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2/15/2048 (military calendar)
CIA-operated Spaceship, Lunar-Mars Trajectory

*****

While Captain Mathew Ryder leaned into his chair while he read a military history book, he opened one of the food-based smoothies and drank it. As he swallowed, the captain's senses went on the fritz as they were overwhelmed by the fruity taste, feeling disgusted. "You know, I am never going to drink these again. I am so sick of them."
Warrant Officer One Rommel King laughed. "I never thought I would miss MREs. If these were the last food on Earth, I'd shoot myself."
Ryder chuckled as he understood the sentiment. "Speaking of Earth, what do you plan on doing once we return?"
Sergeant First Class Gregory Barrett leaned forward. "Probably go to the pool bar and hustle some privates for money. Then a five-star meal."
"Don't you think that is too easy to fish?” King asked.
"Maybe," Barrett replied. "I don't need the money; I just enjoy seeing that look in their eyes that an old timer like me whipped their asses."
"I will drink to that," King stated. "What about you, sir, after this pleasure cruise?"
"I know what he is doing," Wallace interrupted. "Going to the club to get some senoritas."
Barrett leaned around his chair to face his subordinate. "Knock it off, Wallace, or you will spend the rest of the trip outside."
"I wouldn't mind working on my tan," Wallace replied as he flexed his arms.
“You can try, my friend, but you will never be as good-looking as me,” Barrios replied as he looked at his tablet.
"Man, those two can be a handful," Barrett said.
"But when he is right, he is right," King said. "Matt, you do need to move on."
The Captain of Comanche, out of everyone on the team, shook his head with a grin. Staff Sergeants Eger Wallace and Bruno Barrios acted like brothers, closer to Twins than brothers. It was customary to see them competing for dominance, but they always had each other back in a sticky situation. To Wallace's point, though, he knew that the bulky Sergeant was correct. He had to work on his life. While he loved his career, there had to be more.
As the captain looked for the right words to convey what was on his mind, his eyes were drawn to the ceiling lights flickering. They suddenly turned off, and for a moment, the room was pitched black before a red glow from the emergency lights switched on.
"Comanche." Ryder didn't have to say more as his team started to mobilize, getting into their combat space suits.
Mathew Ryder unbuckled his seatbelt and pushed himself toward his space suit. Once dressed, he then floated to the ship intercom. He could feel the starship shake as he floated, making him wonder if they hit something. "Ryder to Bridge."
Hearing nothing, this started to concern the young captain. It seemed what Commander Nelson was worried about was coming to fruition.
"Rommel," Ryder said. "I cannot get through to the Bridge. Once Comanche regrouped, I want you to prepare a team and investigate."
"I wouldn't bother," Barrios said.
Hearing Bruno Barrios calling for him, the captain saw the Sergeant staring out into the void by the window.
Quickly floating himself to Barrios, Ryder grabbed a handle and looked outside. To his horror, he saw one of the bridge crew float past them. "We are under attack."
"Who are we missing?" Ryder asked.
“Kurt and Higgins are in the barracks,” Barrett replied. “Gonzales is guarding the package.”
Realizing how spread thin they were, Ryder knew they had to act fast or end up like the bridge crew. His first priority was to secure their section of the ship so they were not caught with their pants down. Even now, they could hear some weapons fire. Most likely, the attackers engaged any remaining crew scattered throughout the ship.
"George," Ryder said. "Head to Forest position and secure the left. Rommel, deploy a defensive line in the passageway. We cannot wait here, or we will be flanked and pinned. Teams of two on each side should do it."
"And the hull," King said. "If they can crawl around the hull, they can flank us."
"Good call," Ryder said.
"I will take the gym team and secure the left side," Barrett said.
It only took a few moments for everyone here to prepare as their training kicked in. Being some of the most elite soldiers in the United States military, they all knew what needed to be done.
Hearing a gunshot outside their hatch, everyone aimed their weapons in preparation to be swarmed. Rommel King then signals the Twins to line up and face the direction where the airlock would open.
Wallace aimed his P52 at the hatch, ready to kill anything that came through. Barrios floated over to grab his buddy and drag him to the wall and then held him in place. This stabilized the Comanche, so his aim was as steady as possible in zero-g. Ready to snip through the opening crack of the hatch.
As expected, the hatch cracked open wide enough for the personnel on the other side to throw an object inside their room. Most likely a stun grenade to which Wallace was prepared for. Once the hatch was wide enough, he placed a well-aimed shot through the hostile skull. A small explosion sounds from the stun grenade going off within the passageway.
Barrett floated and quickly opened the hatch while Barrios tossed a stun grenade, blinding the other hostile temporarily. He then grabbed the body and pulled it into the room while Wallace killed another target. Then, the Sergeant First Class called out for his team to storm the center passageway, firing their P52s in semiautomatic mode.
Ryder floated toward the dead body, meeting his second-in-command. The captain first noticed that there were no official symbols or markings on the corpse suit—only two different color armbands, red and tan.
"This is definitely covert ops," King said.
Lifting the facemask, Ryder noticed that this man looked Middle Eastern. "RIA or the Turks. They're the only two that could launch such an operation."
"The balls on them," King commented. "They have to know we are transporting something important."
"Agreed. Most likely the RIA, then. I do not know if the Turks would risk losing our support over what’s left of Iraq. They would more likely blackmail us over a raid if they knew anything over a direct assault.”
“They don’t call it Cover Ops for a reason, sir,” King said. “Still, I think you are correct about our opponents.”
The two went their separate ways as King went to secure the passageway while Ryder joined Eger Wallace to secure the storage section. The two floated toward the hatch that led to the next section.
Hearing the muffled sound of weapons throughout the ship, Mathew Ryder saw three hostiles approaching the forward hatch. Realizing that they had not been spotted yet, he took a quick shot, wounding the closest target. The other two took cover with the realization that a firefight was about to begin.
A firefight began as they sought cover from the bolted-down containers. Ryder saw a few corpses of former CIA crewmen floating, except for one who was taking cover behind one of the crates.
"Cover me." Ryder pushed against the bulkhead and toward the crewman, pulling out his sidearm. “Soldier, take this and cover.”
“I am not a soldier,” the crewman said as he took the pistol. “I am a mechanic.”
“Tell them that,” Ryder replied as he turned and provided suppressive fire. “Rally up or be left behind. Now, watch our six."
The crewmen took the sidearm, feeling bold now that he was not alone.
The Comanche Captain heard Wallace calling his name. He then saw that two additional hostiles entered the storage room. His first thought was shit before he aimed his P52 and fired.
Realizing that he was secured in place, he switched his weapon from semi-automatic to fully automatic and fired in bursts.
The sudden fire change confused the enemy as one was caught in the burst fire. The 5.7×28mm easily shredded through his target combat spacesuit after enough impacts. While there was armor on their combat spacesuits, it was not meant to withstand a direct engagement.
The crewmen floated to the other Comanche, and once Ryder saw his chance, he followed right behind. His comrades provided cover for fire, and an intense exchange of bronze impacted the containers. He floated back and felt something impact his shoulder. A section of his HUD started flashing yellow, confirming that something impacted him.
He stopped by one of the containers and checked his shoulder. He did see that he was hit but that the bullet didn’t go through. Seeing his luck, he hoped God was not planning to push his luck again.
Once back with his team, Ryder ordered Wallace to open the exterior emergency hatch. Remembering what his XO said that the enemy would soon use their superior manpower and flank them from outside, he needed to act fast.
As Ryder and the other crewmen provided cover, pinning down one of the hostile attackers, Wallace floated to the hatch and opened it, exiting the ship's hull.
Ryder connected to Wallace's camera feed; he saw that the moment the hatch was opened, his teammate encountered the enemy that was toward the rear of the ship to flank them. The Staff Sergeant quickly engaged the new targets, catching them by surprise.
"Turn to the front section," Ryder said.
Once the flank was secured, Wallace turned toward the spaceship's front section.
This was where Ryder saw the true extent of what was going on. Half a dozen enemy soldiers entered the bridge, with more floating toward them. What terrified the captain was seeing a black smooth ship anchored to them. While smaller than their vessel, the enemy ship was clearly designed for covert operations.
Skimming through the feed of the rest of the team, the enemy seemed to be hitting hard, outnumbering his Comanche team three or four to one. Far more than that spacecraft was able to sustain. He could only conclude that this operation was explicitly designed for them. Most likely, they were trying to acquire whatever they were transporting.
The only thing that seemed to be going their way was that Comanche was there. The enemy didn't expect a Special Forces group within a CIA spacecraft. While that proved a temporary advantage, he knew it wouldn't last long. And with the enemy spacecraft hitched to theirs, escaping wasn't impossible. A continued shootout would only defeat them just because they had more bodies.
"Sir," King said over TEAMCOM. "We are not going to be able to hold. We need to fall back and regroup."
"Regroup? where-." As Ryder spoke, he remembered the Aether-class capsule in the hangar. "I need Kurt here to take my position. George, do you have any other friends by you?"
"Affirmative."
"Roger. I am heading to you."
Ryder saw Sergeant First Class Kurt Forest quickly float into their room. "Kurt, secure that hatch. Everyone else, pull back and secure our starting point."
The captain then pushed himself back into the lounge section and headed toward the inner passageway.
He saw the intense firefight between his men and the enemy. Two of his teammates used a hatch as a shield to provide suppressive fire. It seemed they refused to give them an inch based on all the bullet impacts and scary walls, which was good. Losing this passageway would give the enemy full access to the ship.
Waving toward them, Ryder signaled that he needed cover to cross. King ordered everyone to open fire, allowing him to pass through. "Rommel, just hold on a bit longer."
"As long as you need. I don’t think they were expecting us."
Floating through the ship hatches, Mathew Ryder moved through the many different compartments of the spaceship until he reached Sergeant First Class Kurt Forest, who was holding the kitchen.
"George,” Ryder said. "Is one of the friendlies the Aether pilot?"
"No idea," Barrett asked. "But I assigned two of them to guard the storage compartment."
Ryder then pushed himself back to the previous section and floated up. Once there, he opened the hatch to the storage room and saw two CIA personnel taking cover by bolted-down compartments. One armed with an M18 pistol and the other with a P52 personal defense weapon. On the other side were hostiles advancing, to which he fired a few rounds to stall the enemy while seeking cover.
Seeing a short pause in the fighting, Ryder moved toward the two men. "Are one of you the Aether pilot?".
"I am," the man with the sidearm replied. "Why?"
"The ship is lost, so I need you to fly us off this wreck."
"That is a stupid idea. We won't get far in that tin can."
"Why the hell not?" Ryder asked in a frustrated voice.
"It is basically out of fuel. Entering and exiting a planetary atmosphere, even a low-density one like Mars, requires a lot of fuel, and we are not a propellant depot. The life support was not designed as a lifeboat, even if it had fuel. "
