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"CIVILIZATIONS OVER THE PAST SIX thousand years have the habit of eventually squandering their futures through acts of colossal stupidity and hubris. We are not an exception. The physical ruins of these empires, including the Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Ottoman, Mayan, and Indus, litter the earth. They elevated, during acute distress, inept and corrupt leaders who channeled anger, fear, and dwindling resources into self-defeating wars and vast building projects. These ruling elites, consumed by greed and hedonism, retreated into privileged compounds—the Forbidden City, Versailles. They hoarded wealth as their populations endured mounting misery, hunger, and poverty. The worse it got, the more the people lied to themselves and the more they wanted to be lied to. Reality was too painful to confront.
Societies in acute distress often form what anthropologists call ;crisis cults,' which promise recovered grandeur and empowerment during times of collapse, anxiety, and disempowerment. A mythologized past will magically return. America will be great again. The old social hierarchies, opportunities, and rules will be resurrected. Prescribed rituals and behaviors, including acts of violence to cleanse the society of evil, will vanquish the malevolent forces that are blamed for the crisis. These crisis cults—they have arisen in most societies that faced destruction, from Easter Island to Native Americans at the time of the 1890 Ghost Dance—create hermetically sealed tribes informed by magical thinking. We are already far down this road. Our ruling elites are little more than Ice Age hunters in Brooks Brothers suits, as the anthropologist Ronald Wright told me, driving herds of woolly mammoths over cliffs to keep the party going without asking what will happen when the food source suddenly goes extinct.
'The core of the belief in progress is that human values and goals converge in parallel with our increasing knowledge,' the philosopher John Gray wrote. 'The twentieth century shows the contrary. Human beings use the power of scientific knowledge to assert and defend the values and goals they already have. New technologies can be used to alleviate suffering and enhance freedom. They can, and will, also be used to wage war and strengthen tyranny. Science made possible the technologies that powered the industrial revolution. In the twentieth century, these technologies were used to implement state terror and genocide on an unprecedented scale. Ethics and politics do not advance in line with the growth of knowledge—not even in the long run.
"We are entering this final phase of civilization, one in which we are slashing the budgets of the very agencies that are vital to prepare for the devastation ahead—the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Environmental Protection Agency, along with programs at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration dealing with climate change. Hurricane after hurricane, monster storm after monster storm, flood after flood, wildfire after wildfire, drought after drought will gradually cripple the empire, draining its wealth and resources and creating swaths of territory defined by lawlessness and squalor."
"This denial of reality—one also employed by those who assure us we can adapt—is driven by the fossil fuel and animal agriculture industries, the two industries most responsible for global warming. They fear that a rational, effective response to climate change will impede profits. The media, dependent on advertising dollars, contributes to the conspiracy of silence. It ignores the patterns and effects of climate change, focusing instead on feel-good stories about heroic rescues or dramatic coverage of flooded city centers and storm refugee caravans fleeing up the coast of Florida. Droughts, floods, famines, and disease will eventually see the collapse of social cohesion in large parts of the globe, including U.S. coastal areas. The insecurity, hunger, and desperation among the dispossessed of the earth will give rise to ad hoc militias, crime, and increased acts of terrorism. The Pentagon report 'An Abrupt Climate Change Scenario and Its Implications for United States Security' is blunt. 'Disruption and conflict will be endemic features of life,' it grimly concludes."
"HA society convulsed by disorder and chaos, as Voegelin pointed out, elevates and even celebrates the morally degenerate, those who are cunning, manipulative, deceitful, and violent. In an open society these attributes are despised and criminalized. Those who exhibit them are condemned as stupid—“a man [or woman] who behaves in this way,” Voegelin notes, “will be socially boycotted.” But the social, cultural, and moral norms in a diseased society are inverted.
The attributes that sustain an open society—truth, honesty, trust, and self-sacrifice—are detrimental to existence in a diseased society. The idiots take over in the final days of crumbling civilizations. Idiot generals wage endless, unwinnable wars that bankrupt the nation. Idiot economists call for reducing taxes for corporation and the rich and cutting social service programs for the poor. They project economic growth on the basis of myth. Idiot industrialists poison the water, the soil, and the air, slash jobs and depress wages. Idiot bankers gamble on self-created financial bubbles. Idiot journalists and public intellectuals pretend despotism is democracy.
Idiot intelligence operatives orchestrate the overthrow of foreign governments to create lawless enclaves that give rise to enraged fanatics. Idiot professors, 'experts,' and 'specialists' busy themselves with unintelligible jargon and arcane theory that buttresses the policies of the rulers. Idiot entertainers and producers create lurid spectacles of sex, gore, and fantasy. There is a familiar checklist for extinction. We are ticking off every item on it. The idiots know only one word—'more.' They are unencumbered by common sense. They hoard wealth and resources until workers cannot make a living and the infrastructure collapses. They live in privileged compounds. They see the state as a projection of their vanity. The Roman, Mayan, French, Habsburg, Ottoman, Romanov, Wilhelmine, Pahlavi, and Soviet dynasties crumbled because the whims and obsessions of ruling idiots were law."
"Europeans and Americans have spent five centuries conquering, plundering, plundering, exploiting, and polluting the earth in the name of human progress. They used their technological superiority to create the most efficient killing machines on the planet, directed against anyone and anything, especially indigenous cultures, which stood in their way. They stole and hoarded the planet’s wealth and resources. They believed that this orgy of blood and gold would never end, and they still believe it. They do not understand that the dark ethic of ceaseless capitalist and imperialist expansion is dooming the exploiters as well as the exploited. But even as we stand on the cusp of extinction we lack the intelligence and imagination to break free from our evolutionary past. As the warning signs become more palpable—rising temperatures, global financial meltdowns, mass human migrations, endless wars, poisoned ecosystems, rampant corruption among the ruling class—we turn to those who chant, either through idiocy or cynicism, the mantra that what worked in the past will work in the future. Factual evidence, since it is an impediment to what we desire, is banished."
"A population beset by despair and hopelessness finds an intoxicating empowerment and pleasure in an orgy of annihilation that soon morphs into self-annihilation. It has no interest in nurturing a world that has betrayed it and thwarted its dreams. It seeks to eradicate this world and replace it with a mythical one. It turns against institutions, as well as ethnic and religious groups, that are scapegoated for its misery. It plunders diminishing natural resources. It retreats into self-adulation fed by historical amnesia."

The media is one of the Five Eyes (Orwell's Nineteen Eighty Four) of the state, or should we say the predatory capitalist elite and their corporate legal entities veiling their legal persons; and feudalism is alive and well expressed in more colour than ever - advertising and marketing, consolidation of power (purchasing of smaller corporations, producing monstrous shady entities like Tencent), incredibly hawkish startups like Fiverr, UbeLyft, Cameo where the company in question barely even does anything; the right wing "think tanks" that sing the hymn of freemarket fundamentalism, the Nobel Peace Prize that Obama absurdly won (Nobel Prize - mentioned in that Living Color song), the odd yet uncontested way that some TV shows put in more right wing guests than left (BBCQT inviting establishment stooges like Kate Andrews (IEA / Adam Smith Institute) and Isabel Oakeshott), the open neofeudal style by which bosses can fire staff and make up a reason without it necessarily being taken to court (the UK govt played with removing funding for wrongful dismissal cases), the initial turning down of the proposed uk law to make homes fit for human habitation (now finally here for 2020); the general trend of corporations shoving all the risk on the consumer and leaning as much as possible on socialized support thanks to the calculating thinkers working for corporations; the fact that truly left-leaning (not liberal) narrative is never referenced on space-age TV, the likes of which span hundreds of potential channels continuously each day; the fact that we are over 50 years into space-age technology and yet everything beyond computer hardware is firmly chokeheld by private interests seeking to impose an alien power over others for personal gain; the fact that everyone is affected by the way that the popular crowd is drawn to celebrity influence (neofeudalism by any other name, and the cult of personality); the fact that jobs are gated by even subtle presumptive aspects like your accent in what we call in the UK the "glass ceiling"; the irresponsible flooding and underinvesting of the job market by governments that can only see as far as their kickback pay packet; the extent to which music and video game media can be financially elevated without legal restraint (unlike gambling which is at least in the formal/technical sense regulated); the attitudes from product pushers being that they should be immune to criticism or shake it off at every turn, under the river of praise from MBTI Sensing-Perceiving types (artwork and memes and mythos mind a la suspense of disbelief rather than logos thought a la conscious self-awareness and critical evaluation) and by "online reputation management"; the open overt acceptance of power being held over everyone by corporate overlords in the movie industry, video game industry and so on - are we to include then the academic and scientific establishments, and the education institution?; the way that the rich siphoning up wealth from the poor divested communities in greater and greater speed ("money is a means to get wealth - not the wealth itself" —Akala) inherently and invariably means they are accruing more power to embarrass the poor when they encounter them and encumber them systemically and indirectly and take on more sex acts with greater choice by selection (the free market); the fact that the powerful go psychologically and sociologically unchallenged by the common people each day; the fact that figures like this "Jeff Bezos makes 2219 dollars in one second which is double what the average person makes in one week. In one minute Mr. Bezos makes 2219x60=133140 dollars. In one hour Mr. Bezos makes 133140x60=7998400 dollars)." go unconsidered and unchecked and unresearched by most; the fact that there are no interactive programming tools to trace, map and prove the linkage between wealth disparity and all social ills; the lack of people like Jaque Fresco in our world (If memory serves right he had a sit down with the power elite, who would have promptly denied him anything truly leftist in vision); the implicit neofeudal psychological programming that IS advertising; the borrowing and corrupting of natural world semantic meanings for selfish neofeudal aims and means; the direct pipeline from education to military and the mandatory military service which still exists in some countries; the fact that returning a product inherently throws the customer (slave) into suspicion by the seller (master - legal power holder); the very idea of a court system ran by the state and not a jury of 3rd party independent people; the lack of a "fairness and welfare supervisor" in every workplace and the presence of "compliance officer"s; the very "free market" in free market fundamentalism which inevitably and invariably defers to which/whoever market force has the most power (today - money - working capital); the fact that being poor and working in a low pay job literally makes you poorer as you work (in real terms); the predatory and inexcusable nature of gambling; the predatory and inexcusable principle of landlords making money off other poorer humans (it should be the state which intervenes if the state is truly a good state, which we can surmise every government is implicitly claiming of itself by holding power); the lack of naming and shaming of social ills like the Nestle CEO who said water access shouldn't be a human right (God I fucking hate Snopes); the trends of people trying to make money off other people via various scams and the likes of BlackHatWorld and WarriorForum, which are innately neofeudalistic in their function, pointing to a giant pyramid scheme that drags along with the rest of modern capitalism; the innate respect given to media moguls and politicians when they are nothing special; the disrespect and disrepute given to the left wing health services of every nation; the blind acceptance of imposing imagery, themes and connotations left dirtying our minds which we call advertisements; the implicit fraud in denying people growing their own food indoors; that concepts like treason do not for most people extend to The People as an interest group; the incredibly rare use of the justification "For the public interest" and "For the public record"; the fact that the French Revolution is not associated for us in school as the birth of the first human rights (surely a non-feudal society would have no qualms or problems with teaching this truth of human history and progress); being frank about racism being too hot for school; the fact kids are now accessing hardcore pornography but not radical and sometimes dangerous ideologies and thinking; the intellectual and spiritual poverty of our age, and the lack of conscious awareness of what we are doing to ourselves with our time and the mental contents surrounding us (a wise man once said.. you will become what you surround yourself with); the mess of the Internet operated by the modern robber-barons of advertising and web traffic conversion and "upselling"; the open betrayal of the people by governments which can be exposed even in form of statistics and hard truths and evidences; the great silence of modern "intellectuals" and losers like self-help gurus (THE MODERN COURT JESTERS), who couldn't begin to address choice quotes of the great intellectual giants of human history; the platforming of celebrities and people with certain types of contours over their face that are pleasing to look at from every angle, over those humans who are better in substance, expertise, spirituality, etc.; the preservation of neofeudal lord roles in the workplace (the boss), the home (the landlord), the Internet (the website owner or advertisers), the land, parks and golf courses (the land holder or owner), and even the family (the wealth-holder parent(s) you are dependent upon); the appeal to authority; the way a poor person under free market fundamentalism must always choose the product most poorly produced i.e. the most likely to break or malfunction and cause them to lose more money, generally kept within reasonable losses or sunk costs as per investment brokers' "portfolios"; the way that moral and ethical wrong cannot by most people be pinned on day traders, Goldman Sachs starving poor people etc. by the inherent flow of the market, which will always favor the most production of immaterial and material wealth by abstraction. (In other words - although we can't fully know and intuit what will be best to produce in any given scenario, we can actually fundamentally and systemically rule out what will be bad and harmful for society - but not for the market which is the concern of free market fundamentalists); the rise of unpaid internships (strongly neofeudal i.e. the local "lord", the company owner, is "giving you an opportunity" and that's how they see it); the propaganda of war producing poor peoples' children dying for the rich few who control the military-industrial complex and massive amounts of money flowing around for rich interests, e.g. soldiers firing missiles that individually cost more than they earn per year, of course ultimately tied up as a capitalistic move/plot/bid to win more cheap oil; the way that companies are literally designed to offer minimal guarantees, insurances or protections for their workers yet they are keen to take with them each working day most of the material gain produced by each worker (remember I said corporations lean on society?); the protection of "limited liability" companies to lose money, versus the individual people who are enslaved by means of debt they cannot easily erase (this bleeds into a general distrust of the independent person compared to the corporate entity, when the people actually are in earnest and wanting to help one another, except for the psychopathic in society who can be known and traced by their behaviour and early signs in school); the fact that healthcare is not free in all countries despite the common people CONSTANTLY working to uphold the corporate masters and the endlessly rich, some of whom donate money to Internet streamers for a laugh at the shock; the mathematical intuitive rational incompetence of the science establishment, which seems to have no backbone when it comes to neofeudalism and major social issues and ills (they don't even speak up against gambling! WHAT THE FUCK IS THE SCIENTIFIC ESTABLISHMENT DOING AND WHY DO WE NOT PUBLICALLY SHAME THEM AS FRAUDULENT PUBLIC INTELLECTUALS - FOR THE PUBLIC INTEREST AND THE PUBLIC GOOD?) and rather, they seem to be the lapdogs of the elite, continuing to produce inventions which can easily be taken advantage of by the right wing interests - tear gas and rubber bullets for example; the lack of public awareness of state interference in a negative way; the arrival of private police forces; the hierarchy of control of the Internet based on what they call "authority sites" - prioritized by search engines.
(I apologize for the formatting but this was a train of thought.)

