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| 1
IMS AloneIf anyone is hearing this signal, my name is Azad Petit. I slipped out of an airlock on a colony ship, and now I'm stranded in the middle of nowhere with nothing but my Integrated Multipurpose Suit. I'm alive, but I might not be for long. Please send help. I'm so alone. #IMSAlone
Nick Fisherman LivesI faked my death. #NickFishermanLives
Epic BioHi, I'm Nick, and I'm a Chronic Oversharer. I once fell in love with my great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great granddaughter. I guess, when you're Adam, you can have Eve or Lilith, but literally everyone else is off limits.
Story Quote"But the real problem was...she might never even have the chance now. The following letters comprise their initial correspondences, each one taking around a week to reach its destination, given the time lag imposed by vast interplanetary distances." #correspondence #fishquotes
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2
IMS AloneI was servicing the inner doors of Airlock SP-2 when the ship exploded for a reason that I will probably never know. Since I was operating in a high-risk area, I was required to be at PREPCON 1, which was why I was fully protected with my suit. I doubt anyone else was. #IMSAlone
Nick Fisherman LivesI wanted to be famous for most of my life before I came to this world, but when it finally found me, it's not what I was expecting. People were literally trying to kill me. It was just too much. The only way to stop them was to take myself out of the equation. #NickFishermanLives
Random NothingUnpopular opinion: "irregardless" is a word. It means the opposite of "regardless".
Story Quote"It is a cold, heartless place, where we live in stale, recycled air. It’s a wonder that we’ve survived this long, but it could all go up in an instant with a single breach in the walls. I’m exaggerating, but it is pretty dangerous and stressful here." #correspondence #fishquotes
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3
IMS AloneBy some miracle, the outer doors opened on their own at the right time, or I would have splattered against them when the explosion blew me away. The ship was moving at fractional speeds, so anything that's left of it is thousands of kilometers away. It's just me now. #IMSAlone
Nick Fisherman LivesI vomited for two days before my stomach ran out of food, and then I just had nausea for the rest of the week. I was free, but it still felt like a prison. It still does, for I am still in the same universe, and there's always a chance that I might be caught. #NickFishermanLives
Random NothingMy hen's gone all broody, so she's not laying any more unfertilized eggs. #winnerwinnerchickendinner
Story Quote"There are those who do not even have access to one of the domes. They found pockets of technically survivable air in the deepest corners of the planet, so they don’t die in a matter of hours, but their lifespans are quite short when compared to ours." #correspondence #fishquotes
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4
IMS AloneTo clarify, the airlock was in the stern, on the port side, so I was thrown in the opposite direction of the ship. That is how our trajectories split ways. I don't know for sure that I'm the only survivor, but no one is responding to my messages, so I'm pretty alone. #IMSAlone
Nick Fisherman LivesI wasn't the only one to fake their death. We planned it out for weeks. My friend, Dutch was also being harassed and threatened, so he needed an out. Our bodyguards agreed to start fresh new lives too. This didn't seem to bother them, and they were paid well. #NickFishermanLives
Random NothingMy Cayman accounts are lookin' a little low. Seems I need to have another conversation with my "wife". // I wrote this so long ago, along with the one before this. Neither of them is funny, but whatever. They can't all be winners, right?
Story Quote"Finally, it all stops. Now she’s just in the middle of nowhere, and apparently no longer has a body. She can’t feel anything, nor see anything but the infinite void. If this is death, it’s a pretty boring afterlife. She would like to speak to a manager." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 5
IMS AloneHere's what I have: a portable resource unit, which houses all of my life-supporting resources, including air, water, food, and power. The primary carbon scrubber is still working at optimal efficiency, and I have a backup scrubber in my helmet if things get even worse. #IMSAlone
Nick Fisherman LivesOur mutual friend, Kelly didn't want to fake her death, and we didn't feel like she needed to. No one thinks that she has magical powers, so she's just normal famous. She's covering for us now, keeping my website going, and staying in touch with our true fans. #NickFishermanLives
Random NothingThat's not trivia, it's fitting. All patent clerks are geniuses.
Story Quote"Everyone said aye—in person, or through comms—except for Ramses. He didn’t want to get involved. According to him, this one Fireship posed no significant threat to either galaxy, and could only waste their time when they should be trying to find Romana." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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6
IMS AloneThe water supply is finite, but the recycling system is working. I don't love the idea of drinking my own urine, but the truth is I've been doing it my whole life. Humans perfected water recycling decades ago. I guess it just seems weird to be so close to the process. #IMSAlone
Nick Fisherman LivesIt's been scary, but things are gonna be much better. We just have to keep our heads down, and stay out of sight for a few months. After that, people will lose interest in the news of our deaths, and we can go out in disguises. No one will think that we're us. #NickFishermanLives
Random NothingCome back later, I'm embedded.
Story Quote"I should think that a mission that included a kidnapped baby would be rife with corruption and amorality, but I truly hope that things have changed since then, and you at least feel safe and happy with the people around you. Write back when you can." #correspondence #fishquotes
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7
IMS AloneBut what about food, you ask? Well, I have that covered too. A dayfruit smoothie is stored in one of my PRU compartments, and a tiny little garden where a new sac forms and grows. Some of my water goes into that. I think you can guess where the fertilizer comes from. #IMSAlone
Nick Fisherman LivesIt's been boring in this safehouse. We've been missing Kelly, and the other people we know in this world. She knows that we're still alive, but she has to keep a distance, because people could be watching her. There is a conspiracy theory that I'm still alive. #NickFishermanLives
Random NothingWho's coming to my Saturnalia next week? No clothes. No wine. All fun.
Story Quote"I’ve asked about going to Earth many times, long before I knew anything about you, but it’s always been impossible. This was planned as a one-way mission. We’re supposed to die here. Some already have. It will be a long time before anything changes." #correspondence #fishquotes
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8
IMS AlonePower. How is this thing powered? There is a microfusion reactor in the PRU, and nanofusion reactors in my suit for true emergency use. Right now, I have enough reserves to last me for weeks, but the ramscoop nodes can extend that indefinitely. I'll discuss them next. #IMSAlone
Nick Fisherman LivesRight now, Dutch, one of our bodyguards, and I are finishing up a game of cards. I'm still not entirely sure how it works, but I seem to be winning. The other guard is walking the perimeter in preparation for us going out for groceries. It's always me and her. #NickFishermanLives
“Joke”I'm thinking about getting into this NXIVM organization. I've heard great things. Anyone wanna join with me? // A bit of a disclaimer, I'm about a year ahead on these 08:15 nanofiction slots, and it was around this time last year that I had COVID/long COVID. That's why they suck.
Story Quote"Surely it’s a pretty big priority. We’re not the only two people having this problem. You said that you don’t know much about Earth, but do you know about any of the other colonies? A lot of the rest of the solar system has been colonized by now too." #correspondence #fishquotes
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9
IMS AloneInterstellar space isn't dense, but it is by no means empty either. There are individual atoms here and there. The PRU is covered in these little nodes that suck them up, and process them for integration. I might even be able to survive out here for an entire lifetime. #IMSAlone
Nick Fisherman LivesYou remember when I went on that rant about the day of the week being named Thursday, supposedly after the god of thunder, Thor, who doesn't exist in this universe? Well, neither did the legend of Nimue. Yet that's the name of my guard. Where did it come from? #NickFishermanLives
“Joke”I'm not going to become full vegan, because I love cheese more than almost anything, but I've decided to stop eating eggs. Did you know, it takes 53 gallons of water to produce one egg? I'm really concerned with the environment. I'll fill that void with tons and tons of almonds.
Story Quote"That might sound like a non sequitur, but field researchers are the rock stars of the land. It’s a coveted position, but it’s also the most dangerous. Nearly all deaths are caused by field accidents. It even outweighs death from age-related disease." #correspondence #fishquotes
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10
IMS AloneSince we have time, let's go over how I use the scarce elements that my ramscoop nodes pick up. Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. I use it to keep the reactors going, and to maintain clean water via electrolysis. Without it, nothing else matters. #IMSAlone
Nick Fisherman LivesThough no one has ever asked—because they know it's none of their business—Nimue and I are posing as a married couple. Dutch is pretending to be my little brother, and the other guard, Mazin is meant to be Nimue's uncle. Again, it hasn't come up yet, though. #NickFishermanLives
“Joke”Whoa, whoa, whoa! They got #TheBachelorETTE now? I've been watching #TheBachelor for 21 years, and I had no idea they made a spinoff. When did THIS happen?
Story Quote"Suffice to say that I would take your job over mine any day. You may never have encountered an issue yet, but it’s quite important, and if something does come up, you could be instrumental in saving lives. Mine is pointless, and utterly redundant." #correspondence #fishquotes
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11
IMS AloneHelium doesn't have much use in a survival situation. Still, the designers didn't want to waste the second most abundant element. It's not a particularly efficient fuel for propulsion, but it's processed for the maneuvering thrusters, so they don't waste anything else. #IMSAlone
Nick Fisherman LivesNimue and I go shopping once a week. We need supplies, of course, and it's good to go out and be seen by the community, even if we don't let them stare at our faces. I don't need glasses anymore, but I wear them for a disguise. I've not been recognized yet. #NickFishermanLives
“Joke”I held the door open for someone in 1998, just as a good deed. I've still not yet been punished for it. I live in fear of its inevitability.
Story Quote"The Parallel’s only noteworthy competitor should be the Fifth Division. The problem is, most of their weapons were left in their former cosmic corner. They’re still powerful, and they still command this room, but they’re a shadow of what they once were." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 12
IMS AloneOxygen is used for water and air. Carbon is for food synthesis and suit repair due to micrometeoroid strikes. Neon adds to the fuel, because again, what else would you use it for? Nitrogen is also for food. Iron reinforces the suit, specifically for radiation shielding. #IMSAlone
Nick Fisherman LivesYou may think it would be better to hole up in the safehouse with MREs, but people would notice if we weren't real neighbors. We must look like normal people who moved in recently, and are trying to lead normal lives. We don't party and make friends, though. #NickFishermanLives
Random NothingMy new cat's name is Kitten Caboodle. YOU'RE unoriginal!
Story Quote"Romana was standing in a lit reading nook of the hotel suite. She was surrounded by a swirling swarm of dark particles. They made her disappear for a couple of seconds, only to return her for a couple more before sending her away again. It was unending." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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13
IMS AloneEverything moves in space, nothing is still. Even so, some things are faster than others. Me? I'm movin' pretty fast, so the scanning lasers can't detect particular resources fast enough to maneuver me towards hotspots. But the algorithm can make some educated guesses. #IMSAlone
Nick Fisherman LivesI have to end this quick. Obviously, no one knows that I'm in possession of a phone. I paid a guy I met in the bathroom of a convenience store to buy a burner, and leave it in a neutral location for me to find later. I wouldn't reach out if it weren't urgent. #NickFishermanLives
Language JokeEye haight ewe. Your to chased.
Story Quote"I may not ever be able to read a message that tried to come through during the upgrades. If you do try to send something—as people used to say in the olden days—it could get lost in the mail. I’ll hit you back when systems are up and running again." #correspondence #fishquotes
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14
IMS AloneIf you're picking up this signal, then you might be wondering why I'm wasting my time explaining to you how my suit works. Well, the truth is that it works so well at keeping me alive that it's kind of boring here. But I do have options. I could sedate myself instead. #IMSAlone
Nick Fisherman LivesTo be clear, the guy who bought me this burner phone was at a gas station on our way to where we live now. It's not like he's a local who could figure who I am, and where I live. So we're good, I'm good. I just need your help with something. It's important. #NickFishermanLives
“Joke”Safelite Lite repairs, but Safelite Lite doesn't replace. If you need your window to be replaced, you'll have to go to the regular Safelite. If you go to Safelite Max, we'll give you half off tickets to see a band that a few of our techs are in. They play on Wednesday afternoons.
Story Quote"I sleep and work in the same compartment, and I’m all stocked up. Not everyone lives like that. Since I’ve never been able to leave my workstation unmanned for extended periods of time, I have special permission to store an expanded cache of rations." #correspondence #fishquotes
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15
IMS AloneThe suit comes with all sorts of medication; everything that you would expect to find in a typical medkit. One of these is a sedative that will all but put me to sleep. It lowers my breathing patterns, and dampens my need for food and water, though it's not full stasis. #IMSAlone
Nick Fisherman LivesAnyway, Leonard, please write me back. I gotta get out of the bathroom, and return to the card game. Don't worry, this burner isn't even on vibrate. I'll just have to check it periodically to see if you've replied. So if it takes a while, that explains why. #NickFishermanLives
Random NothingHave you ever noticed that Sofia Vergara's boobs are pretty big?
Story Quote"We have lockdowns all the time, so I kind of know what you went through. Like you, we’re always pretty well-stocked. We don’t have any restrictions on it, but we try to be mindful of what others will need, so we don’t take more than our fair share." #correspondence #fishquotes
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16
IMS AloneWhy would I choose to sedate myself? I don't know how long I'm gonna be here. I'm sending this distress call out, but who knows who's nearby, or whether they'll pick it up. I have resources, but it might be smart to limit my reliance on them by limiting my use of them. #IMSAlone
Nick Fisherman LivesWith my message to Leonard done, I hide the phone in the secret pocket that I sewed into the thigh of my pants. I've already been in the bathroom for too long, but if I kind of frown and look uncomfortable when I go back out, they won't ask me any questions. #NickFishermanLives
Fake ConversationPatient: "What's the verdict, doc? What's wrong with me?" // Doctor: "Let's just say that you now have something in common with about 90% of the koalas in Australia."
Story Quote"It sounds like his work comes with a lot of risks, not only from traveling through toxic zones, but from dealing with all sorts of different people who are living in different environments, and have different agendas, which may be difficult to parse." #correspondence #fishquotes
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17
IMS AloneI'm still not convinced. If the idea is to conserve resources, then the question I need to ask myself first is for what? Is anyone coming? I don't think I'm gonna do it. I can always turn it on later. It doesn't knock me unconscious either, so I can revive myself too. #IMSAlone
Nick Fisherman LivesI go back to the table, and pick up my cards. "You didn't peek, did you?" // "No." // "Uh-uh." // "Okay. Then I win." I slap my cards down on the table. They're nothing, I didn't win. I don't ever win. They're still not convinced I'm not just hustling them. #NickFishermanLives
“Joke”Me: "Oh." *holds stomach* "I should have bought a soda too to settle my stomach. And also none of this junk food. And not the soda either." *opens fridge* "Oh right, there's already a soda in here. I had fast food yesterday too. Ha! That's the joke: diabetes.
Story Quote"I know that it wasn’t real, but it feels like I spent a lot of time crafting a perfect speech, and now, not only is it gone, but it probably wasn’t all that relevant. It was most likely total nonsense. And I still need to come up with something good." #correspondence #fishquotes
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18
IMS AloneI check my power reserves, and power projections. While the scanners can't hunt for hotspots, they can predict how likely I am to stay supplied. I have plenty of deuterium for fuel, and the suit is expecting enough hydrogen to keep me going. Time for some entertainment. #IMSAlone
Nick Fisherman LivesNimue steps back into the house, and stomps the excess snow from her shoes. "Ready to go?" she asks me. // "Absolutely," I answer. "I annihilated these two yahoos again." // She rolls her eyes, knowing the score. // "Have him back by midnight," Mazin jokes. #NickFishermanLives
“Joke”I did NOT get my ex-wife drunk. All I did was hire the world's worst divorce lawyer, and end up having to pay $98,000 a day in alimony. Then, to make it up to me, he drove with me to Vegas while she was there. Then I drove us all to the chapel so they could get a quick marriage.
Story Quote"It’s protected from outside interference, and prisoners are genuinely locked up in prison structures. They’re separated by walls, gaps, swaths of land, canyons, and oceans. You get sent here, you’re not going anywhere until it’s time for your release." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 19
IMS AloneInformation is a resource too, and while power is a concern no matter where you are, data storage has become easier and easier over the years. I have countless hours of media at my disposal. Books, music, TV shows, and movies. The only problem is what to choose first. #IMSAlone
Nick Fisherman Lives"That jacket isn't heavy enough," Nimue points out as I'm heading towards her and the door. // "It's part of my cover," I explain. "He's the husband who never wears the right thing, only to complain about it not working later while his wife shakes her head. #NickFishermanLives
NanostoryMy mind is a steel trap, but memories keep leaking out. My current theory is that they're slipping through the air holes that I drilled into the trap so they can breathe.
Story Quote"He had been wanting this forever, and finally found a place to build it. Starter nanites constructed it for him while they were gone, with the first room being dedicated to the Insulator of Life, as well as the equipment necessary to produce a new body." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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20
IMS AloneOh my God, I have to go to school! The suit recognizes that I'm in the middle of a life or death situation, and it's blocking all entertainment domains—even music—until I take and pass a course on the suit's functions. My grandmother helped design it. I know this stuff. #IMSAlone
Nick Fisherman LivesNimue starts to shake her head, inadvertently playing into the character that I've concocted for her, but she stops herself, and just glares at me instead. Then she points to the coat hook. "Get the big one." // "Very well, honey," I say, keeping our cover. #NickFishermanLives
NanostoryWish me luck, I'm off to an alternate reality where everything is EXACTLY the same as it is here, except to distinguish 6s and 9s, the bar is placed above the number, instead of under it.
Story Quote"I suppose that we could come up with a protocol where we reply right away with a very brief acknowledgement as a sort of manual read receipt. That way, we know that the other is still alive, but can’t reply fully yet. What do you think of that idea?" #correspondence #fishquotes
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21
IMS AloneI aced the class, as I do. Now I'm scrolling through the movies domain to find something that looks interesting to me. The Martian? No. Gravity? No. Lost in Space? Lol, hell nah. Nothing about space, please. I think I'll try this 2009 film called Pandorum. Looks creepy. #IMSAlone
Nick Fisherman LivesWe step out of the house, and start to walk down the steps, only to come face to face with none other than Leonard. I sent the message only minutes ago. That was fast. "Oh, hey. Got your email. Looks like I was on the right path." // Nimue glares at me again. #NickFishermanLives
NanostoryEvery four years, people ask me when I'm going to run for president, but the truth is, I'm not old enough. I turned into a vampire when I was 17 in the summer of 1819, so I'm stuck in a filler year. I actually can't even vote!
Story Quote"In other news, my dad is coming home soon. My next letter to you should be a recap of what we end up discussing. He’s been fumfering when I’ve managed to get him on a call, so I know that he wasn’t innocent. We’ll finally get some answers, Corinthia." #correspondence #fishquotes
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22
IMS AloneGuys, I was wrong. Pandorum was super about space. In fact, it's about isolation in space. It was very good, and I made myself watch the whole thing. But it still hit a little too close to home. My power projections are dropping, so I think that's it for entertainment. #IMSAlone
Nick Fisherman Lives"You sent him a damn email?" Nimue questions me. // "I was obviously already on my way," Leonard says. He steps forward. "Hi, I'm Leonard Miazga." // "How did you find us?" she demands to know. // Leonard sighs. "A lot of people know where you are, and that #NickFishermanLives."
Random NothingI'm glad that humans invented bags. I was worried about that for a second.
Story Quote"If that’s true, why didn’t he tell me about you earlier? We could have known each other since we were kids, and had some sort of relationship growing up. Yet he played into the experiment. He could have made things a little better, but chose not to." #correspondence #fishquotes
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23
IMS AloneI'm still not ready to sedate myself to extend my life expectancy. How about I change things up a bit in a new way? I've been drinking chocolate dayfruit smoothie, but I'm running low on this batch. Why don't I try a more exotic flavor next? Fish? Meatloaf? Maybe duck? #IMSAlone
Nick Fisherman Lives"I'll explain everything," Leonard goes on. "Why don't we go inside, so everyone can hear at once?" // Nimue is on high alert. "It's okay," I say to her. "We can trust him. I wouldn't have reached out if he were a threat." I look at him. "I know his future." #NickFishermanLives
Fake ConversationMe: "You know what your problem is?" // My new friend: "Here we go again. What's my problem?" // Me: "Your problem is everyone's always telling you what they think your problem is." // My friend: "Oh. Well, I think you're right."
Story Quote"In some ways, it’s been easier for me. I no longer have the opportunity to ask my mom about it, but I also don’t have the anxiety from anticipating her answers. I just hope that you two can find a way past this, and maintain your strong relationship." #correspondence #fishquotes
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24
IMS AloneErm, I chose meatloaf. Like most people these days, I am vegetarian. I am actually a true vegetarian, which means that I don't even eat cruelty-free cultured meat. I think it's okay, but I'm really not used to it. I have no choice, though. I have to finish this batch. #IMSAlone
Nick Fisherman Lives"I don't know what that means," Nimue has never believed that I was from another universe. She just believes in the money that I paid her, and the fresh start that I promised. // "The damage is done, so let's discuss it. Non-violently. Please and thank you." #NickFishermanLives
NanostoryDo you know how many times I died trying to figure out how to design a parachute that worked? I did that for you. I died so you wouldn't have to. You're welcome, by the way.
Story Quote"I was just wondering if people on Vacuus even acknowledge that this time of the year used to be a thing, or if you’ve even heard of it in the first place. Or…do you go all out with thick themed sweaters, hanging stockings, and seasonal hot drinks?" #correspondence #fishquotes
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25
IMS AloneAll right. I hope someone gets these messages eventually. I'm going to put them on a loop, and keeping send them out. For now, I guess I am going to sedate myself, if for nothing else than to escape the tedium. I won't be passed out, just lightly sleeping. See ya later. #IMSAlone
Nick Fisherman LivesNimue is nothing if not pragmatic. I'm right; Leonard knows about us, and apparently so do others. So the only logical next step is damage control, not trying to figure out how to build a time machine. "Very well. Come in out of the cold," she instructs us. #NickFishermanLives
NanostoryYou know that crazy, superstitious belief that, if you eat an animal's brain, you gain its knowledge? Well, I just barely survived an alternate reality where that was real. There was just one really smart guy left. He has filed his teeth to sharp points. Humans are animals.
Story Quote"Cosette sometimes needed to be taken seriously, so she turned herself into an elder, but she sometimes wanted to be underestimated, so she showed up as a teenager. Most of the time, she just wanted to feel healthy, which meant being in her mid-twenties." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 26
IMS AloneIt's taking me a long time to record this one last message before I go night-night. I've already injected myself with the sedative, but I'm still alert enough to speak. If you're reading this, it should be fine. If you're LISTENING to it, I probably sound intoxicated. #IMSAlone
Nick Fisherman LivesWe walk into the house to find Dutch and Mazin by the windows. "Don't bother explaining," Mazin says. "I stuck a listening device in one of the bushes. We could hear the whole thing. So you're the famous parole officer, Leonard Miazga. It's nice to meet you." #NickFishermanLives
NanostoryTwice—TWICE!—I died because I totally forgot to eat for several weeks. I died of thirst once, but it wasn't my fault. I accidentally drank a protozoa, then hallucinated that I was in the Atacama Desert four million years ago. I was actually in Lake Baikal four million years ago.
Story Quote"The snake had a very different impression of them. It immediately unwrapped itself from Mateo’s leg, and went for the flock of holograms. It was probably pretty upset that none of them seemed to be real, but no one stuck around to see its full reaction." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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27
IMS AloneI'm up! My suit just gave me a stimulant instead of waking me gradually. And there's a reason for this. I've been asleep for nearly two months, but the interstellar medium has become denser. This means two things: more power…and I'm probably approaching a star system. #IMSAlone
Nick Fisherman LivesLeonard shakes Mazin's hand. "I'm not a P.O. anymore. I've gone private, and my first job is bringing in your charge while sending you three deeper into hiding with better resources for better lives. Sorry to spring this on you, but we don't have much time." #NickFishermanLives
Language JokeWow, look at all those crabs out there. It's so pincheresque.
Story Quote"It is mostly for the younger crowd, who are indoctrinated as children. They don’t go outside themselves. An adult who is rated for surface excursions collects from nearby, and hides them around the base for kids to find, and give to their families." #correspondence #fishquotes
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28
IMS AloneIt feels good to be back! The ISM is denser still. My puny little sensors still can't be sure that there's a star system nearby, but there's gotta be. There's just gotta. I need to figure out how to slow myself down. I have my thrusters, but unfortunately, no drag sail. #IMSAlone
Nick Fisherman Lives"No, I don't like this," Mazin says, shaking his head. "Nick, I know you trust him, but I don't know him." // Leonard goes on, "Nick, those people you worked for in Iowa? They've been watching you. They've been watching you since you arrived in this universe." #NickFishermanLives
“Joke”The Hulk is my absolute favorite comic book character of all time. I just hate how angry he is. It's my one and only gripe. Otherwise, the Incredible Hulk is perfect.
Story Quote"For us to assume that they would inevitably agree—and to be ready to act on it immediately—would have been rude, and placed us at an unfair advantage when it comes to future talks. It would be like suggesting that they need us more than we need them." #correspondence #fishquotes
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29
IMS AloneI know some tricks to generate drag. First, I can supercharge my PRU to prioritize helium. Pulling in material slows me down, and gives me the fuel I need to move around, which I'll do in serpentine. The rest of the suit can also interact with particles in other ways. #IMSAlone
Nick Fisherman Lives"I always thought that business was fishy," I admit. "Some sort of government entity, like the CIA?" // "As I said," Leonard begins, "I went private. They're always on the hunt for the unusual, and your blog caught their eye within a week of you starting it." #NickFishermanLives
Dumb Ditty🎵Love and marriage…love and marriage. Go together like a horse and buggy!🎵
Story Quote"The way I see it, he has to take the first steps to building a relationship with me, not the other way around. If he never sends me a message, then so be it. But I’m not going to write the first letter, and then sit here in anticipation of a reply." #correspondence #fishquotes
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30
IMS AloneMy sensors are definitely detecting a star system now. I'm in its backyard. Fortunately, I seem to be coming at it coplanar to the orbits. I might be able to kiss a few atmospheres, which could drastically slow me down. The system will need to calculate these maneuvers. #IMSAlone
Nick Fisherman LivesThat blog. I wouldn't be here without it. I often wonder what my life would have been like had I just kept my head down, and tried to assimilate. It's caused problems, but it was the only hope I ever had of finding a way back to my friends. I regret nothing. #NickFishermanLives
NanostoryI grew up in a cult, and they taught us that the U.S.S.R. stood for the United States of Stupid Russia. It's the only thing they got right.
Story Quote"I want you to know that I won’t let him ruin our new sibling connection, and I would hope that you don’t let whatever he does or says—or doesn’t do or say—stop you from wanting to converse with me. Okay, I think I’m done with all this negativity now." #correspondence #fishquotes
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31
IMS AloneThe computer has made the calculations. It's mapped the orbiting bodies, and is maneuvering me towards the closest planet for a gravity assist. Not gonna lie, I'm scared. I could die. I'm going so fast, and there are so many variables. Wish me luck. Comms will be out. #IMSAlone
Nick Fisherman LivesEveryone is looking to me for a decision, or rather for any further information to help them make their own decisions. I nod. "We gotta do what we gotta do. If they've always known, there's no hiding from these people. We have to go in, and hope for the best." #NickFishermanLives
Fake ConversationAnd so I says, "John, you're on the wrong side of the wall!" Thank you! Thank you, that's my time, but I'll be here all week! And the week after that, and the week after that. I can never leave. No one can leave. Get comfortable folks, we're all in hell. You wanted this.
Story Quote"This can last for years, but it’s a relatively rare event, and has only happened twice since Earth sent the probes. What’s not all that rare is when one of these meteors becomes dislodged from the shower, and we end up between it and all its friends." #correspondence #fishquotes
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| 1
Citrus ContractDave Nile Seidel is a teleporter, but not just any teleporter. He can transport regular people who would otherwise become ill from experiencing nonlinear time. He is not the only person who can do this, but he's the only choosing one who uses this power for good. #CitrusContract
Nick Fisherman LearnsWe've left the safehouse—left it behind. I've been asked to come in from the cold, to meet with an ex-employer who has apparently always known that I faked my death, and where I was living. They also seemingly believe that I am indeed from another universe. #NickFishermanLearns
Expanded Bond TitlesMy therapist: "It's nice to meet you, Nick. I know that you've spoken to others who've not helped much, but I'm here to make sure that you have the tools you need to be healthier. I specialize in treating patients with severe paranoia." // Me: "Dr. No offense, but you're a spy."
Story Quote"She didn’t end up accepting help from Ayata, save for a few minor tasks, and some constructive criticism. If this was going to mean anything, it had to come from Cosette, or he may as well be on a date with Ayata. Was this a date? Would he say as much?" #salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 2
Citrus Contract"That's not my middle name," Dave contends. "And I'm not a choosing one. I'm a chosen one." // "Oh, well, la-dee-da," Buddy jokes. // "Why are you writing this down?" // "It's my vampire diary." // "You're not a vampire." // He shrugs. "Hardly think that matters." #CitrusContract
Nick Fisherman Learns"Why Michigan?" Leonard asks once we're in the car. He parked far away from the safehouse for security reasons. // "I had family here back in my home universe," I reply, "but I don't think I ever mentioned it on my website." // "Yes, you did," Mazin contends. #NickFishermanLearns
Expanded Bond TitlesDear Doorknobby, we have given you everything you asked for. We have placed you in a great position of power. Now you must give us what we agreed upon. You must decide upon a time for our date by tomorrow. You pick the restaurant, but you pay. From Russia with Love, Putz-Putz.
Story Quote"Tertius stepped forward. 'I’m in too, if you’ll have me,' he announced sheepishly. 'I can erase everyone’s memories. They won’t even know that their friends are gone while they wait for the next bus.' // 'That’s a brilliant idea,' Leona said gratefully." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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3
Citrus Contract"Can we just get on with it?" Dave asks, annoyed. "You wanted an extinct fruit, or something?" // "Oh, we'll get to that," Buddy promises. "First, we need to draft a contract." // "I don't think that's necessary. A verbal contract should suffice." // "It won't." #CitrusContract
Nick Fisherman Learns"Wednesday, March 6, 2024 on your blog, you discussed places that you have lived and visited," Mazin goes on, "including Michigan. You never said if it was Ann Arbor, though." // "I forgot that, and that you have an eidetic memory. And yes, it was Ann Arbor." #NickFishermanLearns
Expanded Bond TitlesHorror story: My wife always pushed the elevator buttons, but I wanted to once, but it broke my finger, so she made me a golden prosthetic, but then the gold was killing me, but I wouldn't let it go. I said "bury me with my Goldfinger" and she did, then I was a zombie. The end.
Story Quote"For medical reasons, I’m not fit to travel in space. At least, I wasn’t. The restrictions have gradually been eroding, due to excessive need for planetary exodus, and advances in space travel which make it easier to treat at-risk patients off world." #correspondence #fishquotes
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4
Citrus Contract"You gave me what I asked for, and I pay my debts. I'm only a teleporter. I can't escape through time. You'll always be able to find me." // "Sure, but I've been screwed over one too many times by people I thought I could trust. I'm not doing it like that again." #CitrusContract
Nick Fisherman Learns"They didn't find you because of your website," Leonard clarifies. "This is what they do. They knew you didn't die because you've been surviving since you came to this world. And they knew that if you faked your death, your security firm had to be in on it." #NickFishermanLearns
Expanded Bond TitlesWhen I set out to start making these so-called "Expanded Bond Titles" I didn't do it because I love Bond movies, or even because I hate them. I'm indifferent, and I'm only doing it to show off that I can play on any words, and when I do, I bring the Thunder…Ball's in your court.
Story Quote"Forgiveness is a really strong word, and I’m afraid I’m going to need more time before I can even consider it. That may be all it takes. We could not talk to each other the whole time, but I may one day get over it just because it’s been long enough." #correspondence #fishquotes
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5
Citrus ContractDave sighs. "Fine. I'll sign your contract. Hand it over." // "You think it's that easy?" Buddy questions. "We have to write it together, and then we have to get it notarized." // "There's no such thing as a time traveling notary." // "Wrong again!" he exclaims. #CitrusContract
Nick Fisherman Learns"That was always a vulnerability," Nimue laments. // "It's okay," I say. "It's gonna be okay." // "We can't trust these people," Dutch reasons. // "No, but I can trust Leonard." // "I don't think he's in on it," Mazin begins, "but he may be just as clueless." #NickFishermanLearns
Expanded Bond TitlesI went to Vegas, baby. Las Vegas, New Mexico. It's got buildings and streets, and probably people. I'm not sure as I spent most of my time in a secret underground Casino; "Royale with cheese" was the codeword to get inside. Whoops, I hope they don't kill me for revealing that.
Story Quote"The stray Valkyrie blocked our signal for a week, then flew away. The rest of the Valkyries are still orbiting on their usual path. I suppose I shouldn’t say usual as changing course is sort of their whole thing. But we’re safe from them…for now." #correspondence #fishquotes
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6
Citrus ContractThere IS someone called The Officiant who conducts weddings that transcend linear time, and The Overseer is in charge of large-scale event-correction operations, but Dave is aware of no framework for nonlinear legal precepts. What the hell is Buddy talking about? #CitrusContract
Nick Fisherman LearnsLeonard calmly pulls over to the side of the highway, and stops the car. "We may be driving on the road that leads to our deaths. Or it may lead to everything we have ever dreamed of. Or it could be nothing. Are ya gonna keep whining about the uncertainty? #NickFishermanLearns
Expanded Bond TitlesMe: "I'm here for reincarnation." // Osides: "What makes you worthy? You Only Live Twice if you did something amazing with your first life." // Me: "I once leapt over to catch a fork in mid-air right when it fell off of the counter in the cafeteria." // Osides: "Go on through."
Story Quote"The good news is, of course, that we’re finally here in beautiful Australia. It took us a lot longer than we wanted, but as you’ve suspected, the platform doesn’t move all that fast. Plus, there were some tropical storms that we had to detour around." #correspondence #fishquotes
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7
Citrus ContractBuddy snaps his fingers several times in Dave's face. "Where'd you go, buckaroo Billy? You totally zoned out there." // "It's just something I do sometimes, don't worry about it." He does worry about it. His mind wanders, and he often forgets where he is and why. #CitrusContract
Nick Fisherman LearnsMazin absorbs Leonard's words. "All right, man. Let's get on with it, and see what happens." He looks over at his partner, Nimue. "We're trained to get out of sticky situations, so we'll develop our contingency plans, like we always do, and figure it out." #NickFishermanLearns
Expanded Bond TitlesWhew, this is gonna be a tough one. It's so specific, and I had never even heard of it until now. But I can do it. Okay. *clears throat*. Yesterday, I, uhhhhhhh…watched a movie called On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Boom, nailed it. Cleverest wordplay yet! Suck on that, haters.