Hearing that statement only infuriated Ryder, as his only option for survival was to be tossed out of the hatch. Even if they did use the Aether as a lifeboat, the enemy would have to move their ship to pick them up, and they would be helpless.
Ryder realized the enemy ship was ruining other potential ideas to salvage their situation. Retaking their vessel was a lost cause, and their ship would run them down if they tried to leave. Fighting to the last man would only result in defeat and the enemy acquiring their objective. Even the insane idea of trying to capture the enemy ship to escape forces them into the open, being easy picking.
That was when the captain remembered his conversation with Commander Nelson. The commander wanted him to know what was happening in the surrounding area. While he still did not know if there was a more profound lesson or that the formal commander was seeking conversation, he remembered there were other starships nearby. Relatively speaking.
If he recalled, a French Ship was the closest. He was concerned that if they contacted a civilian ship to intervene in a covert operation and rescue them, it would blow into an international crisis, excluding how highly irregular it would be.
Relations between the United States and the French are mixed. While allies, France had always pushed for strategic autonomy within NATO and the Artemus Accords. While the old Global Order collapsed into regional factions, this had strained relations with completing interests. His wife once considered the relationship a ‘frenemies’ one, and with heavy influence with Western Europe, they weighed to get away with it.
However, he saw no other choice.
“Higgins, can you patch through the Aether systems and access communications?” Ryder asked.
“I could if I had a few hours and wasn't being shot at," Higgins said with much confusion. "The issue is that everything is dead on the ship.”
"And they are probably jamming us," King added.
“What do you want?” the pilot asked.
“There is a French vessel about a day away from us,” Ryder replied. “If we can get in contact, we are safe.”
“Then he can access the capsule communication system,” the pilot said. “I do not know what hit us. It's probably some scaled-up anti-drone EM weapon. However, the hanger is more protected than the rest of the ship.”
“Why is that?” As Ryder asked the question, he realized how dumb the question was at this time. He was talking to spooks on a spook ship while engaged in a life-or-death battle. And right now, he doesn't care why, just that it could work. “Forget that. Higgins, did you hear that?”
“On my way,” Higgins said.
“There is still that ship problem outside,” Wallace said. "And they seemed pissed."
Ryder took a deep breath as every problem continued to point toward the enemy vessel.
“Ryder,” King said. “Why don’t we blow up our ship? That should remove it while preventing the enemy from acquiring this one.”
He considered scuttling the ship earlier for that reason. This ship probably had many highly classified technologies that the CIA wouldn’t want the enemy to get their hands on. However, since they were still on the CIA spaceship, he didn’t seriously consider the idea until there was no literal choice. Now that they have a way off the spaceship, the sudden explosion could take out the enemy spacecraft while it was still anchored to them, solving most of their problems.
“Agreed,” Ryder said. “Bruno, can you plant explosives?”
“I can,” Barrios said. “The engine room would be the best place for that.”
“Roger,” Ryder replied. “Kurt and Barrett, start pulling back. Rommel, maintain control over the passageway and cover the Engine room and the hanger.”
He then turned to the pilot. “Head to the hangar and see if you can start it up.”
As the pilot left, Ryder fired and engaged the enemy to cover the pilot's retreat. He saw one of the enemy soldiers’ speed floating past one of the storage units as he fired. Seeing his opportunity, the young captain killed the target.
Turning to check on the pilot, Ryder saw blood floating in the zero gravity, which was coming from the pilot’s side. “Shit. Gonzales, get over here now. I have priority wounded.”
Ryder pushed himself from the storage wall and floated past the hatch, grabbing the pilot and pushing the man out of the way into cover.
Grabbing a handle, Ryder turned and signaled for the other crewman to pull back. That man started floating toward the hatch as he fired his P52. However, before getting to the hatch, he was gunned down. Feeling anger from watching another comrade be killed, he was forced to close the hatch and turned to the pilot. He saw Sergeant Marcos Gonzales, the team medic, treating the pilot. “Gonzales, get him to the hanger. Keep him alive at all cost.”
“I got it, boss,” Gonzales said as he pulled the pilot to the internal hatch.
After Ryder gave Comanche the order to start falling back, he saw Barrett’s team pull out of the kitchen. One of them tossed a stun grenade into the room before closing the hatch. They then placed thermal tape around the door, lightly welding the hatch shut.
"That is not going to last for long," Ryder said.
"Just long enough," Barrett replied.
“Alright,” Ryder said. "Keep things locked down here; I am heading to the engine room."
"Negative sir. Let the NCOs handle those tasks. Your focus should be on the space capsule. None of these matters if we cannot get out of here."
Acknowledging that his head NCO was correct, Ryder headed toward the hangar. The most crucial detail was ensuring they could communicate with the French vessels and escape.
Entering the inner passageway, the Comanche captain again saw the firefight. The signs of intense battle as blood and bullet casings floated around. Even an enemy corpse hovered between the two factions; Rommel King held his location firm.
As the captain passed his men, he told them they were performing excellent work and that they only needed to hold for a few more minutes before getting off this dead vessel. Then he floated further down the passageway, pushing away a crewman's corpse so he could get by.
Ryder reached the hatch that said 'hanger,' he opened it and floated inside. Once inside, he pushed himself toward the hatch and swam toward the Aether. Once he grabbed the railing, he climbed to its open hatch. "Higgins, talk to me."
"Communication systems work after some hotfixes," Higgins said. "However, we're jammed, so there's no way to send a message until that ship is gone."
The gravity of how motivated these hostiles were to claim whatever they were transporting. It made him wonder what on earth they were transporting. Forcing all non-essential thoughts from his mind, he focused on the task at hand. "That won't be a problem in a few minutes. That is assuming we can fly out of here?"
"I can only get a few thrusts out of this thing," the pilot said.
"That will have to do," Ryder replied. He then reaccessed TEAMCOM. “Engineering?”
“Nearly ready to blow this hundreds of million-dollar piece of metal,” Barrett said. “We are good now.”
“Alright. Comanche, pull back to the hanger. ASAP. Open the hanger, Gonzales, with me.”
Noticing that the hanger bay started to open above him, it reminded him of the old NASA Shuttles where the hatch was on top. It made sense why the CIA converted this spaceship with a similar hanger, the only way they could hide a space capsule.
Connecting a metal robe to his suit and then to the Aether exterior railing, Ryder pushed himself forward to reach the ship's hull. Looking backward, he noticed that Gonzales was not far behind. “Wallace should still be out there, so we must provide cover until they are ready to launch.”
The two Comanches reached the hull and were immediately engaged by the enemy. Ryder saw a hostile standing on the enemy spacecraft side hanger with two more guarding the bridge section.
Forced to use the opened hanger door as cover, Ryder peaked around and returned fire, aiming for the man on the enemy spacecraft. After a few well-placed shots, it seemed like he killed or wounded the target, so he readjusts his firing position to engage the rest.
“Hey guys, I need cover,” Wallace said.
“Gonzales, cover me.” Ryder quickly jumped from his side of the hull, jumping over the open hangar bay to the other side. Once he landed, he secured himself and took cover, using the other opened hanger door.
Finding where Eger Wallace was, the fellow Comanche took cover on the ship's far side—using a new hole within the hull as a makeshift foxhole. Ryder could only assume that the enemy was trying to flank them earlier from the exterior, and he prevented them.
“Wallace, let's go.” Ryder peaked around the hanger door and provided cover fire. Looking back, he saw Wallace trying to run toward them, relying on a zipline connecting him to the hull. The issue was that the man was an easy target in the open.
Not wanting to lose a man, Ryder stood up to make himself more of a target and opened fire. He was able to take one of the hostiles, but in return, the other two started to fire at him. "Hurry up!"
Seeing that his teammate was almost there, Ryder requested cover fire. He then reached out and grabbed Wallace's hand and swung him around the hanger after being unhooked from the zipline.
Wallace swung around and rammed into the captain, slamming him into the hangar door. “I didn't know you enjoyed getting this close, sir. Are you going to buy me dinner or take me straight home?'
A part of Ryder wanted to laugh at how calm Wallace acted, never allowing the situation to get to him. He pushed his fellow Comanche warrior away. “Right now."
The two Comanches turned and started to engage the emerging hostiles that were appearing from the many breaches within the hull. Wallace commented that the enemy seemed to be figuring out how to use the spacecraft to flee and were trying to stop them. That was fine with Ryder, as that meant they did not know that they had just turned the ship into a bomb.
Checking his feed, he saw Warrant Officer 1 Rommel King finishing loading up the last of the survivors into the Aether. From what he could tell, almost none of the ship's crew made it. The pilot and one other crewman were the only survivors from Commander Nelson's crew.
From what Ryder understood, the Aether only had eight seated, so that it would be a tight fit. He knew that Rommel King would try and fit as many as he could inside, but everyone else would need to hang outside until help arrived.
“Launch when ready,” Ryder ordered.
The latches that held the Aether space capsule to the spaceship. Now free, the large cone-shaped capsule started floating out of the hangar bay, with only the air thrusters giving it a quick boost.
“Gonzales, get on now!” Ryder ordered.
“I don’t have a line,” Wallace said.
Ryder grabbed his teammate, and the two men ran on the spaceship's hull to the edge of the open hangar bay and leaped toward the Aether. The three Comanches floated onto the capsule and grabbed the railing. “We're on. Fire the engines!”
The three Comanches secured themselves to the exterior railing and held as tight as they could to the capsule, feeling the shake violently, freaking them out.
With the sudden rumble of the Aether, Ryder and the rest looked down and saw the engine coming to life. The red and orange colored blast propelled the space capsule away from their formal spaceship, abandoning it to the enemy. The blast didn't last long as the thrusters shut off, and now, they were drifting. However, he hoped they drifted fast enough to escape the blast radius.
Looking back, I saw the enemy rushing back to their ship. He wondered if they found the bomb or felt they needed to chase after them. Either way, it no longer mattered.
“ETA,” Gonzales said. “Three, two, one.”
The CIA spaceship engine section exploded, with the rest of the ship following suit. The enemy ship attempted to escape; however, it was too late. A chunk of the spaceship hull flew straight into the underside of the enemy vessel, followed by the large blast that consumed it, causing the enemy ship to explode.
Shrapnel from both ships flew past them, and for a moment, Ryder was forced to cover his visor from the sudden brightness of the combined explosion.
Wallace threw out his fist and yelled, “I will see you in hell for round two, bastards!”
Ryder could not stop himself from laughing from the burst of energy from Wallace. He looked toward the man and said, “You are insane, Wallace.”
“Sir. Would you have it any other way?”
“I don’t think you want my honest answer.”
After the two laughed, releasing stress from the situation, Ryder looked back and took a deep breath as he saw that the battle was over. The thought from before suddenly returned about the package they were transporting. A lot of lives were lost in protecting it, and the RIA was willing to go to war over it. He had no idea what it was and how valuable it could be. He just hoped it was worth it.

