Flaser Posts

Here is what Wikipedia wrote on the issue about Ukraine:


Took Russia off the list: it's only production that's problematic, there's nothing to indicate possession is prosecuted.

I always knew some of the people downloading my torrents must've had iron balls, as some countries have pretty harsh anti porn laws... especially some of the Islamic ones.

This thread is to discuss your experiences in these countries, or how you deal with porn in your life in case you live in one of them.

---

Countries Where Porn is Illegal

Afghanistan - Illegal.
Azerbaijan - Illegal. Enforcement lax.
Bangladesh - Illegal.
Belarus - Illegal. Actively prosecuted.
Bulgaria - Illegal. Not actively prosecuted.
China - Illegal. Actively prosecuted.
Egypt - Illegal.
Indonesia - Illegal. Lax enforcement.
Iran - Illegal. Routinely circumvented.
Kuwait - Illegal.
Lithuania - Illegal. Erotic material permitted.
Malaysia - Illegal, but Internet porn is not.
Malta - Illegal. Actively prosecuted.
North Korea - Illegal.
Pakistan - Illegal.
Papua New Guinea - Illegal.
Philippines - Illegal. Enforcement is lax. Webcam sex legal.
Saudi Arabia - Illegal.
Singapore - Illegal. Reading web-content tolerated. Possession illegal.
Sri Lanka - Illegal.
Taiwan - Illegal.
Thailand - Illegal, including hentai. Enforcement is lax. Personal possession permitted.
Ukraine - Illegal, but not enforced.
United Arab Emirates - Illegal.
Vietnam - Illegal.

---

(I've put the list together using Wikipedia)

No. Reading from a drive doesn't cause fragmentation. Writing *can*. If you don't write any new files to the drive, then it won't become any (more) fragmented.

De-fragmentation is only necessary when fragmentation occurs, although the whole issue is not as great (especially for large files like videos) as it's usually made out to be.

However a drive that's never defraged can get in an atrocious shape, especially the system drive as there you have millions of files written and deleted over the lifetime of the partition.

This doesn't hurt the drive or the data, but can significantly impact reading/writing speed to that partition.

All of what was said only applies to hard-drives with moving parts.

Solid state disks don't have moving parts and don't have a seek-time, so fragmentation doesn't affect them the same way as it does hard-drives.

Almost right: if he keeps defragmenting the drive as it fills up, then it shouldn't be too bad.

However you're wrong: fragmentation isn't just the "gaps" themselves. Fragmentation refers to the fact, that Windows "fragments" files to fill these gaps.

This causes a delay when reading these files as the HDD's head has to reposition to the next fragment before it can continue reading. Once *fragmented*, unless you take the effort to move data around and restore continuity, the file will *remain* fragmented.

Fragmentation *doesn't* degrade the "quality" of the data or damage the disk. All it causes is an inevitable delay, a drop in read and write speed and a negligible loss of free-space as information on where the "next" fragment of the file also has to appended to each chunk.

The bottom line: if you store a lot of big files on a disk that will remain there, it pays off to defragment it every once in a while as it improves performance and reduces the chance of new files written to the disk becoming fragmented.

Also: moving a file from one directory to another on the same partition *doesn't* involve actually moving the file. All that changes is that it's entry the "catalog" of the file system changes. Copying by comparison *does* as it creates a second instance of the file.

QUOTED FOR TRUTH.

I'm a Winamp user mainly for its plugin architecture, but Foobar2000 is a serious contender, just as good as Winamp, in fact some say its SDK is better.

Nope. You're mixing apples and oranges.

"HD" and "Full HD" are marketing terms with no clear definition of what they mean.

HD means the device can render at least 1280x720 resolution.
Full HD means, the device can render 1980x1080 resolution.

For a device to be advertised as "Full HD" compatible it usually needs to be able to render an 1980x1080 source in progressive mode.

If your device's pixel resolution is less than 1980x1080, then it won't be able to *ever* properly render Full HD content. Instead it might be able to "downscale" the source to whatever resolution it operates at.

Going by the specs of your TV, it can't display Full HD content, as it's resolution is only 1366 x 768. There are a variety of native resolutions used by HDTVs, yours falls into the category usually called 720p nowadays. It can't display either 1080i or 1080p content. Since it's a newer device it should be able to downscale both and play them.

Progressive/Interlaced rendering is another wrinkle in all of this:

The letter "p" means, that picture is rendered progressively just like how computer monitors work. This means the whole screen is updated on every frame.

The letter "i" refers to interlaced rendering, where odd and even lines of the screen are rendered in an alternating fashion. This effectively halves the "true" refresh rate of the device... which is fine, since films are typically recorded at ~25 FPS, whereas most devices render at 50 FPS.

Interlaced rendering also cuts the "bandwidth" needed for broadcasts in half, as you're only sending half the picture most of the time, hence why broadcast companies like the format.

EDIT: The whole headache about 1080i vs 1080p exists, because earlier 720p HDTVs could only downscale 1080i content, not 1080p.

Finally: what DVDs/Blurays/games you can play on a console or a stand-alone player depends on *that* device's region coding, not your display device.

Kids: Next time just report the fucking post. Sheesh.

//Joint post with Damienthedevil, Dussack and littleRED.

On the way to the apartment, Shadow Fang saw a lot of uniforms on the street, blowing by in patrol cars and even a couple of armored vans. Strange... wait, these guys ain't Errant. Lone Star!

He hadn't since this much blue and and this many five pointed stars in years. They were heading the same he was.

Something ain't right, he thought as he looked at the patrol cars. He stopped to ask one of the passing officers.

He rolled down his window to ask one of them, "Excuse me, officer. What's going on? Is there anything big going on?" The guy gave him a sharp look, measuring him up. Cronis just smiled and put on a look of innocence.

Apparently the cop was not buying it. "Bugger off punk! This is none of your business," he said while he tapping his partner on the shoulder with a loud clank. The assassin noticed they were both wearing body armor... highly unusual for mere street cops. They took off with squealing tires.

Hoping to find out more from Nikki he turned his com-link back on. As soon as he he did it started blinking furiously, showing new messages marked 'urgent' were waiting for him.

How the hell? he wondered. Suddenly the comm has an incoming call too. How? he though.

The device didn't have any public services subscribed to it that could be used for a call... Unless... Rudy! came his realization. Cronis hesitated for a few moments but took the call.

