Hello all. The youtube channel, Kiyoko&Kanade are currently hosting a 3 part ASMR competition, with one of the divisions being for script writers (deadline June 21 [see their youtube channel community tab for more details]).
Because of this, I plan to write a lot more. And as a consequence of that, I plan to share my script entries here, because why not? I hope you enjoy it!
Side note - this script is okay for monetization.
Synopsis It's your first day at a magical university, and before you can get started attending classes and making friends, you have to take a special course in "Vampire History and Ethics." That's right, your a "vampire," the only human one in your class-- but what that word (vampire) means, and what you actually are, are two entirely different things. That is why this class exists, it's meant to teach you the truth about vampires, and make you aware of all the resources the university has prepared for you.
[Sound of general chatter]
[Sound of heeled footsteps as chatter continues]
Instructor: (Clap of hands) Attention, please. May I have your attention?
[General chatter quiets down] [Brief Pause]
Professor E: Excellent. It would seem that I am rather fortunate this year, to receive a group of well mannered students such as yourselves. I half expected you to try talking over me just now. Shame on me for my school-fostered pessimism (said cheerfully). Now then, onto introductions... My name, is Elaina Andrei Cojocaru, and as you may have guessed, I have the unique privelage of being your "Vampiric History and Protozeal Ethics" Professor, this year. It is a pleasure to meet you all.
[Applause]
Professor E: Oh goodness, all of you really are well mannered. Please stop, I know I gave a little half bow just now, but that's no cause for such a warm reception. Oh, curse my formalities, and these cherry cheeks.
[Soft laughter.]
Professor E: (Clearing her throat) Right then, as I've said, I'll be one of your primary Professors for the entirety of this year. And I'll be checking in with you all, regularly, for any additional years you choose to spend at Amortis University. Now, can anyone tell me why that is...?
[Brief pause]
Professor E: Yes; you there, in the back!
[Brief pause]
Professor E: (Sighing) No, young man, it is not because you're all "freaks." And for the record, please know that I am no different from any of you. Why, I still remember the days I spent, sitting where you are now; listening to my own Vampire instructor as he gave this exact same orientation. But I'll save that story for another time. So please, anyone? Can anyone tell me why you're all here?
[Brief pause]
Professor E: That's right, miss. The reason why you're all here, is because you have all been afflicted with the genetic disease most know today as "Vampirism." And as such, you all require additonal tutelage before you're allowed to go out and socialize with your fellow classmates.
[Brief Pause]
Professor E: Yes, dear, that is why none of you were permitted to attend the official orientation in the Campus Square. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry you were denied that. I know how frustrating it can be, to be told that you're no different from anyone else, only to be treated like a leper at every opportunity. That used to drive me up the wall. But-- that's why I studied to become a teacher, and why I volunteered to teach this class, it's because I wanted to be there for those who would experience the same things that I did. I wanted to be there for them, in the ways I wished someone was there for me. And speaking of...
[A few heeled footsteps sound] [Sound of a drawer being pulled out] [Sound of jingling keys]
Professor E: I knew that none of us would be attending the formal get together in the Campus Square. So I took the liberty of... procuring one of the Headmaster's vehicles, along with one of the company credit cards.
[Brief Pause]
Professor E: Why did I do that? Well, so we could throw our own party, of course! There's a demi-human diner only a few blocks away, and the sweets they serve are out of this world! It's normally quiet later in the evening, especially on weekdays, so nothing is stopping us from showing up in full force; and downing enough deserts to put us all in a sugary coma!
[Hoots and hollers]
Proffessor E: Shush, evryone! Shush! Please keep it down. You're going to get us caught-- and me fired! (Said with glee)
[Quiet giggling]
Professor E: Alrighty then, since it seems like we're all in agreement for later tonight, and since the spirits of those in the room have been largely lifted, I think it's about time we delve into our first lesson. Lights, please!
[Light switch being flipped] [Heeled footsteps] [Projector being turned on and running]
Professor E: (Clearing throat) To begin our lesson, I would like to take a closer look at the official name of this class. And that is...?
[Brief Pause]
Professor E: Correct, Mr. Brutus; "Vampiric History and Protozeal Ethics." Now, what do you all think these words mean...? Anyone...? Besides Mr. Brutus.
[Brief Pause]
Professor E: That's right, Miss Nadia, this class is meant to teach you the history of Vampires; and how we, their offpsring, are to conduct ourselves in a civilized society. So to start our trek into the past, why don't we begin with the world's very first recorded "Vampire." Lord Dracula himself!
[Clicker clicking] [Concerned whispers]
Professor E: Oh my, all of you seem so utterly bewildered. What ever is the matter? (Said sarcastically)
[Brief Pause]
Professor E: That's right, Mr. Ryuji, the picture on the screen isn't that of a distinguished, elderly man, but that of a petite young woman; whose beauty I would liken to a porcelan doll's. What of it? (Sarcastic and sassy)
[Brief Pause]
Professor E: (Chuckling) As fate would have it, Mr. Ryuji, this is Count Dracula; or rather, Countess. Allow me to introduce you all to our true progenitor. The singular human being from which all Vampire kind is derived... Lady Valentina Matei Parvu... the first being in recorded history to have ever suffered from "The Curse of Parvu," a.k.a. "The Vampar Curse," a.k.a. "Vampirism."
[Brief Pause]
Professor E: I see that we're all more than a little smitten with our Lady. Does anyone have anything they'd like to say?
[Brief Pause]
Professor E: Other than the fact that our Countess was very pretty, Miss Selica (small giggle)
[Brief Pause]
Professor E: Ah, That is a very good question, Mr. Tempus! How did the world confuse the image of this dainty little thing, with that of the imposing, amorous, and chiseled figure that is Count Dracula-- an image which the world of fiction deeply reveres? Well... the answer to that, lies with the failings of recorded history. As stories are chronicled and passed down, first hand accounts often yield to modern superstitions and hearsay, and this in turn-- makes recountings of historic events about as credible as modern tabloids. Very few ancient historians are actually worth their renown, and even then, these same historians largely concerned themselves with events that happened locally; meaning the stories of the rest of the world quietly passed them by, more often than not. Luckily for us, Lady Parvu was a countess of a noble house, so her story and her struggles managed to find their way to us; by way of her family albums and her own personal diary.
[Sound of a clicker clicking] [Sound of the projector moving to the next slide]
Professor E: As far as her family albums are concerned... here we can see Lady Valentina Parvu being held by her mother, Lady Ileana Parvu, after just being born in a mountainside manor, on the eve of May 26, 1897. Lord Caius Parvu, Valentina's father-- whom we can see on the right, was the head of the Parvu clan; making Valentina, his first and only child, his sole successor.
[Sound of a clicker clicking] [Sound of the projector moving to the next slide]
Professor E: The Parvu's were an ancient magus family, and as one of the biggest magical clans known to history, Lady Valentina should have inherited a life of wealth, decadence, and leisure.
[Sound of a clicker clicking] [Sound of the projector moving to the next slide]
Professor E: Sadly, as we can see in this slide here, Lady Valentina was born with a sickly and frail body, leaving her bedridden most of the time; and hobbling around on a cane every other waking moment. Lady Ileana and Lord Caius chocked all of this up to general misfortune at first. They just saw it as "one of those things" that was outside of their control, and that Valentina would just have to learn to live with. However, all of this changed when Valentina turned 18. And her condition took an unexpected turn for the worse.
[Sound of a clicker clicking] [Sound of the projector moving to the next slide]
Professor E: The man in the cloak that we see standing over Valentina here, is the Arch Mage: Augustus Von Draconis; he was a sage with wisdom beyond his many years, and he was a personal friend of Lord Caius. So when Valentina collapsed from a fever during her birthday dinner, Augustus was summoned to help her. After launching a series of investigative spells, Augustus learned what we all recognize today as common knowledge; that those who suffer from "Vampirism" have bodies that are incapable of properly harnessing mana. And this in turn, can lead to a myriad of chronic physical ailments, as mana is integral to proper bodily function.
[Sound of a clicker clicking] [Sound of the projector moving to the next slide]
Professor E: In Valentina's case, "Vampirism" left her with an incredibly frail body, a ghostly pale complection, and horrendus eyesight. Fun fact-- Most of the tropes we have today regarding "Vampire weaknesses," are actually derived from misconceptions stemming from Lady Valentina's behavior. For example: Most people think that Vampires will die if exposed to sunlight, and thus, they have to avoid it. But as I've just said, "Vampirism" gave Valentina a ghostly pale complection-- along with terrible vision, meaning prolonged exposure to the sun would make her eyes hurt; and her skin, burn.
[Brief Pause]
Professor E: Hm? Oh, yes; that is why all of us are either wearing glasses, or very unique contacts. The bodily ailments that come with "Vamprisim" are usually passed down from parent to child; so chances are... if Lady Valentina had it, so will all of us. And as an added note, after reading Lady Valentina's diary in depth, I discovered that she had a very fierce loathing for her appearance; a kind of pre-historic body dysmorphia, if you will. She disliked her looks so much, she actively removed all mirrors from her room. So... if you ever wondered where the concept "Vampires don't show up in mirrors" came from... or if you ever wondered why you find it hard to appreciate your own reflection-- well, Lady Valentina is probably responsible for that, too. But we should finish going through all of Valentina's family albums before we get to her diary.
[Sound of a clicker clicking] [Sound of the projector moving to the next slide]
Professor E: Getting back to Valentina's birthday disaster, Augustus tried all types of healing magic and anti-curse magic to help Valentina, as he believed an outside source was impairing her ability to absorb magic. He only realized that her affliction was genetic, and not heretic, after giving her an elixir that was meant to replenish one's mana. Funnily enough, Lady Valentina nearly ripped Augusts' arm off, in an attempt to snatch the bottle out of his hand, after taking a mere sip of its contents. Her sudden burst of strength, and ravenous consumption of the magical brew, prompted more and more elixir to be brought in for her. And after the span of an hour, Lady Valentina had consumed more than a gallons worth of potion, before finally passing out due to exhaustion.
[Sound of a clicker clicking] [Sound of the projector moving to the next slide]
Professor E: This might have caused some of us to panic; but Augustus, ever the sage and alchemist, was able to think through the chaos, enough to see that Valentina was finally breathing normally and that her fever had broken. The picture we see here is Augustus comforting Valentina's startled parents, as several maids settle Valentina back into bed.
[Sound of a clicker clicking] [Sound of the projector moving to the next slide]
Professor E: Armed with this new knowledge of Valentina's condition, Augustus worked with her, day and night, in order to help her manage her symptoms-- while he secretly looked for a cure. Unfortunately, none of the magic in the world, nor a philosopher's stone, could reverse what fate had done to Valentina. But even so, Valentina did not lose heart, and neither did her parents. And as we see here, not only were Valentina's parents ready to do anything and everything to help her, they were even the very first people that Valentina fed on. Which is why we see Valentina noming on her father's arm in this picture, and her mother's neck in this picture. Now, for those of you wondering why Valentina would even resort to feeding...
[Sound of a clicker clicking] [Sound of the projector moving to the next slide]
Professor E: As we can see in this diagram here, a Mana Elixir actually contains little to no mana in and of itself. It's primary purpose is to help the consumer's body absorb external mana, with the little mana it does contain only serving as a means to "kickstart" that process. In contrast, when a Vampire feeds off of another living being, the fluid that enters into their mouths is 100% pure liquid mana, or Aetheron, for those Alchemy Majors amongst us. This is why Valentina consumed large volumes of the Mana Elixir on her 18th birthday, and it's why Vampires feed off of other beings to this day. It is simply more efficient. And speaking of feeding, I think it's time we get on to the Protozeal Ethics portion of our discussion today.
[Sound of a clicker clicking] [Sound of the projector moving to the next slide]
Professor E: Society has many different opinions regarding the act of Feeding, but thankfully for us, the information contained on these slides is irrefutable fact. So if you didn't already know... Vampires don't actually drink blood, as we so often see in books or television. What actually happens is an extremely complicated, bio-magical transmutation process, that Alchemists the world over are still trying to replicate. But to put it as simply as I can, the abnormally elongated canines of a Vampire, or their quote/unqote "fangs," if your a normie-- act as polaric constructs that draw mana to them. When a "Vampire" bites down on a person, their fangs draw magic particles out of their prey's body, and then force those particles to condensate inside the Vampires mouth; creating a liquid the Vampire can then drink. And because all liquids containing mana have a propensity to turn red; it is easy to see how, from a distance, people may be lead to believe that "Vampires" consume blood. Which is a totally disgusting notion, by the way.
[Sound of a clicker clicking] [Sound of the projector moving to the next slide]
Professor E: In feeding off of living beings, Vampires are given a kind of repreive from their bodily ailments. I'm sure all of you have experienced this yourselves, at one time or another, so I won't go into too much detail; but for the sake of the curriculum, allow me to just say that feeding makes a Vampire stronger, faster, more resilient, and just healthier overall. Though we still suffer from things like poor eyesight and/or easily damaged skin, no matter how much we feed. Remeber, "Vampirism" is a chronic, genetic condition; not an illness that can be cured.
[Sound of a clicker clicking] [Sound of the projector moving to the next slide]
Professor E: And speaking of "Incurables" (sigh) I now have the distinct displeasure of telling you all how others might pervert the feeding process.
[Sound of a clicker clicking] [Sound of the projector moving to the next slide]
Professor E: As most of you can imagine, it would be incredibly problematic if a Vampire's prey ran away from them before a feeding, or if they fought back as a Vampire was consuming their mana... And as if in response to this dilemma, the bodies of Vampires naturally adapted themselves, in order to provide a solution... Put succintly, a Vampire's bite is known to generate intense waves of Euphoria, and other such emotions, in the person being bitten. Leaving little motivation for anyone to resist having their mana taken.
[Sound of a clicker clicking] [Sound of the projector moving to the next slide]
Professor E: On the surface, this seems like a good thing. The Vampire gets to feed, and provide essential nutrients to their ailing body; while their prey gets to feel good whilst donating some of their excess mana. Everyone wins. Or at least, that's what you would expect... (Deep sigh)... But unfortunately, there are many individuals out there who would take advantage of the effects of a Vampire bite. Using it to block out the pain of their lives, or introduce a new kind of stimulus to it. This is part of the reason why Vampires aren't allowed to attend the formal Freshman Orientation. It isn't only because we all need to learn when and where to feed, but rather, it's because we need to learn that others may entice us to feed of off them, in accordance with their own selfish desires... Please, don't let anyone make a tool out of you. Especially those who claim to be your friends. I know it might be hard to hear that, and even harder to follow through on, so please know that my door is always open; If you ever need to talk. The scheduled office hours on my door be damned. If you need me, I'll be there. I Promise.
[Sound of a clicker clicking] [Sound of the projector moving to the next slide]
Professor E: (Sigh of relief) And, that should about do it for our first lecture. Thank you all so much for your patience and attention. I'd like to open the floor now for any questions that you may have.
[Brief Pause]
Professor E: Yes; you, near the window.
[Brief Pause]
Professor E: Ah, an astute question. For those of you who didn't hear, Miss Seren asked why demi-humans of all kinds can end up as Vampires. If you take a look around the room yourselves, you can see that we actually have demis of all kinds in attendance here today. Mr Brutus is a Minotaur. Miss Nadia is a Scylla. Mr. Ryuji is a Dragonborn, Mr. Tempus is a Shifter. Miss Selica is a Harpy. And Miss Seren herself is a Gorgon. We all come from different magical lineages, and this in turn, might cause an uninformed person to think that Vampirism is transferrable. But as we have already discussed, Vampirism stems from genetics, so any species that has a history of reproducing with humans, has a chance of siring Vampire children. Hmm... now that I've mentioned humans, I have to ask, do we... have any in this class? Cause I don't think I we do.
[Chairs shuffling]
Professor E: Oh, I see a hand! There you are, you sneaky little thing, hiding behind Mr. Brutus like that. No, no-- don't be shy. I know that, as an Arachnid, my form may be a bit imposing; but I promise, the yellow stripes on my body are meant to scare away predators, not you-- precious. In fact, since you're the only human here, why don't you come up to the front and introduce yourself?
[Brief Pause]
Professor E: Oh, there's no need to be nervous. I'll have everyone introduce themselves at some point today, but since you're a human, and can weave through the various desks with ease, I think it makes sense to have you come to the front to make your introduction. That way, everyone can see you clearly, without having to try and peer behind Mr. Brutus.
[soft chuckling]
Professor E: You don't think you're that insteresting? Nonsense! As the only human vampire here, you must have a strong connection to Lady Valentina's bloodline. Why, I would wager that you have direct ties to one or more of the ancient magus families, making you arcanic nobility.
[Brief Pause]
Professor E: You're not sure? Well, how about this; you come up to the front and introduce yourself, and I promise to figure out the rest. Deal?
[Brief Pause]
Professor E: Yes, sweet thing; this is me volen-telling you to get up here, in the nicest way I know how (cheerful giggle).
[Brief Pause]
Professor E: That's the spirit! Let's get a big round of applause for our brave new freshman!
[Round of applause]
Professor E: (Whispering in Listener's ear) Sorry not sorry for the round of applause. When I saw how red you were getting up, I couldn't help myself, I had to tease you; even if only a little. Forgive me later... (Audibly, for the class) Now then, sweetpea, why don't you tell us what your name is, and what noble house of mages you belong to?
[END]

For the True Anatomy by Claire Massey
Published and excerpted from Murmurations: An Anthology of Uncanny Stories About Birds (2011) edited by Nicholas Royle

