test.csv

afkarena I found 11 tiles you can interact with so far in the hunting fields
civ Map generator gave me very few lake tiles to place polders in. So I had to take this narrow sea from the Cree and Japan.
spacex Starship Development Thread #27[](/# Auto Sync Start)

#### Quick Links[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/spacex/51369631902/) 
[^(NERDLE CAM)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HZCh2eGWEI) ^| 
[^(LAB CAM)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGb28t5TWtc&t=0s) ^|
[^(SAPPHIRE CAM)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OKb9Rc-etw&t=0s) ^|
[^(SENTINEL CAM)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC_jKgtoZOE&t=0s) ^|
[^(ROVER CAM)](https://youtu.be/5HpgJJ1FwTc) ^|
[^(PLEX CAM)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcjHfaCEddA&t=0s) ^|
[^(NSF STARBASE)](https://youtu.be/mhJRzQsLZGg) ^| 
[^(MORE LINKS)](/r/spacex/wiki/starship_dev_resources#wiki_24_hour_live_feeds)

[Starship Dev 26](/r/spacex/comments/q4d8u5/starship_development_thread_26/) | [Starship Dev 25](/r/spacex/comments/pkpq0t/starship_development_thread_25/) | 
[Starship Thread List](/r/spacex/wiki/starship_dev_resources#wiki_thread_list)

---

## Upcoming

* Starship 20 static fire
* Booster 4 test campaign

## Orbital Launch Site Status

[Build Diagrams by @_brendan_lewis](https://twitter.com/_brendan_lewis) | [October 6 RGV Aerial Photography video](https://youtu.be/7UjEvoHsok0)

As of October 19th

* **Integration Tower** - Catching arms to be installed in the near-future
* **Launch Mount** - Booster Quick Disconnect installed
* **Tank Farm** - [Proof testing continues](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=52398.msg2294555#msg2294555), 8/8 GSE tanks installed, 7/8 GSE tanks sleeved , 1 completed shells currently at the Sanchez Site

## Vehicle Status

As of November 29th

* **Ship 20** [[orbit w/ Booster 4](https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1459223854757277702)] - [6 engines static fire complete](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=54439.msg2309867#msg2309867)
* **Ship 21** [[orbit w/ Booster 5](https://twitter.com/_brendan_lewis/status/1464476433351254020)] - [Awaiting final stacking]
* **Ship 22** [[orbit w/ Booster 6](https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/05/starship-sn15-reflight-road-orbit/)] - [Barrel/dome sections in work](https://twitter.com/FelixSchlang/status/1436620508410298371)
* **Booster 3** - [Partially disassembled on Test Pad A](https://youtu.be/_5Rd4hAAdNE?t=909) 
* **Booster 4** [[orbit w/ Ship 20](https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1408245758869086209)] - At Launch Site, awaiting test campagain
* **Booster 5** [[orbit w/ Ship 21](https://twitter.com/_brendan_lewis/status/1464476433351254020)] - [Fully stacked in High Bay]
* **Booster 6** [[orbit w/ Ship 22](https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/05/starship-sn15-reflight-road-orbit/)] - [Barrel/dome sections in work](https://twitter.com/nicansuini/status/1437053570814287881?s=21)

​

Development and testing plans become outdated very quickly. Check recent comments for real time updates.


---

## Vehicle and Launch Infrastructure Updates
^(See comments for real time updates.)  
^(† expected or inferred, unconfirmed vehicle assignment) 

​

| | **Starship** |
| :--- | :--- |
| | **Ship 20** |
| 2021-12-01 | [Aborted static fire?](https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1466125072943308804) (*Twitter*)|
| 2021-11-20 | [Fwd and aft flap tests](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=54984.msg2312575#msg2312575) (*NSF*)|
| 2021-11-16 | [Short flaps test](https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1460400150459858947) (*Twitter*)|
| 2021-11-13 | [6 engines static fire](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=54439.msg2309867#msg2309867) (*NSF*)|
| 2021-11-12 | [6 engines (?) preburner test](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=54439.msg2309833#msg2309833) (*NSF*)|
| | **Ship 21** |
| 2021-11-21 | [Heat tiles installation progress](https://twitter.com/NicAnsuini/status/1462132801915002880) (*Twitter*)|
| 2021-11-20 | [Flaps prepared to install](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=54984.msg2312577#msg2312577) (*NSF*)|
| | **Ship 22**|
|2021-11-18 | [Cmn dome stacked](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=54984.msg2311938#msg2311938) (*NSF*)|
| | **Ship 23**|
|2021-12-01 | [Nextgen nosecone closeup](https://twitter.com/StarshipGazer/status/1465803682478440452) (*Twitter*)|
|2021-11-11 | [Aft dome spotted](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=54984.msg2309622#msg2309622) (*NSF*)|
| | **Ship 24**|
|2021-11-24 | [Common dome spotted](https://twitter.com/NicAnsuini/status/14635886952278589442) (*Twitter*)|
| | For earlier updates see [Thread #26](https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/q4d8u5/starship_development_thread_26/) |