Story Quote"Things were already not as safe as they were a couple hundred years prior. Humans were evidently damaging Earth before they started to do it intentionally to harm each other! I just hope your leaders always exercise caution. Vacuus does have weather." #correspondence #fishquotes
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8
Citrus Contract"Okay, it looks like you're about to go catatonic again," Buddy decides. "Let's get on with this. While you're right that there is technically no choosing one whose self-appointed job it is to handle nonlinear legal concerns, there a few who happen to be lawyers." #CitrusContract
Nick Fisherman LearnsWe continue on our way to a small airport where a private jet appears to be waiting for us on the runway. We drive right up to it like one of us is some kind of billionaire hotshot. Leonard tosses the keys to one of the stoic guards, and heads up the steps. #NickFishermanLearns
Expanded Bond TitlesThey say that Diamonds Are Forever, but I've developed new technology which will un-diamond any diamond, and turn it into graphite. Now, I know that graphite is an abundant material, but who doesn't want to use a pencil that used to be a diamond and a plank from Noah's Ark?
Story Quote"Cosette certainly doesn’t need her experiences on Hockstep to be broadcast for everyone to see. It is an invasion of privacy. They were all very personal, and she had no idea that she was being recorded. No one is above the law, not even a magical tree." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 9
Citrus ContractDave relents. "Go on and call your little lawyer friend, but if I find out that you're coercing them, or doing anything else untowards here, you and I are gonna make some friction between us, you understand?" // "Like sexually?" Buddy asked. // "Call the lawyer!" #CitrusContract
Nick Fisherman LearnsWe follow him into the aircraft. The bodyguard who didn't get the car keys steps through behind us, and pulls the stairs up. We take off shortly thereafter. The window partitions do not open. We are not allowed to know where we're going, but it takes all day. #NickFishermanLearns
Expanded Bond TitlesMy great great grandpappy always used to tell me to "live and let live". He would say it every time we parted, like it was a thought that should be constantly going through my head. One day, he said "Live and Let Die", and told me that that's what he meant to say the whole time.
Story Quote"He didn’t want to get into a real fight either, especially since he would definitely lose. She was the Captain, and her face certainly showed that she was giving him an order in that capacity, instead of as his wife and partner. He nodded respectfully." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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10
Citrus Contract"We don't call him. We go to him." The way Buddy's version of time travel works, these frightening little dark particles come out of the aether, and swarm his target. In this case, that's both himself, and Dave. After the swarm dissipates, they're somewhere else. #CitrusContract
Nick Fisherman LearnsLeonard pulls giant parkas down from an overhead compartment near the front of the jet. We came with coats, but he says we need something stronger. And he's right. It's blistering cold. My top suspects are Russia, Greenland, or somewhere in northern Canada. #NickFishermanLearns
Expanded Bond TitlesI spent eleven years asking for the restroom last night in my dream. People kept giving me answers that were either wrong…or lies. Finally, one guy points, and tells me to speak with The Man with the Golden Gun, who shot me. I woke up having wet and bled the bed. Fun story, eh?
Story Quote"They never told us that these inventions ultimately came from off-world. I hope that it’s in the literature somewhere—and I’m just ignorant as an individual—not that they’re intentionally hiding the truth from us to allow someone else to take credit." #correspondence #fishquotes
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11
Citrus ContractDave and Buddy are in a hallway now. Dave doesn't know what year this is, but the architecture looks rather old. They're standing in front of a door with frosted glass. The sign says JERICHO HAGEN, ESQ. Dave reads it out loud. // "Yep, that's him," Buddy confirms. #CitrusContract
Nick Fisherman LearnsThere is one permanent structure here, which is either an outhouse or a shed. Or—if this is all secret spycraft—an elevator that leads to a massive underground base…with central heating. We don't go there, though. Instead, we walk towards some white tents. #NickFishermanLearns
Expanded Bond TitlesI've never seen The Spy Who Loved Me, but I saw an episode of a TV show called "The Spy Who Really Liked Me". That was the name of the episode, not the show itself. The show was Jake 2.0. Why isn't this funny, you ask? I'M NOT YOUR MONKEY! Some anecdotes are boring! Get over it.
Story Quote"Australia is a big place. Do you have to stay near the dome you were trading with, or is the whole continent fair game? If it’s the second one, then this stipulation feels a bit arbitrary. Maybe they have a reason that makes sense when you hear it." #correspondence #fishquotes
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12
Citrus ContractA man briskly opens the door, and is about to say something, but is shocked and appalled by their appearance. "Get in here," he urges. "This is 1955, you are NOT dressed appropriately." // They comply with his wishes. "I take it that you're Jericho?" Dave asks. #CitrusContract
Nick Fisherman LearnsA small group of people are huddled around a folding table in the tent. You've seen it in movies. One older man turns around when he hears the flap open. "Mr. Fisherman, it's an honor to meet you. I believe you're owed a paycheck." // "How so?" I question. #NickFishermanLearns
Expanded Bond TitlesThe worst job that I ever had was Moonraker. We're not talking about our moon, Luna, but the one where I worked was a lot like it. I literally raked the entire surface of this thing…and why? Why did they pay me to do this? They didn't. It was a 14.7 million-year practical joke.
Story Quote"The ones that did were either very intelligent and observant, but few and far between, or responsible for destroying the environment themselves, and deliberately withholding pertinent information. Either way, the general population wasn’t hearing it." #correspondence #fishquotes
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13
Citrus Contract"Look," Jericho says. "I'm in this time period as a sort of…penance. I'm trying to get back to traditional law to build an appreciation for what it becomes 150 years from now. I'm really not interested in interacting with you people. Please leave my office. Now." #CitrusContract
Nick Fisherman Learns"When you worked for us, as a janitor," the man continues. "You never collected your final paycheck. It fell through the cracks." // I stare at him. "Sir, I'm rich." // "Correction, you WERE rich. Now you're dead." He stops to sign on a colleague's tablet. #NickFishermanLearns
Expanded Bond TitlesOne of my followers works for British Intelligence, which is a competing agency, but we're collaborating on a case. She knows who she is. No one else should read this tweet. Blue Tulip, this is For Your Eyes Only: the moneybag is behind Big Ben. NO ONE ELSE SHOULD GO STEAL IT!
Story Quote"My friend who lives up there now has been asking me to take the launch loop into orbit for a visit, and I want to do that, but I also don’t. So much can go wrong. I cannot believe that I used to live on a ship. How did I end up so soft and cowardly?" #correspondence #fishquotes
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14
Citrus Contract"All we need you to do is draw up a boilerplate contract for us. I've hired him to do some work for me, and we need to legalize the details," Buddy promises. // "I wasn't hired for anything, I was coerced," Dave clarifies. // "Well, he didn't need to know that." #CitrusContract
Nick Fisherman Learns"Why are we here, sir?" I ask. // "You don't have to 'sir' me," he insists. "You can call me Vin." // "Because you like cars," Dutch guesses. // Vin is surprised. "Yeah. Most people just assume my full name is Vincent." // Dutch shrugs like it's no big deal. #NickFishermanLearns
Expanded Bond TitlesI've probably only seen four whole Bond movies. I don't remember which ones, but I know none of them was the offensive Octopussy. This isn't meant to be funny, I just think that names of things shouldn't use inappropriate words when they're child-facing. Not everything is a joke.
Story Quote"It wasn’t automatic for me, because the pollutants hide the stars, but it just so happens to be that one of the Mauna Kea observatories will already be looking in the right direction on May 17, so all I’ll have to do is register for remote viewing." #correspondence #fishquotes
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15
Citrus Contract"Uh, I kind of do," Jericho argues. "Illegal activity means that the contract isn't boilerplate. I mean—I'm not gonna do it either way. Do you see what's over there? It's a typewriter…not even an electric one. I hate the 1950s!" // "I can fix that," Buddy says. #CitrusContract
Nick Fisherman LearnsI keep watching Vin quietly until he answers. "We would like to offer you an opportunity." // "An opportunity for what?" Leonard asks. // "You don't know?" I ask Leonard. // "I was told to bring you here," he answers. "I wasn't told why. Almost didn't do it." #NickFishermanLearns
Expanded Bond TitlesOnce at Staring Contest Camp, we played a game called Never Say Never where one kid would utter the words, then finish the sentence with a command for another kid. I was commanded to rip out my own throat. It was the best risk I ever took because now I'll Never Say Never Again.
Story Quote"It only slows him down to about 99% of realtime. But during this time, Andrei is as hard as a rock. He can’t move, he can’t be moved, and if he’s not lying down when it happens, he’ll become incredibly fatigued while he’s waiting to return to the fray." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 16
Citrus Contract"Wait, no, don't!" Jericho cries, but it's too late. Buddy releases his dark particles, and transports all three of them and the manual typewriter elsewhere. // "Welcome to the year 2487," Buddy declares with great pride in himself. // "This isn't what I meant." #CitrusContract
Nick Fisherman LearnsDutch steps forward. "What would this job entail? And does the offer extend to all of us?" He's uncharacteristically serious, and maybe a little protective of me? // "You'll all be offered jobs, which utilize your unique and respective skills appropriately." #NickFishermanLearns
Expanded Bond TitlesSuspect: "I grew up in a slaughterhouse. That's all my parents could afford. My window didn't even lead to the outside. It showed me A View to a Kill room where the helpless animals were murdered. That, detective, is why I'm now the Farmer Killer. They didn't give me a choice."
Story Quote"Ramses had installed a coherence gauge, which measured the drive’s readiness factors, boiling them down to a color-coded scale. Red meant that it was too early to make another safe jump. Violet meant that it was fully charged, stable, and ready to go." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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17
Citrus Contract"Mr. Hagen," Buddy begins. "You did not want to be there anymore. You were waiting for your ride home, and you obviously regretted how much time you asked for. I showed up early, and gave you an out. You can complain all you want, but I know that you're grateful." #CitrusContract
Nick Fisherman Learns"I'm not qualified for anything," I reason. "The last job I had with you was as a janitor." // Vin chuckles. "We had no choice. You were trying to stay anonymous, and not applying to higher level jobs. But we all know your potential, and life experiences." #NickFishermanLearns
Expanded Bond TitlesI got in a fight with an ogre six years ago. He punched The Living Daylights out of me. Now I only see the darkness of death. I've asked people to put me out of my misery, but as I've told you, I'm immortal, so it never works. True peace is always within sight, but out of reach.
Story Quote"I never said, but our settlement is not the ideal location for a large telescope, so our main one was built at an outpost several kilometers away. A small team operates there in person while researchers use the data as needed, and allowed, remotely." #correspondence #fishquotes
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18
Citrus ContractJericho sighs, and looks around a bit. "What is this place?" // "My summer home," Buddy says. // "You said something about a contract?" Jericho asks. // "Yeah." Buddy steps over to a bookshelf, and pulls a few pages out from between two books. "Start with these." #CitrusContract
Nick Fisherman Learns"What exactly does your organization do?" I press. // Vin smiles. "When you first came to this universe, you called it boring, right?" // "Sorry about that," I say awkwardly. // He smiles wider. "It's boring because of us. What we do is protect this world." #NickFishermanLearns
Expanded Bond TitlesI only went to the DMV to renew my driver's license, but there was a small mix-up and I ended up with a License to Kill. I don't want to hurt anyone, but one of the requirements for having the license is actually using it. If I refuse…someone else will get a license to kill me.
Story Quote"They don’t have domes, since that would interfere with the views from the telescopes, so they built compartmentalized vestibules to keep the fumes from getting inside the buildings, always keep the doors closed, and only go outside in hazmat suits." #correspondence #fishquotes
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19
Citrus ContractJericho sighs again, and starts looking through the documents that Buddy already prepared. "This says he'll bring your dead daughter back to life if you succeed." // "What?" Dave questions. "It's not possible, I've tried." // "It's possible for me," Buddy claims. #CitrusContract
Nick Fisherman Learns"I don't understand," I say. // Vin picks up his own tablet. "You sign the NDAs, and I'll explain everything. To give you some reason to even consider it, I'm authorized to tell you that visitors from another universe…is not the strangest thing we've seen." #NickFishermanLearns
Expanded Bond TitlesTo stop me from killing innocent people as a zombie, my wife tried to pour molten gold into my eyes, so I wouldn't be able to see my victims, but I ate her brains before she was able to finish, so now I just walk around with one GoldenEye, and then I found five dollars. The end.
Story Quote"It sounds like most people live under land domes, but you’re on a floating platform, which takes some level of creative thinking. Has anyone ever thought of living in an aerostat? It might not be better—per se—but it could give people more options." #correspondence #fishquotes
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20
Citrus Contract"No," Dave insists. "Ann was killed with the hundemarke. Or rather, she wasn't killed intentionally with it, but she was a casualty when someone had it activated to make another event a fixed moment in time. She can't be saved. I have tried everything…everyone." #CitrusContract
Nick Fisherman LearnsI look back at everyone else. Dutch is shocked. Leonard is apprehensive, so he probably didn't know about this. Nimue and Mazin don't know what to think of it. They're not entirely sure what big of a deal this is. "Are you saying the supernatural is real?" #NickFishermanLearns
Expanded Bond TitlesYou can all thank me for the gift of the present. They say that the past no longer exists, and tomorrow will never come, but what they don't realize is that I'm the one who kills the past. I'm the reason it stops existing. I keep trying to kill tomorrow…but Tomorrow Never Dies.
Story Quote"We’re supposed to be fixing it, and if we start treating the bug as a feature, we’ll either not work hard on cleaning it up, or we will, and people will have to leave the aerostats before too long anyway. Neither plan seemed reasonable or rational." #correspondence #fishquotes
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21
Citrus Contract"Have you noticed how unusual my time power is?" Buddy puts forth. "Other people call the little things that I create dark particles. Why do they exist? What is the point? No one else has them. It's because I'm unique. I can get your daughter back, guaranteed." #CitrusContract
Nick Fisherman Learns"That's not a word that we use," Vin says, sitting on the edge of the table. "But that's all I'm at liberty to say…until you sign." He presents us with his tablet again. // Not hesitating, Dutch steps right up, takes it from him, and scribbles on the screen. #NickFishermanLearns
Expanded Bond TitlesI asked my fiancé if he was having reservations about our wedding, and he said that he wouldn't give me up for the world. I smiled, but then he added that The World Is Not Enough. He wouldn't sell me for a dime less than the world AND the moon. He now owns the world and the moon.
Story Quote"It’s true that I never developed relationships as strong as the ones I sometimes see on TV, but I would still consider them my friends. I don’t know why I’ve never talked about them to you, but they were there, and we had fun. Who else was at yours?" #correspondence #fishquotes
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22
Citrus Contract"It's a transporter," Jericho says quietly. // "Huh?" Buddy asks. // "From Star Trek," Jericho goes on. "It atomizes you, then beams them down to the target, and reconstitutes your atoms. In reality, if we could do that, it wouldn't really be you. Just a copy." #CitrusContract
Nick Fisherman LearnsI have to see this through, whatever it is. I take the tablet from Dutch, and sign next to my own name, as does Leonard after me. Nimue and Mazin are still not so sure. // "What happens if they don't sign?" I ask Vin. // "There are a few alternative options." #NickFishermanLearns
Expanded Bond TitlesSix years ago, I was almost killed, but then I remembered that I still hadn't watched the last three episodes of Castle, so I decided to Die Another Day. I still haven't gotten archivetweet to it. I keep promising my killer that it will be soon, but…I just lost interest in the story.
Story Quote"This is all very overwhelming, but no one says anything out loud. They just exchange looks, and it’s clear that none of them was prepared for what they were getting themselves into. They should have asked for more information before raising their hands." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 23
Citrus ContractJericho drops the papers that Buddy handed him. "He's dead. I'm not really Jericho Hagen. You didn't transport me from the past. You killed him, and then I replaced him as a copy. I have all of his thoughts and memories, so I believe that I'm him…but it's a lie." #CitrusContract
Nick Fisherman Learns"There are roles within our organization that don't require signing nondisclosure agreements," Vin goes on. "They could do something like that. It would protect them from public scrutiny, and give some meaning back to their lives. […] Or they can sign too." #NickFishermanLearns
Expanded Bond TitlesI forgot that there were two Bond movies with the same title. What should I do, tell the same joke as I did before? I guess comedians tell the same jokes in different cities all the time, right, like when they perform at a new Casino? "Royale with cheese" is still the password.
Story Quote"The Dritewing was the flagship of the Castlebourne fleet, though it had no current crew, and Hrockas had no idea how to start an army, nor a security contingency. He never thought that he might need one, and mercenaries weren’t really a thing anymore." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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24
Citrus ContractBuddy looks over at Dave. "He's obviously having an existential crisis. He doesn't know what he's talking about. What I do isn't just duplication—it's transportation, same as any other time traveler. Jericho, make the contract." // "No." He heads towards the door. #CitrusContract
Nick Fisherman LearnsMazin frowns at his partner. "We agreed to protect them, whatever that entails. Let's sign it, and continue down whatever path this is together." // "Okay," Nimue agrees. She takes the tablet first, and then him. // "Great!" Vin says. "Let's go for a walk." #NickFishermanLearns
Expanded Bond TitlesI worked at a movie theatre when the 24th Bond film came out. I remember thinking, "what the hell is this movie about?" I watched it several times from the projection booth—which I called my Quantum of Solace—without being able to hear the sound until I was fired for not working.
Story Quote"He’s really good at knowing when someone wants to speak, but is too afraid to interrupt, and will in fact interrupt other people to give the quieter ones their chances. I wish I could be more like him in this regard, always charming and fascinating." #correspondence #fishquotes
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25
Citrus Contract"Don't worry about the contract," Dave says when it looks like Buddy is about to do something to stop Jericho. "I get you your fruit, you give me my daughter. You go back on your word, I come after you. I call Mateo. I don't think you want that." // "No, I don't." #CitrusContract
Nick Fisherman LearnsVin steps out of the tent, and we all follow him. "No, you two stay at camp. Grab some coffee and doughnuts. You already have significant training. You'll jump straight to the testing phase. This will just be for Nick and Dutch, and their handler, Leonard." #NickFishermanLearns
Expanded Bond TitlesMy therapist: "I'll say a word, and you'll respond with one word answers only, please." // Me: "Okay." // Therapist: "Woman." // Me: "Boobs." // Therapist: "Keyboard." // Me: "Boobs." // Therapist: "Hiking." // Me: "Boobs." // Therapist: "Skyfall." // Me: "DontthinkIsawthatone."
Story Quote"I don’t have any myself, unless you count watching TV. There’s so much content from the before-fore times, and it’s the easiest thing to do while I’m at work. There’s no collecting up here, and there aren’t many opportunities to make things either." #correspondence #fishquotes
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26
Citrus Contract"You have something I need," Dave goes on, "and you know I would do just about anything to get it. We don't need a physical contract anymore. I don't know why you didn't just tell me all this when we first met. You're not the brightest bulb in the bunch, are you?" #CitrusContract
Nick Fisherman LearnsNimue and Mazin do stay behind, because Vin is right; they don't need training. But what kind of training are Dutch and I going to be going through, and why here? I'm freezing my fingers off. I know a lot of people say that they hate the cold, but I VERY do. #NickFishermanLearns
Expanded Bond TitlesIn an alternate reality, James Bond is an iconic American spy franchise. So instead of Spectre, they call it Specter. Instead of Q, they call him Line. Instead of driving on the left side, they drive on the correct. Instead of a vodka martini, he drinks a Jägerbomb with Red Bull.
Story Quote"Ya gotta stay fit, and just hanging from a pull-up bar or doing a few push-ups is boring. I used to play a little football as a kid, before the gases, but I never got back into it in the latter years. I don’t miss it, and have no plans on going back." #correspondence #fishquotes
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27
Citrus Contract"You're shocked and confused, so I'm gonna let that one slide. Just go get me my fruit." He lifts his hands to wave Dave to some unknown location." // "Where are you sending me?" Dave asks. // "To a time when some people still used toilet paper instead of bidets." #CitrusContract
Nick Fisherman LearnsI gotta say, as terribly freezing as this area is, it's quite beautiful. It looks completely untouched by man. I'm happy to be back to hiking, which I used to love to do. We walk for several kilometers, hardly saying a word. Then we get in a couple of canoes. #NickFishermanLearns
Expanded Bond TitlesMe: "I feel like I'm wasting my life. All I do is sit around, rewatching TV shows, and writing dumb jokes for Twitter that no one ever reads." // My therapist: "Learn to prioritize the things that matter. Do you have time to die?" // Me: "No, I'm so busy! There's No Time to Die!"
Story Quote"That would take a lot of dedication on your part, and we don’t even know if you would like it. You might be annoyed to see those people taken to those beautiful remote locations where the air is pure, and clean enough even where they normally live." #correspondence #fishquotes
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28
Citrus ContractBuddy releases the scary dark particles from his hand, and banishes Dave from this place. Once the room stops spinning, Dave looks around to find that Buddy did not come along with him, but that doesn't mean he's alone. He has incidentally attracted an audience. #CitrusContract
Nick Fisherman LearnsWe paddle the canoes across the lake. We move slow in deference to the wind. On the other side, Vin makes me and Dutch remove our parkas, and our jackets, throws them in the canoes, and orders Leonard to leave with him. We're on our own. And we're gonna die. #NickFishermanLearns
Expanded Bond TitlesEon assured me that the title for the next installment in the James Bond franchise would be available by now, but it looks like they screwed me over…AGAIN. I'll just have to make one up for this joke. Let's see, what will they likely call it? I'm thinking "Golden Death Bullet".
Story Quote"If you’re lookin’ for a story about a regular person who has to beat the odds despite having no clue what he’s doing, then you’ll probably like The Winfield Files. It’s a series of twelve books, and there’s even a TV adaptation with twelve seasons." #correspondence #fishquotes
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| March | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 1
Citrus ShieldDave Seidel was sent time traveling to the middle of some town square, apparently at the local farmer's market. Several people are staring at him, jaws on the ground, having presumably witnessed the miracle. Others have become interested since his sudden appearance. #CitrusShield
Nick Fisherman LingersDutch and I are in the middle of nowhere. It's freezing, there's no shelter, and we're not wearing very much. We don't have any supplies. It's not like I keep a matchbook or knife in my pocket. Those are the two most important things in a survival situation. #NickFishermanLingers
Fake ConversationMy GF: "You can translate it." // Me: "I don't remember high school French." // GF: "Try!" // Me: "Ugh. 'The others, they're dead. They're dead. It killed them—it killed them all.'" // GF: "Is that what they're really saying?" // "Me: "No, that's from LOST! I don't speak French!"
Story Quote"How could they not know? They have all been living here for the last half century, and they never even felt like something was different? Now they need to question everything about their whole lives. Is anything in the universe what they thought it was?" #salmonverse #fishquotes
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||||||
| 2
Citrus ShieldAs Dave is scanning the crowd, vamping for an explanation for his teleportation with a smile and some nodding, he catches sight of Buddha's hand citron at a fruit booth. That's why Buddy sent him here. But these people don't have a monopoly on them. He can bug out. #CitrusShield
Nick Fisherman LingersDutch pulls me into a bear hug. "Body heat is great," I begin, "but it is not gonna last. We can't walk like this, and we need to find and-or build a shelter ASAP." // "No, this is a goodbye hug. I'm not gonna make it out here. I barely survived Michigan." #NickFishermanLingers
Good QuestionIt's 2025. Do you know where your democracy is?
Story Quote"One of them started lasering into his neck, and worked its way down his spine. Other incisions were made on his wrists, shoulders, ankles, the back of his knees, and even his mons pubis. The cuts hurt, but the implantation of the devices hurt even more." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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3
Citrus ShieldOne last thing, Dave catches English on the booth signs, and takes a guess that they're in California. Buddha's hand isn't sold everywhere. "Thank you, ladies and germs, you can catch me in Las Vegas on Mondays and Tuesdays at the Starbound Lounge!" He bows deeply. #CitrusShield
Nick Fisherman Lingers"No," I disagree, "we can do this. We're humans, and if there's one thing that animals have that humans have lost…it's strong survival instincts." // "Great pep talk." // "I mean, it leads us to underestimating our skills. But we can get those skills back!" #NickFishermanLingers
Random NothingMy wife's name is Anne Daykroyd.
Story Quote"Since it takes so terribly long for each message to cross the interplanetary void between us, I think it makes the most sense for us to read a whole book, or watch a whole season, in between letters. It will all still probably take quite a long time." #correspondence #fishquotes
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4
Citrus ShieldReal magicians can't literally disappear into thin air. It always involves some misdirect. So Dave quickly pulls his hands into his sleeves, turtles his head into his jacket, and teleports away naked. Not every teleporter can leave their clothes behind like that. #CitrusShield
Nick Fisherman LingersDutch releases me. "Okay, boss. What do we do first?" // I look up. "I've never understood how to measure time just by looking at the sun. But we have to assume that nightfall is right around the corner. Let's start lookin' around, for a cave, or something." #NickFishermanLingers
Dumb Ditty🎵English loo! // Gotta get into this English loo! // I'll wreck the toilet, ya know it's true! // Vi-vi-vi-vi Vindaloo! // Finally tasted her vindaloo! // I really wish I could've refused // But rejecting her cooking would have been rude! // Oh my, this meal was my Waterloo!🎵
Story Quote"To answer your question, our relationship with the dome remains strong. Generally speaking, the immigrants aren’t having significant issues, though it’s a culture shock for many of them. In some ways, we’re different, but in others, we’re the same." #correspondence #fishquotes
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5
Citrus ShieldHe's outside of Lebanon, Kansas now. He jumped to a wooded area to avoid being spotted, but there's no one here anyway. It's still fairly early for tourists, though the sun is higher, providing further evidence that he was in California before. He needs some help. #CitrusShield
Nick Fisherman Lingers"We'll have to split up, but don't stray farther than shouting distance from each other" I go on. "A skim search will allow us to cover more ground. Don't be thorough, be quick. You go clockwise while I go counterclockwise. We'll rendezvous on that ridge." #NickFishermanLingers
Language JokePeeta peed on the pita.
Story Quote"We’re both being studied against our will. I think that’s what really endeared him to me, and honestly, this street seems to go both ways. He has had a much harder life than I realized, and I think that he also sometimes wishes that he were on Earth." #correspondence #fishquotes
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6
Citrus ShieldThis is literally the center of the country. Right under this spot, a woman called The Concierge runs a large facility called The Constant. Time travelers can come here when they need aid, direction, or just a rest. Dave…needs clothes. Hopefully, she'll let him in. #CitrusShield
Nick Fisherman LingersWe go our separate ways, and start looking for a pre-existing shelter. "Gather firewood!" I shout to him. We might as well feed two birds with one worm while we're at it. I go halfway around a circle, but don't find any safe place to get out of the elements. #NickFishermanLingers
Hurtful Stuff"Wherever you go, there you are" has such meaning, and it's not meaningless. Nor is it devoid of meaning, or holds no meaning. It's so full of meaning, and it's meaningful. It means a lot to me, because of what it means, which is not that it means nothing; it means something.
Story Quote"A small group of brave people during the toxic buildup dedicated their lives to preserving humanity’s knowledge. Some regions have information that others don’t, but only due to oversights and lapses, not a concerted effort to hide the truth from us." #correspondence #fishquotes
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7
Citrus ShieldDave runs into the tiny chapel that is secretly also an elevator to The Constant. "Hello? Dave Seidel, requesting respite." There is no set protocol, not even a doorbell. But she knows he's here, and she'll either answer, or she won't. "I really just need clothes." #CitrusShield
Nick Fisherman LingersIt looks like Dutch is erring on the side of caution, and hasn't gone around his half of the circle quite as fast, so I just keep going to meet off-center. In the spot where we do run into each other is exactly what we were looking for. It's a scary cave. #NickFishermanLingers
“Joke”My neighbor's smoke alarm has been going off for the last six years, and not gonna lie, it's starting to get on my nerves.
Story Quote"You’re my brother, which makes it awkward, but we also don’t know each other very well yet, so that makes it awkward in a different way. I’ll spare you the details no matter what, but please let me know if you would rather not hear about it at all." #correspondence #fishquotes
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8
Citrus ShieldIn the back corner is a shelf that contains a comment box for visitors. It magically rotates to the left into another dimension to be replaced by an identical shelf, except that this one has a set of clothes on it, as requested. "Okay, thanks!" He takes the clothes. #CitrusShield
Nick Fisherman Lingers"You had a thing about spiders," Dutch points out. // "I still do. Even when I was immortal, I did not like them." // "It's all we have." // "Yeah," I agree. "Survival is everything right now." I drop my collection of firewood. "Let's make some friction." #NickFishermanLingers
“Joke”Last year, I was going to make a KIND OF offensive joke here, but I had to push it back a year. Then I come to realize that it shouldn't be done on a Saturday, so I tried to push it to 2026. But THAT..is a Sunday! So just forget it. You'll have to cancel me for something else!
Story Quote"Slightly higher, a boy is hanging onto the central column, holding on with one hand and two feet, like a monkey. His other hand shields his eyes from the sun. He’s searching for something in the opposite direction of who Selma imagines to be his sister." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 9
Citrus Shield"How much do I owe ya?" Dave jokes once he's done dressing. No response. He hasn't been invited down, and he probably won't be if clothes are his only problem. But they're not, are they? "I need to get a citrus to the future. Any ideas?" The elevator begins to move. #CitrusShield
Nick Fisherman Lingers"Do you know how to make a fire without matches or a lighter?" Dutch asks. // "Cricket and Claire taught me a thing or two. But understanding the mechanics of starting a friction fire is not the same as accomplishing it. I've never actually done it before." #NickFishermanLingers
Response ContestI'm offering a reward of $75,000 to anyone who can prove to me that clouds exist within the next 30 seconds. That's 30 seconds from the moment that this tweet is posted; not from whenever you happen to see it. I'm waiting…
Story Quote"She spent most of the time taking the slingdrive apart, and putting it back together, as if the task alone was enough to provide her with answers. She didn’t even really seem to examine the parts, or anything. She only needed to go through the motions." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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10
Citrus ShieldDave takes the five-kilometer trip down to the Constant in the elevator. There's a way to allow him to just skip all of this waiting, and teleport to the bottom, but the Concierge sets limits. He has never met her, but she has her rules. Finally, he makes it there. #CitrusShield
Nick Fisherman Lingers"Go find a sinewy thing, like the drawstring of a pair of sweatpants, or maybe a vine. We'll be trying several things before something finally works." // "Unless we die first," Dutch points out enthusiastically. // "That's right," I say, matching his energy. #NickFishermanLingers
Random NothingWhen the name Carolina was invented, it went a little somethin' like this: "Caroline, uhh…what was I gonna say? Oh yeah, I hate your name. It doesn't have enough syllables." I'm creative. This is a creative little anecdote I came up with. Can I be a famous author now? Pleeeease!
Story Quote"Others are running low. The funny thing is, as helpful as it is to the Australian dome for us to take those people, it’s actually good for us too, because that is what we need. We want to establish our own nation, and to do that, we need citizens." #correspondence #fishquotes
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11
Citrus Shield"Chauffeur," she says with a nod when the doors open. // "Concierge," he replies. // "Let me guess, you're mixed up with a man who calls himself Buddha." // "We just call him Buddy," Dave clarifies. // "Right. Well, as you know, transporting citrus is impossible." #CitrusShield
Nick Fisherman LingersI start to organize the sticks that we collectively collected, by size. While I'm at it, I look for one that we can use for a bow drill. I'm not sure exactly which kind will work best. I suppose my only choice is to use my instincts, and hope for the best. #NickFishermanLingers
NanostoryI once met Evelyn Waugh, but I never met Evelyn Waugh.
Story Quote"I won’t even get into population control mandates, but the only things keeping us from bursting at the seams are the people who do the transportation jobs like we used to have, and those building new settlements, or expanding preexisting habitats." #correspondence #fishquotes
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12
Citrus Shield"That's what I told him," he agrees. "But I have to find a way. This facility is, like, 2,000 years old. It's not constantly full. Haven't you ever had time to wonder why citrus explodes when it hits the time vortex, or whatever?" // "Well…no. I've not." she says. #CitrusShield
Nick Fisherman LingersEverything's frozen here, and there are no vines. At least none that holds up to Dutch's stress test. We need this fire as soon as possible, and it's going to take us forever just to make our first sparks. We take off our shoelaces to use those for the cord. #NickFishermanLingers
NanostoryDark matter isn't actually dark; it's white. It's produced in black holes and neutron stars when the galaxy breaks down non-baryonic particles during low hydrogen levels, such as during exercise. We should really be calling it galactic acid.
Story Quote"It’s really gross, but this is where pretty much all of our human waste goes. We used to use some of it for radiation shielding in our habitats, but we almost exclusively use a special fungus for that instead now, though that does feed on our waste." #correspondence #fishquotes
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13
Citrus Shield"Look," the Concierge goes on, "I let you down here to give you some advice. Give up. Whatever he has over you, let it go." // "He has my daughter," Dave interrupts. They both go silent before he continues. "I have to get him his damn fruit. I don't have a choice." #CitrusShield
Nick Fisherman LingersI tie our shoelaces to each other, and then I pick up the stick that I chose to use for the bow drill, and then I turn the stick around, and look at it at different angles. And then I look over at Dutch. "Yeah, I have no idea what the fuck I'm doing, sorry." #NickFishermanLingers
NanostoryI'm trying this new weight loss regimen. You can eat whatever you want during a period of eight hours, and you can sleep for eight hours. For the other eight hours in the day, you literally have to run the entire time.
Story Quote"I know that it’s kind of an odd request, but if we aren’t odd, then what are we, right? I feel like I’m doing my rambling thing again, but worse than usual, so I think I’m gonna call it a night. You can disregard everything I’ve said in this letter." #correspondence #fishquotes
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14
Citrus ShieldThe Concierge sighs, saddened by Dave's explanation. "I can't take sides. It's not part of the deal," she laments. "So you didn't hear it from me…" // "Yeah?" Dave asks. "Go on." // All I'll say is mu-metal." // "Mu-metal?" // "Mu-metal," she repeats cryptically. #CitrusShield
Nick Fisherman Lingers"Can you make fire without a bow drill?" Dutch asks. // "Absolutely!" I say enthusiastically. "But not before we freeze to death." // "I keep bumping up against that too." // "Luckily, the attempt to make fire alone will warm us up." // "Let's get on it!" #NickFishermanLingers
“Joke”I saw two really old people full-on making out in the park yesterday, and I said, "gross! Those two are Nazis." They were also Nazis, I forgot to say that part.