Her dad had a rucksack with a pocket for everything, but he'd forgotten to bring the map. He didn't tell them until they were out on the moor. Annie was running round in circles, jumping over sheep muck, and screeching and flapping her arms like wings.
'Will you stop it?'
'Scrawk.'
'Stop it.'
'Sarah, leave Annie alone.' Her mum had stopped to unwrap a bar of Chocolate-Covered Kendal Mint Cake.
'I'm sure it's definitely this way.' Her dad pointed to a path that stretched on through more unremarkable grass before dipping out of sight.
A sharp wind hit her in the face as she turned to follow. Annie hurtled ahead, arms still outstretched.
The first skeleton was right beside the path. Annie stuck her trainer into the ribcage. 'What is it, Dad?'
'A bird, I think.'
'But there's no beak, Dad.' Annie was still prodding at it with a scuffed toe.
She yanked on Annie's cagoule, pulling her backwards, away from the bones. 'How could there be a beak? There's no skull, stupid.'
The second skeleton was more fragmented. A solitary rib arched from the grass. After that, skeletons seemed to litter their path like markers – even when they'd left the dirt track to cross a field, taking what was supposed to be a shortcut. Each one was stripped of its flesh and feathers. Some had bones that looked like old leather, twisted and pliant. Others were bleached and riven with fine cracks like porcelain. None had skulls.
* * *
The bubbles looked like strange growths on her feet. She plunged her heels back into the water and let her head slip beneath the surface, tangled her fingers in her hair. When she emerged she heard a creaking sound: the top drawer in her room being opened. She jumped up into the steam-misted air and wrapped herself in a towel.
Her mum was pulling handfuls of feathers from the top drawer and stuffing them into a Sainsbury's carrier bag.
'Mum.' Water dripped from her skin and made small thuds on the rough carpet.
'Sarah, this is ridiculous. Why didn't you tell me?'
'Mum, don't.'
'We're here for a week. You need to unpack.'
'It's OK. I'm not bothered about –'
'I'm going to have to complain. I know they said they hadn't had much time to clean up between the last guest leaving and us arriving but this is ridiculous.' Her agitated hands were downy, tiny white plumes stuck in the creases of her palms. 'And why would someone do this? Why would they?'
'It's OK, Mum. I'll empty it.'
'Fine.' She wiped her hands on her jeans, freeing feathers to the air. 'Fine. Just make sure you do. And put the bag straight in the bin outside.'
The carrier big was half-full but it felt like it had nothing in it. She pushed the door to and waited till she could hear her mum's voice raised over the sound of the telly upstairs. There was now a bare patch in one corner of the top drawer, revealing a fragment of a drawing on the paper at the bottom. She put the carrier bag down and pressed more feathers aside, uncovering a diagram of a small bird skeleton. She shifted the feathers around: there were numerous diagrams and illustrations laid out. They looked like photocopies from textbooks. There were skeletons with wings outstretched. Disembodied wings. Small lizards with wings. There were pictures of fossils that showed wings with claws and feathers etched into stone. One image showed a crouched human skeleton with a bird's skull. Another showed a bird skeleton with a human skull. There was a note handwritten underneath it: 'For the True Anatomy – Early Bird. Barry Cleavin, 1976.' The human skull was perfectly aligned with the bird's neck. The white bones of the body looked like they were in motion on the inky background, about to take off.
She tipped the contents of the carrier bag back into the drawer, obsucring the pictures. Then she sank to her knees to pick every stray feather from the carpet.
* * *
The play area, where her mum had demanded she take Annie, turned out to be a swing and a sandpit behind the barn. She sat on the swing and dug her heels into the ground. It was freezing. Stark blue sky rose above the barn's red corrugated roof. She watched her breath make clouds as Annie plunged her hands into the old earthernware sink that had been commandeered for sand.
'I wish I had a bucket.'
'Shut up.'
Annie whimpered and pulled her hands from the sand.
'What is it now?'
'There's something sharp near the bottom.'
'Well, don't put your hands in there, then.'
Annie pushed her hands back beneath the surface.
'Why are you doing that?'
'Because I want to know what it is.'
'No, let me do it.' She jumped from the swing and pulled her gloves off.
The sand was damp. She ground her fingers into it until she touched something hard and smooth – a shell, perhaps, but the contours weren't right. She prodded and tugged, the weight of sand making every movement arduous. Finally, she dragged the skull free by its beak.
'I'm telling Mum.' Annie ran in the direction of the cottage. 'Mum! Mum!'
The skull was yellowed, the colour of old paper. Sand tumbled from its crevices and pooled in the dirt between her boots. She looked into the eyeless sockets and prised the beak apart to extract its crumpled, ink-stained secret.
'This way, Mum.' Annie's voice bounced ahead of her through the cold air.
'Sarah? Sarah, what is that you've got there?'
The paper softened on her tongue. As it disintergrated she felt her arms lift a little at her sides.

FLAGGED FOR INVESTIGATION AND SECURITY RESTRICTED
Account from the squad leader of SH'azz squad on advanced long range assault scout mission in the Tz'urgal system. 3rd moon of the 3rd planet in system. Colony of "Deltamist" pirates.
Race: Inagoor, who are known as separatists. Noted for high crimes to include piracy, kidnapping, smuggling, murders and assassinations.
This is the true, and unredacted, original account.
SEC level set as Black 8 tier 12 restricted.
Account reads:

Journal log entry: T'zk 72:31 G'az 8
2nd leader, Expeditionary Assault Scouts: SH'azz squad.
We landed the stealth assault class (S.A.C) skiff 12 mektreks* from the pirate settlement with the determination to make final approach on claw, and from under cover of night with full stealth masking knowing that the Inagoor would easily spot the mirage haze and light warping of our stealth fields during the day. The gravity of the moon is comparable to ours, if slightly less, so it seemed like it would be an easy trek. I determined that only 2 rest stops would be needed instead of three. Our landing distance assisting in our stealth attempt, and thus adding to our chances of successful surprise attack.
Our intel determined that the pirates had recently raided the Tau shipping lanes, and had taken hostages for the purposes of ransom and slave sales. Our unit was tasked with forward observation and intel gathering of the pirates before termination of their operation, and to report all intel direct to command via secured subspace micro-pulse.
The Flora and Fauna scans determined that this moon was a Class 4 temperate world with no signs of natural life forms rated as sentient.
At our first predetermined rest location we discovered a burn mark cutting a path through the foliage as though a small vessel of some kind had made a controlled emergency landing. Scanners indicated that the craft was emitting power output signals, and was only a short distance from our location. We proceeded to rest and recuperate under the cover of the stealth fields with both live, and drone perimeter guards for security. The rest cycle was extended to insure that the guards could rotate so that all were rested and ready. I had decided that the investigation of the small craft could wait until after our main mission was complete when one of our forward scout drones sent my linkpad some images flagged for immediate review.
The images were of an Inagoor corpse. It was...dismembered. Torn limb from limb and the barrel chested, fur covered torso had chunks ripped out of it. (Images in file listed SET 1) The closeups of the
torso showed that the gaping rents and holes were not impact points of a projectile weapon nor were they of a beam, or energy weapon. No charring of flesh or fur, and no melting or blast marks on their suits armor plating. It simply looked as though an appendage had been grabbed and pulled off. The armor, as well as the flesh underneath, was simply torn off of the main corpse. The dismembered limbs were in the same condition, and save one other notable clue which was that there were obvious "gripping points" where the armor was crushed, and the bone beneath these areas was pulverized. The Inagoor's infra Red pulse rifle was found partially embedded in the trunk of a tree. Its "combat rated" frame had been crushed and wadded up as though it was a piece of waste paper. Its power cell was ruptured and leaking. The scout drone had marked it as a hazard zone out to 30 pace lengths and labeled as "lethal chemical hazard". I informed my second in command, and we reviewed the images together. He was as dumbfounded as I. What native beast could have done this kind of damage to powered assault armor?
(Addendum:)
The Drone was unable to locate the Inagoor's head in the immediate area.
(Addendum ends:)
My second and I resolved to scout this issue as a priority. We did not want to engage our current mission only to have an unknown element interfere and compromise mission success. As per command prerogative, I shared the drones information with the rest of the squad personnel, and reformed mission parameters around this element. Mission AI rated a 92% agreement with my assessment. Well within command parameters. We arrived at the location of the drones discovery in 4 hours. Our visors highlighted the chemical hazard of the leaking power module, and its set perimeter was also highlighted by our personal visor AI, and we all gave it a wide berth. The Inagoor was indeed scattered everywhere as the drones images had relayed with one exception. The smell was horrendous, and sickening. The stench of the Inagoor's "parts" indicated that it had been killed only 2 day/night rotations ago, and already some sort of fungus growth had begun to creep into the strewn dismembered parts and pieces. On every life bearing world, nature always has a cleanup crew. On closer examination of the "parts" we determined that the only explanation of this incident was that some creature had simply grabbed the Inagoor and ripped him apart, flinging the pieces in random directions in the process. The Inagoor's armor was their combat rated class, which is their equivalent to our front line infantry armor, powered of course. It was just torn apart as if it was a Tk'turka wedding veil. Armor that can withstand a pulse from an infra Red rifle at close range, or the puncture of a ballistic needler at point blank range had been torn apart, as if it were made of nothing sturdier than plant filament.
The grip points visible on the appendages did indeed look squeezed/crushed, and the separation points showed signs of literally being "pulled" apart. Not cut. Not chopped, but PULLED apart. The Inagoor are from level 9 temperate worlds and are thus pretty tough, and considered very strong even to a majority of other sentient species. Yet something far, FAR, stronger just pulled them apart. My visor AI showed the majority of my squad running "weapon ready" checks, and a few more scout drones were tossed into the air to begin new stealth patrols.
It wasn't long before another Inagoor corpse was found in the direction of the unidentified craft that
had "seemingly" crash landed.
This Inagoor's corpse was simply pinned to a tree. Its back was against the trunk, and the Inagoor's pulse rifle was pushed through its torso and into the tree trunk thus pinning it a pace off of the ground. Whatever creature did this to the Inagoor, had used the butt of the rifle to penetrate completely through the Inagoor's chest cavity, and further into the tree trunk, thus pinning the Inagoor. My visor AI noted more "Weapons Ready Checks" as well as one of the newer members of the squad using a dose of Stimcalm. My visor AI noted the dose as well within regulation, and I chose to flag it for review for his after mission performance evaluation. (Noted in File marked VA1. attached) I was actually considering using a dose of Stimcalm myself, as my second reoriented the stealth drones to a new scout pattern. Rather than taking the stim I began reviewing database information for "nearest Deathworld locations” from current location, and the AI promptly informed me that none were reachable within a standard week of FTL travel at NOK* 6 speed. I relayed this information to my second, and he reciprocated with a listing of the most dangerous lifeforms on this moon. None were capable of this level of violence by orders of magnitude.
I also noted that there were many burn holes in the vegetation in this area. Obviously the discharge of the pulse rifle was futile in halting the violence that occurred even if the Inagoor had made direct hits. The updated drone orientation revealed a new element to this mystery soon after. The visor alert from the drone was not unexpected, but still caught me off guard. I opened up the video footage, and saw a scene of carnage that staggered my rational mind. Many, MANY Inagoor corpses were strewn about a small clearing in the vegetation. All of them were not merely killed but ripped apart and scattered just like the first corpse we encountered. I am not ashamed to admit that I was so visibly sickened that my second inquired as to my health and mental state. As is my command authority to do so I relayed the drones footage to him. Then I too, took a regulation dosage of Stimcalm. As is noted in the file attached I also ordered my second to share the footage from the drone to the rest, and pre-authorized them to also take a regulation dose of Stimcalm, IF they felt they needed it after reviewing the drones footage.
Upon closer examination of the footage we could see the "fin" of a craft sticking up from the other side of a nearby hill. The site of the visceral carnage was a short distance from the crafts resting position. I, and my second reviewed the footage a few more times, and weighed the pros and cons of sending the drone over the rise, and within full sight of the downed vessel. I came to the conclusion that the possible loss of a stealth drone was far less costly, and far more prudent, than the loss than a squad member, and so I authorized the reroute. What the drone showed us next was intriguing to say the least.
The drone's path was kept slow and close to the foliage line so as not to expose too much of a blur signature, but, as it came into line of sight of our objective we saw that the craft was indeed, of some strange alien design. Its structure and air frame looked almost completely undamaged. Boxy though, and clumsy in appearance it had long airfoils sticking out from its sides and a tall one sticking straight up from its reatail. An enormous alien who was twice our height and bipedal was working on some component in an opened hatch in the side of the craft, and there were other aliens assisting it. A Craxx was handing it a tool of some kind, and a Piryllek was holding some illumination device next to it so that the enormous alien could see what it was doing. A Moorkha, with its brightly colored feathers, was working with a blue-green scaled Sithys. Together, they were making preparations for a meal of some sort. A black furred Glerff suddenly stood on its hind legs and looked straight at the drone. its yellow feather-patterned antennae quivering. We had been spotted!
The aliens that we could name registered in the operational AI as the abductees from the afore mentioned recent raids on the shipping lanes, and when the Glerff alerted the others they all stopped what they were doing, and started chattering wildly at the giant, who then reached for some sort of computational device and began fiddling with it. It did not look as the giant was concerned overly, but, simply curious. The suit it was wearing was scorched in many areas, and the hide that showed through the holes in its clothing was light brown with red splotches. These were definitely wound sites on the unidentified alien. If these were the wounds suffered from the infra Red pulse rifle fire, then they likely only caused this creature some mild irritation and inconvenience. Its face was hairy, as was its head, and the left mandible, hair burned away was swollen and blistered. A pulse rifle shot to his face perhaps? There were obvious signs of it being shot all over it’s limbs and torso, and yet it was still alive and breathing? Impossible! What was this thing?
It was apparent from the drone video that this alien was over twice our height. It stood head and shoulders taller than the Moorkha, and with triple its mass. The Moorkha quieted the others, and began cooing at the giant, making a visible sign to breathe deeply and calmly while stroking the giants fore appendages and digits, as we witnessed this process via the live feed. The fur above one of its ocular organs (it had 2, side by side, and front facing.) rose a bit but it otherwise seemed to relax and looked in the direction of the drone that the Glerff was still pointing at.
Based on this evidence I chose to drop the cloak on the drone and send it slowly to the Glerff as it was the closest. When the drone was within verbal communication distance I sent my voice through the drone to introduce myself.
"I am Ak'kik. Leader of SH'azz squad. We have come to investigate, and rescue you and your fellow abductees. Do you require assistance?", I said with as much authority in my tone as I am capable of. "Most assuredly Ak'kik, though we are no longer in danger thanks to our new friend that rescued us. Although I do not believe that he did so intentionally. The pirates that abducted us attacked it as soon as it’s craft crash landed. The pirates made the mistake of shooting it. That failed to kill it, and only made it angry. When they persistently kept shooting it, it subsequently became enraged." The Glerff shuddered, but seemed to regain control of its emotions quickly.
"The pirates are no more. The pirates that attempted to flee were pursued, and exterminated. The base the pirates held us in was likewise cleansed of the pirates by our rescuer. Our rescuer is very, very fast and very, very strong. Please do NOT shoot it. You would not survive should you do so. Also, it seems to be an omnivore. PLEASE! Do not anger it. I beg you!"
I responded with calm. "Please tell it that we will be there shortly and that we have no intentions of violence. We only wish to rescue the abductees."
"I can't." The Glerff replied quickly. "None of us speak its language and it does not know ours. We have no Data AI's to link to its technology to work out language algorithms. I think the aliens technology is also damaged. It keeps having to go to its’ ships control station to check for power readings.
Communicating with it has been a challenge, though oddly pleasant. It is quite patient and amenable, when it is not killing pirates in an excessively psychotic state. As terrified as I am of this creature, I cannot help but be curious about it. I am sure you will find it to be a pleasant, and respectful entity if you approach calmly, and with no hostility."
I thought for a moment. "Please try to keep it calm and we will try to make our approach as calmly, and respectfully as possible. We will endeavor at all costs, not provoke it."
"I should think not!" said the Glerff showing some alarm. “Since the extermination of the pirates I have personally observed it lifting enormous amounts of weight without strain. Seen it consume it’s rations which looked to be a combination of vegetable, AND meat with vigor. Much of which I am confirming was poisonous using an analyzer that once belonged to the pirates. The analyzer shows that some of its’ rations would be considered lethally poisonous to every species that I know of."
He held the analyzer screen to the drone for confirmation, as he continued speaking. "I am not an expert in the field of chemistry, so I would strongly suggest you scan whatever food he offers you before you eat it. Please note that refusing his "gift" of food does not insult him. Just hand it back to him if it is inedible, and then he will eat it himself."
The alien approached the drone that the Glerff was speaking to, and then picked up a silvery pouch from the makeshift table that the Moorkha was working over. It peeled the top off, and it ate the dark brown bar in 3 bites, then nodded to the drone, and went back to it’s repairs.
"What he just ate, by the way..." The Glerff said turning back to the drone. "...the analyzer states contains some alarming chemical chains. Theobromine, Phenylethylamine which look to be nearly lethal stimulants. Massive amounts of caffeine, Taurine, and Niacin as well. Oh dear, uh. By the nesting Gods! Leader Ak'kik, What it just ate could poison a small colony just on the amount of caffeine alone. But the amount of Capsaicin he just ate is even worse, FAR worse. PLEASE, please, refrain from angering it." he was still scanning the data in astonishment. "And, er, and this is most important, your weapons would be useless against it. It is incredibly fast, and can quite literally jump across this glade in a single bound. I think it came from a very high gravity planet. Maybe even a Deathworld. I vehemently recommend caution, and I strongly feel it necessary to reiterate, do NOT anger it, or incur its’ ire! Oh, and by the way, I did use the analyzer on it, it allowed me to do so, actually. the Analyzer data shows that there is probably nothing on this moon that it cannot eat, including us."
I replied, not through the drone this time as I was close enough in my approach that I no longer needed it. "Leader Ak'kik, at your service. Whom am I addressing?"
"Ah, apologies, I am professor Roonoomoo, and this is service master EEG'lix. That one there is Vorvert, and over there is D'rrr, and Higuv is just to the left of the table, and the two who are helping our rescuer are Woosk, and Rakk'n. It is a pleasure to meet you in return Leader Ak'kik."
"So you were saying some of the items on the table surface are actual foods that it eats? This is its’ food that it brought?" I said looking at the multitude of pouches and containers on the table.
“Oh yes. We made eating motions when we were trying to establish communications with it, to ask it for food, and he brought us this trove. He opened a package for us, and offered it, but, Woosk went into near panic when he saw that it was animal meat of some sort. After that he just spread everything out, and made a motion for us to inspect it for ourselves. All of us ate what the analyzer said was safe but that was not much of a variety. It turns out that there were only 2 packages all of us could eat. We saved the empty packages to show the alien what we ate once he is finished working. So that we do not risk angering it, you understand. Woosk and Rakk'n decided to offer what assistance they could after they ate, and have been doing so since then."
"May I be introduced to the alien now? I may have some tech that could help. If you will be so kind as to bring it here to us, as I would not want to trespass on its established area of operations, and be mistaken as hostile. We are obviously carrying weapons, and us approaching it...and its ship seems a questionable choice, at best."
"Very wise, Leader Ak'kik, I will see what I can do. I won't be but a moment. “Uh, er, you might want to hold on to that”, indicating the analyzer “and use it before you decide to touch anything on this table.", he said as he handed me the analyzer.
Professor Roonoomoo went to the alien ,and gently patted the joint in the middle of its lower appendage. The alien looked at professor Roonoomoo, who was pointing at us, and trying to explain us with hand signals and gestures, that we wished an introduction. When the alien looked at us we all, as a squad, showed it out empty hands as our weapons had been placed on the ground by our sides. it simply made a wave of one of its upper appendages, as if to say, “come here”. We approached with our empty hands plainly visible. As we approached it, it knelt. Not in surrender, or in supplication, but rather to level our mutual eye line. I realized that it was making an attempt to be polite.
I SLOWLY patted a stow pouch on my utility harness, and it nodded as though it seemed to understand, and motioned me to proceed. I held out the translator AI slate, "TAIS" and it took it, and then touched it to a device it wore on the wrist of its upper arm. (note that I am assuming proper body anatomy, based off of our own, although there are few similarities.) This alien was not only one of the largest I have seen, but also must be of a quite dense mass. As in its anatomy, and not its mental state, for it shook the ground around it with every step.
After a few moments there was a "chirping" sound from his device, and our coms alerted us to a new language file available. I allowed the exchange through my visor, and we were suddenly speaking to each other. I chose to make introductions first.
"I am Ak'kik. Leader of SH'azz squad. We have come to investigate and rescue these abductees. Do you require assistance?"
It held out it's hand as it spoke. "Bartholomew Wane Hatfield. Friends call me Bart." this aliens voice boomed at us.
"I was mining the asteroid belt in this system, when I caught a rogue asteroid right in the nads. Power plant was having a conniption fit after that so I figured I better set her down where I could patch her up. flying this old girl by wire is a bitch but, we got a thing so…"
This was the literal translation we initially received. As you can imagine, we were all quite confused.
"I beg your pardon unknown alien species, but the translation unit seems to be malfunctioning. We do not quite understand all of your words, we have no equivalent in our language for some, even though we seem to be communicating."
The sides of it’s facial orifice turned upward, revealing a multi-functional set fangs. Some pointed and some chisel shaped. Making it obvious it was an omnivore. Our visor AI stated that it “perceived” it was amused. It spoke into it’s wrist device, and it chirped in response. A second later our visor registered a "receive transmission" request. I allowed it, and this is what the visor AI showed us by way of "corrected translation".
"Bartholomew Wane Hatfield. Friends call me Bart.”
[REQUEST FOR FRIENDSHIP. THE USE OF "BART' ACKNOWLEDGES AND ACCEPTS FRIEND REQUEST]
“I was mining the asteroid belt in this system when I caught a rogue asteroid, right in the nads.”
[ASTEROID DAMAGED CRAFT IN CRITICAL LOCATION]
“Power plant was having a conniption fit after that so I figured I better set her down where I could patch her up.”
[POWER PLANT OPERATING WITH INTERMITTENT FAILURES. IMMEDIATE EMERGENCY REPAIR IS REQUIRED.]
“Flying this old girl by wire is a bitch but, we got a thing so..."
[LANDED SHIP WITHOUT COMPUTER ASSISTANCE OR ASSISTED CONTROLS. I AM EMOTIONALLY ATTACHED TO SHIP.]
I replied with, "AH, thank you for the subtext. Bart. I can see that your language has a vernacular art to it. I am culturally fascinated by such a language. Polite request. What is your power plant, and what is its power source? We may be able to assist with our spare component sets. Please feel free to not detail your technology to us, if it is security bound. We will not be insulted."
The alien again showed its fangs with a deep resonating, yet pleasant, vocal repetition. [LAUGHTEAMUSED]
"It's old tech stuff, by about 20 generations or so, but it's cheap, and reliable, common knowledge, and easy to repair. It’s a paired enriched uranium atom cracker.”
[DUAL/PAIRED NUCLEAR CORE POWER GENERATOR. EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS.}
"Chasing blinking lights mostly. When the asteroid hit, the core spiked, and caused a number of shorts and jumps."
[POWER SURGE CAUSED MULTIPLE SHORTS AND POSSIBLE INTERMITTENT ARC / SHORT IN SYSTEM.]
I nodded my understanding to the alien Bart. I then asked the engineer of my squad if he would be willing to assist. Corporal Zi'Kict accepted the challenge, though it looked as though anxiety, and fear
of "Bart" might overwhelm his current Stimcalm dose. "This is Corporal Zi'Kict. He is our designated engineer, and he has agreed to assist you. You can decline with no insult incurred."
He flashes us his fangs again. [HAPPY] His species, whatever it was, seemed to be fond of showing their teeth often.
"Hell, I never turn down a helpin' hand. Grab whatever it is y'all use, and let's get to chasin’ sparks."
[ASSISTANCE IS WELCOME]
"Uh, Bart. I must ask, what are your intentions with those that we were designated to rescue? If there is good will between us I would like to ensure that we, my crew and I, be given liberty return them to their families, and respective worlds. Will this be acceptable to you?"
"You go on right ahead, bless yer’ heart."
[ACCEPTANCE OF PROPOSAL WITH WELL WISHES TO YOUR CONTINUED EXISTENCE.]
“I'll miss these 'uns. Their nice and friendly."
[FONDNESS]
"Not like those other jackhole fecktards."
[REFERING TO PIRATES. INSULT INTENDED TOWARD PIRATES AND PIRACY.
{insult "jackhole" refers to anal orifice. "Fecktards" derogatory reference to mentally damaged or deranged individuals with severely limited mental capacity that act inappropriately.}]
"I understand and concur with your insult of the pirates, and thank you for your understanding, your patience, and your friendship. With your permission I would like to redirect my ship to your encampment so our medtech device can confirm their current health. If it is not offensive, I would like to offer our medtech device to scan you as well, and determine if it is capable of repairing your injuries also. Refusal will not be considered an insult. My squad engineer will will assist you as needed, and our spare components are at your disposal. Friend Bart."
"Well bless yer heart, that would be dandy with me. Much obliged!"
[ACCEPTANCE OF PROPOSAL WITH WELL WISHES TO YOUR CONTINUED EXISTENCE. IMMENSE THANKS]
I bowed to the alien I now called friend Bart, and went to co-ordinate the rescue operation, and sent the AI to bring the ship to my location. Since my priority was the health and safety of the of the abductees I spent the majority of my remaining time with them.
The alien required only a single spool of CronWire, and a span of shielded conduit, a simple enough repair. The abductees were tended to medically, fed, and shown to their racks. We allowed the abductees to contact their loved ones through our secured communications net. The alien allowed our medtech device to repair its burns, but it was unable to regrow the lost hair on its face. Friend Bart removed the rest of the hair around its mandible orifice with a small device, saying that he had to keep the balance. The squad medic timidly requested a full scan of Friend Bart, and Friend Bart was amenable to this.
We left Friend Bart, and watched him take off from orbit a few hours later. My squad medic started pouring over the MedTech device scans of Friend Bart, and quickly went into a fit of panic, and it took a questionable dose of Stimcalm to calm him down. I admit that I glanced at the data, but I am not trained as a medic so I understood nothing. The squad engineer simply handed me a collated list of intel he gathered while working with Friend Bart. They had a lengthy converse, and the engineer had actually formed a bond with Friend Bart. The list is as follows.
Name: Bartholomew Wane Hatfield
Species: Human
Origin: city of Austin in the state of Texas in the country of the United States of the planet Terra of the Sol star system
(system is far past the outer edge of our empire on the frontier side, opposite of coreward.)
Gravity: home normal +4 (4 times greater than our own gravity!)
Planet notes: frequent earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, tornadoes.
Planet has multiple biosphere, and terrain hazards that are lethal.
Plague level viruses, and bacteria, Multiple predators in every biosphere.
(See files freely given by Friend Bart) [FILESTORE- FriendBart01a]
NOTE: great white shark, alligator, saltwater crocodiles, king cobra, wolf, pit bulls, and other canines, polar bears, poison dart frog, hippopotamus, killer whale, rhinoceros, box jellyfish, cone snail, hyena, stone fish, black mamba, grizzly bears, puffer fish, komodo dragon, death stalker scorpion, lions, leopards, brown recluse spider, black widow spider, Brazillian wandering spider, electric eel, etc.
Please note that this list is merely a VERY small fraction of the actual list. My understanding is that the home planet of Friend Bart is at least a level 10-12 Deathworld. He also states that many of the species on this list are kept as pets by his fellow humans.
The squad engineer states he will send in a request for allowance of continued discourse with Friend Bart, but understands if this request is denied. After careful deliberation with the squad medic, we strongly recommend that the details of this mission be put to the SEC level at Black 8 tier 12 restricted, or higher, if there is a level higher than Black 8 tier 12 restricted.
Captain Ak'kik. Leader of SH'azz squad
[END OF REPORT]
mektreks*Aprox. One Terran kilometer equivalent.
NOK* Measurement of warp travel. 1NOK = speed of light