The media is one of the Five Eyes (Orwell's Nineteen Eighty Four) of the state, or should we say the predatory capitalist elite and their corporate legal entities veiling their legal persons; and feudalism is alive and well expressed in more colour than ever - advertising and marketing, consolidation of power (purchasing of smaller corporations, producing monstrous shady entities like Tencent), incredibly hawkish startups like Fiverr, UbeLyft, Cameo where the company in question barely even does anything; the right wing "think tanks" that sing the hymn of freemarket fundamentalism, the Nobel Peace Prize that Obama absurdly won (Nobel Prize - mentioned in that Living Color song), the odd yet uncontested way that some TV shows put in more right wing guests than left (BBCQT inviting establishment stooges like Kate Andrews (IEA / Adam Smith Institute) and Isabel Oakeshott), the open neofeudal style by which bosses can fire staff and make up a reason without it necessarily being taken to court (the UK govt played with removing funding for wrongful dismissal cases), the initial turning down of the proposed uk law to make homes fit for human habitation (now finally here for 2020); the general trend of corporations shoving all the risk on the consumer and leaning as much as possible on socialized support thanks to the calculating thinkers working for corporations; the fact that truly left-leaning (not liberal) narrative is never referenced on space-age TV, the likes of which span hundreds of potential channels continuously each day; the fact that we are over 50 years into space-age technology and yet everything beyond computer hardware is firmly chokeheld by private interests seeking to impose an alien power over others for personal gain; the fact that everyone is affected by the way that the popular crowd is drawn to celebrity influence (neofeudalism by any other name, and the cult of personality); the fact that jobs are gated by even subtle presumptive aspects like your accent in what we call in the UK the "glass ceiling"; the irresponsible flooding and underinvesting of the job market by governments that can only see as far as their kickback pay packet; the extent to which music and video game media can be financially elevated without legal restraint (unlike gambling which is at least in the formal/technical sense regulated); the attitudes from product pushers being that they should be immune to criticism or shake it off at every turn, under the river of praise from MBTI Sensing-Perceiving types (artwork and memes and mythos mind a la suspense of disbelief rather than logos thought a la conscious self-awareness and critical evaluation) and by "online reputation management"; the open overt acceptance of power being held over everyone by corporate overlords in the movie industry, video game industry and so on - are we to include then the academic and scientific establishments, and the education institution?; the way that the rich siphoning up wealth from the poor divested communities in greater and greater speed ("money is a means to get wealth - not the wealth itself" —Akala) inherently and invariably means they are accruing more power to embarrass the poor when they encounter them and encumber them systemically and indirectly and take on more sex acts with greater choice by selection (the free market); the fact that the powerful go psychologically and sociologically unchallenged by the common people each day; the fact that figures like this "Jeff Bezos makes 2219 dollars in one second which is double what the average person makes in one week. In one minute Mr. Bezos makes 2219x60=133140 dollars. In one hour Mr. Bezos makes 133140x60=7998400 dollars)." go unconsidered and unchecked and unresearched by most; the fact that there are no interactive programming tools to trace, map and prove the linkage between wealth disparity and all social ills; the lack of people like Jaque Fresco in our world (If memory serves right he had a sit down with the power elite, who would have promptly denied him anything truly leftist in vision); the implicit neofeudal psychological programming that IS advertising; the borrowing and corrupting of natural world semantic meanings for selfish neofeudal aims and means; the direct pipeline from education to military and the mandatory military service which still exists in some countries; the fact that returning a product inherently throws the customer (slave) into suspicion by the seller (master - legal power holder); the very idea of a court system ran by the state and not a jury of 3rd party independent people; the lack of a "fairness and welfare supervisor" in every workplace and the presence of "compliance officer"s; the very "free market" in free market fundamentalism which inevitably and invariably defers to which/whoever market force has the most power (today - money - working capital); the fact that being poor and working in a low pay job literally makes you poorer as you work (in real terms); the predatory and inexcusable nature of gambling; the predatory and inexcusable principle of landlords making money off other poorer humans (it should be the state which intervenes if the state is truly a good state, which we can surmise every government is implicitly claiming of itself by holding power); the lack of naming and shaming of social ills like the Nestle CEO who said water access shouldn't be a human right (God I fucking hate Snopes); the trends of people trying to make money off other people via various scams and the likes of BlackHatWorld and WarriorForum, which are innately neofeudalistic in their function, pointing to a giant pyramid scheme that drags along with the rest of modern capitalism; the innate respect given to media moguls and politicians when they are nothing special; the disrespect and disrepute given to the left wing health services of every nation; the blind acceptance of imposing imagery, themes and connotations left dirtying our minds which we call advertisements; the implicit fraud in denying people growing their own food indoors; that concepts like treason do not for most people extend to The People as an interest group; the incredibly rare use of the justification "For the public interest" and "For the public record"; the fact that the French Revolution is not associated for us in school as the birth of the first human rights (surely a non-feudal society would have no qualms or problems with teaching this truth of human history and progress); being frank about racism being too hot for school; the fact kids are now accessing hardcore pornography but not radical and sometimes dangerous ideologies and thinking; the intellectual and spiritual poverty of our age, and the lack of conscious awareness of what we are doing to ourselves with our time and the mental contents surrounding us (a wise man once said.. you will become what you surround yourself with); the mess of the Internet operated by the modern robber-barons of advertising and web traffic conversion and "upselling"; the open betrayal of the people by governments which can be exposed even in form of statistics and hard truths and evidences; the great silence of modern "intellectuals" and losers like self-help gurus (THE MODERN COURT JESTERS), who couldn't begin to address choice quotes of the great intellectual giants of human history; the platforming of celebrities and people with certain types of contours over their face that are pleasing to look at from every angle, over those humans who are better in substance, expertise, spirituality, etc.; the preservation of neofeudal lord roles in the workplace (the boss), the home (the landlord), the Internet (the website owner or advertisers), the land, parks and golf courses (the land holder or owner), and even the family (the wealth-holder parent(s) you are dependent upon); the appeal to authority; the way a poor person under free market fundamentalism must always choose the product most poorly produced i.e. the most likely to break or malfunction and cause them to lose more money, generally kept within reasonable losses or sunk costs as per investment brokers' "portfolios"; the way that moral and ethical wrong cannot by most people be pinned on day traders, Goldman Sachs starving poor people etc. by the inherent flow of the market, which will always favor the most production of immaterial and material wealth by abstraction. (In other words - although we can't fully know and intuit what will be best to produce in any given scenario, we can actually fundamentally and systemically rule out what will be bad and harmful for society - but not for the market which is the concern of free market fundamentalists); the rise of unpaid internships (strongly neofeudal i.e. the local "lord", the company owner, is "giving you an opportunity" and that's how they see it); the propaganda of war producing poor peoples' children dying for the rich few who control the military-industrial complex and massive amounts of money flowing around for rich interests, e.g. soldiers firing missiles that individually cost more than they earn per year, of course ultimately tied up as a capitalistic move/plot/bid to win more cheap oil; the way that companies are literally designed to offer minimal guarantees, insurances or protections for their workers yet they are keen to take with them each working day most of the material gain produced by each worker (remember I said corporations lean on society?); the protection of "limited liability" companies to lose money, versus the individual people who are enslaved by means of debt they cannot easily erase (this bleeds into a general distrust of the independent person compared to the corporate entity, when the people actually are in earnest and wanting to help one another, except for the psychopathic in society who can be known and traced by their behaviour and early signs in school); the fact that healthcare is not free in all countries despite the common people CONSTANTLY working to uphold the corporate masters and the endlessly rich, some of whom donate money to Internet streamers for a laugh at the shock; the mathematical intuitive rational incompetence of the science establishment, which seems to have no backbone when it comes to neofeudalism and major social issues and ills (they don't even speak up against gambling! WHAT THE FUCK IS THE SCIENTIFIC ESTABLISHMENT DOING AND WHY DO WE NOT PUBLICALLY SHAME THEM AS FRAUDULENT PUBLIC INTELLECTUALS - FOR THE PUBLIC INTEREST AND THE PUBLIC GOOD?) and rather, they seem to be the lapdogs of the elite, continuing to produce inventions which can easily be taken advantage of by the right wing interests - tear gas and rubber bullets for example; the lack of public awareness of state interference in a negative way; the arrival of private police forces; the hierarchy of control of the Internet based on what they call "authority sites" - prioritized by search engines.
(I apologize for the formatting but this was a train of thought.)

Some words from u/eruwenn and I. Enjoy?
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  Chae’Sol stood at the centre of a large command deck, meticulously peeling the protective film from his new captain’s chair. The sensation of the slow but steady yielding of the film, the sweeping line following the contours of the seat in flowing curves; it was incredibly satisfying. Finally, with one last gentle pull, the last of his chair was uncovered and he stood back to admire his throne. Aside from the freshness of the seating itself, there were shiny new holo displays, touch sensors, and comms relays that were within easy reach of his seated fingertips. This ship would be the jewel in any fleet, a prototype Dreadnought made by the infamous Bardul of Shi’an. The Gowe Military faction had run into financial problems, and it had been left unpaid and unclaimed. What sorcery Kadir had used to find it, and purchase it, he did not know.
His comms unit beeped and Danyd’s voice came through. “Chae’S-” -He grumbled incoherently- “Captain, we’re ready to get underway.”
The Niham turned and sat back on his pristine chair, swinging his long legs over the armrest. “That was quick, Chief Engineer Ef’Yto”
Danyd grunted at the use of his title. “Aye, these Awakened are efficient bastards.” The Satryn looked around at the enormous engineering bay. The entirety of the Porkchop Express could comfortably sit inside, and two of them could likely squeeze in. “Plus, this thing has never been used; feels weird not having anything to work on. It’s state of the art, and I’m having to read the manuals on half the new systems.”
Chae’Sol laughed, looking around at the Awakened as they were preparing their workstations. “Yeah, this command deck is a little intimidating. Even the Niham Armada didn’t have ships like this. There are fifteen weapons stations here, what in Tulseria’s name were the Gowe planning to do with this thing?”
“No idea.” The chief engineer walked to the large seat in front of his new work terminal, and hopped up onto it. The protective covering squeaked. “This thing has more firepower than half their fleet, it must have been something big. We’re lucky Kadir found out about the graveyard of unclaimed ships from one of his contacts.”
The newly-minted captain swung his legs down and sat up, straightening his black uniform and white collar. “That’s another thing: how does he have so many contacts? I was in the Tulseria-damned military, and I had no idea they would sell us fighters and weapons.”
“I know the feeling.” Danyd watched a junior engineer – Lily, an Awakened who wore a headband in her silver hair that sported long Kittran ears on it – begin running diagnostics on the Hoban Field Generator. “I'm aware he got the automated weapons for the system port from my people, somehow. As for how he accomplishes all he does, I think his time working with that fancy Anatidae councillor opened more than a couple of doors for him.”
Chae’Sol stood, running his fingers through his perfect hair. “Doors, windows, rear entrances and damned secret portals, all leading to a dark realm of shady deals and supplies. We have an Imperium Capital Ship for Tulseria’s sake! Nobody knows where he got it, or where he’s now hidden it.” He looked at his holo display, noting the specks springing blinking into existence as the other ships of Federation origin came to life. “Let’s just be glad he’s on our side.”
The chief engineer tugged at the green collar to his uniform. “Our side used to be a damn sight smaller.” Lily had finished her diagnostic tests and sent the results to his console. Her report included an adjustment that would create a potential three percent increase in crystal efficiency, and a small drawing of a smiling leokit with a crim-bar. He groaned, then reported back with, “We’re ready to go when you are.”
The Niham strode confidently across the command deck, stopping to stand in front of the huge vid screen at the front of the room. All around him were his crew, made up mostly from the Ashi, Awakened, and Kasurians. “Let’s get this show started.”
 
 
Jaym sat with a bowl of Tony the leokas cereal in front of her. It wasn't just a catchy advertising slogan - it really was great. She and Elizabeth had worked together so much in the engineering section of the Porkchop Express that they had become close, often spending their free time together. Indeed, Elizabeth currently sat opposite her, carefully rebuilding a power coupling and occasionally tapping at her datapad. Shortly after the results of her most recent tap played out, Elizabeth paused her work on the power coupling. Without speaking, she held up her datapad so that Jaym could see.
On the screen was Tony and his mate Jolie, and Skeena’s voice could be heard excitedly talking about collecting urine samples from the female. Jaym screwed up her face at first until Skeena announced the pregnancy test was positive. Tony was going to be a father! She couldn't contain her joy and screamed loudly, grabbing the screen and running all the way to the bridge to show the others.
Ranjaz was stretched out across the captain’s chair as Jaym burst in, and didn’t open his eyes until she began shaking his leg. Even then he didn’t pay much attention. “I told you not to let Elizabeth play with any more systems till after the mission.”
She blushed slightly, as their last improvement had inverted their water treatment system and blown six power couplings. "It's not that!" she said, holding up the datapad and starting the video. "Look!"
At the first syllable of Skeena's voice, Ranjaz sat bolt upright. The video held his full attention, and when Tony's impending fatherhood was announced the Kittran's whoops of delight could be heard all through the Porkchop Express. He reached underneath his seat and retrieved a small, fluffy bed, then picked up Aiov. Ranjaz led his unusual dance partner in a quick spin of joy before replaying the GalacTube video for her. “You’re going to be an Aunty!”
Eruwenn leaned back in the large seat that had once been Embar’s. “I didn’t think they were related?”
The Kittran nodded. “Aiov is Tony’s sister. Aaron adopted them both, and that’s how human families work. They just keep adding members, like a Dular adding shells to its burrow. Family is family.”
Cygna pressed a few buttons on her Navigator terminal, moving the video to the main screen as well as starting it over. “I still can’t believe you keep one of these under your seat. I mean, it’s a leokas!”
Ranjaz held Aiov up and they briefly rubbed noses. “Just a little one!”
The Anatidae laughed. “I can see living with the human has had quite a profound effect on you.”
With one of his trademark grins he held Aiov out towards Eruwenn. “Wanna nose rub?”
"Ah," the councillor said, shrinking back from the offer, "despite her size she is still a predator, and I am not quite ready for such a close encounter.”
From the pilot seat Ripley stood, taking Aiov from Ranjaz. “She is not a toy.” She briefly snuggled the tiny leokit to her chest, then passed her to Jaym. “Take her for food and exercise; she must grow up strong.”
Jaym also cuddled the wriggling Aiov close, and not just because the little leokit was adorable. Aiov had tripled in size, and was becoming a bit of a handful. “Thor was preparing her food; I’ll take her down to him.”
Once the junior engineer had left, and Ripley returned to the pilot seat, Ranjaz began tapping on the console in front of him. “Looks like we’ll be free to take the shuttle down to the surface with the next group.”
Cygna drummed her fingers on the arms of her chair. “I didn’t realise it would be so busy.”
Ranjaz shrugged. “There was a quake on the fourth planet, so mining colonies are shut down while the nerds poke around. Along with that, we got three big freighters waiting for resupply. That’s a lot of bored folks looking to kill time.” Ripley grunted, prompting a chuckle from the Kittran. “You don’t approve of their choice of leisure activity?”
After their few cycles together Eruwenn was already learning a lot about her shipmates. Ripley, for instance, wasn’t one for talking. She decided to interject before the Captain irritated her too much, as they would need her focus soon enough. “Gambling and pleasure palaces are not to everyone's taste, of course, but these sorts of things are covered under local governance.”
Without skipping a beat Ranjaz replied, “I know that’s the official line, but you sure as shit have tax codes for all of it. If you want to look down on folks, don’t pretend you aren’t profiting from it.”
Cygna, ever defensive of her mentor, jumped in. “That’s a bold statement for someone who never paid a credit in tax until it was automatically deducted from his Galactic Federation pay.”
Ranjaz laughed, then continued, keeping his voice care-free. “Taxed on what? I never owned anything.”
Eruwenn could see the trap her junior was walking into but decided to let this be a learning experience. The Kittran was wily, and the Anatidae found him entertaining. Cygna, as she had predicted, scoffed at his claims. “I’ve read your file. When you were arrested you had a ship, five shuttles and thousands in valuable goods confiscated.”
“Exactly!” His eyes lit up as he cornered her. “It was confiscated because it was stolen, so I didn’t own it. Imagine a world where you can keep stolen goods if you pay tax on them. Even I think that’s crazy.”
The Fae’Dan paused, and the anger evaporated from her voice as she realized what he had said, replaced by a slightly impressed tone of surprise. “Well, maybe, but… Really? You stole all of it?”
Ranjaz shrugged. “Or won it. I’m pretty good at Dalcho.”
Cygna perked up. “I play Dalcho myself, we shou-”
“No,” Eruwenn interrupted. Some lessons were too expensive. “Do not play Dalcho with someone who can get free priority entry permits to a casino.”
The former operative shook her head. “I’m a great player, you’ve seen me in the council chambers. I took that Ley’Rulian trader for five hundred credits.”
The Anatidae smiled kindly. “And he had five shuttles when he was arrested.”
Cygna slowly turned from Eruwenn to Ranjaz, noticing his grin and the sparkle in his eye. It was most definitely the smile of a predator. He gave a little chuckle. “Don’t worry, it’s been a long time since I played. No gambling on Galactic Federation ships, you know.” He laughed again. “Oh wait, you read my file.”
The Fae’Dan nodded. “Perhaps we should focus on the mission.” She gave a slight bow to Eruwenn before returning her attention to her console.
Ranjaz looked at Eruwenn and stuck out his tongue. “Don’t ruin my fun!”
The Ambassador smiled. “I don’t play Dalcho, but there is a human game called chess I quite enjoy. Perhaps we could play sometime?”
The Kittran gave a nod. Keeping his voice neutral, he replied. “I don’t know that one, but there’s another human game we could try. Poker?”
"We have permission to dock at the holding ring and send down a shuttle," Ripley abruptly called out. "Let’s get this whatever it is and make the rendez-vous.”
Both of Ranjaz’s fangs showed as he grinned. “If we’re going to pull a job on Chisola Prime, first you’re going to need to look the part!”
 
