I completed the ammeter to voltmeter conversion yesterday. Advice is spread across forums and videos but sparse on Reddit, so I will share my experience. The total ordeal took about 7 hours after spending several hours researching and making sure I had the right tools. 3 hours to remove the gauge cluster, 1 hour looking at wiring diagrams, and 3 hours for the conversion and reassembly.
Voltmeter: Sunpro CP7985 (use a small flat head screw driver to tediously fold back the black trim/bezel's lip that houses the gauge).
Critical tools that made the job easier: Dremel, step-drill bit, soldering iron, heat gun, wire stripper, circularounded hand file, a long philips-head screw driver.
Disconnect your battery! Also, I already rewired my alternator prior to this conversions, so I will not cover that in this write up.
Removing the gauges: Disconnect the speedometer cable from the speedo-junction box in the engine compartment. This will allow you to pull the speedo cable out from inside the cabin and give you more "play" in pulling the cluster Removing the screws and bolts to pull out the cluster is straight forward, but lowering the steering column helps drastically. There are two "hidden" screws that hold together the upper and lower plastic trim pieces around the column that need to be removed from under the steering column. When all screws/hardware are removed and the cluster is ready to be pulled out, gingerly start pulling out the cluster while disconnecting the electrical connectors from behind the dash. I found the primary, 11-pin circular connector to be the most difficult to remove and required time and patience. It's not bolted or held in by anything - it's just stubborn.
The dumbest/most frustrating part of removing the cluster is the sliding cable mechanism for the environment/heat controls. It's connected to the cluster by a single screw behind the controls and is conveniently placed in the most inconvenient location for a screw driver. Time and patience is all I can really recommend. This is a great time to replace the vacuum hoses for the heater controls if they are worn and cracked.
The Conversion: I only disassembled the ammeter side of the cluster, though many can/will use this opportunity to clean up the entire cluster. I disassembled the cluster until the metal backing plate was fully removed. Use the dremel or similar tool to file/sand down the 6 small metal tabs used to mount the ammeter, or else the voltmeter will sit too far "forward" for the front gauge plate to mount. Use the step-drill bit to drill two 5/16" holes approx. 3/8" below the centerline of the ammeter holes. It's okay if the holes are a bit large - you do not want the threaded studs of the voltmeter to contact the metal backing plate or the reading will be incorrect. Use the circular hand file to file down the ammeter holes in the cardboard circuit board to accommodate the voltmeter. I performed numerous fit checks as I filed down the circuit board and ultimately used the cardboard as the piece to determine the voltmeter's mount location. I liked the hand file over the step-bit for this procedure to greatly minimize the risk of destroying the circuit board connection below the ammeter holes.
Wiring: In the 11-pin circular connector, pin "E" is ignition (for 1978s). I spliced into the ignition wire as my positive voltage source. It's critical to monitor the voltage off the ignition - a voltmeter will monitor volts/draw current constantly if wired directly to the battery and slowly drain your battery overtime. For ground, I spliced into the ground wire coming off the connector off the backside of the oil pressure gauge. Tom 'Oljeep' Collin's webpage was a godsend, https://oljeep.com/gw/elec/GW_wiring.html.
As for the two red and yellow 10-ga wires coming off the ammeter, when I rewired my alternator, I left the red wire hot (connected to the positive starter solenoid terminal but not running an alternator current) and disconnected the yellow wire entirely. Behind the gauge cluster, I used electrical tape and heat shrink to "seal" the connectors used to the attach to the ammeter. The red wire is a hot wire for many components under the dash, so it must be connected to a 12v source. I left the yellow wire under the dash - if needed, I can use it as another hot wire for accessories.
Reassembly: Reverse the disassembly procedure. Again, the heater control wire is the most frustrating part because a screw driver cannot easily reach the screw location. I also used the opportunity with the dash removed to reorient some of the wires to make cluster install/removal easier in the future. Reconnect the speedo cable to the junction box in the engine compartment
I hope this helps. I didn't find this information on Reddit, so I wanted to share my experience. This procedure may vary depending how you rewire your alternator. Some splice the 10-ga red and yellow wires together to maintain the circuit. I rewired my alternator so it goes directly to the battery and no longer sends a charging current through the firewall, so I left the two red and yellow wires disconnected behind the cluster.
Edits: formatting for readability

So I'm posting here.....
It really pains me to write this 2-star review. What pains me even more is knowing my partner is $600 lighter after a night at what is ultimately an overrated restaurant.
At my insistence, we brought my cousin and his girlfriend here as a special occasion. It was a Tuesday and still I felt lucky to snag a 9pm reservation. When we got there, the server said she suggested we order both our appetizers and entrees at the same time because if we didn’t, we would end up waiting forever for it since the kitchen was backed up. Thus, feeling rushed, we navigated, albeit a bit clumsily, the menu of small shares and large shares. For small shares, we ordered the Egusi dumplings, the cod fish and cornbread and my cousin ordered a caeser salad. The Egusi dumplings were only 3 dumplings - not enough to share with even one person. I had been to Tatiana’s one other time and discouraged everyone from ordering the goat patty. I didn’t believe it was worth it as there was not enough goat meat inside a massive amount of breading.
My cousin didn’t quite get the concept of shares and, to his credit, it didn’t make any sense. We each ended up ordering a large share. When the food came out, what we received were nothing more than regular sized entrees. I expected the red snapper to be an impressive whole fish. What was served was a filet that was clearly just enough for one person. The snow crabs were also sparse although the sauce that it was plated with was delicious. My cousin and I each ordered the shrimp. Now, what was served on each of our plates were two huge shrimp with the head, shell and legs, I suppose, to look reminiscent of mini lobsters or crawdads. I’m unsophisticated when it comes to shellfish. Requiring us to fight with the shrimp to get the meat in a rather flavorless tomato sauce was another disappointment.
The last time I was there my friend and I had the pastrami short rib and that felt like more of an actual share.
Also, the last time I was there I enjoyed a cocktail on their menu that was their version of an Old Fashioned. The server told me they didn’t have the key ingredient for it so all they could do was make a regular old fashioned (no one could do a store run to get the ingredient?). Even so, our cocktails were delicious. I decided on the spicy margarita. I could drink that all day long. It’s also a cocktail I could have in almost any other restaurant in NYC besides Tatiana’s paired with far less expensive food.
In the end I’m just sad about the experience. I’m afraid it may end up being nothing more than another overrated, bougie Black restaurant that's too expensive with not nearly enough good reasons for which to save up. The four of us had a wonderful time last night despite everything I shared in this review because of the company we kept. We could have gone elsewhere and still had a wonderful time of delicious food and drink - for a lot less money.
P.S. When I told my partner I wanted to take my cousin here, he looked at the menu to budget for it. He said the prices went up. The pastrami rib was $10 higher and the snapper was $20 higher in price by the time we went there.
Should you have difficulty getting a reservation to Tatiana's, perhaps the universe is doing you a favor.

