Varsity bound iowa

Pretty new to this and just seeing if I can make friends my own age. My Parents are crazy strict so it's not easy making new friends for me. A little bit about myself:
I play basketball (hoping to make varsity) I enjoy going swimming I live in a tiny boring town in Iowa Never had a bf/gf (strict parents remember) Possibly gay.. or bi? I'm not sure
Please be nice if you message me and don't be a creepy old man! Thanks!

Demographics: Asian Male, midwest, born in japan, moved between china and japan before came here when I was 10. I speak japanese, mandarin, english - trilingual. my mom makes basically no money. but stepdad makes above average.
SAT: math 800 reading should get 700+ on the june one I just took
ACT: going to take in september, confident in 34+
UW GPA: 4.0/4.0
W GPA: grades arent out yet but probably 4.3/5.0
AP: World history(5), chinese(5), computer science principle(4) these I dont have score for yet: apush, chem, physics c mech, lang, calc bc.
I will take ap psych, ap csa, apes, and calc 3 at local private university next year.
Awards: varsity letter in track 2x, soccer state champ(club), drake relays relay cup champ(2x(track)), third at math for regional academic decathlon, pretty sure I will get AP scholar with distinction after I get the scores back
ECs: Varsity track(went to state 2 years), club soccer before track, academic decathlon, NHS, used to do mock trial and NHD,
Others: going to take linear algebra/multivariable calculus at stanford this summer. I was part of the Chinese national youth soccer team while I lived there. Also am trying to be recruited as athlete but ended up pulling my hamstring twice this season so we'll see how that goes.
volunteer: local library for tech helps, tutor kids from south africa via zoom.
Essays and LOR
essays should be pretty good since Im getting some help for them
LOR will be from ap chem teacher, should be pretty good
LOR from one of my coaches should be good
hoping to get LOR from my stanford professor this summer as well.
​
Major: something in STEM, maybe math or some sort of engineering
​
College list:
safety - ISU, University of IOWA
Target: University of Washington, purdue
Reach: Stanford, Princeton, Yale, Columbia, Harvard, Notre Dame, Northwestern, UCLA, UChicago, Duke, Berkeley, USC, CMU, Rice, Umich, UT austin, UVA
*Probably will add a few more to Targets

Paypal Invoice Only
Timestamp and Tagged Pics: https://imgur.com/a/8Ght4JF
Stu$$y x C*G 50th Anniversary Varsity, Size XL £70 - https://imgur.com/o9eWl64
Bound 2 Y33zy Season 6 Hoodie Ash Grey Size L £30 - https://imgur.com/1nMXJNT
R3pr3s3nt 0wner's (lub Hoodie (Union Kingdom Batch) Size XL - https://imgur.com/R8Ov8Gn
N1ke Centre Swoosh Hoodie Khaki/Beige Size XL £10 - https://imgur.com/ZLWxvJS
R3al B3tis Retro Shirt Size L £20 - https://imgur.com/geqYKVZ
N1k3 [email protected]@1 Vap0ur Waffl3 Size UK 10 £50 - https://imager.com/GFMt1ml
Nelly Button-Up Teal £12 TTS Size L - https://imgur.com/wvCO380
Nelly Button-Up Black £12 TTS Size L - https://imgur.com/KqA6FrN
R3pr3s3nt Carpenter Pants Black Size XL £25 - https://imgur.com/oAATCsD
Stu$$y Mask Fleece Size XL £50 - https://imgur.com/Y2Nk6wh
[email protected] [email protected] City Skyline Fleece Size XL - £25 - https://imgur.com/CkxuPzs
Supr3m3 Bandana Box Logo Hoodie (Rep Brothers Batch) Size XL - £50 - https://imgur.com/SbTdM87
[email protected]@n Clubmaster (LatLon Batch) - £50 - https://imgur.com/epgA5as
Chr0m3 [email protected] Heart Pendant & Chain 925 Sterling Silver (From Silverluxe) - £70 - https://imgur.com/uSoy3Sx
V1v13nn3 W3stw00d Batwing Necklace - £5 - https://imgur.com/I8Hw92R
[email protected] [email protected] Sweater Navy XL - £25 - https://imgur.com/a/Rq1eU84
A1yx Bracelet (No spare links, sorry) - £5 - https://imgur.com/a/ClyGNcq
I can provide measurements and extra pics upon request, just PM. I ship worldwide however I ask that you bear the cost, please PM for a quote. Had a few people ignore invoices lately, repeat offenders will be ignored/blocked. Discounts available on bundles. First person to buy an item gets a free Kaws Keychain I have knocking about!

I never met my birth parents. They both died on a job when I was a baby, and I went into foster care. I didn’t have any interest in knowing anything about them; my adoptive parents are the ones who raised me.
However, everything changed a week ago when a group of men came knocking at my door. They wore what looked like military uniforms, but instead of the usual green, they wore a distinct red color instead. They loaded me, along with my foster parents into an unmarked matching red van. We were rushed to a farmhouse on the opposite side of Washington where the facility was heavily guarded with intimidating men and unfamiliar machines that appeared like they required several men to operate.
Being an IT major, I had no knowledge nor interest in these things. I’m not a runner, fighter or a strategist, so I couldn’t fathom what they wanted from me.
They relentlessly interrogated me for three days, bombarding me with questions and then, when they concluded that I was blissfully unaware, intimidated me with frightening information. Dumbfounded, I soaked in every ounce of knowledge they offered me. The new knowledge I gained made me see my parents in a new terrifying light. I couldn’t help but feel more resentment, adding on to the existing resentment I harboured. My parents not only betrayed themselves, but me as well and part of me feared that I would never be safe again. I couldn’t help but feel manipulated. They were long gone, but their past still controlled my fate.
I was eventually uprooted to a secondary protective facility, one in which I was not permitted to know the location of. For my own safety, they assured me. Once settled, they supplied me with new electronics and destroyed my old ones. They warned me that I was to stay under the radar, completely untraceable. Again, for my own protection. I was confident that given my knowledge of IT, software engineering and cyber security, I would remain unseen and untraceable to anyone who might be hunting me.
Now that I am sure I am safe, I can finally write this message and warn anyone connected to the initial bloodlines involved. It is crucial for my message to reach you.
The story begins with my biological grandfather. He worked for a branch of the government closely related to NASA. Following the moon landing there was a great deal of classified developments that the population was oblivious to. The department my grandfather worked for protecting the world against extra-terrestrial threats or extra-terrestrial terrorism as they described it.
Paranoia gripped them after the moon landing and they took drastic measures to prepare. Five years later, they deciphered the first communications and signals from frequencies previously unknown to them. These signals were so powerful that they destroyed entire systems, disrupted the power grid and took down entire radio stations. This special branch of government discovered they could tap into these signals which revealed that our galaxy has been under constant surveillance. This was ironically discovered by extra-terrestrials working within this branch, tasked to monitor and prevent extra-terrestrial terrorism on a much larger scale.
At this point in their story, the soldiers were reluctant to divulge more. Insisting that they already revealed too much. But I demanded full transparency, refusing to cooperate with their equivocation. It was essential that I know my involvement in these matters. So, they continued, placing a huge box in front of me, overflowing with papers. They swiftly unveiled its contents to me, Stacks of documents and old tapes they tossed onto the table, one after the another.
The documents contained, amongst others, details of weapons the organisation, known as ESA were crafting and testing along with formulas to create immensely powerful weapons. They used advanced calculations to try and manufacture better equipment that could be sent up to space. They were doing this undisclosed, to monitor and learn as much as they could.
The ESA spent millions designing and building a spacecraft to contain their equipment, if the situation ever called for it. It is still a work in progress. All of this is actively happening, the documents and footage stamped up until a week ago.
I opened a document with a list of classified individuals who had this information. Presidents, EU members, a handful of the rich and powerful, who used this information to design and construct underground bunkers, granting that, if anything were to ever happen, they’d be prepared. These aren’t a new concept though, the extremely rich and powerful have been known to publicly sponsor new technological advancements. Well some may think this gave them the upper hand, it eventually proved their foolishness.
The following is what I saw in the most crucial videos:
Video 1: dated 1975 The video opens in an empty cell, appearing to be a reinforced holding chamber. At first, the room is dark, then the spotlights switch on, illuminating the centre of the room. Now in the light, I could clearly make out what looked like a reinforced metal wall with chains protruding from it. The focus shifts to the back of the room where a large door opens and something is dragged in a sheet, concealing its identity, and tied down with thick chains. The video ends.
Video 2: June 1975 I saw about 20 armed men entered the room and start to unwrap the sheet from what they hauled in. After several minutes of unwrapping, the identity of the thing they brought in is revealed.
There seemed to be a glitch in the recording, at different points in the video the screen was covered in static. The sound was muted, and the figure was hard to make out. It appeared that the creature was attempting to change shape, vibrating as if to phase into a different shape. Despite its best attempts, it remained unsuccessful and reverted back to its original form. .
Video 3: the very next day wnd June 1975
The video opens with the creature fully in focus. Within the 18 hours of footage, the creature is constantly seen attempting to change form. It fails every time, but that doesn’t prevent it from trying again. It looks like a blur, occasionally a second head or what appears to be a human hand. It’s apparent the creature has shapeshifting abilities.
The next 200 videos are identical. To the naked eye, it seemed like a loop. But it wasn’t. The creature was, however, relentless in its attempt to free itself or escape.
Video 204: October 1975
This time the alien appeared to be asleep, head limp and no movement. This video had sound, but it was accompanied by a high pitch buzz that made my ears hurt. At the six-hour mark, the faint cry of a baby can be heard before gradually escalating into full-blown screaming.
At first I suspected that one of the scientists had brought their child along, but the agents assured me the crying was coming from the creature. As the video progresses, the cries grow louder and more demanding, eventually accompanied by a deep voice. Close to the end of the video, 22 hours in, multiple voices begin to scream simultaneously, causing everything to shake.
The documents show that, after this incident, the cage was reinforced. The next few videos are static, proving that the creature has the uncanny ability to manipulate video and disrupt frequencies.
Video 340 February 1982
The creature, with its brown discoloration, possessed crocodile like scales and an eagle like head, but it was entirely reptilian in nature. It stood at a whopping 12 feet tall and was covered in an unknown slime like substance.
The chains were substantially thicker than they were years earlier, and the cage has been fortified. It looked like a different room altogether.
The agents explained that the creature got loose and attacked 12 soldiers, absorbing them into itself instead of merely killing or eating them.
The creature was taken to Nevada, close to the desert, where a strong armoured underground structure had been constructed, far from civilization. The facility has been equipped with high level security precautions which allowed sections of the building to be sealed off and rigged to explode, guaranteeing that, if necessary, the building would collapse in on itself, trapping the creature within its cage, underneath the rubble.
The creature mirrored the image I conjured up in my head when I pictured the devil; brown, scaly, a demonic voice. The eyes were its most terrifying feature, shaped like that of a reptilian, but blood red. I counted 4 horns on its head, and it bore a pair of nasty fangs. Its feet bore the resemblance of a dinosaur, but it lacked a tale. Once the creature was no longer phasing in and out, it settled on a more consistent appearance, one that was easier to recognize.
Video 341 February 1982
This video marked the first appearance of my grandfather. He entered, along with four other men in lab coats, carrying a large syringe, approximately the size of my arm. He stuck it into the beast’s heart, causing it to instantly fall into a deep sleep. He proceeded to connect various machines onto the slumbering creature, attaching electrodes to its head and chest which were linked to a sizeable computer or something that resembled a computer. The video cuts off after this, leaving us to guess what occurred next.
Video 343 February 1982 The lights in the room were far brighter than before, and it once again lacked the presence of sound. The reason for this remained unknown.
Within the room stood a table filled with an assortment of equipment that appeared to be severely damaged. The lights flickered at intervals, and the creature began to phase in and out once more. This made it difficult to distinguish its appearance amid the static moments and blurred movements. The scientists observed the creature a safe distance away.
The scientists were relying on a certain frequency they discovered to keep the creature at bay. It seemed to produce positive results for the next few videos.
The videos that followed held a similar pattern. The creature remained silent, wired to machines while people came in and out taking notes or the occasional blood or slime sample. The creature remained composed, not once attempting to shift or escape again.
According to the agents’ records, everything proceeded as planned. My grandfather welcomed his first son, my father in 1975, he subsequently resumed his project until his resignation in 2008 when he was 55. A year later, he had a fatal heart attack, my grandmother following soot. My father was 34.
My father and his younger brother began working for ESA in 2004, when they were 28 and 24. New technological advancements introduced better cameras and electronic equipment for testing purposes. Since the technology became so advanced, their visits to the cage became as infrequent as once a week, or even less often. With new needles, enhanced equipment and upgraded data collection, the project transferred to electronic records ushering changes in the filing system.
While we waited for my transportation, they shared more classified documents. According to the notes, the once wild and violent creature was now unrecognisably tame and responsive, even answering questions. It remained unclear whether they had intentionally provoked it or stumbled upon a means to subdue it.
The circumstances surrounding my birth were strange. My dad impregnated a college classmate, and they made the mutual decision to put me up for adoption since neither of them had the desire to raise a child. My mother was studying biology and my father, a young genius physicist that found it hard to understand basic human interaction as it was. According to my foster parents, I was born in 2000, but the data I was presented proved I was born two years prior. This revelation had a more profound effect on me than anything else I’d seen.
Regardless, I was immediately given up for adoption and my existence was all but forgotten about. My adoptive parents moved to Iowa, and that’s where I lived up until 2018 when I left for Harvard. I always wondered what my birth parents were like. My adoptive parents told me I was a genius and speculated that I inherited my brain from somewhere. It’s an uncanny feeling; the knowledge that every aspect of my life was monitored.
The videos documenting the creature continued for the next 6 years. It became routine, apart from the indistinct chatter from the observing scientists and other government employees. There were no other sounds, incidents or noteworthy occurrences.
The tests revealed that the creature’s biology was predominantly alien, with no genetic material in common with humans. The scientists highlighted the alarming fact that the creature’s DNA was ever changing, resulting in frequent sample collection and analysis.
They concluded that, the creature was still a baby at the time of capture, which made it easier to contain. They did, however, underestimate its shocking growth rate which resulted in the deaths of the 12 soldiers’ years prior. At the time, it was still in its adolescent phase. Further research uncovered that the creature had the unique ability to absorb the genetic material of the men it came into contact with. The more humans it absorbed, the more diverse its gene pool became. A portion of the genes obtained gradually became more similar to those observed in humans. It’s as if the creature dove into an immense pool of genes and, as it absorbed more humans, its genetic makeup gradually began to adopt more human like qualities. Although difficult to comprehend at first, the basic explanation is that with every absorption of genetic information, the creature’s genetic composition seemed to evolve, storing human qualities within its own gene and gradually becoming more human-like That is my understanding of it.
Which brings me to the final video they have. Prepare yourselves.
Video: mov5078436b The creature behaved normally before viewing was disrupted by static. Among the sudden legion of voices, it echoed my father’s name, simultaneously expanding in size which causes the surroundings to convulse. Alarms resounded, piercing the silence as the creature tugged at its chains, cracking the floor ceiling in its attempt to break free. An ear splitting roar escaped its mouth as hordes of armoured soldiers rushed the cage, massive tasers in hand. They zapped the creature at maximum voltage as it continued to roar, lights flickering excessively. The camera feed is interrupted again by bouts of static.
A second group arrived, armed heavily with guns, increasing the crowd to a total of 30. The gunfire was so severe that it affected the video’s audio. One of the chains bound to the roof of the cage had already broken loose by the time the third group of soldiers arrived. This group carried a machine emitting bursts of fire, which had no effect on the creature aside from antagonizing it. It releases a powerful blast from its hand, causing the room to tremble which shattered the bulletproof glass into millions of pieces and sent the men flying across the room. Both of the creature’s hands were now free, and it began to morph.
Finally, a fourth group arrived in heavily armoured suits, unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. They wielded lasers and what appeared to be a concentrated lightning gun. I was grateful they hadn’t made use of nuclear weapons which would have wiped everyone out. After every attempt, the creature remained standing. Now it was his turn.
The creature freed itself from the remaining shackles and unleashed a blast with both its hands. All that was left of the solders was a gruesome mess of blood where they stood. The air filled with a haunting scream that echoed throughout the halls. The creature released a menacing growl in the form of words that sent chills down my spine, “Dennis McCarthy”, my father’s name.
Right before the camera blacked out, I could have sworn he was in the brink of morphing into a human form, but the recording was cut short by the thunderous detonation of explosions that sent the building into destruction, burying the truth within its rubble.
The scientists, including my dad, were taken by the ESA (extra-terrestrial security agency) and hidden in a heavily guarded underground haven. They were issued new identities and relocated, which isn’t a new concept for the government.
As far as the drones’ visual feed could capture, the entire operation was terminated, leaving behind the collapsed and buried ruins of a facility that was once fully functional. It was under strict surveillance for any signs of life, but as the years rolled by, complacency set in, compromising their once strict security measures.
My father, uncle and the rest of the scientists assumed new lives and identities. As far as the rest of the world was concerned, they were dead.
In 2010, an unexpected interruption occurred. Reports indicated that the drones simultaneously malfunctioned, and the video feed erupted into static. A team arrived at the site to find it disrupted, all the drones lay in scattered heaps across the landscape.
Before anyone could investigate or react, all communication with the agents safeguarding the scientists was abruptly terminated. One by one, the connections were severed, leaving them permanently unreachable. When they reached my father’s safe house, they were greeted with his spine-chilling absence. He had vanished without so much as a trace that he had ever been there to begin with—no signs of struggle or any shred of evidence left behind. He was lost in an infinite void of mystery. The only indication that something was amiss was the eerie blue glow invading the monitors moments before blackout. The only accurate word for it would be ‘suction’, leading the team to believe that they had been absorbed. It remained a speculation, though plausible enough to send waves of panic up their spines.
As we speak governments around the world have been swept up into the desperate search to locate the alien as well as training an elite group of drone pilots and soldiers in an attempt to confront and defeat the elusive entity. Furthermore, every effort at locating surviving relatives of the missing scientists, including my father, had fallen short. They too had vanished into an infinite cloud of mystery, not one left unscathed to provide answers.
Considering the site’s altered state, the complete destruction of the drones and the fact that the creature they had held captive was constantly evolving, they were profoundly aware of the unravelling truth.
I am the sole living descendent of the scientists that worked for ESA. The creature has made it his mission to eliminate any and all traces of their existence. This is the sole reason I was upended from my life and relocated to a heavily guarded facility, and this is the reason I feel compelled to share their stories.
I couldn’t comprehend why the creature would hunt me since I didn’t share the sins of my father, but I felt paranoid and vigilant regardless. I couldn’t help but feel compelled to look into the disappearances myself, perhaps due to some lingering hopes that the information was wrong. My pursuit for answers turned up nothing, not even social media accounts. It was as if any trace of their existence was utterly obliterated, there was no digital footprint left.
The reason I am now convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that my life is in danger is because I have started catching glimpses of subtle movements in my peripheral, a shadowy figure lurking around the premises, disruptions in the signal of my appliances, even the phone I am using right now.
Call me foolish for even relying on the very technology that might lead to my demise, but I felt compelled to warn anyone else who might be a descendent of the team that worked for ESA: project corrosion.
If you’re aware then heed my words and flee. If you are unaware, observe the news for any sudden or unexplained disappearances, and I regret to inform you but, if you come across the creature then it’s too late.
Stay safe my friends