"Where the hell are you furry bastard! The chief's about to go scouring the town for you," said the old 'mancer without any explanation.

Cronis was slightly taken aback by the loud voice of the 'mancer but maintained his cool. "I'm on my way to the church," he told the dwarf while he kept jogging toward the church.

"Since you guys won't be helping, I don't see a need for me to go to Lagos if my family is hurt in the process," he explained his motives.

He was about to cut it with the words "If you have nothing else to say, I be cutting the line short," when the technomancer interjected.

"Wait damn you... the chief says he's already sent a team," pleaded the rat lover.

Unseen, he was also taking matters into his own hand. The assassin tried to turn off his com but found that it couldn't be turned off anymore.

"What the....Rudy! You did something again- Wait what did you just say?"

"I've said you overgrown hamster, that the chief just got freakin' SWAT team of Lone Star of all people on the job," screeched the dwarf, annoyed at the night-elf's pigheadedness.

"What? I thought...Huh?" he stammered, clearly confused. He could feel the blood draining from his face... those guys put the fear of God even in the most hardened criminals.

Another voice came out of the com: "This is Dussack. If you hadn't taken off on your own, I would've had the chance to tell you that I managed to pull some old favors and get pros on the job," he told the night one.

"You did? Then what was that order in the room about?" he asked in turn.

Thanks to his sensitive ears, he could hear the solo mutter to the others, so quiet he probably thought the com doesn't even pick it up. " Did you say SWAT Rudy? James managed to get he best damn SWAT team in the world... or at least in Lone Star on the job?" he asked with clear surprise in his voice.

Aloud he gave the assassin a short reply: "It was exactly what I meant. We're moving out tomorrow, so you better get whatever shit you need and prepare for the trip."

"SWAT?! Wait!! Are you serious!? The kids! Leila! What if they just shoot them then and there?!" he went off, very much distressed.

The hit-man ignored him as he relayed his orders. "Just get your ass back here Midnight! ...and do it now! THIS! MOMENT!" shouted the solo when there was no reply.

Cronis winced as the speaker of the com maxed and let out a wail of overload.

"You're crazy! I'm not about to trust these drop out cops to ensure their safety!" he shouted back. "I'll at least see to it that they're safely rescued. I won't go back until then!"

He dumped the com at the side of the road and speed towards the church.

---

Back in the hotel, the team realized they'd never seen Dussack really pissed off before.

His voice was even, calm... like liquid helium and sent chills down their bones: "Move out in five. Full gear. We'll take him back one way or another..." he proclaimed.

Turning to Leblanc he added: "I can't have him jeopardize the mission. I have no choice but to track him down."

Using Charon's car, they were on their way soon enough, Rudy and Traitor in the backseat, the solo riding shotgun next to the changeling.

---

In Redmond, Shadow Fang was still going over the conversation in his head as he was driving toward his destination.

"Doesn't matter... All that matters is that Leila and the kids are fine..." he told himself as if to convince himself. He stopped his car near 103rd street and walked silently towards Redmond Ridge.

As he approached on foot, he realized the neighborhood was crawling with cops, their lights basking the place in blue and red, turning the area into a surrealist two-tone painting.

They've set up check-points on all roads and were diverting the traffic. Beyond their own vehicles, he could see the vans of the press also parked within the perimeter. He silently walked from the main street to one of the alleyways, trying his best not to attract attention

Keeping to the shadows he managed to slip by the roadblock. He was almost past when one of the cops, as usual they worked in pairs, turned back to survey the area and he froze in place. Thankfully the cop was distracted at that moment by yet another obstinate driver who insisted that he just had to pass through there.

Thankfully the evacuation zone was only patrolled by a few cops on foot, their flashlights betraying their presence so he could easily avoid them. Soon he was by the main barricade of cops surrounding the church grounds. There are lot more cops here, the area was basking in the blaze of hard spotlight that turned the night into day.

Cronis took his chance and slipped into an alleyway to the North of the Church. As he started to climb, he noticed a trio of Chrysler-Nissan G12a hovercrafts parked in the nearby alley, with empty racks that could be used by drones.

Considering the possibility that there were patrols in the area, he climbed the stairs as silently as possible wishing for luck. It was someplace else tonight.

"Hey, what are you doing over there!" shouted a cop below, alerting his pals. A trio of cops came his way, one wearing a flak vest with a battle rife slung in hands. The other tow hand Ruger Thunderbolts on their hips and one of them already drew his weapon.

---

It was a harrowing passage. They blew through the city, running traffic lights the Honda on the very edge of control. Would they make it in time? Dussack couldn't even guess, instead he instructed Rudy to collate the info and get out his portable printer...

---

Cronis kept his cool and walked down the stairs, a convincing, surprised look already on his face. "Whoa! What's with the big guns officers? Did something happen?" he asked. They didn't buy it.

The guy with the drawn thunderbolt was just about to wape him, when his partner, slapped the gun down.

"No firing! ...the perps inside are jumpy!" he admonished his partner.

"But I'm loaded with rubber and this punk..." went on the other, clearly aching to put some hurt on the elf.

"Whoa now. What's going on officers? Something big going on?" he asked, once again pretending to be surprised. They still didn't buy any of his act.

"No firing," repeated the armored FRT trooper and grabbed him by the collar. His ears picked up the tell-tale whine of servos in the cyberhand.

"Something wrong officer?" he asked while he was readying his claws... although he still hoped that he wouldn't have to use it.

---

Once they reached the outer perimeter, Dussack had them stove the car in an out of way side-street. They started crossing the neighborhood, going through backyards, climbing fences and charming the occasional guard dog... it took time, but they've slipped through the outer perimeter without incident.

As they approached the inner circle, Dussack handed out Rudy's handiwork: name-tags that said "PRESS" with the official looking tid-bits of a local gonzo journal, renowned for employing various people, scattered on the placard.

---

"I'll take this one to the Black-Man, you two keep watch..." said the trooper and gave a signal with his other hand.

The assassin finally notice the surveillance drone that'd been pointed at him for a while fly away and some distant figures on the rooftop to the east shifting position. With a sinking feeling, it dawned on him that he had not one, but two snipers keeping him in their sights.

Dammit....If I had run for it just now, I would have died.... he thought with bitter irony while he bit his lips slightly.