 
Aaron walked down the corridor of the Hive ship, the strange spiderlike creature trailing behind him as he followed one of the corpse vines as it receded deeper into the ship. He turned and watched the creature, which shrank back from him and crouched low to the ground. “I’m sorry I kicked you. You simply startled me; you don’t have to hide.”
The lighting never changed in the endless corridors of the ship, and only the most uninteresting of doors deigned open for him. At this point, he had lost track of time completely. Through perseverance he’d made several important discoveries. The bulbous shapes in the flower vase room were seats; he was fairly certain of that after finding another room with bodies sitting in them. The vines that came for them were the ones he was now following, and by now he must have seen hundreds of dead Hive.
The second discovery was that the Hive came in a variety of shapes and sizes. There were two main ones, as far as he could tell, and the first were the four legged kind that had so kindly thrown him in the rejuvenating jelly bean. The second was bipedal, and looked a hell of a lot meaner. While the ones he deemed workers looked somewhat like ants to him, in shades of reds and browns, the second type looked much more commanding. Their carapace had thicker layers of armour in green, gold and red, and was spiked at the shoulders and joints. Even their legs had spines and to top the look off their heads were much more angular. Whether they were soldiers, commanders, or something else, he didn’t know. Through observation of the corpses he had discovered the most confusing feature yet: a strange section in the centre of their abdomen that was filled with what seemed to be a grey fluid.
Ahead of him, not skittering away like the rest, was an aphid that no longer emitted a pale green glow. Something whooshed overhead towards the slow and sluggish aphid, and Aaron instinctively threw himself to the ground before he realized what it was. "That's how you get kicked!” He stood up, brushing himself off. “Fuck, that scares the ever-loving shit out of me every fucking time.”
The huge creature looked up at him and whined as it munched on the sick aphid. He was probably imagining the apology in its eyes, but Aaron still shook his head. “I know, I know. It’s your job. They clean the floors, you keep their population healthy. Just stop leaping over me like that, fuck. I’m going to have a heart attack.” It whined and backed away from his angry words, and he tried to keep his voice to calmer tones. “Don’t be like that. I’ve told you enough times.”
When he looked down the corridor again, the retreating corpse vines had disappeared around a corner. Aaron began to jog after them, and after he'd put some distance in he heard the pattering footsteps of his terrifying shadow. He tried to pay it no mind. Once the vines were back in sight he slowed and followed behind them, singing his direction song quietly to himself. “Left, right, straight. Left, left, right. Straight, straight, left, left. Right, right, straight, right, right.”
The ship was massive and, other than some areas smelling funkier than others, there was no variation in lighting, decoration or layout. The song was his map back to the rejuvenation pod, which was his only safe source of hydration. His companion padded along behind him, a friendly nightmare to accompany him on his seemingly endless journey. “We really need to give you a name.” He wished he had his phone with him so he could channel all his nervous energy into making a video. “The audience demands a name. Plus, I won’t be able to sell merch without one.” He turned and looked at the creature. “I’ll probably have to create space-halloween first, or maybe I’ll get lucky and find that you’re cute to some species.”
Aaron returned to following the corpse vine, waving a hand high as he spoke, gesticulating to the heavens. “The name is what matters: a good name makes all the difference.” He began seriously pondering the naming matter. “Aragog, Shelob; you know, lean into your size for a characterization. But then again, that's not really going to make people like you.” He looked back over his shoulder as the unnamed beast trotted happily behind him. He assumed happy, at least. It now tended to make an odd gurgling noise after eating, and it roamed closer to him than before. “You know, I never got to name Sassie – she’s my dog. I told you about her yesterday, or the day before.” He really was losing track of the days he’d been here. “I got her from a rescue. She was skinny, and so damn angry, with scars on her legs and under her fur. I had to have special visits before I could keep her. Prove I was worthy.”
Talking helped take his mind from the gnawing emptiness in his stomach. Hydration and nutrients osmotically obtained from some weird pod were nowhere near as satisfying as a burger and a cold beer. “Her first visit, she had a rubber ball. It was her only possession, and she loved it.” There was a touch of pride in his voice. “Took me an hour before she gave it up to play. The lady from the rescue centre said I was the first.” He choked up, blinking back tears. “Anyway, couple more visits and she got to stay. Crazy dog was such a handful. She once tried to climb a tree to chase a squirrel. Got her legs over the first branch and just dangled, kicking her back legs.” He began chuckling to himself. “She once tried to jump through a car window; some guy was parked at the lights as we walked past.”
He was just chatting now, lost in his memories as he walked. “You know the type, loud radio, windows rolled down on a sunny day, annoying the shit out of everyone in the town. He tossed some litter out of his window and she just launched herself at him. Scared the life out of me at the time - funny as fuck now, of course.” He laughed again. “Then there were the swans. Man, were they not ready. She loved to swim – I told you that before – swimming and splashing was her favourite release. Well, that and chasing rabbits which is, kinda, how I ended up here. Anyway, she would just swim up and down, right past the ducks and stuff, somehow never interested in them. Then one summer these swans came along...” He paused, realising his new friend didn’t know what a duck or a swan was, or even summer, probably. Before attempting to explain, he realised they also didn’t understand english, so it really didn’t matter. “Anyway, swans being belligerent bastards, I called her out of the water straight away. Those mean white fuckers chased her all the way to shore.”
He turned around, now grinning broadly. “But, once her feet hit the ground in the shallow water and she was able to stand, did those sons of bitches turn and swim away as fast as they could.” He paused, trying to remember his original point. He really was very hungry. “Oh yeah, so trying to stop her fighting everything that moved meant I didn’t have time to teach her a new name. Figured it would be confusing to her. Sassie she was, and so Sassie she stayed.”
There was a tightening in his chest as he thought of her missing him. “Took a lot of years and a lot of time for her to get where she is now. I know Alexa will take care of her, but still, it’s my job, and I need to get back to doing it. She won’t understand…” He choked up completely, taking a moment to compose himself before clearing his throat and returning his monologue to its original course. “Anyway, names. Names matter.”
“Maybe you’re a girl monster. Charlotte?” He shook his head. That name just didn’t seem fitting. “We could call you Peter Parker? Although, you’re more of a man-sized spider than a spiderman... Parker Peter? Then again, big, scary spiders say one thing to me. Australia. You like to jump, we could call you Roo? Or, how about Ozzy? Or Bruce? Hmm, that’s a sharks name though… can you swim?”
His train of thought derailed suddenly as he saw an open door ahead of them through which the vines were receding. The pair of them continued walking behind the vine until it disappeared into the doorway and Aaron ran forward, pulling something from his pocket. He’d been saving the foil wrapping from the ration bricks, folding them together to form a wedge. He jammed his makeshift door stop under the bottom corner of the door as it began to slide shut. It ground to a halt. “Boom! Told you it would work.”
He stood and finally looked into the vastness beyond. Through the doors was, somehow, a rolling meadow, complete with trees, giant mushrooms and plants he had no name for. Vines were also everywhere, receding further across the great wilderness. “What the hell? I thought I was on a spaceship? Am I underground?”
Staring intently at the sky, he stepped onto the deep moss beyond the door. He looked at the wall around the interior and saw it was rock, and more plant life clung to every crack and crevice. As he walked slowly forward his eyes followed the vine as it headed for a large, colourful, monolith. He approached and saw that its shape was similar to the vase flowers. He watched as the corpse vines deposited their cargo on top of the monolith. Not on, he corrected himself;they were dropping inside.
He looked back to the door, nervous that it might close and lock him in. A large black shadow lurked just beyond the door, and he was torn. Should he explore this 'outside' world, or retreat to the place where he at least had the rejuvenation pods? He looked up at the sky, basking in the warm and invigorating embrace of the sunlight. He blinked at the brightness, being cautious to not look at the sun directly, and something else suddenly caught his eye. It was, incredibly, a door. A door that floated in the sky.
The thing about human eyes is that they might be easily fooled, but a shift in perspective can easily change what you see to something entirely different. Aaron was looking up at a ceiling, like the one in the Atrium back on the Azrimad, but a hundred times more convincing.
Once back inside the doorway he watched the spiderling he was beginning to think of it as a friend dancing back and forth a short distance away. It seemed… happy. “Ok buddy, I’m back.” Aaron’s stomach made a loud gurgling sound and he rubbed it, trying to squeeze the hunger away. Fingers found muscle easier than usual, and he knew he was definitely losing weight. “We should head back. I need sleep.” He thought for a moment and made a final decision, bending down to pull the foil wedge clear. “I doubt there’s a communicator or command deck in there. Let’s go home, Ozzy.”
The trip back was uneventful, Aaron sang his direction song as they navigated the labyrinth. A few more aphids were snacked on by his leggy companion, but his own legs were heavy by the time he was almost back to the jelly beans. Despite being exhausted he had made two stops to create another pair of flower vases for the aphids, as well as scattering a ration brick as he passed by. The aphids waited, as they always did, till he and Ozzy were far enough away before enjoying his bounty. Still, the human derived satisfaction from their presence.
Exhausted and weary, Aaron was glad to finally make it back to the room he was reluctantly calling his temporary home. As the door to the rejuvenation pod slid open he was met, forcefully, by the barrel of an energy rifle. Unfortunately for Aaron, due to a considerable height difference, the barrel had struck him squarely in the groin, and he instantly fell to his knees. He came face to face with his attacker with tears in his eyes, clutching his tenderness and coughing. From the other being came incomprehensible yelling, as well as a lot of gun waving. Also, there was coughing.
Aaron, eventually mustering enough self-presence to do something other than deal with the after effects of the gun-to-groin encounter, wiped the moisture from his eyes and tried to butt in to the one-sided conversation. "Relax! I'm the one who just got snookered in the fucking balls, here! Why in the world are you so mad?"”
The gun was pressed to his forehead by the tiny attacker, who shouted something unintelligible with their black eyes focused on him. They paused to cough, then stepped back, glaring at Aaron until they seemed to feel comfortable enough with the situation to take one hand off of their weapon and pull out a datapad. They held it up, and Aaron frowned at the familiar but still unintelligible colours that swirled on the screen. Then a small vent at the bottom of the device squirted out a puff of sickly sweet scent.
Aaron pulled back from the odour. "What the fuck was that?"
With some distance between them, the human finally got a good look at his opponent. They were barely waist-height, furry, with a long nose and dark banding across their brown fur. The banding was heaviest across their eyes and although that’s where the similarities ended, it was enough for the human’s brain to forge a connection. “Listen, Rocket, there’s a virus on this ship. You need to get in the jelly bean. Trust me.”
The rifle was thrust at him shakily in one hand, the tablet again was raised and a swirl of colours and shapes greeted him. “I don’t speak fucking winamp plugin!” On the wall behind his captor Aaron spotted a dull orange aphid, struggling to climb the wall. He smiled as he slowly leaned to one side. “Have you met Ozzy?”
The huge arachnid leapt over them both, causing the newcomer to blindfire at the wall. Aaron seized his chance and snatched away the weapon. He grabbed the newcomer by the front of their armoured uniform and slammed them to the ground. They cried out in pain and began their incomprehensible yelling once more. The accompanying coughing fit was bad, and Aaron dragged them to their feet. Realising that his solitude had caused him to revert to English, he switched back to galactic standard to offer a warning about the disease. “You’re going to die!”
A shocked look crossed their face as the human effortlessly lifted them and slam dunked them into a blue jelly bean. Ozzy gurgled happily through his aphid crunching. Aaron snatched up the energy rifle, but found it was difficult to hold due to its small size. He leaned over the jelly bean, noting the occupant drifting off to sleep.
Hunger and tiredness were forgotten as adrenaline flooded his system. There was no way the newcomer was alone. He left the pod room to begin searching, and Ozzy seemed to pick up on his intention and followed behind, keeping close to the human. “Good boy!” He had no idea what prompted it, likely some automated response, and it was as though he watched his movements from outside of his body as he reached back and gently scratched the arachnid's head. He was rewarded with happy gurgles, or at least that's what he hoped the noises were. “You did good back there.”
He made his way along the corridor towards the same airlock he had once chosen as his final exit. His recent suspicion proved correct as he heard a strange sound up ahead, as if someone was running a wet finger around the rim of a glass. He carefully leaned around the curve and saw another figure, dressed in the same uniform as the first. No fur on this one, although they were equally small in size, and they somehow looked like they were made of glass which couldn’t decide on a colour.
This time he remembered to use galactic standard. “Keep your hands where we can see you. We’ve got you surrounded!” The figure was clearly startled, as the ambient resonating noise began varying wildly in pitch at the same moment as their colour shifted to a solid blue. Aaron cursed. He didn’t have a translator, having instead opted for learning standard and winging everything else. The whole federation knew standard, so he hadn’t truly considered getting the implant. “Something is wrong with our translators,” he continued to bluff. “Do you speak galactic standard?”
A datapad was hastily pulled from a pocket, and as buttons were pressed the resonating sound became more rhythmic. From the datapad sprung noises. No, it was a voice! “Why do you speak Procyon? Where is Commander Bertolannixostraphes?
Aaron began relaxing at the situation he found himself in, but inside he was brimming with joy. Finally, he could talk with someone! “There is a virus on this ship, and many are dead. If your commander is the raccoon-looking guy, I got them into a healing pod. They’re going to be fine.” Under his breath he added, “probably.”
The resonating began and shortly afterwards the voice translated, “Who are you? Why did you not answer our communications.”
Opting for honesty in the hopes of leniency, Aaron stepped into view. “I’m a passenger. I don’t have access to the ship's systems.” The newcomer was looking at the tiny gun, so the human tossed it forward. “I didn’t know if you were friendly. I can take you to your friend, and you should probably get treatment as well.”
The now-orange alien walked forward, their movement accompanied by the strange sound of ceramic plates rubbing together. “That won’t be a problem, we Tricinic do not catch meat diseases. I am Tsy'lo, take me to the commander.” They turned to look behind them. “Where are the others?”
Aaron pointed to Ozzy. “It’s just us two.”
Colours swirled and the small glass person thrummed. The datapad spoke, “You are the last human, the Ambassador. Correct?”
Turning and gesturing to be followed, he began to lead the way to the rejuvenation room. “I am the first human, Ambassador Aaron Cooper, professional bounty hunter. Just call me Aaron. Are you the rescue party? Is Alexa here? Did she bring Sassie?”
It took a moment for the translation to come back. “I don’t know those names. We are the Special Tactics and Rescue Squad and we responded to distress calls and found this ship. Adrift.” They had walked a little way when Tsy'lo stopped and regarded Ozzy, who was still faithfully following behind. “Why does the achalo follow you?”
“Ozzy?” Aaron shrugged. “I think he was lonely. So, were you sent into Hive space to find me, or are you on some top secret mission? You aren’t with the Sentinels, are you?”
“Lonely? But it is an achalo.” Tsy'lo was confused and their colour visibly swirled. “Why would a rescue mission be secret? And, we weren’t sent, we were already here.”
Now it was the human who was confused. “Like spies behind enemy lines? Is that why you are in Hive space?”
The Tricinic hummed at a higher frequency. “It is our space. We are the Hive!”
 