I never met my birth parents. They both died on a job when I was a baby, and I went into foster care. I didn’t have any interest in knowing anything about them; my adoptive parents are the ones who raised me.
However, everything changed a week ago when a group of men came knocking at my door. They wore what looked like military uniforms, but instead of the usual green, they wore a distinct red color instead. They loaded me, along with my foster parents into an unmarked matching red van. We were rushed to a farmhouse on the opposite side of Washington where the facility was heavily guarded with intimidating men and unfamiliar machines that appeared like they required several men to operate.
Being an IT major, I had no knowledge nor interest in these things. I’m not a runner, fighter or a strategist, so I couldn’t fathom what they wanted from me.
They relentlessly interrogated me for three days, bombarding me with questions and then, when they concluded that I was blissfully unaware, intimidated me with frightening information. Dumbfounded, I soaked in every ounce of knowledge they offered me. The new knowledge I gained made me see my parents in a new terrifying light. I couldn’t help but feel more resentment, adding on to the existing resentment I harboured. My parents not only betrayed themselves, but me as well and part of me feared that I would never be safe again. I couldn’t help but feel manipulated. They were long gone, but their past still controlled my fate.
I was eventually uprooted to a secondary protective facility, one in which I was not permitted to know the location of. For my own safety, they assured me. Once settled, they supplied me with new electronics and destroyed my old ones. They warned me that I was to stay under the radar, completely untraceable. Again, for my own protection. I was confident that given my knowledge of IT, software engineering and cyber security, I would remain unseen and untraceable to anyone who might be hunting me.
Now that I am sure I am safe, I can finally write this message and warn anyone connected to the initial bloodlines involved. It is crucial for my message to reach you.
The story begins with my biological grandfather. He worked for a branch of the government closely related to NASA. Following the moon landing there was a great deal of classified developments that the population was oblivious to. The department my grandfather worked for protecting the world against extra-terrestrial threats or extra-terrestrial terrorism as they described it.
Paranoia gripped them after the moon landing and they took drastic measures to prepare. Five years later, they deciphered the first communications and signals from frequencies previously unknown to them. These signals were so powerful that they destroyed entire systems, disrupted the power grid and took down entire radio stations. This special branch of government discovered they could tap into these signals which revealed that our galaxy has been under constant surveillance. This was ironically discovered by extra-terrestrials working within this branch, tasked to monitor and prevent extra-terrestrial terrorism on a much larger scale.
At this point in their story, the soldiers were reluctant to divulge more. Insisting that they already revealed too much. But I demanded full transparency, refusing to cooperate with their equivocation. It was essential that I know my involvement in these matters. So, they continued, placing a huge box in front of me, overflowing with papers. They swiftly unveiled its contents to me, Stacks of documents and old tapes they tossed onto the table, one after the another.
The documents contained, amongst others, details of weapons the organisation, known as ESA were crafting and testing along with formulas to create immensely powerful weapons. They used advanced calculations to try and manufacture better equipment that could be sent up to space. They were doing this undisclosed, to monitor and learn as much as they could.
The ESA spent millions designing and building a spacecraft to contain their equipment, if the situation ever called for it. It is still a work in progress. All of this is actively happening, the documents and footage stamped up until a week ago.
I opened a document with a list of classified individuals who had this information. Presidents, EU members, a handful of the rich and powerful, who used this information to design and construct underground bunkers, granting that, if anything were to ever happen, they’d be prepared. These aren’t a new concept though, the extremely rich and powerful have been known to publicly sponsor new technological advancements. Well some may think this gave them the upper hand, it eventually proved their foolishness.
The following is what I saw in the most crucial videos:
Video 1: dated 1975 The video opens in an empty cell, appearing to be a reinforced holding chamber. At first, the room is dark, then the spotlights switch on, illuminating the centre of the room. Now in the light, I could clearly make out what looked like a reinforced metal wall with chains protruding from it. The focus shifts to the back of the room where a large door opens and something is dragged in a sheet, concealing its identity, and tied down with thick chains. The video ends.
Video 2: June 1975 I saw about 20 armed men entered the room and start to unwrap the sheet from what they hauled in. After several minutes of unwrapping, the identity of the thing they brought in is revealed.
There seemed to be a glitch in the recording, at different points in the video the screen was covered in static. The sound was muted, and the figure was hard to make out. It appeared that the creature was attempting to change shape, vibrating as if to phase into a different shape. Despite its best attempts, it remained unsuccessful and reverted back to its original form. .
Video 3: the very next day wnd June 1975
The video opens with the creature fully in focus. Within the 18 hours of footage, the creature is constantly seen attempting to change form. It fails every time, but that doesn’t prevent it from trying again. It looks like a blur, occasionally a second head or what appears to be a human hand. It’s apparent the creature has shapeshifting abilities.
The next 200 videos are identical. To the naked eye, it seemed like a loop. But it wasn’t. The creature was, however, relentless in its attempt to free itself or escape.
Video 204: October 1975
This time the alien appeared to be asleep, head limp and no movement. This video had sound, but it was accompanied by a high pitch buzz that made my ears hurt. At the six-hour mark, the faint cry of a baby can be heard before gradually escalating into full-blown screaming.
At first I suspected that one of the scientists had brought their child along, but the agents assured me the crying was coming from the creature. As the video progresses, the cries grow louder and more demanding, eventually accompanied by a deep voice. Close to the end of the video, 22 hours in, multiple voices begin to scream simultaneously, causing everything to shake.
The documents show that, after this incident, the cage was reinforced. The next few videos are static, proving that the creature has the uncanny ability to manipulate video and disrupt frequencies.
Video 340 February 1982
The creature, with its brown discoloration, possessed crocodile like scales and an eagle like head, but it was entirely reptilian in nature. It stood at a whopping 12 feet tall and was covered in an unknown slime like substance.
The chains were substantially thicker than they were years earlier, and the cage has been fortified. It looked like a different room altogether.
The agents explained that the creature got loose and attacked 12 soldiers, absorbing them into itself instead of merely killing or eating them.
The creature was taken to Nevada, close to the desert, where a strong armoured underground structure had been constructed, far from civilization. The facility has been equipped with high level security precautions which allowed sections of the building to be sealed off and rigged to explode, guaranteeing that, if necessary, the building would collapse in on itself, trapping the creature within its cage, underneath the rubble.
The creature mirrored the image I conjured up in my head when I pictured the devil; brown, scaly, a demonic voice. The eyes were its most terrifying feature, shaped like that of a reptilian, but blood red. I counted 4 horns on its head, and it bore a pair of nasty fangs. Its feet bore the resemblance of a dinosaur, but it lacked a tale. Once the creature was no longer phasing in and out, it settled on a more consistent appearance, one that was easier to recognize.
Video 341 February 1982
This video marked the first appearance of my grandfather. He entered, along with four other men in lab coats, carrying a large syringe, approximately the size of my arm. He stuck it into the beast’s heart, causing it to instantly fall into a deep sleep. He proceeded to connect various machines onto the slumbering creature, attaching electrodes to its head and chest which were linked to a sizeable computer or something that resembled a computer. The video cuts off after this, leaving us to guess what occurred next.
Video 343 February 1982 The lights in the room were far brighter than before, and it once again lacked the presence of sound. The reason for this remained unknown.
Within the room stood a table filled with an assortment of equipment that appeared to be severely damaged. The lights flickered at intervals, and the creature began to phase in and out once more. This made it difficult to distinguish its appearance amid the static moments and blurred movements. The scientists observed the creature a safe distance away.
The scientists were relying on a certain frequency they discovered to keep the creature at bay. It seemed to produce positive results for the next few videos.
The videos that followed held a similar pattern. The creature remained silent, wired to machines while people came in and out taking notes or the occasional blood or slime sample. The creature remained composed, not once attempting to shift or escape again.
According to the agents’ records, everything proceeded as planned. My grandfather welcomed his first son, my father in 1975, he subsequently resumed his project until his resignation in 2008 when he was 55. A year later, he had a fatal heart attack, my grandmother following soot. My father was 34.
My father and his younger brother began working for ESA in 2004, when they were 28 and 24. New technological advancements introduced better cameras and electronic equipment for testing purposes. Since the technology became so advanced, their visits to the cage became as infrequent as once a week, or even less often. With new needles, enhanced equipment and upgraded data collection, the project transferred to electronic records ushering changes in the filing system.
While we waited for my transportation, they shared more classified documents. According to the notes, the once wild and violent creature was now unrecognisably tame and responsive, even answering questions. It remained unclear whether they had intentionally provoked it or stumbled upon a means to subdue it.
The circumstances surrounding my birth were strange. My dad impregnated a college classmate, and they made the mutual decision to put me up for adoption since neither of them had the desire to raise a child. My mother was studying biology and my father, a young genius physicist that found it hard to understand basic human interaction as it was. According to my foster parents, I was born in 2000, but the data I was presented proved I was born two years prior. This revelation had a more profound effect on me than anything else I’d seen.
Regardless, I was immediately given up for adoption and my existence was all but forgotten about. My adoptive parents moved to Iowa, and that’s where I lived up until 2018 when I left for Harvard. I always wondered what my birth parents were like. My adoptive parents told me I was a genius and speculated that I inherited my brain from somewhere. It’s an uncanny feeling; the knowledge that every aspect of my life was monitored.
The videos documenting the creature continued for the next 6 years. It became routine, apart from the indistinct chatter from the observing scientists and other government employees. There were no other sounds, incidents or noteworthy occurrences.
The tests revealed that the creature’s biology was predominantly alien, with no genetic material in common with humans. The scientists highlighted the alarming fact that the creature’s DNA was ever changing, resulting in frequent sample collection and analysis.
They concluded that, the creature was still a baby at the time of capture, which made it easier to contain. They did, however, underestimate its shocking growth rate which resulted in the deaths of the 12 soldiers’ years prior. At the time, it was still in its adolescent phase. Further research uncovered that the creature had the unique ability to absorb the genetic material of the men it came into contact with. The more humans it absorbed, the more diverse its gene pool became. A portion of the genes obtained gradually became more similar to those observed in humans. It’s as if the creature dove into an immense pool of genes and, as it absorbed more humans, its genetic makeup gradually began to adopt more human like qualities. Although difficult to comprehend at first, the basic explanation is that with every absorption of genetic information, the creature’s genetic composition seemed to evolve, storing human qualities within its own gene and gradually becoming more human-like That is my understanding of it.
Which brings me to the final video they have. Prepare yourselves.
Video: mov5078436b The creature behaved normally before viewing was disrupted by static. Among the sudden legion of voices, it echoed my father’s name, simultaneously expanding in size which causes the surroundings to convulse. Alarms resounded, piercing the silence as the creature tugged at its chains, cracking the floor ceiling in its attempt to break free. An ear splitting roar escaped its mouth as hordes of armoured soldiers rushed the cage, massive tasers in hand. They zapped the creature at maximum voltage as it continued to roar, lights flickering excessively. The camera feed is interrupted again by bouts of static.
A second group arrived, armed heavily with guns, increasing the crowd to a total of 30. The gunfire was so severe that it affected the video’s audio. One of the chains bound to the roof of the cage had already broken loose by the time the third group of soldiers arrived. This group carried a machine emitting bursts of fire, which had no effect on the creature aside from antagonizing it. It releases a powerful blast from its hand, causing the room to tremble which shattered the bulletproof glass into millions of pieces and sent the men flying across the room. Both of the creature’s hands were now free, and it began to morph.
Finally, a third group arrived in heavily armoured suits, unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. They wielded lasers and what appeared to be a concentrated lightning gun. I was grateful they hadn’t made use of nuclear weapons which would have wiped everyone out. After every attempt, the creature remained standing. Now it was his turn.
The creature freed itself from the remaining shackles and unleashed a blast with both its hands. All that was left of the solders was a gruesome mess of blood where they stood. The air filled with a haunting scream that echoed throughout the halls. The creature released a menacing growl in the form of words that sent chills down my spine, “Dennis McCarthy”, my father’s name.
Right before the camera blacked out, I could have sworn he was in the brink of morphing into a human form, but the recording was cut short by the thunderous detonation of explosions that sent the building into destruction, burying the truth within its rubble.
The scientists, including my dad, were taken by the ESA (extra-terrestrial security agency) and hidden in a heavily guarded underground haven. They were issued new identities and relocated, which isn’t a new concept for the government.
As far as the drones’ visual feed could capture, the entire operation was terminated, leaving behind the collapsed and buried ruins of a facility that was once fully functional. It was under strict surveillance for any signs of life, but as the years rolled by, complacency set in, compromising their once strict security measures.
My father, uncle and the rest of the scientists assumed new lives and identities. As far as the rest of the world was concerned, they were dead.
In 2010, an unexpected interruption occurred. Reports indicated that the drones simultaneously malfunctioned, and the video feed erupted into static. A team arrived at the site to find it disrupted, all the drones lay in scattered heaps across the landscape.
Before anyone could investigate or react, all communication with the agents safeguarding the scientists was abruptly terminated. One be one, the connections were severed, leaving them permanently unreachable. When they reached my father’s safe house, they were greeted with his spine-chilling absence. He had vanished without so much as a trace that he had ever been there to begin with—no signs of struggle or any shred of evidence left behind. He was lost in an infinite void of mystery. The only indication that something was amiss was the eerie blue glow invading the monitors moments before blackout. The only accurate word for it would be ‘suction’, leading the team to believe that they had been absorbed. It remained a speculation, though plausible enough to send waves of panic up their spines.
As we speak governments around the world have been swept up into the desperate search to locate the alien as well as training an elite group of drone pilots and soldiers in an attempt to confront and defeat the elusive entity. Furthermore, every effort at locating surviving relatives of the missing scientists, including my father, had fallen short. They too had vanished into an infinite cloud of mystery, not one left unscathed to provide answers.
Considering the site’s altered state, the complete destruction of the drones and the fact that the creature they had held captive was constantly evolving, they were profoundly aware of the unravelling truth.
I am the sole living descendent of the scientists that worked for ESA. The creature has made it his mission to eliminate any and all traces of their existence. This is the sole reason I was upended from my life and relocated to a heavily guarded facility, and this is the reason I feel compelled to share their stories.
I couldn’t comprehend why the creature would hunt me since I didn’t share the sins of my father, but I felt paranoid and vigilant regardless. I couldn’t help but feel compelled to look into the disappearances myself, perhaps due to some lingering hopes that the information was wrong. My pursuit for answers turned up nothing, not even social media accounts. It was as if any trace of their existence was utterly obliterated, there was no digital footprint left.
The reason I am now convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that my life is in danger is because I have started catching glimpses of subtle movements in my peripheral, a shadowy figure lurking around the premises, disruptions in the signal of my appliances, even the phone I am using right now.
Call me foolish for even relying on the very technology that might lead to my demise, but I felt compelled to warn anyone else who might be a descendent of the team that worked for ESA: project corrosion.
If you’re aware then heed my words and flee. If you are unaware, observe the news for any sudden or unexplained disappearances, and I regret to inform you but, if you come across the creature then it’s too late.
Stay safe my friends

I’m a rural NE student who goes to a really small charter school, looking to a future in medicine. I’ll include some basic stats and extracurriculars. My biggest worry is that there is just not enough to my profile, even though I’ve pretty much maxed out everything my school has to offer. I know schools generally look at what you’ve done in the context of what is available to you, but I’m still worried…
GPA: 4.27 UW (we use 4.0 scale but my grade system is different and doesn’t calculate weighted)
SAT: (taking in August)
Notable Classes:
-“Advanced” Spanish (similar to AP level, my school doesn’t offer AP courses except through dual-enrollment which I’ll get to later, junior and senior year)
-Applied Calc. at local community college (via dual-enrollment, in junior year)
-Infectious Diseases, Pandemics, and Social Justice (via Harvard Summer School, between junior and senior year)
-AP Bio, AP Calc. AB, AP US Gov. (all via dual enrollment, in senior year)
The dual enrollment situation at my high school: At my school, we can replace one class during our junior year with either a VHS (virtual high school) class or a class at a local community college. VHS offers AP classes, which are the only way to take APs at my school. During senior year, we can replace up to three classes via the same process. So although I’ve only taken one college class (aside from Harvard Summer School) and 3 APs, this was the max that I could do within the context of what my school offers.
Extracurriculars:
-Dartmouth bound participant
-Co-captain of varsity cross country team sophomore and junior year, captain senior year
-Co-captain of intramural cross country team junior year, captain senior year
-Social media manager of varsity cross country team Instagram, junior and senior year
-Sprit captain of varsity ultimate frisbee team junior year, captain senior year
-Social media manager of varsity ultimate frisbee team, senior year
-Hired my head of school, as well as 11th & 12th grade science teacher (working with hiring committee & board of trustees)
-Student representative on board of trustees, senior year (first time my school has done this)
-Student council all of high school
-Contributor to school newspaper all of high school
-Member of student-run racial and social justice group since it’s inception in my freshman year, helped fundraiser over 1K for voting access nonprofit in 2020, helped paint murals on campus honoring Black excellence at my school
-Received “Peacemaker” award from local/county organization, given certificate, cash prize, and state gov. citations from both senate and house of reps. in recognition of award, featured in local newspaper for it
-Week-long internship at local hospital in surgery junior year
-Student ambassador at local hospital between junior and senior year, 35+ volunteer hours from this alone
-Founding member of local, student run social justice group
-Founding member of peer-tutoring program at my school
Other info:
-High honor roll all of high school, high honors in every class, all semesters
-“HOWLs of Fame” (Habits of Work and Learning) award given by school, every semester of high school
Schools I’m applying to:
-All eight ivies (plus Brown PLME, this is my dream school/program)
-Four CA schools (UCLA, UC Berkeley, USC, Stanford)
-Northeastern
-Northwestern
-UChicago
-Johns Hopkins
-BU
-NYU
-Carnegie
-Duke
-Vanderbilt
-GWU BS/MD program, Yeshiva/Einstein BS/MD program
I KNOW these are all reallyyyyyy difficult schools to get into (save Yeshiva and GWU, which are 50%-60%), but what are your thoughts on this list? Any higher chances than others? Any other school recommendations, or predictions?
One last thing to note: my BS/MD program essays focus on my experiences with surgery as a child, mainly palate repair (Pierre Robin’s Sequence), as well as a traumatic episode of appendicitis and a burst appendix in my sophomore year in which I nearly died, and how these experiences made me want to pursue a career in medicine. Also noting that I received high honors in all of my classes that semester, and that is also when I received my “Peacemaker” social justice award, after and despite missing over a month of school, going through a tough breakup, and having a literal s ho fire that forced us to relocate to the aforementioned community college for the remainder of the school year.
Thanks for reading and sharing thoughts!