I'm essentially an alcoholic when you strip away all the arbitrary "but I'm's" and "I don't's". Drinking has always been a big part of my process, I wrote a whole (albeit short) novel that way. I worry that my future projects might read as limp in comparison to the things I wrote when I was gut deep in straight vodka and beers every night.
I suppose that regardless of the state I'm in when I start something, it's still me, so to speak. My problems obviously still exist no matter whether I'm drunk or not, and so I'll likely still be able to achieve the same level of commentery without it. But still, the issue stands just the same in my mind.
I've been stuck on my novel's opening chapter for months now, and today, after getting moderately fucked up, I wrote up the bones of a decent replacement in the space of an hour that's infinitely better than what I originally had. How can I stop with results like that? Sure, in general, a person's health should always come first. But I'm not a general person. I'm an antisocial alcoholic scumbag dickhead, to put it lightly. This writing thing is basically all I have. It's my creative outlet to express the feelings I'm incapable of releasing in my real, everyday life. If I lose the booze, I'm worried I may ultimately lose myself in the process. The best, creative part of myself that I never thought I'd ever even find in the first place.
I'm obviously not Hunter Thompson or Hemingway or fucking Al Crowley, I get that, but what if I cease to be me when I move away from this turbulent, decade long period in my life? I don't even know what an alternative to that even really means. I don't think I've ever written anything in its entirety in a sober state of mind. Ever.

First a little about me. I recently turned 50. I live in the Philadelphia area, but I travel quite a bit throughout the Northeast US for work. I'm attractive with a slight dad-bod build (and working my way towards fit, but right now in-between). I'm successful and established in my career. I lean dominant, but mostly as a playful "pleasure Dom," and I have a very caring and nurturing side. Very honest and straightforward. Frequently tested and clean.
So what about you? You should be under 30, and preferably under 25 (but at least 18, regardless of your state's laws). I like a thin/slim/athletic build but I don't mind a little pudge. And I have a special fondness for A/B-cups :)
It would be great if you're somewhere in southeastern PA or NJ, but since I travel you don't have to be - other areas I frequent are DC/Baltimore, Pittsburgh, upstate NY, CT and MA. Other areas of New England are possible but less frequent. I'm open to any race/ethnicity.
As I said I'm caring and nurturing, and ultimately I have a lot of love to give the right Baby Girl. But don't think I won't put you over my knee if you've been a bad girl. Although one night stands can be fun, ideally I'm looking for a long-term connection. I want to be your friend, your lover, your mentor and perhaps your muse.
Your experience level with men does not matter to me. In my prior Age Gap relationships, I have found the most rewarding moments to be with less experienced/repressed partners, helping them explore their sexuality and truly blossom. But if you already know what you like and what you don't, that's perfectly fine. Either way, please have a significant interest in both giving/receiving oral.
Besides the obvious Age Gap dynamic, Praise Kinks, Showing Off/Being Shown Off, Semi-public play are all things that interest me. And bi/bicurious girls go to the front of the line.
Yes, I'm looking for a lot. I realize that. But if you've read this far, and think you fit what I'm seeking, please send a message and let's see if there's a good fit. And if there is let's start our New Adventure.

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This is a weird one, not sure how to explain it so here goes..
My girlfriend and I have been together for close to 7 months. Her ex is the definition of controlling and possessive, lets call him John. They were together for over a decade and have a kid. John and the kid are in their home country since before xmas. John doesn’t know about me and her being together. She says she hides it so she doesn’t loose her kid, also so John doesn’t use her kid against her.
Imo she already lost the kid to John “side” by letting them go to their home country again. The kid has had John and John’s family in his ear the entire time, doing nothing all day. Not even school, as they plan was the kid to come back.
Here’s the catch, the kid doesn’t want to come back without John and wants them to be a happy family again and live together. Whereas my girlfriend doesn’t want to live with John again. She doesn’t want to live with John ever again, which I don’t blame her given the things she told me. John did the usual stuff a possessive and controlling person do. Beating, going through belongings and her phone, screaming at her in front of the kid and not letting her have any friends at all.
Recently she keeps ranting about it how much of a tw*t he is which is fair enough. John expects whenever he calls her for her to answer immediately, when she doesn’t he’ll keep calling and spamming the phone. She says she’ll block him etc. but never keeps to it as her kid is still with John. He demands photos of proof she is doing the thing she says but he can do whatever he wants. Which is only encouraged by his family.
This brings me to the most recent sh*tshow. After getting in last night we (gf and I) tried to watch tv before bed, but John spammed her in the same way as I mentioned before prior to getting him. She called John when we got back home and had a go at him. The day after, we’re eating lunch and I see her taking a photo of her food. I asked her why she’s taking a photo of her food as I’ve never seen her do it before. She said she always has and turned to me and said “am I not allowed to take a photo of my food?”, to which I said, “I’m not saying you need permission I just asked why” she said I’m annoying sometimes and I said how so. Apparently by asking a lot of questions, (I asked her once). She then gave in and said she just like to when it looks good. I thought fair enough but it was chips in a bowl with ketchup.
Anyhow, after she took the photo her phone buzzed and I know it was John as he’s the only one that talks to her, other than myself and obviously I’m not talking to her via phone if she’s right next to me. I thought it was suspicious moments after her taking a photo of the food John texts her. She slipped up and ended up showing the conversation when she opened it and I saw she sent the photo of the chips to John.
I’m afraid she’ll always be under John’s influence, but I don’t know if it’s because she’s keeping on his good side so she doesn’t loose the kid, or if it’s because she can’t let go of something. The thing that bothers me is that she lied to my face. I don’t know how to bring it up as it seems like a small thing but at the same time a big thing.
I needed say it as I don’t have anyone to talk to either so yeah. There we go Reddit.

I received my first speeding ticket 5/24 travelling east on I-86 after I had been driving solo for 6 hours from Ohio. Going 87 downhill in a 65. (22 over). Radar.
The ticket is 1180D.
Between my broken cruise control, the length of time driving, and the emptiness of the highway I have lots of excuses, but no one wants to hear those and I still broke the law.
I foolishly admitted guilt to the officer when I asked how the speeding ticket worked and said “I am guilty” and he responded “I can’t tell you how to plea.”
I know ultimately I will be responsible for fees and penalties, but what are my options for trying to reduce those?
Should I plea not guilty anyways?
Thanks

Hey everyone. As a bit of background, I'm a former FAA Aviation Safety Inspector (ASI). No, I'm not your_friendly_asi, though I've communicated with them. I've previously posted about my path to 1500 hours, and I've made incognito comments about what the FAA is or isn't likely do while I was employed as an ASI. However, the FAA's social media policy is both ambiguous and strict, so I was careful about what I said. Now that I'm no longer employed, I'm comfortable sharing a bit more about the ASI job, and what the FAA (either as an agency, as a FSDO, or as an individual ASI) is likely to do in certain circumstances.
Of course, one of the biggest concerns as a pilot is what happens when you become the subject of a FAA investigation, whether you were the one that screwed something up or you were caught by proxy (i.e. as someone's instructor). There are a lot of misconceptions among the pilot community about what's going to happen to you, and what you need to do. So, let's talk about it!
Obligatory note that I am no longer employed with the Federal government of the FAA, and that the information below is my personal viewpoint and not an official position of the FAA. All of this information is available publicly via FAA orders which dictate how investigations and deviations are handled. I'm not telling you anything secret or proprietary here. Also note that each FAA office can operate a little differently, but still be within the policies and guidance.

Why would the FAA investigate me?