​

| | **SuperHeavy** |
| :--- | :--- |
| | **Booster 4**|
| 2021-11-17 | [All engines installed](https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1460810034913361921?s=21) (*Twitter*) |
| | **Booster 5** |
| 2021-12-03 | [B5 temporarily moved out of High Bay](https://twitter.com/considercosmos/status/1466830920464224260) (*Twitter*)|
| 2021-11-20 | [B5 fully stacked](https://twitter.com/BocaChicaGal/status/1461834945056415755) (*Twitter*)|
| 2021-11-09 | [LOx tank stacked](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=54984.msg2308339#msg2308339) (*NSF*)|
| | **Booster 6**|
| 2021-11-11 | [Forward dome sleeved](https://youtu.be/HxzSlCProno?t=655) (*YT*)|
| 2021-10-08 | [CH4 Tank #2 spotted](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=52398.msg2298403#msg2298403) (*NSF*)|
| | **Booster 7**|
| 2021-11-14 | [Forward dome spotted](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=54984.msg2310434#msg2310434) (*NSF*)|
| | **Booster 8**|
|2021-09-29 | [Thrust puck delivered (33 Engine)](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=52398.msg2297376#msg2297376) (*NSF*)|
| | For earlier updates see [Thread #26](https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/q4d8u5/starship_development_thread_26/) |

​



| | **Orbital Launch Integration Tower And Pad** |
| :--- | :--- |
| 2021-11-23 | [Starship QD arm installation](https://twitter.com/StarshipGazer/status/1463161459203092487) (*Twitter*)|
| 2021-11-21 | [Orbital table venting test?](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=54984.msg2313073#msg2313073) (*NSF*)|
| 2021-11-21 | [Booster QD arm spotted](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=54984.msg2312999#msg2312999) (*NSF*)|
| 2021-11-18 | [Launch pad piping installation starts](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=54984.msg2311950#msg2311950) (*NSF*)|
| | For earlier updates see [Thread #26](https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/q4d8u5/starship_development_thread_26/) |

​

| | **Orbital Tank Farm** |
| :--- | :--- |
| 2021-10-18 | [GSE-8 sleeved](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=54984.msg2301345#msg2301345) (*NSF*)|
|| For earlier updates see [Thread #26](https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/q4d8u5/starship_development_thread_26/)|


​

---
## Resources

[^(RESOURCES WIKI)](/r/spacex/wiki/starship_dev_resources)
 
+ [LabPadre Rover Cam](https://youtu.be/5HpgJJ1FwTc) | [Channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFwMITSkc1Fms6PoJoh1OUQ)
+ [NSF: Starbase Stream](https://youtu.be/mhJRzQsLZGg) | [Channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSUu1lih2RifWkKtDOJdsBA)
+ [NSF: Booster 4 + Ship 20 Updates Thread](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=54439.0) | [Most Recent](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=54439.10000#lastPost)
+ [NSF: Boca Chica Production Updates Thread](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=54984.0) | [Most recent](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=54984.10000#lastPost)
+ [NSF: Elon Starship tweet compilation](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=47352.0) | [Most Recent](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=47352.10000#lastPost)
+ [SpaceX: Website Starship page](https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/starship/)
+ [SpaceX: Starship Users Guide](https://www.spacex.com/media/starship_users_guide_v1.pdf) (PDF) Rev. 1.0 March 2020
+ [FAA: SpaceX Starship Project at the Boca Chica Launch Site](https://www.faa.gov/space/stakeholder_engagement/spacex_starship/)
+ [FAA: Temporary Flight Restrictions NOTAM list](https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr2/list.jsp)
+ [FCC:  Starship Orbital Demo detailed Exhibit](https://apps.fcc.gov/els/GetAtt.html?id=273481&x=.) - [0748-EX-ST-2021 application](https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/els/reports/STA_Print.cfm?mode=current&application_seq=107476&RequestTimeout=1000) June 20 through December 20
+ [NASA: Starship Reentry Observation (Techincal Report)](https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20210020835)
+ [Hwy 4 & Boca Chica Beach Closures](https://www.cameroncounty.us/spacex/) (May not be available outside US)
+ [Starship flight opportunity spreadsheet](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/10hSq9OJ5V5YzzFi6c6REQVJmh54-tphxhIRkvszjnU0/edit?usp=sharing) by u/joshpine
+ [Production Progress Infographics](https://twitter.com/_brendan_lewis) by @_brendan_lewis
+ [Raptor tracking](https://twitter.com/artzius/status/1422223814134489089) by [@Artzius](https://twitter.com/artzius)
+ [Widebay tracking](https://twitter.com/Furqan263/status/1465803106051137539) by [@Furqan263](https://twitter.com/Furqan263)
+ [Acronym definitions by Decronym](http://decronym.xyz/acronyms/SpaceX)
+ [Everyday Astronaut: Starbase Tour with Elon Musk, Part 1](https://youtu.be/t705r8ICkRw) | [Part 2](https://youtu.be/SA8ZBJWo73E) | [Part 3](https://youtu.be/9Zlnbs-NBUI)

[r/SpaceX Discuss Thread](/r/spacex/comments/r616aw/rspacex_thread_index_and_general_discussion/) for discussion of subjects other than Starship development.

## Rules
We will attempt to keep this self-post current with links and major updates, but for the most part, we expect the community to supply the information. This is a great place to discuss Starship development, ask Starship-specific questions, and track the progress of the production and test campaigns. **Starship Development Threads are not party threads. Normal subreddit rules still apply.**

---
Please ping u/strawwalker about problems with the above thread text.

[](/# Auto Sync End)
gachagaming Revisiting: ArknightsIt's been some time since Arknights has been out, and quite a bit about the game has changed since then.

​

**Gameplay**

The initial gameplay hasn't really changed since. It's a tower defense game, meaning you deploy units in respective areas depending on where you're allowed to deploy them.

​

https://preview.redd.it/hcq8dytv2z381.png?width=1125&format=png&auto=webp&s=c69148d842d0936e800f2cad0e042992753a9639

As demonstrated above, the red box icons indicate where enemies will start coming from, and a line coming from the red box will indicate the enemy's pathing. Your goal is to prevent any unit from entering your blue squares, as when you let 3 enemies in, you fail the mission. Each map is different, and they all have separate conditions that you have to watch out for in order to complete the map. However, maps towards the middle to end of the game can get VERY hectic. So if you don't come into the mission with a plan in mind, you WILL get fucked by something.