I’ve recently started dilating and have moved up to the second smallest dilator. Once fully inserted its completely comfortable, no pain expect for near the entrance of my vagina. I’m overall a little confused over my own anatomy which is silly in itself but I don’t really understand what the hymen is due to all of the misinformation out there. I have obviously done my own research and looked at diagrams, however I dislike inserting my finger and so can’t map it out for myself and previously when I have inserted my finger I didn’t remember anything like that. From what I saw the hymen can be partially broken which I think might be the case for me? I have a lot of questions and there is so much conflicting information. How do I know if the pain I’m feeling is because of my vaginismus or just normal such as my hymen? What the hell even the hymen and what is it for? Whereabouts is the hymen located?
(I am a virgin but obviously I have knowledge of the basic anatomy but I think that the fear from my vaginismus really makes me overthink and I want to have all the information possible to finally understand my own body)

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I am really confident in my ability to work and care for dogs, but I'm not so confident about interacting with dog owners. I had an isolated medical event a few years back, and had to relearn everything. Today I'm physically fit and active with a mild tremor in right hand, but my cognitive communicating deficit is somewhat noticeable. It's not an intellectual deficit, but I worry people will see me as incapable.
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FLAGGED FOR INVESTIGATION AND SECURITY RESTRICTED
Account from the squad leader of SH'azz squad on advanced long range assault scout mission in the Tz'urgal system. 3rd moon of the 3rd planet in system. Colony of "Deltamist" pirates.
Race: Inagoor, who are known as separatists. Noted for high crimes to include piracy, kidnapping, smuggling, murders and assassinations.
This is the true, and unredacted, original account.
SEC level set as Black 8 tier 12 restricted.
Account reads:

Journal log entry: T'zk 72:31 G'az 8
2nd leader, Expeditionary Assault Scouts: SH'azz squad.
We landed the stealth assault class (S.A.C) skiff 12 mektreks* from the pirate settlement with the determination to make final approach on claw, and from under cover of night with full stealth masking knowing that the Inagoor would easily spot the mirage haze and light warping of our stealth fields during the day. The gravity of the moon is comparable to ours, if slightly less, so it seemed like it would be an easy trek. I determined that only 2 rest stops would be needed instead of three. Our landing distance assisting in our stealth attempt, and thus adding to our chances of successful surprise attack.
Our intel determined that the pirates had recently raided the Tau shipping lanes, and had taken hostages for the purposes of ransom and slave sales. Our unit was tasked with forward observation and intel gathering of the pirates before termination of their operation, and to report all intel direct to command via secured subspace micro-pulse.
The Flora and Fauna scans determined that this moon was a Class 4 temperate world with no signs of natural life forms rated as sentient.
At our first predetermined rest location we discovered a burn mark cutting a path through the foliage as though a small vessel of some kind had made a controlled emergency landing. Scanners indicated that the craft was emitting power output signals, and was only a short distance from our location. We proceeded to rest and recuperate under the cover of the stealth fields with both live, and drone perimeter guards for security. The rest cycle was extended to insure that the guards could rotate so that all were rested and ready. I had decided that the investigation of the small craft could wait until after our main mission was complete when one of our forward scout drones sent my linkpad some images flagged for immediate review.
The images were of an Inagoor corpse. It was...dismembered. Torn limb from limb and the barrel chested, fur covered torso had chunks ripped out of it. (Images in file listed SET 1) The closeups of the
torso showed that the gaping rents and holes were not impact points of a projectile weapon nor were they of a beam, or energy weapon. No charring of flesh or fur, and no melting or blast marks on their suits armor plating. It simply looked as though an appendage had been grabbed and pulled off. The armor, as well as the flesh underneath, was simply torn off of the main corpse. The dismembered limbs were in the same condition, and save one other notable clue which was that there were obvious "gripping points" where the armor was crushed, and the bone beneath these areas was pulverized. The Inagoor's infra Red pulse rifle was found partially embedded in the trunk of a tree. Its "combat rated" frame had been crushed and wadded up as though it was a piece of waste paper. Its power cell was ruptured and leaking. The scout drone had marked it as a hazard zone out to 30 pace lengths and labeled as "lethal chemical hazard". I informed my second in command, and we reviewed the images together. He was as dumbfounded as I. What native beast could have done this kind of damage to powered assault armor?
(Addendum:)
The Drone was unable to locate the Inagoor's head in the immediate area.
(Addendum ends:)
My second and I resolved to scout this issue as a priority. We did not want to engage our current mission only to have an unknown element interfere and compromise mission success. As per command prerogative, I shared the drones information with the rest of the squad personnel, and reformed mission parameters around this element. Mission AI rated a 92% agreement with my assessment. Well within command parameters. We arrived at the location of the drones discovery in 4 hours. Our visors highlighted the chemical hazard of the leaking power module, and its set perimeter was also highlighted by our personal visor AI, and we all gave it a wide berth. The Inagoor was indeed scattered everywhere as the drones images had relayed with one exception. The smell was horrendous, and sickening. The stench of the Inagoor's "parts" indicated that it had been killed only 2 day/night rotations ago, and already some sort of fungus growth had begun to creep into the strewn dismembered parts and pieces. On every life bearing world, nature always has a cleanup crew. On closer examination of the "parts" we determined that the only explanation of this incident was that some creature had simply grabbed the Inagoor and ripped him apart, flinging the pieces in random directions in the process. The Inagoor's armor was their combat rated class, which is their equivalent to our front line infantry armor, powered of course. It was just torn apart as if it was a Tk'turka wedding veil. Armor that can withstand a pulse from an infra Red rifle at close range, or the puncture of a ballistic needler at point blank range had been torn apart, as if it were made of nothing sturdier than plant filament.
The grip points visible on the appendages did indeed look squeezed/crushed, and the separation points showed signs of literally being "pulled" apart. Not cut. Not chopped, but PULLED apart. The Inagoor are from level 9 temperate worlds and are thus pretty tough, and considered very strong even to a majority of other sentient species. Yet something far, FAR, stronger just pulled them apart. My visor AI showed the majority of my squad running "weapon ready" checks, and a few more scout drones were tossed into the air to begin new stealth patrols.
It wasn't long before another Inagoor corpse was found in the direction of the unidentified craft that
had "seemingly" crash landed.
This Inagoor's corpse was simply pinned to a tree. Its back was against the trunk, and the Inagoor's pulse rifle was pushed through its torso and into the tree trunk thus pinning it a pace off of the ground. Whatever creature did this to the Inagoor, had used the butt of the rifle to penetrate completely through the Inagoor's chest cavity, and further into the tree trunk, thus pinning the Inagoor. My visor AI noted more "Weapons Ready Checks" as well as one of the newer members of the squad using a dose of Stimcalm. My visor AI noted the dose as well within regulation, and I chose to flag it for review for his after mission performance evaluation. (Noted in File marked VA1. attached) I was actually considering using a dose of Stimcalm myself, as my second reoriented the stealth drones to a new scout pattern. Rather than taking the stim I began reviewing database information for "nearest Deathworld locations” from current location, and the AI promptly informed me that none were reachable within a standard week of FTL travel at NOK* 6 speed. I relayed this information to my second, and he reciprocated with a listing of the most dangerous lifeforms on this moon. None were capable of this level of violence by orders of magnitude.
I also noted that there were many burn holes in the vegetation in this area. Obviously the discharge of the pulse rifle was futile in halting the violence that occurred even if the Inagoor had made direct hits. The updated drone orientation revealed a new element to this mystery soon after. The visor alert from the drone was not unexpected, but still caught me off guard. I opened up the video footage, and saw a scene of carnage that staggered my rational mind. Many, MANY Inagoor corpses were strewn about a small clearing in the vegetation. All of them were not merely killed but ripped apart and scattered just like the first corpse we encountered. I am not ashamed to admit that I was so visibly sickened that my second inquired as to my health and mental state. As is my command authority to do so I relayed the drones footage to him. Then I too, took a regulation dosage of Stimcalm. As is noted in the file attached I also ordered my second to share the footage from the drone to the rest, and pre-authorized them to also take a regulation dose of Stimcalm, IF they felt they needed it after reviewing the drones footage.
Upon closer examination of the footage we could see the "fin" of a craft sticking up from the other side of a nearby hill. The site of the visceral carnage was a short distance from the crafts resting position. I, and my second reviewed the footage a few more times, and weighed the pros and cons of sending the drone over the rise, and within full sight of the downed vessel. I came to the conclusion that the possible loss of a stealth drone was far less costly, and far more prudent, than the loss than a squad member, and so I authorized the reroute. What the drone showed us next was intriguing to say the least.
The drone's path was kept slow and close to the foliage line so as not to expose too much of a blur signature, but, as it came into line of sight of our objective we saw that the craft was indeed, of some strange alien design. Its structure and air frame looked almost completely undamaged. Boxy though, and clumsy in appearance it had long airfoils sticking out from its sides and a tall one sticking straight up from its reatail. An enormous alien who was twice our height and bipedal was working on some component in an opened hatch in the side of the craft, and there were other aliens assisting it. A Craxx was handing it a tool of some kind, and a Piryllek was holding some illumination device next to it so that the enormous alien could see what it was doing. A Moorkha, with its brightly colored feathers, was working with a blue-green scaled Sithys. Together, they were making preparations for a meal of some sort. A black furred Glerff suddenly stood on its hind legs and looked straight at the drone. its yellow feather-patterned antennae quivering. We had been spotted!
The aliens that we could name registered in the operational AI as the abductees from the afore mentioned recent raids on the shipping lanes, and when the Glerff alerted the others they all stopped what they were doing, and started chattering wildly at the giant, who then reached for some sort of computational device and began fiddling with it. It did not look as the giant was concerned overly, but, simply curious. The suit it was wearing was scorched in many areas, and the hide that showed through the holes in its clothing was light brown with red splotches. These were definitely wound sites on the unidentified alien. If these were the wounds suffered from the infra Red pulse rifle fire, then they likely only caused this creature some mild irritation and inconvenience. Its face was hairy, as was its head, and the left mandible, hair burned away was swollen and blistered. A pulse rifle shot to his face perhaps? There were obvious signs of it being shot all over it’s limbs and torso, and yet it was still alive and breathing? Impossible! What was this thing?
It was apparent from the drone video that this alien was over twice our height. It stood head and shoulders taller than the Moorkha, and with triple its mass. The Moorkha quieted the others, and began cooing at the giant, making a visible sign to breathe deeply and calmly while stroking the giants fore appendages and digits, as we witnessed this process via the live feed. The fur above one of its ocular organs (it had 2, side by side, and front facing.) rose a bit but it otherwise seemed to relax and looked in the direction of the drone that the Glerff was still pointing at.
Based on this evidence I chose to drop the cloak on the drone and send it slowly to the Glerff as it was the closest. When the drone was within verbal communication distance I sent my voice through the drone to introduce myself.
"I am Ak'kik. Leader of SH'azz squad. We have come to investigate, and rescue you and your fellow abductees. Do you require assistance?", I said with as much authority in my tone as I am capable of. "Most assuredly Ak'kik, though we are no longer in danger thanks to our new friend that rescued us. Although I do not believe that he did so intentionally. The pirates that abducted us attacked it as soon as it’s craft crash landed. The pirates made the mistake of shooting it. That failed to kill it, and only made it angry. When they persistently kept shooting it, it subsequently became enraged." The Glerff shuddered, but seemed to regain control of its emotions quickly.
"The pirates are no more. The pirates that attempted to flee were pursued, and exterminated. The base the pirates held us in was likewise cleansed of the pirates by our rescuer. Our rescuer is very, very fast and very, very strong. Please do NOT shoot it. You would not survive should you do so. Also, it seems to be an omnivore. PLEASE! Do not anger it. I beg you!"
I responded with calm. "Please tell it that we will be there shortly and that we have no intentions of violence. We only wish to rescue the abductees."
"I can't." The Glerff replied quickly. "None of us speak its language and it does not know ours. We have no Data AI's to link to its technology to work out language algorithms. I think the aliens technology is also damaged. It keeps having to go to its’ ships control station to check for power readings.
Communicating with it has been a challenge, though oddly pleasant. It is quite patient and amenable, when it is not killing pirates in an excessively psychotic state. As terrified as I am of this creature, I cannot help but be curious about it. I am sure you will find it to be a pleasant, and respectful entity if you approach calmly, and with no hostility."
I thought for a moment. "Please try to keep it calm and we will try to make our approach as calmly, and respectfully as possible. We will endeavor at all costs, not provoke it."
"I should think not!" said the Glerff showing some alarm. “Since the extermination of the pirates I have personally observed it lifting enormous amounts of weight without strain. Seen it consume it’s rations which looked to be a combination of vegetable, AND meat with vigor. Much of which I am confirming was poisonous using an analyzer that once belonged to the pirates. The analyzer shows that some of its’ rations would be considered lethally poisonous to every species that I know of."
He held the analyzer screen to the drone for confirmation, as he continued speaking. "I am not an expert in the field of chemistry, so I would strongly suggest you scan whatever food he offers you before you eat it. Please note that refusing his "gift" of food does not insult him. Just hand it back to him if it is inedible, and then he will eat it himself."
The alien approached the drone that the Glerff was speaking to, and then picked up a silvery pouch from the makeshift table that the Moorkha was working over. It peeled the top off, and it ate the dark brown bar in 3 bites, then nodded to the drone, and went back to it’s repairs.
"What he just ate, by the way..." The Glerff said turning back to the drone. "...the analyzer states contains some alarming chemical chains. Theobromine, Phenylethylamine which look to be nearly lethal stimulants. Massive amounts of caffeine, Taurine, and Niacin as well. Oh dear, uh. By the nesting Gods! Leader Ak'kik, What it just ate could poison a small colony just on the amount of caffeine alone. But the amount of Capsaicin he just ate is even worse, FAR worse. PLEASE, please, refrain from angering it." he was still scanning the data in astonishment. "And, er, and this is most important, your weapons would be useless against it. It is incredibly fast, and can quite literally jump across this glade in a single bound. I think it came from a very high gravity planet. Maybe even a Deathworld. I vehemently recommend caution, and I strongly feel it necessary to reiterate, do NOT anger it, or incur its’ ire! Oh, and by the way, I did use the analyzer on it, it allowed me to do so, actually. the Analyzer data shows that there is probably nothing on this moon that it cannot eat, including us."
I replied, not through the drone this time as I was close enough in my approach that I no longer needed it. "Leader Ak'kik, at your service. Whom am I addressing?"
"Ah, apologies, I am professor Roonoomoo, and this is service master EEG'lix. That one there is Vorvert, and over there is D'rrr, and Higuv is just to the left of the table, and the two who are helping our rescuer are Woosk, and Rakk'n. It is a pleasure to meet you in return Leader Ak'kik."
"So you were saying some of the items on the table surface are actual foods that it eats? This is its’ food that it brought?" I said looking at the multitude of pouches and containers on the table.
“Oh yes. We made eating motions when we were trying to establish communications with it, to ask it for food, and he brought us this trove. He opened a package for us, and offered it, but, Woosk went into near panic when he saw that it was animal meat of some sort. After that he just spread everything out, and made a motion for us to inspect it for ourselves. All of us ate what the analyzer said was safe but that was not much of a variety. It turns out that there were only 2 packages all of us could eat. We saved the empty packages to show the alien what we ate once he is finished working. So that we do not risk angering it, you understand. Woosk and Rakk'n decided to offer what assistance they could after they ate, and have been doing so since then."
"May I be introduced to the alien now? I may have some tech that could help. If you will be so kind as to bring it here to us, as I would not want to trespass on its established area of operations, and be mistaken as hostile. We are obviously carrying weapons, and us approaching it...and its ship seems a questionable choice, at best."
"Very wise, Leader Ak'kik, I will see what I can do. I won't be but a moment. “Uh, er, you might want to hold on to that”, indicating the analyzer “and use it before you decide to touch anything on this table.", he said as he handed me the analyzer.
Professor Roonoomoo went to the alien ,and gently patted the joint in the middle of its lower appendage. The alien looked at professor Roonoomoo, who was pointing at us, and trying to explain us with hand signals and gestures, that we wished an introduction. When the alien looked at us we all, as a squad, showed it out empty hands as our weapons had been placed on the ground by our sides. it simply made a wave of one of its upper appendages, as if to say, “come here”. We approached with our empty hands plainly visible. As we approached it, it knelt. Not in surrender, or in supplication, but rather to level our mutual eye line. I realized that it was making an attempt to be polite.
I SLOWLY patted a stow pouch on my utility harness, and it nodded as though it seemed to understand, and motioned me to proceed. I held out the translator AI slate, "TAIS" and it took it, and then touched it to a device it wore on the wrist of its upper arm. (note that I am assuming proper body anatomy, based off of our own, although there are few similarities.) This alien was not only one of the largest I have seen, but also must be of a quite dense mass. As in its anatomy, and not its mental state, for it shook the ground around it with every step.
After a few moments there was a "chirping" sound from his device, and our coms alerted us to a new language file available. I allowed the exchange through my visor, and we were suddenly speaking to each other. I chose to make introductions first.
"I am Ak'kik. Leader of SH'azz squad. We have come to investigate and rescue these abductees. Do you require assistance?"
It held out it's hand as it spoke. "Bartholomew Wane Hatfield. Friends call me Bart." this aliens voice boomed at us.
"I was mining the asteroid belt in this system, when I caught a rogue asteroid right in the nads. Power plant was having a conniption fit after that so I figured I better set her down where I could patch her up. flying this old girl by wire is a bitch but, we got a thing so…"
This was the literal translation we initially received. As you can imagine, we were all quite confused.
"I beg your pardon unknown alien species, but the translation unit seems to be malfunctioning. We do not quite understand all of your words, we have no equivalent in our language for some, even though we seem to be communicating."
The sides of it’s facial orifice turned upward, revealing a multi-functional set fangs. Some pointed and some chisel shaped. Making it obvious it was an omnivore. Our visor AI stated that it “perceived” it was amused. It spoke into it’s wrist device, and it chirped in response. A second later our visor registered a "receive transmission" request. I allowed it, and this is what the visor AI showed us by way of "corrected translation".
"Bartholomew Wane Hatfield. Friends call me Bart.”
[REQUEST FOR FRIENDSHIP. THE USE OF "BART' ACKNOWLEDGES AND ACCEPTS FRIEND REQUEST]
“I was mining the asteroid belt in this system when I caught a rogue asteroid, right in the nads.”
[ASTEROID DAMAGED CRAFT IN CRITICAL LOCATION]
“Power plant was having a conniption fit after that so I figured I better set her down where I could patch her up.”
[POWER PLANT OPERATING WITH INTERMITTENT FAILURES. IMMEDIATE EMERGENCY REPAIR IS REQUIRED.]
“Flying this old girl by wire is a bitch but, we got a thing so..."
[LANDED SHIP WITHOUT COMPUTER ASSISTANCE OR ASSISTED CONTROLS. I AM EMOTIONALLY ATTACHED TO SHIP.]
I replied with, "AH, thank you for the subtext. Bart. I can see that your language has a vernacular art to it. I am culturally fascinated by such a language. Polite request. What is your power plant, and what is its power source? We may be able to assist with our spare component sets. Please feel free to not detail your technology to us, if it is security bound. We will not be insulted."
The alien again showed its fangs with a deep resonating, yet pleasant, vocal repetition. [LAUGHTEAMUSED]
"It's old tech stuff, by about 20 generations or so, but it's cheap, and reliable, common knowledge, and easy to repair. It’s a paired enriched uranium atom cracker.”
[DUAL/PAIRED NUCLEAR CORE POWER GENERATOR. EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS.}
"Chasing blinking lights mostly. When the asteroid hit, the core spiked, and caused a number of shorts and jumps."
[POWER SURGE CAUSED MULTIPLE SHORTS AND POSSIBLE INTERMITTENT ARC / SHORT IN SYSTEM.]
I nodded my understanding to the alien Bart. I then asked the engineer of my squad if he would be willing to assist. Corporal Zi'Kict accepted the challenge, though it looked as though anxiety, and fear
of "Bart" might overwhelm his current Stimcalm dose. "This is Corporal Zi'Kict. He is our designated engineer, and he has agreed to assist you. You can decline with no insult incurred."
He flashes us his fangs again. [HAPPY] His species, whatever it was, seemed to be fond of showing their teeth often.
"Hell, I never turn down a helpin' hand. Grab whatever it is y'all use, and let's get to chasin’ sparks."
[ASSISTANCE IS WELCOME]
"Uh, Bart. I must ask, what are your intentions with those that we were designated to rescue? If there is good will between us I would like to ensure that we, my crew and I, be given liberty return them to their families, and respective worlds. Will this be acceptable to you?"
"You go on right ahead, bless yer’ heart."
[ACCEPTANCE OF PROPOSAL WITH WELL WISHES TO YOUR CONTINUED EXISTENCE.]
“I'll miss these 'uns. Their nice and friendly."
[FONDNESS]
"Not like those other jackhole fecktards."
[REFERING TO PIRATES. INSULT INTENDED TOWARD PIRATES AND PIRACY.
{insult "jackhole" refers to anal orifice. "Fecktards" derogatory reference to mentally damaged or deranged individuals with severely limited mental capacity that act inappropriately.}]
"I understand and concur with your insult of the pirates, and thank you for your understanding, your patience, and your friendship. With your permission I would like to redirect my ship to your encampment so our medtech device can confirm their current health. If it is not offensive, I would like to offer our medtech device to scan you as well, and determine if it is capable of repairing your injuries also. Refusal will not be considered an insult. My squad engineer will will assist you as needed, and our spare components are at your disposal. Friend Bart."
"Well bless yer heart, that would be dandy with me. Much obliged!"
[ACCEPTANCE OF PROPOSAL WITH WELL WISHES TO YOUR CONTINUED EXISTENCE. IMMENSE THANKS]
I bowed to the alien I now called friend Bart, and went to co-ordinate the rescue operation, and sent the AI to bring the ship to my location. Since my priority was the health and safety of the of the abductees I spent the majority of my remaining time with them.
The alien required only a single spool of CronWire, and a span of shielded conduit, a simple enough repair. The abductees were tended to medically, fed, and shown to their racks. We allowed the abductees to contact their loved ones through our secured communications net. The alien allowed our medtech device to repair its burns, but it was unable to regrow the lost hair on its face. Friend Bart removed the rest of the hair around its mandible orifice with a small device, saying that he had to keep the balance. The squad medic timidly requested a full scan of Friend Bart, and Friend Bart was amenable to this.
We left Friend Bart, and watched him take off from orbit a few hours later. My squad medic started pouring over the MedTech device scans of Friend Bart, and quickly went into a fit of panic, and it took a questionable dose of Stimcalm to calm him down. I admit that I glanced at the data, but I am not trained as a medic so I understood nothing. The squad engineer simply handed me a collated list of intel he gathered while working with Friend Bart. They had a lengthy converse, and the engineer had actually formed a bond with Friend Bart. The list is as follows.
Name: Bartholomew Wane Hatfield
Species: Human
Origin: city of Austin in the state of Texas in the country of the United States of the planet Terra of the Sol star system
(system is far past the outer edge of our empire on the frontier side, opposite of coreward.)
Gravity: home normal +4 (4 times greater than our own gravity!)
Planet notes: frequent earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, tornadoes.
Planet has multiple biosphere, and terrain hazards that are lethal.
Plague level viruses, and bacteria, Multiple predators in every biosphere.
(See files freely given by Friend Bart) [FILESTORE- FriendBart01a]
NOTE: great white shark, alligator, saltwater crocodiles, king cobra, wolf, pit bulls, and other canines, polar bears, poison dart frog, hippopotamus, killer whale, rhinoceros, box jellyfish, cone snail, hyena, stone fish, black mamba, grizzly bears, puffer fish, komodo dragon, death stalker scorpion, lions, leopards, brown recluse spider, black widow spider, Brazillian wandering spider, electric eel, etc.
Please note that this list is merely a VERY small fraction of the actual list. My understanding is that the home planet of Friend Bart is at least a level 10-12 Deathworld. He also states that many of the species on this list are kept as pets by his fellow humans.
The squad engineer states he will send in a request for allowance of continued discourse with Friend Bart, but understands if this request is denied. After careful deliberation with the squad medic, we strongly recommend that the details of this mission be put to the SEC level at Black 8 tier 12 restricted, or higher, if there is a level higher than Black 8 tier 12 restricted.
Captain Ak'kik. Leader of SH'azz squad
[END OF REPORT]
mektreks*Aprox. One Terran kilometer equivalent.
NOK* Measurement of warp travel. 1NOK = speed of light

I got my cefaly about a month ago after a flair of 3 months of daily migraines, and so far after about 20 uses am only feeling sensations on the left side of my forehead/temple. (My migraines always hurt on both sides of my head and neck equally).
Also, for the first 15x I used it, I felt zero electrical sensation, but at about 60 sec mark on prevent mode my left temple/eyebrow felt like someone pushing on a bruise, hard, and had to level off there. Then suddenly the past couple days I feel the electrical sensation after 15 seconds (slowly intensifies as prevent builds up) (but mostly going straight up my forehead (left side only, not where it hurts). I'm putting the pads in a very normal place each time, like the diagrams. And sticking them hard.
I've tried: -new sticky pad -washing forehead more/drying completely -repositioning the sticky pads, even to the point where they're clearly too far to the right in hopes that the relevant right side trigeminal nerve branches are just weirdly far over? -had my partner try; he feels it on both sides
I'm wondering if anyone else had this experience but then eventually it got more normal/useful? Is this some kind of user error? Trying to figure out whether I should return it, if something about my migraines or anatomy just doesn't work for me.