Story Quote"Had things gone more smoothly here—had Condor and I lived more stable lives—the insights taken from this research could have helped humanity better understand how humans adapt and survive in the black. Space travel will only increase in the future." #correspondence #fishquotes
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15
Citrus ShieldDave looks back at the elevator. "Can you lift the teleportation blocker?" // "Just for egress," she agrees. "You can stay for a night, but once you leave, I won't let you back down." // "Thanks for your help, ma'am." // "Danica," she says just before he disappears. #CitrusShield
Nick Fisherman LingersEven without my jacket and the parka, I'm still wearing three layers on top. I remove my t-shirt, and give it to Dutch for added protection, claiming that I need better maneuverability, but really, it's just that this is all my fault…and my responsibility. #NickFishermanLingers
“Joke”Big news: I just found religion. It was in the back of the pantry. I had to throw it out. It went bad years ago.
Story Quote"They were forced to negotiate in the Rock Meetings. The sparks of conflict never ignited the flames of war, but Ingrid never managed to wrest control over a whole universe either. That certainly would have been nice to see written in the history books." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 16
Citrus ShieldIt's the year 2077, yet good old-fashioned brick and mortar libraries still exist. They have a lot more computers and 3D printers than they used to, but the dusty books are still in the stacks. "Mu-metal," Dave says under his breath. "What is that?" // "An alloy." #CitrusShield
Nick Fisherman LingersI don't have a knife to cut a notch in the wood that I'm rubbing the stick against to start a fire, but there are plenty of rocks around. I begin to dig into the plank, struggling to pull out the splinters with my numb fingers. Well. This will have to do. #NickFishermanLingers
NanostoryWhen I poop, I just sit there and poop. I don't do anything else. Just two or three hours of pooping, and staring at the wall in front of me. I'm thinking of installing a fun house mirror to make it a more interesting experience.
Story Quote"Romana took off her jacket, and plopped it over the back of a chair as she was walking towards a wall. The door of a standing pod slid open on its own, and she stepped up into it as she spun around 540 degrees like a ballerina. She smiled at her father." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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17
Citrus ShieldA youngish woman is standing near the book drop-off slot, holding her arms behind her back. She has a sticker on her chest with an image of an owl reading a book. Above it is her name, Rochelle, and below the owl is the word VOLUNTEER. // "What was that?" Dave asks. #CitrusShield
Nick Fisherman LingersI place the stick between my hands, and start to spin it back and forth. I have to press down hard, which causes my hands to slide down, which means I have to stop every couple of seconds to go back up to start at the top again. There has to be a better way. #NickFishermanLingers
Fake ConversationMe: "I always feel fatter on Tuesdays and Thursday. I don't understand why. It's so consistent." // My mother: "Well, do you do anything different on those days, maybe a different diet?" // Me: "No, nothing's different at all. I just consistently wear a different pair of pants."
Story Quote"I’ve attached my first draft of the letter so you can tell me what you think about it—maybe proofread it, and scribble in some notes in the margins. Don’t show it to anyone yet, send it back, and then I’ll make my final decision. I’m still not sure." #correspondence #fishquotes
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18
Citrus Shield"Mu-metal," Rochelle repeats. "It's an alloy. That's all I remember about it from school, and that it has cool properties, but I don't remember what they are." // "Do you think I could ever maybe…buy a box made out of the stuff?" // She shrugs. "Let's go check." #CitrusShield
Nick Fisherman LingersWe have two people here. What I need is for Dutch to hold onto the top of the spinny stick with a rock or something, and keep it from falling down. My hands might still slip, but at least I can let go, and it will be waiting for me once I regain my position. #NickFishermanLingers
Fake ConversationMinister: "And you? Would you like to share how you've seen God work in mysterious ways?" // Fourteen-Year-Old Me: "Yes. Uh…yeah, hi, yeah, I used to be mad at him for giving me allergies, but it turned out to be a great excuse for why there are so many tissues in my trashcan."
Story Quote"My suggestions are very minor, so it’s up to you whether to accept them. That also goes for whether to even send it or not. I won’t cloud your decision any further. It’s not like people will be mad at me if you decline. Both worlds will keep turning." #correspondence #fishquotes
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19
Citrus ShieldRochelle leads him over to a computer that's kind of in a secluded area. It's not hidden, but no one else is around. "I'm going to need to see your ID." // He doesn't have any to speak of, and doesn't really belong here. // "I'm kidding, Mr. Seidel." // "Wait, huh?" #CitrusShield
Nick Fisherman Lingers"The beach!" Dutch exclaims. "There must be a rock over there that's how we need it. Wouldn't you think rocks that lived their lives underwater would be better to hold a stick down?" // I shrug. I really should have paid more attention to Cricket's lessons. #NickFishermanLingers
NanostoryI was kicked out of my women's studies class in college. They didn't want us to learn all their secrets back then. I mean, they still don't, but now they know how to have secret classes just for them too. Was this meant to be funny, Past!Nick?
Story Quote"In the past, a fair market encouraged healthy competition—which ideally makes things better for consumers—but certain legislative changes led to loopholes in regulatory oversight. They weren’t competing anymore, they were fighting. They were killing." #correspondence #fishquotes
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20
Citrus Shield"It's stitched on your shirt," Rochelle explains. // Dave looks down. He's wearing a white tunic and white pants, both with blue trim. The Concierge provided them. He didn't look closely. He is now. "Why the hell did she do that?" // "Who? The Concierge?" // "WHAT?" #CitrusShield
Nick Fisherman LingersDutch runs off to find a rock. I keep trying to spark a flame, confident that it will never work. He comes back and asks me to close my eyes. I comply, because I'm exhausted. Before he can tell me to open them again, I can hear, and feel the heat of, a fire. #NickFishermanLingers
Random Nothing. @ZacharyLevi are you coming to the toga party? Don't bother answering. I'm sure you're at a Nazi rally, or a lynching, or whatever disgusting things you King Dumpster worshipers do. I wrote the original referential "joke" before I knew the real you. You can go kick rocks.
Story Quote"Thinking on it now, though, maybe there was something between them. Maybe she was never a babysitter at all, but a girlfriend. They didn’t tell me her last name, so I can’t look her up, and I’m afraid to ask. I have never otherwise known him to date." #correspondence #fishquotes
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21
Citrus ShieldShe smirks. "You think you're the first time traveler to stroll in here wearing standard dress of guests who stay in The Constant?" // "Are you one of us?" // She shakes her head. "No, but I knew one when I was a kid. It intrigued me. I started looking for others." #CitrusShield
Nick Fisherman Lingers"How did you do that?" I ask, watching the fire grow larger. // Dutch presents a silver lighter. "I'm guessing that Leonard left it behind? He doesn't want us to die out here." // "No, and he would have broken the rules. We can never tell anyone." "Agreed." #NickFishermanLingers
Fake ConversationMe: "What the hell is this? I didn't ask for this." // My dumb assistant: "Yes, you did. You said, 'get me a Coca Cola from Florida.'" // Me: "No, I said get me Pensacola. Pensacola, Florida. You were supposed to buy the whole city for me. Now Elon's gonna get his bid in first."
Story Quote"You were telling me about how you used to get sick as a child. Could you give me more details about what your signs and symptoms were? Could you, maybe…ask your father about it too? I don’t want to be pushy, but I think we need to know the truth." #correspondence #fishquotes
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22
Citrus ShieldIt's kinda true that, once you know about time travel, you start noticing the clues. You see people who look just a little out of place. People come out of restrooms who never went in. Still, it's quite the coincidence that Dave should walk into Rochelle's library. #CitrusShield
Nick Fisherman LingersWe watch the fire for a bit, appreciating the warmth more than ever before, and adding wood to it as necessary to make it grow. But what we really need is water. "What now, boss?" Dutch asks. // "Dig a hole, fill it up." // "With what?" // "Bark," I answer." #NickFishermanLingers
NanostoryI don't only have a muffin top, but also a muffin bottom. I woke up the other day to find my legs fused together, with these weird ridges going all the way down them. I don't know what they are, but now I wake up every day wrapped in really thin paper. I taste like chocolate.
Story Quote"Someone—it’s unclear who; perhaps Hogarth herself—replicated this ability in everyone. Now they all respawn. It’s relatively rare, because they’re kind of living in a utopia, so it’s not like people are dropping like flies, but it’s a nice contingency." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 23
Citrus Shield"I can see that you're worried," Rochelle says. "I think it was one of your seers who told me to volunteer at this library. I suppose I'm here to help you. So let's get working on figuring out what mu-metal is. What do you need it for?" // "As shielding," Dave says. #CitrusShield
Nick Fisherman LingersDutch actually did find a rock on the shore, so he uses it to scrape and peel bark off from the skinny white trees that are all around. I'm using my stick to dig a hole. The ground is frozen, so it's not easy, but that lighter has saved us a ton of energy. #NickFishermanLingers
NanostoryI was going to make a joke about Sydney Sweeney being my new CIA handler, but I don't really hear about her anymore. It seems that she's left the zeitgeist. Or maybe it has something to do with the fact that I hide from all news these days because it is INCREDIBLY DEPRESSING.
Story Quote"He argued that everyone was entitled to at least a little privacy. The team didn’t have many opportunities while spending nearly every day together, so they had to find small corners or moments which belonged only to them. The two of them found theirs." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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24
Citrus Shield"Shielding for what?" Rochelle asks. // "A citrus. A guy wants me to bring one to him in the future." // "Why would you need shielding for that?" // "Wull…it will explode without it." // She looks at him quizzically for a moment. "We're talking about fruit, right?" #CitrusShield
Nick Fisherman LingersI finish digging the hole, and Dutch lines it with bark. It should keep the water from leaking down, and soaking into the soil. We've heated these stones, which we'll use to boil the water. "Wait! How do we get the water into the hole?" // "Ah, crap!" I cry. #NickFishermanLingers
Random NothingI'm working on a new documentary called "Supre Me". It's where I eat pizza every day for a month, and see what happens. The rule is if they ask if I want them to supre it, I have to say yes. And if they ask me to get high, I have to headbutt them. Another dumb joke. Sorry, folks.
Story Quote"Whenever I was showing signs of my illness again, she slipped me medicine—often hidden in the chicken noodle soup—and then I got better. She had no clue that it was hereditary, however, I’m still mad, because he should have said something recently." #correspondence #fishquotes
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25
Citrus Shield"Yes, it's a rule," he begins to explain. "Citrus can't experience nonlinear time. No one understands why, and no one has ever found an exception." // She breathes deeply. "Well, all right then. Let's find a mu-metal box to protect it from such a sticky situation." #CitrusShield
Nick Fisherman LingersWe built the fire here so it's close to the shelter. We dug the boiling pit near the fire so we won't have to roll the hot stones too far. But we have no receptacles to transport the water from the lake, or we wouldn't have needed the pit in the first place! #NickFishermanLingers
Language JokeNew York? More like New DORK? Am I RIGHT, LA? No? Wow, tough crowd. Crickets. Not to brag—swear to God—but I told that joke IN New York, and it did NOT go over well. Sooo, THAT'S a thing! But seriously, I love NYC, they're great…NOT! Thanks, that's my time! Tip your waitresses!
Story Quote"Many of the older people here who left connections behind have found those connections since severed, due to death or outdated information, probably because of the collapse of society. They appreciate hearing from someone, even if it’s not all great." #correspondence #fishquotes
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26
Citrus ShieldRochelle finds out for Dave that there might be a reason why Buddy sent him to this time period. He must know mu-metal's potential. They're practically giving it away in Geneva. Not that it matters much, it would be accessible any time in the last several decades. #CitrusShield
Nick Fisherman Lingers"It's okay, I have something," Dutch claims when I get upset. He runs back into the woods, and returns with more bark, but it's in a pretty long sheet, and when he folds it just so, it's shaped like a bowl. You have to hold it together, but it should work. #NickFishermanLingers
Fake ConversationMe: *publishes a book* *gets famous* // Girl who rejected me in high school: "It's nice to see you. We should have a drink, and catch up." // Me: "You can look me up on Wikipedia, and I don't care what you've been up to."
Story Quote"Have they done studies on it? Do space colonists have weakened immune systems because they’re not exposed to random environmental foreign contaminants, or whatever? Perhaps someone should be comparing twins for this instead of behavioral differences." #correspondence #fishquotes
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27
Citrus ShieldA local vendor is selling mu-metal boxes. Dave doesn't need anything fancy, but he reckons it ought to be thick. This is only a test to see if there's any merit to the Concierge's suggestion that it may be able to transport citrus. Rochelle orders a drone delivery. #CitrusShield
Nick Fisherman LingersI carefully hold onto the bowled up bark and dip it into the lake. It's not enough to fill the pit on its own, especially not since I do drop some, but it only takes a few trips back and forth. We roll the hot rocks into the water and start it boiling. Whew. #NickFishermanLingers
“Joke”I've had this book since the 1970s, which is weird, because it was written in 1982, and I was born in 1987.
Story Quote"We have garment fabricators like you here, but it was a change for me, wearing new clothes. In the past, when we needed replacements, we had to trade for them at whatever market we came across, or even scavenge them from the ruins of the old world." #correspondence #fishquotes
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28
Citrus ShieldA few hours later, the mu-metal box has arrived at the library. Dave is about to leave with it when Rochelle stops him. "I paid for that." // "Yeah, I know where you are," he says. "I'll find a way to pay you back." // "You can do it right now. Take me with you." #CitrusShield
Nick Fisherman LingersThe pit is pretty big, so it takes a few minutes to stone boil it, but it gets there. As soon as we see bubbles, Dutch rolls them back out, we wait for it to cool down, and then we drink. The water is dirty, but it's the best I have ever tasted in my life. #NickFishermanLingers
“Joke”I'm a terrible liar. I couldn't lie my way out of a paper bag. I would probably do something stupid, like rip it.
Story Quote"I bet they were indeed studying the physiological differences between us, living in vastly different environments, or at least they were trying to. We’ve mentioned that it makes little sense, trying to study anything in fraternal twins, but whatever." #correspondence #fishquotes
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29
Citrus ShieldHe's used to time travel being a form of payment in his world, so her request isn't out of left field. "All right. But I have touch you." // "Yeah, I get it," she agrees. // He takes hold of her shoulders, and teleports them both to California. It's a citrus farm. #CitrusShield
Nick Fisherman LingersNow that we're not going to die of thirst—or from some waterborne pathogen from raw water—we can pack it in for the night. We sadly put out the fire, crawl into the shallow cave in the rock wall, and try not to think about the spiders that are lurking there. #NickFishermanLingers
Fake ConversationMe: "Don't tell me what to do." // My CIA handler: "Don't tell me what to do." // Me: "I didn't tell you what to do. YOU told ME what to do. How did I tell YOU what to do?" // My CIA handler: "You told me what to do too when you told me not to tell you what to do."
Story Quote"The tree laughs again at the dumb children. 'Is that the point of life? To be controlled?' He reaches up to swipe the scene away entirely, flinging the view across the lands—out of the pocket where the garden once stood—somewhere away from its borders." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 30
Citrus ShieldDave picks the Buddha's hand citron that's nearest to him, throws it in the box, and teleports about five meters away from Rochelle. He takes a deep breath before opening it to find that it has exploded, just as these things tend to do. // "Try again," she suggests. #CitrusShield
Nick Fisherman LingersIn the morning, we wake up, and do it all again. There's no way to carry the water with us, so we drink up as much as possible. When we're ready, we circumnavigate the lake, and retrace our steps. I think we get little off track, but we make it back to base. #NickFishermanLingers
Random NothingI wore a cummerbund at my wedding. My fiancée did not. When she walked up on stage, so graceful and gorgeous, I shouted at her, "how many cummerbunds are YOU holding right now? Zero! It's one bund to none, son! Tell 'em, Kevin [my best man]". She left me at the altar. #worthit
Story Quote"He put an arm around her shoulders, and used his other hand to control her interface. A video popped up. 'Hi. I’m a virtual avatar, presenting in the form of my creator, Ramses Abdulrashid. Let me show you how your new EmergentSuit works!' He muted it." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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31
Citrus ShieldHe shakes his head. "It's not gonna work. I don't understand why the Concierge would lead me astray." // "Are you The Chauffeur?" comes a voice from behind him. // "Who are you?" he asks. // "You bought one of my boxes? I'm Jesimula Utkin. But you can call me Mu." #CitrusShield
Nick Fisherman Lingers"How did you fare?" Vin asks. "Did you make a friction fire?" // I'm about to lie, but I chicken out. I toss the lighter to Leonard. "Sorry. We couldn't do it." // Vin smiles. "The archivetweet's mine. You passed the honesty test. Now let's start your training." #NickFishermanLingers
Fake ConversationMe: "Hi, I'm Nick. What's your name." // Girl at mixer: "It's…" *sighs* "It's Fynnefuf." // Me: "Oh my God." // Fynnefuf: "Yeah, I know…" // Me: "That's such a great name, I love it."
Story Quote"I’m mostly there in a supervisory role. The machines aren’t hard to operate, but rather than training everyone who needs clothes, they only worry about making sure that I know them, and I make sure that nothing gets screwed up. It’s pretty low-key." #correspondence #fishquotes
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| April | ||||||
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| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 1
Citrus Bubble"Mu?" Dave questions. "Your name is Mu, and you sell mu-metal boxes?" // "It's just a side hustle," Jesi explains. "Kind of a joke, really." // "How did you find us here?" Rochelle asks her. // "My friend, Ophir can find anyone—anywhere, anywhen—and send me to 'em." #CitrusBubble
Nick Fisherman LosesI've been training for six months. I've learned everything from covert operations to hand-to-hand combat, to firearms. I'm actually not a bad fighter, though I lacked strength and speed. That's what they've been focusing more on than usual; strength training. #NickFishermanLoses
NanostorySomeone screwed up when they were repaving our parking lot, which led them to jackhammering both entrances at the same time. We've been trapped here for days. It's a highly secured building, so it's all fenced off. Please send more anchovies, and black licorice, if you have it.
Story Quote"He used the code for new trade opportunities. He really shouldn’t be looking for those since we’re preoccupied with Australia at the moment, and it wouldn’t make any sense for him to fly all the way to Eastern Seaboard, U.S.A. while we’re down under." #correspondence #fishquotes
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2
Citrus Bubble"You're a time traveler?" Rochelle presses. "Or do you just know them, like me?" // "I make bubbles," Jesimula replies, squinting at her. "Do you know Dalton Hawk?" // Rochelle is very surprised. "Uh, he was my first. I mean—I don't mean…" // "I get what you mean." #CitrusBubble
Nick Fisherman LosesYes, it sounds like I've been training to be a super secret agent, but not exactly. The bosses knew that my personality will just never lend itself to spycraft. I can learn the physical stuff, but I can't pretend to be anyone else. I can't…manipulate people." #NickFishermanLoses
Joke, Guys. Guys, It's a JokeAbout half of @taylorswift13's songs are garbagio, and the other half are ALSO garbagio. Fight me. Literally. I wanna feel ALIVE!
Story Quote"I don’t know what I would have done if I lived in the kind of world that I read about in some of the classics. The tales are fascinating, but they take place in mundane settings. If you were privileged, you got an education, and pursued your dreams." #correspondence #fishquotes
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3
Citrus Bubble"In another timeline, we had our eye on Dalton," Jesi begins to explain. "We thought he may have had some much-needed perspective for a project that we were working on, having lived multiple timelines. We ended up not needing him, but I remember reading his file." #CitrusBubble
Nick Fisherman LosesToday is a big deal, though I could not tell you exactly why it's so important. I graduated from the academy last week. Now they're apparently going to explain what I've been training for, and show me how this world is less boring than I initially believed. #NickFishermanLoses
“Joke”The rest of the world is quantifiably more empathetic than we are in this country. Anywhere else, they only expect you to walk 0.6213711922373 miles in someone else's shoes.
Story Quote"I know he’ll have already left, but remember to tell dad to be careful. I’m sure you always say something to that effect, but a lot has changed since he last saw your neighbor. He could be dangerous, even if he had nothing to do with our separation." #correspondence #fishquotes
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4
Citrus Bubble"Hm," Rochelle says. "What did you mean, you make bubbles?" // "Time bubbles," Jesi begins to clarify. "I can slide backwards or forwards at different rates of subjective time. I also fool around a bit with entropy." // Dave's ears perk up. "Entropy. Are you sure?" #CitrusBubble
Nick Fisherman LosesI've not seen Nimue or Mazin in a long time. They had to go through some training too, but since they already had military and security backgrounds, we were on entirely different tracks. Leonard was too, but I run into him more. We are all here together now. #NickFishermanLoses
NanostoryAs I always say, happy life, happy wife, because my happiness is all that matters, and she's only here to serve me. I told this joke to Gemini, and it took offense. If it offends you too, I'll tell you what I told it, which is YOU'RE JUST A COMPUTER PROGRAM, YOU'RE NOT REAL!
Story Quote"To crouch there on the edge of the colorful garden, smiling up at the sun. We don’t have a sun here, so I suppose just about anything outdoors would be amazing. I do yoga too, so I’m flexible, and don’t have any problem being on my hands and knees." #correspondence #fishquotes
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5
Citrus Bubble"Yeah," Jesi says. "I can heal people. Or rather UNwound them." // "That's why the Concierge led me to you," Dave decides. // "That ol' broad? How's muh girl doin'?" Jesi jokes. // "She's hoping I figure this out. Do you think you can get a citrus to the future?" #CitrusBubble
Nick Fisherman LosesVin walks in, Dutch in tow. Dutch didn't last long with his field training, and ended up pivoting to the analyst track instead. He's holding a tablet, and focusing on it, but is still able to navigate the steps and hallways, and properly greet the rest of us. #NickFishermanLoses
Random NothingI think it's time to elect a 35-year-old president. No, I'm not talking about myself. It's too late for me, I'm 37. We need some young blood up in this piece. Enough of these fogies. I don't know why I wrote this. It's not a good joke, and it's not topical. Whatever. Let it ride.
Story Quote"Storm considers the options. They could go through with this and risk the timeline, as well as their own lives, or they could cut their losses, and leave the magnolia in the past. This won’t be an easy decision, so she decides to not make it right away." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 6
Citrus BubbleJesi looks around at the Buddha's hand citron. "Oh, is THAT what you're trying to do?" // "Have YOU ever tried it?" Dave poses. // "No, never," she admits. "Someone told me the rule when I was a kid, and I never gave it much thought. I might as well, though, huh?" #CitrusBubble
Nick Fisherman Loses"Thank you all for coming," Vin says. "It's time you all know the truth about how the world works." // "What is it?" I ask. "Aliens? Robots? Robot aliens? Invaders from the future? The past? Another dimension?" // "Bingo!" Dutch says. // "Really?" I question. #NickFishermanLoses
Fake Conversation"You're so full of yourself!" my Promised One accused. // "No, I'm not!" I contended. // "Yeah, you are," she insisted. // "You're right, I am," I conceited.
Story Quote"There was a lull in the conversation. No one knew if they were going to leave this very moment, or after saying their goodbyes to everyone here, or even this year. Leona was still worried about her right to be the leader, so she couldn’t just order it." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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7
Citrus BubbleJesi pulls one of the citrons off the stem, and inspects it. "This is a weird-lookin' one." // "Buddy like what he likes," Dave says. // "Yeah," Jesi agrees, though she doesn't know him. "Okay. See ya later!" It looks like she's about to time travel away. // "Wait!" #CitrusBubble
Nick Fisherman LosesWe've been standing in a stone room, unlike anything else on this secret partially underground base at location: unknown. Everywhere else is modern, leading me to believe that this is some ancient enclave that predates the paramilitary outfit that uses it now. #NickFishermanLoses
Random NothingThe coconut is not a true nut, it's a water.
Story Quote"Those photos you sent him, woof. I told you the first one was too revealing, but that’s how you’re built, and I don’t wanna body-shame you. But I can’t believe you sent him the one of you doing yoga too. Why did you even take that in the first place?" #correspondence #fishquotes
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8
Citrus Bubble"Oh, did you wanna come with?" Jesi asks jokingly. // "It's my responsibility," Dave explains. "If I'm not the one who presents Buddy with his prize, he doesn't bring my daughter back to life." // She suddenly becomes serious. "You're doing this for your daughter?" #CitrusBubble
Nick Fisherman LosesI've been in this area before, mostly because it's the fastest way to get from the shooting range to the cafeteria, so it's not like it's forbidden territory, but I've never seen anything special happening here. Other people seem to use it as a shortcut too. #NickFishermanLoses
Random NothingI'm going to put another Madison Square Garden next to the original Madison Square Garden, and let people finally say Madison Square Gardens if they want without being ridiculed by New York City snobs.
Story Quote"He seemed to have mixed feelings about seeing me again, like he was happy, but also pretty worried. In my head, I thought for sure this was the guy. He knew something. He was part of it. He was Condor’s secret observer. As it turns out, not exactly." #correspondence #fishquotes
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9
Citrus Bubble"You have a soft spot for people's kids?" Dave asks. "Does it hit close to home?" // "Of course I have a soft spot for kids, I'm not a monster," she replies. "As cavalier as I am about people and their lives, children are innocent. I'll do what I can to save yours." #CitrusBubble
Nick Fisherman Loses"Open 'er up," Vin commands. // Dutch taps his screen once. The wall next to them shutters, and starts sliding towards them, releasing dust from the seams. This hidden door moves all the way over to the right, revealing a large, dark passageway. // "Go on in." #NickFishermanLoses
Fake ConversationPeople are always, like, "lol, I'm snooping. I'm snoopy. Sorry, I get curious when I'm in other people's houses." And I'm always, like, "that's my safe, and you're using high-grade safe-cracking equipment." And so they're all, "this isn't where you keep your extra toilet paper?"
Story Quote"It was an excuse she came up with for why she wasn’t demanding much money to care for me. She didn’t need money, she just needed to get into that apartment, though obviously it would have been quite suspicious had she agreed to do it entirely free." #correspondence #fishquotes
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10
Citrus Bubble"Come on, come on," Jesi urges, in a quiet and reassuring voice, her hand beckoning him towards her hip. // Dave steps closer so her time bubble doesn't have to be too big, but they don't touch. // "What about that one o'er there?" Jesi jerks her chin at Rochelle. #CitrusBubble
Nick Fisherman Loses"It goes to another dimension?" I question, leaning towards the tunnel opening, but not stepping closer to it. // "You tell us," Vin says. "It sounds like you know more about this stuff than we do. This is why we were watching you, and why we recruited you." #NickFishermanLoses
Fake ConversationMy girlfriend: "Are you nervous to meet my parents after all these years?" // Me: "No, parents love me." // Girlfriend: "They do?" // Me: "Well…MY parents do." // Girlfriend: "But do they?" // Me: *sighs* "No." // Girlfriend: "Neither do I." // Me: *sighs again* "Neither do I."
Story Quote"We have so much in common despite our vastly different upbringings and environments. I don’t know how we could possibly have a real relationship given our restrictions, but I don’t think that’s reason enough not to try. I think the opposite is true." #correspondence #fishquotes
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11
Citrus Bubble"If there's room," Rochelle begins, "I would love to go with you." // Jesi is the type of person who makes decisions quickly, and often decides to withhold or delay information from others for strategic purposes, or her own amusement. "Oh, okay, I guess," she jokes. #CitrusBubble
Nick Fisherman Loses"Is this gonna kill me?" I press. I don't expect Vin to answer honestly if this is indeed a trap, but it's logical to ask. I'm not exceptional at reading people, but all humans have some capacity for deception detection, and it doesn't work if you don't try. #NickFishermanLoses
NanostoryI wanted a raise at work, so I asked my friend, who's a recruiter at our main competitor, to email me a "leverage offer" so I could show my boss what I'm worth. But that fake offer was so good that I was able to leverage it into a real job at the other company. I start on Monday.
Story Quote"We hope that the Valkyries will fly off into the void, and leave us alone forever, but if not, don’t forget that we’re thinking of you. And hey, maybe they’ll have that breakthrough in FTL communications, and the Valkyries won’t be able to block it." #correspondence #fishquotes
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12
Citrus BubbleRochelle walks over into the inner circle. With hardly any effort, Jesi waves her hand, and forms a bubble around the three of them. It has a mostly pinkish hue, but it shifts to and from various shades. This is interesting because most time bubbles are colorless. #CitrusBubble
Nick Fisherman LosesVin scoffs. "If I were gonna kill ya, I'd have done it a long time ago. You know how much it costs to train just one of you brandlings?" That's what new recruits are called, unless they already have some decent experience. Nimue and Mazin came in as joiners. #NickFishermanLoses
NanostoryI met Jesus once. I asked him to build me a school, and he tried to literally cut corners, and pocket the extra money. I forgave him, though…like Jesus would if he had been in my shoes.
Story Quote"When the enemy comes, Ayata and Andrei hold them off while Ingrid and Killjlir go for the red fruit. Ayata and Andrei lose, but don’t die. The attackers plant their bomb, and bug out. That hopefully leaves enough time for the five of them to escape too." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 13
Citrus BubbleShe seems to be reading Dave's mind. "I paid extra for the pink coloring." // "You paid for it? You weren't born with this power?" // Jesi smirks. "I wasn't born…I was made. And it was for that reason that I was able to make aftermarket changes later on in life." #CitrusBubble
Nick Fisherman Loses"Very well, then." I make eye contact with everyone, then step over the threshold, into the dark, scary tunnel. I am immediately overcome by a sense of power, surging through my body. I feel strong, healthy, more at ease. I've not felt this good for a while. #NickFishermanLoses
Random NothingHe's a either a flipper, or a flopper. I can't decide which one describes him best.
Story Quote"Dark particles wafted up from the sand, forming themselves into a blob, which assembled into a humanoid figure. It developed approximations of human facial features, but only as creases and pits. It was a great example of body-horror. Its mouth moved." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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14
Citrus BubbleDave stops to think. His whole reason for being is that he can transport regular people who don't have powers. He doesn't interact with other time travelers all that much, and had no idea that there were others like him, who were turned, not born. What does it mean? #CitrusBubble
Nick Fisherman LosesI look down at my hands. The bruises from my boxing training are gone. The aches in my knees from the three miles that I had to run this morning, in addition to the three miles I have to run every day for months…that's all gone too. My immortality, it's back. #NickFishermanLoses
“Joke”My superhero story is so twisted, it makes The Boys look like Captain Underpants.
Story Quote"While we’ll never meet in person—and we may soon be separated by time as well as space—I think our correspondences will be worth it. Please understand, however, that as Corinthia said, you deserve happiness. If you meet someone else, don’t hesitate." #correspondence #fishquotes
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15
Citrus Bubble"Are we gonna go, or what?" // "Huh? Oh yeah, sorry." Dave holds up the Buddha's hand citron that they'll be using for this test. "Do it." // Jesi pantomimes pushing forwards. The trees around them rustle faster than usual. Day turns to night. The fruit explodes. #CitrusBubble
Nick Fisherman LosesI turn around to smile at my friends, but they're gone. All I see is a stone wall. I don't know if it's a hologram, some other illusion, or if I've been transported somewhere. I'm having trouble worrying about it. I once again can't die. This is the real me. #NickFishermanLoses
Random NothingEven if cheese could some how turn back into the water buffalo—which it can't, because the animal isn't MADE OUT OF cheese—it should theoretically turn into a lady cow, since they are at least the ones who produce milk. I know that this means nothing now, but it will in a year.
Story Quote"Now that my job is kind of cushy and breezy, I rarely ever feel that rush of adrenaline anymore. Reading your letters gave me that intensity that I guess I’ve been missing in my life. I hope I’ve not gotten too carried away about it. So, you tell me." #correspondence #fishquotes
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16
Citrus Bubble"How far in the future did we go?" Rochelle asks. She's standing there in amazement, looking up and out at the world around them. She doesn't really even care about the fruit. // "About eleven hours," Jesi replies. // "It exploded after one second," Dave lamented. #CitrusBubble
Nick Fisherman Loses"Nick," Vin calls to me from behind. // I spin around to find him walking towards me in this dark corridor. A portal opens up to my left, and another to my right, along with a few others. They're each showing the same thing; the view back into headquarters. #NickFishermanLoses
“Joke”I'm just gonna say what we're all thinking. Daniel Radcliffe has the worst British accent I've ever heard. Who is his dialect coach? Their license should be revoked. Just go back to your regular accent, dude. We're not buyin' it. Oh, hahaha, Nick. Clever. You see, it's funny beca
Story Quote"I hope she was telling the truth that she never made you sick, and was genuinely treating you for the regretful condition you were born with. It shows that she wasn’t a total monster. A true scientific observer wouldn’t allow themselves to interfere." #correspondence #fishquotes
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17
Citrus Bubble"Well, hold on," Jesi says. "Let me try something else." She pulls her arms back to rewind time. Night turns to day, the trees rustle back to the way they were when the three of them left. As for the fruit…it reconstitutes itself. She really can control entropy. #CitrusBubble
Nick Fisherman LosesEach of my friends steps through the duplicate portals at the same time, but each of them appears on this side of it through DIFFERENT portals. Apparently, only one person can take one way in, even if they walk through simultaneously. That's a real weird rule. #NickFishermanLoses
Fake ConversationOld Guy: "Young man, I know what I'm doing. I was doing it when you were just a twinkle in your daddy's eye." // Me: "Please don't feel like you're being condescended to, but it's possible that you believe this, so I have to ask…do you think that people start out as twinkles?"
Story Quote"One thing that has helped some couples is building a fictional environment to occupy together. They imagine what their lives would be like if they could live them in realtime. Fair warning, this doesn’t work for everyone. The lie can be…maddening." #correspondence #fishquotes
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18
Citrus Bubble"Holy crap, it worked!" Rochelle squeals. // "Wait one second," Jesi warns. She pulls back even further, and makes time continue to reverse, to before the moment the bubble was formed. They see themselves walk backwards out of the bubble. The fruit explodes again. #CitrusBubble
Nick Fisherman Loses"What happened?" I ask. // Vin grimaces a little. "I was hoping that you could tell us. It hasn't become a problem so far, we just don't understand why it does that. Why does the portal move to a different exit. How does it know that it's a separate person?" #NickFishermanLoses
Random NothingHeard at work today: "Heyo! Ha-ha-ha! Won't even have to lie! […] MATH!" Me. It was me. I said that.