Keeping a firm grip on him, and his other hand on the Ruger on his belt, the trooper took him to one of the hovercrafts. There he saw the tallest human he'd ever laid eyes on.

He was tall enough to play ball with trolls and even through the drab uniform, he could see bulging muscles that suggested he was strong enough too for the task. He couldn't see well, but as the man stepped into the light spilling from the craft's interior he noticed it wasn't just the lighting, he really was as black as the nigh.

"Captain, we caught this one spooking around" reported the trooper.

"Well well, what do we have here?" he purred, voice like a panther. Blue eyes glinted at him from the black face, his smile the white grin of a predator.

"A panther of the night wanting to help his family..." was Cronis' cynical answer.

"Oh and they'd be..." he trailed off, obviously waiting for the other to go on.

"The orphans and the girl," he admitted.

The humor seems to disappear from the man and he looked at the assassin square in the eye. He returned it, look for look, eye to eye.

"Who the fuck are you buddy?" he asked as he put his trunk like arms on his hips.

Cronis glanced at the trooper that was standing at his side, implying that he didn't want it to be known by anyone else.

Taking his clue, the Captain told the FRT trooper: "That will be all trooper, I'm taking this one off your hands... good job."

He pointed at the armored hover craft, indicating that the night-elf should head inside. Cronis followed the black captain's instruction. He was right behind him, and just as the elf he entered the craft he pushed from behind, moving him to the back of the craft and into a lightly padded and uncomfortable chair.

"Cuffs" he barked, and the med-tech they just passed, cuffed the assassin to the chair.

"Pretty careful, eh, Cap'n?" was his cynical remark as he felt the cold metal of the cuffs.

"As I should be..." he acknowledged with no humor. "So you're the guy Saber told me about," he added while opening a mini-fridge. He took out a can that he opened one-handed and downed the contents in one go. It clattered to a bin by the captive elf's side.

"I didn't expect you'd be so stupid to come on your own though," he continued, once finished with his drink.

"Saber...?" Cronis cocked his head at the unfamiliar name.

"Short guy, tall attitude... one scary fuck," he said while miming the height of someone eerily familiar to the assassin.

"Fast too," he went on. "I once saw him, outdraw a wired-up Street-Sam and literally blast the guy's balls off."

"I see," was his poetic reply while he drew the conclusion that the cop must've been talking about Dussack.

"So, what do you want with me Cap'n?" he went on, then started to explain his visit before the cop could reply: "If you're worried that I'll ruin your operation, don't. I'm only here to make sure my family is safe."

"Next time, start by going to the police straight away chummer," was the giant's advice. He laid a hand on the chair's headrests and the metal groaned with strain as he leaned in close in "...though there won't be a next time if it's up to me."

Opening up the space he went on: "Scum like you cap common people all the time... but when it's your folks on the line you expect us to just bail you out?" he asked.

"If I knew you guys were coming, I would have been more prepared though," was the assassin's replied accompanied by a shrug. "And Cap'n if there would have been a next time, I suggest you watch your neck," he added while smiling in a sadistic way.

"Oh, and a little correction..." he started, but the huge cop smacked him hard before he could go on. He was railing from the blow and could feel the blood welling up in his mouth. He must've bit his tongue.

"Listen up 'buddy'," his intonation making it clear, the elf was anything but, "I don't have time for twenty questions... good think Saber already put you through a wringer, as I doubt you'd have gone that far in my hands without me wringing your scrawny little neck.

Popping another can, he chugged it back before going on. "Good people don't get a bunch of kids collared with explosives, good folks don't get their girlfriend raped by a bunch of gangsters... but I'm not here for you," he lectured.

"Well, when you work in this line of work, you would hope that at least the kids would live a happier life than you..." Cronis replied with a distant look

"Are you really that dense?" asked the incredulous Captain. Seeing his far away look he added "You can't do that kind of shit and live a family life...back in the bad old days of the Maffia... maybe. Those days are gone."

Finishing his second drink, judging from smell probably a soda, he continued: "As I said, I'm not here for you. Tell me what you know... everything... and I'll do everything in my power to get them out of there," he explained.

Only then did Cronis realize that he heard something ridiculous from the black man "Wait. What did you just say? Leila was... raped?"

"That's her name...? Yeah, I remember now, it was in the stuff Saber sent," he reminisced.

"Yeah... apparently these bozos were getting bored, and they've had their way with her before I showed up with the whole circus," he confirmed the assassin's fears.

"Where was I?" he went on. "Ah, you were just about to tell me everything..." he started but the night-elf lost his cool.

Cronis' mind went blank. No... why Leila... Dammit, DAMMIT!

He became enraged and started tensing his muscles to try and get free of the cuffs. "Get these off me!! I'm gonna kill those bastards!! That fucker! I swear I'll murder him!" he shouted.

"Black-Man, I'm trying to work here... keep it down, would ya?" complained the com-tech sitting with his back to the two, monitoring the surveillance gear of the craft.

He was only a corporal, but from the casual way he interacted with the officer and the number of commendation ribbons he must've been old hand at his job.

Turning to the med-tech who earlier cuffed the elf, the Captain said: "Put him under and wire him up to a deep-psych scanner, I already have the surface stuff. It won't be any skin off our back if it fries him.

The threat managed to calm the night-elf down somewhat... but only somewhat: "Fine....I'll give you your info but you won't be killing them. I will. If you want, you can take the glory. The masked man is MINE!" he raved.

"The only killing you'll do is gonna be as the newest boy toy in the Jericho orbital prison where they send killers like you..." advised his interrogate. "You better talk now, before I let the probe rip it out of you," he warned.

"I wouldn't do that now Black-Man," interrupted a familiar voice. "I need this idiot to do the dying for my employers... someplace far-far away, where he can't bother you," he went on.

"You..." Cronis tried to twist around and look at the direction of the voice.

The Captain was ignoring the night-elf, his whole attention focused on the short solo before him "Saber."

"I already told you, I need that fucker, or things are going to a hand basket even faster than they are," said Dussack to his old partner.

"What's to stop me from strapping both your asses to the next shuttle going to Jericho?" was the Captain's rhetorical question.

"Nothing..." he shrugged as if to say, that should be obvious.

"Yet here you are... in the flesh..." mused the tall man.