*****

Captain Mathew Ryder hung outside the Aether, tied to the exterior railing. Being stuck outside because there was no way inside the capsule without decompressing the spacecraft, he and his fellow two Comanches hung outside. He was trying to breathe slowly, not to consume oxygen too quickly. His body felt numb.
Looking inside the capsule, he saw that everyone looked exhausted, freezing, and thirsty. Sergeant Gonzales was deeply concerned with the pilot's wound because of the cold temperature, causing hyperthermia. Other members of Comanche were so dehydrated they were no longer combat-effective.
It had been over eleven hours since abandoning their spaceship. Eleven hours with nothing to do but sit and wait for the French vessel to arrive, assuming they got their SOS or a quiet, cold death in the emptiness of space.
“I am so thirsty,” Gonzales quickly said.
“Do not speak.” As Ryder spoke, his mouth felt chapped and dry. The throat throbbed with pain. “Every word is wasted air and energy.”
While checking over his men within the Aether, Ryder saw Sergeant Charlie Higgins working on the dashboard, desperately trying to find power. So far, he had been unsuccessful as it remained dead.
“Sir,” Wallace barely said. “We have a contact.”
Ryder turned to face his teammate and then looked out into the darkness of space. He saw emptiness beside this one distant object that was too far away to identify correctly. The first thoughts were that it was an asteroid as they were in the Apollo Group or, hopefully, a spaceship.
A moment later, the object started flashing. While he was too dehydrated and too tired to translate the flashes, he quickly realized that it was artificial. That mean it had to be man-made, a spaceship.
Ryder pointed toward his medic and the incoming spaceship, signaling him to fire the flare. The captain then banged against the Aether window and spoke through the radio that help was about to arrive.
The captain could feel the moral spike within his team without needing to look as if hope had finally arrived. He said over the radio, “No angel of death this day.”
Ryder could see the French flag on the side as the spaceship arrived. Now, he only wondered what the reaction from Space Command would be once he learned of this. As the ship approached, he looked around his team, wondering if this would be his last mission, but if so, he got them out alive with their objective.
The French freight vessel slowed down. Once both vessels’ speeds matched, the side airlock opened. Two Frenchmen crewmen stood there, and the two crewmen jumped toward them with a zipline. Ryder and Gonzales grabbed him and pulled him close.
Ryder tried to communicate with the Frenchmen; however, they didn’t have Coms. Still, the man already got to work in connection with both ships and soon enough, the Aether was being pulled to the spaceship.
As the Aether got closer, the Frenchmen pointed toward the airlock and then jumped toward it. They realized they would be trapped outside once the capsule docked, so they had to jump.
“Alright, you two jump first,” Ryder ordered.
The first Comanche that jumped was Gonzales, with Wallace followed quickly behind. As Ryder prepared himself to jump, he saw the Canadarm unfolding and moving to attach itself to their capsule to help guide them into the airlock.
Ryder jumped and floated toward the airlock. The two Frenchmen grabbed his arm and pulled him in. The door closed, and the five of them entered the French ship. The three Comanche soldiers fell to them now and threw their helmets off, gasping for air. Even though the air was recycled, the captain thought it was the best breath in his life as he felt a new wave of energy jolt throughout his body.
A thumb was heard behind them as the Aether docked with the French ship. The two crewmen opened the hatch, and some of his team fell out, consuming the recycled air.
As Comanche exited the Ather, Captain Mathew Ryder felt senses partly returned. He noticed the Frenchman's eyes were wide and shaking. It took him a moment to understand why. The man was probably expecting lost merchant souls that were drifting through space. Not highly armed soldiers.
Ryder knew he had to refuse the situation as quickly as possible before a more significant international crisis began. While his body just wanted to collapse, he forced himself to stand up, holding his hand out, trying to calm the man. Once he got the man's attention, he started pointing toward the American flag on his shoulder.
Once Ryder believed the Frenchman understood the situation, he turned to his team. “Gonzales, Wallace, get the pilot to the medical bay. Everyone else, stay here. The last thing they need is to think we are invading them.”
“What will they use, gummy bullets?” Barrios jokingly asked in an out-of-breath tone.
“They would just surrender without a fight,” Wallace added as he took deep breaths.
As the two-fist bumped, Warrant Office 1 Rommel King slowly said, “Both of you…. Shut up….”
Ryder then ensured the Frenchman understood they had a wounded man and needed medical attention. Seeing the sight of the near-dead pilot, the man did not need much convincing.
The Frenchman reached over to an intercom, and Ryder could only assume that he had reported the situation to his ship commander. A voice came through the intercom, and then the man waved to Ryder to follow. He then ordered Higgins to follow, and the two followed the Frenchmen.
Summoning the strength to push against the wall, Ryder began floating through the starship. As the three passed through the ship, he noticed a similar design. The only significant difference was that this ship was cargo-focused over passenger. There were a few other ship personnel, all keeping their distance out of fear. It was not every day to see armed men floating on a spaceship that looked trashed. It must have been a terrifying sight.
The Frenchman led the two Comanche to the bridge, where Ryder saw the ship commander sitting in his seat.
The commander's seat turned, and the commander looked directly at them. “Americans. Infesting space with their militarism, believing that they own everything. What do you call your Second Manifest Destiny? An excuse to push above and beyond before anyone else gets a chance to stake a claim? Believing that you are above the rest of us because you have the might? And yet, here you are. Now, what are soldiers doing on the way out here?”
Throughout Ryder's career, many people complained about American militarism and Second Manifest Destiny. The United States was born through warfare, fighting for their beliefs. That included expanding to become the most powerful nation on Earth. Some politicians avoid using the Manifest Destiny term as it is heavily loaded, using military might to conquer lands that have blessed the nation to this day. Some believe the US might follow a similar path to establish its dominance in space.
While he does believe that his country does abuse its power at times, most still seek their protection. They always preferred some rule-based system that benefited others. America has the power to go it alone but chose to include others.
Ryder ignored the insult and said, “Thank you for the rescue. We were attacked and forced to abandon ship.”
The commander took a long look at the two Comanches before replying. “I am a veteran from the AAE. I know Special Forces when I see it. If you were attacked, then it had to be something big.”
“Noted,” Ryder replied. “I request that you turn this ship around and return to Earth. Higgins here can give you the protocol.”
“I am sorry, Captain, but I have to refuse,” the commander said. “I do not take orders for you, and I have my country's interest to consider. We are carrying vital supplies for our Mars base, and missing this would set back our plans for years. Unless you want to tell me what you were doing out here?”
Feeling nothing but exhaustion, Ryder realized that the commander knew that. “This is the last time I am going to request, sir. Higgins, give him a protocol to contact Space Command.”
“You do not threaten me on my ship,” the commander said. “I do not care that you are armed. You will not dare risk headlines that say American Special Forces raided and hijacked a French vessel. Your country would lose all connections to Europe. And you would be in prison for life, and I would be treated as a hero.”
“Sir…. My mission is more important than that. Contact Space Command, or I will make you.”
Ryder stared directly at the French commander's eyes. In contrast, he felt sweat and exhaustion pressing down on his body. It's almost as if someone doubled the gravity level in this zero-G environment.
The commander sat there, waiting for the young captain to flinch. However, the Comanche captain refused to remove his posture, and the commander fully saw his determination. The commander suddenly waved his hand. “Alright. A call will not hurt anyone.”
Charlie Higgins floated over and provided the necessary protocol.
“Now leave my bridge,” the commander demanded.
Not wanting to press further, Ryder and Higgins floated outside and waited.
“Do you think he will listen?” Higgins asked.
“I don’t know,” Ryder replied. “I don’t see why not, but there isn’t a reason for the French to do so. If the roles were reversed, we wouldn’t just because of the goodness of our hearts. Unless it was considered a vital natural security.”
The two Comanche waited about fifteen minutes, but it felt like hours. One of the crewmembers brought over water and a fruit smoothie.
Ryder remembers not long ago, he swore never to have another one of these smoothies again, but now, it was the most sumptuous meal he had ever had.
The bridge hatch opened, and the commander appeared.
“What did Space Command say?” Ryder asked.
“I never contacted them,” the commander replied. “As I said, I don't take orders from Americans."
"That being said, my command spoke with my President. Then my superiors spoke with yours.” The commander paused as he took a deep breath. “The ship is yours. I have been ordered to get you wherever you need to go.”
The Comanche captain thought he would feel relieved that the worst should end. However, the idea of what they were transporting quickly convinced the French shocked him. The fact they were willing to hand over Command of the ship quickly forced him to wonder what, indeed, was going on.
Knowing they were still days away from Luna, he didn't want this crew to feel that they were beneath them. Mainly because everyone in CFT-1 was in no condition to fight; they needed the French crew's best behavior. “With all due respect, sir, it is still your ship, and I will not relieve you of command. Please take us to Freedom Space Station.”
“It will be done,” the commander said before returning to the Bridge. "I already ordered the crew to prepare beds and meals."
The two were escorted off the bridge, Higgins asked. "That was strange. How do you think that conversation went?"
“No idea. But it seems that our government offered something worth all this mess. That only makes me wonder what else is going on.”
“Who knows.”
“Let's get back to the team and rest,” Ryder said.