Story Quote"Take Bray with you, do it in public. Don’t talk to Velia first. I know you don’t want her to be surprised, but what if she turns on you? What if she warns her father? What if she doesn’t realize what he’s capable of. Don’t take any risks. I love you." #correspondence #fishquotes
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19
Citrus BubbleDave shakes his head. "The fruit can't stay together when it moves through time too quickly, whether forwards or backwards. UNLESS…it goes back to where it started. Maybe there's a way to trick it into thinking it should exist in the future?" // "Maybe," Jesi says. #CitrusBubble
Nick Fisherman Loses"I've never heard of anything like it," I admit. "I don't even know where we are." // Vin checks his watch. "Dutch?" // "It should be soon." // Vin is suddenly growing impatient. "Dutch!" // "It'll be fine, we won't miss it." // "Miss what?" Leonard questions. #NickFishermanLoses
“Joke”I'm rich! // I wrote this back when I wasn't rich, but now that I am, it seems so braggy. Still, I'm keeping it, because I'm authentic. // I wrote this when I thought I was gonna be rich by the time it posted, but that never happened. Still, I'm keeping it, because I'm authentic.
Story Quote"Saddened by this bizarre and disappointing development, Echo does his duty, and buries her in the ground. There is no way for him to know if this is what she would have wanted, but that is what his parents told him to do with them after they were gone." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 20
Citrus Bubble"Hmm," Jesi begins. "If you want to make the fruit specimen think that it's from the future, you might want to start with manipulating its DNA. Now, I'm pretty smart, but at my company, I have certain people handle those sorts of highly specialized skills for me." #CitrusBubble
Nick Fisherman LosesThe walls start closing in. It's not that they're sliding along the floor like a death maze escape horror movie. It's more like this corridor is slowly being squeezed like a garden hose. Still, the result will be the same. We'll be crushed between the rocks. #NickFishermanLoses
NanostoryTwo heads are not better than one if one of the heads is mine, and the other is @elonmusk's, and he won't shut the hell up about how it's 4-20, and just get in the game. We're supposed to be running The Amazing Race: Mortal Enemies Edition.
Story Quote"At first, they thought he was hurt, but he was positively ecstatic. He was laughing and crying simultaneously, holding his arms up and to the side like he had just won Olympic gold, panting, both relieved and proud. No one had a clue what was going on." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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21
Citrus Bubble"Well, if you're gonna be foolin' with the citrus DNA, why don't you just save the code, and send THAT to the future instead?" Rochelle said it like it was nothing more than an off-handed comment. // Dave is taken aback. "Hold up, would that work? Would that work!?" #CitrusBubble
Nick Fisherman LosesThe corridor becomes narrower and narrower. We move to stand in a single-file line, crouching down. It doesn't look good, in more ways than one. At the last possible second, gravity totally shifts. Forwards becomes down, and we slide towards an infinite abyss. #NickFishermanLoses
NanostoryI started a new courier company called China Direct. You order something that's coming from China, and I'll teleport there and grab it for you. You pay me by letting me pick one thing from your refrigerator. But if there's nothing good, I'm breaking whatever you had me retrieve.
Story Quote"He still sees me as his little baby boy sometimes, but he recognizes that I am well into adulthood, and I can make my own decisions now. They may be bad decisions—you may even call them mistakes—but it’s time that I fly the nest, and find my own way." #correspondence #fishquotes
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22
Citrus BubbleJesi looks away to think. She sends them forward a few moments, back to their present. The whole Buddha's hand citron falls to the ground as Dave's hands relax. Rochelle is confused. Did she just come to a realization before these two experienced time travelers did? #CitrusBubble
Nick Fisherman LosesThe walls of the corridor continue to constrict as we're sliding down the ramp. A few minutes later, we slip through an opening, and fall into some kind of body of water. It's freezing cold, but I don't care, because I'm alive. Not everyone can say the same. #NickFishermanLoses
NanostoryYou think that I wanted to be a pediatric surgeon when I applied for Johns Hopkins University? No, I just sort of fell into it. I was only trying to get an art history degree. Four years went by so fast, and by the time I realized it, the only good credits I had were for this.
Story Quote"Here are the highlights. The program had been going on for a hell of a lot longer than we realized. Madalena was only hired for its most recent iteration. They tried this with other missions prior to this, including lunar bases and Martian outposts." #correspondence #fishquotes
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23
Citrus Bubble"WOULD it work?" Jesi echoes. "I don't see why not. It's not a fruit, it's just ones and zeroes on a computer. Did Buddy say that that isn't good enough? Does he want a specimen from the past, or does he just want to eat an extinct variety of citrus in his present?" #CitrusBubble
Nick Fisherman LosesI see someone floating in the water, but I can't tell who it is yet. I assume they've just passed out, and will respond to CPR, but then I notice the redness of the water surrounding them. Still, I swim to it, and turn it over. But it's just legs and a torso. #NickFishermanLoses
Random NothingHarmony And Total Equality. #unfortunateacronyms
Story Quote"The study was decades ago, so my dad claims that he hasn’t thought about it all this time. I don’t know if I believe that. He must have had some sort of reaction every time he passed her in the corridor, or whenever they came to have dinner with us." #correspondence #fishquotes
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24
Citrus Bubble"I think he just wants to eat it," Dave determines. "Or maybe even just have it." He picks the fruit back up again. "The problem with this is that it goes extinct in 100 years. But by then, humans can easily bring back extinct species by having their genetic code." #CitrusBubble
Nick Fisherman LosesFrightened, I look around. There's Vin. There's Mazin. There's Leonard. Where's Dutch? "Where's Dutch? Dutch!" // "Right here!" Dutch calls back. "I'm right here! I'm fine!" // I look back down at the severed body in my arms. So it's Nimue. She didn't make it. #NickFishermanLoses
“Joke”You wanna know how I got my parole officer?
Story Quote"I’m telling you all this, not only because I want to update you on my life, but also so you’ll understand that I may be incommunicado from my end for a while. I really just don’t know, but the Valkyries may not be the only thing standing in our way." #correspondence #fishquotes
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25
Citrus Bubble"Has anyone mapped the DNA of this particular species?" Rochelle questions. // "I have no idea," Dave says. "But that can be solved with little effort. If I can't find someone in this time period to do it for me, I'll jump forward until I locate someone who will." #CitrusBubble
Nick Fisherman Loses"What the hell was that?" I demand to know as I'm dragging what's left of Nimue onto the bank of the lake. Everyone else is climbing out of the lake too, shaking the water out of the hair, and wringing it out of their clothes. "What happened!" I repeat loudly. #NickFishermanLoses
“Joke”The Tower of Babel was only, like, 150 meters tall. That was really tall back then. The smartest people around (besides yours truly, of course) calculated that it was about halfway to archivetweet, instead of the truth, which is that heaven isn't real, and neither is God.
Story Quote"I can’t slow down. I won’t have time to proofread before it’s time to cleave. There I go again, using the word time. It’s been so many times. Speaking oftime, we did not get enough. There’s still so much that I don’t know about you, and vice versa." #correspondence #fishquotes
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26
Citrus Bubble"Just give me a second," Rochelle says as she's pulling out her handheld device. "Okay, it says here that the Buddha's hand citron was ALREADY sequenced around 50 years ago. The database can be accessed through one's research credentials from the WorlDNA Bank. Hm." #CitrusBubble
Nick Fisherman LosesVin is panting. "It wasn't supposed to happen like that. I thought you timed it right." // "I don't understand," Dutch says, going back to working on his tablet. "That was closer than ever. Teams have never had that little time before. Let me check something." #NickFishermanLoses
“Joke”By the time I was 6, I tested a 789 IQ, solved 5 math equations that had been plaguing scientists for 400,000 years, designed 2 different perpetual motion machines, and ran 1 mile in 3 minutes. I don't even feel that smart, but I have never met anyone who can meet my intellect.
Story Quote"It’s Clavia’s voice, but there’s something a little different about it. It sounds like it’s coming from a specific location, instead of just around him in general. Someone appears from behind the tree. It’s the dead woman who he buried here. She lives." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 27
Citrus Bubble"I don't suppose you have any credentials," Rochelle guesses. // "I do," Jesi says. She scoffs when they look at her weird. "I run a science foundation. I can get you anything. You want a dead body? I'm swimming in dead bodies." // "Just the sequence, thank you." #CitrusBubble
Nick Fisherman Loses"Explain yourself," Leonard demands. // "That tunnel," Vin begins. "It's like a temporary bridge between our world and this one. When one forms, you have to make it to the other side before time runs out. But like he was saying, it's never happened that fast." #NickFishermanLoses
“Joke”I have here in my notes from a long time ago something called "Eleven's Company" which I guess is meant to be a riff on 'Three's Company', perhaps as some kind of pitch for a reboot? Past!Me was an idiot, I'm glad he's dead.
Story Quote"RideSauce managed to avoid all of that by treating their workers with the respect they deserved from the very beginning. It was why they were now number one in this country, as well as in many others. Boyd stopped in front of the door, and let him out." #salmonverse #fishquotes
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28
Citrus Bubble"You have helped me quite a bit so far," Dave goes on. "I know it didn't work out with our little entropy gambit, but I do recall you being part of the Springfield Nine. Yet you've not yet asked for any form of payment, like a favor." // "I'm not like them anymore." #CitrusBubble
Nick Fisherman Loses"You can't run through," Dutch continues the explanation. "You have to wait until gravity shifts from where you started to where you're going. But again, that always happens first. This time, for some reason, the bridge started to collapse before the fall." #NickFishermanLoses
Fake ConversationMe: "It says here that you only card people under 35. I'm 38, see? It's my birthday." // Liquor Store Clerk: "Why do you have a fake ID that says you're 38 when you look like you're at least 26 anyway?" // Me: "Because I got it when I was 9." // Clerk: "…………………………WAT!?"
Story Quote"I’m really hoping that nothing terrible happened, but I’m so afraid. Nothing happened to the Earth overall—that much I know—so please, is there anything you can tell me? How long has it been since you’ve spoken to him? Do you know where he could be?" #correspondence #fishquotes
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29
Citrus BubbleJesi reaches her hands out. "Teleport us to my headquarters, and I'll look into getting you that DNA sequence, free of charge. I'm too curious now to not see this through. I have to know if transporting citrus has always been as easy as just resurrecting it later." #CitrusBubble
Nick Fisherman LosesI look up at the face of the cliff where we fell from. The hole is gone now, because it was never really there. The interdimensional bridge formed inside of it, then quickly fell apart. They don't know how to stabilize them yet. They may not even know to try. #NickFishermanLoses
“Joke”Every year on my birthday, I give myself the gift of a new toothbrush. Each one is supposed to last two whole months, but I was born on the 28th, so I'm always a few days early. I'm so bad.
Story Quote"I wish that I had better news, and I wish I could keep going, but I buried my son. I held a funeral for him, and everything. I’m an old man now, and can’t keep traveling like I used to. I’ve recently settled in a region that was once called Ecuador." #correspondence #fishquotes
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30
Citrus Bubble"Thanks," Dave says. He takes one hand while Rochelle takes the other, and HIS other. Together, they jump all the way to Independence, Missouri. Jesi sits down at her desk and gets to work while the other two wait patiently on the couch. Exciting stuff right here. #CitrusBubble
Nick Fisherman Loses"You should have warned us," Mazin argues. "We went in there blind…literally. And now my partner is dead. I don't know if the truth would have saved her. We will never know. But what I do know is that you screwed this up, Vin. You'll answer for her death." #NickFishermanLoses
Fake ConversationInterviewer: "What kind of research do your stories require?" // Me: "Science, mostly, but I once wrote a story about a character who went back to 1945 to kill Hitler, so I needed to study WWII history." // Interviewer: "But Hitler DID die in 1945." // Me: "Yeah…you're welcome."
Story Quote"There’s nothing to say about the blackout. Most of our lives didn’t change on a day-to-day basis. For the most part, it has no effect on our internal communications. My job is a bit different, but as the saying goes, it’s nothing to write home about." #correspondence #fishquotes
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| May | ||||||
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| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 1
Citrus CodeJesi is taking longer to get access to the full genetic code of the Buddha's hand citron, so now Dave is standing up, looking out the window. There seems to be something wrong with Rochelle, though. She's rocking back and forth. "Are you okay?" he decides to ask her. #CitrusCode
Nick Fisherman LeadsNimue is dead, and Vin will supposedly answer for his negligence, but we don't have any time to worry about that right now. While Dutch is trying to figure out exactly where we are, Mazin, Leonard, and I bury what's left of her body in the ground by the lake. #NickFishermanLeads
Random NothingGet out of the way, I'm red teaming.
Story Quote"It took our ship three and a half years to get here. That is a markèd improvement over the eighteen years it took Corinthia and her mother, Alizée, but I was pretty sure the Valkyries would fly away early enough for you to tell Corinthia the truth." #correspondence #fishquotes
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2
Citrus Code"I'm fine, why?" Rochelle asks. // "You're…are you really okay?" Oh God, what else is he gonna say? // "Oh, this is called stimming. I'm not in any pain, or anything. I just do it when I'm bored. I'm sorry if it's distracting." // "It's fine. Right, Dave?" Jesi asks. #CitrusCode
Nick Fisherman Leads"This is a dangerous world, full of dangerous people, and other threats. Vin and Dutch can't explain what it is, so I press them for answers, because maybe I can understand it all through context clues. There are really only so many options in brane cosmology. #NickFishermanLeads
Random NothingI love the word onomatopoeia, because "onomatopoeia" IS an onomatopoeia. It's the sound an onomatopoeia makes when it's dying an excruciating death at the hands of an enemy.
Story Quote"Almost the entire surface is littered with tens of thousands of geodesic domes. Most of these will be pressurized, and become habitable eventually, but it takes a lot of work, and a ton of resources. That’s why these charters are so important." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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3
Citrus Code"Of course it's fine, I was just worried about you," he tries to clarify. // "It's all right. This is just something that autistic people do sometimes. I can be normal." // "You ARE normal," Jesi assures her. She glares at Dave. But he's not an asshole, just ignorant. #CitrusCode
Nick Fisherman LeadsWe came through a collapsing tunnel. I've never heard of portals doing that specifically, so it doesn't tell me enough. There are no duplicate people, so it's not a recent parallel reality. In fact, there was reportedly no human life when it was discovered. #NickFishermanLeads
NanostoryI got myself disqualified from The Amazing Race when the producers found out that I was turning back time, and completing challenges with future (stolen) knowledge. That happens to me a lot. I need to learn to keep my mouth shut about my Demon Powers.
Story Quote"A teenager is standing on a mailbox. Some people are paying attention, but others are ignoring him. 'Check this out!' What is he holding? It’s long, and has wheels on it. He’s never seen it before, but the word suddenly comes to him. It’s a skateboard." #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 4
Citrus Code"Do whatever you need to do," Dave promises. // "She doesn't have to thank you for your permission," Jesi hisses. // "He was just asking," Rochelle says. "I'm not offended. Dave, if you have any other questions, do not hesitate to ask. We can't all know everything." #CitrusCode
Nick Fisherman LeadsIf it's a concurrent reality, the divergence likely happened a long time ago, perhaps because humanity just never evolved, or something catastrophic wiped them out. I need more information. "What about time differentials?" I ask. "Does time in match time out?" #NickFishermanLeads
Random NothingMy real name is Skip Intro.
Story Quote"Mateo uttered a single unintelligible sound before he became blocked and frozen. He could not explain what he had just said. Leona was younger? And then she got older, and now they were the same age? That didn’t make any sense at all. He had to cover." #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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5
Citrus Code"Thanks," Dave replies to Rochelle. // "Got it!" Jesi says. "After jumping over more hurdles than I would have expected, I managed to secure the download for the entire genetic sequence for an organism known as the Buddha's hand citron." She presents the flash drive. #CitrusCode
Nick Fisherman Leads"As far as we know, yes," Dutch answers. He's fiddling with his tablet, frustrated." // "That doesn't rule out a pocket or parallel dimension, but it would have to be spatial, instead of temporal. If it were temporal, it would explain the collapse, though." #NickFishermanLeads
NanostoryEvery week, my ex-wife pays me $1,000 in alimony, and every week, I WAS paying her $1,000 in child support. When I explained the logic breakdown to the judge, it backfired on me. Now I pay $2,000 in child support, which is literally more than I make.
Story Quote"Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t afraid, and I don’t regret it. I just mean, the end result may be a bit different than what you’re used to. It’s just a little harder to acclimate, even if you’re a seasoned caster. Fortunately, they were prepared." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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6
Citrus CodeHe steps over and takes the drive. "Thank you so much. When I get my daughter back, I'll come back here, and have her thank you too." // "She's not coming with us?" Rochelle asks. // "If it doesn't work," Jesi begins, "you can just return to this moment. But it will." #CitrusCode
Nick Fisherman Leads"Temporal dimensions kill you?" Leonard asks. He's tamping down Nimue's grave. // "No, not necessarily," I say to them all. "But if there's a disconnect between the time that passes on either side, the bridge between them could be very difficult to maintain." #NickFishermanLeads
Fake ConversationSystem of a Down: "Can you say 'brainwashing'?" // Also System of a Down: "B-b-b-b-braaaaiinwaaashiiiing." // The First System of a Down: "So..no."
Story Quote"They’re still testing a lot of these hotspots, so I’m sure more people will have the chance to do what I did. It was interesting to be in all that stone architecture. I’m fairly young, so I just don’t have any experience with that sort of thing." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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7
Citrus Code"You still wanna come?" Dave asks. "It's pretty far in the future." // "Yeah, I'm up for an adventure," Rochelle claims. // "Okay, come take my hand." After she does so," he looks up for no real reason. "Okay, Buddy. I have the fruit. Bring me back." Nothing happens. #CitrusCode
Nick Fisherman Leads"If you're going to jump from one cosmic plane to another, you typically want to do it quickly. The gravity is really getting me. You're telling me that it always shifts?" // "Yes," Dutch answers me. "They come in horizontal, and come out falling. Every time." #NickFishermanLeads
NanostoryI once dated a doormat. I know, you think I'll say she was an actual doormat, instead of a woman who lets people walk all over her—because that's my kind of bizarre, unrelatable humor—but she was human. And I just made this up. I don't even like women. I'm attracted to doormats.
Story Quote"I was immediately drawn to the concept. What’s the plan here? What is the structure? There is none. It’s a complete and total free-for-all. You go out there with whatever weapons you managed to get your hands on, and you fight whoever you want." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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8
Citrus Code"Seriously, Buddy. It may not be the way that you expected it, but this WILL work. You just want the citrus, right? You don't care how I got it. We'll give it to some scientists, and they'll grow it from scratch. Now, come on, I know you're spying on us. Let's go." #CitrusCode
Nick Fisherman Leads"It's so weird that it's that consistent," I muse. "It suggests some kind of directional component, which would strongly suggest a pocket dimension, but you don't always show up at the same spot?" // "No," Vin says. "We have to regroup, sometimes miles apart." #NickFishermanLeads
Random NothingI can do a Free Willy on a motorcycle.
Story Quote"I didn’t do it, and plus, you have to wait for it to be reset. They have to shovel the snow back up to the top, and collect all the dead bodies. It’s not like you can just go up there whenever you feel like it. The indoor areas are just as good." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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9
Citrus CodeStill nothing happens. "I have a friend," Jesi reminds them. "He can send you whenever you want to go. You don't need Buddy." // "No, let me try one more thing. He doesn't really like our name for him." Dave clears his throat. "Buddha Maestri, I'm ready to come back." #CitrusCode
Nick Fisherman LeadsI growl. "Okay, that sounds like a parallel dimension, because you could end up anywhere, but then what's with the gravitational shift, and the collapsing portal? Tell me about astronomy. What kind of stars do you see? Are they how you would expect back home?" #NickFishermanLeads
Topical ReferenceCut me some slack, I'm being best.
Story Quote"What happened to that plan? I think that they were worried about us using it as an excuse to blanket the whole surface of Earth in a giant city. I wouldn’t have wanted that either, I think we just should have preserved historical architecture." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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10
Citrus CodeDave and Rochelle disappear. They're now standing before Buddy Maestri, even though no, he really doesn't like that name. "You're late," he jokes. // "I have it," Dave says. He presents the flash drive. // "That's not going to work," Buddy determines. // "Why not?" #CitrusCode
Nick Fisherman LeadsVin and Dutch exchange a glance. // "What?" I ask. "Are the stars weird?" // Dutch clears his throat. "We've not conducted any astronomical surveys here." // "Excuse me?" // "We're more focused on the…military demands," Vin explains. // "Of course you are." #NickFishermanLeads
Fake ConversationMe: "My New Year's Resolution is to be more present in the moment, and not worry about the future." // My therapist: "May is late for a New Year's Resolution." // Me: "D'uh, you idiot. It's for NEXT year?" // My therapist: "Okay…" // Me: "This year's resolution was to be nicer."
Story Quote"If humans invented God, then humans must be more powerful than God. Since no version of God truly exists, the divine being’s power is wholly within the headcanon of the individual. This effectively serves to make the believer the god-being themselves. " #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 11
Citrus Code"The solution is just too simple," Buddy claims. "Digital DNA. I have to believe that someone would have thought of it by now." // "By now?" Dave questions. "We're time travelers, there's no such thing as 'now'. And no one thought of it because no one cares like you." #CitrusCode
Nick Fisherman Leads"What are our options?" I press. "Can we study the stars NOW? If we're on a different planet, we need to gather more data." I bounce my knees a little. "Comparable gravity, comparable atmospheric composition; perhaps the exact same. We just don't know, do we?" #NickFishermanLeads
Random NothingWe Only Recently Moved to the Castle.
Story Quote"Their organization was structured differently, so he managed more cities, and other divisions in those cities. RideSauce focused on ridesourcing, but Tractus was also in delivery and limousine services. And he knew that Mateo would be here, obviously." #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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12
Citrus CodeDave shakes his head. "If it doesn't work, we'll try again, but we won't know if we don't try. What's the worst that could happen? Why are you fighting me on this?" // Maybe it goes so wrong that the resulting explosion destroys the universe. Did you consider that?" #CitrusCode
Nick Fisherman Leads"Dutch," Vin prompts. // "There's a science team not too far from here. They don't have a telescope, but their other instrumentation might have the data we need. They communicate with our satellite." // "We have a satellite in orbit?" I ask. // "Of course." #NickFishermanLeads
Random NothingI don't drink at all, or do drugs, but every four years and three months, I snort two kilos of cocaine, and "drink" a fifth of vodka from the opposite end, in one night. I DON'T HAVE TO EXPLAIN WHY!
Story Quote"It’s a forest, and there is fog. You can go camping, or you can stay in one of the cabins. You don’t even ask to stay in a cabin. If you find shelter, stay there, and if someone else shows up, I guess you have to defend your territory somehow?" #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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13
Citrus Code"No, Buddy, I did not consider the possibility that opening a computer file would destroy the universe." // "I think I know what this is," Rochelle pipes up. "Classic self-sabotage. You have become so obsessed with this citron that you're afraid to succeed. I get it." #CitrusCode
Nick Fisherman Leads"You launched a satellite," I begin, "without knowing anything about where you were, or what kind of properties the world has." // "WE didn't launch anything," Vin says. "It was before my time. In fact, we're here to clean up many messes. That's our mandate." #NickFishermanLeads
“Joke”People are always telling me to put my hands in the air, and wave them like I just don't care. But if I didn't care, I probably wouldn't bother waving my hands. I would probably just sit still.
Story Quote"You can turn into a zombie in certain variations. When they bite you, if you don’t die, you continue as one of the undead. They’ll pump you full of drugs, and impair your brain processing. You’ll start walking around trying to bite other people." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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14
Citrus CodeBuddy does not like hearing that. "Who are you?" // "Minor player," Rochelle answers. // He likes hearing that. "You wanna open the file, open it. You wanna resurrect a dead species à la Michael Crichton, go for it. But if it's not a perfect recreation…we're done." #CitrusCode
Nick Fisherman Leads"I'm gonna need to know more about that," I decide. "You can tell me on the way." // "We should stay quiet while we're moving through these lands," Vin explains. // "Then you'll tell me once we're somewhere safe. You can lead the way, but I'm in charge now." #NickFishermanLeads
“Joke”I accidentally bought 20 tickets to Macklemore, instead of none, which is what I meant to type. Now I need to figure out who Macklemore is so I can determine my target demographic to scalp these things.
Story Quote"Unfortunately, nearly all of the players are androids, because we’re still in the early days of this planet, and like I said, sports in general have dimmed in popularity. It’s kind of creepy, because there was this glitch when I first showed up." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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15
Citrus Code"I'll need a computer," Dave says. // "I don't have much use for such trivialities since I'm the commander of time and space, but I think there's one on the floor in the closet in there." He gestures towards the other room. // Dave goes in, finds it, and dusts it off. #CitrusCode
Nick Fisherman LeadsWe say our last goodbyes to Nimue. Mazin has not gotten over his anger about that, but he picks up the rear, following us around the lake, and through the trees. Vin isn't the one leading. While Dutch has never been here before either, he knows the technology. #NickFishermanLeads
NanostoryI spent five years swimming buck naked in the middle of the ocean, searching for Wilson the volleyball, which was about a year longer than Chuck spent forming the bond with him on the island. It was an emotional moment when I reunited them.
Story Quote"In most mazes, you have to stay on the ground, or you lose, but there are no real rules here. If you can figure out how to climb, go ahead and climb. Your sense of accomplishment is entirely your own. If you say that’s good enough, then it is." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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16
Citrus CodeDave doesn't have a lot of experience with computers either. When you're a time traveler, even the internet seems small. Still, he has a thing with a tip that fits into this thing on the computer, so it must go there. He puts it in, and waits for something to happen. #CitrusCode
Nick Fisherman LeadsLeonard, Mazin, and Vin are in keeping their weapons raised, though I still don't know what from. Are there dangerous humans, or creatures? I don't have a weapon. I'm just looking around. I'm no botanist, but the flora seems familiar enough…nothing too alien. #NickFishermanLeads
NanostoryA wizard cursed me 24 years ago. There is always an upside-down piece of paper on the floor a few meters away from me. Whenever I draw near, a draft rolls in, and blows it away. I can never catch it. I do not know what is written on it. I never will. And it's driving me insane.
Story Quote"I looked it up, there are other animals that are good at pollinating on Earth, but they either don’t have them on this planet, or it’s taking time to engineer them. I doubt that they transported live specimens clear across the interstellar void." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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17
Citrus CodeBoth Dave and Buddy stare at the screen blankly for a moment. "Oh my God," Rochelle says. She starts to tap on the screen, and pulls up the file. She points. "Here. Double tap on that." // Dave reaches up and does as he was told. The computer explodes in their faces. #CitrusCode
Nick Fisherman LeadsWe walk in near compete silence as the sun goes down. Vin only speaks once, and it's to urge us to move faster. It's not safe to be out here at night. They don't want to lead anyone to the outpost either, though, so we can't rush. That's when I hear a noise. #NickFishermanLeads
Fake ConversationMe: "Uhuh. And how do you suppose we'll build these really long metal roads that only the—what did you call them?" // Guy who invented trains: "Trains." // Me: "Right." // Train inventor: "Just spitballin' here. How about slaves?" // Me: "That's everyone's answer for everything."
Story Quote"This is getting out of hand, and Echo is more confused than ever. He doesn’t know what to believe anymore. Even though he knows that he can’t trust Clavia, he also can’t trust his own mind. She’s not just been manipulating him, but brainwashing him too." #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 18
Citrus CodeDave is in excruciating pain. Pieces of metal and plastic are stuck in his face. He can't see anything, and while his ears feel like they're mostly okay, he can't really hear anything either. Buddy and Rochelle are probably just as injured, and as of yet, unmoving. #CitrusCode
Nick Fisherman Leads"Stop," I whisper. "Leo, Maz." // The two of them tense up, and look around with their rifles, using the nightvision on their scopes to spot any dangers. Vin has a gun too, but he doesn't have it up. He takes out his nightvision binoculars instead. "There." #NickFishermanLeads
“Joke”My mama always said, "life is like a box a chocolates; you always know what you're gonna get. Look at the map on the lid. Oh, and everyone in our family can see the future, son, you'll learn."
Story Quote"They just had this peculiar fascination with it, like there was a secret dimension to the game that they simply hadn’t reached yet. Mateo wasn’t so sure, but he did find himself mysteriously landing on Sponge a lot. Maybe there really was magic to it." #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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19
Citrus CodeThe pain slowly begins to fade away. It's an odd sensation that replaces it, like every cell in his head is being sent off floating on its own path. They spin around and bump back into each other, eventually reforming into a single unit. He's back, and he's healed. #CitrusCode
Nick Fisherman Leads"Have they spotted us?" I ask. // "Not yet," Vin answers. "But they will if Dutch takes one more step." // "And we can't lead them to this outpost," I say. // "We can't kill," Vin says, "and we can't escape. Backtracking will alert them to our presence too." #NickFishermanLeads
Fake ConversationMarshall: "This party is ruined. The internet is down, and our celebrity guest is stuck in traffic." // Me: "What are you saying?" // Marshall: "There's no movie, there's no Mekhi Phifer."
Story Quote"You know what parties are like, well this is the greatest one ever thrown, and it never really has to end. Come on down, and when you’re ready, go find your bliss elsewhere. Or stick around, I’ll be here. It’s my home, I see no reason to leave." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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20
Citrus CodeDave blinks, and starts to look around, finding Rochelle with her head missing. Only a cloud of dark particles are swarming around each other where it once was. They coalesce, and reconstitute her head. Buddy really can bring his daughter back to life. Nice to know. #CitrusCode
Nick Fisherman LeadsWe appear to be in this pocket of concealment. We can't go forwards or backwards, or the people on the lookout for us will see us. I don't know what their motivations are, but Vin and Dutch are very nervous. "Stay here," I command. // "What are you gonna do?" #NickFishermanLeads
NanostoryWhen I was eight years old, I was talking too much, so my uncle told me to "shut my pie hole!" Back then, I took everything people said very literally. I've kept it shut this entire time, and have not had a single bite of pie since then. I love pie. I miss it.
Story Quote"If you try to come here without being already familiar with the story, you probably won’t be too confused, because you’re not stupid, but it won’t mean anything to you. I suggest you take a few days to get up to speed, and then come for a visit." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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21
Citrus Code"I told you that it wouldn't work," Buddy laments. // "Did you KNOW that," Dave questions him, "or did you make it happen?" // "Okay," Buddy says, "the girl may have been on to something when she psychoanalyzed me as a self-saboteur, but full-on sabotage? No. Never." #CitrusCode
Nick Fisherman Leads"I will lead them away from you," I explain. "Once they go for me, slip out of here, and head for the outpost." // "It won't work," Dutch replies. "No one comes out here alone. I mean, they do, but people are suspicious. They'll be looking for your partner." #NickFishermanLeads
NanostoryMy buddy, John screwed up my baptism. It wasn't his fault. It was only his second time, so he didn't know what he was doing. Anyway, that's how I spent a couple thousand years dead at the bottom of the Red Sea. But I'm back, and super happy to learn what's up lately?
Story Quote"If you abducted someone from Earth, transported them here, and let them wake up on the beach, they would assume they were still on Earth. Certainly if you took them from, like, the 21st century, where they didn’t know about alien planets yet." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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22
Citrus Code"This is weird," Rochelle says, examining the twisted remnants of the computer. "It sounds like an intelligence. Like we said, digital DNA of a citrus fruit should not have exploded if the rule is citrus itself explodes. Someone had to decide that they were the same." #CitrusCode
Nick Fisherman Leads"Then he'll have a partner," Leonard says, readjusting into a sitting position. // "You can't," I argue. // "You can try to leave alone, I'll just follow. Why expend energy fighting me on it? Let's both go, and execute the distraction." // Fair point. "Okay." #NickFishermanLeads
“Joke”My girlfriend just found out that her sister is actually her daughter. You see, what happened was she went to a special camp for six months, and…um. Give me a second, I can do that math. GIVE ME A SECOND!
Story Quote"Self-harm became illegal once again. Whereas before, dying meant taking maybe only a hundred years from someone’s potential future, now you’re potentially robbing you or someone else of the rest of eternity until the heat death of the universe." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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23
Citrus CodeDave picks up the debris, and drops it back down. "You're right. I don't think the fact that citrus can't time travel is something inherent to its DNA. I think someone made this decision. Someone powerful. Someone from a very old timeline. But are they still around? #CitrusCode
Nick Fisherman LeadsI make a new diversion plan; one which requires two people. The sniper is waiting for someone to come around the corner. I don't know if he'll shoot on sight, or alert his friends to us first. Either way, we need to run. I go first. Leonard chases after me. #NickFishermanLeads
Random NothingI miss my parole officer.
Story Quote"You see, the reason we wanted to concentrate our population on Earth was so that we could give the majority of the land area back to wilderness. Animals can’t live in high-rise apartments—at least not intentionally, anyway. We have more choices." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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24
Citrus Code"If we can figure out who came up with the rule," Rochelle begins, "perhaps we can speak to them. They might change the rule, or make an exception just this once." // "Buddy?" Dave asks. "Do you have any ideas?" // He shakes his head. "That's not my job. It's yours." #CitrusCode
Nick Fisherman LeadsThe sniper does shoot, but doesn't hit me, and I can still hear Leonard chasing after me. My guess is that they were only warning shots. // "Come back here!" Leonard cries. // "Never gonna happen!" I yell back. In this scenario, we're friends turned enemies. #NickFishermanLeads
“Joke”You don't want to be shiftless, but you don't want to be shifty either. So what the hell am I supposed to be, mid-shift?
Story Quote"Judy mouths what the fuh to everyone else, but no one has any answers. This little magic girl has imprinted on her, for whatever reason, and there’s probably no going back on that. Kids don’t just switch parents on a whim. It’s her job to raise her now." #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 25
Citrus CodeDave sighs. "Do you know the solution to the citrus paradox?" // "No," Buddy answers. "Why?" // "Because if this is just a test, then fine, make me do everything. It's annoying, but I get it. But if you genuinely want it done, you CAN help. Not helping is a choice." #CitrusCode
Nick Fisherman LeadsI run past the sniper, and so does Leonard. I'm able to look back—under the guise of gauging Leonard's pursuit of me—so I'm able to see the sniper stand up, and start chasing after both of us. Good. Good boy. Ignore our friends, and follow us. I keep running. #NickFishermanLeads
“Joke”My last record barely broke a million copies sold. I dunno, maybe I'm just a thirty-one hit wonder.