​

[This is one of the endgame fights, which does look chaotic as fuck Credit: Hino on YT](https://preview.redd.it/1uun4xlcdz381.png?width=1280&format=png&auto=webp&s=ad366a80dd3b5f51260b137d1b79e5db5dc00688)

Since the initial review, Arknights has taken a ton of approaches to these stages and added entire new conditions to fulfill/tools to play around with. Things like Dusk's event stages, and generally, just a shit ton of new mechanics to learn and adapt to. So either way, you definitely won't get bored playing new stages in Arknights, and if anything, you'll get frustrated lmao.

​

**System**

As a general rule of thumb, you have separate class systems (though some operators tend to ignore these restrictions, ex: kal'tsit) which fall under the following

*Vanguards*: Deployed early into the map where their primary goal is to generate as much DP as possible in order to bring out your stronger units, which inevitably cost more. These units are often retreated when the bulk of your squad is out to free up deployment limits for other units. They can only be deployed on melee tiles

*Guards*: Guards are the more heavy-duty melee units, that usually cost a bit more in order to bring out. In my opinion, they're also one of the more varied units, with a LOT of them having different purposes/methods of playing. They'll typically do good DPS, and almost every squad runs at least one or two of these around.

*Medics*: Straightforward. These guys are ranged operators who simply heal their comrades to provide sustain for your squad. However, these guys are often squishy against enemies, especially in endgame content so be mindful about your deployment order.

*Defenders*: Like guards, they are heavy-duty melee units, but are typically more focused on tanking rather than doing DPS. They'll draw the attention of enemies and allow their other teammates to do the work and clean the map up.

*Snipers*: Snipers are ranged operators who focus on ranged DPS, and will prioritize aerial targets over ground targets. They're staples in every team, as drones can sometimes be pesky and slip by your defense despite your best efforts. ALTHOUGH snipers are great against drones, they're also good for handling enemies even in mid to end game of the map. So don't write them off as simple "anti-aerial" operators.

*Supporters*: These operators are a bit all over the place. They can be buffers who provide said buffs to teammates, debuffers who focus on making the enemy life hell, or even summoners who summon special units that do all kinds of things. Either way, they're a very fun bunch to play around with and TYPICALLY are deployed in the ranged tile.

*Specialist*: As the name implies, these are operators who specialize in a specific field. Whether that be in stalling, pulling enemies, pushing enemies away, or even just straight up exploding on deployment. They're also heavily varied in what their operators can do and you'll use them as you see fit for different maps.

*Casters*: (I can't believe I forgot these thanks u/jaetheho ) Casters deal primarily arts damage, and their range tends to be somewhat limited compared to Snipers. When enemy defenses get high, you'll usually rely on casters in order to get the job done, especially when it comes to higher end content where enemy defenses get scales higher and higher. 

​

There's also a deployment point, or DP, which serves as currency during a mission, that restricts which units you're allowed to deploy at any given time. Which also means that vanguards are very important for the early stages of the map, since they're the ones responsible for A: holding off early enemies and B: generating as much DP as possible to get your units out as fast as possible.

Arknights also features a redeployment system in which you can manually retreat your operators, which removes them from deployment and refunds half of their DP cost. However, they will be put in a cooldown in which they cannot be redeployed. (Fast redeploy operators such as Phantom, Projekt Red, and Gravel do have a special trait which allows for this redeployment timer to be significantly shorter)

​

**Gacha**

The gacha in this game isn't really anything special to be completely honest. The rates for a 6\* is 2% while the rate for a 5\* is at 8%. They do feature a pity system in which 50 pulls results in a +2% rateup for 6\*, and this does share across all standard banners. HOWEVER, limited banners have their own separate pity counter, and will not share this with other banners. When you do manage to pull a 6\*, the pity will then be reset back to 2% and you'll have to build up your pity all over again. Limited banners also feature a spark system, where pulls will give you currency that will allow you to spark a select Limited character. It costs 300 currency, so therefore, 300 pulls in order to spark the actual character.

Paired with this, the first 10 pulls will guarantee a 5\* WITHIN those ten pulls. Meaning, that you can pull the 5\* anywhere between the first and last pull. This also means that there's a chance the 5\* could turn into a 6\*, which could give a lucky break to some. However, for newer players, this is more of a feature to round out their roster and get more characters, as having a diverse set is important to clearing content.

There are duplicates in this game, yes. However, the duplicates are by no means necessary whatsoever. They give minimal upgrades, and aren't worth chasing at all, so rest assured that you don't have to break your wallet for this.

There's also a recruitment system, where you can select certain tags to get combinations that allow you to obtain specific operators:

​

https://preview.redd.it/qf2fujcoe0481.png?width=600&format=png&auto=webp&s=c7912c1a4517c3558f90e006c827cda1a16c64b6

Among the tags are *Senior Operator* and *Top Operator* which mean 5\* and 6\* respectively. You can use the aceship Arknights recruitment calculator to see and choose which operator you want to obtain!

​

**Upgrades**

Arknights features a leveling system utilizing EXP cards, and a "promotion" system, similar to Ascension in other games. Ascending your operator to Elite 1 unlocks their Skill 2, but only 4\*, 5\*, and 6\* are allowed to promote to Elite 2. Only 6\* operators are allowed to get a Skill 3, however. Now, you have to farm materials from various story stages, and use those materials to not only promote your operator, but to also level their skill up, so that you can get higher numbers with them.