Cronis tried to stand up but couldn't due to the cuffs, "Dammit..."

"Yeah... given how you really outdid yourself this time," replied the solo while theatrically counting on his fingers. You have what? Three damn SWAT teams!

He paused to let his statement sink in, but there was no reply.

"Just get me out of these cuffs. I need to kill that masked bastard!" interjected the assassin while glaring at Dussack.

"Well I though the least I could was to give you a chance to test out that theory of... said the later flippantly, but before he could even finish the sentence, the huge man was already moving, his fist hurtling toward the solo's face and connecting with a resounding "THWACK!".

Dussack staggered back, his head hitting the plating behind with an unhealthy "CLANG!"

"Guess what Saber? I still want to smash your mug to pieces," explained the visibly heaving man.

"Better?" asked the solo, an angry welt already growing on his face.

"You know what... yeah it does! exclaimed the cop. "After all that shit you just expect to waltz in here and act like nothing has happened?!"

"I'm sure this must be an ecstatic moment for you... but the man I knew wouldn't let his emotions get in the way of the job," retorted the solo.

Taking a moment to collect his thought he fished around for his cigs, but realized he'd left them back at the hotel.

If you ever trusted me on something, you'll trust me on this one Black-Man.

Pausing, he waited to see if James was listening, but he couldn't read the other's man's smoldering expression.

Unless I take that idiot out of here, this little incident," he moved his finger in a circle as if to say, all this shit, "will be but a footnote in what's to come... I can guarantee, this fucker won't be any better off where I'm taking him," he finished.

"Saber... you always were given to theatrics, yet I get the feeling you're not kidding," said the black man, showing that he was giving him the benefit of doubt.

"Nope."

"I wouldn't believe it, if I didn't see it myself..." Taking out a pack of cigs, Farrel lit one up and asked with toothy grin between puffs: Saber, you're actually scared of something?"

"Yeah... take your time, enjoy the moment," has Dussack's admission. "But once you've stopped gloating, you better think about how you feel about that."

"Take him... the fuck, away," replied the Captain, and there was no humor left in him.

"Gee, thanks," replied the solo while he stepped closer to the night-elf, undoing the cuffs with practiced ease.

Cronis stood up and massaged his wrist as he started to walk towards the door... only to have the solo's fist hurtling toward him, slamming into his temple, sending him down his vision swam with stars.

"...and I'm not done with you dipshit. There's more on the way when we return," said the hit-man, massaging his fist. By accident, he struck the elf with his already injured hand.

The screaming outside started at that moment. Terrible, horrifying sounds of men screaming for their lives... the screams dying of in the middle of the intonation. Wet sounds.

The temperature inside the vehicle dropped sharply. It was getting so cold, that they could see their breath misting. Then light outside died off and they felt an incredible pressure in their heads.

Cronis heard the scream and instantly thought about Leila. Before he could go out, he the unnatural temperature hit him and he felt like he was being crushed from above. "Argh!!" he groaned out as collapsed on his knees and held his head in his arms.

"Black-Man... I'm sorry," was all Dussack could say before the pressure overwhelmed him too.

The vehicle started to shake and something 'landed' on top of it. The pressure in their heads faded to a point where you they could think and act. From the outside Rudy crawled in... he was soaked in blood, his eyes wide.

They didn't get to react, as something grabbed him and pulled him out. Another scream. It was Rudy. They heard the sounds of ripping flash and splashing entrails. The screaming died off.

Next, they heard traitor swearing and screaming at someone, something, they heard gunshots echo in the air. It took all his will, but Dussack crawled to the door and tried to close it... whatever was out there was bad news.

Cronis could hear Rudy and Traitor. Dammit....What is...going on? He tried his best to stand up. Must get up....Leila...the kids... He couldn't muster the strength to stand up, so reached out with his hands and started to crawl towards the door as Dussack was trying to shut it.

He could see through the crack of the door. He saw Traitor, barely, as he was surrounded in something like a enormous black mass. It wrapped around him, lifting him up... and tearing him apart. With a final effort, Dussack closed the hatch, putting an end to the grisly sight.

The magnetic bolts engaged, hardened armor locking into place with a satisfying hiss of hydraulics. Something crashed into the door from outside, making the whole vehicle sway.

Turning to the observation monitors, all they saw outside was pure darkness... wait! There was one barely recognizable figure standing in the middle of the dark. Charon. They heard a muffled plead from him, something along the line that his force field won't last much longer. The dark thing poured over him and they just hear him screaming ... screaming ... screaming ... and then he was gone too.

Cronis could only gape at the screen as he saw the mage swallowed up. Then he remembered Leila and the kids. "Shit!!" He walked towards the door, trying to open it, but he was too riled up to operate the complex mechanism.

Going forward to the cockpit, Dussack thought about getting this tub moving... "We better get out of here!" he yelled back into the compartment as Black-Man joined him.

"Someone better tell me what the fuck is going on..." he exclaimed, as they tried to get the craft going... to no avail. No matter what they tried, the turbine wouldn't start, as if something was clogging the intake and keeping the blades in a dead grip.

"Wait! No! Leila and the kids!!" Cronis shouted at the pair.

Something starts hammering into the door. BAM! BAM! BAM! With every blow it was starting to bend inside...

Cronis looked at the bending door. He took stepped back, took out his Ares' and aimed at the door, preparing to fire.

The whole vehicle started to sway with every blow, then something clawed into the door and ripped it out... leaving them to a moment of silence. Only darkness outside.

All they could sense was darkness, pure, unfiltered, darkness. Horror. All the nightmares, all the fears, everything bad. Combined, mixed and was turning denser... into something unspeakable.

The temperature dropped another few degrees and the black mass swirled inside. Moving around... like it was looking for something... it ignored Fang. It ignored Black-Man... it stopped at Dussack.

He could feel the fear overwhelm him but his instincts told him if he looked away, he'd be dead the next moment, so forced himself to look into the dark maelstrom.

Out of the black mass, the male solo could see a familiar pair of red eyes appear. They flickered and were gone, the mass pulling itself out again. Leaving all of them untouched.

"Oh... fuck me," said the solo with sinking feeling at the bottom of his stomach.

Cronis could feel the strength in his legs leave him as he collapsed on his knees.

"Wo de ma he ta de fengkuang de waisheng dou," added the hit-man a moment later.