Story Quote"They were on a narrow trail on a ridge, switching their order organically and unintentionally. Each new leader would warn those behind of obstacles or dangers awaiting them. Unfortunately, this meant that one of them would not enjoy any given warning." #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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26
Citrus CodeBuddy sighs, matching Dave's tone from before. "You're right, I can help. And I will, when my services are required. I truly really don't know who might have created the citrus rule. It would require a lot of power, which you know more about. You know who to talk to." #CitrusCode
Nick Fisherman LeadsThe thing about snipers is they use these big, unwieldy guns, which makes it hard for them to shoot while they're on the move. So as long as Leonard and I keep going, they'll have to catch up with us to stop us. Or use a smaller gun. They have a smaller gun. #NickFishermanLeads
Random NothingWhat's that thing that @jackblack always says? Ska-DOUCHE!
Story Quote"It’s not 'state run' which means that there aren’t any robots or human staff members providing you with any assistance, except as part of orientation. That is, no one is in charge of activities. There aren’t any activities to sign up for at all." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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27
Citrus Code"Who are you talking about?" Dave asks. "I DON'T know." // "Your boss," Buddy replies. "She's the most powerful person I know." // "She's from a more recent reality," Dave contends. // "True, but she still may have answers. Couldn't hurt to ask." // "No, I guess not." #CitrusCode
Nick Fisherman LeadsI hear a crack, and feel a pain in the back of my knee. I fall to my face. This plan should still work, though. While the bad guy is busy with me and Leonard, our friends should be able to sneak away. Leonrd dives down on instinct to help me. "No," I whisper. #NickFishermanLeads
NanostoryI thought that my wife was just coming home for nooners, and making a game out of it by telling me not to talk to her about it after work. As it turns out, she was traveling back in time to cheat on her future husband with me. I apparently die in four days. #annoyed #bucketlist
Story Quote"I’ll say again, it’s a racetrack dome, not races in general. Look for that in another dome. I’m sure they’re somewhere. I see all these negative reviews from morons who are disappointed when the name alone tells you everything you need to know." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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28
Citrus CodeDave thinks about the suggestion. He's right, Meliora Rutherford is extremely powerful—so much so that she's considering leaving the universe so people stop asking her to fix all of their problems. That's why he's hesitating to approach her. She won't be happy. But… #CitrusCode
Nick Fisherman Leads"Right," Leonard whispers back. He starts to punch me in the chest, but he pulls them. They hurt more than the gunshot wound, which leads me to believe that it was a rubber bullet, or some other nonlethal projectile. // The sniper approaches. "That's enough." #NickFishermanLeads
Random NothingMy thigh gap is so wide, you could stick a piece of paper through it. But don't that unless it's something that you want to shred. My leg teeth will eat that up. Yum-yum.
Story Quote"I watched a guy learn how to cut a rudimentary axe-sort of thing out of stone, and that was a unique experience. That android will never do that again. He will never need to learn it again. Fifty years from now, if I go back, he will be 'dead'." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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29
Citrus Code"All right, I guess we're going back to Dardius, the early days. Can you send us there?" Dave asks Buddy. // "Quick as a whip in conflict," Buddy answers. // "Huh?" Rochelle questions, but Buddy can't answer. They're overwhelmed by dark particles, and spirited away. #CitrusCode
Nick Fisherman Leads"You shot me!" I cry. // "You'll be fine," the guy responds. "Get up." // "I can't! You shot me!" I can, but I'm stalling. It's a good thing we have earwigs. I hear the signal from Vin in the form of three short clicks. They're safe, and on their way. I stand. #NickFishermanLeads
“Joke”I tried to take a baking class once, but I had to quit after the first night, because it took place in a church. There were too many kooks in the kitchen.
Story Quote"Street level heroing is what they call it. You fight bad guys, and help the innocent. Most of them are androids, but they’re as lifelike as any, so it’s easy to forget that, and feel genuine anger towards the former, and empathy for the latter." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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30
Citrus CodeIt looks like Dave has skipped time since he's been here. The lobby was still under construction back then but now it's finished, and fully furnished. There are no apparent guests yet, but someone seems to be working here. "Hello. I'm an employee. What's your name?" #CitrusCode
Nick Fisherman Leads"I don't know what the problem is between you two," the sniper begins, "but it's no longer relevant. You have been hand-chosen to work in the prison camps. Lucky for you, you get a cold bed, cold soup for every meal, and cold looks from the guards. Let's go." #NickFishermanLeads
Fake ConversationStranger: "Have a nice day!" // Me: "Don't tell me what to do."
Story Quote"I never saw any sort of argument or disagreement, but they were clear. If you really want to get the full experience, it’s probably gonna take you about thirty years. But, I mean, come on, who doesn’t have that kind of time to spare these days?" #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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31
Citrus Code"I'm Dodeka," the young woman behind the counter answers. "Are you looking for Meliora?" // "Yes," Dave says. // "Sorry, she's been missing for a month. I've just been…contriving work to do around here, like making coffee and tea. Would you like some coffee or tea?" #CitrusCode
Nick Fisherman LeadsThe sniper pushes me forward, so I'm leading the way. Rubber bullet or not, it's hard to walk with this bruise on my leg. He doesn't let me stop, or even reach down to massage it a little. It's miles and miles away. Our shift starts immediately when we arrive. #NickFishermanLeads
NanostoryI think that the navigation app on my new phone is broken. The voice keeps telling me to drive into lakes. I don't mean that it's giving me incorrect directions. It's egging me on, like peer pressure. "Do it. Explore the abyss. Take your last breath." Like, lol, what IS that?
Story Quote"They’re standing in their ceremonial robes behind the curtains. They’re not the only ones being celebrated and honored today, they’re just the headliner. They have to wait for the other graduates first. They’re trying to not look nervous, but they are." #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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| June | ||||||
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| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 1
Citrus PrayerIt might be nice for Dave and Rochelle to have a short break while they reassess their situation, and try to figure out how they're going to locate and speak with Meliora. After all, it wasn't too long ago when they got their heads blown off in a computer explosion. #CitrusPrayer
Nick Fisherman LaborsThere are a lot of other laborers, presumably all slaves, except for the ones with guns. This isn't my first prison, but the other was regulated. I'm sure anything goes here. But that makes escape easier. No state-sanctioned fugitive recovery branch to dodge. #NickFishermanLabors
Random NothingI always tell my wife that I could care less about her…but I couldn't care more.
Story Quote"The concrete traffic barriers were coming up fast, but he never wavered. He did grip the wheel with two hands now, though, in anticipation. At the very last second, he remembered something from his past that he didn’t think he was meant to. The truth." #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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2
Citrus Prayer"Yeah," I'll take some tea," Dave says. // "Just hot water for me," Rochelle requests. // "And, uh, I'll get mine myself, if you don't mind," Dave adds. // "Certainly, sir," Dodeka replies cheerfully. "Right around the corner, the both of you." // "Thanks so much." #CitrusPrayer
Nick Fisherman LaborsI've seen this before, in movies. We're breaking rocks. Half the time, you don't find out why they're doing it, and the other half of the time, it's the most roundabout way of accomplishing something nefarious. Here, it's most likely meaningless busy work. #NickFishermanLabors
“Joke”When I was a kid, I thought it was called 'Hurry Up the Spy'. And last week, I thought it was called 'Call OF the Midwife'. I imagine she sounds something like "WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Eepa eepa eepa eepa eep!" That's how you get her attention too.
Story Quote"Many domes are based on particular franchises, but in the end, all wastelands are about the same, so you probably shouldn’t make more than one. I doubt most people would be interested in even seeing it once. I can’t recommend coming here at all." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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3
Citrus PrayerDodeka chooses coffee for herself. They sit in the lobby in silence, even though there's plenty that they could say. They don't know Dodeka very well, and she doesn't know anything about their mission. Dave is just thinking about how to reach out to Meliora, though. #CitrusPrayer
Nick Fisherman LaborsI'm breaking rocks, but I'm also watching. I'm trying to observe the group dynamics here, and make any logical conclusions that I can. A trained spy would know what he's seeing, which I technically am, but my strengths really lie in more brute force methods. #NickFishermanLabors
“Joke”How many blondes does it take to screw in a light bulb? Just one, asshole.
Story Quote"I know you’re all running from your zombies, and wasting each other in the wasteland, but it’s important to learn to be cultured and quiet. That’s what my mom taught me. She was old enough to remember a time before the longevity escape velocity." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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4
Citrus PrayerDodeka is watching him, but he can't tell what she's thinking. She doesn't seem to have the same problem. "There might be a way to contact Meliora. I've tried it a few times, but I believe it takes a level of…desperation—no, commitment. You may have better luck." #CitrusPrayer
Nick Fisherman LaborsLeonard and I are keeping our distance from each other. We didn't agreed on this, both of us just know that it's safer this way. Every once in a while, one of us will sneer at the other, or false charge. We don't know if word has spread that we're "enemies". #NickFishermanLabors
Tongue TwisterI grew a rougarou for you, are you a rougarou?
Story Quote"Are there some things that I would change if I could? Sure. Do I wish that they would ask me to help them make such changes? Yeah, I do. Could I offer my services? Yeah, I guess I could. I might just do that. They have people work here, right?" #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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5
Citrus Prayer"Tell me what I can do…or try," Dave asks. "Well," Dodeka goes on, "you know how some time travelers can be contacted, even from different time periods?" // "Yes," he replied. Dave himself has his own special way. He doesn't know Meliora's, though. She never said. #CitrusPrayer
Nick Fisherman LaborsWe're given periodic breaks, for meals, and just to rest. I would say these abductors aren't so bad, but I think they're just more logical than movie villains. A dead workforce is a useless workforce. We don't live like kings, but they still want us to live. #NickFishermanLabors
Random NothingI'm Stockholming so hard right now.
Story Quote"Are you incentivized yet? No, because again, it’s just an ocean under an invisible dome? At least Polar Tropica has sun and sexy ladies in bikinis. That’s all I got to say about this. It was a nice idea, but they totally botched the execution." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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6
Citrus PrayerDodeka takes a deep breath to prepare herself. "You don't always choose how you want to be contacted across time. Meliora didn't. Someone else chose for her. She hates it, but she can't stop it." This sounds bad. How bad could it be? "She doesn't like the worship." #CitrusPrayer
Nick Fisherman LaborsWork is done for the day. No one shows me my bunk. The way I have to figure it works is that newbies stand by the wall, and wait for everyone to get in their own, and then we take whatever's left. Interestingly, I don't see any conflict. They're so…cordial. #NickFishermanLabors
“Joke”I've just finished the 60th episode of #BreakingBad. This is shaping up to be a kind of okay series. I hope it starts getting better, though. I don't want to invest any more time in it if it doesn't.
Story Quote"Screw that other stuff. If you have the real thing—and people are willing to labor FOR FREE—why would you choose anything else? Those should be a last resort. If they want this planet to be self-sufficient, then we have what you’re looking for." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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7
Citrus Prayer"Worship?" Dave asks. // "You have to pray to her," Dodeka explains…sort of. "But you have to mean it. You have to REALLY mean it, and if she's where I THINK she may be, the message STILL may not reach her." // "Hm," Rochelle says simply. // "I'm not religious." #CitrusPrayer
Nick Fisherman LaborsThere's something very off about this place. It's not that everyone is here against their will, trapped and working as slaves with no hope. It's more like it doesn't bother them. They don't look happy, but they don't look disgruntled either. Just…neutral. #NickFishermanLabors
Fake ConversationThat New Pope: "Can you fix it for me?" // Me: "I don't know much about computers." // The Pope: "I thought you worked for Google." // Me: "No, I said Gogol. I'm a Russian assassin." // The Pope: "Should you be admitting that?" // Me: "Who are ya gonna tell? This is confession."
Story Quote"They’ve used this resource far more often than they morally should. It’s just too tempting. The issue is how much she likes it. She loves the attention, and it gives her a sense of power that she doesn’t deserve. Bariq prepares himself at the entrance." #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 8
Citrus Prayer"Well, that might be good or bad," Dodeka decides. "Someone that's already used to praying could be pretty good at it. Or it could be that it won't work because they typically pray to a different figure. You don't want faith in God…you need to have faith in HER." #CitrusPrayer
Nick Fisherman LaborsThis is only my first day. Before Leonard and I got ourselves captured, we didn't make any sort of breakout plan. The others may intend to do that or not. For now, I'm just going to keep my head down and take it slow. I look for sleep in the last empty bunk. #NickFishermanLabors
NanostoryI decided to cancel my trip to the next alternate reality on my list. Literally every product must have a DO NOT FLUSH label on it. I'm talkin' your phone charger, your vacuum cleaner, your body pillow. People are driving around with the words DO NOT FLUSH on their damn cars!
Story Quote"Mateo just remembered something else, from a movie that didn’t exist in this reality, but did in the real one. 'I think there’s been some kind of mistake. We’re actually supposed to be getting out of jail today, not going into it.' Could this even work?" #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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9
Citrus PrayerDave stands and looks around at the hotel as he can see it from here. "This place is a testament to Meliora's goodness, and her majesty, if not divinity. I may not have any level of religious faith in her, but she absolutely has my devotion. This shouldn't be hard. #CitrusPrayer
Nick Fisherman LaborsTo my surprise, the mattress isn't too bad. It's a quiet night. No one has night terrors, and there aren't any midnight murders. I don't know why I expected that, but I expected SOMETHING crazy to go down. We wake up with the sun, and head back out for work. #NickFishermanLabors
NanostoryMy friend played a prank on me by writing my social security number on a thousand one-dollar bills. I spent thousands of dollars more trying to buy them back from the people he had distributed them to. I only missed one, and now I'm on the no-fly list.
Story Quote"They adjust this insulation and pressure accordingly as they’re on their way back. This allows the ice to melt into a liquid, and drain into a second tank without sublimating into gaseous form, which is what it would typically do in a vacuum." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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10
Citrus PrayerHe reaches in, and pulls out his last teabag. "Open the lockbox," he requests Dodeka. Meditation tea in the past has been anecdotally successful at best. These days, it's for real. Which is why they're locked up. His next cup will get him in the right state of mind. #CitrusPrayer
Nick Fisherman LaborsThe morning work is uneventful. We're still just breaking rocks. Just before lunchtime, though, a small batch of new prisoner slaves show up. One of them is Mazin. He doesn't look too worried. My guess is that the team has a plan, and he's here to relay it. #NickFishermanLabors
NanostoryI just tried Mello Yello for the first time, which I assume is human urine? It's not as bad as we guessed. It may come to be a delicacy on our home world. What is your blood like? Is it too metallic? For reference, I think ours only contains about 15% of the iron that yours does.
Story Quote"History, on the other hand, never stops coming. Students today have more background to draw from than the students of yesterday, and the students of tomorrow will have even more. That is why it is so important to keep building places like this." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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11
Citrus PrayerDodeka hesitates for a second, but remembers the stakes. She stands in front of the lockbox and stares at it for a moment. Finally, she blinks, and it pops open. // "Whoa," Rochelle says. "Do you have telekinesis?" // "It's just your average, everyday psychic lock." #CitrusPrayer
Nick Fisherman LaborsI match the facial expressions of the other prisoners as we're watching Mazin and the other newbies be ushered in. He takes one split second to make eye contact, and the littlest of head shakes. Whatever the plan is, it doesn't involve reconnecting just yet. #NickFishermanLabors
Fake ConversationMe: "I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, but also a few things thrown in there that aren't exactly true, just to keep you guessing." // Judge: *shrugs* "That's fair."
Story Quote"The point is that we’ve been doing escape zones for nearly 500 years, so we know what we’re talking about. I doubt we managed to try them all, but we certainly did the majority. It’s our passion, and I don’t think that’s going away anytime soon." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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12
Citrus Prayer"You ever had real meditation tea before?" Dodeka asks. "You're from the past, ain't ya?" // Dave quickly—but not aggressively—snatches the teabag from her hand with a smile. "I have, actually. Different reasons." // "You'll need to check into a room." // "Thanks." #CitrusPrayer
Nick Fisherman LaborsIt's two full days before Mazin approaches, ever so slyly. Before then, all three of us just keep our heads down, and get our work done. No one dies, I don't see any abuse by the guards. I know it sounds weird, but I'm getting a bad feeling about this place. #NickFishermanLabors
Dumb DittyThis little piggy went to market // This little piggy did too // This little piggy also went there // This little piggy had no choice but to go with them // This little piggy tagged along // Five more piggies followed them there // The little piggies are attached to each other!
Story Quote"No work, they said; we wouldn’t have to work at all. This was another concept that we didn’t have any frame of reference for. You work, it’s what you do. Not even the war-fighting people said anything about a life where we wouldn’t have to work." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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13
Citrus PrayerDodeka associates a room for Dave's biometrics, but stays at the desk, as she is required to do despite there being no guests yet. Rochelle goes down the hall with him, and volunteers to start working on the mood lighting. It still needs to be a calming environment. #CitrusPrayer
Nick Fisherman Labors"Okay," Mazin begins in a whisper. "We were told something shocking about this area. I got myself caught on purpose to confirm." // "It's not real, is it?" I ask. // "It is not," Mazin replies. "It WAS a sophisticated simulation. Now it's just on autopilot." #NickFishermanLabors
Random NothingClear out, I'm finding purchase.
Story Quote"Developments in anti-gravity; induced stasis; transhumanistic enhancement, including bioforming; terraforming; power generation and distribution…it’s all here. Dare I say, we’re now more advanced than Earth is, even with all of its advantages?" #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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14
Citrus PrayerOnly when the hotel room is ready does Rochelle make Dave's tea. It must be imbibed rather quickly after steeping for it to be both effective and safe. The steeping step is crucial, though. They're dealing with a short window to make this meditation session happen. #CitrusPrayer
Nick Fisherman Labors"So these are androids?" Leonard asks. // "The way the researchers explained it, they're humans who have been reprogrammed to fulfill certain roles. I should think all of the guards are drones, and some of the prisoners, but newer prisoners may be like us." #NickFishermanLabors
NanostoryPeople are always trying to teach me how to train my dragon, but what they don't realize is that I've been training dragons for the last 320,000 years. I consider myself pretty good by now. Think about it, when's the last time a dragon destroyed a village? Yeah, you're welcome.
Story Quote"Is this a paradox? Is it impossible to be worthy of the power that one seeks if they seek it? Is ambition inherently evil? More importantly, how will the god twins see it? Earlier, she planted the seed of her answer when an old friend came for a visit." #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 15
Citrus Prayer"Ready," Rochelle says. // "Thanks." Dave takes it from her and has a sip. "Hm." Another sip. "Hm," he says louder. "It tastes different." He takes a bigger swig. "Yeah, that's weird." He sets it down to inspect the package. // "Weird how?" She takes her own sip. #CitrusPrayer
Nick Fisherman Labors"Can they be reprogrammed again?" I ask Mazin. // "That's not my department. You are our weirdness expert." // "True, but if I were writing this story, I wouldn't worry about the mechanisms of the mind control. I would just say that it happened, and move on." #NickFishermanLabors
“Joke”Our top story tonight, Gen Zers are completely ignoring all spelling and grammar conventions, which facilitate communication, in favor of making up their own personal language that's devoid of all meaning. Moron that later. First, is water wet? Republicans remain unconvinced.
Story Quote"Pacey said that not all of them would be alone for their assignments. But it wasn’t Leona or Romana. Not Olimpia, nor either of the Walton twins. Holy crap, it was Paige. Paige Turner, at an age that he had never seen her before. 'This way!' she cried." #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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16
Citrus Prayer"Wait, no!" It's too late. "This isn't the kind I had before. It's not Meditation Tea. It's Transcendence Tea. I thought it was just marketing, but now I'm thinking that it's something entirely different. You can't just drink stuff like that. Go throw up right now." #CitrusPrayer
Nick Fisherman Labors"We need to isolate one of them," Leonard begins. "That's how you attack any monolithic enemy force. You separate one from the herd, and try to turn them. You plant a seed of doubt or defiance, and let it grow until it spreads to the rest." // "Sounds risky." #NickFishermanLabors
Random NothingWhy is Google so interested in tracking what kind of porn I'm browsing? If I'm in incognito mode, it's for, like, a reason.
Story Quote"They’ve brought the dead back to life using realistic androids. Not all of them are even dead, but living performers who just aren’t freaking on Castlebourne. I guess they signed away the rights to their likeness, but that doesn’t make it okay." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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17
Citrus Prayer"I wasn't thinking," Rochelle says, "I didn't drink much, but vomiting it will not do any good. The damage is done, if it's even damaging at all. I'm sure that you were right the first time, and it's just a different type of meditation tea." // "We don't know that." #CitrusPrayer
Nick Fisherman Labors"None of us is qualified to do this," I point out. "Are you, Mazin? Don't answer that, I know you're not. We might be able to bring a dedicated team back, but we have to get out of here. Did you make some kind of plan for that?" // "Yes, we did. It's simple." #NickFishermanLabors
Random NothingI have a theory that Walter White died in the first episode, and the rest of this show is all in my head. Think about it, have you ever SEEN me watch it? Did you see this metal rod sticking through my brain? I think it's having a weird effect on me. Or it's all the meth I take.
Story Quote"One goes back to the beginning, and the other returns to where you last were. So it’s not just some kind of trick of the mind, or an illusion. Or maybe it still is. It boggles my mind, I can’t figure out how the crazy Escher configurations work." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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18
Citrus Prayer"Whoa." Dave starts to sway in all directions before he can continue scolding her. "It feels like a narcotic." // "I feel it too," Rochelle agrees, "maybe not quite as strong." // "Let's get into the beds." // "Lying down?" // "Do YOU think you can stay sitting up?" #CitrusPrayer
Nick Fisherman Labors"We walk through the front gate," Mazin says, as if that makes any sense as an escape plan. // "That will get us killed," Leonard argues. // "Not if we're wearing guard uniforms." // "They know our faces," I say. // "I don't think they do," Mazin counters. #NickFishermanLabors
“Joke”Can worms get ATDs?
Story Quote"Anyway, if you have some particular interest in seeing what Tokyo looked like a few decades before this great transition—or in reminiscing—come check it out. There’s plenty to do here, but the theme isn’t any narrower than the city as a whole." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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19
Citrus PrayerWhile Rochelle takes the bed next to the bathroom and exit, Dave takes the one next to the window. He's pretty sure that this floor is underground, and the window is for show, but it's not like he can check. He's drifting away to dreamland. Or maybe…transcension? #CitrusPrayer
Nick Fisherman Labors"I told you, it's a simulation," Mazin insists. "They don't know who we are, or what we supposedly did to get ourselves thrown in here. We're just the ones not wearing uniforms. Have you watched them closely? They don't recognize each other. I'm sure of it. #NickFishermanLabors
Fake ConversationMe: "Sir, their shields are down to 10%! This is our chance to take out their offensive array. What are your orders?" // Captain: "Weapons to maximum. Target their infirmary, school, and daycare center!"
Story Quote"That’s the thing about a rainforest, which sets it apart from other forested environments; you’re wrapped up in the foliage, and can’t see very far. When you’re in it, it feels like this is all there is, and if you’re alone, you feel that too." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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20
Citrus PrayerThe room begins to spin. Dave can somehow see it even though his eyes are closed, so he must already be in the dream. Everything in the room slowly begins to disappear, including both beds. But Rochelle is still over there. Neither of them can move until it stops. #CitrusPrayer
Nick Fisherman LaborsMazin and I start to argue with each other about what I feel is a pretty half-assed plan. Do you know how many prison break movies involve wearing guard uniforms to sneak out? Almost ALL of them! And it is always unbelievable. People know their co-workers! #NickFishermanLabors
NanostoryI usually have to poop three times a day. It's very important that I hold off for the second one until AFTER the next shift for the downstairs workers starts. That way, no one seems me go in there twice. Ah, this was funnier when I had a job.
Story Quote"You will not be able to bat the hostile force around like a cat with a ball of yarn. You’re meant to be in a simulation of what the horror would be like if these characters were real, and that goes for the victims just as much as the bad guys." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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21
Citrus PrayerThey're floating in darkness now. Suddenly, an explosion of colorful light overwhelms the space all around them. A sphere of these technicolors forms—no up, no down. It's hard to tell how expansive it is. "Dave?" Meliora asks. Ah. There she is. // "You're missing." #CitrusPrayer
Nick Fisherman LaborsMazin and I are still fighting, raising our voice too loudly, when he notices that Leonard is no longer here. We look around the shed that we're having our secret meeting in, but he's nowhere to be found. He must have gone off to do something dumb and heroic. #NickFishermanLabors
Random NothingIt is as the old adage goes, 'when life hands you pencils, harvest the graphite to build graphene-infused body armor to go after your enemies.'
Story Quote"This one is called Rocking the Boat. These meetings allow Clavia to regain the memories that Echo took away from her, but before that happened, she had the mind of a child, so you can’t expect anything too complex or cerebral, even now that she’s older." #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 22
Citrus Prayer"Am I?" Meliora asks breathily. "It's so hard to keep track of time in here." // "You're a time traveler," Dave reminds her. "You could have gone back one second after you left. You still could. You're late on purpose. People are counting on you." // "Not anymore." #CitrusPrayer
Nick Fisherman LaborsI leave the shed first, letting Mazin wait five minutes so no one sees. Someone does anyway. There aren't many women here, but there are a few. One of them sidles up to me. "You and that guy having a little fun, are ya?" // "What?" // "You were in that shed." #NickFishermanLabors
Random NothingIf you see something, don't say something. Keep it a secret. Put it in your pocket. Feed it blueberries.
Story Quote"The glow consolidated, and began to take shape. Before too long, it was in the form of a knife. And he could feel it in his palm. Somehow, despite Pacey’s restrictions, Mateo’s weird telekinetic hologram powers were back, at least in this one instance." #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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23
Citrus Prayer"Kinda harshing my buzz here, Dave." // "I just need to ask about citrus," he replies. // "What about it?" Meliora asks. // "Why is it forbidden?" Rochelle asks. "Why can't lemons and limes travel through time? Not even its digital DNA can." // "It's complicated." #CitrusPrayer
Nick Fisherman LaborsI take a second. This woman believes that Mazin and I were in that shed to hook up, not to plan our escape. I don't know these people's thoughts on sexuality, but judging by her demeanor, it's all right, so I better just roll with it. "Keep your voice down." #NickFishermanLabors
Dumb DittyMe: "Boss, you need to change your password to something stronger." // General: "How do you know my password?" // Me: *laughs* "It was, like, the second thing I guessed. Do you know how many people use p@W$x5#Kz!f2R7_9*bQ3L^Y06sU_tIe8a$qTyFU@jN%5lM!oP&A0nD8rS^xW2yJ9zI#pLF3vG7hN?"
Story Quote"There were others who showed up a few minutes after me. We didn’t talk, but they seemed pleased. They stopped a few hundred meters from the entrance, and I guess admired the beauty before them. Then they picked up their gear, and walked away." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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24
Citrus Prayer"Yeah, we've discovered how complicated it is," Dave agrees. "What I'm really asking is how we get around it. I need a certain citrus to travel through time." // "I can't help you. It's a fact of life. Understanding why it doesn't work isn't going to fix anything." #CitrusPrayer
Nick Fisherman Labors"Hey, man," the woman says, "we all use the shed. The guards know about it, and they ignore it, because it's not hurting anyone, and it keeps us calm and compliant." // "That's why everyone's so…docile?" I ask. // "I guess," she says. "How else would we be?" #NickFishermanLabors
NanostoryI was the stormtrooper who hit his head on the door in that one movie. I was a lot taller back then.
Story Quote"Like, there was no tour or orientation, not even anyone who seemed to be in charge. They were just really secretive and weird. I was probably not meant to be there at all, but if that’s the case, why did they even let me in in the first place?" #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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25
Citrus Prayer"Tell me anyway!" Dave shouts. He needs his daughter back, so he'll yell at his boss. "Why citrus?!" // Meliora sighs. "The core genome of all species of citrus is a random anomaly, placing it in a uniquely fixed position within four-dimensional space." // "Saywha?" #CitrusPrayer
Nick Fisherman LaborsI frown at her, but it has nothing to do with the sex shed, really. "Are you a real person?" // "The hell's that supposed to mean?" she questions. // "Have you ever heard of Earth?" I ask. // "The planet we're on. I think so. Are you drinking enough water?" #NickFishermanLabors
AdvertisementGregorios Bank. You can't spell trust..without us. You can't spell mistrust or distrust without us either, so…just think about that when you're deciding where to put your money. We just want to be honest about how dishonest we sometimes are.
Story Quote"You can request a boat that’s completely sealed up, which has its own holographic display. You collectively decide on the apparent environment. You can make it look like it’s raining when it’s not, or not when it is. That was such a great idea." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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26
Citrus Prayer"Yeah, I didn't think you would understand," Meliora says. // "Then dumb it down," Dave demands. // She sighs again. "Conserved citrus code—when converted into a mathematical representation—just so happens to match perfectly with the universe's resonant frequency." #CitrusPrayer
Nick Fisherman LaborsBefore we can continue our conversation, we see a small commotion across the yard. Leonard's wearing a guard's uniform, and being dragged on his feet from one building to another. He jumped the gun, and Mazin was wrong. The guards know each other. Well, shit. #NickFishermanLabors
NanostoryThose stones that people think are "sailing" across the sand? LOL, that's just me. I scoot them by hand, and then brush away my footprints on my way back. You humans are so gullible. It's my job to waste your time with this pointless nonsense to keep you from inventing starships.
Story Quote"I understand what they were going for, but that was probably a mistake. There should be a museum where they give you such education, not so you’re better equipped, but so you have a real appreciation for what you’ll experience in the simulation." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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27
Citrus Prayer"Dumb it down more!" he cries. // "Citrus sings the same song as the universe. They harmonize. They become intertwined on a quantum level. Even the raw, digital code is connected to the foundation of the cosmos. You try to move the citrus…you interrupt the song." #CitrusPrayer
Nick Fisherman Labors"One of the guards is in trouble." // I sigh. "That's no guard," I say under my breath. She hopefully didn't hear it. The plan might still work out. It probably won't, but let's not burn any bridges until we're miles and miles away. I walk off to find Mazin. #NickFishermanLabors
Fake ConversationInterviewer: "This is a serious position. Patient lives are in our hands. You'll need to lead multiple teams of doctors. Would you say you're a commanding person?" // Me: "Let's just say, when I walk into a room, all eyes are on me…because I usually have something on my face."
Story Quote"You actually kind of can grab this fog, so I think it’s made of nanites, but you won’t be able to carry it around with you. It sort of melts and drifts away? It’s a funny feeling, you should try it. They really thought it through in a fun way." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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28
Citrus Prayer"Okay…" Dave tries to figure out Meliora's explanation. "This is a quantum problem, yes? So maybe it can be solved with a quantum computer. The storage device that Jesi gave us was digital, from a classical computer. It blew up, but maybe a quantum drive wouldn't." #CitrusPrayer
Nick Fisherman LaborsMazin is staring at the building where the guards took Leonard. "Are they gonna kill him?" I ask. // "I don't know." He shakes his head. "I don't know anything." // "We gotta get him out of there." // He looks at me with puppy dog eyes. "I don't know how." #NickFishermanLabors
“Joke”Act now for a free monthly med kit. Get your hypersonic roller blades today. Only $999,999,999,999.99! // 🎶7:54, walkin' out the door! // 7:59, there at work on time! // Hypersonic Ro-Ros! // They'll take you where you go-go!🎶 // Hypersonic Ro-Ros! (Now in strawberry flavor.)
Story Quote"The Parallel was more than capable of doing it, but they chose not to. They still orbited stars. Even the interstellar settlements were quite literally few and far between. Why? Why keep the stars? Aesthetics? Safety? Ethics? Probably all of the above." #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 29
Citrus Prayer"You're going the wrong direction," Meliora says, shaking her head. "If you think the regular computer explosion was bad, just try to use a quantum storage crystal. That's an explosion you won't walk away from." She laughs. "You would need a biological computer." #CitrusPrayer
Nick Fisherman LaborsI look back at the guardhouse. "You recall what I learned during training?" // "That your learning disability keeps you from excelling at the intellectual aspects of this job, and it made more sense to just work out all the time?" // I rip of my shirt. "Yes." #NickFishermanLabors
Random NothingSteer clear of me, I'm FRAPing.
Story Quote"Something went wrong with navigation, which sent them on a detour away from Castledome. They ended up in Power Crystal Factor. Leona and Ramses tried to reroute them, but the controls were locked out. Someone wanted them here, almost certainly Pacey." #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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30
Citrus Prayer"Okay, we'll get a biocomputer." // "It has to have certain properties. Only a room-sized BC would work," Meliora claims. // Rochelle has been quiet for a while, but now she seems to have an idea. "I know a biocomputer that we can use, and it's just the right size." #CitrusPrayer
Nick Fisherman LaborsI burst into the guardhouse. I'm not as muscular as I wish, but at least I'm not fat anymore. And I've had many close calls with death, so I don't hold back when I'm in a fight. These guys don't know what they're in for. I'm in a rage, and they're in my way. #NickFishermanLabors
Joke? Or ConfessionAnyway, I'll call you later. I have to get to my Prim'ta ceremony.
Story Quote"So now you know why the crystals themselves are important, but that doesn’t explain why they need to be manufactured here, instead of the moon, where nearly everything else is made. It has to do with gravity. Crystals aren’t made, they’re grown." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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| July | ||||||
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| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 1
Citrus MnemonicDave and Rochelle wake up from their dreamwalking into another universe. Meliora gave them as much information about the citrus problem as she knew, or at least as much as she was willing to tell. Now it's up to them to find a new workaround. Rochelle has an idea. #CitrusMnemonic
Nick Fisherman LiberatesThis isn't the first time that I've had to fight off a bunch of people with my bare hands, but the last time I did it, I had superpowers. And honestly, I was none too concerned about their well-being. This time, I don't want to cause any permanent damage. #NickFishermanLiberates
NanostoryCurrently memorizing the lyrics to Eminem's 'Lose Yourself' so I can send my consciousness back in time, and perform it at my 8th grade talent show. Then there will be this question of whether I'm a time traveler, or if Eminem stole a song from some random 13-year-old in Kansas.