Eventually (at E2) you will be allowed to Master a skill, which takes materials and a set amount of hours in order to finish upgrading. Keep in mind though, that this is for endgame content.

Arknights does feature a base system as well, and I cannot stress this enough, do not neglect your base. It may not seem important from early to mid game, but your base will essentially be your main source of EXP cards and LMD. So don't neglect it and make sure to build your base accordingly.

​

​

**What to do in Endgame?**

Now this is where Arknights has slightly changed. As of now, CC (or Contingency Contracts) are endgame content that require no sanity (stamina system) and are instead determined by how much risk you put on. The way that it works is you have a set stage, and you choose how many challenges you want to put on yourself. The max rewards will cap out at risk 18, but some mad lads go far beyond that and even aim for risk 30 for bragging rights.

​

https://preview.redd.it/e62xgkj5f0481.png?width=1280&format=png&auto=webp&s=225e16745c289c4fa2d79dfd1a26e7128167d886

Either way, it's a fun new challenging option for veterans and newcomers alike. With the event consuming no stamina you're free to try different strategies over and over with no detriment besides your IRL sanity. The rewards range from rarer materials, skins, and even operators that can't be unlocked besides playing CC.

​

https://preview.redd.it/4wfqyeisf0481.png?width=1280&format=png&auto=webp&s=b6b0e88de6a59be4901e331231cda88f68e61504

Annihilation has also seen new content, including 3 new maps, along with an increase in the weekly gacha currency limit. (Previously 1600 now 1800). First time completion of these new Annihilation also rewards you with more gacha currency and materials and rewards so definitely check these out!

​

**So what now?**

More or less, Arknights is still going to be the side game that it always was. There's a severe sanity handicap towards the midgame/endgame, and being a whale for sanity could actually work against you in this kind of game. It's about slow progression and building up your roster while challenging content that not only fucks with your stats, but also your strategy and your head. It's challenging, there's always something new, and for every strategy that you use, there's bound to be three other ones out there.

The community is always willing to help out, especially on Discord, and plenty of people out on Youtube have detailed guides on almost EVERY stage in case you get frustrated. They've even partially solved the endgame boredom problem with these new Contingency Contracts, and there's even news of a new "rogue-like" mode coming soon. All in all, Arknights is a solid game worth your time, investment, and despite its tower-defense oriented gameplay, is very fun and challenging to many. Check it out sometime!
nosleep I found the journal of a scientist who worked in The United People's Institute of Science. He has been privy to some disturbing research.**November 5th 1987**

The coffee here tastes like gutter water and I caught a nasty breed of bedbugs on the train — but I have arrived. Tomorrow is my first day at the institute.

I have never been an organized man and the excitement of the sudden move did not help. There is a variety of objects that I had forgotten to pack; one of them being my journal. The terms of employment at the institute forbid the keeping of any unauthorized written record, but that ban surely doesn’t extend to private literature. I have no intention of ever publishing anything in this journal. My only aim is self-reflection so that I can wholeheartedly commit the rest of my mind to the research I have been summoned for.

I have few illusions about privacy in my line of work. My luggage and body were thoroughly searched on arrival and surely the institute has spooks that will search through my room on a regular basis, but I think I have found a spot that even the most curious of KGB agents wouldn’t stumble upon. Here’s to hoping that my hypotheses about the intelligence of the institute’s muscle are correct.

There isn’t much to write about the initial impression of the locale. I may have spent three days on a train to get here, but all places under the Union’s sphere of influence are the same — cement, factories and an underlying sense of dread. The people here just use a harder form of liquor to cope with reality than back home.

When I arrived at the hotel I saw one of my future coworkers in the lobby. The man had dropped a couple kilos and his hair had turned grey, but I recognized him immediately: Dr. Markarov, Romanian biologist specializing in tissue regeneration. I had met him a couple years prior at a conference — friendly fellow, great sense of humor.

The man that sat in the lobby of the *Rusalka* tonight, however, didn’t seem to be in the mood for jokes. As soon as he noticed me he looked away. The whole time that I was dealing with the front desk Markarov just stared out of the window; watching the passing cars and stubbing out cigarettes. I didn’t disturb him.

I wasn’t allowed to.

The terms of employment at the institute prohibit any interaction with coworkers outside of the workplace. The United People’s Institute of Science is meant to be dedicated to science and nothing else. Apparently fraternization with fellow staff members would distract us from our work and hinder the institute’s search for raw knowledge. There’s something to be said about loose lips divulging state secrets as well.

It makes no difference to me. I have no qualm keeping all of my relationships here professional. I did not travel halfway across the world to make friends — I came here to expand the well of knowledge available to mankind.

As I write into this journal a group of vagrants are shouting beneath my window. I can’t entirely comprehend the language that they speak, but it seems as if they are arguing over alcohol. For a moment it seems like the confrontation might turn violent, but soon enough a state security patrol pulls up. The argument turns a different type of violent. I close my curtains and prepare for bed.

Tomorrow is a big day.

Tomorrow I will finally see the United People’s Institute of Science.

​

**November 6th 1987**

My right eye is swollen and I am slightly inebriated.

It has been a long day. Even as I write this, my mind still boggles at what my eyes have witnessed. The breed of science that the Institute holds, the tenor of knowledge that I am expected to explore — it is all simply too much.

When I arrived back at the *Rusalka* this evening I was considerably more distressed. I am not one for drink, but with the state that I was in — I needed one. Gorbachev’s dry law has shut down just about any place to procure alcohol legally but the black market comes brightly advertised in this part of the Soviet Union. The man loitering around the lobby in American sneakers was easy to spot. I bought a nearly full bottle of ‘Gin’.