I’m a rural NE student who goes to a really small charter school, looking to a future in medicine. I’ll include some basic stats and extracurriculars. My biggest worry is that there is just not enough to my profile, even though I’ve pretty much maxed out everything my school has to offer. I know schools generally look at what you’ve done in the context of what is available to you, but I’m still worried…
GPA: 4.27 UW (we use 4.0 scale but my grade system is different and doesn’t calculate weighted)
SAT: (taking in August)
Notable Classes:
-“Advanced” Spanish (similar to AP level, my school doesn’t offer AP courses except through dual-enrollment which I’ll get to later, junior and senior year)
-Applied Calc. at local community college (via dual-enrollment, in junior year)
-Infectious Diseases, Pandemics, and Social Justice (via Harvard Summer School, between junior and senior year)
-AP Bio, AP Calc. AB, AP US Gov. (all via dual enrollment, in senior year)
The dual enrollment situation at my high school: At my school, we can replace one class during our junior year with either a VHS (virtual high school) class or a class at a local community college. VHS offers AP classes, which are the only way to take APs at my school. During senior year, we can replace up to three classes via the same process. So although I’ve only taken one college class (aside from Harvard Summer School) and 3 APs, this was the max that I could do within the context of what my school offers.
Extracurriculars:
-Dartmouth bound participant
-Co-captain of varsity cross country team sophomore and junior year, captain senior year
-Co-captain of intramural cross country team junior year, captain senior year
-Social media manager of varsity cross country team Instagram, junior and senior year
-Sprit captain of varsity ultimate frisbee team junior year, captain senior year
-Social media manager of varsity ultimate frisbee team, senior year
-Hired my head of school, as well as 11th & 12th grade science teacher (working with hiring committee & board of trustees)
-Student representative on board of trustees, senior year (first time my school has done this)
-Student council all of high school
-Contributor to school newspaper all of high school
-Member of student-run racial and social justice group since it’s inception in my freshman year, helped fundraiser over 1K for voting access nonprofit in 2020, helped paint murals on campus honoring Black excellence at my school
-Received “Peacemaker” award from local/county organization, given certificate, cash prize, and state gov. citations from both senate and house of reps. in recognition of award, featured in local newspaper for it
-Week-long internship at local hospital in surgery junior year
-Student ambassador at local hospital between junior and senior year, 35+ volunteer hours from this alone
-Founding member of local, student run social justice group
-Founding member of peer-tutoring program at my school
Other info:
-High honor roll all of high school, high honors in every class, all semesters
-“HOWLs of Fame” (Habits of Work and Learning) award given by school, every semester of high school
Schools I’m applying to:
-All eight ivies (plus Brown PLME, this is my dream school/program)
-Four CA schools (UCLA, UC Berkeley, USC, Stanford)
-Northeastern
-Northwestern
-UChicago
-Johns Hopkins
-BU
-NYU
-Carnegie
-Duke
-Vanderbilt
-GWU BS/MD program, Yeshiva/Einstein BS/MD program
I KNOW these are all reallyyyyyy difficult schools to get into (save Yeshiva and GWU, which are 50%-60%), but what are your thoughts on this list? Any higher chances than others? Any other school recommendations, or predictions?
One last thing to note: my BS/MD program essays focus on my experiences with surgery as a child, mainly palate repair (Pierre Robin’s Sequence), as well as a traumatic episode of appendicitis and a burst appendix in my sophomore year in which I nearly died, and how these experiences made me want to pursue a career in medicine. Also noting that I received high honors in all of my classes that semester, and that is also when I received my “Peacemaker” social justice award, after and despite missing over a month of school, going through a tough breakup, and having a literal s ho fire that forced us to relocate to the aforementioned community college for the remainder of the school year.
Thanks for reading and sharing thoughts!

This post is about a couple of older and elderly women who vanished without a trace. I wanted to include women who disappeared without much of an explanation. When elderly people go missing, their disappearances can often be chalked up to a dementia-related event. I believe many elderly people who vanished with their cars may be in the bottom of lakes and rivers. Those who lived near wilderness may have gotten lost and died of exposure. Those who were picked up or hitchhiked could've been brought to a hospital where they were unable to communicate their true identity. The women I included went missing under more suspicious circumstances.
Mayme Hart Johnson - Disappeared June 12th, 2000 from Nashville, Tennessee.
Mayme is the first on the list and the reason I decided to do this post. On June 12th, 2000, Mayme Hart Johnson, a local historian, researcher, and teacher went missing from Nashville, Tennessee. Mayme, who was 85, lived in the 100 block of Bosley Springs Road in West Nashville with her son, Sam, in his apartment. At 6:30 am that morning, her son woke to find his mother gone. While he reported that he wasn't initially concerned because Mayme occasionally left the apartment around that time, he became alarmed when she didn't return by lunchtime. Where Mayme would go/what she would do at that time is not known. Richland Creek is close by to the apartments, but from what I've seen, it's narrow and a body would probably soon be found if it was in there, despite it being 28 miles long. Of course, there is always a chance she made it into a larger body of water that concealed her. A maintenance man from the Johnson's building told authorities that he had seen Mayme at 6:30 am the day she went missing. This was around the time Sam woke up. Whether this employee saw her outside the building, inside the building, near or on her apartment floor, or down the street is not mentioned. At the time of her disappearance Mayme was 5'5, 120 pounds, with brown eyes and gray hair, and last seen wearing pink pants and a pink blouse. Whether these were pajamas or not (possibly indicating a dementia-like episode, where she got up out of the house and left without telling her son or getting dressed) is, like many things in this case, unknown. Mayme, as I mentioned, was a historian and if you google her name you will find a few sites that show her body of work. In 1986, she published "A Treasury of Tennessee Churches". A search for Mayme was conducted in the Nashville area and extended to Huntingdon, TN, where her husband's grave was, and where she had been visiting the weekend before she vanished. There was also an aerial search of Eastern Maury County that took place in July 2000 after law enforcement came up with a theory that she could be a target of the I-65 rapist. I'm not sure where police got this idea from. The I-65/Days Inn Killer, now identified as Harry Edward Greenwell, murdered three hotel clerks (ages 21, 24, 34) in the late 1980s. He also sexually assaulted a 21 year old hotel clerk in 1990. While LE does believe he's connected to more violent crimes, I'm not sure how they link Mayme to him--if you know, please add your knowledge in the comments. After the aerial search, nothing was found linking anything to Mayme. In 2008 she was declared deceased.
-
Helen Joyce Rawley - disappeared June 4th, 2003 from College Park, Maryland
Helen Joyce Rawley lived in a bungalow on the 4600 block of Knox Road in College Park, Maryland with her son. 75 year old Helen went by her middle name "Joyce" so that is how I'll refer to her. Seventy-five year old Joyce and her son, Tom, had lived together since the death of Joyce's husband of 48 years, Nelson, in 2001. Between 6:45 and 7:00 am on June 4th, 2003, Joyce was last seen by her tenant, a man who had rented a room at the Rawley home for the last eight years. Joyce was seen by him on her porch that morning as he returned home from work. Beginning the day after her husband died in February 2001, Joyce suffered two strokes four days apart. Because of the strokes, she was unable to talk and considered disabled because of her inability to communicate. In 2002, Joyce underwent chemotherapy and radiation for rectal cancer. She was on medication that made her tired and weak. She didn't go out anywhere by herself except to get the mail. Her mind remained "sound", according to her son. The day she went missing, her son returned home from his foreman job at 3:30 pm, and found the house empty with the lights off. Joyce's purse and wallet remained left behind in her bedroom, everything was in place, and there were no signs of a robbery. Police tracked Joyce's scent out the front door which she never used, and to the corner of the block. However, she went missing on a "rain-soaked" and "dreary" day and it's possible the bad weather could've washed away any more of her scent outside. Since the death of her husband who died unexpectedly in his sleep, and her two other sons who died together in a 1982 boating accident, Joyce's immediate family consisted of her remaining child Tom, who was unmarried and childless at the time of his mother's disappearance. If she had other family out of the area is unknown. She does have a beach house in Annapolis, Maryland, but had not visited there after she went missing. She was 75 when she disappeared, standing between 5'4-5'5 and 110 pounds. Due to her cancer, she wore a colostomy bag and was on several medications that she can't go long without. Fliers with Joyce's information went out, woods were searched, local bus drivers were notified and questioned if they had seen her, and hospitals had been checked. A helicopter flew over the city at night with a heat-detecting device. No sight of her was ever found. She had brown eyes and white hair and was last seen in a sweatshirt and slacks. She enjoys gardening, crossword puzzles, and reading. Police don't suspect foul play and Tom isn't considered a suspect (neither is the tenant who was the last to see her), but they aren't sure what could've happened.
-
Maebell Dawson - disappeared January 3rd, 1998 from Jefferson Township, Ohio
68 year old Maebell Dawson had lived in a one bedroom apartment on the 2nd floor of the Martin Luther Manor Living Center on Liscum Drive for about a year when she went missing. Maebell was divorced, had two daughters, and had retired from a hospital housekeeping job two years prior. Maebell was close to her family, and when calls to reach her went unanswered for two days, by January 5th, her residence was checked. Nothing in the second-story apartment was missing or out of place. Her winter coat was draped over a chair, her wallet, credit cards, cash, and a check for rent dated 1/8/98 were all found in her purse on the table. Her bank account was never accessed again. There were no signs of forced entry, a struggle or robbery inside the apartment. LE does not believe Maebell was attacked from her apartment or lured from the premises, but they do believe foul play was involved. According to CharleyProject, suicide "has not been ruled out but has been deemed unlikely". In 1998, Maebell was between 5'4 - 5'6 and 180 pounds. She had brown eyes and gray hair, wore glasses, and was last seen in a tan jogging suit. She was last seen entering her apartment at 9:30 pm on January 3rd. Five and a half years after her disappearance, Maebell was declared legally dead.
-
Norma Mae Maynard - disappeared February 3rd, 1979 from Boone, Iowa.
Norma Mae Maynard went missing in early February of 1979, just two weeks after the unexpected death of her husband, Carl, on January 19th. Norma and Carl had been married for three decades and Norma was deeply grieving the loss. Norma lived with her 30 year old son, and he was the last to see his mother. He stated that shortly before noon on February 2nd, he found a note from his 61 year old mother that stated she was on her way to Los Angeles, not to look for her, and that she'd get in touch again someday. The validity of this note (if seen by LE, if handwritten analysis was performed, etc) is not known. Norma's purse and a few items of clothing were missing, but her checkbook and jewelry were left behind. There was no sign of a break-in at the house. Her husband's pension which she lived off of and her bank account with savings was not touched. Norma was a shy woman who spent most of her time at home and had a regular routine. She didn't drive and her brothers stated that she had never been more than a few miles from her hometown. Her husband's funeral bill was paid for by a check dated four days after she vanished and signed by "Mrs. Carl Maynard". According to Charley Project, "The signature appeared to match Maynard's handwriting, and her son said she had signed a blank check and left it with him to fill in and pay the bill". The validity of this is not known either. A sighting of a woman matching Norma's description was seen by a local Greyhound bus station employee. The woman was boarding a bus bound for Los Angeles. Police are not sure of the accuracy of this sighting and consider it "shaky". Norma didn't drive but she didn't normally travel by bus, and why she allegedly went to Los Angeles is unknown: she had no friends or family there. Norma's son was not considered a suspect in her case, though some members of her family believe he was involved in her disappearance. He has maintained his innocence and has since moved out of state. Norma was 5'3 tall and weight 175 pounds, with blue eyes and gray hair. If she was alive today, she'd be 105. I believe someone close to her knows what happened and made up the story about her leaving for California. My second theory would be suicide, and she made up the California story so her family wouldn't worry.
-
Yu Chin Goodson - disappeared March 25th, 2005 from Russellville, Franklin County, Alabama.
Yu Chin Goodson is one of the youngest on my list, and at 57, I wouldn't classify her as elderly, but she is an older woman with a lot of mental and physical issues, who went missing under mysterious circumstances like these other women. Yu Chin is an Asian woman suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, diabetes, and a heart problem which required daily medication. In 2005, she was living in group home for patients with mental disabilities in Russellville, Alabama. On March 25th, 2005, a witness claimed to see Yu Chin enter a small, older grey or silver car with a loud muffler. The car was headed toward the Decatur, Alabama area, which is where her son lives. Staff at the group home were informed that Yu Chin was gone, and within 15 minutes of her disappearance, the police were notified and a search for Yu Chin began. No trace of her was ever found. Her son, who lives in the Decatur area, was never contacted by his mother. There has been no mention of foul play, and authorities believe she could currently be homeless and living in shelters. At the time of this write up, she has been missing for almost twenty years and would be around 75 if still alive.
-
Barbara B. Blount - disappeared May 2nd, 2008 from Holden, Louisiana
Barbara B. Blount was a 58 year old widow who lived on the same road as her children, kept in regular contact with her family and friends, and was active in her local church. It came as a surprise one morning when her nephew came over to visit her residence in rural Livingston Parish, Louisiana, and Barbara was nowhere to be found. A neighbor had just spoken to her over the phone, and Barbara had said she was cleaning out her kitchen cabinets. By the time her nephew had arrived for a visit, the front door was wide open, Barbara's phone was lying on the floor with the battery pulled out, her car was gone, and Barbara was missing. Besides for the unusual circumstances in the home, police didn't find any proof of forced entry. A few hours later in the late afternoon, the silver four door 2006 Toyota Camry Barbara owned was found a quarter of a mile from her home. It was found 25-30 yards off the main road and out of sight, hidden by trees. No trace of Barbara was discovered, baffling friends and family who described Barbara as a cautious individual who carried a gun when she went outside to milk the cows and didn't open the door to strangers. Waterways and woods were searched in attempt to find Barbara, but nothing was ever found.
​
edit: ooof messed up the title.

With this week being Nuke Week (AKA Wild Card Week), I want to do something special here... and oh, boy. Do I have something special cooking here. This post might be a little esoteric since it does talk about the National Arena League, which is the third tier among the indoor football leagues out there (The IFL is top tier and CIF - Champions Indoor Football - is slightly ahead of them). But, this post about the Albany Empire - back-to-back NAL Champions and the final champion of the Arena League 2.0, and their new owner, Antonio Brown. His father, Arena League Hall of Fame legend 'Touchdown' Eddie Brown, is also here as the GM of the Empire. How this season has gone so far is the stuff of nightmares... and (hopefully) shitposting legends.
Let's begin on this timeline...
March 3rd - An announcement is made that Antonio Brown would join the Albany Empire as part owner and his father, 'Touchdown' Eddie Brown, would become the VP of Football Operations. Eddie is a Arena League legend, named to the list of the Top 20 players in Arena Football history in 2006. His name is synonymous with the Albany area - he helped lead the Firebirds (remember them?) to an Arenabowl victory. Local legends helping run the biggest powerhouse in the NAL? Oh, this is too good to be real...
April 6th - AB says he wants to move the team to Saratoga... must want to bet on the ponies or something. No big deal, I guess... except that the coach, Tom Menas, was ran out of town for some unknown reason. The offensive coordinator, Damon Ware, takes over. This will not be the last time you hear of Menas, trust me.
April 16th - Right before the regular season begins, the controversy begins. AB says he's the sole owner of the Empire, but one of the other owners, Mike Kwarta, said otherwise. He and AB each own 47.5% of the team while a minority owner owns the remaining 5%. AB says he paid $1.5 million in workers' comp insurance while Kwarta said "Wait a second... your math is way off, man. I've paid about half that for workers' comp insurance." While all of this going on, the Empire opened their regular season (they had a bye week in Week 1) with a dominating victory over the Orlando Predators (remember them??).
April 19th - Things are going to get complicated pretty quickly, so hang on tight and keep your arms and legs inside the roller coaster at all times. Let's begin... deep breath ...AB is now the sole majority owner of the Empire, buying the 47.5% share that Mike Kwarta owned for a $1 (Cue the guy from the original Robocop who would buy that for a dollar). This sounds all great and dandy... but, there's more to this then meets the eye.
May 1st - A day after a tough loss to the Carolina Cobras, shit hits the fan: The players haven't been paid since April 21st and the coach, who verified that, was also sent packing. Among the players not getting paid were WR Darius Prince, last season's league MVP and (at that time) league leader in TD catches at 10; QB Sam Castronova, who (at that time) lead the league with 241 passing yards per game; and defensive captains Brandon Sesay, Dwayne Hollis and Nick Haag. All of them (along with another player) were suspended due to an incident after the Carolina game - aggravated harassment. As for the payment issue? Well, that came from issues stemming from the processor after Kwarta and most of the front office left after that $1 deal to give AB majority ownership.
May 2nd - Guess who's back? Back again? Guess who's back? Back again?? Yep, it's Tom Menas - the coach who was given the boot before the season began - makes his return to try and turn around the 1-2 Empire in their quest for a three-peat.
May 3rd - Remember when I said there was more then meets the eye with the AB deal? Oh, this is where things get fun. Turns out he has nothing to do with the team - the team is under the control of the Antonio El-Allah Express Trust Enterprise, which is the domestic arm of the Antonio El-Allah Express Trust. Antonio El-Allah, a foreign national, is the trustee of this organization. A letter was sent to the Times-Union that reads:

“I Brown, Antonio Tavaris a foreign national but not a citizen of the United States at birth, am writing to you regarding recent reports that have been circulating in the media regarding my supposed ownership of the Albany Empire team," the letter begins. "I want to make it very clear that I am not the owner of this team, and any claims to the contrary are completely false."