Just started clinics (second year going on third-- my school does split clinical times), and I'm wondering what recommendations you all have for textbooks? Preferably ones that I can find free pdf versions of (or at least cheap second hand copies)
My school doesn't require textbooks, so unfortunately I don't have any right now beyond "The Dissection of the Dog", but I'd love to find some good ones that will really help strengthen my foundations.
I did just manage to find a complete PDF of "Blackwell's Five Minute Veterinary Consult: Canine & Feline" 7th ed. and I also found the second edition of "Anatomy and Physiology of Domestic Animals" on Abebooks for a reasonable price, but I'd love others!
Thanks!

Wondering if this is something to be concerned about? Over the past year or so I have noticed that my inner labia look slightly different than they did. They used to be very small, similar to basic anatomy diagrams you see. They seem slightly bigger and more "flappy" now. I don't think it looks bad or ugly, and I have had STD testing done, all of which came back negative. If it helps, I am 25 years old. The only thing that I can think of as a possible cause is my weird burst of chronic yeast infections over the past several months (they look this way even when the infections go away) I'm almost worried its chronic inflammation or scar tissue? Or it could be just age? Any input or similar experiences would be helpful, thanks in advance!

Need help its 7am. But, I am struggling to feel “real” and I am really scared at the moment. I don’t know if I should call my sister or get mental emergency services. I feel like I am going to die I am taking an anatomy class, this is the first week. I start studying, I listen to music like I always do, I was listening to The Wall. I was writing notes about the different cavities of the body and their systems, my textbook has these 3D-illustrated diagrams of each organ system in chapter 1. One of these illustrations was the muscular system, this is where the feeling first started. I can feel perspective on my body of where these organs are. One of the headers for chapter 2 was “when chemistry becomes alive” and describes us at a chemical level. I just started having a panic attack, I don’t know what it is. I can’t feel real, I just keep working myself up, I have 2 more homework assignments due tomorrow. I had similar feeling happen during my humanities class, where I don’t feel real. It’s like an out-of-body experience like this detachment. I can’t believe I am real, like at a chemical level, everything about it is really making me scared. I am scared like I will die almost

Need help. I am struggling to feel “real” and I am really scared right now. Its 7 in the morning. I feel like I am going to die. I am taking an anatomy class, this is the first week of summer semester. I was writing notes about the different cavities of the body and their systems, my textbook has these diagrams of each organ system in chapter 1. I can feel perspective in my body of where these organs are, muscles are, and they were talking about sections. Chapter 2 was describes us at a chemical level, atoms forming molecules, cells being created from molecules. I just started having a panic attack, I don’t know what it is. I can’t feel real, I just keep working myself up, I have more assignments due tomorrow. It’s like an out-of-body experience. I can’t believe I am real, like at a chemical level, organs working in my body to keep me alive, everyone else being the same way, this doesn’t feel real I don’t know why this is making me feel scared to like such an extreme. I don’t know if I can keep taking this class. I wanted to go to medical school, I was excited for this class.

This guide was created by two anonymous nursing students who attended Rutgers School of Nursing and want to review the curriculum and share our opinion of this program comprehensively.
We do not wish to bash or criticize this program, but rather to provide constructive feedback for the administration and highlight key points for students to watch out for. This is the best program in the state for Nursing, we want to help students navigate it successfully.
This guide mainly pertains to the Rutgers School of Nursing Traditional Program on the New Brunswick Campus, but most professors teach on the New Brunswick and Newark campuses. Second-degree students at the Newark campus can also reference this guide as many professors are shared with the Traditional program. This guide does not pertain to the Blackwood 2+2 Program or the Rutgers School of Nursing–Camden (Camden is a separate school from us).

Admissions

As students, we are not qualified to provide information on the Rutgers School of Nursing admissions. We hope our anecdotal observations can provide a helpful perspective for prospective students navigating this journey.
From what we've gathered, with the new option to submit applications to Rutgers through the Common App, it is increasingly difficult to be admitted directly into the school. We believe it is one of the hardest schools to be admitted to at Rutgers. The School of Nursing does not accept transfer students from external institutions, you must already be a Rutgers student (in another school, like SAS, SEBS) to apply for a school-to-school transfer. Even so, the School of Nursing accepts very few transfer students, so this is not a safe/viable option for those not accepted as freshmen. Additionally, if a transfer is successful, you may need to take certain prerequisite courses, extending your time in the program, which ends up similar to pursuing a second degree.
If your main goal is to graduate with a degree in Nursing, apply for both New Brunswick and Newark campuses, as they confer the same degree. Note that the Newark class is significantly smaller and offers less of the “traditional” college experience that many students desire. We recommend that, if you are not admitted directly into the traditional program at Rutgers, to attend another nursing school you were accepted to, or complete a degree as another life science major and apply to a Second-degree program, which is generally less competitive.
AP Credits will not apply to any Nursing Prerequisite courses with the exception of Statistics. Other AP credits may apply to elective courses or the general elective requirements. Nursing students are not required to complete the Rutgers SAS Core required in almost all other schools.
2023 Admissions Data, Source

Campus	Applicant Count	Incoming Class Size	Waitlist Admits
New Brunswick	4,080	155	55 of 872 (6.31%)
Newark	2,115	63	174 of 625 (27.84%)

Navigating the Nursing Curriculum

The program's structure is extremely backloaded, with the initial two years dedicated to liberal arts courses, general electives, and foundational nursing prerequisites. All clinical courses are placed in the program's second half, creating a tight squeeze to learn and absorb all the skills required as nurses. Once Junior year comes, you will be inundated with didactical nursing courses, labs, simulations, clinicals, and unreasonable amounts of homework assignments. As you navigate the program's first half, embrace the opportunity to live a college life—HAVE FUN, join clubs, go party, and make friends, but be ready to put it all away when Junior year comes. Your experiences in the first two years are crucial for building the support network you'll rely on as the program intensifies.
Starting in the Junior year, nursing courses consist of 3-hour lectures, all scheduled on a single or two days of the week. This scheduling is deliberate, allowing for clinicals to occupy the remaining weekdays and ensuring all students can attend lectures. However, this results in long, exhausting days filled with back-to-back classes that make it challenging to effectively absorb the material. The situation is exacerbated by the lack of teaching assistants and the inaccessibility of professors outside of class, as office hours are limited to "by appointment" sessions, which are hard to come by. The end of class is the only time for questions, but this is also not viable as professors usually have subsequent classes. The current setup severely restricts student ability to effectively understand course material.
We hope for a re-evaluation of this curriculum in the near future that would introduce nursing-specific courses as early as the Sophomore year. The current nursing prerequisites lack direct application to the variety of hands-on skills and knowledge for nursing practice. Introducing nursing courses earlier can bridge this gap and allow students more time to apply their knowledge.
Refer to the School of Nursing’s website for the most up-to-date curriculum. The Class of 2024 is the first cohort graduating with this new “updated curriculum,” so we believe it is relatively up-to-date and will be relevant for the near future.

Course Difficulty

Like many nursing programs across the country, Rutgers Nursing is a challenging program to complete. The school policy requires a minimum grade of C+ (74.5%) in any nursing-coded course (705) to be considered passing. C is required for all prerequisite courses (non-Nursing). Courses are often prerequisites for subsequent courses, particularly in the earlier semesters, and in the Junior year and beyond, they are corequisites, meaning that dropping a course requires withdrawing for the entire semester. This strict policy is daunting as nursing courses are only offered once a semester, so failing a course can mean being held back a full year.

• Trigger Warning: Not Passing a Course
  • In our experience, approximately 20-25% of students fail at least one course in this program. Many students who struggle before their sophomore year decide to change their major, while those in their Junior year or beyond often choose to retake the course.
  • Almost everyone in the program knows someone who has dropped Nursing within the four years. This can happen for many reasons, such as discovering a lack of passion for Nursing or experiencing significant challenges with exams. We empathize with everyone who has not passed a course. We know that the school does not provide support in these situations :(
• Note: The school administration has made some positive changes to address this issue. Depending on the course failed, students may be able to retake it with the Newark second-degree program, allowing them to stay on track for graduation or close to it.

The grade policy, while it seems reasonable, creates considerable stress for students aiming to do well. Achieving a 74.5% or higher means there is little room for error, as it's hard to recover from a poor exam grade. Most courses in the program are exam-heavy, with the HESI (NCLEX-style subject exam) accounting for 10% of the grade in many courses. (We find that there is no consistent way to study for the HESI without spending a lot of time reviewing the content). We suspect that this policy ensures only students with the highest likelihood of passing the NCLEX graduate from the program. The NCLEX pass rate is crucial for nursing schools, as it directly reflects the program's ability to produce competent nurses.
We do not intend to scare potential students but rather to highlight that any nursing program requires a significant amount of effort and should be approached with commitment and seriousness!

Rutgers Nursing Campus Dynamics

The experience of navigating Rutgers-New Brunswick campuses during the first two years of the nursing program differs from the second half, due to the back-loaded nature of the curriculum. Courses in the first two years of nursing school are mostly not nursing department courses and will be scattered on all four campuses. Make sure you choose your campus classes wisely, or you will have a miserable time on the buses during peak bus/traffic hours.
A significant shift occurs once you enter Junior year. The curriculum concentrates all nursing-specific courses into just two buildings in Downtown New Brunswick: 120 Albany Street and 110 Paterson Street. These buildings are incredibly small for their function, and the biggest lecture hall can hold around 120 students, which is often not enough to accommodate the whole cohort. This can lead to a sense of isolation as the nursing buildings are a 5-10 walk from livelier parts of campus. However, most students live on College Avenue to avoid the bus commute from other campuses, as the School of Nursing likes to schedule classes starting at 8:30AM :( Additionally, since nursing classes are typically three-hour lectures arranged on the same days to accommodate clinical schedules, the streets downtown can feel particularly dangerous to navigate in the winter months when it gets dark early.
*This is not an issue at the Newark campus, as most classes are in the same four buildings that are next to each other.

Nursing Prerequisites Courses (Freshman, Sophomore Year)

Before Junior year, students take a mix of prerequisite courses that pave the way for the nursing clinical courses starting in Junior year. Some of these courses are not specifically nursing major (705) courses and are controlled by other departments, resulting in different policies. Generally, a minimum grade of C is required for non-705 courses, while nursing courses require at least a C+. These prerequisite courses can be particularly challenging as students are still adjusting to college life. However, they also serve as an excellent gauge to determine if you can handle the rigor of the courses in Junior year and beyond. Additionally, many of these classes will not be held in the nursing building but will be spread across multiple campuses.
We will not comment on the elective courses (e.g., Humanities, Cultural Studies, History electives), as these are flexible and should be selected after discussion with an advisor.

119:127/128 Anatomy & Physiology I and II with Lab (Semester 1 and 2)
^ Difficulty: 4.5/5, RateMyProfessor, The professor for the New Brunswick course, Anthony Uzwiak, has not changed for the past few years. A&P series is a challenging course that is graded on a curve, which is uncommon for Nursing courses. Professor Uzwiak is very knowledgeable, but his exams are tough and will take significant time to prepare for. The difficulty of the course is further increased by the adjustment into college life and the sudden transition into taking an intensive course
119:131/132 Microbiology Hlth Sci with Lab (Semester 3 or 4)
^ Difficulty: 4/5, RateMyProfessor, The professor for the New Brunswick course, Susan Skelly, has not changed for the past few years. Microbiology is also a challenging course that requires significant reading and prep. Skelly's exams are tough and require a lot of memorization of textbook content, diagrams and pictures. Extra credit opportunities are available through pop quizzes, which can help boost exam grades.
160:128 Chemistry of Life (Semester 3 or 4)
^ Difficulty: 4/5, RateMyProfessor, The professor for the New Brunswick course, Robert Boikess, has not changed for the past few years. His class has mandatory attendance and heavily relies on pre-recorded lectures and use of the textbooks. Exams are difficult and often determine the final grade, so use available resources such as past exams and practice problems. The course is graded on a curve, showing improvement throughout the semester, especially on later exams, and active participation can help achieve a passing grade.
705:255 Nutrition (Semester 3)
^ Difficulty: 2.5/5, RateMyProfessor, The professor for the New Brunswick and Newark courses, Eileen Swingle, has not changed for the past few years. The course includes a few exams, easy weekly participation assignments, and a final project. She is caring and has a supportive teaching style and offers extra credit opportunities, which can significantly improve your grade. Overall, this is one of the easier courses in the program, made enjoyable by Professor Swingle's passion for nutrition.
705:229 Life Span: A Holistic Approach (Dev Psych, Semester 4)
^ Difficulty: 3/5, This course has professors that change frequently, no specific RateMyProfessor page is attached. It provides an overview of development and the complexity of human growth, including a review of both historical and modern-day developmental theories. The course is of medium difficulty and is the first where students encounter NCLEX-style questions on exams. These developmental theories will continue to appear in other courses throughout the program, so a solid understanding of them will be beneficial.
705:205 Sociocultural Dimensions of Health (Semester 4)
^ Difficulty: 2.5/5, This course has professors that change frequently, so no specific RateMyProfessor page is attached. It was added to the curriculum in 2022 and varies significantly depending on the professor. The course is highly theoretical with sociological components, but the concepts are generally straightforward and easy to grasp. It focuses on the effects of cultural and lifestyle differences on health from a human/society rather than biological viewpoint, through the perspective of a nurse.

Nursing Courses (Non-Clinical)

These are 705 Nursing JunioSenior level courses that do not have a clinical component. Note that Health Assessment includes a lab component.
705:306 Health Assessment Across the Life Span (Semester 5)

• Difficulty: 4.5/5
• Lecture: This course is the rigorous introduction to nursing assessment, focusing on the fundamentals of evaluating health. You learn to distinguish between normal and abnormal findings in physical and behavioral assessments, using techniques and equipment for systematic assessments and health history collection. This is a hard, hallmark nursing “weed out” course, as it requires a solid understanding of anatomy to apply to patient care. There are one or more body systems that are taught every week. The difficulty comes from the vast amount of information required and the detailed-oriented nature of the exams, which assess both knowledge and critical thinking abilities. It is important to keep up with the course content, the pace is fast and all content is revisited during the final exam.
• Lab: Accompanying the lecture component, there is a 2-hour clinical lab every week that focuses on a specific system (Ex. Cardiac, Musculoskeletal, Respiratory systems). You will learn how to conduct patient interviews, collect history, subjective and objective findings of each system. A significant component is the two skills exams (test-outs) in this lab, vital signs and comprehensive assessment test-out. These are pass/fail evaluations which do not affect your grade but you only have two attempts to pass each. The lab is generally pretty chill, the Center for Clinical Learning (CCL) staff hosts skills sessions where they will teach you and help you remediate if you fail a test-out. Students should be aware that it is possible to pass the lecture component but fail the course due to the lab test-outs.
• Our Review: Although this course is hard, it creates a fantastic foundation for future nursing courses. To be successful, set aside time weekly to study for this course, focus on reviewing the slides thoroughly and supplementing content with the Jarvis textbook. The EAQs are good study material for the exams.

705:350 Pathophysiology & Pharmacotherapeutics: An Integrated Approach I (Semester 5)

• Difficulty: 4/5
• Lecture: This is the first course of integrated Pathophysiology and Pharmacotherapeutics series (Patho/Pharm). The BSN program underwent a curriculum change in 2022, merging the previously separate Pathophysiology and Pharmacology courses. Despite the course title suggesting an equal focus on pharmacology, the primary emphasis is on pathophysiology. Each week covers 2-3 topics, focusing on the etiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment for pathologies related to major body systems. This course involves minimal pharmacology and relies heavily on memorization. The exams primarily test the ability to memorize and recall information rather than applying concepts.

705:351 Pathophysiology & Pharmacotherapeutics: An Integrated Approach II (Semester 6)

• Difficulty: 4.25/5
• Lecture: This course, the second in the Pathophysiology and Pharmacotherapeutics series, builds on the foundational knowledge from the first course. It covers pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and managing diseases such as infections, pain, respiratory, cardiovascular, central nervous system, endocrine, and gastrointestinal disorders. It is more challenging due to its in-depth and complex pharmacological content, requiring a solid understanding of physiology and strong memorization skills. Keeping up with the material is crucial; you cannot afford to fall behind. The course includes a comprehensive HESI exam.

^ Our Review of the Pathopharm Series

• From our perspective, this series suffers from some disorganization, due to the integration of pathophysiology and pharmacotherapeutics into 2-course series. This means that you’re essentially learning the cause, effect, AND treatment of diseases concurrently, and a lot of content overlaps with what is covered in the Adult 1 and 2 courses.
• The professor for this series has not changed in the past few years: Rate my Professor

705:325 Professional Nursing I (Semester 5)

• Difficulty: 2/5
• Lecture: This is the first of three Professional Nursing courses. Each week, the course delves into different aspects of the nursing profession, such as the history of nursing, nursing theory, and more. Typically, the course includes three exams and three major assignments or projects. The course content and structure can vary significantly depending on the professor, but it is generally considered one of the easier courses in this semester.
• Main Topics: History of the Nursing Profession, Clinical Judgment, Nursing Theory, Legal Aspects of Nursing, The Role of the Professional Nurse.