I have tasted gin before, the marching guard on the labeling even feels somewhat familiar, but whatever the true contents of this bottle are they are foreign to me. The mixture is amber in color and burns like homemade slivovitz on the way down. It is certainly not gin.

The drink is, however, helping.

My mind is dulled, but the Institute’s ban on record keeping still occupies my thoughts. The policy against keeping unauthorized diaries seems much more reasonable now — necessary even. Yet as I sit here in this cramped cold room I cannot imagine going to sleep without at least attempting to make sense of what has happened.

I’ve poured myself another cup of that horrid concoction. Perhaps if I just go over the events of the day the alcohol might guide me to calmness.

I woke to the repeating tones of the hotel’s alarm. With the location of the Institute kept secret and in the absence of any instructions on how to get to work I simply shaved, gathered my documentation and made my way down to the lobby.

To my luck, I found Markarov and about a dozen other men in lab coats standing around the front door. No one was talking but they all seemed to be waiting with purpose. For a couple minutes the group simply milled around, slowly growing with the groans of the hotel elevator, and then, without any external signal, they started to move outside. I followed.

The *Rusalka* is located in a mess of panel housing with the prying eyes of the common folk on full display. A research facility the likes of the Institute would surely not be located in a populated area. As we silently marched away from the hotel I was certain that we were walking towards a shuttle that would bring us to the Institute. When we reached the end of the cement housing projects that certainty deluded itself into hope. Soon enough those hopes dissipated into acceptance. There was no shuttle.

We walked through the woods. For nearly an hour we walked through the muddy, freezing woods. No one complained. I seemed to be the only one bothered by the cold.

The visible section of the United People’s Institute of Science is unimposing; a simple cement block with a singular entrance. Yet in an age of air-reconnaissance science facilities cannot afford to be impressive to the naked eye. Every fool knows that true research is done underground — yet I would never have conceived of the actual size of the facility.

Before descending into the halls of the Institute each member of our silent procession had to pass through the guard gate. The man who checked my documentation smiled and welcomed me to my new workplace as if we were soon to be friends. I am certain he is unfamiliar with what is happening beneath his feet. If he was, he would not have been so jovial.

The elevator that took us down to the depths of the Institute was the smoothest piece of technology I have ever witnessed. When the doors closed behind us it took me a moment to even register the motion. The usual strains and groans of metal wire were replaced with a smooth steady whirring. It was only through the pit of my stomach that I knew we were in free-fall, barreling towards buried forbidden knowledge.

Throughout my career I have visited many research facilities. My native czechoslovakia, Poland, the Union; all the labs look the same — bare lobbies with tight hallways that connect to cramped rooms. I expected at least a trace of the familiar yet the Institute was unlike any house of science I had ever seen before.

It was as if the architect had been inspired less by pragmatism and budget constraints and more by the fear of God. High vaulted ceilings, a tiled floor depicting a cryptic mosaic, a podium which had the makings of an altar — the structure looked more like a cathedral than an office, yet where one would see stain glass windows and images of the crucifixion there were doors — hundreds of doors towering high above our heads, with nothing but a skeletal scaffolding of stairs connecting them to the ground.

Down that scaffolding came an old man — Dr. Herkel, head of the Institute. With a tired voice he welcomed me to the research facility. As he spoke to me he scarcely looked up from his drooping eyeglasses, yet even the slightest acknowledgement of my existence by him suddenly drew the attention of the group of scientists around me. My new colleagues were all looking at me.

Dr. Herkel asked if I had any questions.

I spoke, perhaps too much at length, about how I was beyond excited to be joining the ranks of the United People’s Institute of Science. I assured the crowd of academics that even despite my young age I am fully committed to the pursuit of knowledge and that I am looking forward to working towards mankind’s progress with them.

This did not sit well with anyone in the group.

The question I asked faired even worse.

I thought that what I had asked was a completely reasonable question. After all, everyone who stood around me was once new to the Institute. I was not the only one in that giant hall that had traveled in horrid trains with nothing but vague promises of knowledge and strict terms of employment. I simply wanted to see some of the experiments that were being performed in the labs.

The question was completely reasonable, yet as soon as I asked it the crowd grew hostile. It was as if I had uttered some horrible blasphemy, as if I had broken some sacred social norm. From the sneers around me I feared that someone might strike me — yet with a single word Dr. Herkel calmed the crowd.

“Very well,” he said, “Now that you are one of us I suppose it would be proper for you to see what you have gotten yourself into.”

He called for a Dr. Alieva and informed me of the nature of her research. I was to become privy to information regarding an organic compound retrieved from Antarctica in the 1950s. Divulging any of this information to a third party under any circumstances would to be punished by torture and death without appeal. I told him I was ready.

Most of the crowd had dissipated and made their way towards their designated labs but a small group remained. Among them was Dr. Markarov.

Incensed by Dr. Herkel’s response to my question; he indulged in a sharp whispered argument. I tried not to pry. I simply turned away from the quarrel and watched my colleagues spread out throughout the metal scaffolding like worker ants.

Markarov’s argument bore no fruit. After the quick exchange he walked away from Dr. Herkel defeated. As we made our way towards the lab, however, Markarov still followed our group at a distance.

Leading the climb up the metal staircase was Dr. Alieva herself. A small woman with local features; she shared no pleasantries when introduced.

As we made our way through the mesh of scaffolding I found myself feeling slightly dizzy. Being able to see the full mosaic of the Institute’s floor instilled a sense of vertigo in me. Beneath us a thousand tiles revealed the picture of a serpent biting into an apple. I distinctly recall thinking about how it would take a lot of exposure for me to get used to the climb up the stairs.

Soon enough I found out there were considerably more distressing things in the Institute than its high ceilings.