We just learned from the Vet that my dog has a mass in the back of his throat that is causing him discomfort and is why he hasn’t been eating like normal. She said with its location and size she is near certain that it’s aggressive and that it spreading to his lymph nodes is why he was coughing up blood a few weeks back (we thought that was a respiratory illness). And the best thing we can do for him now is pain management to keep him comfortable.
I’ve got so many emotions right now. I want to keep him around and pain management seems like the way to do that, at the same time she says to keep an eye on signs that the pain is too much before we decide to put him down.
So, is it just selfish to keep him around and put him through the drugs to manage pain and eventually the pain itself rather than just putting him down now? How do you even make this decision? He’s been with me for 12 years, I don’t want to lose him, but I also don’t want to let him hurt just so I can have a few more weeks or months with him.
I also feel guilty that I sort of feel like there will be a sense of relief mixed in with the sadness when he’s finally gone. He’s had seizures for years and we’ve managed it with meds, but it also means my wife and I haven’t had the ability to just take trips or take a weekend away somewhere because nobody else can handle him having a seizure like we can (too much experience between him and his sister who also had seizures). So now I feel like junk for even seeing a silver lining in the loss.

I'm 44(m) and my parents divorced when I was about 14. I didn't see or have contact with my father for 20 years through my own choice. When I was in my early 30s, my sister, who was in contact with my father, told him that I had two kids that he didn't know about and that he was a grandfather. (I wasn't happy about this). He made contact and after a while we started an uneasy relationship again. My wife and kids and I see him maybe twice a year and he WhatsApps me every now and again.
He remarried a few years after divorcing my mother and his new wife has her own kids who are the same age as me. His wife is ok but to be honest both my dad and his wife are annoying and very self centered. He has little to no interest in my life or my kids life's, so it's safe to say my relationship with him isn't that stable but I did it for my kids so they could have a grandfather. My kids aren't that bothered about him, in part as my father is very over the top with them and he tries way too hard to be pally. To make things worse he compares my kids to his new step grandchildren (IE his new wife's grandchildren.) This comparison and hearing about them constantly really annoys my kids.
I did mention to him in a nice way that I'd like to keep things separate and nicely, I'm not concerned with her family / his step grandchildren .During that conversation, I made it clear from the start that I'm not interested in playing happy extended families and I didn't want to hear about his other family. I know this is harsh but it's just me being honest. (The new family was his idea and these people are nothing to me).
Fast forward to now and the AITA question. He has invited my wife and I and my kids to a big "family" party to celebrate his 70th and also his wedding anniversary with new wife. At the party will be my step mothers kids (IE my step siblings) who I've never met and their children (so technically my step nieces and nephews) and a load of other people. AITA for not wanting to go?
I don't really want to meet these people, they are nothing to me. My kids 12 and 10 don't want to meet their step cousins and they don't want to deal with drama that my father will create by either trying to made them all best friends minute one and /or making a big fuss with his other grandchildren to make a point to my kids (try and make them jealous - yes he is that petty) My real sister (who told him about my kids existence to kick off this whole thing) is going to go to the party and she is putting pressure on me to go, as she doesn't really know many people there. (Although she has met the extended family before, whereas I haven't)

I'm 22F. I've had anorexia for four years, and have been in a cycle of trying to get better and relapsing for almost three. For context, I didn't have any thyroid issues before developing an eating disorder, no family history, and I don't have Hashimoto's. When I stopped eating, my TSH went up to around 2-3, and my FT4 was a little low, but doctors weren't too concerned with these results as I was severely underweight.
The problem started when I was put on birth control two years ago due to missing periods. I was on it for only a month because I ended up in a hospital with heart palpitations, TSH 12 and slightly elevated FT3 and FT4. I started taking 25 mcg of levothyroxine soon after and have been on it ever since. When I undereat (which is most of the time) I feel completely fine, and my TSH is around 1-1,5. But if I increase my intake for a prolonged period of time, I start feeling jittery, or even manic. My heart starts racing with minimal exertion, and I can't sleep normaly because I wake up early in the morning in literal panic. Last time I tried to eat more, my TSH dropped to 0,4, but I gave up and it got back to 1,2 at my next blood test six months later. My endocrinologist doesn't listen to my concerns because all these results are within the normal range and insits that I will have to take levo for the rest of my life.
I also struggle to gain weight even when I do eat a good amount. I'm currently 86 pounds and want to get better, but I'm scared of going into hyperthyroidism if I significantly increase my calories on these meds. As irrational as it sounds, I'm terrified of having a heart attack or other serious complications. I've seen a cardiologist some time ago and my heart looked fine, but I don't feel fine. Of course I'm not asking for medical advice, but does anyone have any experience with eating disorder recovery/weight restoration while on thyroid medication? Am I even at risk of any serious complications on this low of a dose?