 
Admiral Pelar of the third fleet stood in the centre of the training mat. On the floor around her were four tough looking Ashi, while a fifth was now squaring off against her. She blocked the jab and the surprise knee strike that followed, turning effortlessly to bring her elbow to her opponents ribs. With another deft turn she was behind him and kicking his knees forward. He tried to roll clear but she had anticipated the move and, as he rose, her spinning boot struck the side of his head.
“Nice try gentlemen.” She walked away and caught a towel thrown by the drill instructor. “That last one has potential,” she said, and the drill instructor nodded. “Next time, I expect at least one of them to land a hit. If not, I’ll have you in the ring instead, to make sure you still have what it takes.” She saw the fear in his eyes. “I accept nothing but the best from the Third Fleet.”
The medics ran onto the mat as she dabbed at her forehead, and she spotted Jar’Bek sitting on a bench nearby. She walked over to him and he stood, straightening what was no doubt an extremely expensive suit. “From one disappointment to another.”
The lawyer smiled. “Imagine only seeing your son when he is paid to be in your presence,” he countered.
She smirked. “Your tongue is still your most deadly weapon.”
He nodded. “Ah, but it must make you proud to see me make use of the things you taught me.”
Her face twitched. “I taught you to be a true Ashi, a soldier. I taught you to respect-”
Jar’Bek held up his hand. “I’m here on my client’s business, not yours. And, as I am paid a considerable sum per gal, let us not waste their money on matters that are concluded.” He enjoyed the irritation on her face. “I am here to finalise the amnesty treaties, and conclude your membership as citizens of Earth.”
The Admiral held up her hands, looking down at her combat training clothing. “I must shower and change first. Please, wait for me in my private office.” She smiled politely.
“No.” His smile seemed to hover as if it was a mask that could slip at any time. “You may have disowned me, but I still remember your tricks. You knew the time of our meeting; you had me brought here so you could intimidate me with this display of aggression. Then you ask me to wait in your office amongst your memorabilia and trophies.” He watched the anger behind her eyes. “You really think these tired old tricks will work on me?”
She sneered. “At least you remember something.”
“Oh, I had the scars removed, but I kept the lessons.” He walked away. “My client's time is valuable and I have scheduled a meeting with the other fleet Admiral’s for later this cycle. Since we have no time for your games, let us go to the briefing room. My team is already set up. If you wish to shower, know that it is more of your negotiating time you are wasting, and I do so hate waste.” He collected his briefcase and walked out of the room.
Captain Loring hurried after Jar’Bek, catching him as he entered the elevator. “You sure you want to antagonise the Admiral like that?”
He leaned back against the wall of the elevator and relaxed, letting out a small sigh. “A little negotiating trick a Kittran taught me. Anyway, she is no longer my Admiral.”
Elora’Tan leaned back on the opposite wall. “She is your mother, Jar.”
“Ha.” Jar’Bek laughed. “She disowned me. This is the first contact we’ve had in I forget how many celes. Her first thought is to try and intimidate me with that display. She likes to beat on cadets, she likes to cause pain, and she wanted me to watch.”
Loring gave a weak smile. “It forges strong soldiers. We can’t afford weakness.”
The elevator stopped and Jar’Bek took a step closer to Elora’Tan. “You think it was weakness that made me leave?” He didn’t let her answer, turning and exiting into the hallway. His voice now resonated with authority as he growled, “In case you people have forgotten, the Ashi will operate under the same rules as the rest of the colony. My mother is not the law... I am the law.”
 
Next

tl;dr 1 - I am an amateur game researcher so my predictions will probably be way off on some of these, but I have had some success with my predictions in the past so here is the list: Wild Rift, Frostborn, Diablo Immortal, Devil May Cry, Apex Legends, Project: Odin, The Ragnarok, Code-T, Among Us, H1Z1 (already regretting not putting Genshin Impact on there, but oh well) (explanations are in the post)
tl;dr 2 - I made all of this with game footage into a short HQ video here https://youtu.be/TAgwjIJlLQs
But for those of you who rather read, here is the video script:
Today is the first day of 2021 and game developers are already vying for the top game of the new year. Some of these top games will not be a surprise to you, in fact, some of them have been promised to us for years, but then there are a few that so far have stayed a secret.
Let me start off by saying that this video is not going to be predicting the top 10 games of 2021 in regards to google play or the app store. There are a lot of casual gamers out there Which allows money spent on Advertising to greatly affect those numbers which is why games like candy crush, state of survival, and Clash of Clans are so often at the top. Those games will always be at the top of those charts because of their advertising techniques, but then there are the games that start to explode among serious gamers. PUBG and COD are some of the more famous ones, but each year brings forth new games that catch fire so let me tell you about the games that will be the 10 best games of 2021.
The first game is Wild Rift. This will probably not be a big surprise to many of you because there has been a lot of excitement building up to its release as Riot games has worked hard to recreate League of Legends into a game that is both fun and balanced for the mobile phone. As an esport, wild rift fanatics will enjoy unlimited fun for very little updates from the developers. Wild rift has already been released in Europe and the rankings are going through the roof staying in the top 10 in most categories of it’s genre and Riot has stated that they do plan to release the game to the rest of the world at some point this year. So this will definitely be one of the top games of 2021 as I promise you guys last year, I will be making one of my tips and tricks videos for this game once it comes out in the United States.
The second game on the list is Frostborn. This will probably come as a surprise to many of you because most people have never even heard of this game so let me explain why it will be a top game this year. Some of you might remember a game called last day on Earth that came out 4 years ago and exploded to millions of players in just a few months and then won the award as the most innovative game of 2017. Well, it turns out that the game was built on a technology that couldn't support its original intention which is why the AI multiplayer aspects of the game never got replaced with actual multiplayer. But Last Day on Earth has been making that small game company Kefir millions and millions of dollars and it still often shoots up into the top 50 of highest grossing games. So what it looks like Kefir did over the last 4 years is invest a lot of that money into a new game with more advanced technology to support a more advanced version of their game. Kefir just released frostmourne globally a month-and-a-half ago and It is quickly becoming evident by the amount of content they have saved for subsequent updates that it seems like their plan is to make this game their next Global phenomenon. So I think frostborn will definitely be a top 10 game for the 2021 and I'm actually so confident about this that starting about six months ago, I dedicated my other gameplay Channel exclusively to Frostborn so that it can explode with the game. Obviously, they have a long way to go to become a top 10 game, but the quality of the game is already there, now they just need to do all the right advertising and bug fixes to reach the top.
The third game is Diablo Immortal. Like WIld Rift, this is another long awaited game from a big game company. Netease confirmed years ago that all of the game mechanics in content in the game was complete and ready to go, but the bad publicity gained in the way that blizzard announced this game’s arrival caused them to postpone it. Some of us were starting to wonder if they were ever going to release this game, but a few months ago they started a pre-release version which means that it should surely come at some point this year. Diablo Immortal is a hack and slash RPG and the game play I've seen so far is impressive.
The fourth game is Devil May Cry. The reason I'm putting this game so high up on the list is because Devil May Cry is a fantastic game on the PC and there aren't a lot of high quality mobile games like it so with Yun Chang putting so much work into creating a quality version of their game, I believe this game will perform a lot better then it might seem at first glance. Furthermore, the flexibility offered in the fighting style of Devil May Cry should pair perfectly with the serious mobile gamer.
The fifth game is Apex Legends. Now, the only thing novel about this game for 2021 is that it will be new to mobile, but apex legends is a very popular game and any time a very popular game is able to successfully port them game over to mobile they experience a lot of success. Furthermore, battle royale game like apex legends are really well on mobile phones because it is so easy when you have a 30 minute break just to get on your phone, just to get on your phone and play a game real quick. So even though this game is not going to be offering something novel to the mobile gaming community, it will be a new high quality version of something they already love.
The sixth game is Project: Odin from LionHeart Studios. This prediction is a little bit more of a gamble for me than the other 5 games I've mentioned because what some people love about vast World RPGs others find boring. And then when coupled with the nature of mobile gaming, it is likely that this game will not reach the top 10. I was very underwhelmed with the response that Bethesda got by their new mobile Elder Scrolls game, but there's something about this game that makes me think it might reach the top 10. Norse mythology is really in vogue right now and the idea of being able to fight giants is really attractive to RPG gamers. So if they are able to pull it off well, then I think this will make it into the top 10.
The seventh game is the upcoming Netease game The Ragnarok. This is another Norse mythology based game and it looks unbelievable! Now they call this demo footage so I don't know what the actual game will look like, but if they are able to add this type of climbing mechanics into a mobile MMORPG it will definitely be in the top 10 and then if they're able to add these type of fighting mechanics mobile or PC, then it would likely be the number one game for the year, but I'm sure these fighting mechanics are choreographed because this surpasses current gaming technology even for MMORPGs on the PC. But regardless, this game looks incredible and netease has been doing really well in the area of mobile gaming. Their games are incredibly innovative, in touch with what is Fun For Mobile gamers, and have a frighteningly well done blend of free-to-play and pay-to-win features. So I'm confident this will be a top game for this year.
The eighth game is also a Netease game called Code-T. Code-T is a new cyberpunk themed game in which gamers become bounty hunters against an overwhelming force of crime rooted in a futuristic world. Just like the Ragnarok, this game does not have a release date, but generally when Netease starts releasing teasers, the games are not that far off which is why I'm predicting that this will be one of the top mobile games of 2021.
The ninth game is Among Us. This game was for 2020 what I am predicting Frostborn will be for 2021. This time a year ago almost no one would have predicted that Among Us was going to be a top 10 game. In fact, the game has been out since 2018 so it's explosion with someone up phenomenon. Now I almost didn't put this game on this list because just like pubg and call of duty mobile exploded in 2019 and are still great games with big player bases, the hype around those games have died down too much for them to be on this list. But the reason that I am keeping Among Us on this list even though it had its big explosion last year is because it is still unique enough of a game that it will continue to stand out and be talked about therefore increasing the longevity of that game. In fact, just two weeks ago when I got together with my in-laws, they told me that they found this new exciting game called Among Us and wanted to play it as a family. I was of course happy to hear about their discovery and told them I was excited about playing it with them.
And then the tenth and last game will go to H1Z1. This game is not that different then some of the other games we've already mentioned, but the reason I am putting it on this list is because the devs have a lot of things going for them. First, h1z1 is the classic with the first version of Battle Royale and when classics do something that everyone else is doing, there is less resistance among players to check it out. Second, h1z1 is putting a heavy emphasis on cars, which of the Mechanics for car driving on the mobile phone has gotten a lot better in the last 2 years. Now I do have a few concerns that they will be able to pull this off well because shooting from a car that someone else is driving is really difficult, but if they're able to pull it off, it should be a lot of fun. And then lastly, H1Z1 seems to be doing a pretty good job of advertising which of course helps mobile games a lot.
Well, that's it guys. If there is a game that you think should be on here that I missed or something else that you think people should know, make sure to put it in a comment below so that I can improve so others can see it.
Alright guys, I'll see you next time.
tl;dr 1 - I am an amateur game researcher so my predictions will probably be way off on some of these, but I have had some success with my predictions in the past so here is the list: Wild Rift, Frostborn, Diablo Immortal, Devil May Cry, Apex Legends, Project: Odin, The Ragnarok, Code-T, Among Us, H1Z1 (already regretting not putting Genshin Impact on there, but oh well) (explanations are in the post)
tl;dr 2 - I made all of this with game footage into a short HQ video here https://youtu.be/TAgwjIJlLQs