Antonio Tavaris Brown is the full name of AB, but the whole foreign national thing? Yeah, that's false. Pro Football Resource mentions he was born in Miami to American parents and the rule they cited only applies under certain circumstances, all of which involve American Samoa and some place called Swains Island, which I've never heard of until now. And that trust? It's connected to another company, Big Boomin Investment Co. LLC, out of freaking DUBAI! This is something you see with real estate investments, not ownership of a professional football team. There must be some big ass skeletons in this closet.
While the ownership issues are going on, the team preps for their game with the West Texas Warbirds, one of two new members in the NAL this season. They're doing this without Damon Ware, who left the team to go to Orlando, and their QB Sam Castronova. He was one of the eight suspended players from that bus incident and left the team for Jacksonville (Keep an eye on this end, it'll be a big part of what's coming). Despite all this, Albany came close to winning but lost 41-38.
May 10th - Oh, there were minority owners as well. Let's meet the von Schillers, Charlotte and Steve. This couple were season ticket owners before they met up with Mike Kwarta and bought 5% of the team as a way to help grow the franchise's presence in the Capital Region. Since AB bought out Kwarta's share, it's been hell for the couple. They've been very negative to them and the von Schiller's do have a reason to question AB's motives: They wanted to make the best of having AB being part owner, and were hoping he would be a decent person (Oh, you poor naive souls...) and go from there. Well, it's gone downhill from here.
May 17th - In a move that even Narcissus would think was too much, AB plans to get on the field for their next home against the other newbie of the NAL, the Fayetteville (North Carolina) Mustangs. The rules states that there's nothing against a owner who wants to play... so, yeah. Go for it.
May 20th - Karma came in swiftly as Sam Castronova carved up his former team mates as he scored 6 touchdowns to lead Jacksonville to a 79-34 routing of Albany. This ass kicking was so bad that Menas was shit canned a 2nd time in a season. He's replaced by a high school coach in Pete Porcelli, who played in Albany back in the days of the original Arena League.
May 23rd - Jonathan Bane, a recent addition to the team who was over-matched against Jacksonville the week before, leaves the team thanks in large part to the lack of structure, communication and professionalism on the team (No... the hell you say)
May 27th - AB does suit up... in the Barney Stinson style of suiting up. Yes, he doesn't play at all as the Empire fall to the expansion Mustangs 49-27. The Empire, back-to-back NAL Champions, are now 1-5 on the season. Things cannot get any worst, can they? Oh, yes they can!
May 29th - The debut for Porcelli was also his last game as an associate of AB basically told him that he was demoted to line coach. Porcelli told him to eat a bag of dicks and left the team. AB caught wind of this and let that associate know in simple terms that he's not supposed to do that.
June 1st - Man #4, come on down! You've been selected to play 'Who wants to coach this shit show?' with your host, AB! Man #4 is Terry Foster, the defensive coordinator for the Iowa Barnstomers (remember them???) in the IFL. If his defensive coordinator skills are anything (dead last in scoring defense, dead last in rushing defense, dead last in passing efficiency defense and dead last in overall defense), then Albany is bound to be in a world of pure hurt.
Friday (Yes, this recent Friday) - AB just can't stop doing stupid shit. He gets tossed from the Holiday Inn the team is staying at over loud music and the sweet, sweet stink of weed. He sent a video to the Times-Union saying that he got kicked out of the Holiday Inn Marriott (surefire sign of being high on that wacky tobaccy, if you ask me) and saying that he was trespassing, even though he's been there for 60 days. He then sent a longer text talking about how he was friendly with the owner of said Holiday Inn and thanks to a “mutual love for the city and growing business.” (read: I'm rich, please give me free shit), the owner allowed AB and the Empire to stay at the hotel. Well, things have gotten sour with the hotel as he claims that he was "bombarded" by the hotel staff and the police without any warning, conversation or professionalism (Ha... this clown complaining about a lack of professionalism... Ha). To add more into this brewing putrid pot of shit, one of AB's associates sent a text to the Times-Union saying that "our attorneys will be reaching out soon to … the Times Union for misleading and false advertisement. Just FYI.” Oh, by the way... this is all going on during their bye week.

(Hey everyone! Finally out of the shadow realm! Im reposting chapter five here as it got wiped last time, 6 is still percolating away in my head, but in the mean time, enjoy! Comments are appreciated!)
(Previous)
https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/13o95ds/eodat_ch4_whats_old_is_new_again/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
/------------/
4-LOM rolled up to the holotable, the aging shipbuilder looking over the various fleet and division commanders.
4-LOM was an old Mk1 astro robot, his main body was a sphere, with four mechanical arms extending from his body, two large and bulky, and the other two smaller, more nimble and accurate, more dexterous, with a cylindrical lower body leading down to his treads, which were angular, tank like in shape, designed for heavy lifting. His head was flat, with a duo of square optics, a set of welding shields flipped up, ready to flip down when and where needed. His backpack was open, with tools sticking out, ready to be grabbed and used.
Looking around, he noted that the Saurians had their Admiral, a middle age Rox, their massive, tyrannasauric form still managing to tower over most of the others, even in holo, while Serano stood next to him. Nearby, Hota sat, nursing a coffee, rubbing his head, while one of the chief science officers hologram glanced at him nervously.
Another door entered, and a Mk12 frame entered, standing at the table. At first glance, the frame looked pristine, but 4-LOM wasn't fooled. He wasn't a shipwright for nothing, and he could see the pitting under the paint where plasma weaponry had uselessly splashed off, taking with it little layers of metal with it. Despite how new the frame looked, it was clear it had seen some action, recently as well, judging by the fresh coat of paint.
More holograms of fleet officials, and the bridges, or representations of their ships, flickered in above their shoulders. Serano looked like he had an old sailing ship floated there idly, a representation of the Enterprise. Some had wasps, while one captain had a cartoonish Barbus fish, with an old style white sailors cap and a belt of dynamite.
And then a small black hole flickered into view in front of his faceplate, making him roll back with a start. Getting a good look at the now pulsing black hole, he seemed to frown, one of his welding shields rising higher to simulate a eyebrow raise….. "Horizon? Is that you, little lass?" He said, with a thick, Scottish accent as his other shield rose up to join the other in shock.
The holographic black hole bobbed up and down in the air, two arms extending out from its corona and spun, as if to represent it, no, her, spinning in happiness. For a moment, 4-LOM was silent, before he began laughing, reaching up, even as his servo passed through the holo. "Ach, what I wouldn't give ta be in the Link with ye, lassie! I'm glad ye survived." He said, as the little ever hungry representation of the ship spun around him, before it shot off, floating near the Mk12, who looked at it.
The 12s head tilted more, as it listening to what the ship was saying, while 4-LOM felt a bit of possessiveness flair. Horizon was one of HIS creations, his and his wife's. Their ships were like children for them. Rolling over, he mentally began preparing a bit of what his wife would call the shovel talk, something they used to do with Captains that took on their vessels……
"Did you need something, Grandfather?" The machine said, domed head snapping to his, taking the wind out of his sails, and stare blankly at the taller, thinner machine.
Behind him, he heard Serano chuckle behind him, even as the Rox raised an eyeridge, while the Saline sat his mug down and placed his head in his hands.
"Grandfather- oh. I see…." He said, gaze turning flat as he gave a glare at Horizon. "I see the little gremlin is still able to make me short a fuse or two. Void knows Maria's hair turned white before she had to move bodies due to someone's antics." The little black hole pulsed sharply, as if squawking. "Would have appreciated a warning she made herself a captain…. Lassie, ye best be teaching him self preservation instincts." Catching the snort from the Rox and the sigh from Serano.
Slowly, his head turned around to face the two, one shield twitching, and finally saw Hota looking up with a flat look. "Too late on that one. I'll pass you the after action report later, AFTER the meeting." Serano said, hiding a smile. "If you want a first hand account, ask Hota. From what I understand, he had a front row seat for the Chaos the two caused."
She wasn't a little ship anymore, she wasnt- ah kriff it all. She was still his little lass. He'll talk with her later…preferably with Maria there…..after he grabbed his wrench and had a….. talk….. with whoever was their crew.
/------------------/
All the admirals and fleet commanders were soon in place, Asimov standing to the side, near the Admiral Serano, Horizons representation floating next to his head as his own panned about, looking at the assembled species. Several robotic ones, not Astro Robot series, called Glinch, looked at him curiously, while he picked out several different….Saurians, a few Roxes, several Trikes.
Several were pale, white skinned humans, bald, be they male or female. Clones, like himself, but with organic bodies, accompanied by nat-born humans, and several more advanced Astro Robot series units, these ones looking everything from near human, to large and bulky, armed with cannons, inbuilt missile launchers on their upper arms, and massive treads, or slimmer, almost skeletal ones with modules that could be swapped out at a moments notice.
"I appreciate ye all for coming on such short notice" 4-LOMs voice said, cutting over the gentle hubbub of the side conversations. "I had hoped that we wouldn't be facing them again, but here we are." The robot said as one of his smaller limbs tapes a command into the console, pulling up images of Everwatch stations current…condition. "Those of yeh from Federation space are more familar of the old stories, battle videos and the like. The Demons, as the Human Federation calls them, have been returned. It's only thanks to the work of Representative Hota that we have this information….. and had stumbled across an old Ace that had woken back up in time for this chaos." 4-LOM said, nodding to the Saline, getting the attention of his compatriots, who he shook his head to.
"Our opponents are equipped with biotech vessels, and are known for appropriating technology to forcibly integrate it with their own. Which means keep an eye out for a worse hodgepodge of weapons than a pirate vessel after its crew hits a pound of Spice and then gets drunk at a star port." 4-LOM said dryly, as various, old, images of the vessels and a few of the newer ones. "That being said, expect the sheer firepower jammed onto each of these ships to be on the higherside. However, they need long recharge periods, likely due to whatever power source used overloading, or the capacitor banks running dry and needing to recharge. Don't be fooled, they do have some form of biological armament, acid spitters, spike launchers, the works." He said, as images flicked up organic turrets, tentacles, and what looked like maws.
"As of right now, several of our larger vessels are being inspected and repaired, resupplied, and upgraded as needed. Several older vessels are being pulled out of mothball for the same reason. All civilian vessels are being drafted for emergency roles, receiving refit with hardware that will allow them to fight in a pinch, though their primary objective will be escorting transport ships and acting as emergency evacuation ships. We won't be expecting them to fight, but we need every ship we can get."
An image flickered into view of what amounted to the humans old museum of warships and deep space vessels, revealing it to be a hive of activity. Many other races had laughed at humanity for keeping their old vessels, rather than scrapping them, but now, now there was a reason why humanity had.
"Patrol fleets are to be at least one Saline Sensor ship, two to three Buckler class Trike Shield Bearers, one Rox Artillery ship, one Vohle capable human vessel, Two human PT ships, and three Raptor Swift claws." 4-LOM said, "these things aren't to be taken lightly. Sensors pick them up, call it in and engage. Stall for time if needed for reinforcements to arrive. Intercept fleets are to consist of five Trike Aegis class Shield Bearers, six Swift claws, one Rox supercarrier, three Rox artillery ships, two Saline Auxiliary ships, one Saline Medical cruiser, one Human Vohle Super-carrier, eight human PT ships, two Human Iowa class destroyers." The elderly bot belted out, making several Captains and admirals wince. Those weren't lightweight ships. The 'patrol' fleet could have been considered a planetary invasion force.
Before anyone could make any arguments or questions as to why the fleets were set to the Human classic of 'Maximum Overkill', and before any more ridiculous fleet deployments could be called out, a slightly panicking human sprinted into the room. "Sir! Confirmed hostile assault on Tisan-4" the human said, breathing heavily. "The Demons made planet fall, looks like a small invasion force that had left before the incursion field went up."
4-LOM stared….and then sighed. "Well, Caliburn had been itching for a fight." He sighed and placed a servo over his optics.
/-----------------------------------/
WARNING: Hostiles detected. Match confirmed; species D-65.
Threat level:Apollyon. Combat systems:unlocked.
That was what appeared on the Colony Managers terminal as alarms screamed across the Colony, alerts screaming on PADDs, sirens spinning as bunkers opened up.
An aging Wargen bared his teeth as he rapidly tapped at his terminal, as the younger human clone stood grimly at her manager's terminal.
"Civilians are filling out the bunkers, tunneling charges are set and ready to clear escape routes." The elderly, wolf like Wargen said, his muzzle splitting into four as he spoke, one part vertical, the other horizontally. "Colonial militia are manning hard points and connecting to systems now."
"Understood." The Colony manager said and let out a long breath, before opening the PA system. "All hands, brace for Activation procedure. I repeat, all hands, brace for activation procedure." She said, before securing herself in on one of the chairs, even as the commander buckled himself in across from her, even as terminals all around them flickered and the building shuddered and shook, new lights came online all over.
"And the other races call our alliance insane for building the bunkers" The Wargen muttered under his breath as the command room became a flurry of activity, sensor teams working together in an attempt to get data on their opponents. "Our people are safe. That's what matters, commander." The clone said softly, looking at her long time friend, even as the hidden defense system of the Colony woke up.
/------------/
Outside, the demonic army approached, on a slow, steady March, disgruntled at the lack of organics they had found to use. They needed biomass to fuel their war machine, to create their bases, their armies, their ships. And while they didn't care much about the sheer number of ships they lost during planet fall thanks to the orbital defenses, they needed to deal with the local defense computers. There had to be a way to broadcast an all clear signal and allow their other ships past.
Before them sat a large, fortified structure, looked like a massive cathedral, really. The irony was not lost on them as ports on the castle-like structure opened up, and began spitting metallic shells at them, exploding after punching through their infantry, leaving craters behind, destroying more of their forces.
The ground shook as their massive siege beast began forming from the splattered biomass, like some strange, oozing horror, slowly forming into a quadropodic creature.
The beast was mostly just a giant mouth in legs, with a long, worm like body lined with eyes, teeth, spikes, and tendrils, flinging said teeth at the structure.
Warlord Gistle ground his teeth as he stared at the cathedral as it held its own, his forces decimated by the attempted rain of metal. Said rain changed to one of scalding plasma as the castle changed tactics to try and burn the bodies to prevent them from forming additional, stronger units.
"Battle lord." Hissed one of the smaller battle chiefs said, as they stepped up next to Gistle. "The Seekers have not located where the miserable Frails have hidden themselves. Our efforts would be best put to entering the fortress ahead." The chief said, pointing at the massive fortress as the siege beast brushed off the weapons fire.
"No need, we will be inside soon en-" Came the guttural voice of the Warlord, before it was interrupted by a computerized voice, echoing out.
"THREAT ASSESSED. ASSUMING COMBAT MODE."
There was a rumble, everyone grabbing onto the stablest thing around them as the ground tore apart, the siege beast stumbling back, as the building tore up its own foundations as steam hissed out, and part of the building lifted up, and then slammed into the ground, and then the other side, slowly pulling itself up….and up…and up……
The structure wasn't a structure. Not any more. Towering over them, looking like a massive hunchback stood the cathedral, it's towers opening, revealing to be cowling around massive artillery cannons. It's arms, once covered with flat pillars, opened up to reveal a set rotating barrels, slowly spinning up, and a bulky duo of MAC batteries on the other arm. Sticking off the side of its upper arms were smaller hardpoints, each turret armed with four barrels, small and accurate, sniping ground units with horrifying accuracy, the soft metal shells ripping away to reveal their incendiary cargo held within steel mesh, allowing the coilguns to spit them out rapidly.
The head section looked like a sphere with three optics in a triangular formation, around a cannon that locked onto the siegebeast and whined, arcing brightly, before it fired, a bright flash seen as the cannon went off, it's round leaving behind a trail of fire as it raced through the air, punching through the beast, making it howl, and began trying to heal the injury that pierced it, ripping open a hole below it.
It's bipedal legs were thick, armored, and just as equally armed, it's lower legs armed with rotary cannons that spun, the lower pair foring a heavy stream of plasma, one barrel firing and then cooling as it spun, the others keeping the pace up, while above them, physical artillery was spat out, helping pierce armor for the plasma to scorch and burn to uselessness. More cannons sat on the sides and back of its legs in, taking aim at the surrounding armies, making sure to add on their screeches of rage.
Hanging off the underside of the platform that held the Cathederal sat more turrets, each swiveling around and adding to the chaos, their mini MAC armament chattering as they fired, picked a new target and fired again. On the top of the platform were AA cannons, taking aim and firing into the air, altering the timing of their rounds so that they acted as impromptu artillery, while more cannons, on four turrets, covered the monstrosities back, preventing them from sneaking up behind it, as if the cannons on the back of its legs weren't enough to cover it.
"TARGET ACQUIRED."
Warlord Gistle hissed in shock. The Frails had been LIVING in a Siege beast of their own!? Hidden partially underground, deceiving them to make it seem as if it was nothing more than a fortification!?
"Have all expendable units merge with our Siege beast, NOW! if the frails continue to pick our forces off one by one, they will never be able to reinforce our beast after they fall!" Gistle roared, even as around him the battle chiefs barked out the orders……..
/-------------/
The massive machine stared down at the hostile forces as they turned into a thick, biological slurry, short of the Demons themselves, and oozed towards the horror before it.
The monster seemed to absorb the substance on contact, growing larger and larger with each passing moment, howling and hissing.
He could feel his crew cursing in their heads, humans and otherwise, lighting the slurry up with plasmafire, burning some of it, but not enough. Caliburn agreed with them, as his Plasma getting cannon spun up, the five barrels glowing brightly, the heatsinks by the ends of the barrel glowing as the machine poured plasmafire from the barrels, searing into the beasts body, burning it up as it grew, stunting its growth heavily, and forcing it to consume more biomass to make heavy, chitenous armor, layers burning away under the assault.
Caliburn could feel the dust coming off as his gears spun, and he stepped forward, swinging the glowing arm as it cooled down, making the horror screech as he spun his upper body to add to the force of the blow, digging the glowing heating into the beast's face and knocking it back, buying time for his crew to deal with the horrific slurry around them, which still tried to fuse with the horror, chasing after it with a single minded determination.
As his upper body slowed down and he was facing forward again, he saw the beast setting up, snarling. His other arm came up, and he could feel his capacitors burning as he began firing his MAC arm at it, the massive, vehicle sized slugs punching into the beast, knocking it back farther, punching holes in the chitin it tried to grow as armor, making it hiss and move rapidly, trying to put distance between itself and the machine.
Unfortunately, the beast had the advantage in land speed, as it had four legs, while Caliburn only had two and lumbered slowly forward, his aging systems relishing the taste of combat after so long. And now he had far better weapons then a simple crane arm, like he had last time he fought a creature like this.
Because the beast had put distance between itself and him, it managed to absorb the last of the biomass, and began bounding forward, it's maw open, teeth spinning like some sort of Cuisinart….
A target he couldn't miss. His head cannon barked again, not as powerful as last time, but this time, he wasn't trying to rip it apart from the inside. The shell detonated on contact with the teeth, shredding them, tearing into the soft flesh within, making the beast howl and close its maw, it's chitin armor weathering the plasma splashing off, hardened to withstand the smaller weapons fire his crew spat at the creature.
His arms pulled their shrouding back around them, as he drew back and swung, hard, again using his body spinning to his advantage, striking the beast, the heavy weight of the heatsink and the weapon itself burying the shroud covered arm inside, the end opening up. Unfortunately, thanks to the partial shrouding, he wouldn't be able to spin his cannon, but all he needed was one shot inside it, and let it fly, ripping his arm out as it howled, smoke billowing from its new hole it tried rapidly to heal.
The tendrils it had tried to dig into his arm burned away as he kicked it up from below and began unloading both arms, fully unshrouded, the heat coming off both of them making steam hiss up into the air, as the beast took a heavy slug and then a plasma bolt, one after the other, deep into its stomach, sending it onto its back.
Loud popping sounds were heard as its limbs reoriented, allowing its former belly to become its back, the holes sealing slowly as it circled the walking cathedral, even as Caliburn scanned it, his upper body following its every movement. His command crew were breaking down every schematic and scan he gave them, working hard to figure out a way to kill the horror.
In the mean time, Caliburn and his crews would do their damndest to stall the beast and continue on their current plan. Burn it down, slowly.
He could feel his crews tracking the retreating demon forces, listening to the mental chatter within him as the artillery crews happily worked together to figure out their path, searching for the enemy command position, even as sensor crews watched as the rapidly approaching flood of biomass and machinery charged for them, some of the artillery crews already letting loose N-4 shells, the 'super-napalm', as the crews nicknamed them, impacting and exploding, burning into the biomass, unquenchable, even as the biomass attempted and failed to smother the burning substance, only serving to make it worse, melting the weaponry it carried with it.
The only reason why the crews could get away with it was because the biomass wasn't near the Bunkers exits or near infrastructure. Or Burnable items.
Command soon had a viable target, a sort of brain mass it had, separated throughout its body in a vain attempt to make sure it could still operate when a few of them were destroyed.
Several had been burned away by the plasma bolt going off inside of it, but many more remained, and it was attempting to make more/replace the burned away ones. They needed to eliminate the command signal….
Jubilation and grim satisfaction bloomed in his sensor and artillery crews, as he felt the mad scramble for bunker busting shells, before they were let loose into the air. Even as he blocked a tail strike from the beast and managed to crush its head under one foot, letting his landing engines ignite for the first time in decades to burn the creature more, his crews targeted the command bunker, shelling it with deadly accuracy, smoke rising from the hill they were tucked away behind in the distance, making Caliburn burn with satisfaction and praise for his crew.
/---------------------/
Gistle ran as fast as his hooves could move him, teeth barred as he snarled.
Around him, their command temple shook and shuddered, veins bursting, cables arcing wildly as the biomass contracted involuntarily or simply sagged, turning to biomass.
"Warlord, they are heavily shelling our position, we won't be able to retreat at this rate!" Hissed one of the Battle Chiefs at his side, hissing in fear, even as he snarled at the Pitiful, compared to him, creature. "We won't be taking everyone, only the essentials. The Everlasting King must be notified of this development. King be damned, the frails took the time to prepare for our arrival again." He growled as he came out to a hanger area, and ran into a small, fast ship, even as the others ran into larger, bulkier, slower ships.
Soon, the chitin that served as the door opened, and they shot out, erratically flying, trying to avoid the artillery shells, and now AA fire joining the fray.
He kept close to his compatriots, using them as a living shield as he twisted the small vessel around, smirking as he dodged the fire while they took it..
They were almost to space, soon, they could tear a Gate and get the fleet-
Reality tore open above him as a massive ring shaped vessel pushed itself into real space, disgorging hundreds of smaller vessels, bearing down on their positions, others engaging the floating fleet around them with aggressive assault runs, the sudden appearance in the system allowing them to have the element of surprise.
Weapons fire began filling the space around f them, tearing at their vessels faster then they could repair them as little, frail vessels zipped in and out of line of fire faster then they could shoot, track, or react, unloading slugs, plasma, torpedoes in a flurry of activity before diving away, allowing their munitions to wreak havoc amongst them.
Already, the larger vessels were disabled before Gistle managed to sacrifice one, smirking as it warped, it's biomass fueling the Gate, as he flew through, hoping he was in friendlier territories, unaware of a sensor torpedo flying in behind him.
/------------------------/
Down below, on the surface, Caliburn flung back his opponent again, arms blazing as he shelled it.
It was bigger then it had been, managing to absorb the biomass from the surviving landing ships and the remains of the command center they shelled out. It's armor was thicker, and was flinging out dozens, hundreds of calcium spikes, spitting its unknown energy weapons, only to splash off his shields, for the energy weapons, and his ar.or foe the calcium spikes, even as his weapons screeched.
The beast had holes all over its chitenous armor, from his shells punching in, or his artillery crews shelling the beast, his plasma following close behind as he sought to burn the creature out from the inside, going so far as to ram his plasma cannon inside and unload it, the rotating barrels helping tear it up from the inside as the heat sinks burned it.
Ships began dropping down from above, doing strafing runs, dropping smaller caliber explosives, distracting the beast as he tore another hole in it by spinning his upper body, one shrouded cannon arm striking the beast and ripping in, just as a gunship fired a Cleaner into it, just before it healed.
A burning flash of light, a horrific scream from the beast as it howled, body jerking as the explosive did its job…. Before it swung down, still alive, though just barely, it's armor shattering rather then buckling on the next strike from Caliburn, a facsimile of a uppercut, before the barrels let loose again, even as the plasma cannon dumped bolt after bolt into its lower body, searching for, burning the neural clusters as he found them.
The beast wrenched itself away from his grasp, snarling as it looked at him, the beast snarling as it tried to heal from the most recent injuries.
Caliburn felt his crew snarling back, his cannons swiveling around as they gave their response in munitions as he lumbered forward, the ground shaking from his steps and the escape ships erupting out of the ground around them, his rotary cannon screaming as it fired, the MAC on the other arm barking as he hit it again and again as it charged forward.
The beast no longer cared for its injuries, all it cared was to take the metal monster before it down, spitting acid out of it as it tried, and failed, to blind the machine, even as said machine swung its smoldering plasma cannon up and brought down the burning barrels down on its head, smashing it into the ground, pinning it there as it's crew continued shelling it out ruthlessly.
Caliburn refused to let the beast survive, he refused to let the thing get to the civilians. His crew snarled their agreement as the beast tore the pinned head off its body, even as it burned away to nothing, and tried to charge again, blindly, only to smash against the MAC arm and receive a pair of heavy slugs to the neck stump for its troubles, sending it somersaulting back, trying to reform its head.
It was much, much smaller now, now matching Caliburns size, due to all the biomass loss, it's head reforming as it snarled.
Caliburn seemed to roll his pauldrons and twitched his MAC, as if saying 'come at me'. The beast howled and charged forward, razor sharp tentacles erupting from its sides, whipping about wildly, only for turret crews to blast the tentacles off at the base, and for his artillery crews to shell it down from above, flattening it into the ground again with explosive shells.
Again, the beast began pulling itself out of the ground, only for another strafing run from aircraft , this time dropping standard napalm canisters onto the beast, making it howl as it healed around the canisters, and began burning from within.
It thrashed and writhed, tail and body whipping about, even as Caliburn kept firing, not letting up, shells puncturing the chitin bubble it was trying to form around the napalm to contain it, keeping it burning into the beasts body.
At last, the beast tried to fling itself at Caliburn, thinking that it could at least burn out the mechanical monster with it, only for Caliburn to swing and strike it, flinging it away again, the beasts body unable to get back up, and laid there, slowly burning away at last……………