quick background - i've had a Rad Rover 6+ for about 2 1/2 years, and i love it. I've put about 4,500 miles on it. I bike commute periodically (cold weather is less of an issue than brutally hot weather here in the summer), but would like to increase the amount of days I do so, and am looking for a bike better for that. I did reduce the 4 inch fat knobbies for 3.5 inches that are better for riding on pavement, but still, i'm probably looking for a bike that is a bit lighter to increase my interest in bike commuting
My commute is 12 to 15 miles, a mix of a mixed use bike/walkejogger trail (The Trinity Trails), some moderate street riding including a couple of large hills, and if i choose the 12 mile version vs the 15 mile version, a relatively quick zip through downtown.
I've tossed around some folding bikes like HeyBike, the Ride1up Portola, and the Aventon Sinch2. I've looked at the Aventon Level2, and several others. Originally I thought i wanted a folder (leaning Portola), but the Level2 has begun to look pretty nice (and bonus, there is a shop that sells Aventon nearby)
I've now backed myself into the paradox of choice by looking at entirely too many options. I'm looking to spend no more than $2000, but prefer to keep it below $1500. I'm looking for solid range, hydraulic brakes, etc etc.
Would love to hear any and all opinions - thanks!

I’m new to all of this I’m a 40yr old plus size white female looking to talk to another adult!! I’m a high anxiety stressed out person who suffers with a few mental health issues and health problems but mostly just a crappie life!! I have a history of incarceration and other issues and would like someone who is non judgmental that is a must Because of my past and my life choices!! Right now I’m looking to do email and snail mail if I meet the right pen-pal I would be open to other forms of communication!! Some of my likes are tv shows 90 day fiance universe, love after lockup, Downton abbey, game of thrones universe, power universe, outlander and many others I’m a Harry potter collector and fan, I collect loungefly bags and Disney, I will watch just about any movie I do have 4 kids almost all grown and a 9 month old grandson. I have had cancer and survived. So if ur interested feel free to send a message and I’ll reply with my email or address to write to!! Please let me know about you!!