"CIVILIZATIONS OVER THE PAST SIX thousand years have the habit of eventually squandering their futures through acts of colossal stupidity and hubris. We are not an exception. The physical ruins of these empires, including the Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Ottoman, Mayan, and Indus, litter the earth. They elevated, during acute distress, inept and corrupt leaders who channeled anger, fear, and dwindling resources into self-defeating wars and vast building projects. These ruling elites, consumed by greed and hedonism, retreated into privileged compounds—the Forbidden City, Versailles. They hoarded wealth as their populations endured mounting misery, hunger, and poverty. The worse it got, the more the people lied to themselves and the more they wanted to be lied to. Reality was too painful to confront.
Societies in acute distress often form what anthropologists call ;crisis cults,' which promise recovered grandeur and empowerment during times of collapse, anxiety, and disempowerment. A mythologized past will magically return. America will be great again. The old social hierarchies, opportunities, and rules will be resurrected. Prescribed rituals and behaviors, including acts of violence to cleanse the society of evil, will vanquish the malevolent forces that are blamed for the crisis. These crisis cults—they have arisen in most societies that faced destruction, from Easter Island to Native Americans at the time of the 1890 Ghost Dance—create hermetically sealed tribes informed by magical thinking. We are already far down this road. Our ruling elites are little more than Ice Age hunters in Brooks Brothers suits, as the anthropologist Ronald Wright told me, driving herds of woolly mammoths over cliffs to keep the party going without asking what will happen when the food source suddenly goes extinct.
'The core of the belief in progress is that human values and goals converge in parallel with our increasing knowledge,' the philosopher John Gray wrote. 'The twentieth century shows the contrary. Human beings use the power of scientific knowledge to assert and defend the values and goals they already have. New technologies can be used to alleviate suffering and enhance freedom. They can, and will, also be used to wage war and strengthen tyranny. Science made possible the technologies that powered the industrial revolution. In the twentieth century, these technologies were used to implement state terror and genocide on an unprecedented scale. Ethics and politics do not advance in line with the growth of knowledge—not even in the long run.
"We are entering this final phase of civilization, one in which we are slashing the budgets of the very agencies that are vital to prepare for the devastation ahead—the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Environmental Protection Agency, along with programs at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration dealing with climate change. Hurricane after hurricane, monster storm after monster storm, flood after flood, wildfire after wildfire, drought after drought will gradually cripple the empire, draining its wealth and resources and creating swaths of territory defined by lawlessness and squalor."
"This denial of reality—one also employed by those who assure us we can adapt—is driven by the fossil fuel and animal agriculture industries, the two industries most responsible for global warming. They fear that a rational, effective response to climate change will impede profits. The media, dependent on advertising dollars, contributes to the conspiracy of silence. It ignores the patterns and effects of climate change, focusing instead on feel-good stories about heroic rescues or dramatic coverage of flooded city centers and storm refugee caravans fleeing up the coast of Florida. Droughts, floods, famines, and disease will eventually see the collapse of social cohesion in large parts of the globe, including U.S. coastal areas. The insecurity, hunger, and desperation among the dispossessed of the earth will give rise to ad hoc militias, crime, and increased acts of terrorism. The Pentagon report 'An Abrupt Climate Change Scenario and Its Implications for United States Security' is blunt. 'Disruption and conflict will be endemic features of life,' it grimly concludes."
"HA society convulsed by disorder and chaos, as Voegelin pointed out, elevates and even celebrates the morally degenerate, those who are cunning, manipulative, deceitful, and violent. In an open society these attributes are despised and criminalized. Those who exhibit them are condemned as stupid—“a man [or woman] who behaves in this way,” Voegelin notes, “will be socially boycotted.” But the social, cultural, and moral norms in a diseased society are inverted.
The attributes that sustain an open society—truth, honesty, trust, and self-sacrifice—are detrimental to existence in a diseased society. The idiots take over in the final days of crumbling civilizations. Idiot generals wage endless, unwinnable wars that bankrupt the nation. Idiot economists call for reducing taxes for corporation and the rich and cutting social service programs for the poor. They project economic growth on the basis of myth. Idiot industrialists poison the water, the soil, and the air, slash jobs and depress wages. Idiot bankers gamble on self-created financial bubbles. Idiot journalists and public intellectuals pretend despotism is democracy.
Idiot intelligence operatives orchestrate the overthrow of foreign governments to create lawless enclaves that give rise to enraged fanatics. Idiot professors, 'experts,' and 'specialists' busy themselves with unintelligible jargon and arcane theory that buttresses the policies of the rulers. Idiot entertainers and producers create lurid spectacles of sex, gore, and fantasy. There is a familiar checklist for extinction. We are ticking off every item on it. The idiots know only one word—'more.' They are unencumbered by common sense. They hoard wealth and resources until workers cannot make a living and the infrastructure collapses. They live in privileged compounds. They see the state as a projection of their vanity. The Roman, Mayan, French, Habsburg, Ottoman, Romanov, Wilhelmine, Pahlavi, and Soviet dynasties crumbled because the whims and obsessions of ruling idiots were law."
"Europeans and Americans have spent five centuries conquering, plundering, plundering, exploiting, and polluting the earth in the name of human progress. They used their technological superiority to create the most efficient killing machines on the planet, directed against anyone and anything, especially indigenous cultures, which stood in their way. They stole and hoarded the planet’s wealth and resources. They believed that this orgy of blood and gold would never end, and they still believe it. They do not understand that the dark ethic of ceaseless capitalist and imperialist expansion is dooming the exploiters as well as the exploited. But even as we stand on the cusp of extinction we lack the intelligence and imagination to break free from our evolutionary past. As the warning signs become more palpable—rising temperatures, global financial meltdowns, mass human migrations, endless wars, poisoned ecosystems, rampant corruption among the ruling class—we turn to those who chant, either through idiocy or cynicism, the mantra that what worked in the past will work in the future. Factual evidence, since it is an impediment to what we desire, is banished."
"A population beset by despair and hopelessness finds an intoxicating empowerment and pleasure in an orgy of annihilation that soon morphs into self-annihilation. It has no interest in nurturing a world that has betrayed it and thwarted its dreams. It seeks to eradicate this world and replace it with a mythical one. It turns against institutions, as well as ethnic and religious groups, that are scapegoated for its misery. It plunders diminishing natural resources. It retreats into self-adulation fed by historical amnesia."

In 1969, Thomas Hoyt Friedkin, signed a franchise deal with Toyota to distribute their automobile vehicles and parts in the Houston area of Texas. The company was called the Gulf States Toyota Distributors.
Three years later, in 1972, the company employed 35 associates and had sold over 5000 Toyota cars and trucks through 14 dealerships. Since then, it has accounted for over 13% of all Toyota sales in the United States across the five states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas.
The Gulf States Toyota Distributors is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Friedkin Group, which is now led by Thomas Friedkin’s son, Daniel. The Friedkin Group now encompasses a consortium of companies across many industries - automotive, hospitality, entertainment, and sports.
On 17th August 2020, Italian football club AS Roma announced that it had been acquired in a €591million deal with the Friedkin Group. This takeover brought an end to the 8-year reign of the former Boston-based club owner James Pallotta, who took over the club in August of 2012.
The investment was made via a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) - Romulus and Remus Investments LLC - a company incorporated under the laws of the state of Delaware in the United States.
This takeover meant that the Friedkin Group now owned 86.6% of the club owning a total of 544,468,535 at the price of €0.1165 per share. The remaining 13.4% of the club’s share capital is publicly owned, with the Friedkin Group initiating a mandatory tender offer upon these publicly-owned shares.
Stumbling Blocks
In the semi-annual Financial Report released by AS Roma for the 2019-20 financial year, the Giallorossi earned €94.641 million as its income. This is approximately €40 million less than this time last year.
As for the total costs incurred by the club during this time, there was a slight decrease from last year dropping from €136 million to €123 million.
Part of the reason for this loss in revenue was the dissolution of the agreement AS Roma had with their training kit sponsor Betway. In July 2018, the Italian government had passed the “Dignity Decree” - a legislation that prohibits the advertising of gambling logos, forcing the club to terminate their relationship with the betting company.
In the first 9 months of the 2019/20 financial season, the Giallorossi sustained losses totaling €126 million, with the total debt at €280 million.
This is not a one-off situation either. Roma has been struggling financially for quite some time now. For instance, revenue dropped down €17m to €236m, mainly due to less progress in the Champions League. Television revenue also went down 13% to €145m. So did matchday revenue, which dropped 14% to €34m.
The good news is that commercial revenue was up €10m to €55m, and revenues from player sales went up 19% from €320m to €380m.
The Road Ahead
The revenue highlights show that it’s important for the Giallorossi to qualify for the Champions League and go a step ahead. The 2018/19 revenue of €236m was greatly influenced by revenues directly received from the Champions League, earning the club almost €66m. This was not as much as last year’s revenue though, with Roma earning €98m from the Champions League.
This is part of the reason that the Friedkin Group took over the capital-based club. The new Board of Directors includes a mix of astute businessmen and financial lawyers who bring the necessary expertise to run the club.
For instance, besides the Chairman Dan Freidkin, the BOD includes people like Marc Watts, who is President of The Friedkin Group. Partner at taxation law firm Salvini and Partners, Ines Gandini also joins the BOD bringing her years of taxation experience into the club.
In addition, Professor of legal financial regulations Mirella Pellegrini also joins the BOD, as does Eric Williamson, who is the VP of the Friedkin Business Development Group. There is also on the BOD Benedetta Navarra, who represents Unicredit - one of AS Roma’s creditors.
A new Executive committee has also been formed consisting of Dan Friedkin, Ryan Friedkin, Marc Watts, Eric Williamson with Guido Fienga as CEO.
Fienga had started working with AS Roma under the Pallotta regime as the Strategy and Media Director in 2013, before being appointed as Chief Operating Officer last year, where he handled the day-to-day operations of the club.
He will now be assisted by Ryan Friedkin, son of Daniel Friedkin, who has since moved to Italy and will be running the club’s day to day operations with Fienga.
One of the criticisms leveled against Pallotta was the lack of progress in building the much-needed new stadium for the club. This is something that the new management will have to take on. In pursuing the Stadio Della Roma project, they will have to work closely with city Mayor Virginia Raggi - who is known to be on good terms with CEO Guido Fienga.
So far, the moves made by the Friedkin Group look good on paper. They will also be getting a helping hand from the Pallotta group until the end of December to sort out their financial woes. The arrival of Pedro and Jordan Veretout will add much-needed firepower to their on-field performances too.
Whether this acquisition is something the AS Roma fans will remember with fond memories, only time will tell
PS: If you're reading this far, please consider subscribing to Your Weekend Beer - a weekend newsletter on the business of football.
PPS: You can read the full issue (Essay + Non essay) here

tl;dr 1 - I am an amateur game researcher so my predictions will probably be way off on some of these, but I have had some success with my predictions in the past so here is the list: Wild Rift, Frostborn, Diablo Immortal, Devil May Cry, Apex Legends, Project: Odin, The Ragnarok, Code-T, Among Us, H1Z1 (already regretting not putting Genshin Impact on there, but oh well) (explanations are in the post)
tl;dr 2 - I made all of this with game footage into a short HQ video here https://youtu.be/TAgwjIJlLQs
But for those of you who rather read, here is the video script:
Today is the first day of 2021 and game developers are already vying for the top game of the new year. Some of these top games will not be a surprise to you, in fact, some of them have been promised to us for years, but then there are a few that so far have stayed a secret.
Let me start off by saying that this video is not going to be predicting the top 10 games of 2021 in regards to google play or the app store. There are a lot of casual gamers out there Which allows money spent on Advertising to greatly affect those numbers which is why games like candy crush, state of survival, and Clash of Clans are so often at the top. Those games will always be at the top of those charts because of their advertising techniques, but then there are the games that start to explode among serious gamers. PUBG and COD are some of the more famous ones, but each year brings forth new games that catch fire so let me tell you about the games that will be the 10 best games of 2021.
The first game is Wild Rift. This will probably not be a big surprise to many of you because there has been a lot of excitement building up to its release as Riot games has worked hard to recreate League of Legends into a game that is both fun and balanced for the mobile phone. As an esport, wild rift fanatics will enjoy unlimited fun for very little updates from the developers. Wild rift has already been released in Europe and the rankings are going through the roof staying in the top 10 in most categories of it’s genre and Riot has stated that they do plan to release the game to the rest of the world at some point this year. So this will definitely be one of the top games of 2021 as I promise you guys last year, I will be making one of my tips and tricks videos for this game once it comes out in the United States.
The second game on the list is Frostborn. This will probably come as a surprise to many of you because most people have never even heard of this game so let me explain why it will be a top game this year. Some of you might remember a game called last day on Earth that came out 4 years ago and exploded to millions of players in just a few months and then won the award as the most innovative game of 2017. Well, it turns out that the game was built on a technology that couldn't support its original intention which is why the AI multiplayer aspects of the game never got replaced with actual multiplayer. But Last Day on Earth has been making that small game company Kefir millions and millions of dollars and it still often shoots up into the top 50 of highest grossing games. So what it looks like Kefir did over the last 4 years is invest a lot of that money into a new game with more advanced technology to support a more advanced version of their game. Kefir just released frostmourne globally a month-and-a-half ago and It is quickly becoming evident by the amount of content they have saved for subsequent updates that it seems like their plan is to make this game their next Global phenomenon. So I think frostborn will definitely be a top 10 game for the 2021 and I'm actually so confident about this that starting about six months ago, I dedicated my other gameplay Channel exclusively to Frostborn so that it can explode with the game. Obviously, they have a long way to go to become a top 10 game, but the quality of the game is already there, now they just need to do all the right advertising and bug fixes to reach the top.
The third game is Diablo Immortal. Like WIld Rift, this is another long awaited game from a big game company. Netease confirmed years ago that all of the game mechanics in content in the game was complete and ready to go, but the bad publicity gained in the way that blizzard announced this game’s arrival caused them to postpone it. Some of us were starting to wonder if they were ever going to release this game, but a few months ago they started a pre-release version which means that it should surely come at some point this year. Diablo Immortal is a hack and slash RPG and the game play I've seen so far is impressive.
The fourth game is Devil May Cry. The reason I'm putting this game so high up on the list is because Devil May Cry is a fantastic game on the PC and there aren't a lot of high quality mobile games like it so with Yun Chang putting so much work into creating a quality version of their game, I believe this game will perform a lot better then it might seem at first glance. Furthermore, the flexibility offered in the fighting style of Devil May Cry should pair perfectly with the serious mobile gamer.
The fifth game is Apex Legends. Now, the only thing novel about this game for 2021 is that it will be new to mobile, but apex legends is a very popular game and any time a very popular game is able to successfully port them game over to mobile they experience a lot of success. Furthermore, battle royale game like apex legends are really well on mobile phones because it is so easy when you have a 30 minute break just to get on your phone, just to get on your phone and play a game real quick. So even though this game is not going to be offering something novel to the mobile gaming community, it will be a new high quality version of something they already love.
The sixth game is Project: Odin from LionHeart Studios. This prediction is a little bit more of a gamble for me than the other 5 games I've mentioned because what some people love about vast World RPGs others find boring. And then when coupled with the nature of mobile gaming, it is likely that this game will not reach the top 10. I was very underwhelmed with the response that Bethesda got by their new mobile Elder Scrolls game, but there's something about this game that makes me think it might reach the top 10. Norse mythology is really in vogue right now and the idea of being able to fight giants is really attractive to RPG gamers. So if they are able to pull it off well, then I think this will make it into the top 10.
The seventh game is the upcoming Netease game The Ragnarok. This is another Norse mythology based game and it looks unbelievable! Now they call this demo footage so I don't know what the actual game will look like, but if they are able to add this type of climbing mechanics into a mobile MMORPG it will definitely be in the top 10 and then if they're able to add these type of fighting mechanics mobile or PC, then it would likely be the number one game for the year, but I'm sure these fighting mechanics are choreographed because this surpasses current gaming technology even for MMORPGs on the PC. But regardless, this game looks incredible and netease has been doing really well in the area of mobile gaming. Their games are incredibly innovative, in touch with what is Fun For Mobile gamers, and have a frighteningly well done blend of free-to-play and pay-to-win features. So I'm confident this will be a top game for this year.
The eighth game is also a Netease game called Code-T. Code-T is a new cyberpunk themed game in which gamers become bounty hunters against an overwhelming force of crime rooted in a futuristic world. Just like the Ragnarok, this game does not have a release date, but generally when Netease starts releasing teasers, the games are not that far off which is why I'm predicting that this will be one of the top mobile games of 2021.
The ninth game is Among Us. This game was for 2020 what I am predicting Frostborn will be for 2021. This time a year ago almost no one would have predicted that Among Us was going to be a top 10 game. In fact, the game has been out since 2018 so it's explosion with someone up phenomenon. Now I almost didn't put this game on this list because just like pubg and call of duty mobile exploded in 2019 and are still great games with big player bases, the hype around those games have died down too much for them to be on this list. But the reason that I am keeping Among Us on this list even though it had its big explosion last year is because it is still unique enough of a game that it will continue to stand out and be talked about therefore increasing the longevity of that game. In fact, just two weeks ago when I got together with my in-laws, they told me that they found this new exciting game called Among Us and wanted to play it as a family. I was of course happy to hear about their discovery and told them I was excited about playing it with them.
And then the tenth and last game will go to H1Z1. This game is not that different then some of the other games we've already mentioned, but the reason I am putting it on this list is because the devs have a lot of things going for them. First, h1z1 is the classic with the first version of Battle Royale and when classics do something that everyone else is doing, there is less resistance among players to check it out. Second, h1z1 is putting a heavy emphasis on cars, which of the Mechanics for car driving on the mobile phone has gotten a lot better in the last 2 years. Now I do have a few concerns that they will be able to pull this off well because shooting from a car that someone else is driving is really difficult, but if they're able to pull it off, it should be a lot of fun. And then lastly, H1Z1 seems to be doing a pretty good job of advertising which of course helps mobile games a lot.
Well, that's it guys. If there is a game that you think should be on here that I missed or something else that you think people should know, make sure to put it in a comment below so that I can improve so others can see it.
Alright guys, I'll see you next time.
tl;dr 1 - I am an amateur game researcher so my predictions will probably be way off on some of these, but I have had some success with my predictions in the past so here is the list: Wild Rift, Frostborn, Diablo Immortal, Devil May Cry, Apex Legends, Project: Odin, The Ragnarok, Code-T, Among Us, H1Z1 (already regretting not putting Genshin Impact on there, but oh well) (explanations are in the post)
tl;dr 2 - I made all of this with game footage into a short HQ video here https://youtu.be/TAgwjIJlLQs