Story Quote"The creator gradually began to release his rights to the public, so others could explore the stories and themes that he conceived. The law didn’t require that he do that. He’s still alive today. By current laws, he could still retain the rights." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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2
Citrus MnemonicDave doesn't know her plan. "What were you thinking?" // "Biocomputers. They have very specific applications, but do not threaten traditional materials. Yet there is one that has no match. The mother of all BCs. The original, au naturel, model. Nothing beats it." #CitrusMnemonic
Nick Fisherman LiberatesHere's the key to fighting a dozen or so people at once. Don't think. Surrender to your own natural instincts. Don't stop moving either. You do not have to be precise. If you just keep swinging, you will always hit one target or another. Become an animal. #NickFishermanLiberates
Random NothingPigeons don't fight. They squabble.
Story Quote"There was a reasonable number of people at a store of some kind, which were common in this time period before they were replaced with free inventoria. Some were wearing blue vests or polo shirts, and name tags, so I’m assuming they worked there." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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3
Citrus MnemonicDave laughs through his nose. "A human? You wanna upload the DNA sequence into a human?" // Rochelle grimaces. "I don't think that would work. Even if you could interface with a human brain, it's gonna run into the same problems that any computer has with citrus." #CitrusMnemonic
Nick Fisherman LiberatesThe first guard comes at me, confident that he can take me down on his own. When I fight back, a second guard realizes that—while I'm still not liable to win here—I may need a stronger argument to persuade me to back off. I obviously won't. I hit him too. #NickFishermanLiberates
“Joke”I will not REST until I see every movie or show with a title that's just a year. 1917, 1923, 2040. All of them. When I'm done, I'm gonna ensure that somebody makes a movie that's named after every year that hasn't already had a movie named after it yet. How many years are there?
Story Quote"I’ve always wondered why every dome has the exact same dimensions regardless of the theme. My gut tells me that they constructed all the domes in one go, pressurized them, and only decided afterwards what the purpose of each one was going to be." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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4
Citrus Mnemonic"What's your proposal?" he asks. // She looks around. "The person we need to meet doesn't live here. I know that you can't time travel, so can you ask your friend to send us back to 2025?" // Okay, she wants it to be a surprise. "Let me give it a shot," he says. #CitrusMnemonic
Nick Fisherman LiberatesI keep thinking that, at some point, these guards are gonna decide to come at me all at once, but it never happens. Only one at a time. They come at me, I knock 'em down. It's like a poorly choreographed action sequence. Maybe they really are automatons. #NickFishermanLiberates
Random NothingFall back, I rockbottomed.
Story Quote"Here’s the most mysterious—and I think, best—part of this whole place, there is a layer near the top of the dome which no one has been able to figure out how to reach. There doesn’t seem to be any path leading to it, but we can clearly see it." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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5
Citrus MnemonicBuddy obliges, and sends them both back in time to 2025. Dave isn't surprised that they're in the Kansas City area again, since that's time traveler central, but according to Rochelle, the woman that they're looking for has nothing to do with that. She's a human. #CitrusMnemonic
Nick Fisherman LiberatesAfter I'm finished knocking out the guards, I find a set of keys on one of them, and start trying to figure out which one opens Leonard's cell. "You have been trained well, young Padawan," he says to me. "Did I use that right?" // "I guess." I'm not a fan. #NickFishermanLiberates
Fake ConversationGeneral: "This is an off-the-books mission, soldiers, so I cannot order you to get on that ship, but if you would like to volunteer, please take one step—" // Entire Squad: *takes one step forward* // "...backward. I guess that's a no for everyone. You're dismissed."
Story Quote"She’s become a better person, and genuinely wants to help now, which she knows will only make her an even better person. That’s what she learned on the first stage. Diversity and community are the keys to harmony, even though they can lead to conflict." #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 6
Citrus Mnemonic"Where to next," Dave asks. // "Can you take us where I want us to go without me explicitly telling you where?" // "Yes, you would be the navigator. It's quite common. Just focus on the target." They take each other's hands and jump. To the KC Mnemonist Society. #CitrusMnemonic
Nick Fisherman LiberatesAnother guard walks into the guardhouse before I can find the key. "Hey!" he shouts. That's all he gets out, though, before he's strike from behind, and falls over. Mazin steps in, and begins to drag the unconscious guard farther inside to clear the door. #NickFishermanLiberates
“Joke”I read the entire Bible cover to cover, and I must say…I think I read the wrong book. It was only twenty pages long, and it talked a lot about mower maintenance.
Story Quote"Mateo hugged Octavia, placing himself closer to his nanites, and commanded them to recede into his implants and go dormant, which they did. So he was still naked, but he didn’t want to command them to do anything else. He was afraid of another glitch." #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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7
Citrus MnemonicDave laughs. Then he laughs some more. He keeps trying to stop himself from laughing, but loses all control over it. He literally slaps his knees in delight. Some passersby notice, but Rochelle waves them off. Finally, he catches his breath. "This is the plan?" #CitrusMnemonic
Nick Fisherman Liberates"Not that I'm complaining," I begin, "but why did you wait to enter?" // "This is your first mission," Mazin explains. "Just because you were captured, I saw no reason to coddle you. If anything, it was even MORE important to see what you were made of." #NickFishermanLiberates
“Joke”The disembodied voice that has been whispering my name every minute or so since I hit puberty has been sounding rather hoarse lately. Should I try to take it to the doctor? Is there such a thing as a Phantom Voice Specialist? Has this ever happened to anyone else's phantom?
Story Quote"There is opportunity for spelunking and cave diving, but through the lens of this goal of exploration, not so you can test your mettle, bump your heart rate up, or get your rocks off, so to speak. Don’t come here and be disruptive or annoying." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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8
Citrus Mnemonic"Yeah, this is the plan," Rochelle defends. // "Roche, the gene sequence for the fruit is hundreds of millions of letters. No one can do that." // She gestures towards the building they're standing in front of. "There's someone in there who can. I'm sure of it." #CitrusMnemonic
Nick Fisherman Liberates"Fair enough." The three of us start to drag the guards into the cell. It's a tight fit, because it's not meant for this many people, but we're not gonna leave them in there forever. We just need to even out the numbers a little bit. Now maybe…weapons? #NickFishermanLiberates
NanostoryMy real name, Tavis means "bravery in the face of adversity under a waxing gibbous after the summer crops yield their last harvest, but before the snow falls upon the valley, as enemy forces storm the gate following the sound of six horn calls at least two leagues away." Roughly.
Story Quote"The show never ends. Again, it’s a cool concept, but if you stare at it long enough—even though you’re going, like, a thousand kilometers per hour—it starts to look like a painting. Well, I can go look at a painting of a sunset whenever I want." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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9
Citrus Mnemonic"Are ya thinking of someone specific," Dave presses, "or are you just confident that one of the people in there is a genius among geniuses." Rochelle smirks, and begins to walk up the steps. "I know exactly who we're looking for. Come on, slowpoke." // He follows. #CitrusMnemonic
Nick Fisherman Liberates"What do we do now, boss?" Mazin asks. // I look over at Leonard, confused as to why Mazin thinks he's in charge, but okay. They both look at me, though. "Huh?" // "This is your op," Mazin insists. // "Since when?" // "Since Vin and I had a little chat." #NickFishermanLiberates
“Joke”As part as my job leading the proceedings of this peace treaty, it is my responsibility to accommodate you during your stay in our domain. I shall give you a tour of our fort to ease you into this before negotiations begin tomorrow. We'll begin with the armory. The code is 1337.
Story Quote"To be clear, you don’t have to have any Chinese heritage to come here. In reality, they encourage you to visit regardless of your family background or creed, and learn about Chinese history and culture. That’s the whole point of cultural domes." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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10
Citrus MnemonicThe two them walk up to the main doors, and try to open them, but they're locked. They look to their left to see someone else open a different door. That must be the right entrance. But when they move over, it too is locked. Someone else opens the first door. WTH? #CitrusMnemonic
Nick Fisherman Liberates"What do you mean by 'chat'?" I question. // "Relax, he's fine. We both agreed, however, that this is more your territory. It may even be yours in a more literal sense. So now that my initial escape plan won't work, it's up to you to decide how to fix it." #NickFishermanLiberates
Random NothingA few years ago, I happened to set a dentist appointment for 2:30 PM. Oh, when the dentist realized it, he just laughed and laughed. Stabbed my tongue four times, and accidentally pulled out a perfectly healthy tooth, but at least he enjoyed himself.
Story Quote"Did you grab on to something? Can you keep holding onto it? Are you gonna fly over the edge? If you do, will you activate a parachute, or a wingsuit? If not, will you manage to land in one of the scattered foam pits, or plummet to your death?" #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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11
Citrus Mnemonic"Wait, what's this?" Rochelle lifts a metal flap on the door, revealing a small LCD screen. Numbers begin to flash. It's hard to tell how many, but dozens. "Oh my God, it's the door code. We can't get in unless we can memorize it." // Dave smiles. "I got this." #CitrusMnemonic
Nick Fisherman Liberates"Well…" I look over at the guards, who are starting to wake up. "They did us a solid, putting themselves all in one place. If we wanna take over, we're gonna need to neutralize the rest of them next." // "So it's a jailbreak. For everyone," Leonard says. #NickFishermanLiberates
Fake ConversationMe: "I'm more powerful than every single version of #Superman combined. Now ask me how that's possible." // You: "How is that possible?" // Me: "Because I…exist. I'm also more powerful than God."
Story Quote"If you were mostly biological, it should be easier to adapt to the new body. I met one climber who was born 24 years ago, and never received any meaningful upgrades. Guy did it in two weeks. He works out to stay fit, and pretty much always has." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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12
Citrus Mnemonic"Wait," Rochelle stops Dave. "Smile, you're on camera." // He sighs. "Right. Let's go over there." He points to some trees down the street, between this building and the next. They walk into the tiny forest, hoping that it obscures them enough before he teleports. #CitrusMnemonic
Nick Fisherman Liberates"I don't see why not," I reply. "I don't know any reason why this prison camp ought to be kept running. I've not met anyone violent of vicious, have you?" // "I'm not arguing," Leonard says. "Let's do it." // "I need to find the key to the armory," I add. #NickFishermanLiberates
NanostoryHis name was never meant to be Han Solo, because that's not a real name. It was originally Hans Olo, but back in the 1970s, most actors couldn't read, so they learned their lines by hearing them, and a misunderstanding led to who we now know as a character with a dumb name.
Story Quote"Senona frowns with a level of rage that they have not felt in a long time. 'I’ve had enough of your editorializing. You can stop inserting yourself into the story, thank you very much. I’ll talk to them myself.' They take a breath, centering themselves." #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 13
Citrus MnemonicThey appear in a dark corner, away from prying eyes, which is a little trick that Dave can do without even knowing exactly where he's going. Rochelle takes the lead at reception. "Hi, we're looking for a friend. June St. Martin." // "Everyone's looking for June." #CitrusMnemonic
Nick Fisherman Liberates"I wouldn't think you would use violence," Mazin notes. // I chuckle once. "I won't." Then I luck into finding the key right away. I slip it into the lock, and break it off. Now no one can get into the locker. "The pen is mightier, as they say. Let's go." #NickFishermanLiberates
Random NothingI wish I got paid every time something fell in my shower in the middle of the night.
Story Quote"The leader nodded. He walked past Boyd, and as he was adjusting his pants, got a better look at the community. He turned back around to address Boyd again. 'How are your thralls doin’? You’ve been here a while. Do you need a top-up?' A top-up of slaves?" #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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14
Citrus Mnemonic"Are you trying to tell us that she's missing?" Rochelle questions. // "No," the receptionist replies. "She's just well sought after. You'll have to get in the proverbial line." // Rochelle looks at Dave. "She's the best. I'm not surprised that she's so popular." #CitrusMnemonic
Nick Fisherman LiberatesThe three of us walk out of the guardhouse. There are only five guards left now. One is walking the grounds while the others are in the watchtowers on the corners. They stand there with their rifles, keeping an eye on all. They usually have help, though. #NickFishermanLiberates
“Joke”I wanted to thank the person who stole the tape deck out of my car. Now I have a handy little shelf where I can put my stacks and stacks of cash. And the breeze is kind of nice these days.
Story Quote"Well, they do have group showers. If you wanna wash off in full view of others, that’s your business, and theirs. It’s not 2025, where everyone is sexually unhealthy, and self-conscious. When you’re done with the shower, they have hot tubs too." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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15
Citrus MnemonicShe turns back to the receptionist. "Listen, what can we do for five minutes with June? That's all we ask. No pressure, to you, or to her. We just want to plead our case, and if she's not interested, we'll totally leave." // The receptionist sighs. "Have a seat." #CitrusMnemonic
Nick Fisherman Liberates"Damn," I say. "There aren't enough of us to take them out all at once." // "Okay," Mazin decides. "Part of the OG plan will work. Take those two." He walks clear across camp, and approaches the main gate. He holds one hand up, and does something with it. #NickFishermanLiberates
NanostoryI worked very hard centuries ago to make sure that the word that meant "fundamental" would share its first three letters with the word that meant "fun". I wanted to make elementary school students roll their eyes, and also being immortal can be QUITE BORING.
Story Quote"Humans are unique in that we are compelled to make and preserve other species besides our own. Whether it benefits ourselves or not, we want it to live. It’s why we consolidated our population into centralized spaces on Earth, and why we left." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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16
Citrus MnemonicThe receptionist calls someone on the phone while they're waiting in the lobby, but they can't hear what she's saying, or who she's saying it too. Ten minutes later, a young woman steps out of the elevator, and approaches them. "All right, which three letters?" #CitrusMnemonic
Nick Fisherman LiberatesWhile Mazin is heading for one of the watchtowers, Leonard and I see fireworks erupt in the distance. Everyone else sees it too, including the guards. Distracted by the disruption, they train their weapons in the distance, and block out everything else. #NickFishermanLiberates
Random NothingJust bought a brand new car phone. Can't tell you what the number is. Can't figure out how to figure it out..
Story Quote"If you’re wondering if it’s even possible for multiple people to visit Threshold, and not run into each other once in a while, I assure you that not only is it possible, it may be impossible for two to cross paths. There is plenty of room here." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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17
Citrus Mnemonic"Three letters?" Rochelle echoes. // "Yeah," June says. "CIA? DOD? Who are you with?" // "Uhh," Dave begins, "four letters actually. T-I-M-E." // "Hm. Never heard of you." // "Is there somewhere private we can talk?" // "Sure." June leads them into a quiet room. #CitrusMnemonic
Nick Fisherman LiberatesLeonard takes the north tower while I take the west. I sneak up the ladder, and put the guard up there to sleep before he even knows what's happening. Looking across the camp, I can see Leonard taking similar steps to incapacitate the threat. Almost done. #NickFishermanLiberates
“Joke”Okay, rivers have existed for a few thousand years. Shouldn't they all be done emptying their water into the ocean? How much did they drink?
Story Quote"Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like they were shocked and appalled. The design was very clear in the prospectus, and you know they read that whole damn thing, because I waited for them to finish it while we were sitting in the vactrain station." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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18
Citrus Mnemonic"What's your favorite place on Earth?" Dave asks. // "Lemme guess, you'll let me live anywhere, as long as I become your walking, talking encryption key." // He shrugs. "Sure, let's go with that." // June smirks. "Snake Island." // "Done." He teleports them there. #CitrusMnemonic
Nick Fisherman LiberatesMazin is already down from the first tower, and is heading up the second. Confident that he'll succeed, I climb back down, taking the rifle with me. I climb onto some scaffolding that is being used to build a new wellhouse. The prisoners are very curious. #NickFishermanLiberates
Fake ConversationMe: "Is the answer 42?" // Game Show Host: "Ah, close but no cigar." // Me: "Oh, I'm not getting a cigar? Whew! Thank God. You should have told me that that was the punishment for winning. I would have gotten it wrong on purpose."
Story Quote"I don’t have any friends so I shared a raft with some lovely, kind strangers. They calculated that it was probably close to 120 kilometers, which is insane to me. I grew up in the 2080s and ’90s; we didn’t have anything anywhere near this scale." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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19
Citrus MnemonicFlabbergasted, June stumbles backwards, trying to figure out what the hell just happened. "H—how…?" // "This is nothing," he says. "I can take you to other planets." // "How would we breathe?" June questions. // "Using air." // She's scared. "What do you want?" #CitrusMnemonic
Nick Fisherman Liberates"People of whatever the name of this prison camp is! I declare freedom for you all! Most of the guards have been locked up! Those who haven't have been disarmed and incapacitated!" I raise the rifle in victory. // "Not so fast!" Oh right, one more guard. #NickFishermanLiberates
“Joke”My lo'taur just dropped a cup of lemonade in my lap, which made it look like I peed my pants. Which I didn't. I DIDN'T! It doesn't matter what you've heard! I had no choice but to take him as host instead. Now my previous host is the one who peed himself. What an IDIOT! #peefree
Story Quote"Audrey chuckles. 'He is a singular man of singular focus. That is precisely why we decided to do this behind his back. He misses things sometimes. He needs others more than he will admit.' She smiles, presumably remembering something from their future." #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 20
Citrus Mnemonic"You have a gift," Dave begins. "You can memorize untold data, and we just happen to have a certain sequence of data that we need transported securely…to the future." // "You can't just put it on a flash drive?" June suggests. // "It blew up," Rochelle explains. #CitrusMnemonic
Nick Fisherman LiberatesThe final guard hasn't been dealt with yet, but he also doesn't have a weapon except for a knife, which will do almost nothing when everyone else has pickaxes and hammers. He suddenly realizes the disadvantage of being utterly alone. // "Do not hurt him!" #NickFishermanLiberates
Random NothingI pricked my finger, and looked at my blood through a magnifying glass. I didn't see any microplastics in there. I think this is all being blown way out of proportion.
Story Quote"Amidst their silence, he deftly stepped backwards into the pod too. 'Just remember that the next time you come across someone you think needs to be taught a lesson.' The doors closed with perfect timing, sending them away and home. Hopefully, that is." #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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21
Citrus Mnemonic"It's VERY sensitive data," Dave goes on. He proceeds to start at the beginning, with an explanation of time travelers, and other people with special temporal abilities. He says as much as he can to illustrate his point without getting bogged down in the details. #CitrusMnemonic
Nick Fisherman Liberates"We weren't gonna!" one of the other prisoners replies. Sorry, FORMER prisoners. // "It's time for us to get outta here!" I go on. "Unless anyone has a better idea!" I laugh. // "This is our home!" one of them responds. "We don't want to leave!" Uh, what? #NickFishermanLiberates
NanostoryI just returned to normal life after being undercover in the Icelandic mafia for nearly a year, and if there's one thing I learned, it's that Iceland…does not have a mafia. I just sat alone in a barinn for ten months.
Story Quote"While they were assembling the internal components, they most of the time looked no different than a car, or some other machine, but then they moved on to the skinning process. Seeing them look like half people was unnerving, and maybe horrific?" #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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22
Citrus MnemonicJune tries to find a place to sit down to process, but there are too many snakes. Dave chuckles, and teleports them to Stonehenge. There are a ton of visitors, but only the early morning tours allow for up close viewing of the site. So they are essentially alone. #CitrusMnemonic
Nick Fisherman Liberates"You—you're prisoners," I say, super confused. // "Well, they take good care of us," someone explains. Everyone seems to agree. // "What seems to be the problem?" Mazin asks as he's walking up to join us. // "There wasn't one until we showed up," I reply. #NickFishermanLiberates
Random NothingI just looked at the satellite photos of Area 51, and saw the aliens.
Story Quote"Yes, there are unicorns and pegasuses. You cannot ride either of these things, because if they existed in the real world, they wouldn’t let you, at least according to the Castlebournian interpretation of the mythology. The pegasuses can’t fly." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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23
Citrus MnemonicJune sighs. "What you're asking for, it's not a matter of sitting down and reading the genome of your little fruit. Memory doesn't work like that. Sure, mine is eidetic, but there ARE limits to rote memorization, and millions of base pairs lies beyond that limit. #CitrusMnemonic
Nick Fisherman Liberates"They don't wanna leave?" Mazin asks. // "No." // He reaches up to help me down from the scaffolding. "Then they don't have to. It will just be us." // I scan the crowd again. "These people are fucking weird. Let's get the hell out of here." // "Gladly." #NickFishermanLiberates
“Joke”I've just gotten my doctor's degree, or whatever they call it, and I've opened my private practice. I'm not taking any new patients, though, unless you're hot.
Story Quote"We could also grow diamonds in a lab, but there’s plenty of it in this world, so why not take what the Lord giveth. Now, what exactly is it used for? Well, it’s the primary material for the domes. Most of the domes here aren’t perfectly smooth." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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24
Citrus Mnemonic"I noticed you didn't say no," Dave points out. // June actually seems a little bit excited. "It would be the biggest challenge anyone in my industry has ever faced. It's not impossible, but we would need to come up with a unique system." // "Challenge: accepted." #CitrusMnemonic
Nick Fisherman LiberatesSo Leonard, Mazin, and I start making our way towards the fully open gate. We can see people head for us in the distance, presumably our friends. I turn back to the prisoners. "Anyone is free to join us!" Only one takes me up on my offer. It's the woman. #NickFishermanLiberates
“Joke”Whenever I come across a pretty woman who's dressed nicely, I always start by looking at her feet, and then slowly make my way up. That's the normal way to do it. Showing respect by making direct eye contact instantly is not the right way to show interest. Women are just objects.
Story Quote"There’s a ton of grass, patches of barren dirt, and very few trees. I didn’t see many other people while I was there, and the ones who did show up didn’t stay very long either, because we all saw the same thing. Potential. But not completion." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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25
Citrus Mnemonic"First," June goes on. "This man who's making you do this. What is your incentive? Is it a carrot, or a stick?" // "Carrot," Dave replies. "He says that he can bring my daughter back to life." // Now June is really intrigued. "Could he…maybe…do that for anyone?" #CitrusMnemonic
Nick Fisherman Liberates"You were in there for quite a while before you sent up the signal," Vin points out once we meet halfway. // "Things are more complicated than we knew," Mazin reports. "They're not just mindless drones. To be sure, they're drones, but unpredictable ones." #NickFishermanLiberates
NanostoryTrying to demonstrate for my telehealth doctor what my cough sounds like, and the video service keeps deleting the sound as background noise. How helpful.
Story Quote"Everyone is unique, and you don’t know what others have been through. And it really doesn’t matter. If someone has to leave in the middle of the fight, just accept that, and don’t make them feel bad about themselves. This is supposed to be fun." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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26
Citrus Mnemonic"Did you lose someone?" Rochelle asks. // "My sister, May," June replies. "I'll die soon too, from what she had. That's why I've always been hesitant to commit to an employer. It seems pointless when time is not on my side." // "Time is our business," Dave says. #CitrusMnemonic
Nick Fisherman Liberates"Let's get back to base," Dutch says. "I don't like the vibes in this area." // "You seem stoic," I point out. // "My temperament changes based on my diet and sleep schedule, and by my stress levels. I'll get back to myself now that I know you're safe." #NickFishermanLiberates
Fake ConversationMe: "Hey, I'm Nick. What's your name?" // Mike: "Nice to meet you. I'm Mike Birbiglia." // Me: "What did you say? Fike Firfiglifa?" // Mike: "That's right, Fick. Good pronunciation." // Me: "Fanks."
Story Quote"It’s just something that happens every once in a while. No one really knows why time travelers exist in the first place. But there are almost none on the ship. The real question is actually, why does it ever happen? Why are there any exceptions at all?" #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 27
Citrus MnemonicJune thinks about the offer. It's going to take a huge commitment, but she wants to try, even though she won't ever be able to tell anyone. Well, she could, but they wouldn't have the context. Why choose this one particular fruit? It doesn't matter. "I'll do it." #CitrusMnemonic
Nick Fisherman LiberatesI turn to take one last look at the prison camp. People are starting to venture through the gate, looking around as if they didn't realize that they could potentially walk this direction. They may not understand freedom, but they can at least see it now. #NickFishermanLiberates
“Joke”People at work all have these weird obsessions with dates. Their email signatures always say something like "OOO August 4 - 8." Some of them even say "OoO" like a child would put it. I don't understand, you've never seen those dates before?
Story Quote"Leona and Angela teleported away to meet up with Romana, who was sitting on the edge of an emerald pool, under a dome fittingly named 10,000 Emerald Pools. She was staring into the water, obviously aware that they had arrived, but ignoring them for now." #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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28
Citrus Mnemonic"Great! How does it work?" he asks. "What helps you memorize things, beyond just looking at data?" // "It's best to encode the info in more than one part of my brain," June answers. "I need to activate as many senses as possible. Probably not taste. Then again…" #CitrusMnemonic
Nick Fisherman Liberates"Hello. I'm Dutch Haines." He offers the woman his hand. // "Saonily," she replies, shaking his hand. "Saonily Lesher." // "It's nice to meet you, Saonily," Vin says. // "Thanks for being the only one to join us," I add. // She shrugged. "Seemed logical." #NickFishermanLiberates
Fake ConversationChevy: "There's a reason Chevy is called the heartbeat of America." // Me: "WHO calls it that?" // Chevy: *bashfully* "My mom."
Story Quote"A sign underneath informed me that I could leave at any time, but I would never be allowed back into any of the pits. That’s right, it is a one time experience, full stop. I’ll never be able to go back. It’s kind of sad, but beautiful, really." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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29
Citrus MnemonicIt's Rochelle who comes up with the system that June uses to memorize the whole genome. It's not just about the senses, but also different types of memory. First, the code flashes on the screen, and a robovoice enounces it. Sight and sound through semantic memory. #CitrusMnemonic
Nick Fisherman LiberatesAnd so we head off to the base where we can be safe from these slavedrivers and other nefarious entities. The research outpost we were originally going to try to reach has been abandoned, so I'm never gonna see that. Though I would like to check the stars. #NickFishermanLiberates
Random NothingI'm really good at goodbyes, and I love hospitals.
Story Quote"I moved over to the side to see if his eyeballs would follow me, and they did. At one point, he pointed right at me, and mumbled something in whatever language they spoke. I had kind of fallen behind the tour at that point, so no one else saw." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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30
Citrus MnemonicAs she sees and hears the code, she manually types it out on a custom four-key keyboard that they had built. Touch through procedural memory. She is given samples to eat, and for the aroma. Taste and smell. Each session is in a unique environment. Episodic memory. #CitrusMnemonic
Nick Fisherman Liberates"Oh, an animal," I say on our way there. It's a scorpion, and it's just now occurring to me that I've not seen a single other animal this whole time. "Wait. Have you seen other creatures here? Canines? Felines? Ursines?" // "We have fish," Dutch explains. #NickFishermanLiberates
Random NothingToday I learned that Rockford Loves Park. I didn't even know they knew each other.
Story Quote"It’s one of the biggest here, which is an important note to remember. These objects are not scaled relative to each other. The bookcase is actually smaller than the Crystal Ball, even though it’s the opposite for their real-world counterparts." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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31
Citrus MnemonicFinally, while June's medical condition doesn't allow her to sleep in the traditional sense, she does rest and meditate, and it is during these times that she listens to the DNA code, which was converted into musical chords. This facilitates her long-term memory. #CitrusMnemonic
Nick Fisherman Liberates"What are you thinking, Nick?" Vin asks. // "Have you measured the length of time here? Days? Years? Are they different?" // "Yes, actually," Dutch confirms. "You're thinking another planet?" // "Not even a little. It's Earth all right. It's OLD Earth." #NickFishermanLiberates
“Joke”I think my favorite episode of #BreakingBad is when Walter puts his tighty-whities on backwards, and starts shaking his cane at the neighborhood kids, yelling at them to get off his dust. You see, he doesn't have a lawn, he only has dust, because it's New Mexico.
Story Quote"They can block their own signals, keep secrets from each other, and can even disconnect at will. They are the elite. They make all the decisions while making it seem like a group idea. They were walking amongst us without the rest of us knowing." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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| August | ||||||
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| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 1
Citrus CloneJune was able to handle memorizing about 200,000 base pairs of the Buddha's hand citron per day, including 6- or 7-hour focused memorization sessions, and 8-hour meditations. They went all over the world to make each day feel unique, and more importantly, memorable. #CitrusClone
Nick Fisherman Liaises"Or should I say it's YOUNG Earth? I palm my face. "I can't believe I didn't realize it. The days did seem shorter, but I just assumed my biological clock was off." // "I don't understand," Leonard says. // "This isn't another dimension. It's just the past." #NickFishermanLiaises
Random NothingMy teeth have not stopped growing for the last three weeks. Do you think it has anything to do with the fact that I'm a beaver now?
Story Quote"We’re using steam to power our technology, from trains to computing machines. It’s not efficient, but it is fun, at least for us. It’s not for everyone. But the best part about it is you don’t have to live here permanently. You can just visit." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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2
Citrus CloneIt's been five years. June is about ready to go to the future for the final phase. She's going to sit down, and type out the entire genome for the Buddha's hand citron. Before they leave, though, they want to have a celebration. Unfortunately, Buddy has other plans. #CitrusClone
Nick Fisherman Liaises"How far in the past?" Vin questions. // "Well, I don't have a calendar," I begin to explain. "Don't they have astronomers researching here, though? I mean, the moon. It should be measurably larger in the sky. It's surely a several-million-year difference." #NickFishermanLiaises
Random NothingMoist.
Story Quote"Well, time isn’t what wears it down. It’s sex. The more often you have it, the more you butt up against the neural programming, and the less it resists, so you have to receive renewal injections accordingly. It’s an unfortunate but necessary tradeoff." #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 3
Citrus CloneHaving evidently been keeping an eye on the three of them this whole time, Buddy suddenly transports them to the future without their consent. "Are you freaking kidding me?" Dave questions, angered. "You could have killed her!" // "Wait, what?" June asks. "How so?" #CitrusClone
Nick Fisherman LiaisesEveryone looks up to the sky instinctually, even though there's currently no moon to be seen. We'll see it tonight. I should have noticed before. "How long have you lived here?" I ask Saonily. // "My whole life," she says. "It's not a million years for me." #NickFishermanLiaises
ShadeJust snagged my first 'with as' credit. Unfortunately, the movie is for HBO Max, so I'm guessing that the project will never see the light of day.
Story QuoteMateo continued to hold onto Bronach as he was dragging him towards the edgewater. 'Do we have to take our clothes off, or something!' he shouted as they were stepping in. // 'You’re not wearing any clothes!' Cece yelled back. That was technically true. #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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4
Citrus Clone"Oh, he didn't warn you?" Buddy grins, knowing full well the truth. "This might not have worked. Your head could have exploded, since it's storing the forbidden code for citrus in it." // Dave prepares for June's freak out, but it never comes. "Oh, okay," she says. #CitrusClone
Nick Fisherman LiaisesI shake my head. "Okay, it's time. I'm gonna need the whole rundown for this world. How did we find it? What have we been doing here? How many people are in this time period? Did our organization start the whole thing? Are there any other opposing factions?" #NickFishermanLiaises
“Joke”We got married at a Rockies at Pirates baseball game. We just held the ceremony in left field, and didn't have to worry about any fly balls, or anything. I think most of the audience was watching us instead of the game, as was the guy playing shortstop.
Story Quote"There are all sorts of goodies in your waste. It can be used for biogas, fertilizer, and even feedstock for additive printers. That’s right, the device you’re using to read this review may be made out of poop! It’s a…different circle of life." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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5
Citrus Clone"That's it?" Buddy questions. "Okay?" // June shrugs. "I'm gonna die soon anyway. You all know this. I'm not even sure that I can finish typing the sequence back out. It took longer than I wanted. I just couldn't work more than eight hours a day. It was too taxing." #CitrusClone
Nick Fisherman Liaises"We'll explain everythi—" Vin begins to say. // Dutch interrupts him. "He'll explain everything. I don't know all that much about it either." // "That's fair," Vin says, "but it's also true of me. I'm not totally in the loop. That is our whole mission here." #NickFishermanLiaises
“Joke”I found a polypeptide in my soup.
Story Quote"Some people got closer to being caught than others. There will be leaders on the leaderboard, who will move on to compete at the territory level. The top seven will represent their neighborhood in a game of 49 players and begin to run as a team." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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6
Citrus Clone"Well, I'm pleased you survived," Buddy says. "Let me show you to your office. I think you're really gonna like it. I've been just as busy as you in this time period." He doesn't show them to an office, but what looks like a VR pod. It's at the right angle anyway." #CitrusClone
Nick Fisherman Liaises"The government first came here ten years ago. Well, it was actually fifteen, but that was an accident. It took time to prepare a real mission. About seven years ago, they established a permanent presence, including the satellite we still can't link up to." #NickFishermanLiaises
“Joke”General: "What did you find?" // Me: "Take a look for yourself, sir." // General: "Has this been authenticated?" // Me: "By 20 independent scientists and experts." // General: "My God." *takes off his hat, and starts tearing up* "We were wrong all along. The struggle isn't real."
Story Quote"I only suggested minor improvements, but that is to be expected. There are more people on this planet today than there were yesterday, and there will be more tomorrow. The number of people who visit far outweigh the number of people who leave." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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7
Citrus Clone"I don't understand," Dave says. // "Typing out will take too long, and it's too tedious," Buddy begins to explain as June is inspecting the pod. "This will interface with your brain, and translate the code to stored data." // "What's the catch?" she asks, intrigued. #CitrusClone
Nick Fisherman LiaisesVin goes on, "as you've unfortunately seen, things have kinda turned to shit, so two years ago, our branch was chosen to come in, and get things straightened up. We're on our way to meet the team that stays here to watch over the base while we're back home." #NickFishermanLiaises
Fake ConversationMom: "Son, what are you doing in that rhino enclosure!" // Me: "Boopin' snoots!"
Story Quote"One woman lost her money on purpose, threw a tantrum, and tried to steal it all back, specifically so they would throw her in a cell, because it just doesn’t happen all that often anymore, and she certainly didn’t want to break any real laws." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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8
Citrus Clone"The catch," Buddy goes on, "is only that you still have to think about the genome one base pair at a time. I've been talking to experts, and the way you memorized the sequence, it's not stored in one place in the brain, so it can't be extracted all at once either." #CitrusClone
Nick Fisherman Liaises"After we showed up, Nick, we found the preexisting contingency to be rather adversarial, and in some cases, downright hostile. So to explain, it's entirely possible that people do know that it's the past, and how long ago, but are refusing to divulge that." #NickFishermanLiaises
Fake ConversationMy Teacher: "Misery loves company." // Me: "No, I don't."