The metal door did not connect to Dr. Alieva’s laboratory directly; instead it led us through a winding path lit by nothing but dim floor-lights. No words were spoken as we moved through the tight passage. All that could be heard was our footsteps and my labored breathing. My lungs were strained by the climb up the scaffolding but the pressure of the impending revelation of the Institute’s research weighed on me even more. I anticipated fascination with the forbidden findings — surprise even.

What I did not expect was soul-shattering fear.

Dr. Alieva’s lab once again exceeded all architectural expectations from previous scientific institutions. Her office was massive. Every conceivable piece of equipment a biologist could ask for was on full display; centrifuges, incubators, a computer that dwarfed even the biggest calculating machine I had ever seen — yet all of the advanced technology seemed to be pushed to the edges of the lab in lieu of something much simpler. In the center of the room there was an aquarium with a little plastic island surrounded by murky water. Next to it was a film projector.

As soon as we entered the laboratory Dr. Alieva made her way to a set of cages at the far end of the room and emerged with a pale white mouse. She held the creature dispassionately by the neck and carried it to the aquarium. The animal did not resist, it just hung from her long fingers, limply awaiting its fate. When Dr. Alieva removed the lid of the fish-tank a horrid smell spread through the room like a sickness.

I immediately recognized the odor.

Even though the homeless did not officially exist within the Union’s sphere of influence I had spent much of my younger years tending to their wounds. The mess of corroded flesh that hid beneath their crusted bandages, the overpowering stench of life gone awry— that familiar malodor of infection filled the laboratory completely.

It was only once my head was spinning with confusion and nausea that Dr. Alieva looked at me. Her dark eyes probed my character, searching for trustworthiness. Her face gave no indication of her findings.

She simply proceeded to illustrate the nature of her research.

As soon as the mouse fell into the liquid it ceased to be docile. The moment the animal’s body landed in the water it yelped and clambered up onto the little plastic island in the center of the aquarium. The mouse desperately licked its paws, trying to clean off whatever foreign substance it had been dunked into, but the animal’s tongue did little to stop the horror that awaited it.

As discomforting as the puss-riddled stench was, I found myself taking steps closer to the aquarium. I knew what I saw. I was certain of what I saw — but my mind refused to make peace with reality. The animal’s white fur squirmed with activity. Within moments the alien life transgressed the limits of the creature’s body.

Worms. Small white worms with beady black eyes slithered from beneath the animal’s fur. At first the strands of pale life only rose from the parts of the mouse that had made contact with the water but the infestation quickly spread. The snout, the eyes, the tongue — soon enough the mouse became a host to an incomprehensible parasite.

The animal on the plastic island soon ceased to exist. Where once stood a panicked mouse now only sat a quivering mess of shivering white filaments. They kept on stretching, striving to get further away from their host. In one long horrid motion the writhing mess of life pulled itself towards the edge of the island and disappeared in the filthy water.

Before I had a chance to make peace with what I had seen Alieva was dropping a second mouse to its death. This time, however, as the animal impotently tried to lick away the damage, Alieva did not watch.

Instead, she turned on the film projector.

By the time the machine crackled to life the mouse’s body had been rendered unrecognizable by the slithering worms. The mouse was going to meet the same fate as its predecessor, I was certain of it, yet as soon as the projector beamed its image on the wall the white strands of the parasite stopped moving.

They retreated back into the animal’s fur. All that remained of the foreign worms were their beady black eyes. They stared at the wall from the creature’s body, silently watching the projected image as the mouse heaved in panic.

A puppy. Projected on the wall was a photograph of a puppy. Big floppy ears, eyes that could melt a heart, tiny paws with gentle spots — the picture of the animal seemed to belong to a different world.

The moment Alieva turned off the projector the worms resumed their work. Soon enough the mouse’s corrupted body disappeared in the murky water of the aquarium. When the shock wore off I asked questions.

I asked a lot of questions.

I needed to know the precautions that were taken to keep the parasite out of the water supply, I needed to know what other stimuli were tested to calm the worms— there were a thousand other things swirling in my head, but most of all I needed to know that the insane process I had witnessed was understood and could be controlled.

No assurances or information came. Dr. Alieva did not respond to any of my questions. Her and Dr. Herkel just silently watched me as I begged for answers.  Markarov was quiet at first as well, but that did not last. As I demanded information about other samples of the parasite— Markarov punched me.

My eye is bloated now, it was a nasty hit, but in the moment I just felt feint. The shock of witnessing the parasite *and* being assaulted in a scientific setting was simply too much for me. Markarov lifted me up by my labcoat and screamed in my face.

*I was asking too many questions. This was not the job for me. My kind would ruin the Institute.* I scarcely understood what he was saying. All that I could properly register was the cigarettes and stale coffee on his breath and the fact that he was shaking me.

Dr. Herkel stepped in — eventually.

He ordered Dr. Alieva to bring me a glass of water and helped me up off the floor. As dazed as I was, I still found myself closely examining the contents of the glass before I drank it.

Herkel helped me out of the laboratory. As we walked through that dark hallway back to the cathedral of the institute I tried speaking to him, but he told me to wait. He said that lengthy conversations in hallways are improper.

We walked down the scaffolding and took a seat near the podium. As we sat down another crowd of scientists marched out of the elevator. They flowed through the scaffolding, each approaching their own metal door. It was only once each of those doors closed that Herkel spoke.

He explained, in discomforting calmness, the nature of my job.

Dr. Alieva’s research is relatively harmless compared to the other scientific inquiries being undertaken in the Institute. I am to not bother myself with anyone else’s work. Each researcher at the Institute is assigned an artifact of study and their attention is expected to be undivided. After today’s introduction to the facilities I will be assigned an area of study and from that point onwards I am expected to make it my life’s priority to understand the artefact assigned to me.