Previous editions:
(All strawpoll results counted as of the next post made)
Part 1, Adams v Jefferson in 1796 - Adams wins with 68% of the vote
Part 2, Adams v Jefferson in 1800 - Jefferson wins with 58% of the vote
Part 3, Jefferson v Pinckney in 1804 - Jefferson wins with 57% of the vote
Part 4, Madison v Pinckney (with George Clinton protest) in 1808 - Pinckney wins with 45% of the vote
Part 5, Madison v (DeWitt) Clinton in 1812 - Clinton wins with 80% of the vote
Part 6, Monroe v King in 1816 - Monroe wins with 51% of the vote
Part 7, Monroe and an Era of Meta Feelings in 1820 - Monroe wins with 100% of the vote
Part 8, Democratic-Republican Thunderdome in 1824 - Adams wins with 55% of the vote
Part 9, Adams v Jackson in 1828 - Adams wins with 94% of the vote
Part 10, Jackson v Clay (v Wirt) in 1832 - Clay wins with 53% of the vote
Part 11, Van Buren v The Whigs in 1836 - Whigs win with 87% of the vote, Webster elected
Part 12, Van Buren v Harrison in 1840 - Harrison wins with 90% of the vote
Part 13, Polk v Clay in 1844 - Polk wins with 59% of the vote
Part 14, Taylor v Cass in 1848 - Taylor wins with 44% of the vote (see special rules)
Part 15, Pierce v Scott in 1852 - Scott wins with 78% of the vote
Part 16, Buchanan v Frémont v Fillmore in 1856 - Frémont wins with 95% of the vote
Part 17, Peculiar Thunderdome in 1860 - Lincoln wins with 90% of the vote.
Part 18, Lincoln v McClellan in 1864 - Lincoln wins with 97% of the vote.
Part 19, Grant v Seymour in 1868 - Grant wins with 97% of the vote.
Part 20, Grant v Greeley in 1872 - Grant wins with 96% of the vote.
Part 21, Hayes v Tilden in 1876 - Hayes wins with 87% of the vote.
Part 22, Garfield v Hancock in 1880 - Garfield wins with 67% of the vote.
Part 23, Cleveland v Blaine in 1884 - Cleveland wins with 53% of the vote.
Part 24, Cleveland v Harrison in 1888 - Harrison wins with 64% of the vote.
Part 25, Cleveland v Harrison v Weaver in 1892 - Harrison wins with 57% of the vote
Part 26, McKinley v Bryan in 1896 - McKinley wins with 71% of the vote
Part 27, McKinley v Bryan in 1900 - Bryan wins with 55% of the vote
Part 28, Roosevelt v Parker in 1904 - Roosevelt wins with 71% of the vote
Part 29, Taft v Bryan in 1908 - Taft wins with 64% of the vote
Part 30, Taft v Wilson v Roosevelt in 1912 - Roosevelt wins with 81% of the vote
Part 31, Wilson v Hughes in 1916 - Hughes wins with 62% of the vote
Part 32, Harding v Cox in 1920 - Cox wins with 68% of the vote
Part 33, Coolidge v Davis v La Follette in 1924 - Davis wins with 47% of the vote
Part 34, Hoover v Smith in 1928 - Hoover wins with 50.2% of the vote
Part 35, Hoover v Roosevelt in 1932 - Roosevelt wins with 85% of the vote
Part 36, Landon v Roosevelt in 1936 - Roosevelt wins with 75% of the vote
Part 37, Willkie v Roosevelt in 1940 - Roosevelt wins with 56% of the vote
Part 38, Dewey v Roosevelt in 1944 - Dewey wins with 50.2% of the vote
Part 39, Dewey v Truman in 1948 - Truman wins with 65% of the vote
Part 40, Eisenhower v Stevenson in 1952 - Eisenhower wins with 69% of the vote
Part 41, Eisenhower v Stevenson in 1956 - Eisenhower wins with 60% of the vote
Part 42, Kennedy v Nixon in 1960 - Kennedy wins with 63% of the vote
Part 43, Johnson v Goldwater in 1964 - Johnson wins with 87% of the vote
Part 44, Nixon v Humphrey in 1968 - Humphrey wins with 60% of the vote
Part 45, Nixon v McGovern in 1972 - Nixon wins with 56% of the vote
Part 46, Carter v Ford in 1976 - Carter wins with 71% of the vote
Part 47 - Carter v Reagan v Anderson in 1980 - Carter wins with 44% of the vote
Welcome back to the forty-eighth edition of /neoliberal elects the American presidents!
This will be a fairly consistent weekly thing - every week, a new election, until we run out.
I highly encourage you - at least in terms of the vote you cast - to try to think from the perspective of the year the election was held, without knowing the future or how the next administration would go. I'm not going to be trying to enforce that, but feel free to remind fellow commenters of this distinction.
If you're really feeling hardcore, feel free to even speak in the present tense as if the election is truly upcoming!
Whether third and fourth candidates are considered "major" enough to include in the strawpoll will be largely at my discretion and depend on things like whether they were actually intending to run for President, and whether they wound up actually pulling in a meaningful amount of the popular vote and even electoral votes. I may also invoke special rules in how the results will be interpreted in certain elections to better approximate historical reality.
While I will always give some brief background info to spur the discussion, please don't hesitate to bring your own research and knowledge into the mix! There's no way I'll cover everything!
Ronald Reagan v Walter Mondale, 1984
Profiles

• Ronald Reagan is the 73-year-old Republican candidate and the current President. His running mate is current Vice President George Bush.
  
• Walter Mondale is the 56-year-old Democratic candidate and the previous Vice President. His running mate is US Representative from New York Geraldine Ferraro.
  

Issues and Background

• Within a year of taking office, President Reagan signed comprehensive tax reform legislation that exemplified his economic philosophy. The top marginal income rate was cut from 70% to 50%, and the rate on the lowest taxable bracket was reduced from 14% to 11%. The capital gains tax was reduced from 28% of 20%. Legislation in 1982, prompted by increases in the deficit, prevented the full tax cut aspirations of the 1981 legislation from going into effect. Reagan and his supporters credit his economic policies with the strong economic recovery since the beginning of 1983.
  
• The last couple years have seen very large federal budget deficits, with the 1983 peak at a level unseen since immediately following World War II, even relative to GDP. Mondale has chosen to make this arguably his biggest domestic campaign issue. Mondale has argued that the "question of the deficit and getting interest rates down is the most important domestic problem of our time - nothing else compares with it." He has spoken in stark terms about the alleged stakes, saying:
  

  The President's point that growth will cure the deficit is obviously not the case. The deficit will get worse even with growth. Thus it is a very severe problem that threatens our future, saddles our kids with a with a trillion dollars worth of debt, is making us into a debtor nation, is destroying our position in international commerce, driving up interest rates, and is making the budget increasingly unmanageable.
  

  Further, Mondale has gone further in his gambit on making the deficit an election issue by pledging to raise taxes. In his nomination acceptance speech, Mondale said:
  

  Whoever is inaugurated in January, the American people will have to pay Mr. Reagan's bills. The budget will be squeezed. Taxes will go up. And anyone who says they won't is not telling the truth to the American people.
  I mean business. By the end of my first term, I will reduce the Reagan budget deficit by two-thirds.
  Let's tell the truth. That must be done - it must be done. Mr. Reagan will raise taxes, and so will I. He won't tell you. I just did.
  

  • Specifically, the Mondale deficit reduction plan calls for $85 billion in new tax revenues and $105 billion in cuts in projected spending. The entirety of the new tax revenue is to be earmarked for a special fund to reduce the deficit. Any further new spending will be "pay as you go," requiring new revenue to cover the spending. The planned spending cuts are mostly decreases in the planned growth of spending, including for the military and Medicare, rather than outright cuts.
  • According to Mondale campaign advisers, a typical family of four with a gross annual income of $25,000 (OOC: ~$62,000 in 2020 dollars, same format for further parentheticals) will not see their taxes go up. However, by 1989, families making $25,000 to $35,000 (~$62,000 to $86,000) will see a tax increase of about $95 (~$200) families making up to $45,000 (~$111,000) will pay roughly $200 (~$500) more and families making $100,000 (~$250,000) will pay about $2,600 (~$6,400) more.
  • Republicans have of course criticized the Mondale plan sharply. Vice President Bush called it a "program for failure" that would stall the recovery. Reagan insists that deficit reduction must come through economic growth and reductions in wasteful government spending. Reagan describes a tax increase as a "last resort."
• Religion and issues of morality have come up several times during this campaign. President Reagan favors a Constitutional amendment that would permit organized prayers in public schools that students can opt-out of. Mondale opposes the amendment. President Reagan also supports a Constitutional amendment banning abortions except when the life of the mother is at risk. Mondale is personally opposed to abortion but believes it should be a woman's individual choice. Mondale's running mate Geraldine Ferraro has received pushback for her statement that, "the President goes around calling himself a good Christian; I don't for a minute believe it," criticizing Reagan's policies as "unfair" and "discriminatory."
  
• In fall 1983, following an internal power struggle in the country and pleas from other Caribbean nations, the United States invaded Grenada alongside several Caribbean nations. The invasion was successful, resulting in the establishment of a new interim government. Elections are intended to take place in the coming months. The Reagan Administration justified the intervention on the basis of protecting US medical students on the island. The UN General Assembly voted 108 to 9 to call the intervention a "flagrant violation of international law." Mondale raised questions about the invasion early on, but in the past couple months has spoken favorably of it.
  
• The United States along with three European nations introduced a peacekeeping force into Lebanon in 1982, in the broader context of the Lebanese Civil War. US diplomatic and military forces have been the victim of a number of suicide bombings, in particular the 1983 bombings of Beirut barracks, killing 241 US military personnel. Mondale has been sharply critical of Reagan with respect to these bombings, arguing that there was plenty of warning to prevent them. Mondale has further argued that overall US policy in Lebanon has been marked by "unbelievable disorganization." In January, Mondale called for the withdrawal of US marines from Lebanon. Reagan argues that the US presence in Lebanon helped facilitate the withdrawal of Palestinian guerrilla fighters.
  
• At no point in his first term thus far has President Reagan met with his Soviet counterpart, Konstantin Chernenko. Mondale has frequently criticized Reagan for this, and has promised he would hold annual summit meetings with Soviet leaders. Reagan has said that he would like a summit, but needs to feel sure it will produce results before it happens. More broadly, Reagan has described the necessary policy towards the Soviet Union as one of "credible deterrence and peaceful competition," though he has also not held back in his criticism of the Soviet Union, calling it just last year an "evil empire."
  
• In 1979, the Sandinista National Liberation Front in Nicaragua overthrew the Somoza dictatorship and established a new government. Since then, counterrevolutionary forces including former pro-Somoza forces as well as disillusioned former Sandinistas, have engaged in armed conflict against the Sandinista government. Reagan cancelled economic aid to Nicaragua upon taking office, but has since said that there have been attempts to get along with the new government. However, Reagan has been sharply critical of Nicaragua's accused military buildup and "meddling" in El Salvador.
  
  • Mondale has criticized Reagan's "failed policies" in Central America and has promised that if elected, he would end all US military exercises in Central America, withdraw combat forces from Honduras, and "end the covert activities directed toward Nicaragua."
  • A CIA booklet became public this October which has raised questions about the nature of US covert activities in Nicaragua. As reported by the New York Times:
    

    A Central Intelligence Agency document that became public this week tells Nicaraguan rebels how to win popular support and gives advice on political assassination, blackmail and mob violence.
    The 44-page booklet, titled ''Psychological Operations in Guerrilla Warfare,'' is a primer on insurgency. Most activity of this sort in Nicaragua has been paid for by the United States through the C.I.A.
    The primer explains how to kidnap and kill officials, blow up public buildings and blackmail ordinary citizens.
    

• Ferraro and her husband have come under intense media scrutiny over their financial history, with accusations ranging from tax avoidance to connections to organized crime, pornography, and gambling. In response, the couple has relented in releasing several years of tax returns, and Ferraro has allowed the media hours of her time to ask questions related to her and her husband's finances. Most accusations against them have proven to be exaggerated, though there are still lingering questions regarding certain accounting errors that were made. For more technical details, see coverage by the New York Times or Washington Post.
  
• Particularly following what some considered to be a sub-par first debate performance, some Democrats are openly raising the question of whether Reagan, 73, is too old to continue serving as President. Asked at a White House event whether age should be considered a legitimate issue, Reagan said jokingly of Mondale, "I'll challenge him to an arm-wrestle any time." Reagan's more vigorous second debate performance has led to a diminishing of the age discussion.
  
• In June 1981, the Associated Press and Los Angeles Times reported on a rare lung infection in 5 young previously healthy gay men in Los Angeles. Since then, over 6,000 cases of "acquired immune deficiency syndrome" (AIDS) have been reported to public health officials. In April of this year, the cause of the disease was discovered, a retrovirus known as HTLV-III. According to the CDC, "most cases have been reported among homosexual men with multiple sexual partners, abusers of intravenous drugs, and Haitians, especially those who have entered the country within the past few years." The case fatality rate is extremely high. Scientists say the virus is mainly spread through sexual contact. There were two major developments just recently in October. First, the New York Times reported that saliva may be a possible source of transmission, though it remains unlikely that it is a "key mode of spread." Second, under pressure from Mayor Dianne Feinstein, San Francisco public health officials ordered a number of bathhouses and sex clubs geared towards homosexual men closed. Officials at the Department of Health and Human Services argue that this disease has become a top research priority for them, and that they expect to spend many millions of dollars on research grants and other efforts. However, some groups like the National Gay Task Force have criticized the government sharply and say that not nearly enough is being done. Many criticisms of the government and other institutions and groups of people are covered in the essay from last year famous in the gay community, "1,112 and Counting" by Larry Kramer, published in the New York Native. Neither Reagan nor Mondale have spoken of this disease on the campaign trail.
  OOC Note: There is no indication that AIDS was an issue in the presidential election. Even gay newspapers from this time did not relate the crisis much if at all to the presidential election. To the extent that government policy was discussed, it was often local policy. Why mention it then? Well, it's a similar situation to Japanese internment and the 1944 election. I know some of you will bring this up no matter what, understandably, and so I'd like to at the very least calibrate the discussion to the year of the election with proper context and background.
  