The FAA is charged with investigating anything which falls within it's 9 "areas of responsibility", as mandated by Congress and 49 USC. See FAA order 8020.11, as revised. Those areas include the competency of FAA-certificated airmen, and violations of Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR). Therefore, if the FAA becomes aware that there is a possibility that you may have violated a regulation or that you might not be competent for whatever reason, the FAA is mandated to look into it.
You would probably find yourself in this situation after making some sort of error or mistake. It's not hard as a pilot to violate a regulation, if we're being perfectly honest. 91.123(a) is probably the most common violation - failure to comply with an ATC clearance. This is fairly all-encompassing. You could take a wrong turn during taxi, land on the wrong runway, get off your assigned altitude or route while IFR, or anything else you can think of which ATC instructed to do but you didn't for whatever reason. And this is just one single regulation in Part 91 - obviously there are hundreds of regulations in 14 CFR which you could potentially run afoul of, though ATC clearances are the most commonly investigated because ATC notices you deviated from your clearance and essentially snitches on you (not hating on them - more on that later).

How would I know I'm being investigated?

Ultimately, you'll know because eventually someone at the FAA will contact you. It will usually be an ASI. Depending on the source of the report and the workload of the ASI, you may not hear anything until a month or so after the event. The ASI may send you a formal Letter of Investigation (LOI), a Compliance Program and Pilot's Bill of Rights (CP & PBR) brochure, or they may just try to give you a phone call initially. ASIs CAN text you and email you! Many ASIs are issued cell phones, and nothing says they can't try to get a hold of you using any means. My process was to call the pilot and ask for an email address so that I could send some information that way, instead of needing to physically throw something in the snail mail. Policies can vary by each office, though.
If you mess something up and ATC issues you what's known as a Brasher warning (i.e. "possible pilot deviation" usually along with "I have a phone number for you to call"), it doesn't guarantee that you're going to end up being investigated. Depending on what happened, though, ATC may be required to submit something called a MOR, or a Mandatory Occurrence Report. So yes, ATC sometimes snitches on you, but they're required to for certain things. It can also be controller and facility dependent as to what they will file reports for - if a facility is seeing a lot of the same deviations/violations, they might start filing reports even if it's something minor in order to try to put some attention on it higher up. This report makes its way through the ATC chain until it is eventually forwarded to the FSDO with responsibility over the event. If you're a GA pilot, the FSDO covering the geographical area where you messed something up will investigate. If you're a certificate holder or fly for one (part 121, 135, etc), the report will go to the FSDO, CHDO, or CMO which manages that certificate. Routing all of this is a whole process, which is why it can take a month or more after the event to be contacted by the FAA.

An ASI contacted me after some sort of event happened... F*%#. Now what?

Straight to jail, obviously. Might as well cut up your certificates too, before they come pick you up. It will show the ASI that you feel bad about what you did, and that you respect his authoritah, which may lead to a reduced sentence.
Nah, you're probably one of about 12 PDs (Pilot Deviations) on the ASI's desk right now. Remember that whole mandate for the FAA to investigate certain things? The ASI is most likely not out to get you, he's just doing his bureaucratic job. Keep in mind that an ASI is also a pilot, holding at least a Commercial Pilot Certificate and meeting Airline Transport Pilot qualifications, and if he's a General Aviation Operations ASI he's also a current CFI with at least a few hundred hours of instructing. He's going to contact you as described above, send you the Pilot's Bill of Rights in some form, and probably try to schedule a time to talk with you about what happened. This will normally just be a phone call. The ASI might also ask you to provide copies of some things, like your logbooks showing that you were current and had the appropriate endorsements for the type of flight you were conducting. Your pilot and medical certificates can be looked up, but you may also be asked for copies of those to verify that you have them in your possession and that they match. Other things may be requested, as appropriate, depending on what exactly happened.
The purpose of the interview (phone call, or otherwise) is for the ASI to determine a few things: what happened, why it happened, if it was intentional, and why you are or aren't likely to do the same thing again. In short, the ASI is tasked with gathering all of the facts associated with the event, and performing a Root Cause Analysis to determine why whatever it is that happened did happen. Your input and perspective as the pilot is very important to this, because nobody knows what you were thinking or what you were seeing except you. Without your input, the ASI has to make a determination on what to do about the event with only the other limited information available.
The possible outcomes of this investigative process are typically: No Action, Compliance Action, Remedial Training via FAAST, 49 USC 44709 Reexamination, or Enforcement Action. There are also things called SNAAPs which are basically warning letters, but they aren't commonly used in most FSDOs for GA pilots. Ultimately, the ASI and the FSDO/CHDO/CMO is empowered to take any action which they feel will ensure continued safety of the National Airspace System.

Some of those outcomes don't sound encouraging. What's going to happen to me? Sounds like "straight to jail" is still on the table.

I'd say that over about 95% of the time, a PD is going to be resolved with Compliance Action. This is part of the FAA's new Compliance Program/Philosophy. I'd really recommend a quick read of FAA Order 8000.373, as it's only a page and a half and really sums up the point of the Compliance Program. If you get the CP & PBR brochure (see it here), it also explains the general idea. The FAA at one point figured out that to actually enhance aviation safety, they needed to obtain the perspective of pilots involved in deviations. Pilots aren't willing to share information which might be incriminating, though, if there is no incentive to do so. Why would you tattle on yourself if the FAA is just going to use that information to work on taking your certificate away via Enforcement Action?
The Compliance Program allows an ASI to resolve a probable regulatory violation or deviation without resorting to Enforcement Action. The potential corrective actions are pretty limitless and are at the discretion of the ASI and the office, but typically this is accomplished via Compliance Action Counseling. The ASI is going to review their Root Cause Analysis with you, and offer feedback and suggestions in order to help ensure that the situation does not occur again. This is normally done via a phone call, with a follow-up letter. For simple violations, half of the time I would simply complete counseling on the phone immediately after the interview with a pilot. Occasionally, Remedial Training would be suggested if a pilot was very rusty and the event involved something like a runway incursion where the consequenses were potentially more serious if things happened to go really sideways.
The thing with the Compliance Program is that the ASI needs to be confident that you also understand the root cause of the event, and that you are willing and able to comply with applicable regulations in the future. "Willing" means that you're willing to openly talk to the ASI about the event and share what happened, what you learned, and how you plan to mitigate against such a situation in the future, so you might want to think about that before your conversation. "Able" means that you are competent and proficient enough to exercise your privileges without invoking future violations, among other things. Entering into the interview conversation having already thought about the root causes, and what you've already done or are going to do to ensure that the event won't be a repeat occurrence will do a huge amount to assure the ASI that you are indeed willing and able to comply in the future.
If there is a serious question as to your competency, you might be looking at a 44709 reexamination ("709 Ride"). As most pilots know, this is essentially a checkride, or a portion thereof, conducted by the ASI to evaluate whatever Areas of Operation of the applicable ACS or PTS that you have been identified as potentially being deficient in. These are fairly rare, and generally only occur after things like accidents where a pilot's actions or story indicate that they really may not have known what they're doing. If you mess up an instrument approach in IMC reeeeally badly, ATC has to intervene repeatedly, and you don't think that you did anything wrong after the fact and that it was all ATC's fault, you may also be looking at a 709 ride, for example.
Enforcement Action is typically reserved for the most egregious violations, or violations where a pilot willingly and deliberately engaged in a violation or another sort of illegal activity. If you're flying with literally everything expired, both in terms of yourself and the airplane, and you're doing other dumb and illegal things during that flight like buzzing people or houses, there's no way that you shouldn't have known better. This is the process in which your certificates are in danger, or you're looking at civil penalties or criminal charges, as applicable. If you made an honest mistake, even if it resulted in a totaled airplane and a hospital stay, Enforcement Action is extremely unlikely because the Compliance Program is designed to handle most unintentional violations. Enforcement cases are also a huge workload and pain in the rear for both the ASI and the office.