"What...the fuck....was that...?" said Cronis, withholding an urge to puke.

"That was... that was..." Dussack thought about whether to tell him... no, not a good idea he concluded. "That's what we're really taking to Lagos," he said instead, opting for a half-truth.

It was silent for a few moments, then they could hear gunfire coming from the church, with the typical re-verb of shots being fired inside of a large hall... and the screams of terrified children.

"The kids! Leila!!" he exclaimed as he rushed out of the hovercraft, not caring for what may lurk outside.

Something grabbed him and just tossed him back into the vehicle, making him crash into the wall... hard. "Kuh!", the air was driven from his lungs as he slammed he slammed into the wall.

The sounds of gunfire and odd silence dragged on for a terrible few moments. Then the gunfire stopped.

Everything was silent.


A few moments later the normal street lights returned. The pressure in their heads was gone.

"Stay put..."
"Stay put..."

...yelled both Black-Mand and Dussack at the same time.

"...and pray to whatever Gods you subscribe that the police jammers hold," finished the solo.

"Leila...!" Cronis rushed out ignoring the advice.

He saw for the first time the outcome of whatever was out there. The whole area around the church was covered in liters and liters of blood, torn limbs, guts, ripped off heads...

"Roll call!" roared the Captain, grabbing the head-set from com-tech's head who'd miraculously survived alongside them. He called out desperately "All units respond, by the numbers! Come on people!"

Dussack just hanged his head and shook it... whether to say, 'no they are gone' or to deny his own knowledge he couldn't tell.

"What... is this...?" asked the assassin, for once at a loss for words. Cronis had seen many dead bodies in his line of work but this was hell.

"Come in anyone!" yelled Farrel. He was looking at all the flat-lined readouts from the troopers...

Bodies everywhere, blood everywhere, blood and guts as high as the ankle. An arm, a head, a leg. Body parts everywhere. His heart sunk as Cronis walked towards the blood covered church.

Trudging out into the gore, the huge policeman said to himself, "EMP, yeah, gotta be EMP, knocked out all their electronics." He started to scour the place looking for survivors.

Coming to his senses... somewhat... Dussack walked up to the tech: "See if some of the drones made it... get them to scout out the church."

Cronis went into the church without any hope of anyone surviving. He opened the gate slowly and looked into the church. Inside it looked like the devil himself had decorated it. The pillars, walls and floors were colored in unrecognizable red mass.

One couldn't even make out the body-parts anymore. It was all ripped into red jelly, still dripping... but in the far corner of the church, he could hear whimpering. As Fang focused, he recognized the children and Leila in a corner... crouching holding on to each other. Sprayed in red. The kids and Leila were still alive.

"Roger Sir," replied the com-tech, training taking over before he could wonder why he'd follow orders from this man.

He started switching between the various drones in the tac-net... he went though six or seven before he found a functioning one, albeit lamed so it could only show the torn up side of another carrier. Finding at least a single working drone, the one that was tasked with keeping the outer perimeter, the tech repositioned it... on the way to the church Dussack and him had a good, high-angle view of the carnage.

"Leila! Kids! You're alright!!" Cronis couldn't suppress his delight and rush to them. He hugged them as much as he could. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Thank you for being alive. Thank you."

He didn't know who is he thanking but he was thankful anyway as tears overflow in relief that they were alright. The kids were crying and in shock, as was Leila. All unable to speak or react.

The drone having arrived in the church, Dussack confirmed the situation. "You should get over there and see to the kids," he told the likewise shell-shocked med-tech peering over his shoulder and the man was already trudging toward the place.

"I'm gonna need a copy of all records" he said to the com-tech. The man called up the requested information. Probably the only copy, given the state the other hovercraft were in. Jacking in, he downloaded the data.

"OK. Now erase everything... if you value your and the Captain's life. I'm already a man marked for death, you two don't have to be", he told the tech.

"You gotta be joking..." complained the tech, but Dussack just put a hand on his shoulder and whispered: "Whoever pulled this off is not going to let the brass sniff 'em out. You and the Captain are alive by accident... think it through.

Taking a pause, he let the man ponder his words before he continued: "That thing killed everyone else... but it didn't kill the hostages. You wanna know what I think, this was? A test run... a weapons test."

"That... that... of fuck! I don't know shit from shit now..." he exclaim. The tech was loosing it. "Erase the data... I know you techs can do it, I've seen your kind do it, inviolate memory or not, I know it can be done."

He left the tech to it and went searching for Cronis... better take the idiot away before they got more people involved... and killed. Arriving at the church, he put the last drone out of commission with a quick burst from a Ruger he liberated on the way. Good, there won't be any record he'd been here... and chances are Black-Man will keep his mouth shut when the shock wore off.

"We better haul ass Night-Fag," he hollered.

"You know something about this don't you" Cronis glared at Dussack as he pointed his gun at him.

"I know that unless you put that gun away, I'm gonna blow your brains out while all the kids watch... now haul ass, before I blow it!" He didn't have patience now for the night-elf's shit.

"They're coming with me.....I won't leave them like this."

"Put the gun down," instructed the solo, each word a strike lashing the assassin, intoned like a bullet. "...and if you want the best for the kids you better have nothing to do with them while we're on this job."

Cronis considered his words for a moment and decided that he was right. He picked up a comm, presumably Leila's, and called Nikki up.

"Who is it this late at night?" asked the girl. "It's me. I need you to take care of Leila and the kids, make sure they're safe until I'm back."

He gave Leila the com, "Don't worry, someone will come and help you soon. You'll be safe this time for sure."

Cronis stood up and faced Dussack, the later turned without watching to see if the assassin followed him, and left the church at a rapid pace. When they were a bit farther he told the night-elf:

"I hope you're satisfied. You just got all these people killed. If you hadn't been here, I wouldn't have either... and if I weren't that wouldn't have come either."

"I'll make sure you talk in the hotel, bastard," Cronis muttered in response.

Using the assassin's car, the two took some detours to avoid any further attention. When they were in sight of the Council island the solo told the other "Go ahead... and stay put just this once dammit... I still have to get my gear."

They parted ways.

According to the Doodle Poll, all of you should be available on Wednesday 16:00-19:00 GMT. Therefore I'm fixing our discussion and gaming session at that time, so make sure you show up on Skype!