Platforms (Important note if this is influencing your vote: These are just excerpts, not everything is included and inclusion of a point in one set of excerpts does NOT mean the other party took the opposing stance or didn't mention it; also, especially in the modern era, a Presidential candidate may disagree with the party platform)
Read the full 1984 Republican platform here. 10 Excerpts:

1. "We reaffirm our conviction that State and local governments closest to the people are the best and most efficient"
   
2. "The Republican Party pledges to continue our efforts to lower tax rates, change and modernize the tax system, and eliminate the incentive-destroying effects of graduated tax rates ... We therefore support tax reform that will lead to a fair and simple tax system and believe a modified flat tax—with specific exemptions for such items as mortgage interest—is a most promising approach"
   
3. "The President is denied proper control over the federal budget ... To remedy this, we support enhanced authority to prevent wasteful spending, including a line-item veto"
   
4. "We need coordination between fiscal and monetary policy, timely information about Fed decisions, and an end to the uncertainties people face in obtaining money and credit ... The Gold Standard may be a useful mechanism for realizing the Federal Reserve's determination to adopt monetary policies needed to sustain price stability"
   
5. "The greatest danger today to our international trade is a growing protectionist sentiment"
   
6. "The Republican Party has deep concern about gratuitous sex and violence in the entertainment media, both of which contribute to the problem of crime against children and women"
   
7. "We Republicans emphasize that there is a profound moral difference between the actions and ideals of Marxist-Leninist regimes and those of democratic governments, and we reject the notions of guilt and apology which animate so much of the foreign policy of the Democratic Party"
   
8. "Stable and peaceful relations with the Soviet Union are possible and desirable, but they depend upon the credibility of American strength and determination"
   
9. "We ... reaffirm our support for a human life amendment to the Constitution, and we endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment's protections apply to unborn children"
   
10. "We affirm our country's absolute fight to control its borders ... Those desiring to enter must comply with our immigration laws ... Failure to do so not only is an offense to the American people but is fundamentally unjust to those in foreign lands patiently waiting for legal entry ... We will preserve the principle of family reunification"
    

Read the full 1984 Democratic platform here. 10 Excerpts:

1. "Instead of runaway deficits, a Democratic Administration will pursue overall economic policies that sharply reduce deficits, down interest rates, free savings for private investment, prevent another explosion of inflation and put the dollar on a competitive footing"
   
2. "We will pursue international negotiations to open markets and eliminate trade restrictions, recognizing that the growth and stability of the Third World depends on its ability to sell its products in international markets"
   
3. "The Environmental Protection Agency should receive a budget that exceeds in real dollars the agency's purchasing power when President Reagan took office, since the agency's workload has almost doubled in recent years"
   
4. "After four years in which the roll of dishonor in the Administration has grown weekly and monthly—from Richard Allen to Rita Lavelle, from Thomas Reed to James Watt—it is time for an end to the embarrassment of Republican cronyism and malfeasance"
   
5. "Violent acts of bigotry, hatred and extremism aimed at women, racial, ethnic and religious minorities, and gay men and lesbians have become an alarmingly common phenomenon ... A Democratic Administration will work vigorously to address, document, and end all such violence"
   
6. "In the year made famous by George Orwell, we can see the realization of many of his grimmest prophecies in the totalitarian Soviet state, which has amassed an arsenal of weapons far beyond its defensive needs"
   
7. "Sadly, Mr. Reagan has opted for the all too frequent American response to the unrest that has characterized Central America-military assistance ... Over the past 100 years, Panama. Nicaragua, and Honduras have all been occupied by U.S. forces in an effort to suppress indigenous revolutionary movements"
   
8. "A Democratic President will pursue a foreign policy that advances basic civil and political rights—freedom of speech, association, thought and religion, the right to leave, freedom of the integrity of the person, and the prohibition of torture, arbitrary detention and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment—and that seeks as well to attain basic, economic, social, and cultural rights"
   
9. "We support tough restraints on the manufacture, transportation, and sale of snub-nosed handguns, which have no legitimate sporting use and are used in a high proportion of violent crimes"
   
10. "...the Reagan Administration has acted as if deficits do not count ... The deficits are huge and are expected to get larger—and they are a major negative factor in everything from high interest rates to the third world debt crisis"
    

Video Clips
Debates
First Presidential Debate

• Candidates discuss federal budget deficits
  
• Candidates are asked about their religious beliefs and the separation of church and state
  
• Candidates discuss abortion
  
• Candidates discuss middle class taxes
  
• Candidates discuss income inequality
  

Vice Presidential Debate

• Candidates discuss civil rights
  
• Candidates discuss abortion and the separation of church and state
  
• Candidates are asked about their personal tax situations
  
• Candidates are asked about Nicaragua
  
• Ferraro is asked whether the Soviet Union will take advantage of her because she's a woman
  

Second Presidential Debate

• Candidates discuss Central America
  
• Candidates discuss the Soviet Union
  
• Candidates discuss when to use military force
  
• Reagan is asked about the age issue
  
• Candidates discuss immigration
  
• Reagan is asked about overpopulation
  
• Reagan is asked about Biblical Armageddon and nuclear war
  

Speeches
Mondale nomination acceptance speech
Reagan nomination acceptance speech
Advertisements
Reagan "Morning in America" ad
Reagan White House ad
Reagan peace ad
Reagan train ad
Mondale nuclear devastation ad
Mondale "in real America" ad
Mondale trade ad
Mondale "killer weapons" in space ad
Strawpoll
>>>VOTE HERE<<<