For context my mom is nearly forty and is having (well has had) her 4th child. Why is she having another kid when she already has more than she can handle you may ask? Because she recently got married and you HAVE to give a man a child when you get married (her words not mine.). But it's not like she didn't want another kid anyway and with the way she doesn't believe in condoms or birth control it was bound to happen. Now my mom is a grown woman and she is allowed to do whatever she wants but that doesn't mean I agree with her decisions or that she is free of my criticism.
First of all it's putting alot of financial strain on them. Before she met they guy she was a single mom. The guy has 1 kid from a previous relationship so that's 5 kids between the two of them that they are providing for. And they both work relatively normal jobs, don't make that much to be honest and have debts and loans they need to clear so you can imagine what a struggle it is. My older sister refuses to go to university or college or get a job so she's just staying at home and they are providing for her. My mom is also paying for my tuition (in my final year of highschool) and has to pay my tuition for college/university as well (not to mention the tuition of probably 4 other kids.). My little sister has autism and so she has special needs and also has speech therapy and other expensive things my mom has to pay for. The kid that was just born was a premature and so they have to pay those massive hospital bills and travelling fees every week since the hospital is like 3 hours away. Not to mention that my aunt (who is younger than me) started living with us like a year ago and she has medical issues that need to be sorted out every month. My mom also provides for my grandma who has a myriad of health issues cuz of her old age and her partner regularly supports his family members and his church. Not to mention my mom is just now building a house (well both of them I guess) so that's more money out the window. Now why do I care so much about their finances you may ask? Because my mom makes it a point to tell me near daily how stretched thin they are and how expensive everything is (she has even propositioned me to drop out of school and take care of her kids for free and it didn't sound like a joke.) Mind you this was well before the child was even conceived, before she even met the guy so why would you have another kid knowing full well that it's going to be hard to provide for them (all of them). It just seems senseless to me and I even asked my grandma why didn't they wait until they were financially more stable to breed and my grandma just told me a bunch of shit about how my mom has to give this man a child no matter what it takes and she's all happy and excited for the child (and my mom's last pregnancy nearly killed her but she forgot the immense pain she was in I guess?) I just don't get this logic at all, why have kids if you can't afford them and then come and bitch to me everyday about how much money you spend and how much you provide for me (doing the bare minimum mind you cuz there isn't funds for much else) but you make the conscious decision to have another kid and then be all excited about that baby while still complaining about money? I don't get it. She especially loves to target me to complain about her finances for some reason and makes me feel bad for, idk, living I guess?
Anyway onto the next problem the child is coming right so she's excited and wants to make sure we're excited but I'm not. I don't like or want kids anyway and she knows this but I guess she thinks it doesn't apply to her baby cuz "a baby brother only comes once in a lifetime" (her words) . I literally don't care. Anytime she and my grandma try to talk about the kid to me I just tune out or change the topic. I don't necessarily hate this kid (I'm not beefing with an infant.) and no matter how hard she tries to make my apathy seem like jealously (I guess it makes her feel better) I truly do feel nothing and probably won't ever be able to connect with this kid ever since there is nearly a 20 year age gap between us and I'm probably going to leave for varsity between the next year or the one after that. I don't even feel like I have a sibling? Its probably weird and heartless-ish to some people but I don't care. I've already made my stance on helping out with the baby clear: I will not be helping out at all cuz I took care of my little sister when she was born ( literally changed her diaper and shit while gagging for YEARS because according to her "I have to prepare for when I have my own kid" barf and this was when I was like 10. Look where we are now) I'm not keen on doing it again or ever. Before the baby was born she was like whatever I don't need your help anyway but now that its here she's like "you don't have a choice you're going to help anyway" and now I'm scared cuz my mom usually makes the whole family turn against someone whenever she's mad at them but I'm still going to try and stand my ground. Not to mention that this is my last year of highschool and probably my most important so I need to focus and having a whiny baby around is not gonna help that at all. I'm already stressed since we live in a cramped 2 bedroom house (all of us) and I sleep in the living room with no private space and a whole lotta noise so I can't concentrate and a baby is just really going to amplify that stress. Luckily it's not gonna live with us as of now but who knows how that might change. Maybe I'm just being a moody teen idk but I kinda hate my life right now.
Last problem (not really but last one I'm gonna rant about cuz this is getting too long lol). My mom is more excited for this kid than she ever was for the rest of us and why is that you may ask? Because it's a boy and she's always wanted a boy but only ever got girls (part of the reason why she even decided to have another in the first place). I'll just leave this here, think of it what you will. Read some of my other rants if you want to know the other kinds of problems I have with my mom.
If you read my whole rant thank you lending an ear (or eyes I guess). I'm dreaming about the day I can leave this shitshow behind and pursue my own life. I just felt like I needed to rant today since they're picking up the baby from the hospital to come and live with them. All in all judging by mom and her partner having kids just seems like no fun and a whole lotta stress. My mom has high blood pressure and blames it on her kids but I guess she forgets that every time she sees a picture of her new baby. I'd rather keep all my money, freedom and peace of mind to myself thank you.

​
Paypal Invoice Only
Timestamp and Tagged Pics: https://imgur.com/a/71XAI6E
https://imgur.com/TEicjQJ
Yeezus Tee, Size L, SOLD - https://i.imgur.com/X7XJdgd.jpg
Margiela Flared Runway Pants, Size XL, SOLD - https://i.imgur.com/D9MaK3V.jpg
Stussy x CDG 50th Anniversary Varsity, Size XL £80 - https://imgur.com/o9eWl64
North Face Nuptse, Size XL (Fits more like an L) SOLD - https://imgur.com/g24erbF
Bound 2 Yeezy Season 6 Hoodie Ash Grey Size L £30 - https://imgur.com/1nMXJNT
Margiela x Tommy Cash Tee, Large (Fits more like a Medium) SOLD - https://imgur.com/ySLFjmg
https://imgur.com/TEicjQJ[https://imgur.com/TEicjQJ](https://imgur.com/TEicjQJ)
Human Made Sweater Size XL £30 - https://imgur.com/VUZ2LKA
Represent Owner's Club Hoodie Size XL - https://imgur.com/R8Ov8Gn
Nike x Stussy Tee XXL (Fits like a baggy M, TTS L) SOLD - https://imgur.com/FHVPgZZ
Kapital Virgin Maria Sweater Blue SOLD Size L - https://imgur.com/wvoD5pK
Nike Centre Swoosh Hoodie Khaki/Beige Size XL £10 - https://imgur.com/ZLWxvJS
Real Betis Retro Shirt Size L £20 - https://imgur.com/geqYKVZ
Nike Sacai Vapour Waffle Size UK 10 £50 - https://imgur.com/GFMt1ml
Rhude Shorts Green SOLD Size XL - https://imgur.com/KN6OfBr
Rhude Shorts Black SOLD Size XL - https://imgur.com/kn7bDJM
Nelly Button-Up Teal £12 TTS Size L - https://imgur.com/wvCO380
Nelly Button-Up Black £12 TTS Size L - https://imgur.com/KqA6FrN
I post worldwide as long as you pay for shipping! Accepting reasonable offers and also doing decent deals on bundles. Feel free to shoot a PM requesting more pics and/or measurements!

As part of my project (available at BestOfDivI), I've added (read: made up) a few extra tidbits for history's sake. For example, it's been a decade since Michigan State crashed the national title game before losing to Duke. I bring this up because in the nine seasons between then and this one, only UCLA (six times), Kentucky (five times), North Carolina (four times), Kansas (twice), and Duke (once) have been in the NIBL National Championship game.
This season doesn't seem to be trending any differently. On to non-conference play!
MATCHDAY 7
The Super Five re-asserted their dominance over the rest of the NIBL. Wilt Chamberlain not only scored 21 points but held Red Kerr scoreless as Kansas knocked off Illinois. In an outside vs inside battle, outside won as Grant Hill and JJ Redick helped Duke pull one out against Houston. Michael Jordan may have taken the UCLA loss personally as he went off for 38 in North Carolina's rout of Arizona State.
Kansas was one of three remaining unbeatens. In the other meetings, Chris Webber scored 31 as Michigan routed Louisville. In the main event, with all the big men playing evenly with each other, it was Reggie Miller who was the difference as UCLA took out Kentucky to stake a claim at the #1 spot. (In the other Top 25 matchup, Kevin Durant put up 25 as Texas beat Minnesota.)
MATCHDAY 8
Anyone hoping for a disturbance in the usual order was in for a rude awakening this day. UCLA became the only unbeaten remaining -- building off of their 37-0 season last year -- by getting both Joel Embiid and Wilt Chamberlain in foul trouble as UCLA knocked off Kansas. There was a chance for a second... hypothetically, but the That Was Out Of Bounds Revenge Tour continued as North Carolina routed Michigan with all 15 players getting in. A rivalry game saw a showcase for Dave Bing, who proved to be the difference as Syracuse upended Connecticut. What seemed like the NIBL's most glamorous chess match was won by Mike Krzyzewski over Bobby Knight as Grant Hill running the point was the secret to Duke's rout of Indiana. (For those asking, the other Five Star team licked their wounds and recovered as Kentucky destroyed Florida State.)
Things were much closer outside of this bubble. Junior Bridgeman's buzzer beater proved the difference in overtime as Louisville took out Maryland. Jason Richardson and Aaron Gordon traded baskets, but Magic Johnson found the answers as Michigan State held off Arizona. A defensive swarm put Kevin Durant off his game as Adrian Dantley took over, leading Notre Dame to a laugher over Texas. A Rose Bowl broke out on the hardwood, and as has been the case several times, Southern Cal held off Ohio State. And for those hoping for a mid-major resurgence, that looks unlikely as Georgetown took out UNLV and showed the dominance of the Power Six conferences.
MATCHDAY 9
The big story, again, was the dominance of the top 3 teams in the poll. The presumptive new #1 showed off their depth when Kiki Vandeweghe of all people led the scoring and UCLA shut down Michigan State. The Michael Jordan Took That Loss Personally Tour raged on as MJ's triple-double fueled North Carolina's rout of Alabama. In what was supposed to be a rivalry game, one team shut down the other without much trouble as Kentucky put up 100 on Louisville. And while it wasn't a Top 25 game yet -- the two teams are ranked now -- a huge reality check hammered down as Duke took care of Iowa easily.
Elsewhere, the Top 25 matchups were a lot calmer. The Orange continued their display of dominance as Syracuse defeated Illinois to raise the question of whether someone could compete with the Tobacco Road crew. "We Want Kansas" rang through the home crowd while Michigan dropped the hammer on Notre Dame to move to 8-1 on the season. Kansas' "Big 3" of Paul Pierce, Wilt Chamberlain, and Joel Embiid each had 16 as the Jayhawks took out Southern Cal. Isiah Thomas' 19-5-11 game was enough as Indiana recovered to defeat Arizona State. And in a huge surprise, the Forty Minutes of Hell was too much for Elvin Hayes and Damon Jones as Arkansas upset Houston, knocking the Cougars out of the Top 25.
LOOKING AHEAD
With the NIBL Media Poll soon to debut alongside the on-running NIBL Coaches' Poll, the differences between the two will be interesting to see. But before that, we have one more week to get through. UCLA has three games to prove they are going for another perfect season. North Carolina and Kentucky drew each other, while Michigan wants to crack into the blue-blood zone against Duke at home. On top of that, two newly-ranked teams will be tested early, as Iowa faces Arkansas while Florida takes on California.
Thanks for reading! Check out BestOfDivI for a full update.