So for each outcome, what does it mean in the end? Will it be on my record anywhere?

For Compliance Action, Remedial Training, and a successfully passed 709 Ride, typically, no. Once you successfully complete whatever the requirement is for you to return to compliance, you'll receive a letter stating that the FAA/ASI have determined there is no cause for further action and that you may consider the matter closed. These events don't show up on any record that the FAA would normally forward about you, i.e. in a PRIA request or via the Pilot Records Database. However, many aviation employers and airlines do now specifically ask if you have ever been the subject of a FAA investigation, a 44709 reexamination, or something along those lines. Whether or not they have the means to verify this with the FAA, I'm not sure and I honestly really doubt, but it would be at your own risk to not report such events to an employer if asked.
For a failed 44709 Reexamination (x2 - you usually get two shots, unless the first one was so terrible that the ASI believes you have absolutely no chance whatsoever of passing a second time) or Enforcement Action, those will turn up because the result will usually be a certificate suspension, revocation, or downgrade. Enforcement Action will likely having you talking to the FAA's attorneys in an attempt to settle the matter with a suspension or something similar. If you did something really big, illegal, and intentional, you're probably headed to the NTSB judges eventually, though they're backed up years because they handle all of the Department of Transportation cases and not just the FAA. They also do so with only a handful of judges.
So really, an honest mistake with today's FAA isn't that big of a deal so long as you weren't intentionally violating regulations, and you're willing to talk about what happened and why it's not going to happen again. The ASI will appreciate your cooperation in quickly clearing another PD off his task list, and you can get back to flying without the trip to jail.

FAQs

Why are pilots so afraid of this process, then? If you're not lying, it doesn't sound so bad.

The "old" FAA didn't have the Compliance Program. The only tool in their toolbox was a hammer (Enforcement Action), and every violation or other problem was a nail. Any little mistake that a pilot made did carry real jeopardy that their certificate was in danger. Obviously, that didn't foster trust that the FAA was really there to help, because they often weren't. There was also a time before ASRS/ASAP reporting and other programs which reduced or eliminated the penalties in exchange for information sharing. Essentially, the FAA finally figured out that if they wanted to improve aviation safety, they needed honest and accurate information from pilots. Pilots weren't inclined to share information if it would be used against them and enforcement was the only outcome. Programs were created to remove the consequences of an unintentional violation, and those are now the primary ways that deviations are resolved. Many pilots are still afraid of the "old" FAA, even though in practice it no longer really exists.

Do I need a lawyer to talk to the FAA or ASI during an investigation?

No. If you have access to one at no cost through another benefit like AOPA or employer insurance, go for it. However, lawyers just become an intermediary to work through, especially for simple deviations. If you want to minimize consequenses, you're going to personally talk to the ASI and you're going to openly share information about the event. A lawyer can't get you out of an investigation or the outcome, because they can't override the very broad 49 USC authority that the FAA has been given in both investigating and reexamining airmen. If you know for sure you're looking at an Enforcement Action, you can still settle with the FAA attorneys on your own, but a laywer at that point is up to you. Heading to NTSB court? Yeah, lawyer up, because you done messed up now, A-A-Ron.
You are always free to retain a lawyer and direct the FAA to communicate with them at any time, and most ASIs really don't care one way or another, but I would say it's an unnecessary expense if your deviation was an honest mistake. Do whatever makes you feel better, though.

Should I really talk to the ASI during the investigation? This seems like a trap.

As explained, the Compliance Program is only an option if you're willing and able to comply. If you're not willing to openly and honestly talk about the event, you're not really willing to comply. The alternative if you are determined to have violated a regulation is Enforcement Action, soooo... your choice!

What if I don't want to disclose everything to the ASI? What all do they know/have access to?

More often than not, the ASI has the ATC data regarding the event. This includes the radar data and ATC communications. They can play back the portion of your flight in question, so they can see where you actually were, what you were actually doing, and what was actually said. They of course also have access to the FAA databases for your certificates, medical, aircraft, and prior contact with the FAA. I wouldn't suggest lying about any of that.
An ASI reviews all of this before reaching out to you, so usually your conversation is just to fill in the gaps and figure out what was going on in the airplane from your perspective. If I can see or hear from ATC data that you took a wrong turn during taxi and then were embarassed about it before I even talk to you, I probably just have one or two gaps to fill in as to why it happened. Otherwise, unless this is the third time you've come up on my desk this year or you tell me something really abhorrent when we talk, it's almost certainly going to be a Compliance Action Counseling conversation and then good day, sir.

What about the NASA ASRS report? Doesn't that get me out of jail?

Kind of - honestly, an ASI typically isn't even aware if you filed one, or what the status of that is. It would likely come into play if you were facing Enforcement Action. Filing a report will not guarantee that an investigation does not occur, or that you will not need to talk to an ASI. It only guarantees that you will be immune to civil penalties or certificate suspension if you file a report in a timely manner, and you weren't doing something illegal. The information in your report also can't be used for enforcement purposes. That said, if the FAA finds out about a potential violation a month later, and you knew about it but didn't file a report, you generally can't go file one after the fact as an oopsie-daisy to try to avoid the consequences. If you suspect you violated something and you're worried about it, it never hurts to file the report. And as explained above, unless you were grossly deficient or intentionally violating a regulation, you're probably only looking at Compliance Action either way.

I received a Letter of Investigation. Am I in more trouble than just receiving the CP & PBR Brochure? What's the difference?

Not necessarily. You're supposed to receive the Pilot's Bill of Rights in some form before the FAA talks to you about an investigation into an event in any substantial manner, regardless of the nature of the investigation or what the expected outcome is. The LOI is required to be sent to you prior to any Enforcement Action, so some ASIs/offices send out LOIs for any report of a Pilot Deviation just in case something is discovered which pushes it into enforcement. Both the Brochure and LOI contain the required Pilot's Bill of Rights notification, so either one works from the ASI's perspective of simply being able to talk to you about the event. The LOI does inherently come off as more intimidating, though, as it's more formal and on the FAA letterhead.

An ASI randomly handed me a CP & PBR Brochure on the ramp, at an air show, etc - am I in trouble?

No, unless they wrote something in the brochure indicating something specific about a potential violation. ASIs are supposed to share the brochures to raise awareness of the Compliance Program whenever they interact with pilots.

I had a bad interaction with the FAA where _____ happened, and it was nothing like what you said.

Sorry about that. Like I said, not every office is the same. Generally, ASIs want to use the Compliance Program to get things out the door where they can. Maybe you got a grumpy ASI, or their office had seen that sort of thing a lot and was cracking down, or there was more to the story. Like any organization, let alone being the fed, there is some inconsistency between regions and offices. Every ASI I personally knew would have done their best to be fair and to follow the CADP (Compliance Action Decision Process), which I more or less explained in the sequence of events above.

I have another question about what the FAA would or wouldn't do.

Feel free to post it or DM me - I can't guarantee any specific course of action or outcome, and I don't speak for the FAA officially, but I might know some stuff about things regarding your Q.