He spoke of the need for secrecy, not just from the public but also from the governmental channels. Much of the findings in the institute are of a heavily destructive nature, if the military men were to get their hands on even a fraction of the technology— humanity would wither away within a decade. I was to simply understand my given object of study and collect whatever information I could. That was my job. Nothing else.

He also gave me his condolences.

The job I had been summoned for would not be easy and the life that I had ahead of me would not be pleasant. He said that if it were within his power he would offer me the chance to travel back home. But it wasn’t. He briefly described what would happen if I left the Institute and then he left me to sit alone.

Once Herkel climbed up the scaffolding and shut his door, the giant hall fell into complete silence. I sat there with nothing but my breath to keep me company. Occasionally, when my mind grew too panicked, I would start counting the tiles on the mosaic.

I never made it past twenty.

A couple hours later a cascade of doors opening yanked me out of my doom filled thoughts. The colleagues I had entered the hall with were making their way towards the elevator. I followed them.

My first breath of fresh air felt like water on a parched throat, but soon enough the cold set in. Shivering and cursing the freezing air coursing through my lungs, I marched my way through the forest with my colleagues.

When I came home I purchased this lovely bottle of ‘Gin.’

I fear what tomorrow will bring. Tomorrow I will be assigned my area of study and my mind struggles to prepare. Most of me is terrified, that is without a doubt yet— and this might be the ‘gin’ — a part of me is excited.

I am a scientist. I have spent years transcribing the mysteries of nature into legible research. My placement at the Institute is not an accident — I was summoned because of the strength of mind that I possess.

Tomorrow I shall be faced with a challenge and I will meet it head on. A dark well of knowledge will be presented to me and regardless of how harrowing its depths are — I will prevail. I will prevail through the raw force of my intellect.

I fear the ‘gin’ has given me false confidence, yet now I feel as if I might actually get some sleep.

I will have one more glass of this poison and then go rest. Tomorrow will be a difficult [day](https://www.reddit.com/r/MJLPresents/comments/q2qjz1/%D2%93%D1%8B%D0%BB%D1%8B%D0%BC%D0%B8_%D2%9B%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%8B%D1%80%D2%93%D1%8B/).
ios iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 Megathread##FaceTime
- Spatial audio makes people’s voices sound like they’re coming from the direction in which they’re positioned on the screen on Group FaceTime calls (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)
- Voice Isolation blocks background noises so your voice is crystal clear (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)
- Wide Spectrum brings all background noises into your call (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)
- Portrait mode blurs your background and puts the focus on you (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)
- Grid view displays up to six people at a time in Group FaceTime calls in the same-size tiles and highlights the current speaker
- FaceTime links allow you to invite your friends into a FaceTime call, even friends on Android or Windows devices can join from their browser

##Messages and Memoji
- Shared with You shows content sent to you by friends in Messages conversations in a new section in Photos, Safari, Apple News, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, or the Apple TV app
- Pinned content elevates the shared content you choose and makes it more prominent in Shared with You, Messages search, and the Details view of the conversation
- Multiple photos sent in Messages are displayed as a glanceable collage or a swipeable stack
- Over 40 Memoji outfit choices and up to three different colors to customize your Memoji stickers’s clothing and headwear

##Focus
- Focus lets you automatically filter notifications based on what you’re currently doing, such as fitness, sleep, gaming, reading, driving, work, or personal time
- Focus uses on-device intelligence during set up to suggest apps and people you want to allow notifications from in a Focus
- Home Screen pages can be customized to match your apps and widgets to a specific Focus
- Contextual suggestions intelligently suggest a Focus based on your context, using signals like location or time of day
- Status appears to your contacts in Messages conversations, indicating your notifications are silenced with Focus

##Notifications
- A new look displays contact photos for people and larger icons for apps
- Notification summary delivers a helpful collection of your notifications daily, based on a schedule you set
- Notifications can be muted from any app or messaging thread for the next hour or for the day

##Maps
- Detailed city maps display elevation, trees, buildings, landmarks, crosswalks and turn lanes, and 3D views to navigate complex interchanges, and more in San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York, and London, with more cities coming in the future (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)
- New driving features include a new map that highlights details like traffic and incidents, and a route planner that lets you view your upcoming journey by choosing a future departure or arrival time
- Immersive walking directions show step-by-step directions in augmented reality (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)
- Updated transit experience provides one-tap access to departures near you, makes it easy to see and interact with your route using one hand, and notifies you when approaching your stop
Interactive 3D globe shows enhanced details for mountain ranges, deserts, forests, oceans, and more (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)
- Redesigned place cards make it easy to learn about and interact with places, and a new home for Guides editorially curates the best recommendations for places you’ll love

##Safari
- Bottom tab bar is easier to reach and helps you move between tabs by swiping left or right
- Tab Groups help you save and organize your tabs and easily access them across devices
- Tab overview grid view displays your open tabs
- Start page can be customized with a background image and new sections like Privacy Report, Siri Suggestions, and Shared With You
- Web extensions on iOS help you personalize your browsing and can be downloaded through the App Store
- Voice search lets you search the web using your voice

##Wallet
- Home keys let you tap to unlock a supported home or apartment door lock (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)
- Hotel keys allow you to tap to unlock your room at participating hotels
- Office keys allow you to tap to unlock your office doors for participating corporate offices
- Car keys with Ultra Wideband help you unlock, lock, and start your supported car without having to take your iPhone out of your bag or pocket (iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 models)
- Remote keyless entry functions on your car keys allow you to lock, unlock, honk your horn, preheat your car, or open your trunk on your supported vehicle