Strap in, everyone, because we have a long road ahead of us. In addition to the NINE games between Top 25 teams, FOUR upsets happened. That's right, the Top 25 was below .500 in its entirety today. So let's see how they did it.
*****
#1 UCLA 90, #9 Syracuse 79. The key to beating a 2-3 zone is to shoot over it. Fortunately for the Bruins, they can.
Reggie Miller had 25 points and led an onslaught that included 13 three-pointers as the Bruins (10-0) took out the Orange (8-2) to maintain their winning streak, now at 47 games and counting.
"The shots were falling tonight," Miller said after the game. "We got what we wanted in terms of looks, and we got them to go in."
In addition to Miller's 5 three-pointers, Russell Westbrook had 3, Kiki Vandeweghe had 2, and Gail Goodrich, Kevin Love, and Jrue Holiday each had one. Syracuse, for their part, shot well, with Carmelo Anthony hitting six threes on his own to get to 22 total points, but it wasn't enough.
"They're #1 for a reason," Orange coach Jim Boeheim said.
#8 Michigan 68, #4 Duke 61. The Power Five have been cracked.
Michigan's defense held Duke to 29% shooting and Juwan Howard led the way with 16 points as the Wolverines (9-1) stunned the Blue Devils (8-2) before a court-storming crowd at Michigan Court.
"This is why you play the game," Howard said amidst a crowd of fans. "We shook up the world tonight. We wanted this one. You beat Duke, you've done good!"
Grant Hill led the Devils with 13 points, but the entire team struggled.
"We were cold tonight," Hill said. "Props to Michigan; their defense smothered us. Not much you can do."
#3 Kentucky 67, #2 North Carolina 64. Who do you call on when you have everyone? Someone's bound to be open, and such was the case here.
Louie Dampier found Devin Booker in the corner as time expired, and the Wildcats (9-1) stunned the Tar Heels (8-2) to send them to their second last-second defeat of the non-conference season.
"We ran a pick and roll off the ball to get [Michael] Jordan off of me and get me open," Booker said, recounting the final play. "Louie knew where I was, he got the pass off after driving for the double... everything just fell into place."
Both teams turned up the defense in this one. Dan Issel led Kentucky with 15 points, while Jordan led North Carolina with 13. Outside shooting was particularly hard to go by, as Booker's winner was only the fifth three-pointer of the game combined.
"We did almost everything right," Tar Heels coach Dean Smith said after the game. "Almost."
#5 Kansas 75, #14 Arizona 59. The top teams have shown anyone can step up at any time. Kansas proved it tonight.
Kirk Hinrich caught fire, getting 20 points with five three-pointers, as the Jayhawks (9-1) knocked off the Wildcats (7-3) to produce a potential future matchup with Kentucky.
"We've been seeing how other teams have done," Hinrich said. "It's important we keep winning. We want that last one seed when the dust settles."
Mike Bibby had 15 points, but also committed 8 turnovers as JoJo White's defense proved to be too much for him.
"I had a bad day," Bibby admitted. "This loss is on me."
Arkansas 90, #23 Iowa 83. Are they going to be ranked now? It's not certain what else has to be done.
Joe Johnson went off for 24 points and the full-court pressure held Fred Brown to 5 points as the Razorbacks (8-2) pulled off their second straight top-25 upset, this time knocking off the Hawkeyes (7-3).
"We're just going to keep playing the way we're capable of and we'll be in good shape," Johnson said. "We got off to a slow start, but now we're showing the world what we're capable of."
Don Nelson led the Hawkeyes with 18 points.
#12 Connecticut 92, #21 Alabama 80. A quick rise to the top by the Tide made people wonder if the SEC would have a wild race. Now, it looks like this Tide is receding.
Andre Drummond had 19 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Huskies (8-2) to a big road win over the Tide (7-3) that may solidify them as favorites in the Big East.
"We had an advantage inside, and we knew we could use it," Huskies coach Jim Calhoun said after the game. "We needed this win, you know? A chance to show the Big East still goes through us."
Alabama attempted to turn up the pace against the big men of Connecticut, but Kemba Walker and Ray Allen were able to break the press on offense. On defense, super sub Richard Hamilton helped slow down the opposition, getting 4 steals in the second half.
Latrell Sprewell led the Tide with 18 points.
#9 Notre Dame 67, #17 DePaul 65, OT. Most of the game was a battle inside. But it was outside shooting from a very unlikely source that won the game.
John Paxson hit two three-pointers late in overtime to lead the Fighting Irish (8-2) to an overtime victory over the Blue Demons (7-3).
"All of our players can contribute," coach Digger Phelps told reporters after the game. "We hear a lot about Adrian Dantley and Bill Laimbeer, but we're a team of stars. We feel we can beat anyone."
With the game tied at 58 nearing the end of regulation, George Mikan looked to have won the game with a hook shot. However, before he could shoot, he was whistled for a three-second violation. Paxson's heroics in overtime then meant the difference.
"I lost track of time," a dejected Mikan said in the locker room. "I'm sorry, Blue Demon fans."
#25 Illinois 66, #19 Georgetown 56. Illinois coach Lou Henson wanted to focus on defense as much as offense. It's safe to say his team was ready to respond.
A focused effort held Allen Iverson scoreless on the day as the Illini (8-2) stunned the Hoyas (7-3) in a defensive struggle with neither team able to get open shots most of the day.
"That's what I was hoping for," Henson said after the game. "We wanted to get our defensive strength before we faced teams like Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota... I think today we showed we can win ugly as well as win beautifully."
Derek Harper, who led all scorers with 17 points, was the primary responsibility, but Iverson found himself constantly double-teamed with Donnie Freeman and Deron Williams. While Iverson did wind up with 9 assists, the shutout clearly bothered him, as he picked up a late technical foul arguing a no-call.
"We need to work on getting Allen involved more," Hoyas coach John Thompson admitted. "You can't just win inside in this game."
Cincinnati 81, #18 LSU 60. Maybe the adjustment from the AAC to the Big XII will be easier than we were led to believe.
Oscar Robertson had a triple-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists, while Jack Twyman had 21 points as the Bearcats (8-2) stunned everyone by trouncing the Tigers (7-3) in front of the Cats' home fans.
"That was an incredible win," Bearcats coach Ed Jucker said after the game. "They kept talking about their starting five, but today we showed you need a lot of depth to get anywhere. We got that depth and we got a chance to win it all. I hope Kansas is paying attention -- they're not sweeping us this season."
Defense also proved to be a big deal. Robertson and Nick Van Exel constantly switched off on Pete Maravich, holding the scoring machine to only 8 points on the day. Bob Pettit was able to take some advantage to score 17 points, but the Tigers had no help from the bench, as the Cats' bench outscored the Tigers' reserves 21-3.
"Gotta be more than the first five," center Shaquille O'Neal said after the game. "We can only do so much and if one of us is in trouble, we gotta get stepping up."
#15 Southern Cal 78, #16 Maryland 55. Don't sleep on the Trojans now. When they're going against teams in the second and third tier, they are deadly.
Bill Sharman led all scorers with 24 points as the Trojans (8-2) steamrolled the Terrapins (7-3) to make a statement about their goals for this season.
"We think we can steal a Final Four spot," coach Sam Barry said after the game. "Today proved we have the talent to do it. If the shots fall, we can beat anyone."
Gene Shue led the Terrapins with 13 points.
#6 Michigan State 61, #13 Texas 60. The Longhorns seem to be willing to live and die by Kevin Durant. The Spartans knew it when it mattered.
Draymond Green knocked away a pass intended for Durant on the final play of the game to preserve a victory for the Spartans (8-2) over the Longhorns (7-3) on the road in a critical matchup.
"We saw where they were going, we knew they had one big star and if we denied him, we didn't think anyone else could step up," Green said after the game. "I know how to beat Durant, we know how to win the game, and we're just that good."
Magic Johnson had 14 points and 7 assists to lead the Spartans. Durant, for his part, led all scorers with 21 points, but couldn't get the last two, as Avery Bradley's inbound was knocked away.
"Close isn't good enough in crunch time," Durant said to reporters.
NC State 74, #20 Minnesota 65. Last year, the Wolfpack were controversially sent to the NIT despite going 18-14 in the toughest schedule in the country. If they keep winning, they may take it out of the committee's hands when all is said and done.
JJ Hickson had 5 blocks of Kevin McHale on the day and David Thompson scored 20 as the Wolfpack (8-2) stunned the Golden Gophers (7-3) to pick up a road win.
"We deserve to be ranked, and we deserve to be in the [NIBL] tournament," Thompson said after the game. "We've said all year our goal is to be undeniable. If we qualify for selection, we're going to make sure they have to take us. That means winning a lot in non-con, and that's what we're doing."
With Thompson driving and causing collapses of the defense, the outside shooters also had their chances. Spud Webb and Tom Gugliotta hit three three-pointers each over the Gopher defense.
"This was a bad day," said McHale, who despite being blocked led the Gophers with 14 points.
Villanova 79, #24 UNLV 78. Villanova likes to play slower, while UNLV likes to speed it up. Villanova, it turned out, did just enough to keep the Rebels from getting the win.
Randy Foye had 20 points and Kyle Lowry blocked Ricky Sobers' last second putback attempt as the Wildcats (8-2) held off the Runnin' Rebels (6-4) to most likely knock the last mid-major out of the Top 25.
"Our backcourt carried this one," Villanova coach Jay Wright said after the game. "We wanted to show that Paul [Arizin] had backup, and that's what we were able to get. Everyone played their role, and we kept this team -- a very good offensive team -- to just enough to take the win.
On the final play, Sobers inbounded to leading scorer Shawn Marion (18 points). His three pointer was off the mark, and in the scramble, Sobers got the loose ball. He tried a quick shot to beat the horn, but Lowry was ready.
*****
HOW THE TOP 25 FARED

1. UCLA 90, 7. Syracuse 79
2. North Carolina 64, 3. Kentucky 67
3. Kentucky 67, 2. North Carolina 64
4. Duke 61, 8. Michigan 68
5. Kansas 75, 14. Arizona 59
6. Michigan State 61, 13. Texas 60
7. Syracuse 79, 1. UCLA 90
8. Michigan 68, 4. Duke 61
9. Notre Dame 67, 17. DePaul 65, OT
10. Indiana 83, Louisiana Tech 57
11. Ohio State 87, Saint John's 59
12. Connecticut 92, 21. Alabama 80
13. Texas 60, 6. Michigan State 61
14. Arizona 59, 5. Kansas 75
15. Southern Cal 78, 16. Maryland 55
16. Maryland 55, 15. Southern Cal 78
17. DePaul 65, 9. Notre Dame 67, OT
18. LSU 60, Cincinnati 81
19. Georgetown 56, 25. Illinois 66
20. Minnesota 65, NC State 74
21. Alabama 80, 12. Connecticut 92
22. Florida 63, California 60
23. Iowa 83, Arkansas 90
24. UNLV 78, Villanova 79
25. Illinois 66, 19. Georgetown 56

Kris Jenkins is 6'3" 285lb senior defensive tackle. He was a 3 star prospect from Olney Maryland back in the 2020 class, he chose us over offers from Penn State, Virginia Tech, Iowa and Sparty among others. He played tight end and defensive end in HS making plenty of highlights, but Michigan saw a lot of potential in him as a run stuffer and moved him to DT.
He is one of the special dudes Harbaugh refers to as a "football guy", you can always see how genuinely happy and excited playing football makes Kris, he's living his best life!
He certainly had the opportunity to go to the NFL, but chose to return for 2023 for "unfinished business". His dad, Kris Jenkins SR, was a really good player in the NFL for a long time, same goes for his uncle Cullen Jenkins. Our guy clearly comes from a football family and now he is getting talked about as a potential first round pick for next year!
"At the end of the day, this place feels home to me. The culture we have here with the coaches, my teammates the players, the fans even, this whole place feels like home to me. It didn't feel like anything was wrong with coming back here for one last time. Continuing to grind with my boys and get after it, we love what we do here. They make me really love being here, I just love being here." @ kjj_18 on IG, give the man a follow!
He made his first appearance in 2020, but it would be the 2021 and 2022 seasons where Kris would really make a name for himself as an immovable object plugging up rushing lanes. I have slimmed down his logs from mgoblue to give you just the highlights:
Sophomore (2021) • Appeared in all 14 games with four starts along the defensive line; made 22 tackles including a shared tackle for loss, and one quarterback hurry to earn his second varsity letter • Played along the defensive line against Western Michigan (Sept. 4) • Against Washington (Sept. 11), made five tackles (one solo) with a shared tackle for loss playing along the defensive line • Made his first career start against Northern Illinois (Sept. 18) and was credited with one assisted tackle • Started at the end spot against Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game (Dec. 4) and contributed four tackles • Credited with seven tackles playing along the defensive line against Georgia in the Capital One Orange Bowl/CFP Semifinal (Dec. 31)
Junior (2022) • Started all 14 games at defensive tackle; led all defensive linemen with 54 tackles and added 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and two quarterback hurries to earn his third varsity letter • All-Big Ten selection (honorable mention, coaches and media) • On five occasions, shared Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performances against UConn, Penn State, Michigan State, at Iowa, Illinois • Made two solo tackles, including a sack, in a start against Colorado State (Sept. 3) • Started at end against UConn (Sept. 17) and led the defense with five tackles (three solo) • Had a five-tackle day starting along the interior against Maryland (Sept. 24) • Contributed three stops starting at Iowa (Oct. 1) • Started against Penn State (Oct. 15) and made four tackles (one solo) from the interior • Registered one TFL among five stops in a start against Michigan State (Oct. 29) • Delivered three solo tackles inclduing a five-yard sack at Rutgers (Nov. 5) • Notched five tackles starting on the interior against Illinois (Nov. 19) • Led all defensive linemen with five tackles (three solo) at Ohio State (Nov. 26) • Made two tackles against Purdue in the Big Ten Championship (Dec. 3) • Notched four tackles against TCU in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl/CFP Semifinal (Dec. 31)
As you can see, Kris was a huge contributor to our success last year, dude had multiple run stuffs in literally every single game so I had to do some editing lmao! You can find the full logs in the first link.
So, where do things go from here for Kris? The former Academic All-Big Ten honoree ('21) wants to get his degree, win his 3rd Big Ten Championship and capture that elusive National Title!
A couple things you may not know about Kris, he's one of five players who are featured on our new NBC intro for games on their network (along w Corum, Edwards, McCarthy, Sainristil), and he also featured in the super bowl commercial for Mike Morse (along w Morris, Colson, Oluwatimi, Keegan).
This is part of a series breaking down Michigan players for 2023, if you want to check out the previous post about Alex Orji you can at the link here.

A terrifying movie or book or show gets your blood pumping in the moment of consumption, sure—we covered our eyes in Squid Game with the rest of the world. But for the most part, you rest easy afterward knowing that what you've witnessed is fiction, deliberately spun up to creep you out. When the real world gets eerier than anything Stephen King could dream up, that's when you have every right to get a little scared of the dark.
Once in a while, a story of a dreadful disappearance, demonic possession, or devil worship will land in the local paper instead of a pulpy old paperback. We've rounded up the most unnerving real-life tales below. In honor of spooky season, here are eleven we can't stop thinking about.

The Axe Murder House

The Villisca Axe Murder House in Villisca, Iowa is a well-known tourist attraction for ghost hunters and horror lovers alike. The site of a gruesome unsolved 1912 murder, in which six children and two adults had their skulls completely crushed by the axe of an unknown perpetrator, was purchased in 1994, restored to its 1912 condition, and converted into a tourist destination. It costs $428 a night to stay at the old haunted home, where visitors always report strange paranormal experiences, such as visions of a man with an axe roaming the halls or the faint screams of children.
But in November of 2014, the haunting took a darker turn. Robert Steven Laursen Jr., 37, of Rhinelander, Wisconsin was on a regular recreational paranormal visit with friends when true horror struck. Per VICE:

His companions found him stabbed in the chest—an apparently self-inflicted wound—called 9-1-1, and Laursen was brought to a nearby hospital before being helicoptered to Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said Laursen suffered the self-inflicted injury at about 12:45 a.m., which is around the same time the 1912 axe murders in the house began.
Laursen recovered from his injuries, but has never spoken publicly about what occurred that day. For Martha Linn, the owner of the home, the incident was very upsetting. "It's publicity, but it's not exactly the kind of publicity you desire to have. I don't want people thinking that when they come to the Villisca Axe Murder House something's going to happen that's going to make them do something like that.” The house remains open for tourist visits and overnight stays today.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

The Haunted Doll

When you think of haunted dolls, it’s likely the creepy old Victorian-looking porcelain kind that springs to mind. None of which you probably have laying around. Still, don’t get too comfortable around any kids toys too soon, though: a Disney’s Frozen Elsa doll that was gifted for Christmas 2013 in the Houston area made headlines earlier this year when it seemingly became haunted.
Per KPRC2 Houston News:

The doll recited phrases from the movie Frozen and sang “Let It Go” when a button on its necklace was pressed.
“For two years it did that in English,” mother Emily Madonia said. “In 2015, it started doing it alternating between Spanish and English. There wasn’t a button that changed these, it was just random."
The family has owned the doll for more than six years and never changed its batteries. The mother says the doll would randomly begin to speak and sing even with its switch turned off.