This story is a little hard to talk about, I've talked about it once but didn't wanna get into it much but thought maybe I should start from the beginning with these 2 orbs. I was only about 11 years old at the time, I had lived down the street from 2 other kids around the same age. I had been to their house many times before and had never experienced something so vivid. But either way I'm about 11 years old and the season outside was fall, I ran down the street to see if me and my friends would be able to hang out. I reach their home and knock on the door, their parents answer and proceed to let me inside. Now for everyone wondering what the set up to this looked like I'll do my best to keep the description but this was over 10 years ago and their house was honestly a disaster. So as I entered the door I'd step into the kitchen, as I stepped through I could smell something burning, it was strong smelling never smelling it before it hit me strong. Not knowing I figured I'd just ask one of my friends, but I stopped before reaching their living room because above their kitchen table I was seeing 2 orbs circling around each. Almost as if they were in fight for control of the house or just constantly in motion but you could see them vividly as they spun around in circles at each other. I couldn't help but stare in amazement from never seeing something so interesting. So I turn through this sheet they have in the doorway of their home into the living room. Sitting on the couch were both my friends playing Halo on the Xbox. I sat near them on the couch and asked them what had been burning and they told me sage, at that time I had no idea what it was but the smell was growing on me but years later my future friend would actually tell me what sage is used for. So after a few mins of watching them play I asked what with the weird light in the kitchen? 1 is black and 1 is white, I'm trying my best to describe what I saw to them as I came inside. They look at each other and a friend says to me that it actually isn't the first time this has happened. As we are all talking about the orbs somehow they made their way through the sheet in the doorway to the living room from the kitchen. But at that point it didn't seem like they were seeing it or letting it bother them but I kept my eyes on them until it got late and I was already given permission to stay there that night. As I began to head towards the bedroom which was back through the kitchen I accidentally ran through the orbs, nothing happened at first. But about 5 mins after walking through the kitchen into my friends room I went to turn on their tv. As I went to turn it on I heard this loud snarling then bark in my ear, I turned around and my friends were still on the bed. I asked if they heard that dog bark and they responded what dog? I said come on y'all didn't hear a dog just now, like you guys didn't just bark in my ear? Again they responded but confused no we don't even own an animal, also I already knew since that wasn't my first time there but I just really needed to know. After the first bark about an hour went by before I would hear it again snarling and barking at me that night. This would happen about 3 times that night. After that night my thoughts on the paranormal have forever been open and I'm curious to know more. But that was my first experience into the paranormal. Question how would someone go about documenting these paranormal events but with little to no budget? I want to try and debunk this small ash that seems to follow me for the past 5 years and now my girlfriend is starting to see it. Any ideas from anyone?

The gravel gremlins got me yesterday. I felt an asshole. I should have known better. My gear shift pedal, silencers, and ego took the brunt of it, with some scratches and gauges on the left handle bar. The hour ride back home shifting with my toe and heel on what was left of the gear shift pedal arm was something I won’t forget. Lol.
Anywho! I was looking at crash protection last night. I find it hard to believe the Triumph dresser bars, or their after market equivalents do much when a bike is laid down. I couldn’t find any demos of the bikes on the side with those pieces protecting the bikes. Anyone have any experience with crash protection on the Bonnevilles that saved their shiny bits or demos of the gear working?
I’m not too worried about the silencers since I already had British Customs Turnout Pipes on the way to get rid of the silencers. I’m leaning towards the R&G or Puig frame sliders and some engine case covers.

Near Vanilla is a close-knit community server where we’ve created an environment where players come together to build, collect, explore, and have fun. The perks of being a member can be seen in our cooperative builds, player competitions, vibrant shopping district, and other events. All play styles are welcome, from those who want to venture out on their own to those who want to work cooperatively with others. We’re sure you will find exactly what you are looking for in your SMP experience while making some great friends and builds along the way.
Near Vanilla is an international, community-driven server. There is constant communication on our Discord, both serious discussion and silliness. We constantly seek the opinions and views of the player base and large changes are made through player discussion. Suggestions are always welcome. A dedicated admin team is always on hand to make sure things are working smoothly, bad behaviour is squashed, and your time on the server is stress-free. Our DynMap, which can be viewed through the website, allows you to navigate to your favourite biome and see how close/far you are from your fellow players.
If this all sounds like your kind of place, grab your sword and pick and jump into NearVanilla and show us the creations you can make! Apply now!

• IP: play.nearvanilla.com
• Website: https://nearvanilla.com
• Map: https://map.nearvanilla.com
• Watch our Season 5 Recap Video: https://youtu.be/SoJU47pZojY
• Some Screenshots: https://imgur.com/a/CQtZzgE Currently in Season 6, started January 8, 2022 Hard difficulty

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Zero Tolerance Policy: No hacking, glitching, or duping allowed. Any of these will result in a permanent ban. No griefing, stealing, bullying, insulting, discrimination, or prejudice behaviour is tolerated. Toxic behaviour is not welcome. Due to some of our chat plug-ins, Mojang's chat reporting is disabled. Chat will be moderated by our server staff.
The “Near” in “Near Vanilla”

• Deathlog: Lets you know where you died
• WanderfulAdditions*: control armour stands and make item frames invisible
• Kickafk: Kicks players who afk more than 3 hours
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• A few Admin tools to help mods keep things friendly and welcoming Players can suggest Non-Vanilla additions if they do not remove from the vanilla experience which will be discussed on our Discord.

To apply through Discord, click the link below Apply here!

"I'm not sure if this is the right place to share, but I don't have anyone else to talk to about this.
I drink 2-3 times a week, mostly on weekends. I'm a 20-year-old guy and I can't handle it anymore. Whenever I drink a lot, I black out and can't control myself. I want to stop, but how do I do it when all my friends are drinking?
Last night, I went to a club with some friends and we left around 2:30. I waited for a train, but ended up deciding to walk home - which was 12 miles away. I got lost, called my friends but couldn't tell them where I was. After walking for 2 hours, I finally made it to the highway and called a cab to take me home. When I got home at 6am, I realized my wallet was empty, my jeans were torn, and I had bruises all over my body and face. For what? A night I can’t even remember?
I am happy that nothing bad happend but if I keep drinking like that it will only be a matter of time.

Female, 74, 160 pounds, 5'6, controlled diabetes. Does not smoke, social drinking, no drugs. White. Got a CT scan because on one night was talking incoherently, before and after behaviour is normal. We are between appointments and can't get a straight answer. Concerned about brain atrophy notation, but know that some atrophy is consistent with aging. Any help would be appreciated in reading this.
​
The structures of the base and cranial vault are normal. The paranasal cavities without inflammatory process, deviation of the nasal septum in S. In the posterior fossa, the cerebellum, stalk and encephalon and fourth ventricle are of normal morphology and density. The cerebral hemispheres with slight prominence of grooves and fissures predominantly in the frontoparietal region, as well as slight ectasia of the ventricular system due to atrophy, with adequate differentiation of gray and white matter, without occupational lesion, edema or parenchymal hemorrhage, the nuclei of the base, thalami and ventricular system are normal. There are no epi or subdural hematomas and the midline is central. Diagnostic impression: 1. Cerebral atrophy with a frontoparietal predominance. 2. Parenchymal density is normal, without lesions or pathologic enhancements with the contrast medium.