If don't know what this means in your local time, use the Doodle's world time feature:
http://doodle.com/bd7qbi4aaihkcep4

If you have any trouble with Skype, use the following link to contact us on IRC:
https://chat.mibbit.com/?channel=%23FAKKU-SR&server=irc.rizon.net

//Joint post with Dussack, Rudy and littleRED

At the boneheaded quip the solo changed his mind. "On second thought, maybe not such a great idea.".

Lighting a cig he tried to collect his thoughts for a moment while the kid tried to give several suggestions... some of them were actually good... in the end though he cut it short, slashing his hand, showing he'd heard enough.

"Our first primary objective is to keep the hostages alive. Our second is to get them out of harm's way.".

He got up an went to the bar to pour himself a glass of scotch on the rocks. "To the good Doctor," he raised his glass. The others looked at him with total incredulity.

I see... He flashed Leblanc a covert glance, then went on with the plan.

"We might do the second one... but we can't ensure the first on our own. We need help..." he took a long swig from his glass. "...help to put pressure on these bastards so they'd think thrice about pulling the kids' plug".

Leblanc finished the last bite of her sandwich and flashed a cold smile at the male solo: "Why would be bother saving them in the first place?"

"We have two more days, he retorted. "Now as I was saying, we need help. Probably a team of Runners or better yet a SWAT team that has a reputation for wasting bozos like these."

"Hey chief! interjected the smaller dwarf. All the eyes were drawn to the otherwise taciturn hacker.

He grew visibly ill at ease, but continued never the less " I might have something for you... I'd busted these C-raters a couple weeks back, I was 'umagin through 'ir payrolls..."

"So you could..." started the solo.

"Make 'em do the job... followed the 'mancer. "Though I could do something better yet", he added. Dussack nodded at old Runner to continue.

Their cyber-sec sucks and they 'ave several offices in the UCAS, he went then waited for further quesitons, but the others just nodded so he continued: "I could make ya guys employees just transfin in," he said beaming with pride.

"That's... pretty nifty, quiped the solo. "Remind me, once again, never to fuck with you dwarf... just in case you send a SWAT team my way," he said jokingly.

"I never said they'd do it fer free chief... the money has to come from somewhere." He gave a tiny shrug, as if to say, there was nothing they could do about it. "Unlike their own records, finance is contracted out, busting a bank is nowhere near this simple."

"How much?" asked the taller dwarf, already wincing... people who actually did this shit with any aptitude didn't come cheap.

The technomancers' eyes clouded over as he was looking at something that could only be seen with his mind...

"Umm..." he hesitated. "Well?" came Dussack's patented helping question.

"Two hundred grand... shit chief, I never knew this sort of money went into this business!" apologized the hacker.

"Shit!" exclaimed several people at once... both Dussack and Shadow Fang while Sandy murmured something in more exotic under her breath.

Leblanc smiled. The French Johnson moved up from the couch and positioned herself beside Sandman, looking at Dussack: "You have so much money?"

"Not on my hands," he said while he tapped his skull to suggest to the Johnson that he had something that was worth just as much... albeit not on his hands.

Leblanc raised an eyebrow at him: "Oh my, you would sell parts of you to save the orphans?"

"If it pisses of the right people...? In a heartbeat." He gave her a savage grin, the kind a wolf gives the hunter before diving for its throat ...knowing he won't get to savor the kill anyway as the fiery-touch will end him too.

Leblanc ran a finger down Sandman's spine. The redhead's eyes clouded instantly and she shivered barely noticeable. The Johnson wasn't bothered by the situation in the slightest. She obviously didn't care: "You don't have time to play cowboy and injun anyway, Dussack. We have to leave a day earlier."

"Then we gotta do this tonight," he quipeed still not giving up.

Oh,he knew what she was playing at. He knew too well. He just didn't believe Sandy would have anything to do with a man who got a whole orphanage of kids killed... even for her sake. Maybe once... not anymore.

Leblanc shrugged and took Sandman by her hand, leading her off to the bedroom. The female solo moved like a pupped, without a single protest, her eye emotionless and empty. Leblanc didn't even look at him anymore: "I expect you to be packed by tomorrow at noon. I don't care about the orphanage and I am surely not paying you to waste anymore time," she said, voice cold as ice.

Dussack eyed his drink while the thoughts churned around in his head... all those clever ideas, elaborate plans...

Useless, all useless!

He chucked the glass into the sink, the crystal exploding with the force of contact, shards of glass, ice and precious scotch mingling with one another.

"We don't have time. People start packing your gear, tomorrow we're moving out," he told them.

Lighting another cig, he went for the front door... while he murmured "Rats, rats!" under his breath.

"I need to air my head out and clear it of booze. He looked at the other two hired guns of the team. "I'm taking a short walk. Charon, Traitor you two keep this place secure... and you better not screw this up," he instructed them and left without a word.

He was pacing up & down the pier waiting for older dwarf to join him. It took several minutes and he was starting to worry the 'mancer didn't get the clue when the old dwarf showed up.

For all the hacker's failings when it came to social interaction, his sense of paranoia was just as keenly honed as his own... he probably scrambled the hotel's security systems, erasing all traces of his passage, just to make sure.

"I need a secure line, better than anything the French bitch could crack in a short time... you know about Saul, do whatever you need, but I need that line ASAP," he said without pre-amble.

"Chief, I'm not sure that's such a... started the hacker.

"It's a bad idea Rudy... but I'm out of options," admitted the solo.

"Got it... and chief? It was nice knowing you," he replied. He knew perfectly well what the solo had in mind... and how great the risk was.

"I'm not your chieeee..." started the hit-man, but the world dissolved in a kaleidoscope of impressions, his vision dissolving as digital static filled up his world, inhuman wails screeched in his ear, the whole macabre vision of the world laced with pain.

Rudy dove into the solo's comlink and searched out the entity he'd seen there before... it was a jumble of incomprehensible lines of code and weird references to peripherals he'd never seen before...but understanding was not necessary.

99 of a 100 hackers would've been hopelessly out of their depth... not a technomancer.

He didn't need comprehension... he merely had to feel. He let the disjointed impressions flood his own consciousness, he poured out his own feelings in turn and let the code crash against one another in the system, like waves in the ocean.