The family decided to throw the creepy doll out in December of 2019. Weeks later, they found it inside a bench in their living room. “The kids insisted they didn’t put it there, and I believed them because they wouldn’t have dug through the garbage outside,” Madonia told KPRC2 Houston News.

Esquire Select

📷JOIN NOW
At that point, Elsa ceased to sing the English rendition of “Let It Go” altogether, speaking only Spanish when pressed. The family then double-bagged the bizarre doll and placed it at the bottom of their garbage which was taken out on garbage day. They went on a trip shortly after, but when they returned, Elsa too had come back, and was waiting in the backyard of their home.
This time, the family mailed Elsa to a family friend in Minnesota, who taped the haunted doll to the front bumper of his truck. It doesn’t seem to have made its way back to Houston yet, as per Madonia’s latest February Facebook update on the creepy doll.

A Deadly Exorcism

In August 2016 in North London, 26-year-old Kennedy Ife began acting strange and aggressive following a pain in his throat. He reportedly bit his father, threatened to cut off his own penis, and complained of a python or snake inside of him before his family restrained him to a bed with cable ties and excessive force.
As the BBC reported:

“The family then set about attempting to ‘cure’ Kennedy through restraint and prayer over the next three days, the court was told.”

His brother, Colin Ife, told police:

“It’s clear that thing was in him, what we believed was a demon because it was not natural. It was clearly trying to kill him,” he said.
“We had to restrain him for himself. It was clear if we didn’t restrain him, he could have tried to harm people in our family.”

Kennedy Ife had been bound to his bed for three days without medical attention when his brother called emergency services, explaining that Kennedy Ife was complaining of dehydration. He appeared to have developed breathing issues, and was pronounced dead at 10:17 a.m.
As The Independent reported:

While police were at the house Colin Ife allegedly carried out an “attempted resurrection” by chanting and praying for Mr. Ife.

All seven of Kennedy Ife’s family members were accused of manslaughter, false imprisonment, and causing or allowing the death of a vulnerable adult. A post-mortem examination revealed over 60 wounds including a possible bite on Kennedy Ife’s body, and his father, Kenneth Ife, along with four of his brothers, sustained injuries as well.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
The BBC reported:

Kenneth Ife told jurors he ordered his sons to take shifts and use "overwhelming force" but denied that an "association with cults, occults and secret societies" played any part in the death.

After a four day jury deliberation, all seven family members were cleared of charges on March 14, 2019.
📷Witches prepare themselves for a journey by broomstick to the Black Mountain, circa 1650. From a 17th century Dutch copperplate by Adrianus Hubertus.Hulton Archive

Dead Animals in the Walls

When the Bretzuis family decided to insulate their home in Auburn, Pennsylvania in 2015, they discovered that it had already been—with scores of dead animal carcasses.
As Fox reported:

The dead animals were wrapped in newspapers from the 1930s and 40s and were among half-used spices, and other items.
After removing the items they sent hundreds of artifacts and carcasses to an expert in Kutztown.

The expert attributed the rotting animals in their walls to Pow-wow or Dutch magic, a ritual originating in the culture of the Pennsylvania Dutch to treat ailments and gain physical and spiritual protection. The Pennsylvania Dutch were a group of German-speaking settlers to Pennsylvania in the 1600 and 1700’s, and are often of Lutheran, Mennonite, or Amish faiths.
The Washington Post notes on the magic:

Many of the spells deal with the care of livestock, finding water, or the treatment of minor ailments, reflecting the conditions and concerns of early American settlers.
But powwow also has within it a tradition of darker spells, and even of such things as conjuring demons.

One notable ritual in their tradition is this hex to create loyalty in a dog:

To attach a dog to a person, provided nothing else was used before to effect it: Try to draw some of your blood, and let the dog eat it along with his food, and he will stay with you.

The mold found on the rotting carcasses in the Bretzuis home has caused illness among the family members, and they say that the odor hasn’t gone away.
This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Watch on📷Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Florida Devil Worshipping

Friends noticed that Danielle Harkins, a 35-year-old schoolteacher near St. Petersburg, Florida, started acting strangely in June of 2012, developing an interest in demonic rituals.
Soon after, she was arrested for abuse of seven of her former students, as the Tampa Bay Times reported:

Danielle Harkins told the kids they needed to rid their bodies of demons as the group gathered before dusk Saturday around a small fire near the St. Petersburg Pier. They should cut their skin to let the evil spirits out, police said she told the children. Then, they needed to burn the wounds to ensure that those spirits would not return.
When Harkins held a lighter to one teen's hand, wind blew the flame out, police said. That prompted her to douse his hand in perfume before setting it on fire. The boy suffered second-degree burns, police said.
Another teen was cut on the neck with a broken bottle, police said. Harkins used a flame to heat a small key, which she then used to cauterize the wound.

The police were notified because a friend of one of the students who participated in the ritual raised alarms. However none of the students themselves told their parents about the event or would comment following the arrest of Harkins for aggravated battery and child abuse.
NBC reported:

Investigators said they've spoken to Harkins, but she didn't spell out what type of religion would require such drastic measures.
"She hasn't informed us exactly what she was trying to accomplish with this," Puetz [of the St. Petersburg Police Department] said.

The Death of Elisa Lam

Elisa Lam was last seen on January 31, 2013 in the lobby of the Cecil Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. She was vacationing through the West Coast, documenting the trip on her blog, and checking in with her parents every day. On January 31 those calls stopped. Lam had vanished. Soon the police were involved and her parents arrived to help with the search.
They had nothing. That February, LAPD released elevator surveillance footage of Lam before her disappearance. The footage shows Lam behaving strangely in the elevator, appearing to talk with invisible people, peering around the corner of the door, crouching in the corner, and opening and closing the door. But what exactly is going on in this video raises more questions than answers. Theories range from psychotic episodes, to demonic possession, to unknown assailants just out of the camera's view:
This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Watch on📷
Around that time, hotel guests started reported weird things happening with the Cecil Hotel water supply. As CNN reports:
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

"The shower was awful," said Sabina Baugh, who spent eight days there during the investigation. "When you turned the tap on, the water was coming black first for two seconds and then it was going back to normal."The tap water "tasted horrible," Baugh said. "It had a very funny, sweety, disgusting taste. It's a very strange taste. I can barely describe it."But for a week, they never complained. "We never thought anything of it," she said. "We thought it was just the way it was here."

On the morning of February 19, a hotel employee climbed to the roof and used a ladder to investigate the hotel's water storage tanks. That's where authorities found the decomposing, naked body of Lam, whose personal items were found nearby. After an autopsy, her death was labeled accidental. NBC Los Angeles reported at the time about the strange circumstances in the hotel's past:

The tank has a metal latch that can be opened, but authorities said access to the roof is secured with an alarm and lock.The single-room-occupancy hotel has an unusual history. "Night Stalker" Richard Ramirez, who was found guilty of 14 slayings in the 1980s, lived on the 14th floor for several months in 1985. And international serial killer Jack Unterweger is suspected of murdering three prostitutes during the time he lived there in 1991. He killed himself in jail in 1994.In 1962, a female occupant jumped out of one the hotel's windows, killing herself and a pedestrian on whom she landed.

In February 2021, a Netflix doc called Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel explored Elisa's tragic case and the history of the "cursed" Cecil Hotel.

An Exorcism in Indianapolis

Last year, the Indianapolis Star published a lengthy report on a family terrorized by three children allegedly possessed by demons. The account of Latoya Ammons and her family tells disturbing stories of children climbing up the walls, getting thrown across rooms, and children threatening doctors in deep unnatural voices. It would seem like something straight out of a movie–a work of fantasy, except all of these accounts were more or less corroborated with "nearly 800 pages of official records obtained by the Indianapolis Star and recounted in more than a dozen interviews with police, DCS personnel, psychologists, family members and a Catholic priest."
One of the more chilling sections of the report includes a segment about the possessed 9-year-old:

According to Washington's original DCS report—an account corroborated by Walker, the nurse—the 9-year-old had a "weird grin" and walked backward up a wall to the ceiling. He then flipped over Campbell, landing on his feet. He never let go of his grandmother's hand.

Another segment of the piece reads:

The 12-year-old would later tell mental health professionals that she sometimes felt as if she were being choked and held down so she couldn't speak or move. She said she heard a voice say she'd never see her family again and wouldn't live another 20 minutes.

This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Watch on📷Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Utah Murder-Suicide

In September of 2014, a Utah teen returned to his home to find his parents and three siblings dead. "In a notebook, a 'to-do list' had been scribbled on the pages ... The list looked as if the parents were readying to go on vacation—items such as 'feed the pets' and 'find someone to watch after the house' were written," The Salt Lake Tribune reported. It appeared to be murder-suicide, but there was no suicide note, no prior indication that they would do this, no explanation. Police could not figure out why two parents would kill themselves and three of their four children.
For a year, no one knew exactly what happened to the family, or what would drive the parents to do something so unthinkable. In January, police released more chilling details in the case. According to accounts from family members and an investigation by police, the parents were driven by a belief that the apocalypse was coming and an obsession with a convicted killer. As the Washington Post reported:

Friends and family told police that the parents were worried about the "evil in the world" and wanted to escape a "pending apocalypse." But most assumed they just wanted to move somewhere "off the grid." Investigators also found letters written by Kristi Strack to one of the state's most infamous convicted killers, Dan Lafferty, who was convicted in the 1984 fatal stabbing of his sister-in-law and her 1-year-old daughter. According to trial testimony, he killed the victims at the order of his brother, Ron Lafferty, who claimed to have had a revelation from God. The story became a book called "Under the Banner of Heaven."Police said Kristi Strack became friends with Dan Lafferty, and she and her husband even visited him in prison.

The Phone Stalker

In 2007, ABC news documented a series of cell phone calls to families with terrifyingly specific death threats. The unidentified callers knew exactly what families were doing and what they were wearing.

The families say the calls come in at all hours of the night, threatening to kill their children, their pets and grandparents. Voice mails arrive, playing recordings of their private conversations, including one with a local police detective.The caller knows, the families said, what they're wearing and what they're doing. And after months of investigating, police seem powerless to stop them.

This went on with the Kuykenall family for months, who reported a caller with a scratchy voice threatening to slit their throats.

When the Fircrest, Wash., police tried to find the culprit, the calls were traced back to the Kuykendalls' own phones -- even when they were turned off.It got worse. The Kuykendalls and two other Fircrest families told ABC News that they believe the callers are using their cell phones to spy on them. They say the hackers know their every move: where they are, what they're doing and what they're wearing. The callers have recorded private conversations, the families and police said, including a meeting with a local detective.

"The Watcher"

After moving into their $1.3 million dream home, a New Jersey family started receiving creepy death threats from someone who identified themselves as "The Watcher." As CBS News reported earlier this year:
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Since moving in, the owners said they have received numerous letters from the mysterious person. "The Watcher" claimed the home "has been the subject of my family for decades," and "I have been put in charge of watching and waiting for its second coming," Castro reported.The new owners have several children, and other letters asked, "Have they found out what's in the walls yet?" and "I am pleased to know your names now, and the name of the young blood you have brought to me."

The family was forced to flee from their home and later filed a lawsuit against the previous owners.

Issei the Cannibal

In 1974, 24-year-old Wako University student Issei Sagawa allegedly followed a German woman to her home in Tokyo, Japan, broke into her apartment while she was sleeping, and attempted to cut a piece of flesh off her body to consume. When she awoke, she reportedly fought him and he was later captured by the police. According to a 2012 Vice documentary that covered Issei's bizarre story, he was mistakenly charged with attempted rape and his wealthy father paid the victim a settlement outside of court to have the charges dropped.
Seven years later, in 1981, he allegedly committed a murder in France—shooting and eating a fellow University student, Renée Hartevelt. Issei creepily documented the entire experience with photographs and he was captured by authorities once again while attempting to dump the rest of her body in the Bois de Boulogne lake. He was deported back to Japan and committed to a mental institution. For reason unknown, his psychologists in Japan declared that he was sane. Furthermore, a legal technicality involving the French government refusing to turn over the documents from his case meant that his murder charges were dropped completely. He checked himself out of the mental hospital and has reportedly been walking the streets as a free man ever since. Issei has even become a controversial celebrity, writing over 20 books. According to Japan Today, he most recently fantasized about an unnamed TV actress, saying:
"I'll catch a glimpse of her thigh and think, 'That sure looks tasty.' But I don't feel like I actually want to eat it. As I accomplished the act of cannibalism once, there's no meaning to maintaining the desire for it anymore. In my book, I wrote that it [human flesh] was tasty, but that was not really true; I'd much rather eat Matsuzaka (Kobe) beef. But because I'd desired to consume human flesh for so long, I'd managed to convince myself that it would necessarily be delicious."
Issei Sagawa was also referenced in the Rolling Stones song "Too Much Blood," with the lyrics reading: "And when he ate her he took her bones/To the Bois de Boulogne." He is currently 73 years old and continues to live in Kawaski City, Japan. To this day, no one knows why France did not allow Japan to give him a trial.
📷MATT MILLER

Hello everyone,
I want to share a project turned business my college buddies and I have worked on since February 2020, first for our high school and now in addition to teams across the US.
TL;DR: Here's a demo video of our baseball analytics software: https://youtu.be/Rv0Tv6qKZqM
The Casmium software featuring our stats-collecting mobile app (left) and web analytics dashboard (right)
Some of my friends at school, all pursuing computer science/engineering, were all made aware of our varsity baseball team's need for better and easier digital stats (West Des Moines Valley in Iowa). Problems they faced included needing help tracking and converting paper scorebooks into useful stats at practice and finding limitations with free or affordable current digital solutions available to them.
For example, GameChanger, a popular current app used by many in baseball, especially at the youth level, has several limitations when analyzing stats on a player-by-player basis. GC limits the amount of data you can view on a player at a time (one season only), which hinders the school's ability to analyze players from all four years of play (freshman-senior) in a single page. Additionally, products with many features are expensive for most youth and high school teams only looking for a simple and convenient tool, not a suite of services.
Additionally, the state of Iowa commonly uses iScore to track stats required by the athletic association, a rundown and out-of-date mobile app with almost zero additional tools to convert the games collected into useful stats.
My friends and I discussed these problems and the specific stats needs Valley had and created Casmium: a stats app that drives simplicity and convenience into the sports analytics world. We incorporated a simple interface that makes it easy for players, coaches, and parents to learn and the ability to view as much data as desired in as few clicks or taps as possible. We supplement our numbers tables with glanceable charts of the strike zone and spray outcomes for players. Additionally, we envision Casmium as a central platform for team stats, so we are working to partner with other tools in the industry to allow coaches to see all their information in one place from things like popular practice hardware, and report it to whoever requests it, such as state athletics databases.
We are so excited to have a working program and can't wait to see how teams can utilize it. If you or anyone you know who plays or coaches is looking for a tool like this, we'd love to connect and discuss how Casmium can work in your team. We offer plenty of free trials and significant discounts if you schedule a demo with us (see link).
Thanks everybody for reading! We hope to positively impact baseball youth and lead student-athletes to amazing opportunities. Also, if you want to chat, you can contact me directly at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