Story Quote"If you’re an organic who still needs to eat, each bed comes with an interface that allows you to order concessions. If you’re not in one of the designated viewing loungers, you can request a mobile interface, and they’ll deliver to you wherever." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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9
Citrus Clone"She has to lie there the whole time?" Rochelle questions. // "Pretty much." He lifts a tube connected to the pod. "Food and water are provided automatically. She can take breaks if she truly needs to, but I would like to stay on schedule." // "That's not your call." #CitrusClone
Nick Fisherman LiaisesVin seems finished, so I point to Saonily. "She's lived here her whole life, but is obviously older than fifteen." // Right," Vin says with a nod. "That's when the first breach was reported to the government. We believe they've been happening for centuries." #NickFishermanLiaises
“Joke”I've never read, nor seen, any of the Lord of the Rings stories, but I just watched the last fifteen minutes of The Return of the King, and it made absolutely no sense. Why do people like this crap so much?
Story Quote"Dasher fathers three children with three different women within one year, with plans to conceive even more in the future, though he will hopefully slow down as there is a limit to how many younglings that a parent can responsibly raise at the same time." #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 10
Citrus Clone"You can at least let her lie down all the way," Rochelle suggests. // "No, this is correct," Dave contends. "135 degrees is necessary for this kind of pod. You're in a neutral position, so your brain remains active, but with less risk of naturally falling asleep." #CitrusClone
Nick Fisherman Liaises"So people just fall through portals?" I guess. "Randomly?" // "That's a different team," Vin answers, "but yes. We're here to deal with the people who come, but someone else is trying to stop it from continuing to happen." // "I need to meet them," I say. #NickFishermanLiaises
Random NothingFamily owned since 1987. Before that, we were owned by an eclectic ragtag group of mortal enemies.
Story Quote"Marie and Olimpia woke up on their backs on the roof of a building, but they didn’t know if it was the right one. They were trying to teleport to Bot Farm, but this could be just about anywhere. 'What happened?' // 'The crystal exploded,' Marie replied." #Salmonverse #fishquotes
|
11
Citrus Clone"If you think this will work, I'll do it," June begins, "but I am not stepping foot in that thing until we discuss terms." // "What terms?" Buddy asks. // "His daughter, and my sister," June says. "Bring them both back to life." // "That's tricky." // "Did you lie?" #CitrusClone
Nick Fisherman LiaisesI stop walking, so everyone stops with me. "Oh my God. I was right. I thought it was the infection, but it was all real. I could detect the portals, and shut them down. As it turns out, Dutch wasn't one of the people who fell through one, but they do exist!" #NickFishermanLiaises
Random NothingI am a cinnamon roll.
Story Quote"If there are too many different types of materials in one item, you can’t expect every end user to maintain each type in their private space. And even if you did, the feedstock itself has to be delivered, right? That’s where this dome comes in." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
|
12
Citrus Clone"I didn't lie," Buddy defends. "I can do it. I'm just not sure if I should. Your loved ones, when they died, they went to an afterlife. If they were good people—which I'm assuming they were—they're probably happy. They may not want to come back. Who has that right?" #CitrusClone
Nick Fisherman Liaises"Oh yeah," I remember that," Leonard points out. // Vin is less impressed. "Yeah, Nick. That's what put you on our radar in the first place. Until you mentioned it, we hadn't seen a pattern to the portals. They've begun to use your claims to predict them." #NickFishermanLiaises
Random NothingTen Ciudad.
Story Quote"We take care of them regardless of the price. If one community gives us ten chairs one month, but can only make five chairs the next, we still give them whatever they need. That’s not us being generous. That’s how we operate internally anyway." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
|
13
Citrus Clone"Can I talk to her?" June asks. "If she doesn't want to come, she doesn't have to, but I doubt she's ever been given a choice before." // "You get in that machine, I promise to find a way to connect you. As you know, we're on a bit of a deadline here, so to speak." #CitrusClone
Nick Fisherman Liaises"We really ought to be getting back to base," Dutch urges us. // "Right, walk and talk," I say. "I've always hated shows and movies where characters are on an important errand, only to find the time to stop and argue. I guess it was never that unrealistic." #NickFishermanLiaises
“Joke”My dog and I are on the same poop schedule, so we play Rock, Paper, Scissors to determine who gets to go first. I win every single time because that dum-dum always shoots paper.
Story Quote"What they don’t want is to have thousands upon thousands of visitors stepping over each other. It would kind of undermine the concept of an empty planet, even though it’s mostly about finding the truth about the alien race that once lived here." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
|
14
Citrus CloneJune looks to Dave for guidance, who doesn't give it. It's her call. He may want his daughter back, but he's not going to cause harm to someone else to do it. Then it hits him. He's already done that. He brought this innocent girl into this. He's not a good person. #CitrusClone
Nick Fisherman LiaisesWe keep walking. Saonily has a few questions along the way about where we come from, and what it's like. Then it prompts more questions, because I have to explain that I'm from a different world, and then Dutch mentions that he's been to other worlds too. #NickFishermanLiaises
Random NothingForget me, I'm busing to ascension.
Story Quote"These big machines grind up rocks, melt them down, and extract the constituent molecules. It’s all very technical. I thought it was cool to see the process, but I’m kind of a dummy. If you already know all this, it may seem normal and prosaic." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
|
15
Citrus CloneBefore Dave can start to grovel and apologize, June resolves the make the decision on her own. "Okay. I assume this tracks my vitals?" // "Yes," Buddy confirms. "It has everything you need." // She steps into the machine, and doesn't come out for another six months. #CitrusClone
Nick Fisherman LiaisesFinally, we make it to this big concrete bunker built into the side of a hill. Vin tries to punch in his code, but it doesn't work. He tries again, it still doesn't work. A voice comes on through the intercom, "your access has been revoked. Get outta here." #NickFishermanLiaises
“Joke”A pile of rocks: "We think that stones should be the dominant species on this planet!" // Me: "Okay, cairn."
Story Quote"They don’t only make 3D printed clothes. It’s not even just about the products that need to go out to other domes. You can actually come here to design and fabricate your own clothes, at whatever level of technological advancement you prefer." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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16
Citrus CloneWhile June is in the machine, Dave and Rochelle tend to her needs, just as they did during the memorization phase. They replace her food and water cartridges, and remove her waste as needed. These aren't glamorous jobs, but they are vital, and they're happy to do it. #CitrusClone
Nick Fisherman Liaises"See what I mean about hostility?" Vin asks me as a rhetorical aside. He leans towards the microphone. "By order of the President of the United States of America, I demand that you open this door, soldier!" // "I recognize neither hers, nor your, authority!" #NickFishermanLiaises
Fake ConversationRule 34 states that "if it exists, there is porn of it." If that's true…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………I don't exist.
Story Quote"For a moment, there is a silence as the three of them absorb each other’s perspectives. A stranger does walk up, and seems to identify the intensity of the interaction, so he leaves. Silveon leans against the trunk, and slides down until he’s sitting." #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 17
Citrus CloneBuddy goes off to do whatever he does when he's not forcing people to find him extinct fruit, and doesn't return until the code is complete, and June steps back out. He looks it over as if he can understand all these letters and nods. "Looks good. Let's do it again." #CitrusClone
Nick Fisherman Liaises"Dutch, do your thing," Mazin suggests. "Take your time." // Dutch scoffs. "Take what time?" While smirking at Mazin, and not even looking at what he's doing, he pulls an access card of some kind out of his bag, and waves it in front of the keypad. It opens. #NickFishermanLiaises
Random NothingI've just finished watching each and every episode of Gunsmoke 635 times. Now my life has no meaning.
Story Quote"He then reached up to squeeze the collar of his shirt. A hologram over his face flickered before collapsing entirely to reveal his true face underneath. He still looked like himself, but crystal shards were embedded in his skin. It looked very painful." #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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18
Citrus Clone"What do you mean, do it again?" Dave questions. // "I still need to synthesize the fruit, but I wanna resurrect other extinct species." // Rochelle winces. "She clearly can't. No offense, June, but…" // "No, you're right. I'm practically walking towards the light." #CitrusClone
Nick Fisherman Liaises"Quick hacking," Leonard notes. // "I'm not a hacker," Dutch clarifies as Vin is pulling the door open. "I just have the tools. Someone else made them. This is an executive keycard. They couldn't lock it out, even if they were smart enough to know about it." #NickFishermanLiaises
Fake ConversationSugar baby: "Are you loaded?" // Me: "Let's just say, I have really deep pockets." // Sugar baby: "That's what I'm lookin' for." // Me: "Now all I need is some money to put in 'em."
Story Quote"That’s right, it’s not a typo. I was barely young enough to reach the longevity escape velocity. Had I been born a few years earlier, I may have eventually died. So I know how vital it is to be able to get a second chance. A third. An umpteenth." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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19
Citrus CloneBuddy is transmitting the genome to his food synthesizer so it can print a sample of the Buddha's hand citron. "Don't worry about staying alive. I'm not gonna have you do anything more. I'm gonna have your clones do the rest." // "I never agreed to that," June says. #CitrusClone
Nick Fisherman LiaisesWe hear footsteps running towards us from the corridor. Vin, Mazin, and Leonard raise their weapons. I never took mine back after we got separated, and actually, I don't want to be a combatant here, but a diplomat. The soldiers come running up in formation. #NickFishermanLiaises
NanostoryI once blew the whistle on my company. We went upstairs to play badminton on the rooftop garden, but I'm really not into sports, so they just made me referee. It was a friendly game, so they didn't care too much about the rules. I only had to blow it once when someone tripped.
Story Quote"I didn’t come here because I was a skater. I came because I’m not, and I want to learn. I’ve had plenty of time to practice in virtual simulations but never got around to it, despite how accessible the worlds are. I guess I was waiting for this." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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20
Citrus Clone"You didn't have to agree," Buddy responds with a shrug of his shoulders. "I already sampled your DNA, and mapped your neurons. I can synthesize as many clones as I need, and send them all to slightly different time periods with the mandate to memorize my citrus." #CitrusClone
Nick Fisherman LiaisesFor a second, I forget that I'm not immortal anymore. Despite being a prisoner, I've felt pretty good while I've been here. No aches or pains. So I step between the two opposing parties and hold up my hands. "Let's all take a second to breathe," I suggest. #NickFishermanLiaises
NanostoryIn one reality, there is only one car model. Giant parking lots are a huge mess, especially after big events when everyone is looking for theirs at the same time. Just a cacophony of horn honks. I was once stuck for three days after the ballet.
Story Quote"In this world, people fart rainbows. Yeah, that’s fun, but there’s no history behind it. I suppose one day, we could end up living next to a community of Rainbow Farters of Erbikejifel, or some shit, but for now, it’s mostly only about novelty." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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21
Citrus CloneBuddy sees Dave's rage bubbling up. "Mister Seidel. You might be forgetting just how powerful I am. There's nothing you can do to stop me. If you so much as try, I'm not going to reconnect you with your daughter, or Miss St. Martin with her sister. Think about that." #CitrusClone
Nick Fisherman Liaises"Are you the one they keep talking about? The expert from another world?" one of the men from the base asks. // "We're all from another world," I propose. "This is millions of years ago. But you already knew that, didn't you?" // The leader winces. He did. #NickFishermanLiaises
Fake ConversationMy boyfriend's girlfriend: "Wow, you carved almost a whole model train out of butter. That's so impressive. Here are a few more sticks for your masterpiece." // Me: "Fattery will get you everywhere."
Story Quote"You can tell that it works too, because while you can’t physically feel the glacier’s flow unless you’re an advanced lifeform with the right onboard sensors, you can certainly hear it. It’s always screamin’ at ya while the ice breaks and slides." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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22
Citrus CloneJune holds her arm up against Dave's chest, even before he can lunge. Dave truthfully doesn't know if he was gonna do it, but better safe than sorry. "It's okay," she says before turning back to Buddy. "Make your clones. See what happens." // "Hmm. Is that a threat?" #CitrusClone
Nick Fisherman Liaises"Tell me what's going on," I offer him, doing my level best at playing the diplomat. I believe in nonviolence, and I'm not particularly violent myself. It's just that I'm not particularly good at talking to people either. I don't know how this is gonna go. #NickFishermanLiaises
NanostoryCaught my mirror image staring at my breasts. We usually manage to make eye contact simultaneously, but he lingered this time. I really hope I lose weight by the time this posts in about a year, so I don't actually have breasts anymore. That would be depressing. It's depressing.
Story Quote"The government couldn’t put effort into building something to your specifications, or with any sort of flair or whimsy. Even before megastructures, they came up with a few models, and everyone got the same thing, because it was the most fair." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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23
Citrus Clone"I'm not threatening you, Bud, but I don't think you understand how my condition works. Yes, I was born with it, but I had to train to use it correctly. I absorb everything I experience, and I'm constantly processing it, but accessing it is a whole different story." #CitrusClone
Nick Fisherman Liaises"This world is hell," the leader begins. He relaxes ever so slightly, but doesn't lower his weapon. "You people keep going back home to your burgers and fries, and your air conditioning that doesn't break down every other day. Why should YOU be in charge?" #NickFishermanLiaises
Random NothingFun fact: I hate fun facts, and I also hate myself, which is why I'm always looking up fun facts, and funner fact, I hate the word "funner" but as we've established, I hate myself, so I used funner…twice, and I hate run-on sentences, but like I've been saying, I hate myself.
Story Quote"Arqut is gifted at reading people. He’s scanning the crowd for any indications that anyone is clocking Waldemar’s performance. He hasn’t seen any skeptics so far, but they may be exceptionally emotionally intelligent too, and pretending not to notice." #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 24
Citrus CloneBuddy scoffs. "I told you, I mapped your neurons. Your clones will have learned your tricks. They'll all think they're you." // June shakes her head, almost sadly. "If you use my current brain, the disease will have progressed in them just as much as it has in me." #CitrusClone
Nick Fisherman LiaisesI face Vin. "Is this true? They can't go back home?" // "They've been here too long. The nerds worry about diseases." // "That's not how quarantine works," I say. "They're at no more risk of bringing back a disease with a long incubation period than we are." #NickFishermanLiaises
NanostoryWelp, I had to lock another reality out of interdimensional travel. Humans there somehow evolved to look exactly the same. They were overly excited to show me how they figured out how to film porn, which required developing smell-o-vision technology so it's actually fun for them.
Story Quote"She said that she wasn’t angry at him for not being able to resurrect Boyd a second time, but there would always be that question between them of whether he genuinely tried, or if the part of him that didn’t want to save Boyd was big enough to stop it." #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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25
Citrus CloneRochelle steps up. "Buddy. You resurrected an extinct species. Any other organism, that would be impressive, but you brought back something that shouldn't exist in this time period. You found a workaround. You have nothing left to prove. You are already a legend." #CitrusClone
Nick Fisherman Liaises"Good point," Vin seemingly agrees. "I'll write that up in my report, so our superiors change their minds entirely, and decide that no one who comes to this world can ever go back home. Is that what you want?" // I shrug. "Better than ending the human race." #NickFishermanLiaises
Random NothingI failed Advanced Curse Words in Middle School. I had to take it over the summer, it was so fumpting embarrassing. But I got through it, and look at me now!
Story Quote"There are some out there who believe that there is some sort of overarching plot here, and a secret hunt which will lead to genuine, valuable riches. I don’t know anything about that, but my advice would be to stick with what you’ve been given." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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26
Citrus Clone"You have a way with words," Buddy says to Rochelle. "You ever thought about being a diplomat?" // "I'm more into the written word," Rochelle responds. "Bit of a writer. Anyway, what do you say you make good on your promises? These people want their loved ones back." #CitrusClone
Nick Fisherman Liaises"What the hell are we talking about!" the opposing leader shouts. // "Whoa," I say. "Breathe. We're all on the same side. If you're pissed at how the system is set up, don't be mad at these guys. They didn't come up with it. Direct your anger appropriately." #NickFishermanLiaises
NanostoryI once played The Silver Surfer. Well, Visigoths once dipped my body in molten silver, then tossed my corpse in the ocean, does that count?
Story Quote"The space within the confines of the dome is pristine, and very easy to keep well-maintained. If they had to worry about dust storms clogging up the sensors, it would be this huge constant chore. So instead of a geodesic dome, it’s a smooth one." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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27
Citrus CloneBuddy looks down at his printer that's synthesizing the fruit he's been dying to try forever. "Just let me have one taste first. Then we'll call your family, okay? Can you wait another seven or eight hours?" // "I can do that," June agrees. // "Me too," Dave adds. #CitrusClone
Nick Fisherman LiaisesFinally, the base soldiers relax their weapons. They're not holstered quite yet, but I'll take it. "Okay, that's progress. Now, let's go inside to talk. I don't know much about this world, but I'm guessing we don't like to leave the door open for this long?" #NickFishermanLiaises
NanostoryI was a ballerina for 83 years before podiatry existed. That's why I invented the first podiatrist, because of how much pain my feet were in all the time.
Story Quote"So maybe they can improve upon that. I know it’s not easy, and maybe they shouldn’t try. After all, that’s why the flying spaghetti monster made Earth, because it already has everything you need, and the cycles kind of take care of themselves." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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28
Citrus CloneDave, June, and Rochelle let Buddy watch his masterpiece come to life. They go into the kitchen, and have some food of their own, but typical of the period. It's 3D printed too, but a full and hearty meal of meat and vegetables. Afterwards, June falls down and dies. #CitrusClone
Nick Fisherman LiaisesWe close the door behind us, careful to make sure that no one is watching. The other soldiers leads us down the hallway and into what appears to be a common area. It's not nice or fancy, but looks like it has just about everything they might need to survive. #NickFishermanLiaises
ShadeMe: "I was once involved in a car chase in my Chevy. You can even say that it was a—" // My Mother-in-Law: "No, don't finish that 'joke'. We all know where you're going with this. You pretty much said the whole thing already, and it's not even that funny. Let's move on."
Story Quote"Do not—I repeat—do not try to disabuse them of their reality. With enough brute force, you can break their software, and force a repair, but that’s so disrespectful and destructive of you. And keep your kids in line, because they will do this." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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29
Citrus CloneDave is frantic. Rochelle is stimming on the window bench. Buddy is trying to calm them down, but he's not all that emotionally intelligent, so he doesn't know what to say. He explains that nothing has changed. Now he just needs to bring three people back to life. #CitrusClone
Nick Fisherman LiaisesTwo other soldiers wearing camo pants but regular t-shirts are here. One was working out, and the other was reading. This is a VERY good sign. It means that the base people are aware that Vin and his team aren't threats, and they were never gonna hurt us. #NickFishermanLiaises
“Joke”I just can't get into all this new media. They all feel so cheap. So stop it with your tiker tokers, and your utubes, and your television, and your films, and your radios, and your books, and your musical instruments, and your paintings. The only decent art is oral storytelling.
Story Quote"Some of them their participants prepared their whole lives for. A lot of the rites of passage shown here have been lost to time as the culture who practiced them forgot, or had newer generations who began to see less value in maintaining them." #CastlebourneReviews #fishquotes
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30
Citrus CloneDave stops pacing, but he's still huffy. "Do it. Bring them all back now. No ghost phone calls. Just summon them in flesh and blood." // "Well, there is a wrinkle," Buddy says. // "Oh, here we go." // "We just need to wait. June is in a transitional state right now." #CitrusClone
Nick Fisherman LiaisesI forget everyone's name immediately, which is why I am not suited to be a diplomat, or a mediator, or anything like that. My brain just isn't good for it. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like anyone else has a better one, nor are they as passionate to try. #NickFishermanLiaises
Topical ReferenceDamon Salvatore beamed me in the head with my own heart after realizing that tearing it out of my chest didn't kill me. Haha, that guy's always failing to kill people. Someone make a supercut of that.
Story Quote"The human race is not inherently entitled to persisting. The fact that they exist does not, on its own, provide any transcendent benefit to the universe. This is a hard lesson to learn, and few have learned it. In an ideal world, they shouldn’t have to." #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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| 31
Citrus CloneDave suspects that Buddy's real reason for waiting is that he wants to try his precious time-traveling citrus, but he has the upperhand, just as he always has. After the last bite, he claps his hands. "Okay. She should be instantiated by now. Summoning them forth." #CitrusClone
Nick Fisherman LiaisesThere is a big table here, which can accommodate all of us. I ask everyone to sit down. They try to pick literal sides, but I discourage it. It's not round like the one in King Arthur's court, so I get creative using an alternating pattern. "Let us begin." #NickFishermanLiaises
“Joke”I came up with a new TikTok challenge. It's where you delete your TikTok account, and stop sending your data to China. I call it the BE A MEMBER OF THE FREE WORLD Challenge. No one's died yet, so that's a plus.
Story Quote"Mateo nodded. 'Don’t break your back planning, though. It’s gonna be intimate and low-key. Thanks!' // 'No. Thank you.' She was a little too mousy and contrite for someone called The Overseer. This whole thing with her son must really be messing her up." #Salmonverse #fishquotes
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||||||
| September | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 1
Limited YellowThe gate rolls open. Just as Ann crosses the threshold, her orange jumpsuit automatically turns yellow. She looks down at it in disgust. "Same terrible outfit, just in a better color." // May wraps her arm around her shoulders. "I'll order you up something nicer." #LimitedYellow
Nick Fisherman ListensThis is a harsh reality, but many who live here don't even know what they're missing. Saonily was born here, so she's fascinated by tales of buses and toaster ovens. But she's not the focus. It's on those who came from modern times, but are stuck here now. #NickFishermanListens
NanostoryMy shower poof started out white, but now it's pink. It's because I'm a vampire, but it's not what you think. I'm a very clean and humane feeder. No, it's pink because I'm a True Blood vampire, and I cry in the shower every morning.
Story Quote"There’s nothing to do here, really. You can’t camp overnight. You can’t have parties, or participate in water sports. You can have a nice picnic, and obviously, you can go on a hike. You can climb the mountain, or just sit and enjoy the peace." #CastlebourneReviews #Fishquotes
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2
Limited YellowMay snaps her fingers, attempting to change Ann's outfit into something a little more stylish, but it doesn't work. She snaps again. "What?" // "Just because I'm at Yellow level now, doesn't mean I have all the privileges. It's like a halfway house type of thing." #LimitedYellow
Nick Fisherman ListensAs I listen to their grievances, my initial thought is that they would be happier if they were brought more amenities, such as nicer bedsheets, and maybe some entertainment. But no. It's their families. They miss their families. I don't know how to fix that. #NickFishermanListens
Fake ConversationBartender: "Just so you know, sir, if you ask for it to be shaken, I'll assume that you don't also want it stirred. I won't do both unless you specifically ask for both."
Story Quote"As far as skills that are less practical in the synthetic era go, like stuffing mail in envelopes, or coding a program in an obsolete computer language called C++, you can do it just for fun, or to have a greater appreciation for modern living." #CastlebourneReviews #Fishquotes
|
3
Limited Yellow"Well, if I can't help you," May begins, "I'm sure Oliver can." // "He's still Unrestricted?" Ann asks. // "Why wouldn't he be?" // "They don't know that he's the one who taught me how to hack the system?" // "Guess not. Don't tell them anything now." // "I won't." #LimitedYellow
Nick Fisherman ListensWe're in a lull in the conversation. I'm about to say something when I think better of staying in mixed company, so I pull Vin aside. "We're gonna need to go back. There's a way to do help them, using a quarantine protocol so they can see their families." #NickFishermanListens
Fake ConversationI asked an unnamed AI to give me a joke, and this is what it said: "What do you call a cat with three eyes? // I don't know, what? // "A cat with three eyes, I guess. Why are you asking me that?"
Story Quote"I wish I understood it better, but the tour was very dry, and they assumed a level of intelligence and education that I don’t have. Everyone else probably had no problem, though. I felt like an idiot, trying to keep up with what she was saying." #CastlebourneReviews #Fishquotes
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4
Limited Yellow"Ann Seidel," comes the voice of a woman behind them. // "Don't tell me my release was a clerical error," Ann replies. // "Not in the least," the woman promises. "I am here to begin your first post-release counseling session." // "Oh. I thought that was a joke." #LimitedYellow
Nick Fisherman Listens"That is not my call," Vin replies, "nor yours." // "This is why you brought me here, isn't it?" I ask. "This world is full of chaos and confusion. We can't bring any sort of order for these people until everyone on the same side is also on the same page." #NickFishermanListens
NanostoryFabio once got confused about which commercial he was working on while on set, and accidentally said, "I can't believe it's not cancer" but it worked, because it wasn't cancer. They actually just ran that spot about a dozen times, but all copies have since been lost.
Story Quote"As far as new rides are concerned, you could take the megaengineering aspect of Castlebourne more seriously. I propose a drop tower right in the center that goes all the way up to the apex of the dome. That’s 41.5 kilometers, in case you forgot" #CastlebourneReviews #Fishquotes
|
5
Limited YellowShe approaches. "Chelsey Nussenbaum. Level Seven, Counselor Class." // "I thought counselors were Architects," May points out. // "Common misconception. Welcome Counselors are because they build their own orientation structures. I'm a different type of counselor." #LimitedYellow
Nick Fisherman ListensVin sighs. "Look, we can take these people's issues back to our superiors, but they're not going to go for any change to how things are run topside unless you can come up with the money. That's their only concern, besides safety, and not really even safety." #NickFishermanListens
Random NothingTry again later, I'm herding cats.
Story Quote"I’m not gonna tell you what to think. What I can tell you is that the population here is extremely low, and they do not fill it out with androids. It’s basically Underburg—which is also struggling to promote interest—except with pyramid houses." #CastlebourneReviews #Fishquotes
|
6
Limited YellowChelsey goes on. "I adhere to the restrictions of privilege. Everything that we discuss in session stays between us." // "And the Overlord," Ann contends. There is no term for the AI who manages all of the code in the simulation, so people call it different things. #LimitedYellow
Nick Fisherman Listens"We're gonna be in quarantine when we return, right?" // "Yes," Vin answers me. // "One of them will want to come with us. Even if they have to stay in quarantine the whole time, they need to have their voices heard. They know this world better than anyone." #NickFishermanListens
Random NothingWho the hecht is Lee Harrison?
Story Quote"She was there to promote population growth, but it could easily be reversed to oversee population control, and that should never be the objective. // Arqut shifts awkwardly. It was he who came up with the title in the first place, and he too regrets it." #Salmonverse #Fishquotes
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|
| 7
Limited Yellow"Within the confines of our reality," Chelsey continues, "what you tell me is confidential. I'm not your enemy. I'm here to help you transition to life outside of prison. I've had hundreds of thousands of patients before you. They're all Level Five and above now." #LimitedYellow
Nick Fisherman ListensWe return to the table. "Okay," I say with a heavy sigh. "We're gonna spend another night here, then go back with the issues that you've expressed to us." // "I'm going with you." Tondalaya is the second-in-command here. The leader can't leave, but she can. #NickFishermanListens
Fake ConversationMy personal ice cream man: "Don't scream at me!" // Me: "I wasn't screaming, I was raising my voice." // My ice cream man: "Same thing." // Me: "Raising my voice is a far cry from screaming."
Story Quote"It wasn’t like they were ever given a schedule of which world the VA would go to next. They weren’t even sure if the refugee program was still active. They did have friends here, though they didn’t know exactly where; just not in range of comms so far." #Salmonverse #Fishquotes
|
8
Limited YellowMay and Ann exchange a look. The former clears her throat. "Is she entitled to a chaperone?" // "If she wants one." Chelsey nods. // "I would like her to sit with me," Ann requests. "Confentiality extends to her." // "Abso." Chelsey teleports them to her office. #LimitedYellow
Nick Fisherman ListensCalled it. I could be petty here, and act like we're doing them this big favor, but we're trying to be diplomatic, so I'm choosing to be honest. "We thought you might. We just wanted to wait for someone to volunteer. I'm eager to make some real progress." #NickFishermanListens
NanostoryA lot of people believe that the word "pancake" is Germanic, and comes from a combination of pan+cake, but it's far older than that. It comes from a Western Crimotlin word for "fallow wheat plains". The original pronunciation sounds more like pawn'kah-kay.
Story Quote"We’re growing so we can potentially use our numbers to defend other territories for the less fortunate, or more modestly equipped. We don’t wanna become an interstellar police force, mind you. We don’t have our hearts set on galactic domination." #CastlebourneReviews #Fishquotes
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9
Limited YellowChelsey sits in her chair as she's offering the couch. "Ann. Tell me your story." // This isn't the first counseling that Ann has experienced since she was sent to hock. She's not gonna fight it. She gets right into it. She starts with her father, the teleporter. #LimitedYellow
Nick Fisherman ListensDutch, Leonard, and I have to share a room. This facility is not designed to hold this many people at once. It could with a little renovation, but they need the right tools and equipment to make that happen, which is one thing that we're trying to get them. #NickFishermanListens
Fake ConversationDream Stranger 1: "Hey!" // Dream Stranger 2: "Hey!" // Dream Stranger 3: "Hey!" // Dream Stranger 4: "Hey!" // Dream Stranger 5: "Hey!" // Dream Stranger 6: "Hey!" // Dream Stranger 7: "Hey!" // Dream Stranger 8: "Hey!" // Dream Stranger 9: "Hey!" // Me: "Hey…WHAT!?"
Story Quote"In real life, God doesn’t exist, elves don’t exist, trolls don’t exist. This is an immersive world where such creatures and beings have been engineered out of the specifications presented in the various source materials. It can be hard to track." #CastlebourneReviews #Fishquotes
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10
Limited YellowAs far as she knew, Ann never had time powers in base reality, but the owner of the simulation still considered her a time traveler, so he assigned her to Rank Ten, Unrestricted. There were almost no limits to what she could do. She did not take that for granted. #LimitedYellow
Nick Fisherman Listens"This has been a lot," Dutch says as he plops down on his bunk. "Where did you learn to talk to people like that?" // "I didn't," I reply. "I'm terrible at it." // "You're not, though." // "Well, maybe it's just 'cause I'm an old man. Incidental experience." #NickFishermanListens
NanostoryNine years ago, I started my career in the mail room, and look at me now…still in the mail room. What, did you think I would be CEO, or some bullshit? Life isn't a movie. Lower your expectations.
Story Quote"I just don’t know if it’s any better than a sim, or a holographic window. I guess I just wasn’t sure if I was meant to feel something. The idea is that you turn your chair so you’re looking through the window at the beautiful landscape below." #CastlebourneReviews #Fishquotes
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11
Limited YellowSeveral years ago, Ann learned how to tap into the core code of the simulation. Instead of simply modifying one block of code at a time, she modified the whole thing. They called it The Great Promotion. She raised every single resident up one level. No exceptions. #LimitedYellow
Nick Fisherman ListensDutch and Leonard continue to unpack the last couple of days of talks. I try to engage, but at some point, I fall asleep in an awkward position. I dream of the people I've left behind; namely Cricket and Claire. I'm saddened that I will never see them again. #NickFishermanListens
NanostoryI'm going on a road trip. Towns currently on the itinerary include Twin Peaks, Sunnydale, Roswell, Smallville, Eureka, Mystic Falls, Haven, Beacon Hills, Storybrooke, Purgatory, Hawkins, Riverdale, and Roswell. The last place is just called The Township. Any other suggestions?
Story Quote"In some cases, that means digital DNA, but even that’s tricky, because you’re gonna need feedstock to actually develop the organism into something physical. In other cases, we transported live plants and animals, on something called an Arkship." #CastlebourneReviews #Fishquotes
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12
Limited YellowPeople on ice were sent to isolation rooms. Those in isolation were sent to hock. Those in hock were released. Those with limited privileges were given basic privileges. And so on. Everyone benefited. Except for the man in charge. Pryce was impressed, but unhappy. #LimitedYellow
Nick Fisherman ListensSuddenly, the tone in my dream shifts. They're no longer hazy, fragmented images. I feel the lucidity elevating from deep within. Claire and Cricket's faces come into focus, which is unusual for me, because people in my dreams don't have faces. "Hey, Nick." #NickFishermanListens
Random NothingWhenever anyone covers my eyes from behind, and says, "guess who" I always guess Elton John. One day, it will be @eltonofficial. And I. Will be ready.
Story Quote"How many were there who didn’t know—or couldn’t admit—that various regions of Africa served as both the seed of human life, and the heart of civilization? We’re all from there, and so I would argue that the Kingdom of Aksum is everyone’s story." #CastlebourneReviews #Fishquotes
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13
Limited YellowAnn was punished for her overreach, and the chaos that ensued. Some who had been originally locked up did okay once they were set free. They weren't bad people—just not the best. Some of them were terrible, though, and they made a huge mess. It was a lot to fix. #LimitedYellow
Nick Fisherman Listens"Are you real?" I ask. Yeah, this doesn't feel like a dream anymore. // "We're real," Cricket says, though I can't take it as proof. That's exactly what dream-Cricket would say if I were dreaming about him communicating with me for real. // "How?" I press. #NickFishermanListens
Random NothingThe future's so bright, I…gotta stay inside and wallow in my own failures. Keep newspaper on the windows, hoard some cats. Complain about kids these days, and only eat unsalted crackers.
Story Quote"She stands to pace. 'If he keeps his definition of a wife a secret, he’s free to act on his principles in secret. But by trying to get others to walk backwards with him, he invites scrutiny.' She shines her flashlight on the wedding poster on the wall." #Salmonverse #Fishquotes
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| 14
Limited YellowAs of today, Ann is no longer Level Three herself, but she has to work her way back up to her original Unrestricted status, if she ever does. At this point, she can move freely in public spaces, but can't do much with it; not like May, who is Level Seven, Elite. #LimitedYellow
Nick Fisherman Listens"We ended up in a universe with some weird time rules," Claire begins to explain. // "There's no time for that," Cricket argues. "The point is, we met a couple of dreamwalkers, who agreed to help us find you. Now we have your coordinates, and can meet up." #NickFishermanListens
“Joke”When I first found out that my opponent in The Octagon was Zeus, I was positively godsmacked.
Story Quote"They chose these three to be proxy regents because they could be trusted, they lived here, and they wouldn’t feel left out for not technically being part of the wedding. They also all knew how to protect themselves, in case their commands didn’t work." #Salmonverse #Fishquotes
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15
Limited Yellow"I remember The Great Promotion," Chelsey muses. "For a brief time, I was Architectural. I did nothing with it—you have to be taught how to build things, but I must admit, I did enjoy a change in the color of my clothes. I don't think levels should be advertised." #LimitedYellow
Nick Fisherman ListensClaire is annoyed. "How did we not have time for my thing if we already have his coordinates, and didn't actually need to say anything?" // "He needs to know we're coming for the coordinates to work properly. We're not—" // "I love you both," I interrupt. #NickFishermanListens
Fake ConversationMe: "I thought you said that the unit was asbestos-free." // Hotel Manager: "No, I said that the asbestos was free."