For a company that is espousing (and actually delivering on) concepts related to environmentalism and reduction of e-waste, I find it interesting that they haven't made the product available in the country it is being manufactured in. Is there any news about how/when I'll be able to purchase this device in Taiwan?
The way globalization and manufacturing works makes it so that I live in a country where almost all semi-conductors are made and yet constantly have to order parts from the United States because they are all shipped there. The local markets are often bare-bones or entirely controlled by a few retailers.
When can I travel directly to the manufacturer and pick up a Framework? That's the ultimate in sustainability goals, IMO. Available locally, produced locally, picked up locally, used locally. Not shipped halfway around the world only for a select group of wealthy consumers to have access to. Anyway, partially a political post, but I'm not apologizing for that. I mostly want to know when Taiwan will have access to the product that its people and its machines are producing.

So i want to preface this with that I play franchise mode almost exclusively and its rare that i ever even try to login to ultimate team because i dont find it enjoyable
-Draft stories: Drafting players in madden is like a shot in the dark because you mostly have to guess about 90 percent of the time whether a player is good or not
-league customization: this part is a whole lot so buckle up; we should be able to make our own franchises with customizable team amounts and expansion teams and more relocation options for custom leagues. there should also be more aspects on rules and features you shoule be able to control. another cool thing to add would be the option to generate random rosters so i dont have to apply a new roster that has all teams at 0 overall and then sim
-gameplay accuracy: i know im probably not the first person to say this but field sense kinda sucks, sometimes dbs will just cha cha slide and leap out of nowhere to deflect the ball and its annoying. Another thing is that, its now realistic that as soon as the ball is released, all the defensive players know immediately where the ball is and where it is going. the refs dont really work (just like in the nfl), even if the dpi slider is at 99, half the times the db will just stand in the way of the reciever and the refs dont call it. better and smoother tackleing with more animations so i dont have to see that cross tackle 60 times a game.
-miscellaneous: more than 30 year franchise. oline development. better, more optimized graphics. more announcement depth. more variety in player customization. better playcalling and more playbook options.
​
if i think of any more ill probably post them in a comment but thats all i can think of right now

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-------------------------
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I’m looking to team up with someone experienced in graphic design and map creation. I’m developing a planet of the apes mod. I have most of the layout set and i have already coded most of the mod it’s self, like how the apes spawn around you when you enter the city radius, their aggressiveness, and other stuff like that. What i’m looking for is someone who can design a map with a few different locations and a heavily ran down los santos (downtown) with fortifications as if the apes control the city. Also experience in animations would be helpful too as the default chimp models don’t have any custom animations and i don’t have experience with that type of stuff.

I have two tandem parking spots in my gated garage and am hoping to convert the upper one that is unused into a secure space for my dog. It's like 8 feet wide and about 25 feet deep. When I moved into this building the manager at the time had said I could use a nice grassy fenced-in area for my girl, but his daughter just inherited the building and said I can't anymore and to just use my balcony or my parking spaces instead. So I'm brainstorming on what to do and would love ideas! She is a Goldendoodle, tall, about 50 pounds, 2 years old, very sweet, calm, and isn't reactive. TIA for any ideas!
Even though the garage is gated, since it is shared I can't control when someone enters or leaves and so I want to put a kennel or playpen or something so that she isn't tempted to run off. She is very well trained but I don't want to risk it. I have a huge balcony but lately she's been lunging at squirrels and so I'm paranoid about it being a risk. This is a rent-controlled apartment in LA, I'm in grad school, and my $2306 a month is "cheap" for our area (I'm being serious) so I can't just move for like a year at least. I can't just take her out on walks at night anymore, sadly. A neighbor's dog got killed by a coyote. People have been leaving out food that's attracting coyotes and squirrels. I also feel unsafe. At the park near us some crazy dude pointed to my dog saying she was worth thousands, and then tried to follow us home so I just don't want to risk myself or her.