(Hello! As far as I'm aware, I am still banished to the shadow zone, but I'll thank all of you again for the comments! I've been reading them all! XD I'll give you folks a hint, Zedara isn't a cat or a dog species. Anyways, on with the story!) (A/N: thank you comment section for catching my transition break! I had one, but it got removed due to how posts worked here.)
(A/N: I am now moving this story to Royal Road. I do not make this decision lightly, but due to reddit shadow ban, as well as DELETING my most recent chapter and not notifying me. Most of you will probably have noticed that it just says removed. On my end, it does not show that, and for that very reason, amongst others, I cannot keep posting here. Thank you to everyone who read and enjoyed the story, and for those who want more, look for my Username on Royal Road, I'll try and continue writing there.)
/--------------/ /-----(previous)--------/
https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/13jkwef/eodat_ch3_anything_can_be_a_weapon/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
/--------------/
/----------(next)-------/
https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/140ebj7/eodat_ch5_repost_brewing_legacies_and_oversized/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
/--------------/
Admiral Serano stood on the bridge of his battle cruiser, the gray ghost herself, the HFS Enterprise.
He rubbed a hand on one of the consoles, getting a gentle trumm from turning reincarnated vessel, as they patrolled the fringe of New Terra.
Even this body of Hers was on the older, smaller side, that didn't mean the old ship soul that inhabited her was any less vicious. If anything, it made her more dangerous to get Into a fight, aiding her crew, screeching obscenities at those who threatened her charges and those she existed to protect.
Running a little over a kilometer long, she was still a respectable size, her design similar to that of a old Iowa class battle ship, but with several modifications. For one, she was upscaled dramatically, her foredeck flattened out rather then curved up, with a rail gun based launch system for fighter craft, aimed directly forward. Sitting above said launch bay were two monstrous MAC Turrets, with six barrels apiece, one slightly forward and closer to the deck, the other just behind her, slightly raised up above it. Each of the barrels on the turrets had its own very limited gimbal, allowing them to aim all at the same target, or all at different targets that were in the same field of view.
On either side of the launch ramp sat smaller Mini MACs, small, four barreled turrets that could fire 30mm rounds at a blistering pace, making for excellent point defense and anti fighter turrets. On the side of the vessel, because she wasn't sitting in water, but swam in the Void of space, another series of massive MAC cannons, each armed with two barrels apiece, hung off her side, symmetrical on each side, a pair forward, and a pair towards the back, with smaller broadside Mini MACs between the two, shorter range, but larger then the 30mm Mini MAC turrets that dotted her deck. The four larger, side mounted turrets were also able to aim underneath her should her opponent try and get out of the firing Arc of her main armament, preventing her from being unable to reach her foe.
Across her deck, nestled close to the bridge and the main turrets were more 30mm Mini MACs, out of the way of the cannons, panning back and forth in random movements, searching the stars hungrily to gift some unfortunate enemy vessel their wide variety of munitions.
Her bridge was of course modernized, sleeker, and had a shorter sensor tower, set a bit lower than the old Iowa class, her bridge sitting comfortably next to a quarette of larger Mini MACs, each with a set of four barrels, two on each side, to defend the command center, should the need arise, while the back of her had a trio of the massive cannons, staggered in height like the front two, bearing five cannons apiece rather than six, but given there was a extra turret, it really didn't matter. Below the triad of turrets was a fighter dock and intake, allowing for fighters to return to the vessel, small as they were.
Her engines were a quarette of large impulse engines, set in a diamond pattern, with a set of smaller impulse engines in between them to aid in maneuvering and for that little extra kick of speed. Around the engine cluster sat a ring system, similar to the one that was on the Event Horizon, but larger, bulkier. It was set just around the engine cluster, not poking beyond, allowing the cannons of the Enterprise to be able to cover the engine clusters without worrying about shooting their own FTL method.
"Sir! Gravitational disturbance off the bow!" One of the sensor techs called out. "Signature matches a early Vohle drive, looking for match in registry now!" The tech said, as the ship turned, hard, her RCS impulse engines burning.
Across his console, captain Serano saw a CMD terminal open up, even as the ship sang with anticipation.
:Ļíťțĺĕ §ìšţęŕ ìś ćømìñĝ ĥómə
He frowned. He knew the Enterprise had considered many vessels her 'sisters', and many had been lost…. So, which vessel….. Wait… Vohle drive. EARLY vohle drive, a technology they had to rebuild due to losing it in a cataclysmic event that had destroyed the company that had made it, and resulted in the Horizon going missing when she misused her Vohle drive, but had kept Earth itself safe from an external threat of incredible technological power.
While they managed to remake the tech, it was nowhere near as small as what the Horizon had. Early post Cataclysm human vessels relied on massive ring shaped Vohle Carriers, or, later on, conventional FTL engines purchased from their allies for smaller vessels. At the current moment, the Enterprise had the smallest Vohle drive of the modern variation…..
"All hands, lock down the hatches and equipment! Full chronoton shields, hard forward!" Serano barked out, the elderly human standing at the command seat, overlooking the rest of the bridge. "Sir?" One of the command crew asked, nervously. "If it's the ship I'm thinking of, she has a bit of….flair for dramatics." Serano deadpanned, even as they saw a bright light before them, their viewscreens darkening to ensure the crew wouldn't be blinded as a small vessel launched out of the hole in reality. The gravitational wave washed over the Enterprises bow, the larger vessel shrugging it off, having expected it.
"Sir! IFF match! Its……. It's the EHS Event Horizon!" One of the scanner officers said, jaw dropped as they saw the little vessel push its way out of the aetherium and floated, the two ships aimed at one another.
"Admiral, the Horizon is hailing us." The comms officer said, hand on their headset.
"On screen, please." Serano as they saw a old Mk astro robot appear on the screen. "This is ARC-CC-217, Captain Asimov of the Event Horizon to the HFS Enterprise, apologies for dropping in unannounced." Came the digital voice, making several people snort. "Understandable, Asimov. We hadn't expected to find the Horizon still operational. We had thought she was lost." Serano said, before nodding to one of the helmsman. "Your welcome to ride in our wake to the station. If you don't mind me asking, where did you find her?" Serano asked, curious as to where the captain had found her.
"She made me." Was Asimov's response, getting a hiss of surprise from the crew. An active cloner module. Joy. "I…..see. well then, easy enough to sort out. Be that as it may…." The Admiral said, catching the motions of his sensor officer. "Asimov, we are picking up four Saline life signals and one Trike on board. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that's the Saline congregation who said that they were on their way here?" The human admiral asked, getting a nod. "Correct. All but the Trike, who is a part of my crew." The cyborg said, even as the Horizons engines glowed, pushing her above the Enterprises bridge.
The Horizon closed the distance to where she sat inside the Enterprises own gravitational field, her Impulse motors glowing softly, floating above the bridge, even as the massive warships engines glowed brightly, wheeling her about, before her primary engines lit up, accelerating rapidly towards Narish 7, the closest station with diplomatic capabilities and a functional transmat unit.
Serano could feel the Enterprise as she rumbled, burning brightly against the stars as they made their way to the station, the dusty planet already aware that the Enterprise was on its way, but not aware of the vessel she was escorting.
The warship's Admiral and captain could already feel the two vessels discussing recent events together…… he shuddered to think of how much trouble the Horizon had already dug herself into. The Enterprise was bad enough, and she was built for trouble. The scrappy little science/cloner ship she had adopted as her sister was worse in some ways.
And now she had a captain that she had literally created. Serano managed to stifle a chuckle. He wanted to keep an eye out for reports of that little craft, he wanted to see what the unmanaged hellion would do compared to her big sister. Preferably for another Admiral before him.
A beep came through his console, and he saw an after action report….
From the Event Horizon. Dated very, VERY recently. Slowly, the Admiral rubbed his face as he sat at his chair, reading the report, reminding himself that he was reading a report from a SCIENCE vessel with minimal weapons systems….. and apparently NO ammo, despite opening the Salvage scoops to try and collect enough raw metals to manufacture some.
She was going to be competing with the Enterprise at turning his hair white, wasn't she?
/-----------/
Stationmaster Jason was waiting by the airlock, watching as the old Enterprise drifted closer and closer, the Saline representative standing next to him. "They are earlier then expected." Kisa said softly, their simple, brand new, gold accented body suit covering their body, compared to the stationmasters well used, rugged atmosphere suit.
"If they were picked up by the Enterprise, I'm not surprised. Has one of the smallest of the current Vohle jump drives at the current moment. Odd though, would have thought there would have been a mass panic if she had popped into neutral space unannounced." He said, watching the gray warship drift closer, her hull still baring faint marks from asteroids or weapons fire she had shrugged off, or patches in the hull from her repairs. The Saline shuddered. "Do not joke about that. As much as your other warships and even merchant vessels are terrifying, that Ship has a mind of her own with a possessiveness that rivals that of the Saurian Roxes. The age of her…..Klabautermann, shipsoul, you called it, only makes it all the worse." They said.
It was true, probably one other the things that terrified most of the galaxy and fascinated the Glinch were their ships sentience. Honestly, it was a accident, but they took it. For most, it meant that humans could rely on their ships more, treated them as family…… and the ships the same. Many pirates discovered you didn't mess with an angry vessel, even if her crew wasn't in a position to fight. You also didn't disrespect a humans ship, or a human ships crew. And the older they got, or the more they experienced, the more and more sentient they got. Some crews actively promoted this growth.
"Uh…..sir?" One of the deck hands said, looking at his Vox unit with confusion. "The Enterprise isn't docking. Something about her sister ship needing repairs and a once over after her passengers disembark?" They said, before Jason spotted a smaller vessel within the Enterprises wake, now that the ships were closer. "......huh. wonder which of her sisters it is?" Jason said, mentally trying to figure out where most were. He wasn't a clone, or mentally augmented, short of his dataport, so he couldn't just check mental files…..
He frowned as the vessels got closer. "Control, this is Stationmaster Jason. Did the Enterprise say which vessel is docking?" He called in, using his suits Vox. Silence hung for a moment in the air, making him antsy before a voice replied. ".....the Event Horizon, sir." Jason balked when the reply came. "Repeat, control. I could have sworn you said Event Horizon. That's not possible, history books said we lost her Centuries ago." Jason said, as the Saline next to him loomed at him in confusion. "That's what we said sir. Credentials all check out…..not to mention we picked up a gravitational wavefront a few days ago. A wavefront the Enterprise went to check….."
Jason never got to respond as they felt the deck shudder and heard a thump reverberating as the ship successfully docked, hissing of atmosphere slowly Increasing in volume as the pressure equalized, and then the doors opened.
The Saline congregation stumbled out, looking a little ill. "Representative Kisa" Hota said, managing their version of a bow. "Diplomat Hota, how have you fared?" Kisa asked, Jason stifling a chuckle as Hota closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. "In truth, better than we could have. Our…..eventful, if short, trip notwithstanding." He said, glancing nervously back at the Horizon. "Our flight plan had to be altered….. pirates as soon as we undocked. The captain of the ship….dealt with the threat. If what he said on the trip from where we popped out to here is to be believed, there's nothing but a fried, melted husk of a pirate vessel. Courtesy of a Dilitium Cascade and a gravitational wavefront generated by the vessel leaving realspace more aggressively than needed." Hota said, as Jason snorted.
"Sounds like the ship. Madam Kisa, if I may? I need to speak with the ships captain." Jason said, as the Saline representative nodded, as she took the Delegation with her to their temporary quarters to discuss what was so important they made their dangerous trek from where they had been stationed to here.
Jason relaxed a bit….until he heard the telltale clicking of mechanical foot claws. The ancient Mk12 frame was completely unexpected, especially bearing the Captains rank, its head panning about, scanning its surroundings. "Captain….Asimov?" Jason said, stepping forward, the cyborgs head locking onto his gaze in a moment. "Stationmaster." The cybernetic clone said, holding a claw out to shake, which the smaller stationmaster shook with a grin. "Mind if I ask for a tour of the ship? She's got quite a place in our history books."
/--------------------------------------/
"ORDER! ORDER!" The centauric chancellor cried, manipulator banging their gavel hard down on their podium. "The Emergency meeting is now in session, representatives Kisa, Hendricks, and Nigha have the floor."
The representatives in question appeared above the Chancellor in holographic, the human in a military uniform, standing beside an aging Saurian Trike, their three horns long, carved with gentle swirls and layer with a metal within them. Between them stood Kisa, looking worried, while Trike looked troubled.
"Honored sentients, we come bearing worrying news. As most know, the Everwatch station went dark at the farthest galactic north arm. As of a few hours ago, the Saline delegation who had been passing by as finally arrived with their findings….." Kisa said, her gaze grim as the image of the trio blinked out, replaced with the image of the station, heavily altered.
Originally, it had looked like a simple disc in shape, like a great Frisbee, with two dishes, one at the top and one below, one aimed deep into the void, the other aimed at the galactic center. Turrets, plasma and laser turrets to be precise, being a nonhuman station, were set up in concentric rings, expanding out from the dishes that acted as piles for the station, on the upper and underside of the stations shape. A simple design, not meant for much other then deep void sensor systems, and relaying information from the vessels that braved the uncharted void, searching for new life, new planets in the starless skies.
Now…… it looked corrupted. Fleshy pustules dotted the station at complete random intervals, pulsing and throbbing. Several looked to have ocular organs on them, locked onto the thing that had taken the holo. Glowing crimson lines pulsed on its hull, forming brutal looking runes, geometric shapes, jagged lines and more, like a transmutation circle of some form. Below the station, long fleshy tentacles hung, like some strange jellyfish, armored at random intervals, clearly armored with parts from large vessels, ripped off and plastered, fused with its manipulators.
Below it, it was slowly ramming a few of the manipulating limbs into a large combat vessel that had belonged to the Ka'ri, a warlike race that had contested the space the station occupied, tearing the vessel apart, small, fast moving objects below it flitting in little blinks, flashes seen as the crew of the vessel fought desperately to fight off the corrupt looking station, failing miserably.
Suddenly, part of the stations disk opened, splitting open like some sort of mouth, and crimson shapes launched out….. the hologram changed to a still optical photo of what was launched. A biological warship, fused with technology, impulse engines glowing, some brighter then others, it's front a long, jagged muzzle, dotted with eyes of various races, larger then they should have been. Jutting out of its skin/hull were cannons, again, ripped off various vessels like the engines, while around it, coiled tentacles were bound up, ready to be deployed to Grapple with another vessel.
"These were the last images that could be gathered before the ship was set upon by the shown ship. The crew was barely able to jettison their vessels escape pod through the Webway gate before the gate was sealed." Kisa said grimly.
Still images began appearing above the Chancellor, grainy, old, of massive creatures, mid roar or attack, swinging a club, or armed with crude looking energy weapons, punching a hole in an armored human soldier. Other images flickered into view, showing horrific creatures, amalgamation of multiple different species, combined together, some having multiple heads, some in the wrong place, warped, twisted, but always terrifying.
"These," the human representative said grimly. "Are old, but show some of what our attackers, or at least their troops are." "The first images we called 'Demons' due to their similarity to the creatures from our religions. Extremely strong, augmented heavily by both biological modifications as well as technological, both what looks like their own and stolen. The second are poor beasts we call amalgamation." The human slowly took a breath and let it out.
"I'd rather have old 4-LOM here to explain, but he's needed to prepare our fleets for this. What you're looking at is a combination of a psychological weapon as well as the 'Demons' ability to use dead or captured troops or civilians to create cannon fodder. We suspect some of the other races seen are others who fell to them, however ...." Another image flicked up, showing a demons horned head on one of the amalgamation, its jaw open in the facsimile of a roar, though it's eyes were like the rest, dull, lifeless, the body clearly shambling forward. "It could also be another caste or subspecies we haven't encountered yet."
Silence hung through the silent auditorium, horrified expressions plastered on some of the more peaceful races faces, while some of the more warlike ones looked excited. "The biological mass that has control of Everwatch station is also likewise made up of the crew's former biomass, amongst other things. The…..markings, are either to taunt or are a part of the process, we aren't certain. We have encountered several vessels like it in the past, however we haven't seen them since the Cataclysm nearly millennia ago. Until now. It's suspected that Everwatch is a foothold for a larger invasion force….. or the starting point of an infection meant to soften us up for a larger force." The human finished, before nodding to his Trike friend.
"Unfortunantly, I too bear dire news." The aging Trike said, as another station of similar make and design appeared, and like the other, it sent chills through the representatives' spines. Or spine equivalent. Before them, the new station appeared to be…converted to a completely different technology, a different metal. Gone was the gentle white, gleaming in the stars, and in its place, a deep blue color. The turrets were all gone, replaced with strange rings, deep ones that seemed to glow a deep crimson. The running lights were all red as well, portholes, everything.
The hanger was open, and a still of what looked like several objects, deep blue, speckled at random with red circles, hexagons and the like, spherical with long pseudopods extended out, clutching a Saline vessel, dragging it in.
Around the station, everyone could see more of these spheres, larger, moving with no visible form of propulsion, blinking out of existence and back in in another place, racing at insane speeds, taking sharp turns without slowing, ignoring the G forces involved that would wreck even a Glinch inside them.
"The station next to Everwatch, DeepSight, had also been lost. This time, we do not know what we are looking at. Humans have a few….theories, some being ironic, considering their history, but nonetheless concerning. Scouting teams managed to leave without being spotted as far as we could tell, but at the humans rightful paranoia, we left the scouts ships behind, and sealed off the Webway gate. As of now, we are placing Interdiction fields around both stations, in hopes to prevent the spread wnd to buy time to figure out what one is, and prepare for war with the other….."
The aging Trike explained, his deep, growling voice heard in the silent chamber, grim as his expression that flickered into view.
For a few moments, the auditorium was silent………
And then exploded into a symphony of chaos.

PayPal Invoice Only!
Accepting reasonable offers, selling due to moving need to shift ASAP!!!
Relisted Items have had prices dropped, also accepting cut prices for multi purchases!
Tagged photos and timestamp: https://imgur.com/MRQf5Hs
Full Album with more pics: https://imgur.com/a/MkwwGKU, https://imgur.com/a/yWdAfmM, https://imgur.com/a/C6TFlsw
Yeezus Tee, Size L, £10 - https://i.imgur.com/X7XJdgd.jpg
Margiela Flared Runway Pants, Size XL, £10 - https://i.imgur.com/D9MaK3V.jpg
Madness Native American Button-up, Size XL, £15 - https://i.imgur.com/udwpMF6.jpg
Stussy x CDG 50th Anniversary Varsity, Size XL £80 - https://imgur.com/o9eWl64
North Face Nuptse, Size XL (Fits more like an L) £50 - https://imgur.com/g24erbF
Carhartt Cargos Olive, Size 36 Waist SOLD - https://imgur.com/aUkZy1Z
Bound 2 Yeezy Season 6 Hoodie Ash Grey Size L £30 - https://imgur.com/1nMXJNT
Margiela x Tommy Cash Tee, Large (Fits more like a Medium) £15 - https://imgur.com/ySLFjmg
Carhartt Cargo Khaki Size 36 Waist SOLD - https://imgur.com/oz2Verd
Yeezy Waverunner Onyx, UK 10 £40 - https://i.imgur.com/H2oS73J.jpg
Represent Owner's Club Hoodie, Black, Size L £30 - https://imgur.com/L0Mmv8E
Kapital Virgin Mary Sweater, Size L but cropped fit £40 - https://imgur.com/wvoD5pK
Nike Centre Swoosh Hoodie, Ambition Batch, Size XL (Stained) £10 - https://imgur.com/ZLWxvJS
Real Betis Jersey Retro Size L £20 - https://imgur.com/geqYKVZ
Jordan 1 Pine Green, UK 10 SOLD - https://imgur.com/NDnfFQ6
Nike Sacai Vapour Waffle, UK 10 £50 - https://imgur.com/GFMt1ml
Nike ACG Cargos Size L SOLD - https://imgur.com/Uz1ADkE
Rhude Shorts Forest Green Size XL £15 - https://imgur.com/KN6OfBr
Rhude Shorts Triple Black Size XL £15 - https://imgur.com/kn7bDJM
Stussy Shorts Size L SOLD - https://imgur.com/X6jkUgB
Teal Button-Up Shirt from Nelly £10 Size L - https://imgur.com/wvCO380
Black Button-Up Shirt from Nelly £10 Size L - https://imgur.com/KqA6FrN
Arcteryx Beta Size 2XL (Fits more like an L), Repcourier Batch SOLD - https://imgur.com/zqgknZ4
Arcteryx x Jil Sander Tee Size XL Repcourier Batch £15 - https://imgur.com/sfZYnq1
Stussy x Nike Crewneck Grey Size XL SOLD - https://imgur.com/cUEXKVh
Stussy x Nike Crewneck Black Size XL SOLD - https://imgur.com/2SfllCb
Nike Centre Swoosh Hoodie Grey Size L SOLD - https://imgur.com/XHmjRXl