Muck found himself blowing out a breath of relief as the simulator cockpit opened over him. He forced himself to wait until he could vault out to the deck and eye Gamlin.  He was certain how he’d done, but he also knew that the final verdict was that of a third party from outside the engagement simulation.

“So, how did I do in your eyes, LT?”

Speaking of said third party, though, it looked like Muck had managed to *TOTALLY* break Lieutenant Gamlin Kizakai, his alleged impartial third party based on Gamlin’s thoroughly ‘gob-smacked’ look at the moment.  Gamlin looked at Muck, then back at the simulator control console, then back to Muck again.

Muck facepalmed for a moment, the tried again.  “Muck to Gamlin… come in Gamlin!”

Gamlin finally showed some sign of recovery as he held up a palm to Muck.  “D-1 copies your traffic.  Wait one.”  Gamlin otherwise ignored him and leaned forward conversing with the rating running the simulator; looking intently at the data thrown on the screen in response to his request.  As much as Muck wanted Gamlin to confirm what he was sure of, Muck was also sure that rattling Gamlin’s chain at this point would work against him instead of in his favor; and so forced himself to wait patiently, even though all his time as what any comic title would call a ‘superhero’ had primed him for instant decisions and reactions.  All of those reactions would be wrong at the moment, though.  Gamlin had the final say, to disturb him at the moment just might cause him to rule against him out of pure spite.

Muck could have know just how long he’d waited, but decided against it when Gamlin finally straightend up and shook himself much like a dog would before looking over at Muck.

“When I was a flight cadet back on Mars, my initial instructor was Milia Jenius. She told me I needed to become one with my mecha, to know everything it was telling me.  This data says you’ve surpassed me in the ship I have the most flight hours in, even though this should be the first time you’ve been in its cockpit?”

“Hell, LT.  Haven’t you figured out I cheat yet?”

“So, your NOT qualified to pilot a VF-17?”

“Oh, I’d say I am.  But the particulars here are not for enlisted ears, LT,” Muck pointed out with a nod at the rating staring at both of them.  “Perhaps someplace where there aren’t little pitchers with big ears?”

Gamlin nodded, grabbing Muck by the arm and pointing the two of them to the hatch.  “I know a place,” he assured, before looking behind the pair.  “Dismissed, sergeant.  I get word you said anything to anyone other than Cap’n Jenius…”

“Sir, understood sir!”

* * * * * * *

My mother passed away this week at 72, having outlived her doctor's prediction by 4 months.

She died from congestive heart failure, surrounded by her children, having survived from her 51st wedding anniversary through the holidays.

The severity of her CHF was essentially a side effect of her long-term dialysis (10 years worth) while waiting for a kidney transplant. And she was number two on the local waiting list for most of it, as her transplant surgeon... was more concerned with his rep and record of perfect surgeries refusing to operate because of her high BMI, which was... a side-effect of why she needed it. She eventually got her transplant at the Jacksonville Mayo Clinic, and her transplant was still working, it was just her heart couldn't pump the fluids where they needed to go.

Just had to vent.

So, I think it was DW2 that used "Sweet Dreams" by the Eurithmics (and one or two covers for different moods) as the GENOM motif - if not, it still fits well enough that this mashup seems suited to call up a version of one of the buma that Doug arranged to get liberated. How helpful the particular individual is feeling and what they can do may be up to a bit of variation, though...


non-embedded

Though it's not the official title, I like to call it "Sweet Dreams of a Seven Nation Army."

Well, good news, bad news, and bemusing news.

Good News: A new Sakura Taisen game and anime are being released. Yay!

Bad News: Apparently the Tokyo, Paris, and New York teams were wiped out! WTF?!

Bemusing News: One of the new characters' names is Yang Xiaolong.   

I post this on the Fenspace Thread to ask a question. If this "soft reboot" happens in the Fenspace timeline(and should it?), what does Li Kohran think about it?

Check out the details on Wikipedia.

Trump just fucked us all over in the worst way possible.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/nat...story.html

Whelp, the Australian military is carrying out the largest evacuation in Australian history to the east of us. Local weather's shifted to a sudden drop in temp again, but that'll last a few days at most, I suspect.

Sunday, October 6, 1995, 7:49 AM.  The Great Hall.

Albus paused in eating his breakfast, a forkful of egg midway
between his plate and mouth, as a set of familiar robes appeared
on the other side of the staff table from his seat.

"Yes, Douglas?" he said mildly.  "Can I help you?"

Douglas leaned down to bring his face closer to Albus'.  It did
not bear its usual cheerful, indeed mischievous, smile, and a
certain foreboding seized the Headmaster's heart.  "Albus," he
said in low and quietly angry tones, "you have the ghost of a
*murdered child* bound for eternity to a moldy, broken bathroom,
and everyone I've spoken to in this castle not only knows about
it but treats her as a minor *inconvenience*!"  He leaned in
closer and snarled, "What is *wrong* with you people?"

Albus closed his eyes and suppressed a sigh.

RIP NBA commissioner emeritus David Stern, on January 1.

Here's hoping 2020 will be a better year that 2019.

(I won't wish for politics to get better, because I know that isn't happening any time soon. But maybe we can get some positive action in other fields of human endeavour.)

To all board members who celebrate Christmas, my best wishes to you this holiday season.