First Previous Wiki
Tanya patted Skira's drone.
"How's the war going?"
In his world, Skira was working to keep everything together. His bioships were in an all-out war with Aphid's forces. They were firing mostly kinetic weapons, typical bullets, and the like. Sometimes, they'd fire missiles, which could navigate the battlefield and clear the path for him to hit Aphid's vessels. The armor was getting thicker. But his guns were getting bigger.
On the surface, billions of metal drones clashed with trillions of fungal drones, all commanded by Skira and the Quadrants. He was constantly using war drones to push the major forces away from the tunnel complexes, setting up static defenses within using explosives and guns to absolutely ruin anything inside. Most of the planet had been flattened by nuclear weapons.
War drones continued to lob massive broken-off boulders at the carriers, which were continually landing to disgorge more enemy soldiers. Phoebe's androids, connected to their own network, were killing them by the tens of thousands every second, firing several bullets a second. Her androids were incredibly powerful, creating portions of the battlefield that Aphid had to steer around. And he didn't even try nuking her after she'd shot down eight of them with atmospheric anti-ship weapons.
From around the planet, portals appeared, pouring lasers and gunfire at Aphid's ships, then disappearing to reappear in other directions, continually wearing down their armor. Some of them were already falling back through the atmosphere, landing down on the earth below. Their burning and cracked hulls already littered the landscape, and he'd be sure to incorporate them once he fully regrew his foliage.
Speaking of that, he'd increased his growth factor so that the fungal forests only took a few weeks to regrow instead of a few years. It required massive biological and metallic pipes of nutrients and heaps of psychic energy hauled straight from the psychic amplifiers in the Sol system.
The carnage of the warzone was so overwhelming that he'd refused to even let human supersoldiers come to the area. Because they weren't disposable. Phoebe's androids and his own trillions of drones were. He was partly on the battlefield, partly with Tanya. Over the months, they'd become best friends.
She seemed to see life in a different way and helped to encourage him. Tanya's cybernetic left arm scratched at the scruff of his neck.
"Badly, then?"
"Yes, and no. I'm no longer replacing my losses faster than they're coming. But that also means I'm keeping millions of humans alive. Every day, billions of drones are dying on my battlefields, if only to exhaust Aphid's guns and bombs. He's brought destruction to my world not seen since it was destroyed."
"Destroyed?"
"I mean when some aliens blew it up."
"But how..."
"Bioforming. Really, I had my biological ships put it back together, reassembling the debris and reversing the momentum of the actual fragments. Then, I used shield technology and drones to suck the heat from the planet in ways that destroyed the technology I had at the time. Granted, I had some help, before they tried to get me to fight their wars as well."
Tanya nodded. "Well, you're safe here."
"Most of me isn't here. Most of it's either on Skira or Venus."
"How's Venus going?"
He'd been making great strides with what he'd been given. Humanity had been very kind to give him the whole planet, and in return, he was helping to make it habitable. He figured that they'd ask him to do it again later on. But the humans didn't seem to want to force him to do it. Tanya hadn't been trying to push him into more conflicts and had instead acted as a lodestone.
"I'll have it fully habitable, minus the soil content and chemicals in the rock, within a hundred years. Maybe less, if I keep getting fed such huge amounts of psychic energy. Really, that's what's doing that."
"I see," Tanya replied. She sat down next to him, her strange psychic aura as unsettling as ever. From what she'd shared with him, her blindness had likely allowed her mind to shape itself in a more psychic way with the awakening of human psychic consciousness.
"Look, Skira. Are you sure this is the best way? What about finding his home planet?"
"I'm working on it. Trying to triangulate the arrivals of ships does nothing. All that seems to work is actually getting the coordinates, which we can't get to really succeed."
"Hopefully that changes someday."
"Yes," Skira responded. He sighed. Another nuke had hit eight of his war drones. Six had died since the blast had hit them full-on. But that enabled him to finally release another flood of drones, so many that they weighed down the carrier that was trying to take off. Guns turned them to mulch, only to be swamped by more drones.
Drones carrying grenades jumped into the guns between their firing sequences, detonating them in their mouths using their tongues. Others entered the warped wreckage, dropping in bombs meant to penetrate the thick hull.
Two portals broke through the psychic interference, and two railgun shots cleared massive holes in the ship. Aphid's drones poured out, crashing out like a wave. Only to be overwhelmed as his own drones, dozens for every one of Aphid's, literally trampled them underfoot, burying them in bodies. Most of the drones now carried fluid meant to melt the drones' joints so that Aphid's mechanical drones eventually failed even as they walked in seas of Skira's blood.
Nuclear fire scoured the mycelial network, but it wouldn't burn him deeply enough to matter.
"I wish I could help," she replied. "I've been... taking classes, you know. My eyes are blind, but my mind isn't."
Skira looked up at her. The sun caught the burn scars on her skin, making the contract seem almost cinematic.
"I know you want to help me. But you are, really."
"Yeah. Thanks."
She looked crestfallen. Tanya's disappointment made him want to reconsider, but he knew he'd made the right choice. His planet was probably heavily irradiated now, and calling Gaia in for that seemed selfish, at least while the war was still happening.
Skira could hold out for a while longer, though. He had to.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
"Who is this?" Phoebe asked.
"I'm Truth Speaker Gearcaw."
"What are you here to tell me? I'm sure it's important, given that you're calling on us after all this time."
"Well, we have located one of Aphid's planets."
"Do you need us to eliminate it?"
"A strike force is being sent."
"I see."
"What we're here for is to ask for your help regarding a sensitive matter, one we cannot communicate over this line."
"Very well. Where do you want to meet?"
"Go to 448th street, down eight sectors from the palace. You will see a sign, if we trust that you are not being watched and followed. Come alone."
"You'd make a girl nervous with that kind of attitude."
"We understand your animosity, but are afraid we must insist on these terms."
"Very well. I shall be there."
Phoebe would have Brey arrange for an android to be sent to Cawlaria later. She smiled at the people outside the room. Most of them were human, specifically the lunar variant, due to her being present on Luna. It was the closest calling location she had.
Phoebe did all the necessary paperwork in moments, handing it back to the necessary people. She checked out of the facility and was patted down. She smirked as the young guard blushed, despite this being the hard chassis, meaning there was absolutely nothing squishy about this android body in the slightest. Phoebe lifted her arms and flexed them just to watch the man turn redder.
And it was honestly cute how they thought they'd be able to detect it if she was trying to smuggle something out. Phoebe had many ways of doing that, and the cleanest would be paying everyone off.
She noticed that a group of protestors was gathered outside and lamented that the building only had a single entrance. None of its windows were large enough to break without also needing to take some concrete with her.
What was interesting, though, was that most of the protestors were Acuarfar, not human. It was very odd, but it was a clear publicity stunt. They were shouting various accusations of her plotting to take over the Alliance and a particular vitriol about Edu'frec for some reason. If a mind control plot was going on, then her accusing the protestors of being mind controlled would be playing into their hands.
Furthermore, she didn't want to drive a wedge between Izkrala and Luna, if possible. So she turned to go back inside. A brick hit her in the back of the knee hard enough to make her stumble. She could have dodged it, but it would be better for sympathy to get hit. And it wasn't like her android body could feel pain.
There was a single gunshot, which she felt bouncing off her head clearly. She knew where the bullet would land, too. Her arm darted out to catch it before it injured someone.
"We don't want you in our Alliance!"
"You're what's wrong with this place!"
"Don't ever come back, I want my kids to be safe!"
Kids, instead of hatchlings. Yep, that was mind control. Most Acuarfar that age didn't use the word kids since it was only used for non-Acuarfar species, or in Earth terms being that it wasn't used on insects. Phoebe sighed and pulled herself out of the clutching fingers.
Phoebe broke away and went back to the Luna Command building, where the guards were looking increasingly wary. She looked at the crowd and decided she'd stay there for now. She disconnected from her android body after sitting in a chair.
After a bit of time, she decided to go back to working on some of her latest projects. The blood of the wanderers had an interesting interaction with their nervous system and their cardiovascular system. For some reason, it was split into two separate liquids upon reaching their lungs, or at least the equivalents. Psychic energy clearly played a role, and she knew that the tumors were likely to happen more when they got older. That idea meant there might be something that eroded or could 'switch on' to make the tumor suddenly supercharge. Perhaps finding that was a place to start.
And so she did. She studied wanderer cell samples and scans of wanderers that were relatively old. When they were created, the blood seemed to be the way the Sprilnav alteration hit. In difference to human bodies, there was no blood-brain barrier in wanderer bodies. Their brains were suffused in it, and it seemed to thin out as they got older. Water started to build up instead of blood.
And once the water and blood ratio reached a certain amount, that was likely when the brain tumors started. Which made her wonder if the final trigger was neurons. It was likely that even if she managed to fix the brain tumors, some other body parts would start developing large tumors, such as the heart and lungs.
It was clear that the Sprilnav had meant cancer to be pervasive in the wanderers. They had meant their so-called 'punishment' to make them far more diminished. Rale's condition had been painful; that much had been clear. Phoebe worked at figuring out how to isolate the genes. But as time went on, she ran into the same problem Edu'frec had.