All was in turmoil and for a while there was a danger the abyss would swallow his own ago too... then the waves synchronized, and came together in a giant pattern, a standing wave that incorporated all through superposition.

Then he saw... it was beautiful. He felt tears streaming from his eyes... if his own sprites were like sonnets to the crude rhymes of designed code, then this was a full symphony. It was still young, inexperienced, but he knew at glance he could never entice it into his service... he could teach it though.

He started the familiar dance of conjuration, trying to lure in the foreign intelligence... there was no trap, no deal this time though, just the dance of two spirits clashing into one another.

The AI was naive, pathologically so... it had no defenses and he could've crushed it... and act that would've hunted him to his death, he couldn't hurt such beauty. He playfully nipped at it, teaching it the basic of combat, like wolves playing in the snow when life's but a game.

It learned fast... very fast. Soon he couldn't have penetrated even if he tried... it almost slew him by accident, but still the AI was eager and allowed him close when the play ended. He alone could still approach it... anyone else would have a hard time now.

There was one more trick though... he enticed it into another node, the sim-unit Cronis used earlier... this time it didn't take long to teach it the tricks... he was sobbing when he had to leave it alone. Some day he might meet it again, or another like it...

As he was pulling out, he saw something bigger, grander in the distance... enveloping the whole world with its disgusting tentacles, the mere sight making his flash crawl... it was gone like a mirage. It would haunt him for the rest of his days.

Dussack came to with a lurch, the old dwarf bawling his eyes out nearby. His whole world still swimming in nausea... and it didn't cease. He didn't know whether he could keep it together for long. He sat up and accessed a com-line he hadn't even gone near in years.

A sheriff's badge with a five pointed star announced who's system he was accessing. He felt something foreign probe into him, the nausea intensifying then all of a sudden it was gone... and he had considerable trouble moving. The image of a young man in a blue uniform replaced the com-link's wallpaper.

"Lone Star central dispatch what... started the youth. Looking off-screen something must've caught his attention. "Wait. Your access ID is not listed in my records. This is a company line, mister! You better...!" he went on with increasing vehemence.

"Cut the crap junior, get me Lieutenant Farrel from the Tacoma district, tell him the cattle just jumped the barn fence," he instructed the youth, according the bars on neck of his uniform a corporal.

Years of training taking over and boy automatically succumbed to authority, blurting out:

"Captain Farrel's in central now..." Gaining better control of his faculties, the boy kept inquiring but with a cautions air. "Sir. I don't have your ID, this is..."

"Highly unusual," he admitted. Good thing the transmission was audio only on his part.

"Emergency access code Alpha-Indigo-Foxtrot-Foxtrot-Charlie-Seven-Niner... he rattled off the code.

"Sir, that code's been off the list for..." complained the corporal, but he was cut off again.

"Seven years, now get me the Captain damn it! I don't have all day..."

Still more than a little upset and suspicious, the corporal must've done as asked, for the his image was replaced by the Lone Star wallpaper and a couple of seconds later the image of a tall men in the same uniform but captain's insignia appeared in the feed.

"I don't know who you think you are using this channel, but I can guarantee you..." started the Captain, and he could tell it'd be one of his patented tirades. Entertaining ...but dangerous.

He was likely already doing a trace. Dussack lit his lighter on full burn and looked into a puddle nearby. He pumped the feed of his own image wavering on in the makeshift mirror into the channel. Recognition was immediate in the blue eyes.

"You!" The Captain rocked back in his servo-chair and ran a hand through his thinning hairline. "You've got some nerve to just ring me up after all these years... partner."

The man rolled his shoulders, massive muscles shifting and Dussack knew from experience that close by he would've heard the tendons crack.

"The feeling's mutual, trust me... I'm no more keen on this than you are," he said in hopefully the right mixture of cock-sureness and placation to hit the mark.

Maybe it did, maybe it didn't... he couldn't tell anymore, the Captain remained impeccable, like a slab of stone. A physic fit for the recruiting poster, he'd have made it there too, if not for a tiny detail.

"What do you want, Saber it's not the old days any more and you know it damn well."

Dussack took a deep breath and hoped he still had enough clout with this man to pull this off.

"There's a situation, Black-Man," he said, using his partner's old nickname. Here goes nothing...

James Farrel was not simply black. He was very-very black, like a panther, his blue eyes glowing in his face. In this age, one's color was usually a non issue... except if one worked for a company with its headquarters in the heart of the Deep South and a history of racial oppression of all sorts.

"You don't get to call me..." he started, already rising half out of the chair.

"A bunch of scum just collared a bunch of kids!" he injected, hoping that he was still talking to the man he knew long ago. "They're holed up in the old Church on Redmond ridge."

"Why the fuck are you telling, me this, buddy?!?" Leave it to James to turn any word into an insult... he earned this one though, one way or another.

"My own hand are tied now... figuratively. Look! I can't explain. I know you guys are still hurtin' from the whole deal with Errant...

"No thanks to you," interrupted the massive officer, but he seemed to be listening now.

"Yeah, yeah, I was the prick who jumped ship... we don't have time for that now." he admitted. "As I was saying they took the kids in the orphanage hostage in the very building...

"Sounds like total amateurs, quipped Farrel. "Why not move them to a more secure location?" he added.

"Yep, the same has occurred to me. I've pulled a bunch of stuff from the guy they're trying to blackmail into murder," he went on, somewhat emboldened that Farrel still seemed to be paying attention.

"OK. that I can deal with... hand over the guy and I'll see what I can do," said the black man getting into what must be his SOP as Captain.

"Can't do that. Guy has to be on another job, or even worse shit will go down... and unlike this bunch, this other lad is a pro through and through," explained the solo with growing impatience. He felt the nausea returning, he'd need to wrap this up soon.

"I see what you're getting at, but how the fuck am I going to sell this crap to the brass? Are you out of your mind, Saber?" complained his ex-partner.

"Get in touch with the press. The firm must be hurting something fierce for some good publicity now and I know SWAT is always aching for kicking-ass... especially when the bad guys are real scum."

"That could work... I'm sticking out a limb here. You're gonna owe me one for this, buddy and I intend to collect."

So... it was done. With things in Farrel's hand there was a chance... albeit not a sure one, that this whole thing wouldn't blow up in his face.