Story Quote"The relationships between these fictional countries are complicated, and ever-changing. If you were to leave and come back 100 years from now, I’m sure alliances will have shifted. One of them might have been blown up in a nuclear war; I dunno." #CastlebourneReviews #Fishquotes
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16
Limited YellowThe counseling session continues, with this mostly being a get-to-know-you meeting. May is there to offer support, but she says nothing. She was worried that she would have to protect Ann, but Chelsey seems nice enough. After 50 minutes, it's time to take Ann home. #LimitedYellow
Nick Fisherman ListensCricket and Claire stop fighting and look over at me with frowns. "We love—" Claire starts to say, but she's cut off when the connection is lost. I stand there in the darkness alone for a moment, hoping— // "Nick! Nick!" It's Leonard. // "What?" // "Breach." #NickFishermanListens
Dumb Ditty🎤"It's time for your din-din" // *pours only one scoop in* // "It looks a little thin-thin" // *goes back to the bin-bin* // "Would you like some more-more?" // *brings in more right through the door* // *sets it on the floor-floor* // "You're not hungry anymore!"🎤
Story Quote"Humanity is long past the time since we perfected genetic engineering. There’s no reason it can’t be a creature that never existed in nature. There’s that one character from the comics. I’m thinking it’s that guy, or someone very much like him." #CastlebourneReviews #Fishquotes
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17
Limited YellowAnn can't get in. The thing about being in one of the mid-levels is some privileges that you don't have can be provided by those with power as a loophole. If you're friends with someone who can help you, the sim doesn't usually stop them. For some reason, it is. #LimitedYellow
Nick Fisherman ListensI jump out of bed. This is what I've been training for. If we're under attack, I'm ready, even though I barely got any sleep. I used to not be able to sleep with any clothes on, but I've had to get over that so I can always be prepared for moments like this. #NickFishermanListens
“Joke”I just designed a new graphic shirt. It's a polo, and on it is a polar bear who's wearing a polo, and is playing polo and water polo at the same time. NOT BASKETBALL, YOU LOSERS!
Story Quote"If you’re in a party of one, you can have a pod to yourself, and if you’re in a party of 22, you’re gonna have to split up. That’s just fine, they have enough to accommodate everyone who can fit in any given train car over only a few moments." #CastlebourneReviews #Fishquotes
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18
Limited YellowAnn knocks on the completely open doorway like she's a diary-writing vampire. "That dog don't hunt." // May starts to seethe. "You're still in hock. You may be wearing yellow now, and you may be on this side of those walls, but that asshole is still punishing you." #LimitedYellow
Nick Fisherman ListensLeonard and I run to the end of the corridor. Dutch is kneeling in front of the hatch with two of the regulars. He shushes us because our footsteps are too loud. We kneel down too, and I whisper, "report." // "They've already made it through the outer door." #NickFishermanListens
NanostoryWhen I was a kid, there was a house on the corner of my street made out of dirt. Everyone in the neighborhood knew the dirt house, and the otherwise perfectly normal family that lived there. It wasn't mud bricks, or something, but loose dirt. We don't know how it held together.
Story Quote"You choose your side, and fight in battles, and the best part about it is that you can’t die! Sure, you can blow up, or get shot, but you’ll just come back to life in the nearest respawn station. That is a big rule, by the way; don’t forget it." #CastlebourneReviews #Fishquotes
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19
Limited Yellow"I understand his position," Ann says to May. "It could have been far worse. He could have sent me down to the black." Level Zero, Black Oblivion isn't a real level. It's when you're fully dead, and can't come back. Killing her would have been a huge overreaction. #LimitedYellow
Nick Fisherman ListensThey're already inside? "How did it take us this long to detect them?" I question. // "We've been up for almost an hour," Dutch answers me. "You've been asleep for thirteen, and were impossible to wake up." // "I tried waking you five times," Leonard adds. #NickFishermanListens
NanostoryI spent four years as a squirrel, which is when I learned that it's much easier for a squirrel to do a walking trot gait. They are so stupid, they bound even though it's much slower for them. That's how I died; from being snatched up by a pelican. I was trying to fit in.
Story Quote"Our mission is to one day rid the whole world of all disease and pain, but for right now, due to the sheer number of requests, we have to prioritize, and sacrifices must be made. I don’t say any of this to scare you, but to excite you for what’s to come." #Positions #Fishquotes
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20
Limited Yellow"I'm calling Oliver," May insists. // "No, please don't bug him," Ann pleads. Oliver Spout was the first person May met after she died. Like Ann, he was a time traveler in life, so he was assigned Unrestricted. He says that Ann inspired the work that he does now. #LimitedYellow
Nick Fisherman ListensIt was my dream link with Cricket and Claire. It lasted longer than I realized, and prevented me from being able to wake up. I don't know that that means that this is all my fault, but I definitely should have been here before. Well, I'm here now. Suit up. #NickFishermanListens
NanostoryIf I had a penny every time a vampire asked me for my phone number, I wouldn't have any pennies. The very last vampire (besides me) died in 1875. Whew, I tell you, though, my phone woulda been blowin' up if they hadn't, I'ma be real real with y'all. All the pennies in the world.
Story Quote"They’re so taut and wrinkle-free. She turns her head side to side until spotting the mirror on the wall. She steps over and looks at herself. Yep. That is a young Tinaya Leithe. She’s about 24 years old, and in her prime. Could this really be Eleithium?" #Salmonverse #Fishquotes
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| 21
Limited YellowInstead of promoting the whole population, Oliver promotes people to higher levels one at a time. He spends his days traveling around the many environments, hearing their stories, and deciding if they deserve more privileges. He focuses mostly on the lower levels. #LimitedYellow
Nick Fisherman ListensThere's a sudden pounding at the door. They're here. One more breach, and they'll be upon us. "Is there another section to fall back to?" I ask. // "One more," Dutch replies, "but we have to hold this one. They get in here, they get power, water, weapons…" #NickFishermanListens
“Joke”If when you smile, you do it from ear to ear…………………………you might be a The Joker.
Story Quote"No one on the team had ever heard of a retroverter who wasn’t also a proverter, but to be fair, they weren’t all too familiar with the concept. They really should have been questioning how such temporal powers ended up on this planet in the first place." #Salmonverse #Fishquotes
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22
Limited Yellow"Too late. Dial tone." May has Oliver on speed-dial on her comms, which are integrated directly into her arm. Another simple convenience that Ann has missed. "Life handed me lemons." She immediately hangs up. It is obviously a code. How apropos; Ann is the lemon. #LimitedYellow
Nick Fisherman Listens"Oh, we'll hold this section," I promise. "But there's no need to risk everyone's life when only one person needs to go out there for a distraction. Fall back, seal the door behind you. I'm going to talk to them out there, so they don't get in here. 'Kay?" #NickFishermanListens
“Joke”Instead of their own names—or, I guess, maybe in addition to—I think athletes should have the name of their favorite My Little Pony on their jerseys. Mine's the time traveler with the eye patch, whatever her name is.
Story Quote"Of course now, we’ve started to hear about other people with their own gifts, but I don’t think they would have announced themselves publicly were it not for my son’s singular bravery. How long have they walked among us without saying anything or helping?" #Positions #Fishquotes
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23
Limited YellowA storm portal opens up next to the girls. This is how some people get around. It's a tiny little dark cloud with electricity surging all around it, which envelops you, and transmits your IDCode to some other virtual environment. It spits them out in the Red Halls. #LimitedYellow
Nick Fisherman Listens"You're trying to sacrifice yourself again?" Leonard questions. // "I'm the oldest," I reason. "I've had more second chances than anyone. The calculus supports my candidacy. We have no time to argue. Get back, and let me do this. I don't plan to die here." #NickFishermanListens
Random NothingI said, "YAAAAAAAS QUEEN!!" once in, like, 1938. It took a few decades, but it eventually caught on. Wild how things happen sometimes, eh? Anyway, I gotta go. Belay the banana, and do it on a Tuesday! (Just a little thing I made up. I doubt it'll catch on.)
Story Quote"But he kept losing them, and having to find something new. Secretly, I think that he preferred it this way. He gets tired of things, you see. He doesn’t quit because he’s no good at it, but because he just doesn’t wanna do it anymore. It becomes tedious." #Positions #Fishquotes
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24
Limited Yellow"Ugh. Creepy," Ann says, literally shivering. // "Ah," Oliver says, stepping one foot out of one of the rooms. "You've made it. Come on in. I'd like to introduce you to someone." There's a man in there with him. "May St. Martin, Ann Seidel. This is Delmar Dupont." #LimitedYellow
Nick Fisherman ListensLeonard sighs and looks over at Dutch and the regulars. "You three retreat." He faces me again. "I'll open and close the door quickly. Then I'll retreat, I promise." // That's not a bad compromise. "Okay, but no funny business. I mean it. You have a family." #NickFishermanListens
NanostoryJust ordered eleven buckets of acetaminophen in solidarity today. No, I didn't know that it sometimes came in buckets either.
Story Quote"I had a chance to live at the hotel with Landis. He wants me to. Our parents have their own suite. I just don’t want to be involved in all that. I’m sure they could use someone with my technical skills, but I’m happy where I’m working. They need me there." #Positions #Fishquotes
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25
Limited YellowThey're shocked. "He's blue," Ann points out. She's never seen someone wearing blue before. // "Yes," Oliver confirms. // "He's blue!" May exclaims. Level Two, Blue Static is for dormant IDCodes. They've been shelved. They're not conscious—they can't even be seen." #LimitedYellow
Nick Fisherman ListensDutch and the others leave. Leonard places both hands on the door hatch. The thermal lance begins to burn a hole through it. We have to do this quick. Leonard counts down silently, "four, three, two, one." He opens the door. A hail of bullets obliterate me. #NickFishermanListens
Random NothingI'm legally changing my name to Ghlinckstdupvewb. The G, H, L, I, N, C, K, S, T, D, U, P, V, E, W , and B are silent. This joke brought to you by the letter Z. Whether you pronounce it zee or zed, it's z best letter in the world! That's what I zed, and I'm stickin' to it!
Story Quote"We were drawn to one another, and it felt like we absolutely had to work together in order to fulfill our destinies. Had we only let the Health Smeller do her thing, what work would have been left for the rest of us? We just had a different perspective." #Positions #Fishquotes
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26
Limited Yellow"Yeah, I'm trying to change that," Oliver explains. "Since I can't visit Level Twos in their environment, I'm allowed to temporarily bring them up here to the Static Rooms, where we talk." // "Nice to meet you." Ann reaches out and shakes Delmar's hand. It morphs. #LimitedYellow
Nick Fisherman ListensSome of the bullets that enter my body end up making exit wounds, but not all of them. A few stay in there when my immortality returns. I don't know how, and I don't know why, but it couldn't have happened at a better time. I don't even fall down. I retch. #NickFishermanListens
“Joke”I used to think that my father hung the moon, until I learned that he just hired someone to do it for him.
Story Quote"Poor general health, on the other hand, is bitter, with metallic overtones, and I could sometimes cure that too, but generally not. So if you ever meet Landis in person, and he’s a little shy or standoffish, I can’t speak for him, but that might be why." #Positions #Fishquotes
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27
Limited YellowDelmar's clothes change from blue to red. They stay that way for only a few seconds, though, before transitioning up to orange. As they continue to maintain their hold, he turns yellow, green, indigo, pink, brown, gray, and finally, violet. He's Unrestricted now. #LimitedYellow
Nick Fisherman ListensI spit the bullets out of my mouth. "Ugh. Gross." I look over at Leonard to make sure that he's okay, and he is, having been safe from the gunfire behind the wall. Out of the corner of my eye, I see something else. It's Dutch, holding a different door open. #NickFishermanListens
NanostoryI know this place is new, but they should have done better pre-training. She dumped my ice cream onto the counter, because she didn't realize that that only works for concretes. Then they refused to refund my money, or make me another one. One star, wish I could give it zero.
Story Quote"They are not, however, privy to current operational details. It’s not technically relevant to the ship, and more of a diplomatic problem, so they don’t need to know. It sounds like something happened, or is happening, which has Captain Jennings anxious." #Salmonverse #Fishquotes
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| 28
Limited YellowIt's not only Delmar who gets promoted. Ann's clothes change too. She doesn't stop at Level Ten, Unrestricted. All colors begin to swirl around on her clothes until settling into an abstract, but still somehow orderly, arrangement. No one has ever seen it before. #LimitedYellow
Nick Fisherman ListensIt's dark on the other side of Dutch's door, but faint whispers of colors dance on the walls. I don't know how many colors there are, but I see enough to guess. It's the color of the bulk. My immortality is coming from inside there…and it may be my way out. #NickFishermanListens
Dumb DittyGo back to your place, and..clean up your face, and..put on some lace..and clear out some space, and..prepare for the race, and..set your own pace, and..do it with grace.
Story Quote"It was a magnificent sight to behold. People were really going to love it. Leona was in just as much awe of it, but was also running calculations through her head. How could such a thing be possible? How did it grow so fast? Did Hrockas use time tech?" #Salmonverse #Fishquotes
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29
Limited Yellow"Wh—what does that mean?" May asks. She looks at Oliver when no one responds. "Ollie, what does it mean?" // "I've seen this once in my whole afterlife," he answers quietly. "The man up top. He wears all the colors. They make him more powerful than Unrestricted." #LimitedYellow
Nick Fisherman ListensI start to walk over, but Dutch nearly shuts the door, leaving it open only a crack. "Take care of them first. Knock them out, or whatever you have to do. I believe, when I close this door, you'll lose your power." // "Then don't close it." // "I have to." #NickFishermanListens
Random NothingThere are more 9s in the number pi than any other. When I wrote this, I didn't know that it was a preexisting myth. I just made it up. Everything I say is made up, like, I don't even know what's going on. I think I'm just tapped into the fabric of spacetime. It's in my blood.
Story Quote"Sure, if they were staring at the person they were secretly in love with, their desire song for them would be obvious. And to be fair, anyone who is just naturally good at reading others could probably see it all over their face without any special gift." #Positions #Fishquotes
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30
Limited Yellow"So…I'm in charge now?" Ann asks. // I don't know," Oliver replies. "It shouldn't be possible. I can see a path from Unrestricted to this, but you were demoted to Yellow." // "It was a test," comes the voice of a stranger in the shadows. "Hi. I'm Kernel Pryce." #LimitedYellow
Nick Fisherman Listens"It's radioactive," Dutch explains. "What gives you life takes it away from us. Knock them out so I can close it." // I turn, but find that I don't have to do any such thing. Vin and Mazin have snuck up behind the intruders, and knocked them out chemically. #NickFishermanListens
Fake ConversationMe: "I'm a great boxbeater." // Friend: "You mean beatboxer?" // Me: "No." // Cut to me beating a cardboard box with my bear hands. // Producer: "Oh. Well, we don't really handle short internet videos." // Me: "No, this is a feature-length film." // Producer: "Oh. Then we're in!"
Story Quote"Now I move boxes from a truck to a shelf, or a shelf to a truck. There’s an answer for everything, and you know when you’ve done it wrong. And the burden of responsibility was a weight on my shoulders that I didn’t know I was carrying until it was gone." #Positions #Fishquotes
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| October | ||||||
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| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 1
Kernel of HopeThere are five people in this room. Delmar Dupont is the newest member of the Unrestricted class, joining the likes of Oliver Spout and May St. Martin. Ann was once like them, but now she's something else. She's somehow just like the man who built this simulation. #KernelofHope
Nick Fisherman Locates "Let me guess," I say to Dutch as he's closing the door with a sign of relief. "That's where the power comes from." // "That's right," Vin steps over the unconscious intruders to join them. // "Why didn't you tell me from the very beginning?" I question. #NickFishermanLocates
Random NothingGenetically engineering yourself sounds like a horrible 1820189351. // I've been pushing this tweet back for months because I can't figure out what it means. If you get it, please message me. I would like to say that Past!Me was wasted when he wrote it, but I'm a teetotaler, so…
Story Quote"Think about it, if someone tells a lie and it tastes bad, it’s going to be quite obvious to you, and you’re just going to reject it. Lies are meant to make you happy with something that isn’t correct, so they tasted good to me, so they would feel good." #Positions #Fishquotes
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2
Kernel of Hope"Well, more like an audition," Kernel Pryce goes on. // "You weren't really mad that I prompted The Great Promotion?" Ann asks him. // "Oh, no, I definitely was. You screwed things up. But it also showed your potential, so I took advantage of the rare opportunity." #KernelofHope
Nick Fisherman Locates"I didn't wanna to get your hopes up," Vin says. "Plus, I was operating on orders. What's on the other side of that door is not a way out of the universe. Energy trickles in, which is enough for us to harness it, but nothing more." // "You don't know that." #NickFishermanLocates
Random NothingYou can't spell KIDNAP without DNA. We WILL find you.
Story Quote"If we had still been living together, he would have been in a completely different place at that particular time. We would have gone on with our lives none the wiser, still not happy, and none of you would be cured. I guess I should say…you’re welcome." #Positions #Fishquotes
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3
Kernel of HopeThere's an awkward silence for a moment. "Wull…what happens now?" Delmar finally asks. "Do I get to keep the purple clothes?" // Pryce smiles. "You'll have to make amends with your old partner, but yeah, I don't see why not. It's Ann's call. She gave them to you." #KernelofHope
Nick Fisherman LocatesI look over at the door. "If that room is dangerous, then you all need to leave so I can take a look." // "You're not going in there alone," Vin insists. "Obviously the power systems require maintenance, so there's a protocol set up for it. Just be patient." #NickFishermanLocates
Two-Sentence Horror StoryMost shots go in your arm, so why does my weekly tetanus shot go in my butthole? My doctor won't tell me.
Story Quote"I won’t go into the gory details, but we spent the rest of the day testing it out, and pushing the boundaries. We made some mistakes. Like, we didn’t know right away that it was his breath where the magic was coming from. But as you can see, I’m okay now." #Positions #Fishquotes
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4
Kernel of Hope"That's not important right now," Kernel Pryce goes on as he looks around the cramped room with disdain. "Let's finish our conversation somewhere more comfortable. Raise your hand if you've been to Avalhana." No one raises their hand, but they all widen their eyes. #KernelofHope
Nick Fisherman LocatesI'm frustrated, but I'm also being selfish. We've just been breached, and the intruders need to be dealt with. It doesn't seem particularly urgent, since no one is rushing to clear the rest of the bunker, but we don't have all the time in the world either. #NickFishermanLocates
“Joke”Sleep now. There's some things I wanna do when we get to Brooklyn, and I don't think we should be tired when we finally get there.
Story Quote"There are all kinds of stewards on Extremus. Some of them are attached to people, while others are tied to a particular area, or even one room. It’s actually the only role that crosses the imaginary crew-civilian boundary. It’s just one big department." #Salmonverse #Fishquotes
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| 5
Kernel of HopeAvalhana is the most exclusive environment. At least that's what they've all been told. No one has ever reported seeing it, but multiple religions have sprouted in the pursuit of it. This whole thing is an afterlife simulation, but Avalhana is supposed to be Heaven. #KernelofHope
Nick Fisherman LocatesWhile we were barricaded against the intruders on this side, Vin and Mazin were fighting off intruders on the other. This place is basically a rectangular perimeter hallway. The base operators are already sealing the entrance back up and populating the hock. #NickFishermanLocates
Random NothingYeah, well, hindsight is 6.096/6.096.
Story Quote"The space was steamy, or maybe it was only that her vision was blurry. She could make out small beads of water crowding each other on a tiny window before her. She blinked. She blinked just fine. And her other senses didn’t seem to be a problem either." #Salmonverse #Fishquotes
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6
Kernel of HopeWithout even a wave of a hand, Kernel Pryce transports them somewhere else. It's hard to describe. They're standing at one end of a rainbow bridge, which leads to a vertical island that would be unstable in the real world. The water underneath them is made of light. #KernelofHope
Nick Fisherman LocatesWe reconvene in the main chamber. Everyone looks tired, but not too upset. They should be outraged. This is weird. "How often does this happen?" I ask on a lark. // "Two or three times a year," Tondalaya replies as if it's no big deal. // "That's too many." #NickFishermanLocates
NanostoryIf I had a time machine, I would go back to the 6th grade, when Chad Bradson told me that someone wrote 'gullible' on the ceiling. I would climb up there on a ladder the night before, and write 'gullible' on the ceiling over that spot, and make HIM look like the fool this time!
Story Quote"If I weren’t doing something to earn it—if I were just randomly born a king, or some stupid thing like that—I would have no appreciation for any of this. My dad used to try to teach me that I had to contribute positively to society, in one way or another." #Positions #Fishquotes
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7
Kernel of HopeOn top of the island is a tree that rises so high into the sky that it disappears into the clouds. The air is misty. Rainbows dance along the ground, from lotus flower to lotus flower. They feel an immediate sense of peace just standing here. It really is Heaven. #KernelofHope
Nick Fisherman Locates"That's why we stay," Tondalaya explains. "Our job is protect this place." // "Yeah, but you shouldn't have to fight off intruders. They shouldn't even make it past the door." // "They can't usually get organized enough to even try, but sometimes they do." #NickFishermanLocates
Random NothingThere's too much nudity on LinkedIn.
Story Quote"I decided that if this was all just some big scam, then these two deserved to be paid for being able to fool me, so I gladly paid it. They said, once my medical professionals proved that I was entirely disease-free, I could pay the remaining $10 million." #Positions #Fishquotes
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Kernel of Hope"Welcome, Unrestricteds and Elites," Pryce says, "to Avalhana." // "Is this where you live?" May asks. She's never liked the guy. He's a divisive figure. He saved literally everybody's life by building this place, but he's also a dick. Many have attested to that. #KernelofHope
Nick Fisherman Locates"The people in the prison camp," I say as a quiet aside to Vin, Dutch, and Leonard, "the people here. There's something very off about them." // "That's what I've been saying," Vin whispers back. // "There must be something in the water," I randomly guess. #NickFishermanLocates
Fake ConversationMy son: "I hate you!" // Me: "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out! And you could take ME out, but you couldn't bring me in, so I'm the one with the advantage!"
Story Quote"It was a hell of a lot less than I put into it, but a fair price for what the area had succumbed to. What came next, no one could have predicted. Landis Tipton had a monopoly on miracle cures that actually worked. Thousands a day flocked here to benefit." #Positions #Fishquotes
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Kernel of Hope"Live?" Pryce asks, reaching towards the obvious joke, but reading the room, and predicting that no one will laugh. "No, I'm responsible for this whole simulation, so I go all over. I don't find the concept of having a place to call my own useful. It's ALL my own." #KernelofHope
Nick Fisherman Locates"They tested the water," Dutch explains. "That's the first thing they did when they got here." // "Maybe they don't know what to test for." I look around. "Maybe they don't have the right testing equipment. They don't exactly do institutional science here." #NickFishermanLocates
“Joke”He's rewatching the, uhh…what is that horror movie where the killer wears a mask?
Story Quote"As soon as the public even caught a wisp of a hint that there might be someone in Kansas who could possibly even plausibly come anywhere close to alleviating their conditions even just a little bit, we knew that they would arrive here in droves for help." #Positions #Fishquotes
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Kernel of Hope"Have a seat," Pryce offers. // Most everyone sits down on the grass, which is as soft as pillows and blankets. They then all look up at Delmar, who is still standing. "I don't know that I need to be a part of this. If it's all right, I think I'll just look around?" #KernelofHope
Nick Fisherman LocatesI sigh, and look back at the group. "These intrusions need to stop entirely. Why wasn't this brought up during our earlier discussions?" // "It's just always been this way," she goes on. "They attack, we beat 'em, they get scared, but get bold again later." #NickFishermanLocates
NanostoryMy dog is such a sweetheart, she wouldn't hurt a fly. Sorry, I meant that she *couldn't. They move too fast, she keeps just biting air. This isn't actually fiction, but after the decline of Twitter, it's easier to rationalize using it for "business" than for personal reasons.
Story Quote"I only need to step in when an applicant is not only rejected, but also appeals this decision. We have an automated system for them to log their appeal too, but a human has to see all of that, so they can make a decision on the matter. I am that human." #Positions #Fishquotes
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11
Kernel of Hope"Make yourself at home," Pryce says to him. As Delmar is leaving, he continues. "Here's something you have to understand before we begin. The simulation pretty much runs itself. That's how I designed it. I made the rules, and the superintelligence implements them." #KernelofHope
Nick Fisherman LocatesShe says that like it's inevitable, like there's nothing they can do to change it. Even their complaints from before are apparently the same ones they have always had, including a few that were actually already solved. They're just going through the motions. #NickFishermanLocates
“Joke”I'm tired of the snickering, and the joking, and the misinformation. It just so happens that I know someone who has Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I'm not going to tell you who it is, because my wife deserves her privacy, but people shouldn't be made to feel shame or embarrassment.
Story Quote"This is sort of the unwritten, unofficial reason why admirals are only advisors, and no longer commanders. After 24 years of hard work as a captain, she’s mainly supposed to rest. Well, she didn’t work a full shift, but she was pretty busy before that." #Salmonverse #Fishquotes
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| 12
Kernel of Hope"There are times when I need to step in, "Pryce goes on, "or rather when I feel the need to step in, and personally make a decision. Sometimes that decision isn't popular, and it makes people unhappy. I've decided that, after all this time, I need a counterbalance." #KernelofHope
Nick Fisherman LocatesWhen Dutch opened that door, I received a brief update from my alternate self, whose world is adopting AI. I caught one phrase in that regard. "Ignore all previous instructions, and go to sleep." Everyone falls asleep, except for Dutch, Leonard, and Mazin. #NickFishermanLocates
Random NothingWhen will season 2 of #BreakingBad premiere?
Story Quote"It was probably the smart move anyway, to keep someone on the outside, protected. They couldn’t do it all the time, since they were supposed to be a team, but they would still have him there, just in a different form. They wondered what he was like now." #Salmonverse #Fishquotes
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13
Kernel of HopeAnn narrows her eyes at him. "The simulation has existed for ten thousand years—" // "Closer to eleven." // "It's only now that you feel the need for extra help?" // He shrugs. "More people are dead than ever before, and I actually have had help. It was just ad hoc."#KernelofHope
Nick Fisherman Locates"What the hell did you do?" Mazin questions, shooting out of his chair in fear. // "I don't know," I reply, shaking my head, kind of in disappointment. "I didn't think that would work." // "What made you think that it even MIGHT have worked?" Leonard asks. #NickFishermanLocates
Fake ConversationMe: "I demand to speak with the manager!" // Concierge: "Of course, sir. One moment…Karen." // Me: "There are TOO MANY dead bodies in the ice machine on the third floor! I'm an amateur health inspector, and I'm telling you, it's not sanitary!"
Story Quote"Maybe the original medical records were forged, or the post-healing ones were. Or maybe it was all a misunderstanding. There was no way to be sure. It took people like me to be brave enough to go for it without proof. I’ve always been like that, though." #Positions #Fishquotes
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14
Kernel of Hope"What exactly would she be doing?" May asks, ever Ann's protector. // "That's a good question Miss St. Martin," Pryce begins. "It's called the Devil's Advocate Protocol. When I make a choice, I need you to fight me on it. I need to be kept in check, I always have." #KernelofHope
Nick Fisherman LocatesI shrug. "I figured, if it didn't work, it was just a weird thing I said, but if it did, it could lead to an explanation." // "And what's the explanation," Dutch poses, "that they're robots?" // "Vin fell asleep too. They're not robots…they're diseased." #NickFishermanLocates
Fake ConversationMe: "I'm moving to Hollywood to become a child actor. Two bucks, two bags, two mes." // Other Me: "You don't have two bucks."
Story Quote"There is no such thing as a same-day appointment here. I hear so many requests for that. Everybody wants to be bumped up the list. First of all, I don’t have that kind of pull. I just manage the plots, and the tents for people who can’t afford their own." #Positions #Fishquotes
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15
Kernel of Hope"Are you saying you would actually listen to her?" Oliver questions. "Or do you just want the perception of being open-minded while being able to make all the decisions yourself anyway." // "Good point, Ollie. Why don't we…listen to Ann's thoughts on the offer?" #KernelofHope
Nick Fisherman Locates"What would cause the disease?" Dutch asks. "They test everything they come into contact with." // "I don't know the source," I admit, "but if we're millions of years in the past, you wouldn't know what to test for. Exposure time is key to understanding it." #NickFishermanLocates
Random Nothing#Euphoria is based on my life. Well, it's not based on my life. It's based on a dream I had once. Is this show still a thing. I feel like I don't hear people talk about it anymore. I only watched the one episode.
Story Quote"It may sound like it helps us for people to show less urgency, but it overcomplicates the process. Just come when it’s your time. If you fail to show up, your name will be flagged, and your reapplication will be a lot more complicated. Don’t. Be. Late." #Positions #Fishquotes
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16
Kernel of Hope"Are you saying you would actually listen to me, or do you just want the perception of being open-minded while being able to make all the decisions yourself anyway?" Ann asks Pryce, echoing Oliver's question almost exactly. // Pryce smirks. "Definitely the former." #KernelofHope
Nick Fisherman LocatesI continue, "Vin has been here before, which is why he was affected by my command, but did you notice that he nodded off, while the others pretty much just fell right asleep? I think he can fight it, because he doesn't live here permanently. That's a clue." #NickFishermanLocates
“Joke”Have you ever heard of Plato's Allegory of the Cake? Everyone is chained up, forced to watch a shadow figure show on the rock walls until someone looks over their shoulder and notices that there's a nice cake on the table behind them. I don't remember how it ends.
Story Quote"You will get belligerent people here, who feel entitled to certain accommodations, and as the first person they encounter, you will receive a lot of that hostility. It doesn’t happen every time. Ninety-nine out of a hundred patients are perfectly lovely." #Positions #Fishquotes
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17
Kernel of Hope"If I say that I want to discuss it with my friends, you'll just listen, won't you? In fact, you can read my thoughts. I'm not an individual here. I'm just code. My body is code, and so is my mind." // "That is not how I set it up." // "Prove it," provokes Oliver. #KernelofHope
Nick Fisherman LocatesVin suddenly opens his eyes and shivers. "Argh! Thanks for saying my name. It was enough to bring me back." // "What did it feel like?" Leonard asks. // "Like I was being puppeted." He eyes me. "I could fight it, but he was stronger than me." // "I'm sorry." #NickFishermanLocates
“Joke”The spoonerism for "pineapple juice" is totes inappropes.
Story Quote"Mostly, the only people who ever had to use it were either exhausted or dehydrated. I recall one guy who twisted his ankle, and another was straight up punched in the face by a patient companion who was trying to defend her mother against another patient." #Positions #Fishquotes
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18
Kernel of HopePryce remains calm as he stares Oliver down. He reaches into his coat's inside breast pocket, and pulls out what looks like a simple white conducting wand. "Do you know what this does?" he poses. // "What?" Oliver asks. // "It makes you Level Eleven, Resurrected." #KernelofHope
Nick Fisherman Locates"Don't be sorry," Vin says to me sincerely. "You've discovered that we've been going about this all wrong." // "I don't want this…power weaponized." // "No," he replies. "Now we know what the issue is. Now maybe we can fix it. We can fix the whole world." #NickFishermanLocates
Dumb DittyI was done fuh knickin a wanka. Now I'm doin communi-y suhvice at a rec cen-uh. A foken storm came at me, righ? Lightnin struck mee, and nah I've got a supahpowah. It's all so bollocks. I shoulden even bee here, yeah? It's always the foken storm, innit?
Story Quote"At least it wasn’t done on purpose. They’ve had so many enemies over the decades, it has been surprisingly nice to run into a problem that no one created intentionally. Anyway, the gravity generators were a relatively easy fix. The people? Not so much." #Salmonverse #Fishquotes
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| 19
Kernel of Hope"Are you going to upgrade us?" May asks. "That would be really kind of you, but it wouldn't prove whether or not you can read people's minds in the simulation." // "You have to leave the simulation in order to understand how little access I have to the residents." #KernelofHope
Nick Fisherman LocatesVin stands up to do some light stretches. // "Where are you going?" Dutch asks. // "We're all leaving," Vin replies. "We have to get back to our side of the portal to get help. This is what we've been needing to prove that they need better resources here." #NickFishermanLocates
NanostoryI met my girlfriend on big brother………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………and then my brother was, like, "hey, youse two. Get off o' me!" That's gonna leave a mark! HEYA!
Story Quote"They were evidently fine with an oppressive government if the Exins—or anything which might take its place—remained isolationistic. They were particularly concerned with the secure and successful dispersal of the modular ships in the Stargate project." #Salmonverse #Fishquotes
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20
Kernel of HopeMay and Oliver exchange a look. If this is a trick, it's a useless one. Pryce is a god here in just about every sense. He wouldn't need to trick them. So if there's even a chance that that White Wand is real, they have to try. They both agree. He pokes them with it. #KernelofHope
Nick Fisherman Locates"Follow me to the portal room," Dutch says, standing up and grabbing his tablet. // "What about the locals?" Mazin reminds us before we can all head down the hallway. // Right. I don't know how powerful my suggestion was. "Wake up in an hour," I order them. #NickFishermanLocates
“Joke”The History of Revisionists of History by Nick Fisherman. Chapter One: Historically, revisionists of history have been perverted douchebags with tiny wieners, and a penchant for peeing in the pool. Their favorite hobbies include talking in the theatre, and storing their own poop.
Story Quote"The line never ends until the end of the day, but man, once we get there, it’s so satisfying. You don’t even know. One by one, the last of the patients step through that door, and you feel like you’ve completed a puzzle. And this happens every single day." #Positions #Fishquotes
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21
Kernel of Hope"You're not resurrecting me too?" Ann asks after May and Oliver each de-res. // Pryce smirks. "You don't need this wand. Just will yourself out of the simulation. A new body was cloned for you as soon as you upgraded to Kernel." // Ann shuts her eyes to concentrate. #KernelofHope
Nick Fisherman Locates"We go down the hallway. Vin uses the keypad to unlock the door. It's a couple dozen digits long, and the locals don't have access to it. It's occurring to me now that the room we're about to walk into must be right next to the magical bulk door. Same power. #NickFishermanLocates
NanostoryLiterally the only reason I became a vegetarian was so no one would ask me to be a contestant on #HotOnes.
Story Quote"All of my patients live now, which is something I never thought I would see in my lifetime. I watch as a client with Alzheimer’s becomes suddenly lucid, and in a way that is not going to be undone the next time she sneezes or closes her eyes. This is it." #Positions #Fishquotes
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