##Live Text
- Live Text makes text interactive in your photos so you can copy and paste, look up, and translate in Photos, Screenshot, Quick Look, Safari, and live previews with Camera (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)
- Data detectors for Live Text recognize phone numbers, emails, dates, street addresses, and more in photos so you can take action on them
- Live Text is available from the keyboard letting you insert text directly from the camera viewfinder into any text field

##Spotlight
- Rich results brings together all the information you’re looking for on contacts, actors, musicians, movies, and TV shows
- Photos can be searched from your photo library by locations, people, scenes, text in the photos or other things in the photos, like a dog or a car
- Web image search allows you to search for images of people, animals, monuments, and more

##Photos
- New look for Memories with a new interactive interface, animated cards with smart, adaptive titles, new animation and transition styles, and multiple image collages
- Apple Music can be added to your Memories for Apple Music subscribers, and personalized song suggestions combine expert recommendations with your music tastes and what’s in your photos and videos
- Memory mixes let you set the mood by selecting from different songs and a Memory look to match
- New memory types include additional international holidays, child-focused memories, trends over time, and improved pet memories
- Info pane now displays rich information about the photo like which camera and lens, shutter speed, file size, and more
- Visual Look Up recognizes art, landmarks around the world, plants and flowers, books, and dog and cat breeds in your photos so you can learn more about them

##Health
- Sharing lets you choose health data, alerts, and trends to share with people important to you or those who are caring for you, including your healthcare provider
- Trends lets you see how a given health metric is progressing over time and can notify you when a new trend has been detected
- Walking Steadiness is a new metric that can assess your risk of falling and notify you if your walking steadiness is low (iPhone 8 and later)
- Verifiable health records enable you to download and store verifiable versions of COVID-19 vaccines and lab results
- Lab results can now be pinned for quick access and include highlights that show how your labs have changed over time

##Weather
- A new design shows the most important weather information for that location and includes new maps modules
- Weather maps can be viewed in full-screen and show precipitation, temperature and air quality in supported countries
- Next-hour precipitation notifications alert you when rain or snow is about to start or stop in Ireland, U.K., and US
- New animated backgrounds more accurately represent the sun position, clouds, and precipitation (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)

##Siri
- On-device processing means audio of your requests does not leave your device by default, and means Siri is able to process many requests while offline (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)
- Share items with Siri lets you send on screen items like photos, web pages and Maps locations to any of your contacts
- Onscreen context can be used by Siri to refer to contacts on screen to send them a message or place a call
- On-device personalization allows Siri speech recognition and understanding to improve privately (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later)

##Privacy
- Mail Privacy Protection protects your privacy by preventing email senders from learning about your Mail activity, your IP address or whether you've opened their email
- Safari Intelligent Tracking Prevention now also prevents known trackers from profiling you using your IP address

##iCloud+
- iCloud+ is a cloud subscription service that gives you premium features and additional iCloud storage
- iCloud Private Relay (beta) sends your requests through two separate internet relays and encrypts the internet traffic leaving your device so you can browse Safari in a more secure and private way
- Hide My Email lets you create unique, random email addresses that forward to your personal inbox so you can send and receive email without having to share your real email address
- HomeKit Secure Video supports connecting more security cameras without using your iCloud storage quota
- Custom email domain personalizes your iCloud Mail address and allows you to invite family members to use the same domain

##Accessibility
- Image exploration with VoiceOver allows you to get even more details about people and objects, and learn about text and table data in photos
- VoiceOver image descriptions in Markup let you add your own image descriptions that can be read by VoiceOver
- Per-app settings allow you to customize display and text size settings only for the apps you want
- Background sounds play balanced, bright, or dark noise, ocean, rain, and stream sounds continuously in the background to mask unwanted environmental or external noise
- Sound actions for Switch Control enable you to control your iPhone with simple mouth sounds
- Audiograms can be imported in Settings so you can customize Headphone Accommodations based on your hearing test results
- New Voice Control languages include Mandarin Chinese (China mainland), Cantonese (Hong Kong), French (France), and German (Germany)
- Memoji options including a cochlear implant, oxygen tubes, or a soft helmet

##This release also includes other features and improvements:
- Tags in Notes and Reminders help you quickly categorize your items to make them easy to find, and you can use custom Smart Folders and Smart Lists to automatically collect your notes and reminders based on rules you can define
- Mentions in Notes enable you to notify others of important updates in shared notes, and an all-new Activity view displays all the recent changes in a note in a single list
- Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking in Apple Music brings an even more immersive experience to Dolby Atmos music with AirPods Pro and
AirPods Max
- System-wide translation lets you select text throughout the system and translate it with a tap, even in photos
- New widgets include Find My, Contacts, App Store, Sleep, Game Center, and Mail
- Cross-app drag and drop function lets you pick up images, documents, and files from one app to another
- Keyboard magnification loupe magnifies the text when moving the cursor
- Apple ID Account Recovery Contacts lets you to choose one or more people you trust to help you reset your password and regain access to your account
- Temporary iCloud storage grants you as much iCloud storage as you need to create a temporary backup of your data, free of charge, for up to three weeks when you buy a new device
- Find My separation alerts notify you if you leave a supported device or item behind and Find My will give you directions to your item
- Game highlights of up to the last 15 seconds of gameplay can be saved using game controllers like the Xbox Series X|S Wireless Controller or Sony PS5 DualSense™ Wireless Controller
- App Store in-app events help you discover timely events within apps and games such as a game competition, a new movie premiere, or a livestreamed experience
destiny2 Let the server lag begin. Good luck Guardians.
destiny2 NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
destiny2 Um... Bungie?
destiny2 LOTS of gear to grind