Part One Here!
Part Two Here!
Part Three Here!
Part Four Here!
Part Five Here!
Part Six Here!
Part Seven Here!
Part Eight Here!
John Cena embraces his darker side as the Doctor of Thuganomics in TNA, wielding his power as the reigning TNA World Heavyweight Champion to dominate the competition with an iron fist. With a swagger in his step and a sneer on his lips, Cena sets out to prove himself as the most dominant force in the company. Week after week, Cena decimates his opponents in the ring, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. He ruthlessly dispatches any challenger who dares to step up to him, showcasing his unmatched strength, agility, and ruthless aggression. His victories are swift and decisive, solidifying his reputation as an unstoppable force in the wrestling world.
As the TNA World Heavyweight Champion, Cena reigns supreme over the company, using his power and influence to bend the rules to his advantage. He surrounds himself with a loyal entourage, ensuring that no one dares to challenge his authority. With his sights set on total domination, Cena shows no mercy to anyone who stands in his way. Despite the backlash from fans and fellow wrestlers alike, Cena remains unfazed, embracing his role as the undisputed king of TNA. With the TNA World Heavyweight Championship firmly in his grasp, Cena proves time and time again why he is the most feared and respected competitor in the company, leaving his mark on the wrestling world as the ultimate ruler of the ring.
Outside of the ring, Cena's demeanor grows colder and more ruthless. He shows no remorse for his actions, unapologetically targeting anyone who dares to stand in his way. His once charismatic persona fades away, replaced by a dark and menacing aura that strikes fear into the hearts of his opponents. Cena's reign of terror creates a palpable atmosphere of fear and uncertainty within the TNA locker room. Competitors tread carefully around him, knowing that crossing paths with the ruthless champion could spell disaster for their careers.
As Mitsuharu Misawa starts appearing in TNA, the fans erupt with excitement, recognizing him as the legend he is. His presence in the company adds a new layer of prestige and excitement, drawing attention from wrestling fans around the world. However, John Cena, the reigning TNA World Heavyweight Champion, doesn't take too kindly to Misawa's arrival. Cena sees Misawa as a threat to his dominance in TNA and feels threatened by the reverence and admiration the fans have for the Japanese legend. As a result, tensions begin to simmer between the two competitors, with Cena refusing to acknowledge Misawa's legacy and dismissing him as just another wrestler.
However, Misawa remains unfazed by Cena's hostility, focusing instead on proving himself in the ring. His skill, experience, and unmatched talent earn him the respect of the TNA roster and fans alike, further fueling Cena's resentment towards him. As rumors of a potential match between Cena and Misawa begin to circulate, anticipation reaches a fever pitch among wrestling fans. The prospect of seeing two titans of the industry collide in the ring is too tantalizing to ignore, and both Cena and Misawa find themselves at the center of intense speculation and excitement.
With tensions mounting between them, the stage is set for a clash of epic proportions as Cena and Misawa prepare to settle their differences in the ring. Will Cena's brute strength and ruthless aggression be enough to overcome Misawa's unparalleled skill and experience? Or will the Japanese legend prove that he's still a force to be reckoned with, even in the twilight of his career? The wrestling world holds its breath in anticipation of what promises to be an unforgettable showdown.
Despite the growing animosity and resentment towards him, Cena remains undeterred in his quest for domination. He revels in the chaos and destruction he creates, cementing his status as the undisputed king of TNA and instilling fear in anyone who dares to challenge his reign. In the lead-up to the highly anticipated interpromotional clash between TNA World Heavyweight Champion John Cena and Mitsuharu Misawa, tensions run high as Cena's arrogance reaches new heights. The champion flaunts his dominance over the TNA roster, boasting about his unrivaled skill and dismissing Misawa as a relic of the past.
TNA/NOAH CLASH
As the match commences, Cena's arrogance is on full display as he enters the ring with an air of confidence bordering on contempt. Misawa, on the other hand, exudes a quiet confidence, unfazed by Cena's bravado and focused solely on the task at hand.
TNA World Heavyweight Championship: John Cena (c) vs Mitsuharu Misawa
The opening moments of the match see Cena dictating the pace, using his raw power and athleticism to assert his dominance over Misawa. The champion's aggressive offense leaves Misawa struggling to keep up, but the seasoned veteran refuses to back down, weathering Cena's onslaught with a calm determination. As the match progresses, Misawa begins to mount a comeback, utilizing his decades of experience to outmaneuver Cena and gain the upper hand. The crowd watches in awe as Misawa unleashes a flurry of devastating strikes and technical maneuvers, slowly wearing down the champion.
Despite Misawa's resilience, Cena remains defiant, refusing to let his title slip away. The match reaches its climax as both men trade near-falls and signature maneuvers, each refusing to back down in the face of adversity. In the pivotal moment of the match, Cena delivers a thunderous FU, flooring Misawa and leaving him sprawled out on the canvas. The referee counts the pinfall, and Cena secures the victory, retaining his TNA World Heavyweight Championship. As the arena erupts into a chorus of cheers and applause, Cena rises to his feet, a triumphant smirk playing across his lips. But instead of extending a hand in sportsmanship, Cena stands over Misawa with a look of disdain, refusing to acknowledge the veteran's valiant effort.
John Cena defeats Mitsuharu Misawa to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship (26:10)
The crowd's cheers turn to boos as Cena's arrogance shines through, and more importantly, as paramedics rush into the ring. Misawa’s face has turned blue, and it becomes rapidly apparent that Cena isn’t offering him a handshake not only because of his disrespect, but because Misawa is completely immobile. They try to resuscitate him, but it’s too late - Misawa’s legacy ended with an FU, and so did his life, with Misawa taking it as a neck bump and dying instantly. Despite his victory, Cena's actions leave a sour taste in the mouths of fans as Misawa’s limp body is carted from the arena, tarnishing what could have been a moment of mutual respect and admiration between two wrestling icons, only one of whom remains. Mitsuharu Misawa is dead, and John Cena has killed him.
As the tension between John Cena and Samoa Joe reaches a boiling point following Cena's disrespectful and murderous actions towards Mitsuharu Misawa, TNA management is forced to intervene to quell the chaos that has engulfed the promotion. With both men refusing to back down, a match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship is scheduled to finally settle their bitter rivalry.
However, even the prospect of a championship match is not enough to temper the animosity between Cena and Joe. Their feud spills over into every corner of TNA, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. The relentless attacks and escalating violence draw the ire of TNA management, who realize that drastic measures are needed to bring an end to the chaos. In a bold move, TNA management announces that the match between Cena and Joe will be a loser leaves town match, effectively putting an end to the rivalry once and for all. The stakes are higher than ever as both men prepare to put their careers on the line in a battle for supremacy.
Bound For Glory
TNA World Heavyweight Championship: John Cena (c) vs Samoa Joe
The match itself was a brutal and hard-hitting affair, with both Cena and Joe leaving everything they had inside the ring. The action was fast-paced and intense, as they traded devastating blows and high-impact maneuvers in their quest for victory. The crowd was on the edge of their seats throughout the match, fully immersed in the drama unfolding before them.
As the match unfolds, the intensity reaches unprecedented levels as Cena and Joe unleash their full arsenal of moves in a desperate bid for victory. The crowd is on the edge of their seats as the two warriors trade devastating blows, each refusing to give an inch in their quest to emerge victorious. In the final moments of the match, Cena and Joe push themselves to the limit, leaving everything they have inside the ring. But in the end, it is Joe who emerges triumphant, overcoming Cena with a thunderous Muscle Buster to secure the victory and retain his TNA World Heavyweight Championship.
Samoa Joe defeats John Cena to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship (20:34)
As Cena is forced to leave TNA for good, Joe stands tall in the ring, his hand raised in victory as the crowd erupts into cheers. The era of Cena's dominance has come to an end, and Samoa Joe stands as the undisputed king of TNA, ready to lead the promotion into a new era of greatness.
After the devastating loss in the loser leaves town match in TNA, John Cena finds himself at a crossroads. Disheartened and disillusioned by his departure from the company where he once reigned supreme, Cena decides to take a hiatus from professional wrestling to reflect on his career and contemplate his next move. Months pass, and Cena remains out of the spotlight, with rumors swirling about his future in the industry.
As the reigning ROH World Champion, Bryan Danielson, celebrated a hard-fought title defense in the ring, little did he know that his moment of triumph would be short-lived. Cena stormed the ring with a ferocity that sent shockwaves through the entire promotion. With a menacing glare, Cena locked eyes with Danielson, the intensity between the two men palpable.
Without uttering a single word, Cena unleashed a relentless assault on the unsuspecting champion. His attacks were swift and brutal, catching Danielson off guard and leaving him reeling in pain. The crowd, initially stunned into silence, erupted into a chorus of boos and jeers as Cena mercilessly pummeled Danielson.
Despite Danielson's valiant attempts to fight back, Cena's onslaught proved too much to handle. With a thunderous roar from the crowd, Cena delivered his devastating finishing move, the Attitude Adjustment, laying out Danielson in the center of the ring. The message was clear: Cena had arrived in ROH with a vengeance, and he had his sights set on the ultimate prize—the ROH World Championship.
As Cena stood tall over the fallen champion, a sense of chaos and uncertainty descended upon the promotion. The wrestling world could only speculate about Cena's motives and what his presence would mean for ROH moving forward. With the landscape of the promotion forever altered by Cena's shocking debut, the stage was set for a collision course between two of the biggest names in professional wrestling.
The feud between John Cena and Bryan Danielson in Ring of Honor during 2009 was a slow-burning rivalry that captivated fans and showcased the best of both competitors. It began subtly, with Cena making his shocking debut in ROH at the start of the year, immediately setting his sights on the reigning World Champion, Bryan Danielson.
Initially, Cena's arrival in ROH caused a stir among the roster and fans alike. His brash attitude and unapologetic demeanor clashed with the more traditional and respectful ethos of the promotion. Meanwhile, Danielson, as the reigning World Champion, represented the epitome of ROH's pure wrestling style and competitive spirit.
Their feud simmered beneath the surface as Cena embarked on a path of destruction, bulldozing through the competition with his Doctor of Thuganomics persona. Meanwhile, Danielson continued to defend his title with honor and dignity, showcasing his technical prowess and unwavering determination. The tension between Cena and Danielson escalated gradually throughout the year, fueled by confrontations backstage, heated exchanges in interviews, and intense altercations during matches. Cena's disrespect for the ROH tradition and Danielson's legacy as champion created a combustible dynamic that threatened to explode at any moment.
As the months passed, both men continued to climb the ranks, securing victories and building momentum on their collision course. The anticipation for a showdown between Cena and Danielson reached fever pitch among fans, who eagerly awaited the clash of styles and personalities. Finally, at Final Battle 2009, the stage was set for the epic encounter between Cena and Danielson. The match was promoted as a clash of titans, with the ROH World Championship hanging in the balance. The entire wrestling world was abuzz with excitement as the two rivals prepared to settle their score once and for all.
In the weeks leading up to Final Battle, tensions boiled over as Cena and Danielson engaged in verbal sparring and physical altercations, further stoking the flames of their rivalry. The anticipation reached its peak as fans eagerly awaited the moment when the two competitors would finally step into the ring together. When the bell rang at Final Battle, Cena and Danielson delivered a match for the ages, leaving everything they had inside the ring. The back-and-forth action kept the audience on the edge of their seats, with near falls and dramatic moments heightening the drama.
In the end, it was Bryan Danielson who emerged victorious, retaining the ROH World Championship and cementing his status as a true champion. Despite Cena's valiant effort, Danielson proved why he was considered one of the greatest wrestlers of his generation, overcoming Cena's challenge and solidifying his place at the top of the mountain. The feud between Cena and Danielson left an indelible mark on Ring of Honor history, showcasing the best of both competitors and providing fans with unforgettable moments that will be remembered for years to come.
After his stint in Ring of Honor, John Cena embarked on a journey through the independent wrestling scene, venturing into uncharted territory and blazing his own trail. Freed from the constraints of corporate wrestling, Cena found himself in a world where the competition was fierce and the opportunities endless.
Embracing the spirit of the independents, Cena competed in promotions big and small, from established organizations to local shows in front of intimate crowds. Everywhere he went, Cena brought with him a level of star power that few could match, drawing fans from far and wide to witness his matches.
Throughout the first half of 2010, Cena's presence on the indie circuit sparked a wave of speculation and excitement among wrestling enthusiasts. Rumors swirled about potential matchups and dream scenarios, with fans eagerly anticipating Cena's next move and which promotion he would grace with his talent next.
As Cena traveled from town to town, he encountered a diverse array of opponents, each presenting a unique challenge and opportunity for Cena to showcase his skills. From up-and-coming prospects looking to make a name for themselves to grizzled veterans seeking one last shot at glory, Cena faced them all with the same intensity and determination that had made him a household name in professional wrestling.
While some questioned Cena's decision to step away from the spotlight of mainstream wrestling, he viewed his time on the indies as a chance to reconnect with his roots and rediscover his passion for the sport. Far from the glitz and glamour of televised events, Cena found fulfillment in the raw energy and authenticity of the independent scene, relishing the freedom to express himself without limitations.
As the months passed, Cena's journey through the indies became the stuff of legend, cementing his status as a true wrestling icon. Whether he was headlining sold-out shows or trading blows in gritty gymnasiums, Cena left an indelible mark on the independent wrestling landscape, proving that his talent transcended the confines of any single promotion.
And as the wrestling world awaited his next move, Cena continued to chart his own course, confident in his ability to thrive wherever the road may take him. With each match, he reaffirmed his status as one of the greatest performers of his generation, leaving a lasting legacy that would be remembered for years to come.
The main event of Monday Night Raw was well underway, with the crowd on the edge of their seats as two of WWE's top superstars battled it out in the ring. Suddenly, the arena erupted with the familiar sounds of John Cena's entrance music, catching everyone off guard. As the camera panned to the entrance ramp, Cena emerged with an entourage of formidable-looking individuals by his side. Wade Barrett, Justin Gabriel, David Otunga, and Heath Slater walked with purpose behind Cena, their expressions stern and determined.
The match came to a screeching halt as Cena and his group stormed the ring, unleashing a brutal assault on both competitors. Chairs flew, bodies crashed, and chaos ensued as Cena and his allies left a trail of destruction in their wake. The crowd watched in stunned silence as Cena stood tall in the center of the ring, his gaze fixed on the carnage around him. With a microphone in hand, Cena addressed the audience with a steely determination in his voice.
"For eight long years, I've watched from the sidelines as WWE has become a shadow of its former self," Cena began, his words echoing throughout the arena. "But no more. Tonight, I return to reclaim what is rightfully mine. And I'm not alone."
Cena motioned to his companions, who stood behind him with a fierce intensity. "These men are not just my allies," Cena declared. "They are the future of WWE. Together, we are the Nexus." The crowd erupted into a mixture of shock and awe as Cena introduced his new group, their presence sending shockwaves throughout the WWE Universe. With a menacing grin, Cena promised to reshape the landscape of WWE and rule the company with an iron fist. As Raw went off the air, the arena lay in ruins, a testament to the power and determination of John Cena and the Nexus. The landscape of WWE had been forever changed, and the world watched with bated breath to see what would happen next.
In the second half of 2010, the Nexus, led by John Cena, continued to dominate WWE with their ruthless tactics and unwavering unity. With Wade Barrett as their de facto leader, the group left a trail of destruction in their wake, targeting anyone who dared to stand in their way. The Nexus' reign of terror extended to the tag team division, where Cena and David Otunga formed a formidable duo. With their combined strength and cunning tactics, they captured the WWE Tag Team Championships, solidifying their dominance over the division.
Meanwhile, Wade Barrett set his sights on a huge power move: hoarding as many opportunities for the group as possible. With the help of his Nexus cohorts, Barrett secured a spot in the Money in the Bank ladder match. As the other competitors fought tooth and nail for the coveted briefcase, the Nexus intervened, ensuring Barrett emerged victorious and claimed the contract. Now with a golden ticket to their advantage, they basically have rights to the next world title reign, whichever they choose at any time.
As the weeks passed, tensions within WWE reached a boiling point as the Nexus' power continued to grow. Their reign of terror culminated in a showdown with then-WWE Champion Sheamus. In a highly anticipated match, Cena faced off against Sheamus for the WWE Championship, with the entire Nexus at ringside to provide backup. Despite Sheamus' best efforts, he was no match for the combined might of Cena and the Nexus. In a shocking turn of events, Cena emerged victorious, capturing the WWE Championship and solidifying the Nexus' stranglehold over WWE.
With Cena as WWE Champion, Otunga and Cena as tag team champions, and Barrett holding the Money in the Bank briefcase, the Nexus stood at the pinnacle of WWE, their dominance unchallenged and their influence unparalleled. As they celebrated their triumph, the rest of WWE watched in fear and uncertainty, knowing that the Nexus had cemented their status as the most dominant force in sports entertainment. As tensions simmered within the Nexus, cracks began to form in the once-unified group. John Cena and David Otunga found themselves at odds with Wade Barrett, the second in command of the faction hoping to level up and become de facto leader, as his hunger for power and desire to assert his dominance became increasingly apparent.
The rift between Cena, Otunga, and Barrett reached a breaking point after they lost the tag team championships. Barrett, frustrated by the defeat, blamed Cena and Otunga for their shortcomings and demanded more control over the group. However, Cena and Otunga refused to relinquish their authority, leading to heated arguments and confrontations within the Nexus. Barrett's ambitions didn't end with asserting control over the group; he also began eyeing Cena's WWE Championship. Growing impatient with waiting for the right moment to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase on the World Heavyweight Champion, Barrett contemplated skipping the line and challenging Cena for the title instead.
The power struggle within the Nexus intensified as Cena, Otunga, and Barrett clashed over their differing agendas. With tensions reaching a boiling point, the once-unified faction found themselves on the brink of implosion, their unity shattered by internal strife and conflicting ambitions. As the cracks in the Nexus widened, the future of the faction hung in the balance, leaving WWE in a state of uncertainty and chaos.
At TLC 2010, the tensions within the Nexus finally reached a tipping point as Wade Barrett seized the opportunity to assert his dominance. After a grueling match, Barrett cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on John Cena, who had just successfully defended his WWE Championship. With the element of surprise on his side, Barrett ruthlessly attacked Cena, seizing the moment to become the new WWE Champion.
With the WWE Championship now in his possession, Barrett solidified his control over the Nexus, demonstrating his willingness to do whatever it took to achieve his ambitions. In a shocking turn of events, Barrett expelled both John Cena and David Otunga from the group, effectively seizing full command and reshaping the Nexus in his image.
The WWE Universe watched in disbelief as Barrett's calculated power play unfolded, leaving Cena and Otunga on the sidelines while the newly-crowned champion assumed control of the faction. With Barrett at the helm, the Nexus embarked on a new era of dominance, with their sights set on wreaking havoc and asserting their authority over WWE.