705:326 Professional Nursing II (Semester 6)

• Difficulty: 1/5
• Lecture: This course emphasizes issues in healthcare, nursing informatics, health literacy, and guidelines for research. The coursework includes weekly activities that account for a significant portion of the grade, making participation important. The majority of the grade is participation, making it one of the easier courses in the nursing program.
• Main Topics: Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods, Nursing Informatics and Health Information Technology, Ethical Considerations in Nursing Research, Integrating Evidence into Clinical Practice.

705:427 Professional Nursing III (Semester 7)

• Difficulty: 1/5 (Special Circumstance)
• Lecture: We unfortunately cannot provide too much information on this course. In Spring 2024, the original professor could no longer teach, and another professor had to fill in. This course ended up being a series of guest speakers, focusing on topics such as nurse leadership, professional development, joining professional organizations, union leaders, and nursing legislators. These sessions were generally helpful and made the course relatively easy. There is some homework and a Leadership HESI exam as part of this course.
• Main Topics: Role of the Nurse Leader, Health Policy Development, Quality and Safety in Nursing, Professional Development, Nurse Leadership Across the Lifespan

^ Our Review of Professional Nursing Series

• In our experience, the Professional Nursing course series is disorganized. The content for these courses is vague and theoretical; even the professors have a hard time defining what the class is for. Topics such as Evidence-Based Nursing Practice, communication, collaboration, and teamwork are constantly brought up, but there is no connection to clinical activities. We find these classes to have little value and relevance to Nursing, and we had a hard time recalling what was taught. These courses are likely requirements for a BSN program that includes research, leadership, and evidence-based practice,

705:418 Population Health (Semester 8)

• Difficulty: 3/5
• Lecture: This course is a new addition to the curriculum and is a requirement for a BSN program. The content is extremely vague and theoretical, covering topics such as levels of prevention, the epidemiological triangle, public health wheel, and more. The exams are also vague, but practice using problems EAQs and Quizlet significantly helps. There is a HESI exam for this course.

705:460 Nursing Elective:Special Topics (Semester 8)

• Difficulty: Varies, but generally easy/5
• Lecture: These electives are a new addition to the curriculum and are mostly asynchronous courses focusing on specialty topics that students can select based on their interests. They typically include a mix of online lectures, homework, and projects. Overall, they are considered relatively easy compared to core nursing courses. Professors sometimes forget about these courses since they have other, more important courses to teach. Due to the variety of electives available, we have less specific information about each one.
• Offerings Spring 2024:
  • Introduction to Wound Care
  • Foundations of Health Education
  • Introduction to Periop Nursing (Requires Periop DEU)
  • Introduction to Quality and Safety
  • Complementary & Alternative Therapies
  • Victimology & Forensic Nursing
  • Determinants of Health (Graduate Course)
  • Information Technology for Evidence-Based Practice.

Rutgers Nursing Clinical Experience — A Program Highlight

As one of the largest and most well-known nursing programs in New Jersey, Rutgers has established connections with some of the best clinical sites in the state. Students will graduate with 588 clinical hours. New Brunswick students typically have clinicals in Central Jersey, and Newark students have clinicals in the North Jersey area, with some exceptions. Each clinical is 84 hours a semester, in either 6 hour or 12 hour shifts. 12 hour clinicals are 7AM-7PM every other week. 6 hour clinicals can be 7AM-1PM, 1PM-7PM, or 3PM-9PM.
Quality of Clinical Instructors One of the highlights of the Rutgers Nursing program is the exceptional quality of its clinical instructors. All instructors hold at least a Master’s degree, with many possessing Doctoral degrees in advanced practice. Most instructors work at the hospital where they also serve as clinical instructors. The dual role means they are familiar with the hospital, have resources, and are aware of policies, all of which are extremely beneficial. During clinicals, students are paired with a nurse preceptor for the day, and the experience can vary greatly depending on the preceptor. While some nurses allow students to perform full assessments and medication passes, others may prefer that students observe. Regardless, each experience offers learning opportunities. Clinical instructors will break down the learning after each clinical in "post-conference" and students will share their experiences with each other from the day.
Community Clinical Settings Recently, there has been a push to incorporate Out-of-Hospital/“Community” clinicals into the program. These include shadowing school nurses, prison nurses (Rutgers Health manages state correctional facilities), and nurse practitioners involved in community screening programs. These experiences are unique to Rutgers and align with the broader state effort to expose nursing studnets to opportunities outside the traditional hospital setting.
Clinical Simulations Rutgers Nursing is also making advancements in clinical simulation. Simulations typically occur 2-3 times per semester for each course and replace hospital clinicals for those days. The Center for Clinical Learning (CCL) runs these simulations, using mannequins and other hospital equipment to simulate emergency situations that students might not encounter during regular clinicals. The instructors are supportive and understanding, even when students make mistakes.
Transition to Professional Practice (TPP) In the final senior year clinical in the course Transition to Professional Practice (TPP), students are placed in a Dedicated Education Unit (DEU) within a hospital and are expected to perform nearly independently under the guidance of a preceptor. DEU Placements include ER, ICU, Peds, Oncology, Med/Surg, Women's Health, in hospitals across the state. The DEU experience builds competence and confidence in nursing skills and can significantly help with employment after graduating.
Site Selection Regarding clinical selection, the school currently assigns clinical sites randomly, with little regard for personal convenience. However, administration has hinted at changes in the near future.
Our Perspective Overall, the clinical experience at Rutgers Nursing is a solid foundation for developing proficiency. All the clinical instructors we’ve encountered are passionate about teaching skills and competent in their work. The varied experiences in hospital and community settings, along with simulation training, ensure that students are well-prepared for their nursing careers. While the randomness of clinical site assignments can be annoying, the quality of education and hands-on training makes it a worthwhile journey. The clinical experience is a highlight of the program and a key contributor to the success of graduates.

Nursing Courses (With Clinicals/Simulation Labs)

705:335 Nursing Care of Healthy Populations (Semester 5)

• Difficulty: 3/5
• AKA: NCHP
• This course is a new addition to the nursing curriculum introduced in 2020, replacing the older Nursing Care Provider 1 and 2 series. It has an 84-hour clinical component that is predominantly conducted in the skills lab at the 120 Albany building, supplemented by two days at a skilled nursing facility towards the course's conclusion. We believe this is the easiest clinical course
• Clinical/Lab: You’ll be practicing basic nursing skills on mannequins, including therapeutic communication, hygiene care, managing elimination needs with bedpans and urinals, and handling feedings. Included in this clinical are two critical "test-outs," focusing on the administering oral medications and the execution of IM and SC injections. These are pass/fail demonstrations, and you will have two opportunities to pass them.
• Lecture: The lecture component is somewhat detached from the clinical practice, with the course content and clinical applications often not synchronized week by week. Lectures encompass a range of topics from basic nursing concepts to more critical issues. Content areas such as personal hygiene, nutrition, sleep, and the ADPIE nursing process are covered alongside more important topics such as medication administration, infection control, and patient activity management. A common point of frustration is that the test material often does not directly relate to the content discussed in lectures. Much of the content in this course is self-explanatory, however this is many students’ first exposure to NCLEX clinical questions, and may pose as a notable learning curve regarding the testing style. While it's rare for anyone to fail this course, achieving high marks can be difficult due to these discrepancies between the lecture content and the test material.

705:340 Nursing Care of Childbearing Families (Semester 6)

• Difficulty: 3.75/5
• AKA: Maternity
• Clinical: Placements in various hospital units, including MotheBaby, LaboDelivery, Newborn Nursery, Operating Room (C-Section), and High-Risk Maternity units.
• Lecture: This course is the first "specialty" nursing course, focusing on women's health and childbearing. It is very content and knowledge-heavy, with wide range of topics from prenatal care to postpartum complications. The exams range from medium to hard difficulty and demand strong critical thinking skills. Course can feel hard due to the complex nature of maternal and fetal health, the need to quickly identify and respond to complications, and the emotional aspects of caring for childbearing families.

705:336 Nursing Care of Adults & Older Adults with Common Health Conditions: (Semester 6)

• Difficulty: 4/5
• AKA: Adult 1
• Clinical: Placements are in various Medical/Surgical units across New Jersey. Both Adult Health 1 (AH1) and Adult Health 2 (AH2) have the same clinical placements, essentially doubling the clinical experience. Clinical practice focuses on essential nursing skills such as IV fluids, injections, vital signs, assessments, elimination, nutrition, wound care, oxygen therapy, and managing chronic conditions.
• Lecture: This is the first of two “Medical/Surgical” series courses focusing on adult health. The lectures cover a wide range of topics but emphasize common health conditions in adults and older adults. Fluids and electrolytes, acid-base balance, and perioperative care are particularly challenging. The Spring 2024 course includes regular exams and pop quizzes, which can be different from the lecture content, requiring strong critical thinking skills.

705:428 Nursing of Adults & Older Adults with Complex Health Conditions (Semester 7)

• Difficulty: 4.25/5
• AKA: Adult 2
• Clinical: Placements are the same as Adult 1, in various Medical/Surgical units across New Jersey.
• Lecture: This is the second course in the series, focusing on complex health conditions. It is particularly challenging because it emphasizes care for critically ill patients who need immediate treatment. The exams often have triage questions, which require strong critical thinking skills. The course is both content and thinking-intensive, covering a wide range of complex topics. Active participation and consistent study are crucial for success.

705:412 Nursing Care of Infants, Children & Adolescents (Semester 7)

• Difficulty: 3.75/5
• AKA: Peds
• Clinical: Various pediatric hospitals in the state, rotating between adolescent and pediatric units.
• Lecture: Pediatrics specialty course that can be challenging due to the differences in diseases between children and adults. The nature of pediatric illnesses requires understanding of both developmental and medical aspects unique to pediatric populations. Additionally, the treatment approaches differ significantly from adult care. This course emphasizes family-centered care, developmentally appropriate communication, and evidence-based nursing interventions for pediatric patients.

705:414 Nursing Care of Individuals/ Populations with Acute & Chronic Mental Health Conditions (Semester 8)

• Difficulty: 3.5/5
• AKA: Psych
• Clinical: Mix of simulation lab and psychiatric mental health hospitals. Unique in the sense that you get to attend support groups and rotate through the units in a mental health hospital. The patient stories are especially interesting, and you spend time talking and getting to know patients.
• Lecture: As the last specialty course in the curriculum, the faculty aims to support student success while keeping up rigorous standards (they try to make it easier to pass). The main challenge is balancing pharmacological treatments with non-pharmacological and behavioral interventions, so you need a good understanding of both. There's a heavy focus on pharmacology. The course also emphasizes family-centered care, developmentally appropriate communication, and evidence-based nursing interventions for psychiatric patients.

705:455 Transition to Professional Practice (Semester 8)

• Difficulty: 0.5/5
• AKA: TPP
• Clinical: See TPP section in clinical review above^
• Lecture: This course is designed to smoothly transition students into the professional nursing role, with a strong emphasis on career readiness and NCLEX preparation. Lectures cover practical topics such as resume building, interview skills, and professional development. Main assignments include creating a polished resume, practicing interview techniques, and completing HESI comprehensive exams, which serve as a final predictor of NCLEX success. The majority of the coursework consists of pass/fail assignments and weekly discussions on various nursing-related topics, contributing to the course's overall low-stakes nature.

Tips and Takeaways

Rutgers Nursing is an excellent program that offers great value and effectively prepares students for the nursing profession. We sincerely hope the curriculum can be revamped soon to realize its full potential. There is a significant transition between the first two years and the last two years, and the school could improve in preparing students for this shift. The job placement rate for this program is outstanding. Most graduates secure positions that pay at or near six figures straight out of college, which is almost unmatched for a Bachelor's degree.
However, this program is extremely challenging and requires constant effort. Each semester includes at least one difficult course that demands continuous studying. Remember, it's not a sprint—it's a marathon. Many classmates burn out early, so it's crucial to pace yourself and develop effective study habits. Prospective students should be prepared for a rigorous academic program that demands dedication and strong study skills. For anyone considering this program or who has questions, feel free to reach out. We are happy to provide old course content or syllabi for reference. Current nursing students, please share your thoughts below to help us improve this guide for everyone. Thank you for reading!
Future Updates (When we have time):

• EOF Program
• Honors Program
• Scholarships
• Nurse Externship Programs

Specimen is a healthy male minotaur, between 20 and 30 years of age. Reported to have been interfering with Legion fortification efforts at Sancre Tor, neutralized by Imperial Battlemages. Necropsy performed by Mauros Arcelle, College of Whispers, 10th of Frostfall, 4e204.
Specimen appears to have been in good health at time of death. Scorch marks on upper torso from shock spell have burned through hide. Hide separates from underlying tissue easily, similar to pure-strain cattle. Musculature is robust and moderately marbled.
...
Horns approximately one foot in length. White at tips, transitioning to black. Copper bands observed on horns. Eyes are forward facing, and lack reflective membrane, suggesting clarity of vision. Eye color and structure resembles a mix of human and bovine.
Teeth are oversized compared to human teeth. Oversized molar similar to cattle, yet possesses upper row of teeth in front, alongside canine teeth. General mouth anatomy more similar to man or mer than bovine, suggesting specimen is omnivorous.
Brain is large and similar in complexity to human brain. Structures and size comparable to human brain. Preserved in formaldehyde for future dissection.
Thoracic and abdominal cavities in scale between bovine and human. Lungs and heart larger than human. Rumen, reticulum, and omasum all present, though undersized in comparison to abomasum. Intestines show striking similarity to mannish anatomy.
Hands show scarring across knuckles. Heavily calloused. Thumbs opposable.
Hooves show signs of trimming. Lateral claws have slight corkscrew. Copper knife recovered with body likely used for corrective trimming.
Ligaments...

Hello the reader of the front page of the internet, this is the same post I have written under apple -> post.
I work with deep learning models from various frameworks, starting from CNTK to Caffe, TensorFlow to PyTorch. I utilize these models for everything from simple classification stuff to object detection and so on. A few days ago, I noticed *.weights files in system folders that I didn't put there.
I'm gonna keep this real short. Apple announced that they will utilize AI to inspect all imagery on all iPhones for their CSAM program -then also abandoned it-. I'm all for stuff like these, someone has to monitor wrongdoings. However, utilizing computer downtime (preferably screensaver or idling) to mine all files, especially text in our drives, using these models is worrying me using the Apple devices for writing IP, Scientific Research etc. Maybe Apple utilize these for Spotlight or Siri but there are no published records of these anywhere.
Without further ado, if you have installed Sonoma (version 14.4.1 or 14.5) you can find these files under;

/System/Library/Frameworks/Vision.framework/Versions/A/Resources
/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/MediaAnalysis.framework/Versions/A/Resources
/System/Library/CoreImage/CIInpainting.cifilteContents/Resources

etc.
You can also list all the files from the terminal using this code
cd /System/Library/
ls -LR -la > /Users/**your user name**/Desktop/whatsgoingon.txt
Here are some of the labels they are mining for from the labels file; /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/VisionCore.framework/Versions/A/Resources/SceneNet5_relationships-v8d.txt

credit_card -> document
gift_card -> document
CVML_UNKNOWN_172 -> document
envelope -> document
dolphin -> cetacean
whale -> cetacean
diagram -> chart
logo -> document
CVML_UNKNOWN_188 -> logo
logo_other -> logo
CVML_UNKNOWN_72 -> chart
margarita -> cocktail
...
terrarium -> structure
tiara -> headgear

labels from this file; /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/VisionCore.framework/Versions/A/Resources/JunkLeaf_v0.11.0_y8pf7cunms-10000-v3b.txt

bad_framing
bad_lighting
blurry
food_or_drink
medical_reference
negative
receipt_or_document
repair_reference
screenshot
shopping_reference
tragic_failure
utility_reference

labels under; /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/VisionCore.framework/Versions/A/Resources/SceneNet5_detection_labels-v8d.txt

CVML_UNKNOWN_999999
aircraft
automobile
bicycle
bird
bottle
bus
canine
consumer_electronics
feline
fruit
furniture
headgear
kite
fish
computer_monitor
motorcycle
musical_instrument
document
people
food
sign
watersport
train
ungulates
watercraft
flower
appliance
sports_equipment
tool

For your consideration.