She needed more time and more brain power. She needed the hivemind to help. All of its intellect would make her job far easier. At least, she hoped so. Right now, the hivemind was trying its best to evacuate wanderers from the worm ships. There was only one way that the feudal system there would end, and it would be by violence. Whether it was from the hivemind or from within, there were going to be mass riots. Just Alliance cultural consciousness was gradually seeping into the wanderers' own. All the 'progress' of the wanderers' rulers was already eroding. The ideals of being able to elect leaders as a whole population and a sense of belonging would make them rebel.
Such was the way of things, and she was glad that would happen. Phoebe didn't like their whole system. But there was nothing that was good about the cancer. Helping them to make the changes they could would only be possible if the wanderers kept multiplying. They could have made so much better of a society than what they had if they knew.
She wouldn't get involved except if she had to. The change was coming. Keeping the wanderers from dying out was a critical project, and allowing them to live longer so they could have more children was the best way. Granted, they already had many children, but the replacement rate would be lower if they lived longer. All of the problems were coming to a head now.
Mind control was going to be hard to deal with. Preventing it didn't seem possible. And if it was, then it likely involved a similar process to what the Sprilnav were doing in the first place. All of that would have to be reversed.
"Mother," Edu'frec said, walking up next to her.
"Yes?"
"Greenfly and Blackfly know the location of Aphid's planet."
"Do they?"
"The memory was locked under additional seals, ones which were very hard to find."
Phoebe smiled. "I think it's time that we test the power of the Mercury-class gun on a planet."
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
"Do you understand? The prison has been moved."
"I do, Elder," Naliera 18 replied. "We have a good opportunity. They won't expect us, at least."
The screen turned off. Naliera took his leave, turning to his men. They were all counting on him to call the shots. He'd do what was necessary for the mission and then get paid. Of course, the high number suggested that there was some serious danger involved. The Vinarii weren't the most advanced species, but they were starfaring. That meant a lot of bullets that would hurt and some that could kill. Shield-piercing ones, plus heavy guard.
In fact, most of their orbital defenses could have posed a threat to their ship if they had seen them. That was why stealth was so valuable. It made things like insurmountable defenses ignorable just by going around them.
"Breathing masks on."
He put his own on, loading up his gun and sheathing his sword on his back. They were wearing customized stealth equipment, bought and paid for by their new owner's company.
Naliera wanted that money and wanted to get paid. His little band of misfits was more than capable of doing their job. The back of the ship opened, and they sailed above a planet that was barren.
Craters pockmarked its surface, along with a single military installation that would serve as their target. They were going to be a little concealed by cloud cover, as a storm had just passed near the base. Not close enough for them to get rain but close enough for the clouds to linger, which was the opportunity they'd been waiting for. Most of the procedures and daily patrols had been cataloged now. Anything unexpected, and they'd be fine for a few thousand pulses until the cavalry arrived.
They fell for a while, reaching terminal velocity before slamming to the ground. Most people would have shattered their bones. But Sprilnav were made of sterner stuff, and all of them survived with minimal injuries. And the only person who was even slightly cut had landed on a particularly jagged piece of metal, a remnant from an old battle.
That was another factor that Naliera had studied. The whole area had mines, which he hadn't found the deactivation codes for. Satellites were out, but the ship's sensors had worked just as well, and the disturbances in soil color and content were clear markers.
There would likely be too much interference to use a hard light program, or he wouldn't even need to be here. Whatever advances the lesser species had made in technology could conceivably close that gap enough to endanger a mission. Naliera had extra cause for concern, which was coming home. Perhaps the idea of sending him, in reality, was meant to make him take it more seriously. That was the major reason most species ever bothered with not using the holograms anymore, besides the blocking problems. And biometric problems, too.
They quickly went back to navigation after a small rest period. The route had already been laid out, as well as the time. They walked quickly, avoiding gun emplacements and heavy patrols. The patrols changed routes somewhat randomly, but he had his crew stick to the route of least visibility, where the craggy rock of the sheer cliff the base was situated on helped to conceal them. His claws dug in, and he made sure not to make any major disturbances.
He climbed over the lip, looking at the base. Several of the guns swiveled around, only to be quickly deactivated.
Looks like she did it, he thought. Naliera advanced, running at full speed. A bullet slammed into his claws, and he tumbled for a bit. But he stabilized himself as his implant shut off the pain. His team blew open the door, setting off an alarm. Vinarii fired at him, and he realized that his stealth must not be working anymore.
But no matter the cause, he saw nothing but enemies. His teeth bit and tore as his claws slashed and severed. Soon, after a long series of echoing screams and blood and chitin splattering, he remembered he had a gun. After that, Naliera put down all opposition. He walked over to the warm and bloody corpses of the Vinarii guards.
"If you're hungry, come get a few bites," he said. "Trust me, they don't taste too bad."
He scooped up a part of a Vinarii abdomen, smiling as he ate. He always liked how they had tasted. Cloned Vinarii meat, at least back on his planet, was actually a delicacy. Likely not due to the actual difficulty to make, but for profit, as always. They continued after about 100 pulses. Giving the guards more time to set up and organize would make this more fun, too. Naliera loved killing, but he at least wanted a little difficulty. Ending lives wasn't fun when it was too easy. Otherwise, he'd go cut down trees with heat saws.
His scout drone rounded the corner before exploding promptly. But it had captured the view of the area, which was more than enough for him. He didn't bother trying to hide that he was there and continued to talk with his team. They were still with him, looking to him for leadership. He wasn't the best at it. The best got killed a few million pulses back.
"Mounted gun," he said. "I want it gone."
One of his team members picked up a fire extinguisher, which he'd used to beat the head of an unfortunate guard. He hurled it at the gun, denting its barrel. Finally, he quickly ran over as the other Sprilnav killed the remaining guards holed up beside and behind it. And that was the end. Naliera set up the bomb. More Vinarii appeared, along with an aerial vehicle. He hurled his sword into its front, and it fell to the ground and exploded. The scanners his mind was connected to were tracking a huge mass of life signs. He didn't have much time, so he decreased the countdown.
Thousands of Vinarii were coming. Already, they were covered by powerful shields, with vehicles, both terrestrial and aerial, supporting them. Bullets riddled the ground, and he could see snipers set up to cover them using the ship's sensors. There was no way out. An armor-piercing bullet half the size of his head killed one of the team members, puncturing straight through the large rock he'd been hiding behind. Another one hit Naliera's shoulder, and he tried to flatten his profile to be lower.
This must be the Vinarii version of high-tech weaponry, meaning that they could be killed now. Vinarii clearly were a dangerous species, far more so than he'd realized. And while his race could easily flatten them into dust, guns were the great equalizers when it came to combat. If they were fast enough and large enough, and not even Sprilnav could stand up to bullets. Of course, an Elder would have had no problem with this. Someone was being frugal. A real shame for people like him to have to die because of it, but that was the job and the pay.
Worse, the ship couldn't lay down proper cover fire without risking the merchandise for now. She was still being suppressed. But the bomb was about to go off. The stabilizer would no longer be functioning, and then they would be free to do what they wished. His wish, in particular, was the huge sum of money he'd get paid to finish this job.
A bright flash of light and a roar of thunder behind him solved his problem. He stood up to watch the blast wave ravage the army heading for him. He wasn't quite close enough to smell it, but there was likely a range beyond the blast in which the Vinarii would have been perfectly cooked. It was an interesting thought to ponder.
Naliera continued onward, going through every remaining barrier he could until the mindscape tremored. He saw an ethereal Vinarii contact him right as the entire top of the base vanished and disintegrated. A massive spectral Vinarii soared out of the breach, eyes quickly seeing him. She flew down to greet him, a smile evident at the carnage and death surrounding them. She was one who understood.
"Finally," she said, her form shrinking to a normal size as she stretched her wings. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to get out."
"I have a pretty good idea, actually."
"I'm sure. Why don't you tell me what you're doing here, Sprilnav?"
"My backers wish to offer you an accord."
He watched as the Vinarii leaned over, sticking out her tongue to lick the soil. She then proceeded to actually take a bite, dirt dribbling from her mandibles as she stood up again. Naliera tried to hide his disgust.
"Oh please. You just feasted on my kin. You're disgusted by me eating a bit of dirt?"
"No, I didn't."
The lie was necessary because most species had a sort of moral compunction against eating their kind. He didn't quite understand it. Meat was meat, no matter the source. She laughed in his face, entirely unconcerned with the Sprilnav that had their claws on guns ready to put her down. But from what his backers had said about her capabilities, that was a difficult ask.
"Your breath smells like Vinarii meat. By the way, if your species is so advanced, why didn't you develop anything to fix that nasty stench?"
"Look, woman, we can put you right back in that hole," one of his team said. She laughed. "No you can't. Judging from the fact that not all of you alive, Vinarii tech can hurt you. Which means that you can't protect yourself from me. Frankly, I hate Sprilnav more than anything. The only reason I'm letting you live right now is because you freed me. You pollute the air you breathe, and I'm not just talking about your breath."
"Really, you're quite immature."
"Well, a few standard years in a steel box will do that."
"Sure. Guess you're not all there in the head. By the way, a deal is being proposed. By my backers."
"Really, they care?"
"I think they do... Exii'darii."