First i’m sorry if this is not allowed. I recently posted something on here and somebody told me it sounded like a level 1 issue and it has made me feel very concerned but i do understand where the person was coming from im not trying to be mean.
Where i live they don’t give levels but the report basically says i am level 1 social and level 2 RBRs. However i got diagnosed at 9 and many things in my life have changed since then. But i am still a minor so i know things can change again.
my autistic traits: - In public i am okay at communicating but it is extremely painful/hard and some days it takes a lot of force to get sentences out. At home i dont speak much except for when it’s about special interests. I mainly communicate through pointing at things. - I can travel on transport as my parents don’t own a car but i have to be wearing noise cancelling headphones and if the bus is busy i start to shutdown. - I am good at maintaining my friendships. 90% of my friends met me when i was 4 so they understand me very well. They let me wonder off in public/ have time on my own if i need it. But seeing them is exhausting and need many days to recover. - When i was a child (until i was 12) my meltdowns lasted hours, were almost daily and very violent. Now i tend to have shutdowns daily due to change of routine or overstimulation. I have meltdowns maybe once a week but they are mainly just crying and feeling like i want to get out of my skin. - My hygiene is bad. I have showers once a week and only brush my teeth once a day. I only remember to keep up with it as my schedule has stayed the same for years. I struggle with the sensation of water. - I lived without support for a bit and it was terrible. I forgot how to take care of myself. I didn’t remeber to eat and i stopped going to school. Or basically functioning at all. - I also have extremely bad executive function and have a PDA profile. I sit for hours and hours because i can’t drink water even though i need to. If someone asks me to do something it can send me into a shutdown/meltdown but i’m not sure why. - Things such as homework or going out need to be completed planned days before hand and if it doesn’t go correct i shutdown and can’t do anything at all. This leads to a lot of people being annoyed at me. - I do lots of repetitive behaviour. I stim out loud 24/7 especially when i’m in public. I pinch myself a lot as sensory seeking. A lot of flapping hands and i can’t control it if i don’t do it i start to shutdown. - However i don’t think people automatically know i am autistic. I think i am okay at masking i mainly just try not to speak or just ask questions to carry conversation such as what food do you like.
Overall i really dont know where i sit on the spectrum. I feel my needs are more complicated than some level 1s but also sometimes i don’t think i fit into the level 2 category.

I'm 18f and I live with soon to be 9-10 people in a house that's around 900 square feet. There are 3 girls + 4 boys + one dudes pregnant girlfriend, not to mention 5 dogs and many many cats.
There's me 18f, Emily 14f, mom 48f, rusty 20m, trey 24m, ty 28m, dad 48m, and treys girlfriend 19f.
I've live in this house my whole life dealing with it, and a single bathroom.
My family is barely getting by. I cant work due to other reasons, and my dad isn't contributing, my brothers aren't either. So my mom is the one doing most if it.
I just clean and do dishes and feed cats and hid in my room, and spend time with my mom from 9am- 230pm
Recently, a few months atleast my mom met someone, hes well off and he gets me and my sister things, but we haven't met him.
We heard he a good person an such, and has a cat.
He gets us stuff, he got my sister new shoes and got my mom a new ac and got me expensive rubber ducks, and 12 jars of olives, and a night light shaped like a duck in a bath.
Then I recently found out he bought my mom like around 20 acres of land, and now a house almost triple the size of ours is being built.
My mom wants to move me and my sister and out pets in.
We're meeting him soon.
But I'm conflicted.
My sister hates our mom, and wants to say in the now technically old house with our brothers and dad.
My mom said it's too small for 10 people, that my brother are practically giving us girls no room. My mom says my room at the soon to be built house will be bigger than the one I have currently(10ft by 10f)
She says we'll have the same things there we do at the old house, and the we can go to the old house on weekends and anytime we want since it's close by
My sister wants to stay at old house with dad and brothers but I want to leave, I can't stand living with my brothers, there slobs thye cant clean up after themselves.
I've been a last priority for our dad my whole life, he never wants to speak or do anything with me, hell he ignores me, my sister say it's because I look like mom. I'm also on the back burner for my mom to, she alway focused on my siblings more, and her dogs, and her new boyfriend.
So what do I lose if I decide to move?, that what I'm afraid of, I don't want my siblings and dad to feel abandoned by me, sure thye abandoned me so many times when I was in need, but I don't care, I don't want them to fee abandoned.
But if I do leave I'll probably end up taking care of dogs that want me and my cats dead, and be thrown further into isolation more than I already am.
If my sister is Able to convince my mom to let her stay in old house, I'll be alone.
My sister gets what she wants alot of the time. It scares me.
For clarification, my parents and not technically divorce, but are separated, my dad never signed the divorce papers but my mom dose have full custody of us.
I don't know what to do.
Tldr, me and my sister and mom are moving to bigger house but sister dosnt wanna go.

