I walk up to the counter, he apologizes then tells me that I should check the 4th floor if they might have something in stock. I thank him and take the escalator to the 4th floor. When I get to the 4th floor, I am greeted with a view of a whole floor of luxury designer stores and a very slight waft of perfume. I walk next to a mannequin in a beautiful dress, and notice a pretty girl staring at it. "That would fit her well", I think to myself. I am pleased by what I see, but I didn't forget that I'm here to find running shoes. I look around the floor to see where that would be. It's just aisles and aisles of fancy bags and dresses, as far as I see. I don't see any shoes.
Then, all the way at the back of the floor, I see an entrance to another wing. On it, it says, in chrome-coated letters, all caps: "MEN'S".
I pass the entrance, and find an identical store to the one on the second floor, except this time, almost everyone checking out the shoes are men. I walk up to the wall and immediately find the same one I wanted to buy downstairs, except that this one was comically larger. I look up the size conversion chart to remind me of my old size, then ask the guy at the counter. He says give me a minute, and immediately brings a pair from the back. The moment I try it on, it fits like a glove.

So I’ve recently changed to a 3 day a week split (6-8 working sets per muscle groups a week pretty low volume) from a 6 day a week split Currently:
Monday - Chest/Arms
Wednesday - Legs/Abs
Friday - Shoulders/Back
I’m prioritizing Incline only movements for chest so my first exercise is incline barbell and then my second is low-incline dumbbell bench. And maybe dips
My shoulder and back day starts off with barbell OHP and pull ups (trying to get to weighted)
I’m wondering if anyone else has ever experimented and saw changes in shoulder development or chest development with this sort of prioritization. I’ve read that this sort of training is good for naturals because of the recovery and focusing on those upper body movements will create a “you look like you lift” physique
Goal : shoulder dominant physique, decent arms and chest and back. I don’t care for big legs even tho I have them lol

This is a routine I've done for a good amount of time, roughly 3 months, it's been working for me so far, though I'm curious what others think about it. Don't hold back.
Day 1: Monday - Upper Body Workout 1. Bench Press: 3 sets of 8-10 reps 2. Bent-Over Rows: 3 sets of 8-10 reps 3. Overhead Press: 3 sets of 8-10 reps 4. Push-Ups: 3 sets of 10-12 reps 5. Lat Pulldowns: 3 sets of 10-12 reps 6. Bicep Curls: 3 sets of 10-12 reps 7. Tricep Dips: 3 sets of 10-12 reps 8. Plank: Hold for 30-60 seconds
Day 2: Tuesday - Lower Body Workout 1. Squats: 3 sets of 8-10 reps 2. Deadlifts: 3 sets of 8-10 reps 3. Lunges: 3 sets of 10-12 reps per leg 4. Leg Press: 3 sets of 10-12 reps 5. Calf Raises: 3 sets of 10-12 reps 6. Leg Curls: 3 sets of 10-12 reps 7. Bicycle Crunches: 3 sets of 12-15 reps 8. Russian Twists: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Day 3: Wednesday - Light Carido (Biking or Jogging, check how feel)
Day 4: Thursday - Full-Body Workout 1. Dumbbell Chest Press: 3 sets of 8-10 reps 2. Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 3 sets of 8-10 reps 3. Dumbbell Rows: 3 sets of 8-10 reps 4. Dumbbell Lunges: 3 sets of 10-12 reps per leg 5. Dumbbell Bicep Curls: 3 sets of 10-12 reps 6. Tricep Pushdowns: 3 sets of 10-12 reps 7. Russian Twists: 3 sets of 12-15 reps 8. Plank: Hold for 30-60 seconds
Day 5: Friday - Lower Body Workout 1. Barbell Squats: 3 sets of 8-10 reps 2. Romanian Deadlifts: 3 sets of 8-10 reps 3. Bulgarian Split Squats: 3 sets of 10-12 reps per leg 4. Leg Press: 3 sets of 10-12 reps 5. Standing Calf Raises: 3 sets of 10-12 reps 6. Leg Extensions: 3 sets of 10-12 reps 7. Bicycle Crunches: 3 sets of 12-15 reps 8. Russian Twists: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Day 6: Saturday - Full-Body Workout 1. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 sets of 8-10 reps 2. Bent-Over Dumbbell Rows: 3 sets of 8-10 reps 3. Military Press: 3 sets of 8-10 reps 4. Goblet Squats: 3 sets of 10-12 reps 5. Hammer Curls: 3 sets of 10-12 reps 6. Skull Crushers: 3 sets of 10-12 reps 7. Plank: Hold for 30-60 seconds 8. Russian Twists: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Day 7

Obviously I can’t cover everything, but these are things I wish I knew before putting mine in (also opinions):

1. Don’t try to attach the fuse above your engine bay. Do this on a table, ahead of time and splice the wire no more than 6 inches from the other end that terminates to the battery.
   
2. Get a coat hanger for when you have to snake the power wire through the firewall, into the engine bay and duct tape the power wire to it.
   
3. Don’t try to solder in your car. Your car will smell like ass and you’ll get Liquid Metal on shit and burn your leg.
   
4. If you’re getting a radio, sure you can get one on amazon, but figure out if you need a single or double din and if you’ll need a dash kit. Best way to do that is to check Scosche’s website. They tell you. I put a double din in mine and I probably could have been okay with just a single din, but I also could have gotten the dash kit that Scosche had with the wire harness and it all would have looked better.
   
5. Butt connectors suck in comparison to wire caps, but could short out if any wires cross, so make sure to use them sparingly.
   
6. Get some extra wire because there’s a good chance you’re going to accidentally wire the remote turn on wire from the amp to the wire that the Chinese head unit says is the remote wire and then it’s not gonna work and you’ll need to replace the wire in the harness that you cut.
   
7. Before cutting any of the wire harness wires, label them or draw on them with sharpie if you’re cutting one and two of them have the same color.
   
8. Save some money and buy an aftermarket wire harness that you have to solder instead of one that terminates with butt connectors. Chances are someone will have returned the aftermarket wire harness and the butt connectors will already be crimped and then you’ll have to return it and get a whole new one.
   
9. The instructions for your amp and sub and head unit are going to suck. YouTube is your friend, so it could be a good idea to pay for one month of YouTube premium so you can wade through lots of YouTube videos to figure out what you need.
   
10. IMO best song to test subs and amp is Mercy (Kanye, 2 Chainz, Pusha T and Big Sean) you also have to tune the sub and turn up the settings.
    

I am installing roof rails and cross bars. Rails went on fine, and I already put the caps over the bolts. D'oh! Now I'm ready to put on the cross bars, but the bolt holes for the cross bars are capped, and I canNOT get the caps off. I've already broken two. Maybe they'd be easier to push out from the inside, but I don't want to take the rails off if I can avoid it, because it will likely mess up those caps. Help? They look like plastic wall anchors and have a tiny hex hole in the center. I can get a razor blade under them, but nothing thicker. I've snapped one razor and ripped the ring off two caps, leaving the "anchor" piece, which is even worse :'( Tell me there's a simple answer that I'm too frustrated and dumb to see!