"Right." It was odd how good it felt to talk to this mean, even after all the bad shit that has gone down between them... "I'm squirtin' the shit I have over to you, is the line secure on your end?

"Yep, got a wunderkid to make sure... and Saber?" the question was asked in a lighter tone making Dussack's guts crawl with all sorts of implications.

"Yeah?" he replied curtly.

"It was good to see your mug, even if I still have the urge to smash it to pieces. Make sure you get back in one piece, so I can try this in person... I get this feeling you're once again up to some insane shit."

"I'll try my best partner... I owe you one. Saber out."

He sent the data, then cut the line... the nausea was back in full force. He could barely lift his head, so he just laid back on the pier and let the sound of waves soothe his bruised mind. He couldn't help but grin as he heard the tac-tac of stilettos. Leblanc's icy stare concealed a raging inferno... I've won this round... bitch.

His smile froze in place as his eyes once again focused on the world around him... the French Johnson was carrying Sandman in her arms, legs dangling, head lolling. Blood was seeping out of the heavily cybered solo's ears, nose and eyes as if she just suffered severed decompression.

According the doodle you're all free at this moment, so please get on Skype ASAP!

Dussack threw the question right back. "How would you go about it, kid?"

The solo seemed a tad preoccupied and there were new worry lines on his face, brow knit in concentration as if he was still thinking about something unpleasant.

"Sorry, didn't meant to be so flippant about it."

Plopping down into an armchair by the sofa, he rubbed his face, as if to brush away whatever trouble was tormenting him and looked at the young Runner straight in the eye.

"Actually, going through this step by step might be a good exercise for you. What's out primary objective?"

OK, since most of you voted, it seems like we have a window that's good for most of you. We're going to delay an hour or two compared to the very start of the window to make sure everyone shows up.

We'll have an IM session at 16:00 (4 pm), GMT.
If you have trouble knowing when that is in your local time, use the Doodle:

http://doodle.com/h2n883caxk6gpqza

1. Set it to GMT (Greenwich Meant Time)
2. Note where the appointed time is. (3rd green column from the left in the big window)
3. Set it to you local time.
4. Check when you'll have to show up.

We'll use the Shadowrun RP group on Skype.

If you have any trouble with Skype, use this link and me and littleRED will try and help you get it resolved.

irc://#FAKKU-SR@irc.rizon.net.

My take is, you're just watching way too much shounen and harem shit. Those pander to young male boys and adolescents and are typically very patriarchal in their nature.

Compare those to some shoujo works, or better yet seinen. Granted, all in all anime and manga tends to be patriarchal as they are created by a society which still has very strong patriarchal mores.

However like all things, that's changing. Not all anime and manga are like that... though frankly I'd say we'd regressed somewhat since the '80. Back then you had a lot more strong female leads and heroines.

Gunbuster, Iczer-1, Vampire Princess Miyu... nowadays strong female leads are rarer. They're not gone though. Take Studio I.G's Lagrange for instance where all three protagonists are girls and while they do have some cute, appealing mannerisms the show has been surprisingly restrained and showed them as well rounded personalities who stand on their own.

PS.: Ecole du Ciel is a Gundam manga with a female lead.

Posted a second chapter. Since a lot of readers probably don't bother to read the Shadowrun RP thread, I thought I'd do them a service and post the follow up here too.

In other news, the game has been really plodding as of late. My PC and NPCs always getting the spotlight can't be any fun for you guys.

I think we need to discuss a few things, like what your characters want to do and what ideas you have about solving the difficulties the party faces. I've created a Doodle Poll, to find a suitable timeslot. Make sure you vote what time(s) you can be online!

We could either use Skype (as some of you already do) or IRC. if you're not familiar with IRC clients, I've created this link that'll connect you using a web-based client (Mibbit):

irc://#FAKKU-SR@irc.rizon.net.

---

Bottomline: Whether this IM session comes through or not, start discussing things! You're not playing a computer game, you'll have to take a pro-active role here if you want to achieve something.

If you're unsure, than feel free to ask! It's part of the GM's job to describe the world to you and answer any question your character would know naturally. It's also better to discuss stuff with other players ahead of time, so you don't have to post a dozen messages just to have a conversation.

The site's back up, though the content is still missing, probably being restored as we speak.

Excuse me, but you have no idea what you are talking about. Wattage only tells how much juice the charger can supply. If you want to take out more, the voltage will drop and you won't get it. If you take less, then it will only supply as much as you are using and efficiency will likely suffer, but it won't cause any problems.

OK, so what can kill an electric/electronic device connected to a charger?

1. Surge. If the charger doesn't have surge protection than a surge from the mainline can fry your device. This could be caused by various things, but can be as mundane as your neighbor turning on their fridge or vacuum.

2. Noise. If the charger doesn't provide "clean enough" power (the current keeps wavering, hence it has "noise" when viewed on an oscilloscope) it can also damage whatever devices are connected to it.

3. Incompatible voltage with your device. If the voltage from the charger is higher than what your device was designed for that can also fry your device.

Any program with good layer management should facilitate screen toning, as most of the time tones are just cut/inserted.

If you haven't used photoshop yet, I recommend GIMP as it's a free alternative that can do pretty much the same. The greatest complaint against GIMP is that it's not (just like) Photoshop and the greatest hurdle against is usage is that you need to invest a similar amount of effort to learn its interface. People who already learned PS usually won't do this.

The only sign of Dussacks furious thoughts were the slight narrowing of his eyes. In a corner of his vision, image-in-image, the call that turned the night elf's life upside-down played. Damn... That's some nasty shit... I wonder how he was tracked down to begin with..

But that'd have to wait. For now he had to assume the assassin was compromised. He pinged Sandy:
>Fang's compromised. I'm bringing up the rear, you'll have to be the pincer.
There wasn't time for more, as the elevator pinged and they were already at the top.

He pretended to dally a bit shifting the paramedic on his shoulders, so Shadowfang left the cabin with the other guy first. He motioned for Rudy to take the rear with Charon.

"This was a rather eventful day..."

"Uh-hum." - came the non-concomitant reply. They stepped through the threshold.

"So, what was so urgent you had to leave your post without notice?" came the question from the shorter solo, as the door closed behind them. In front of the night-elf, Sandman stepped into the foyer.

Dussack dropped the paramedic, by the time the body hit the floor, the Colt was already conjured into his hand and trained on the elf.