Resurrecting an old unsolved post of mine that continues to bother me. My memory of it is far too vivid for it to have been a dream, I swear. Forgive me for rewriting my old post but I've been trying to remember this for 12+ years now and it's starting to irk.
I read this book back in the '00s when I was living in Scotland, probably mid-to-late, but I can't be exact. The book was written in English, and I got it from my local library. The target audience was Tweens, probably 10-13. It's doubtful it'd be classed as YA for modern audiences; the content wasn't mature enough.
I'm pretty sure the cover was a picture of the main character crossing swords with someone and a big flare of light at the point of impact.
I believe the name of the book was the name of the protagonist, or included their name as a subtitle on the front cover. What that title was is long lost. I was certain it was "Johnny Z" or "Jimmy Z", but having tried everything in that vein (Jimmy, Jonny, Timmy, Tommy, X, Y, and Z), I'm stumped. As far as I remember, the protagonist was named this since he was an orphan, and they didn't know his parent's last name.
The book had a very Douglas Adams feel to it with a wacky futuristic Earth post-ice caps melting, where Earth's cities float, and the culture/fashions have been toyed with by alien races (though they have since stopped messing around, resulting in the current trends). Military uniforms are covered in polkadots and transports are in the shape of starfish. The book is full of fun little asides that explain why things are the way they are, giving contexts for the absurd things which happen.
The setting on Earth is that everything is flooded, with lots of mist and clouds, with everyone living in floating cities. Later, they get a lift to an alien space station, before the MC travels back to earth briefly at the end to save it from destruction.
The book opens with the protagonist being bullied in school. Everyone has these hand-held tractor-beam things that the bully is using to hold something of the main character's out of reach (homework? notebook?). They have silly acronyms for the gadgets, and the MC's one reflects its inferior strength compared to the bully's.
The protagonist is a young boy, or early teen, whose parents are both dead. He doesn't have much going for him and gets bullied a lot.
Every year, the other inhabitants of the galaxy send Earth a message asking them to join their wider community, though Earth refuses. I remember the messages coming down the prime ministepresident's chimney. Earth's leader is an important supporting character; they are kind of the MC. Their second in command/deputy is a minor antagonist who tries to seize control of Earth while the leader is away.
The aliens send a message to Earth saying they want to have a tryout for a team of youngsters to save the universe. What is threatening the universe was never revealed, only that they needed to assemble a team. 4 or 5 human children are selected, with the MC being one and his Bully being another. They take off in a space rocket, reach and orbit the moon, before being met by a fedora-shaped ship which transports them to the space station where the selection process (try-outs) will take place.
While in transit, I remember them being kept in big glass bubbles, possibly with a view out into space. At this point, MC is visited by a multicoloured furry alien who ends up being on MC's team during the trials. There is a bit about burgers and how in the future, science has achieved delicious food that tastes like fast food but is nutritious and healthy.
The alien in charge of the trials looked a bit like a kangaroo.
The human children are split up into individual groups. The team the MC ends up on includes the multicoloured furry alien from before, a big three-armed alien, and maybe two others, one of which was a (non-human) girl I think he had a bit of a crush on.
At one point, it's revealed that the space station has some kind of normalisation field which makes everyone the same size, but in fact, the furry alien is actually really big, whilst the three-armed alien is very small. I also remember a rather novel aside where, when it's revealed that basically everywhere on the station is under constant monitoring, the three armed alien gets embarrassed and asks if they were monitoring when it did a number 12 (or some such number), and the book takes time to explain that humans are rare/unique/lucky that they only have to deal with number 1s and number 2s, but doesn't elaborate on what the other 10 possible types are. Witty kiddy toilet humour, for sure. There's no way I, as a pre-teen myself could have been so imaginative to come up with that.
They navigate the station via a series of wormhole-like discs on the walls, which you have to jump/fling/catapult yourself through. Personal size is irrelevant; anything can fit through one of these. These discs come back later as the method through which the MC saves the Earth by placing a pair on either side of the planet for their spaceship to fly through to avoid destroying it.
The selection process takes the form of a series of challenges that they have to train for. I remember one being a relay race in spaceships through an asteroid. Another was a sword fight involving special swords that take 800 years to forge and are passed through the heart of a star. Each sword is the maker's life's work.
In the room where they duel and practice with the swords, there is a diving board "thing" that protrudes over a gap around the edge of the duelling ring. The further along it you walk the more your worst fear feels real. The MCs greatest fear is the Earth being destroyed. He is told only people with great "inner laft" can make it to the end. MC sneaks in one night and walks the entire length, falling off the end, where he meets his mum and dad in some kind of vision. They talk before he returns to bed. There was some form of repercussion for this since no one is supposed to go into the training room without permission/supervision.
Eventually, after all the challenges are completed and the Bully's team are disqualified for cheating, the MC's team wins. There follows a party, something causes the world leader to have a heart attack, he "dies", but the aliens revive him with a "microwave". There's also something which causes the Kangaroo alien in charge of the whole thing to need to take a rest, and so uses some kind of time-dilation device to take a very long nap without anyone else being affected. If I recall, he then forgets to turn it off, racking up a very expensive electricity bill?
After the party, they return to earth, where the world leader confronts his deputy/stand-in who has tried to seize control and replace him as leader. The world leader ends up getting stabbed. MC then duels the bad guy using those newly acquired sword-fighting skills and beats him, but the world leader actually dies this time. Pretty sure the world leader was a widower and also took his death well.
MC places two of the wormhole discs in space to try and save the Earth from destruction, since the spaceship he and his team have to take to save the universe has to reach super speeds to reach wherever it is they are going, and to reach these speeds it requires a runway that happens to pass through the Earth.
On his return, he chats with the Kangaroo alien (I think this might be where the aside about the time-dilation bit comes up), who offhandedly mentions "laft falls" which are trust falls without anyone behind you but you trust that someone out there truly loves you and their love will catch you. MC suspects "laft" is actually "love" just mispronounced beyond recognition.
They depart, the ship doesn't destroy the earth because of the wormhole discs, and the book ends with the girl on MC's team listening to two others doing "laft falls" with pillows to cushion them (which doesn't work since they aren't trusting). She then does a laft fall whilst thinking about the MC, but it's not revealed if she hits the ground.
Other curious notes:

• There was telepathy and telekinesis.
• Terrible fashion sense (polkadot camouflage uniforms was just the beginning)
• Doors which required the password "shaushages"
• The protagonist's parents were revealed to have been friendly with the aliens but died in some (spaceship?) crash.
• I recall there was a sequel in the works/about to be released (pretty sure I found it on Amazon) I don't know if it was to be a duology or a full series

Honestly, at this point, I'm tempted to try writing this book myself and trying to get it published. At least then, even if it's plagiarism I'll have found what I'm plagiarising.
Would love to find this book again, it's driving me crazy that I can remember a story so vividly but can't name it or find it. I've probed ChatGPT and Bing Copilot but neither were any use. Amazon and Abebooks don't show anything useful for the variants of Johnny/Jimmy/Timmy/Tommy X/Y/Z.
Save me Reddit. You're my only hope.
Old post: https://www.reddit.com/tipofmytongue/comments/3hypni/tomtbook_a_book_about_an_orphan_a_flooded_earth/

I am a contractor, so fountain pens don't make a lot of sense for what I do. Figured they'd get broken pretty easily on jobsites. I usually always have a Fisher Bullet space pen in my pocket that has worked great for years.
Anyway, I finally just ordered a fountain pen to see how I liked it. Ended up ordering a Jinhao 9091 and received it today. I was expecting something much larger! Looking at all the reviews of YouTube, this pen seemed pretty large, but once I got my hands on it, it is not near as large as I was led to believe. I do have XXL sized hands, but I was just a little surprised on how small it is in real life. Must be the close up camera work on Youtube that makes it look so big.
Anyway, I have some inks coming from Pure Pens and a few more pens coming from AliExpress ( a couple of Jinhao 82's , another Jinhao 9091 and a Hajohn A1). I kind of get obsessive compulsive when I get into something ;).

Throwaway account because my colleagues would see my post. Apologies for the layout- I’m on mobile.
I am travelling to Europe this weekend for a work trip starting on Saturday. My boyfriend and I have paid for flights and accommodation to extend earlier and see the city beforehand- everything but my flights out are paid out of pocket.
In my invitational email I was requested to be onsite “work ready” for 2pm on Saturday, however, I have now been told I have a meeting at half 12. We have made reservations and paid for travel to surrounding areas beforehand that are non refundable and getting to this meeting would mean cancelling accommodation, booking new accommodation and cancelling train tickets. There is no possible way to get back from the other area in time. Am I the asshole if I tell my work I am available from 2pm as per the email? Surely if it was that important and they knew they needed it they should have said more than 4 days in advance.
For context: I am very early on in my career but I am very strict on my work life balance. I have people I care about deeply when I log off at the end of the day.

How much do producers/AEs at big (Canadian) brokerages like Marsh, Aon, WTW typically earn per year after 2-5 YOE in a HCOL city like Toronto?
Im talking middle-market to large-market sized accounts.
Are commissions and bonuses significantly larger than smaller brokerages?
How are the hours and work life balance?