WARNING: VERY HEAVILY DELTARUNE INFLUENCED. If you have no idea what Deltarune is, you should probably know that first before reading about this OC... I have a whole-ahh google doc on them and I am also currently writing a story for them hsgdkslsbdhdk yes they are a Deltarune OC, yes they look like Winter King but I assure you, I made them in 2022 which predates him, and yes, they look like a combination of Spamton and Rouxls. I'll just copy-paste their description from the Google doc-
Age: 20 Gender: transmasc nonbinary Sex: female Sexuality: bi demisexual Pronouns: they/them (preferred), he/him Height: 5’6” Date of Birth: August 11, 2003 ~ Notes ~ Lovesan is a virus(worm is a subcategory). A Creator reprogrammed Lovesan to be docile, but did not remove any code, putting up a firewall against the malevolent code instead. - can summon things via code tethers as well as change the properties of things via code - has a hologram computer with various ports as well as a universal (seriously universal) USB hub - is vulnerable to glitchy/corrupted code (might do something unpleasant to them...)
Extended notes: In Safe Mode: - Can summon energy shields. They make a habit of sticking with defense rather than offense. These energy shields are able to bear weight, block attacks, and can be used as a blunt weapon if necessary; however, if they are low on energy, these shields will be weaker and more fragile. They are bright blue and hexagonal. - Can manipulate the source code of an object. They can change the properties of an object and can make it do things it isn't normally able to do. - They have a gentle and calm demeanor, and they choose to be someone who blends into the background. They dislike showing their teeth, as their visibly sharp canines are a potential giveaway that they were, at some point, a malevolent program. Since they have the ability to hop universes (a minor ability granted by the Creator), they tend to look for people to keep in contact with so they are able to revisit a universe, if desired. - Their appearance is somewhat unusual for an Addison, as they are not naturally a uniform color. Their hair and eyes are white, and their skin is dark blue. The color scheme is rather reminiscent of an old bluescreen. Their hair and eyes also have a faint glow to them, in addition to thin white bands that are around their wrists and ankles. (The bands often get mistaken for jewelry.) Their eyes appear to have no pupil or iris, and they have poor eyesight; they wear glasses to see. - They typically wear a dark grey shirt with ivory-colored buttons, beige pants, and dark ankle socks with loafers. (The ankle socks are to cover up the bands.) In Virus Mode: - Can use their Safe Mode abilities offensively. - Can summon energy weapons. The weapon can be any type. Their signature weapon is a broadsword. Weapons have the same properties as their shields. In addition, their speed is faster. - Cannot die. Upon entering Virus Mode, they will trick their opponent into thinking that they are still mortal. Upon the first death of their body, they may reform somewhere else and perform a sneak attack. (They can continue doing this until their opponent realizes that they cannot be killed.) - They become much more violent and destructive. They will toy with their opponent, and will either become bored and kill their opponent, or take a liking to them and allow them to walk away from the battle. (The opponent will be killed upon refusing the option of mercy.) They care less about hiding their abilities, and are therefore more ruthless. - Their appearance changes slightly. Their eyes are no longer pure white; they instead are black with white pupils. Their teeth become sharp, and their fingers become slightly clawed, much like a cat's paw. (a proper visual would be looking at Spiderman 2099's hands.)They frequently smile at their opponent, which can unnerve said opponent. Their glasses are cracked, but they no longer need them to see. - Their original virus form does have all of these features, but in addition, their hair was blue and black instead of white, and they wore more formal clothing, consisting of a white dress shirt, black pants and shoes, and a dark cloak with a fastener made of their energy. - A last resort move, they only enter Virus Mode if they are about to die in Safe Mode. This also helps with giving them time to break down the firewall to their malevolent code, as their opponent thinks that they have nothing left. Since it is an internal process, they are able to hide their advantage.
They are the main character of my story, Second Life. (I feel like I need to change the title bc it feels uncreative but idk)
also, image descriptions!! 1. the doodle sheet of them I made when I suddenly had an urge to draw. I hadn't drawn for a few months, and it turned out I had a massive change in style, with much better anatomy and posing. 2. The second version of the poster I made for my story. The first version looks horrendous, trust me 3. Their virus form! 4. Their virus form, pre-plot! 5. plot happening to them, starting their story! 6. The most recent non-meme piece of them, showing their abilities in Safe Mode!

Howdy Y'all!
VoxelMods, your friendly bespoke cable artist, here with updates and cable sales for you!
Gallery of Commission Types/Styles Thumbnails

In-Stock Sale - Save 20% off any In-Stock USB Cable OR commission w/ In-Stock Detachables!

Use code ONHAND to enjoy 20% off anything that uses in-stock hardware! This includes commissions from the Choose & Customize page, as well as my preset themes using that hardware.
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Bespoke USB Cable Menu

Cerakote Chart - USB Port Menu - Detachable Size Comparisons - Cable Terminology - Sleeve Anatomy
I've completely overhauled my custom cable ordering menu, and its simpler and easier to use!
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New Colorswapped screws option
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Cable Type	Starting price w/ SilveGold Finishes	Starting price w/ Cerakote Finishes
Straight USB Cable w/ Detachable	$79+ w/ Heatshrink Ports	$129+
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Disclaimer: This post is about my personal opinion, others may agree or disagree, it is for reference, one can always refer to multiple sources for same information
Writing this to help aspirants in:

• One shots versus Full lectures for which chapters
• Good video resources
• Question solving resources

Unit 1: Diversity in living world

• One Shots are enough
• Taxonomy portion got a lot to memorize, flowcharts will help.
• High effort but high weightage chapters.
• Conceptual part is regarding life cycles and reproduction everything else needs constant revisions

Unit 2: Structural Organisation

• One Shots are enough, video resources do not even contribute much to your learning of these chapters because you are the one who will figure out how to retain that much information
• Anatomy portion got some topics which need conceptual clarity and photographic memory
• High effort high weightage, reduced syllabus has been followed in NEET 2024.

Unit 3: Cell Structure and Functions

• Full length lectures needed
• Very high weightage unit
• Cell Cycle and Division has the most PYQs per page in last 5-7 years
• Proper conceptual clarity required in chapter 8 and 10
• Biomolecules will also contribute for Class 12th Chemistry chapter so effort won't go into vain

Unit 4: Plant Physiology

• Full length lecture required for Respiration and Photosynthesis
• Plant Growth and Development, video resources don't contribute much it's upon you how you gonna retain information about every regulator
• Reduced syllabus has been followed in NEET 2024
• Plant growth chapter is really really volatile so need regular revisions

Unit 5: Human Physiology

• Breathing System, Skeletal System and Endocrine are relatively simpler so one shots are enough
• Neural, Circulatory and Excretory system might need further help
• Understanding through animations can help a lot
• A lot of teachers teach way too much you have to make sure that you don't cross syllabus boundary however a bit out of ncert helps in bringing conceptual clarity
• A little extra time given if eliminates the load of rattafication, you must go for it.

Unit 6: Reprodcution

• Diagrams are really really important
• One Shots are usually enough

Unit 7: Genetics and Evolution

• You won't regret time spent on full length lectures for this unit because it not only carries difficult questions it also has very high weightage
• I highly recommend doing the lectures from NEET KAKA JEE youtube channel for these chapters (A single one shot is compilation of offline lectures)
• However a lot of teach wayyy out of NCERT ofcourse you need not worry about that

Unit 8: Biology in Human Welflare

• Kinda simple chapters, video help might be needed in Immunity portion of human health and disease

Unit 9: Biotech

• Effort given won't be regretted because NTA's favorite Child
• Biotech 1 needs technical clarity so full length lectures can be watched (optional)
• Biotech 2 is again theoretical even NCERT Reading would be enough
• Must do Tissue culture topic from Strategies of Enhancement chapter because it is shifted to biotech now

Unit 10: Ecology

• Simplest chapters, one shots are enough
• Numerical data is not asked as it is so you don't need to excess load

Video Resources
One Shots:

• Everyone got their preferences but i personally liked One Shots by Vipin Sharma sir as he teaches really complex concepts in very short time
• Plant Physio and Plant Kingdom by Tarun Sir is really superb, his one shots are on sankalp bharat channel.
• zoology one shots are available on Ozone Classes while Botany one shots are on PW's Channel.
• NCERT Line by Line series is also equally good.
• Some people prefer Samapti Mam for Zoology you may do according to your preference

Full Length:

• Since most of you are getting Khazana subscriptions so you may refer any of them
• I did from Chandramauli Maurya Sir and Dr. Amit Gupta Sir (No you don't need their lectures for NEET, their notes are dope tho).
• On Youtube, you may refer to videos by NEET Kaka JEE, the clarity is superb

Question solving resources

• Topic Wise MCQs/Line by Line Questions: Personally speaking, these questions really ruined my memory because if you learnt a fact just now then of course you will easily answer it in the DPP sort of things which many people have, i believe it kind of stops your long term memory to store the info.
• Unit wise question solving is superb, but Chapterwise is also decent. There are mainly two options available, books or online resources, and i believe online resources are better because they have less errors, there are several platforms like NEETprep who work on such engines. Another perk is that you can reattempt the questions which you did wrong without any trace of pencil which you gonna use on your book.
• For those who prefer the traditional way, there are two good books ( I haven't used each and every book available, i tried like 4-5 and these two were best ones - NCERT Punch By Physics Wallah and NCERT Word to Word by NEET Kaka JEE. Punch got so many variations like match the matrix, true false, diagram based while Word to Word got zero errors and limited but quality questions.

For AR and Statement Based questions, there is no better source than PYQs because book kitni hi achi ho par number of questions badhane ke liye befaltu ke illogical questions daal deti hai. Ncert based test papers like NNTS or Akash PST/CST also got quality questions.
Honourable mention, NTA Abhyas questions: If you are looking for an extra edge, then here it is, it has moderate to difficult questions, although some are out of ncert, but rest of them really make you exam ready.
Again, these were my personal opinions, there are way more knowledgeable people on this subreddit who can help you even better, so all the criticism is accepted, do let me know that in comments i am gonna update the post then.
Thanks

Chapter 3: The Nightmare Made Flesh
The full moon cast an eerie glow over the quiet streets of Willowbrook as Sheriff Ethan Blackwood patrolled the town, his eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of the creature that had been terrorizing the community. The past few days had been a waking nightmare – the brutal attacks, the mounting fear, the desperate search for answers. And now, with the revelation of the glowing eyes and otherworldly growl that Deputy Sarah Harding had witnessed in the woods, Ethan couldn't shake the feeling that they were dealing with something far beyond their understanding.
As he turned onto a deserted side street, a sudden movement caught his eye. Ethan slammed on the brakes, his heart pounding as he peered into the darkness. There, illuminated in the harsh glare of his headlights, stood a figure that defied all reason and sanity.
It was humanoid in shape, but there was nothing human about the creature that loomed before him. Standing at nearly six and a half feet tall, it had a bipedal stance that was uncannily human, but its body was a grotesque parody of the human form. Its limbs were elongated and disproportionate, with a hunched, unnatural posture that spoke of a twisted, inhuman anatomy.
The creature's skin was a sickly grayish-brown, mottled with patches of dark, coarse hair that sprouted in uneven clumps across its body. Its face was a nightmarish fusion of human and bestial features, with sunken, feral eyes that glowed an eerie yellow in the darkness. Its nose was flattened and broad, with large, flaring nostrils that twitched and quivered as it caught Ethan's scent. And its mouth...its mouth was a jagged maw filled with misshapen teeth that protruded at odd angles, giving it a perpetual, horrifying snarl.
As Ethan watched in mute horror, the creature began to change before his eyes. Its body convulsed and twitched, bones snapping and reshaping beneath its skin. Flesh rippled and bulged as muscles grew and shifted, and the sickening sound of tearing skin filled the air as the beast's form stretched and contorted into something even more monstrous.
The creature's arms elongated into long, spindly limbs that ended in gnarled, clawed hands, almost human in appearance but tipped with wickedly sharp talons. Its legs grew more powerful, more canine, with digitigrade feet that looked capable of propelling it forward with terrifying speed and agility.
And through it all, the creature's eyes never left Ethan's, burning with a malevolent intelligence that spoke of a human mind trapped within a monstrous form.
Ethan sat frozen, his mind reeling with the sheer wrongness of the thing before him. This was no animal, no mere beast. It was an abomination, a perversion of nature itself.
Then suddenly the creature threw back its head and let out a howl that shook Ethan to his very core – a sound of pure, unleashed bloodlust and fury. Then, with a speed that defied belief, it lunged forward, its jaws snapping and its claws outstretched.
Ethan barely had time to react, throwing the car into reverse and slamming on the gas. The tires screeched as he careened backwards, desperate to put distance between himself and the nightmare made flesh. In the rearview mirror, he caught a glimpse of the creature bounding after him, its powerful legs eating up the ground with terrifying speed.
Ethan's hands shook as he fumbled for the radio, his voice cracking as he called for backup. He knew how it would sound, knew the disbelief and terror his words would inspire. But he had no choice. The people of Willowbrook were in mortal danger, and it was his sworn duty to protect them.
Even if it meant facing down a monster straight out of humanity's darkest nightmares.
As he waited for his deputies to arrive, Ethan's mind raced with questions. What was this creature? Where had it come from? And most importantly...how could they hope to stop it?
He didn't have the answers. But one thing was clear.
The hunt was on.
And this time, the prey was a twisted fusion of man and beast, a creature of fang and claw and insatiable hunger.
Ethan took a deep breath, his hand tightening on his gun. He didn't know what horrors the coming days would bring, what nightmares they would have to confront.
But he knew one thing.
He would not rest until the streets of Willowbrook were safe once more.
Until the creature lay dead at his feet, and the long night of terror was finally over.
No matter the cost, he would see this through to the bitter end.
For the sake of his town, his people.
And for the memory of all those lost to the beast's savage hunger.

Prologue
First
Previous / Next
Spanish Version (OG Version)
Credits to u/SpacePaladin15 for creating this universe.
And thanks to u/Signal-Chicken559 for proof-reading and the feedback, seriously, thank you.
Also available on Archive of Our Own
Note: There's a post on the Discord of this subreddit, so if you wanna discuss something about my story, that should be the place to go
\---------------------0
Memory Transcription Subject: Syra, Universal History Student at Brightspire and Member of the Human-Venlil Exchange Program
Date [standardized human date]: September 17, 2136
Maybe this "therapy" wouldn't be so bad after all. Perhaps they just wanted to make sure Daniel felt comfortable and supported during his stay here. I hoped that was the case, because otherwise, I wouldn't hesitate to bare my claws if necessary to protect him.
For now, I would let things flow naturally. But I would keep a close eye out, just in case. Daniel wasn't alone in this, I was here to look out for him.
[Time advancement: 10 minutes]
"...and that's more or less how I ended up here, details more, details less," Daniel finished recounting how he had arrived.
He seems satisfied with what Daniel has told so far. Good sign, I suppose. Although I still wonder what exactly this "therapy" is about.
At that, the "psychologist" gets up and walks to the back of the room. He takes some kind of portable whiteboard and places it in front of us. He then takes out a couple of markers and begins to draw a simple diagram.
"Well, Daniel, I think I have a general idea of who you are," he says as he scribbles on the whiteboard. "Now I'd like to explain my approach a bit in this session."
I frown slightly, intrigued. The Doctor draws a large circle in the center of the whiteboard and writes the word "Communication" inside it.
"You see, for me communication is the key to everything," he continues. "It's the medium through which we can express our needs and obtain what we need or desire."
I nod slowly, contemplating the diagram. It makes sense so far. The Doctor continues tracing more elements, listing some steps:

1. Describe observable facts
2. Emotions + Thoughts → Feelings
3. NEEDS
4. Expressed in the form of a request

Thank the stars I downloaded the new translation packages a while ago, otherwise I wouldn't be able to read this.
"The first thing is to describe the observable facts objectively," he explains while pointing to step 1. "Then, express the emotions and thoughts that arise in relation to those facts. But most importantly, identify the underlying need that those emotions and thoughts reflect."
He takes another color and draws an arrow that goes from the "Needs" circle to another where he writes "Finds the common ground with the other person."
"Once the needs are identified, we can express them in the form of a request to the other person," he says. "In this way, both parties can work together to satisfy those needs in a collaborative and empathetic way."
I nod again, beginning to understand his approach. It's... interesting, to be honest. Very different from the more authoritarian and repressive approach I experienced with my sister's case. The Doctor takes a moment to study our reactions.
"I know this may seem a bit foreign to your customs, Syra," he admits in an understanding tone. "But on Earth we have learned (or we're supposed to) that repressing or denying emotions only leads to more conflicts and suffering. It's better to express them in a healthy way and seek solutions that benefit everyone."
He turns back to the whiteboard and draws another more elaborate diagram. This time, there is a kind of circle, with elongated triangles inside, Daniel explained to me in my previous chats with him, that this was called a "compass" and was used for guidance at sea (By the stars, what's wrong with these humans? Don't they see that the sea is extremely dangerous?!). This compass seemed to be surrounded by several sectors, each with the name of an emotion: joy, sadness, fear, anger, boredom, disgust, surprise.
I look at the diagram with curiosity, it's an interesting concept, although very different from what I've learned on Venlil Prime.
The Doctor points to the central circle with the word "Communication."
"As you can see, for me everything revolves around effective communication," he continues calmly. "First, we must describe the facts objectively, without judging."
I nod slowly, following his explanation. So far it makes sense.
"Then, it is crucial to identify the emotions and thoughts that those facts generate in us. We should not repress or deny them," he continues, tracing more elements on the diagram. "Those emotions and thoughts lead us to identify an underlying need."
I frown a little when I hear that. Needs... my mind goes back to the situation with my sister. Could it be that she just needed to express herself better? No, I can't think about that now.
"Once the need is identified, we can express it as a request to the other person," the Doctor draws an arrow pointing to the words "Finds the common ground." "Thus, both parties can work together to satisfy those needs in an empathetic and collaborative way."
I open my eyes in surprise. Is he suggesting that we can simply... ask for what we need? Without fear, without reprisals. It's such a foreign idea from what I experienced... But at the same time, it makes a certain sense.
The Doctor turns towards us, studying our reactions.
"I know this approach may seem strange to you Venlil," he admits with understanding. "But on Earth we learned that repressing or denying emotions only brings more conflicts. It's better to express them in a healthy way."
I swallow hard with discomfort. It's true that on Venlil Prime we are taught to keep certain emotions under control. Especially those that could be seen as... "predatory."
"Um... Excuse me, Doctor," I interject cautiously. "I understand your point, but... What about those emotions or behaviors that are considered harmful or problematic?"
The Doctor looks at me intently before responding.
"It's a very valid question, Syra. But you see, no emotion is inherently 'good' or 'bad'," he explains patiently. "Even emotions like anger or fear have a purpose and meaning. The important thing is to learn to identify them, understand them and express them appropriately."
I frown thoughtfully. Is he suggesting that even the darkest emotions have a place? It's certainly... different from what I've been taught.
"But... What if those emotions endanger others?" I insist, unable to avoid thinking of my sister. "In my culture, certain behaviors, though emotional, are seen as a 'disease'."
A heavy silence settles in the room. I can sense Daniel's discomfort by my side, though he doesn't say a word. The Doctor remains silent for a moment, did I say something wrong?
"I understand your concern, and I'm sorry for that, Syra," he finally responds. "I understand that each culture may have its own norms and values. But at least on Earth, we have learned that pathologizing or repressing certain emotions only increases suffering."
He takes a breath before continuing.
"The important thing is to find healthy ways to express and channel those intense emotions. With support, understanding and appropriate tools, no one has to resort to harm or violence."
I ponder his words carefully. It's such a different perspective... But I can't help the doubts that assail me. If my sister had had that "support" and "understanding"... would she still be alive?
At that moment, I remember what Thomas mentioned about Daniel's "diagnosis." I glance sideways at my human companion sitting beside me, who remains silent.
"Um... Doctor, if you don't mind me asking," I begin cautiously. "What exactly does that 'diagnosis' you mentioned before mean? The 'Autism Spectrum Disorder'?"
Daniel tenses visibly by my side, as if he wants to avoid that conversation. But the Doctor simply nods calmly.
"Well it's not a bad question, Syra," he responds. "Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurodivergent condition that primarily affects the development of social skills and communication. People on the spectrum can have difficulties interpreting social cues, maintaining eye contact or understanding figurative language."
I look at Daniel with renewed interest, trying to better understand his situation. Maybe that's why it's so hard for him to socialize...
"But that doesn't mean they are 'sick' or 'deficient' people," the Doctor is quick to clarify. "They simply have a neurodivergent processing of social information. With the right supports, they can develop fully."
My gaze softens as I observe Daniel. I feel a wave of understanding toward him. All this time he has been dealing with these challenges and yet he still strives to establish bonds and learn about my culture.
"There's no need to be alarmed. As I said, the intention is not to judge or label anyone. We simply want to understand and provide the appropriate support."
I nod slowly, feeling the tension dissipate a little. Then, the Doctor takes out a deck of cards from a small briefcase he had at his side.
"In fact, would you like to play a little game? It could help us get to know each other in a more relaxed way."
I glance sideways at Daniel, not quite sure what to expect. He shrugs indifferently, as if letting me decide. Well, why not? A game could be a more pleasant way to get through this "therapy."
"Sure, let's play," I respond, giving a slight smile and gesturing with my tail.
The Doctor nods and proceeds to explain the rules of the game called "Sussed?". It doesn't seem too complicated: basically, we have to read some cards with 3 questions and 3 answer options each, choose the one that best represents us and try to guess which answer to that question the player who asked it chose.
"Sounds good," I comment as the Doctor deals the cards to each of us. "Do you want to start?"
This was the kind of board games I liked the most.
"Sure, why not?" the Doctor replied as he takes the first card. "Let's see..."
After a few moments, he chooses the card, looks at it for another moment, and the psychologist says:
"This question says: 'If you could swap bodies with anyone for a day, who would you choose?'"
I frown thoughtfully. It's an interesting question, to be honest. Who would a human want to swap bodies with?
If I were human, who would I swap bodies with?
I glance sideways at Daniel and a mischievous idea crosses my mind. What if...? No, no, that would be too daring.
But I return to the objective, to guess who the therapist would become, and then he says the options:
"And the options are:

• A). Your ideal partner;
• B). Your idol or favorite celebrity; and
• C). Your game companion (if this option, who?)"

He paused.
"What do you say? Who do you think I would choose?"
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously and made a new gesture with my ears. My ideal partner? That option seemed too suggestive for a human like him. Or would it be too obvious? And what if he chose his idol to get to know them better? I didn't completely rule out the last option either.
"Hmm..." I murmured, scratching my chin. "I'd say... C? He'd swap with one of us for a day?"
Daniel shifted beside me, seeming just as intrigued by the question as I was. Doctor Calderón simply shook his head.
"Good theory, but no. My answer was B," he revealed calmly.
Well! It made sense, I suppose. Humans really do seem obsessed with their celebrities and public figures, Daniel told me they had many, many celebrations of the historical figures of each of their countries, so each "paw" or "whatever" of their year celebrated something or someone.
"I see," I nodded. "Interesting choice."
"Alright, I guess it's my turn now," Daniel cleared his throat through his mask. "Let's see... 'If you could travel through time, what era would you choose to visit?'"
That was a fairly typical question for a game like this, but it still made me think. What era would Daniel like to visit? So many possibilities...
The options Daniel mentioned were:

• A). The remote past;
• B). The future; and
• C). A golden age or key historical period.

What era would Daniel like to visit?
Honestly, I'm not too sure which one he might choose. Knowing his fascination with space exploration, he might choose the future to see how civilizations evolve. But he could also be interested in some golden age from his species' remote past.
Determined to guess his answer, I risk my hunch:
"Hmm, I think you'd say... option C? A golden age or key historical period?" I suggest, moving my tail inquisitively. "That's the impression I get considering your interest in history."
Daniel takes a few moments before responding with a slight nod.
"Good intuition, Syra. I chose option C, a golden age. More specifically, the European Renaissance I told you about before, don't you remember?" he reveals in a calm tone. "It was a period of great scientific and cultural advancement for my species."
I nod, pleased to have guessed right. It's interesting how Daniel seems to value the periods of intellectual and artistic progress of his civilization, despite its apparently violent background.
"Ah, yes, you told me it was a transcendental moment for humans in areas like philosophy, the arts and knowledge in general."
"Exactly. Figures like Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo, Michelangelo and so many others laid the foundations of modern science and thought. Although there were shadows too, of course."
Doctor Calderón nods and takes notes in a small notebook he has by his side. I feel curious to learn more about this "golden age" that Daniel mentions, so I decide to ask:
"If it's okay with you, could you tell me a little more about that 'Renaissance'?" I inquire, my ears slightly raised. "I'm interested in knowing what made it so important for your species."
Daniel settles into his seat, as if preparing for a more extensive explanation. I notice how his hands, make some gestures as he speaks, something I've noticed humans often do.
"Well, the Renaissance was a cultural movement that emerged in the European region during the 15th and 16th centuries, mainly in cities like Florence, Rome and Venice," he begins to explain. "After a period known as the Middle Ages, where a somewhat more rigid and dogmatic thought predominated, the Renaissance brought a resurgence of interest in the classical ideals of ancient Greece and Rome."
I nod, trying to follow his line of thought. Humans seem to have a special fascination with those ancient cultures from their past.
"Renaissance artists and thinkers promoted a more humanistic and rational approach," Daniel continues. "Figures like Leonardo da Vinci embodied the idea of the 'Renaissance man', one who sought knowledge in various areas: art, science, engineering, philosophy, and blah, blah, blah."
"Wow, that sounds really interesting," I comment sincerely. "Could you give me some more concrete examples of the achievements of that period?"
Daniel nods and proceeds to mention some Renaissance milestones: Da Vinci's advances in anatomy and his studies on the human body, the astronomical discoveries of Galileo Galilei, artworks like the Sistine Chapel and Michelangelo's David, and the rediscovery of his species' literary classics.
"In summary, it was an era of great creative and intellectual effervescence," Daniel concludes. "Though of course there was still a long way to go."
I nod, fascinated by Daniel's description. It's admirable how his species managed to propel itself forward in those key periods, despite the difficulties and limitations they faced back then. I can't help but wonder if the Venlil will ever experience a similar awakening, at least, of thought...
At that moment, I remember we're playing "Sussed?", grab one of the cards and choose one of its questions, taking advantage of Daniel's enthusiasm for history and culture.
"Alright, my turn," I announce, taking a new card. "If you could choose one supernatural ability, what would it be?' And the options are:

• A). Flying,
• B). Mind reading or
• C). Time travel."

I pause, observing Daniel and Doctor Calderón's reactions. This question certainly lets the imagination fly.
"What do you say? What do you think I would choose?"
Now that I think about it, what would I choose?
I would definitely choose to be able to fly.
The idea of soaring through the skies with total freedom seems incredibly appealing to me. I imagine how exciting it would be to explore Venlil Prime's landscapes from the heights, without restrictions.
Daniel remains silent for a few moments, as if carefully analyzing the options. I can imagine the gears turning inside that peculiar human head of his. Finally, he responds:
"Time travel."
Time travel? I didn't expect that. I suppose it makes sense coming from a being so fascinated by the vast universe and its unsolved mysteries.
"Ohhh, interesting choice," I comment with curiosity. "May I ask why you think I would choose that ability?"
Daniel shrugs and responds in a casual tone:
"Well, I think time travel would open up infinite possibilities for knowledge and adventure," he explains. "Imagine being able to witness historical events firsthand or catch a glimpse of the future to guide us better. It would be amazing."
I nod slowly, surprised by his reasoning. Humans certainly have an overflowing imagination.
"Woah, I hadn't seen it that way," I admit. "Although it could also be risky, don't you think? Messing with the past or knowing too much about the future."
Daniel laughs through his mask, a metallic and distorted sound.
"Good point. I guess we'd have to be really careful with that," he concedes.
"Although it would just be a small glimpse, nothing major like changing history. What do you think, Dr. Calderón? What ability do you think Syra would choose?"
Dr. Calderón takes a moment to think about it.
"Hmm, I think you would choose to read minds," he finally responds. "It would be very useful for better understanding people in general."
My ears twitch strangely at his response.
"Wouldn't that be an invasion of privacy?"
"It depends on how the power works, I would set certain limits so it only activates in specific situations or places, for example."
I guess that makes sense, but I'm still not sure I'd want to read minds in general, knowing what people really think of you all the time doesn't seem like the best idea.
Anyway, it's time to reveal the answer I chose.
"Well, you're wrong, because I would choose to fly."
"But why?" Daniel asks me.
"Well, the idea of flying seems interesting to me, being able to move at full speed without ground traffic or gravity's obstacles seems appealing."
"That's an interesting answer," Calderón responds.
I guess I should take it well that he says it's an interesting answer.
"Alright, my turn again," I announced, taking a new card. "If you could have a supernatural ability, which would it be: flying, teleporting or mind control?"
And so we continued playing successively, for a good while.
[Time advancement: 50 minutes]
Dr. Calderón collects the game cards and carefully puts them away in his briefcase. Then, he turns towards us with a friendly smile.
"Well, I think that's it for today," he announces in a calm voice. "How was it? I hope it was a constructive experience and helped you get to know each other a little better."
I nod slowly, feeling a mix of emotions. On one hand, this "therapy" has been extremely revealing about how humans think. But on the other, I can't help but still feel some apprehension.
"It was... interesting, no doubt," I respond frankly. "I admit that some of your ideas seem quite foreign to what I'm used to. But I also recognize that it makes sense, at least from your perspective."
The Doctor nods in understanding.
"It's normal for them to seem strange at first, Syra," he says patiently. "Cultural differences run deep. But that doesn't mean they're incompatible, right? It simply requires effort from both sides to find common ground."
I ponder his words, turning to look at Daniel. He remains silent, but I notice how he watches me through the mask, as if evaluating my reaction. I can almost imagine the gears turning inside his head... peculiar, but endearing in a way.
"You're right," I finally admit. "It's just a matter of continuing to learn and understand. And for that, both sides have to keep an open mind."
I smile slightly and, in an impulsive gesture, bring my tail towards Daniel, gently coiling it around his arm. He tenses briefly but doesn't pull away.
"Don't worry," I tell him softly. "We'll get to understanding each other, you'll see."
Daniel nods stiffly, saying nothing. I can imagine his discomfort, but I hope that in time he'll understand that he doesn't have to be ashamed of his "peculiarity." At least, not with me.
At that moment, Dr. Calderón stands up from his seat.
"Well, I think that concludes today's session," he announces in an affable tone. "You can return to your rest area. And please, don't hesitate to request me if you need anything."
We nod and stand up to leave the therapy room. Once in the hallway, I give Daniel a friendly tail gesture.
We walk back to our little "suite", already familiar to us after the therapy session with Dr. Calderón. An awkward silence hangs between Daniel and me as we make our way through the station's hallways.
I feel relieved that therapy didn't turn out as terrifying as I initially feared. But at the same time, I can't help but dwell on some of the things the Doctor said. That about "letting emotions flow" and not repressing them... It's so alien to what I've experienced.
I glance sideways at Daniel, with his mask and that characteristically rigid body language. I wonder what he's thinking about it all. Does he feel comfortable with that idea of emotional and social "openness"? From what I could tell, he seems somewhat reluctant, although I suppose it's natural given his... peculiarity.
I shake my head, brushing those thoughts aside. I shouldn't judge so harshly. I'm just seeing things from my limited perspective. Maybe for humans that "openness" works better. Or maybe not. I still have a lot to learn, at least about them.
We finally reach our little "suite" and go inside. It's a cozy space, with a common living room and our two individual bedrooms on either side as always. Nothing luxurious, but at least it's private and comfortable.
I plop down heavily on the couch, letting out a slight sigh. Daniel sits at the other end, keeping his distance as usual.
"So... what do you think about all this?" I ask cautiously, moving my ears in his direction.
He shrugs, his body language denoting some discomfort.
"I don't know what to think, really," he responds frankly. "It's all so... different from what I'm used to."
I nod, fully understanding that feeling. It's like we're both exploring completely uncharted territory.
"Yeah, I get it. It's very foreign to me too," I admit. "But... do you think it could have some value? You know, that whole 'expressing emotions' thing and all that."
Daniel remains silent for a moment, as if meditating on his answer. I can almost picture the gears turning inside his human head.
"Maybe..." he finally mutters. "Although I don't know if I'm ready for something like that. It's... complicated for me, I've had therapies before, but they never really worked out, it makes me uncomfortable because it's more of a routine than anything else, a routine I thought I'd at least get a break from here, but it wasn't the case, although it makes sense, they have a neurodivergent among the program members, so I guess they wanted to make sure I'd behave."
My ears droop slightly as I sense his discomfort. I don't want to push him too much, especially on topics that seem sensitive to him.
"Hey, it's okay," I say in a softer tone. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to. We'll go at your own pace, alright?"
He nods stiffly, though I notice his shoulders relaxing a little. I'm glad I can convey some reassurance.
If someone had told me I'd be reassuring a predator about his own discomfort by being so close a few months ago, I would have laughed in their faces and told them they were crazy, but here I am, telling him everything will be okay.
After a few moments of awkward silence, I decide to break the ice again.
"Hey, Daniel..." I begin slowly. "Can I ask you a question about what the Doctor said?"
He nods stiffly, barely a slight movement of his masked head.
"Sure, what do you want to know?"
I hesitate for a moment, not quite sure how to approach this without seeming intrusive.
"Well, he mentioned something about that 'diagnosis' of yours...a disorder, I think he said. Could you explain a bit more about that?" I ask cautiously. "O-only if you're comfortable with it, of course."
Daniel tenses up even more, I can almost feel his discomfort radiating from his body language. For a moment I fear I've crossed a line, but then he responds in a muted voice:
"It's... complicated to explain. Basically, my brain processes certain information differently than most people's. That makes social interactions, non-verbal language, that kind of thing difficult for me."
I nod slowly, trying to better understand his condition.
"And is that... bad?" I ask with genuine curiosity. "I mean, does it cause you problems or anything?"
He siffly shrugs.
"Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It depends on the situation. In academics and work it's usually an advantage, because I can focus really well on logical, repetitive tasks. But socially... well, let's just say it's not my strong suit."
I observe him closely, noticing how he averts his masked gaze. I can imagine the discomfort and vulnerability he must be feeling opening up like this.
"Hey, you don't have to be ashamed, okay?" I say softly. "I think it's admirable that you can be so honest about it. Most pred- I mean, humans, would probably do everything possible to hide it, right?"
Daniel lets out a slight huff through the mask, a metallic and distorted sound that could almost be mistaken for a bitter laugh.
"Now, I guess not, but it's ironic, don't you think?" he comments with a tinge of bitterness. "In prehistoric times, someone like me might have been abandoned or devoured for not fitting in with the tribe or group.
"But now... well, it seems I might not fit in anywhere at this rate, or maybe I'm exaggerating, but sometimes I don't know what to think. Because I don't want people to see me with pity or as someone who can't fend for themselves. It's messed up, because sometimes they see you in a condescending way, like you need help with everything all the time, when that's not always the case. I want to show the world, or the universe, that I can be myself without needing anyone's help to be me, that I can make it on my own without depending on anyone..."
After an awkward silence, I decide to break the ice again.
"Hey Daniel, I understand you don't like talking much about your... peculiarity," I say carefully. "But I want you to know you don't have to be ashamed of it with me, okay? I don't think any less of you for being... well, different."
Daniel shifts in his seat, his body language still slightly rigid and tense. I can imagine the discomfort he must be feeling, and I don't like it.
"It's not that I'm ashamed, exactly," he responds with apparent caution. "It's just that... sometimes I feel like people look at me with pity, you know? Like I need help with everything, when really most of the time I can fend for myself."
I nod slowly, trying to understand his perspective. I suppose for someone like him, who's probably used to dealing with prejudices and misunderstandings about his peculiarity, it must be frustrating to be treated in a condescending way.
But this time, he breaks the silence.
"Hey... there's something that's been on my mind," he admits hesitantly. "When you said you wouldn't let anyone hurt me, it sounded like you'd gone through a similar experience."
I swallow hard, feeling a lump in my throat. So he noticed. Well, I suppose it was inevitable he'd figure it out sooner or later, considering how perceptive he seems to be.
I guess it's time for me to tell my truth.
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Prologue
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