Right after Winners at War, we are kicking off the endgame with our last newbie season, which takes place in Greece, just like the first season. 18 new castaways will face off, and there will be a returning twist, the Edge of Extinction, but this time, there will be no returnees. It will be just 18 castaways forced to battle the elements and each other, with minimal twists other than the EOE, and the fire making challenge. Without further ado, we will see who will be competing on this season!
Fotia (Greek for Fire) Tribe:
Ava Vasquez, 59, Kindergarten Teacher, u/TDSwaggyBoy
Mother of two, grandmother of seven, Ava is a very kind individual. She made it her goal to help her children in any way, shape or form she could, wanting to give those she loves the best life possible. Even to the point of prioritizing their well being over her own. She always wanted to make a difference, and eventually became a kindergarten teacher in order to help make the years of said toddlers the best she could. Ava still remembers her kindergarten teacher, a kind and warm individual, and she hopes to be seen the same way as her.
Darleen Rojas, 38, Retail Manager, u/Ripecornball60
Darleen was the popular girl in school when she was young. She was a pageant queen, and planned to be a model when she was older. She got through the rigorous casting process to become a model, but sadly fell short at the final call, where she found out she had breast cancer. Going through Chemotherapy was a life changing experience. She lost her hair, her passion, and her job opportunity. She worked at a Retail store for 3 years, until she had a flirt with the manager. He promised her the store in exchange for her "assets". She accepted the offer, and Darleen became the store manager. The previous manager and her dated for 3 more months, until the worst happened. She found him cheating on her. This caused her to break up with him, and kick him out of working for her. Trying to fill his hole in her heart, Darleen used an abandoned break room in her store, and transformed it into a nightclub club she calls the "Hidey Hole". There, she has 1 night stands with women and men alike. She is out here due to one of her "clients" saying someone as manipulative as her could win.
Ellie Ruchkin, 24, Bowling Alley Worker, u/Jckboy100
Ellie is a super nice girl, to almost everyone... however, if you do anything to cross her, she won't forget it. Growing up as an only child made her learn how to entertain herself, and learn how to take care of herself when her parents weren't around. She wants to play this game to see if she has what it takes to win the title and check that comes along with it.
Erik LeFort, 34, Writer, u/Gemini_B
Erik grew up in a typical family. At a fairly young age he realized he was gay, but was luck that his family supported him. That, alongside with supportive friends helping him overcome the few bullies he faced, he wants to be a beacon of hope for gay people everywhere and want's to show what a loving family can do. Despite his want to help others though, he's not afraid to play dirty if it get's him further in the game.
Ethan "EJ" James, 20, College Student, u/JTsidol
Ethan was always struggling In life, that never allowed him to do anything, his dad was extremely angry at him, after his mother died at birth, blaming the death on him, when he was 7 he began abusing him, until at 17 he ran away, now he‘s studying hard to finish college, and he hopes he can get the money to help him study and have a better life.
Kim Juri, 35, Poker Dealer, u/Gemini_B
Kim Juri grew up with a fairly poor family and at a young age secretly turned to gambling to support her family. She got very good and became a poker dealer at a casino. She wants to destroy this game because she knows how to lie, cheat and play dirty. She's here to win, and nothing will stop her.
Krista Ayers, 34, Unemployed, u/breadon17
Krista is a single mom of four, so life isn't very easy for her. She can't find a job and she has an abusive boyfriend who is trying to take everything she knows and loves. She applied for Survivor so that she could get the money she needs to survive and feed her kids.
Kyle Simmonds, 26, Poker Player, u/asiansurvivorfan
Kyle was raised in a very divided home with his parents constantly fighting, and his Dad being an alcoholic. This caused him to start taking part in things he shouldn’t be taking part in like gangs, drug, theft, etc. When he was 20, everything changed for him when his friend signed him up for a local poker tournament. He was reluctant at first, but decided to give it a shot. He surprised everyone including himself at that tournament, as he completely dominated and won. This really gave him the boost he needed in life as he proceeded to continue his success by winning more tournaments and at a higher level too. He plans on handling the game like a poker match and wants to bring all his cards to the table.
Vaso Dragovic, 45, Journalist/Former Yugoslav Soldier, u/Twig7665
Vaso was born in Serbia, which was in the once prosperous country of Yugoslavia in the mid 1970s. He lived a normal life up until his teen years, where he watched the country he once knew as a dream turn into a nightmare. The country became a war-torn hellscape, and he was forced to join the military at the young age of 16. He witnessed countless atrocities, and to escape the war, he had to smuggle himself onto a boat bound for the United States in 1996. With no food, no money, and no shelter, he joined a gang to get himself what he needed to survive. After over a year of selling drugs and being in a gang, he left it and went to go live in a rehab facility until he was was 29, in 2004. He then began work to try and fit back into society. He now works as a journalist for a news company. He signed up for the show to see if he has the skills to win it.
Pouli (Greek for Bird) Tribe:
Alfred "Void" Vallentino, 28, Magician, u/swoldow
Alfred grew up on the streets of Las Vegas in poverty, with both of his parents as struggling actors. To make a few extra dimes, he started to teach himself basic magic to perform on the streets and sometimes skipped school to make more money. He was extremely bullied at school for his passion and lack of money, which led him to be socially isolated from everyone else. He grew more attached to his magic, as he kept working harder and harder until a famous magician with a Vegas show caught wind of his act, and let Alfred open for him. Since then, Alfred has rose to the top of the food chain, and began to experiment with his suspenseful acts to make the audience feel all sorts of emotion.
Katrina MacQuoid, 58, Prosthodontist, u/Gemini_B
Katrina’s parents we’re performers in Kentucky. They lived and breathed theater and expected their daughter to be the same. Though Katrina loved being the center of attention, and still does, she never loved the stage the way her parents did. Her parents wanted her to continue to pursue something arts related, and she became an advertising adjective, but never felt satisfied. When she learned that Kentucky was looking for jobs in the dental field, she felt it would be a perfect field to enter. She always found teeth interesting, I mean, are they bones? But they fall out? So weird. She returned to school at age 35 and became a Prosthodontist at age 43. She’s worked as a Prosthodontist since then and (While not at the level of Peter) has a firm understanding of the most important hole in the human body, the mouth. While she’s liked by many people because of her fun personality, she has trouble forming 1 on 1 bonds and has never found the special one. As a child she often got in trouble for anger issues with her parents, so she began to hold in her anger and let it out in huge, uncontrollable fits when her parents weren't around. This holding in of anger until she can’t contain it is a habit she continues to have, blaming her rages on “Hurricane Katrina” as a sort of justification of her actions. She’s never left Kentucky and while she’s very book smart, she can often be very ignorant on other subjects.
Lila Herring, 21, Secretary, u/AngolanDesert
Lila is a very competitive spirit. She always wants to challenge herself and see how far can she can make it. When she saw that survivor auditions were going out, she knew she could win and provide for her poor family.
Lukas Reed, 24, College Student, u/Jck100
Lukas Reed is a shy, humble young man. Coming from a devastating childhood with the loss of his young sister, him and his dad suffered hard. This shaped him into the man he is today, coasting through college, now he wanted something to step out of his comfort zone and try out this highly social game, and see how he can do.
Luther Dane, 32, Fisherman, u/Twig7665
No one knows much about Luther, due to his tendency to keep everything he knows a secret, and it causes people to see him as a strange loner, a title he does not mind. He was in a car accident in his teen years that killed everyone in the car but him, and he began to think of himself as an untouchable person, someone who could survive almost anything. This caused him to grow reckless when he's not fishing, and made several poor choices in his twenties, including messing with police, which caused him to be sent to jail for several months for interfering with a cop's duty. Now out of prison, he continues to be reckless, but stayed away from police this time. Will his reckless personality help or hinder his journey on Survivor? Only time will tell.
Madyson "Maddie" Anderson, 25, Nurse, u/JTsidol
She’s lived a normal life, she wants some fun, she’s single, hoping that she can get a showmance to lower her target, then strike at the right time.
Marshall Keaton, 28, Marine Biologist, u/TDSwaggyBoy
Marshall was born to a loving family of five, being the oldest of three kids. His father, Dominic, always expected Marshall to follow in the family's footsteps and become a lawyer, just like his old pops. At a young age, Marshall never seemed to agree with his father's plan - being a lawyer is so boring, bro! He went through the entire process, getting accepted to law school, only to then drop out.
Marshall and his father got into a massive argument about it, and Marshall ended up leaving his home afterwards. They are still not on speaking terms.
Marshall then studied to become a marine biologist, as he always found sea creatures to be fascinating.
Now with a girlfriend of 2 years, Marshall hopes to win the money for the both of them. He's got this, yo!
Nolan "NK" Kristoffson, 19, Drummer, u/Twig7665
Nolan was born the younger of twins to a large, fairly poor farming family. He was the youngest, and he resented most of his family. He saw his twin Matt as the antithesis of himself, and while he was able to go to college because of a football scholarship, Nolan had to drop out and help out at the farm. He finally had enough at the age of 18, and told his parents about him wanting to become a drummer, and his parents kicked him out, so he lived at his friend's house for the past year. They were able to get him a drumkit, and they formed a garage band. Inspired by his hard life being constantly outshined by his brother, he wrote angry, edgy lyrics, and they started performing gigs. He shortened his name to just his initials, and now drums for a living. He is playing King's Survivor to finally outshine his perfect twin brother.
Ximena Verez, 22, Fencer, u/asiansurvivorfan
Ximena grew up poor and therefore had to start earning money at an early age by delivering stock. On one of her trips, she was kidnapped and abducted by a group of men that worked for a wanted druglord and rapist. She along with her 3 fellow captives were beaten, abused, and raped for 4 years missing and undetected. After years of mistreatment, Ximena and the other captives were finally found and released. Although it was reliving to be free again, she was deeply traumatized by everything her captor did to her and had an extremely tough time trying to adapt to the real world again. She decided to seek help and was sent to a rehab facility where she got help relieve her trauma. One of the things she picked up was the martial arts which eventually developed into an interest in fencing. Despite it being a male dominated sport, Ximena was adamant on showing young girls they can accomplish anything no matter the hardships they’ve gone through. After her time in rehab, she managed to recover and now spends her time competing in championships all around the world. She came to be a voice for domestic abuse victims.
Link to Season
Episode 1: The eighteen new contestants are shipped into Greece, where they learn of the return of the Edge of Extinction, from the season of the same name. They are then split into their two tribes: the green Fotia tribe, which means "Fire" in Greek, and the orange Pouli tribe, which means "Bird". Ava, Darleen, Ellie, Erik, EJ, Kim, Krista, Kyle, and Vaso draw green buffs, and Void, Katrina, Lila, Lukas, Luther, Maddie, Marshall, NK, and Ximena's buffs are orange. They are then instructed to get as much stuff off the boat as they can, and Krista finds the advantage menu, which can give the user either a reward steal, an extra vote, or an idol. At Fotia, EJ tries to be a mafioso, so he bonds with Ava, and forms an alliance with Darleen and Kim. At Pouli, NK and Void bond very well over being outcasts, and they pull in Lila, Luther, Maddie, Marshall, and Ximena to form "The Outcast Alliance". The Fotia tribe wins the first immunity challenge of the season, forcing the Pouli tribe to vote someone off. Wanting to cut off the weak links as quickly as possible, NK suggests to get rid of Katrina, but Ximena gets the idea to split the votes in case one of them had the idol, and Void individually talks to both Katrina and Lukas to get them to vote each other, and also try to get one of them to play their idol, but neither of them have the idol, so at tribal council, Katrina becomes the first person sent to the Edge in a 5-4 vote.
Episode 2: Lukas tries to figure out who voted for him, so he tries to ask around his tribe, but does not get an answer and likely only angers his tribe. Void finds the hidden immunity idol so Lukas wouldn't, and he shows it to Maddie to make sure she's loyal to him. At Fotia, Ava and Ellie get into a bit of an argument, and EJ tries to get Ellie onto his side by talking to her. Vaso tries doing the same thing with Ava. Ava and Darleen form an alliance, as Darleen wanted to get her own numbers so she could topple EJ sooner rather than later. Once again, the Fotia tribe wins immunity, and the whole Pouli tribe is ready to vote out Lukas, since he's the only outsider and he has already proven himself to want to play way too hard, so Lukas is voted out 7-1.
Episode 3: After Lukas' vote out, the Outcasts must turn on one another, and the lowest in the pecking order was Maddie. At Fotia, people start to see Krista as an easy target, so both Erik and Ellie form fake alliances with her. Kim also leaves her alliance with Darleen and EJ after having a fight with the latter. Vaso, not trusting anyone, looks for and finds the idol. Pouli wins their first challenge of the season, winning the reward, but their winning streak is cut short before it even began, as the Fotia tribe wins immunity for the third time in a row. Maddie tries to manipulate Marshall into flipping from his side, to hopefully bring a few others with him, but Marshall stays loyal to the majority. Maddie becomes the third person voted out in a 6-1 vote, getting sent to the Edge.
Episode 4: When the tribes meet up again, a tribe swap is announced, and the purple Telikos tribe, which means "final" in Greek, is introduced. The Fotia tribe consists of four former Fotias- Ava, Ellie, Erik, and Kyle, and one Pouli- Marshall. On Pouli is three Fotias- EJ, Krista, and Vaso, and two Poulis- Lila and Luther. Finally, on Telikos is two Fotias- Darleen and Kim, and three Poulis- Void, NK, and Ximena. At Fotia, both Ellie and Kyle bond, and the two of them decide to form an alliance and pull in Erik. At Pouli, Krista makes it clear to Lila that she's going to flip, given how EJ had been controlling the Fotia tribe since the start of the game. This causes Lila to see Krista as a bit of a loose cannon, so she keeps an eye on her. At Telikos, Darleen finds the idol, and she keeps down about it, knowing that she's in the minority. NK impresses his team with his leadership, and he also bonds with Ximena. Pouli loses the immunity challenge again, which lowers morale significantly for them. When they get back to camp, Vaso decides on a whim to flip from his old alliance, seeing as he's not gonna vote in the majority if he doesn't. The new target is the mafioso himself, EJ. He tries talking to each of the tribe members individually to try and get them to vote Lila out, who has kind of became the punching bag of the season, but it doesn't succeed, and EJ becomes the fourth person voted out in a 4-1 vote.
Episode 5: Knowing that they are unified, the Pouli tribe are at peace-for now. At the Edge, Lukas finds a way to practice for the Edge challenge, which he finds very useful. Maddie also finds an extra vote that she could give to someone, but they won't be able to use it because reasons. At Telikos, Void and Kim bond over being from Vegas, and a new alliance is formed, with Darleen and Ximena, leaving NK on the outs of the tribe. At Fotia, Erik and Kyle bond strongly, and Ellie tries to get Marshall on her side to take out Ava if they were to lose, since she was the weakest in the tribe. Pouli loses the reward challenge, but Fotia loses the immunity challenge for the first time in the season. Marshall becomes torn between going with the majority and putting himself on the bottom or voting against the majority and still being on the bottom. Ultimately, he decides to go with the majority, thinking Ava didn't have the idol, which is true, she didn't. She becomes the fifth person voted out in a 4-1 vote. Back at camp, Ellie and Erik solidify their alliance by forming a final two deal. They think that since the last season they saw before they left was Blood Vs Water 3, which had a final two. On the Edge, Katrina finds an advantage to penalize who she thinks has the best chance at returning to the game. At Pouli, Vaso and Krista decide they need to stick together because they two Poulis were gonna get them one after the other if they didn't stick together. Lila becomes seen as an even bigger threat than she used to be, and Krista and Vaso try to pull Luther aside to try to convince him to flip on his alliance. He refuses to in secret. Fotia continues their losing streak by losing the reward challenge, but since the host announced that two tribes will be going to tribal council in a joint tribal council, Fotia fights tooth and nail to win the challenge, and they are able to succeed. The whole Telikos tribe decides that Krista is too much of a loose cannon to make it to the merge. Vaso and Krista target Lila, and Luther and Lila target Krista for being weaker than Vaso, as they don't know when the merge will occur. At tribal council, Krista is blindsided 7-2 and is sent to the edge.
Episode 6: The merge is announced. The 12 remaining contestants watch the first six castaways to be voted out compete in a challenge to return to the game, which Maddie wins despite being penalized by Katrina. Krista then raises her flag to leave the game, leaving the game first. The people who formed the Thymamai tribe, which means "remember" in Greek, are Void, Darleen, Ellie, Erik, Kim, Kyle, Lila, Luther, Maddie, Marshall, NK, Vaso, and Ximena. Luther decides to go rogue from his six person alliance, leaving them in a severe minority. Maddie tries to get a good relationship with Marshall again, and it works, but it causes most of the tribe to turn on her again. Lila finds the merge tribe idol, and like many before her, she keeps quiet because she does not want to attract more attention. Erik wins the immunity challenge, and when talking to others about the vote, he finds most people are content with just sending Maddie right back to the Edge. Maddie tries to target Kim, but does not succeed as she is voted out 12-1 and is sent back to the Edge.
Episode 7: After Maddie's blindside, cracks begin to form in the final twelve. While Erik tries to remain humble after his immunity win, which he succeeds in doing, soon people start to throw out names like there's no tomorrow. NK throws out Kim's name, Ximena throws out Kyle's, Darleen does the same with NK, and Kyle throws Marshall under the bus. At the first post-merge reward challenge of the season, a group of Void, Erik, Kim, Luther, Marshall, and Ximena win, and they get Chinese takeout. Darleen wins immunity, saving her from going to the edge for one more vote. The two biggest threats at the moment for the people still in the game were Kim and Kyle, because most people believed there was some sort of poker alliance going on between the two. As it turns out, there was a sort of alliance going on there, so the ten people who weren't in it decided to split the votes between Kyle and Kim, with seven votes on Kyle, who was much more physically strong than Kim, and three votes on Kim. Kim figures out this plan, and tells Kyle to play his idol if he has one, which he does not. Kyle votes for Marshall, and Kim votes for NK, leading to Kyle getting voted out 7-3-1-1. He chooses to stick around at the Edge.
Episode 8:Erik and Ellie get into a fight for whatever reason, and their alliance becomes no more. Ximena and Vaso both decide to help out with the tribe, causing their standing within the tribe to get better. Darleen tries making her relationship closer with Luther, wanting to have a good social game so she doesn't end up as a goat. Erik wins immunity for a second time, cementing his status as a challenge threat (which is really odd, since his challenge stats are on the lower side). People finally begin to catch on to how physically strong Vaso is, so a group of four, led by Void, consisting of him, Darleen, Kim, and Ximena, while another group of four, Vaso, Erik, Ellie, and Luther, vote for Lila, seeing her as an easy target. The rest, deciding that Kim would be better off on the Edge, vote for her. Both Vaso and Lila play their idols, and Kim is the ninth person sent packing in a 3-0-0 vote.
Episode 9: After Kim's vote out, Void, Ximena, and Darleen strengthen their trio to try and have a better shot at making it to the end. Void and Darleen also form a new alliance with Ellie, Erik, and Luther to give themselves the majority of the tribe. Marshall and NK start to form a bromance, and Darleen wins immunity again. Erik and his alliance plot to get rid of Lila, due to her status as an all-around threat and the fact that she could easily win with her story in the game. Void also tries unsuccessfully to get Vaso on board, he instead gets into a fight with Ximena and really hurts his standing in the tribe, causing him to gain enemies in Ximena, Lila, Marshall, and NK. He is saved when the majority, thinking that Lila happened to be the bigger threat, vote her out instead in a 5-4-1 vote. Back at camp, Darleen bonds with Ximena, and it causes Ximena to make the reckless decision to flip from her alliance and try to join Void and Darleen's. Still, she had a dislike for Luther that she could not shake. When Vaso wins immunity, she becomes the main target. Still not giving up, she talks to her rival Vaso to try and get him to help her vote out Marshall, which he agrees to do. Still, it is not enough, and Ximena becomes the eleventh person voted out in a 7-2 vote.
Episode 10: After Ximena's vote out, only eight remain in the game. They compete in a reward challenge, which Void, Darleen, Erik, and NK win. Seeing as Vaso and Marshall were more physically threatening than NK was, despite NK winning a reward challenge. After Erik wins immunity for the third time, he tries to get everyone to vote Marshall out. When Luther later bonds with Marshall, he feels remorse for doing so, but knows it must be done. Void is not told about the plan to blindside Marshall, and he thinks that Vaso is the person being voted out, as does NK. Nk also finds the idol. At tribal council, Marshall is voted out in a 5-3 vote, and for the first time in the season, Void was on the wrong side of the vote.
Episode 11: Luther shows everyone he can win challenges and wins the reward challenge. Then, Luther brings along Void and Darleen as to show that he is playing a loyal game and he can be trusted. When they get back, Luther does some damage control with Erik for not picking him, and they get back on good terms, and also have a stronger bond than before. Vaso tries to get people on his side to blindside someone that he didn't like, so he talks to NK first, and when it didn't work, he starts targeting him, but also talks to Erik. This conversation goes down a lot better, and it helps him convince Erik to go after NK. Erik then talks to Luther and Darleen about the plan to similar success. Void, Ellie, and NK himself decide that Vaso needs to go, and NK reveals to Void his idol. Erik wins immunity for the fourth time. At tribal council, NK plays his idol, and Vaso is sent to the Edge in a 3-0 vote.
Episode 12: After Vaso arrives at the Edge of Extinction, they receive letters they wrote to themselves before the game. Back in the actual game, NK wins a reward challenge, and he chooses too bring along Void and Erik, to try and get some allies, since he was almost voted out at the last tribal council. Unfortunately, only Void is willing to help NK, as Erik was closer to Ellie and Darleen. The Ellie/NK alliance dissolves after NK gets into an argument with her, and he loses another ally. Things get dire when he loses the immunity challenge to Void, leaving his only option, to find an idol. He does not find one, and he knows that he's most likely going at that point. NK tries to vote for Darleen, and Void throws a vote onto Ellie due to being too close to Darleen. In the end, NK becomes the final person sent to the Edge of Extinction in a 4-1-1 vote.
Finale: Void, Darleen, Ellie, Erik, and Luther await the return of the player from the Edge. Lila wins, and she becomes a target the instant she arrives back into the game. Luckily for her, she wins immunity, and she shares the reward with Void and Erik, intending to do what NK did in the previous episode. This time, it succeeds, and she gets both Void and Erik on her side. Luther joins their side as well. Darleen and Ellie vote for Void and Luther, respectively. The other people still in the game voted for Ellie, but Darleen plays her idol for Ellie, and a tie between Void and Luther occurs. Erik decides Void is the bigger target of the two, while Lila votes for Luther. It results in another tie, causing Darleen and Erik to draw rocks, and ultimately, Darleen becomes the twelfth member of the jury. After Darleen's shocking rock draw, the four of Void, Ellie, Erik, and Luther decide to stick together to take out Lila if she loses immunity, which she does, to Void. At tribal council, not wanting anyone to flip on his closest ally in Erik, Void plays his idol for him, causing no votes to be negated, and for Lila to be voted out in a 4-1 vote over Ellie. In the final immunity challenge, Erik makes a desperate deal to Void to take him to the final two, trying to downplay his great all-around gameplay as similar to Bao's from Cook Islands- someone who has a great physical and strategic game, but their social game has a lot to be desired, and Void agrees to the plan. Void then is able to beat out Erik in the final immunity challenge, and he keeps his word, sending Luther and Ellie to fire. Luther's survival skills aided him immensely in this final challenge, and he wins the fire making challenge with a handy lead. Ellie becomes the 14th and final member of the jury. Our third all male final three consists of Void, Erik, and Luther. Void is called out for trying to be seen as trustworthy, while being caught in multiple lies during the game. Luther's game is seen as weak all-around, since he followed Void and Erik and didn't really do much in the game. He does get some votes due to how bitter the jury is towards Void and Erik, and he gets Ava, EJ, Maddie, and Marshall's votes. Kim, NK, and Vaso all respected Void's game, so they voted him to win. Ultimately, Erik is voted the winner of the final newbie season of King's Survivor due to having a great social and physical game, and never receiving a vote throughout the entire game. He may not have had the best strategic game, but he didn't need it to win the game. Void wins the Fan Favorite for being the biggest personality of the season and for his robbery.
Winner: Erik LeFort, u/Gemini_B Fan Favorite: Alfred "Void" Vallentino, u/swoldow
For King's Survivor's last season, we will be going out with a bang. 20 memorable contestants who never won before will compete for one last chance at the million, and one will win. Who will be on this season? We will find out soon enough.