Does anyone have any thoughts or willingness to just stream or consciousness what kind of little changes could be done either through legislation, protest, or policy that would improve the pandemic situation? In the USA or elsewhere.
Not looking for much debate just blast out ideas great and small. More “what” than why” or “how”

Here’s a list to get started:
International vaccine equity
Force vaccine producers (since most funding since 2014 for mRNA dev came from public funds) to update vaccines every 100 days for current strains
Same protections in all public schools as in Walensky & Co’s kids’ private school
Air purifiers in every classroom and >8 ACH
Universal training for high quality virtual education Free universal accessible high speed broadband (nationalize ISPs?)
Free tablets/laptops for students
Eliminate incentive for teachers to become administrators and set limit on teacher:student ratio (1:8?)
All nonviolent drug offenders immediately freed
Accelerated releases in prisons
Eliminate 3 strikes laws
Maximize use of house arrest
Eliminate cash bail
Legislate a right to mask to combat the attempts to associate masking with criminalization
Implement FCC constraints to combat pandemic minimization
Legislate more rigorously regarding antibiotics in animal husbandry/farming to combat superbugs
Return to pre-2020 meat/animal product testing regulations which were relaxed and fund/mandate far more inspectors
Provide public education and messaging on use and efficacy if N95 and better masking and air purification
Distribute free masks (N95 respirators) and air purifiers (or eg corsi cube components) (DPA?)
Nationalize and distribute all empty housing
Disrupt rent (especially commercial rent) to reverse the anti-WFH push
Disrupt the campaign of mass purchasing driving house and rental prices sky high (or provide more high quality subsidized housing)
Permanently extend Medicaid and SSDI coverage and remove barriers used for gatekeeping
Release and enforce original 2021 OSHA guidelines on working in an environment with widespread BSL-3 pathogen (all workplaces, now)
Free pre- and post-natal healthcare and childcare, free childcare for any caregiver
Free and skilled medical treatment for all (consequently, free medical school)
Respirator and air purifier requirements in all healthcare settings
Draw all funds for the USA measures from the military budget that (when including military expenditures of all depts, not just DoE) take up >50% of the federal budget.

Guys I’m stressing out over aqa economics paper 2, please help. 1) for the 15 marker I only had one for and one against price stability, and my for point was avoiding national debt by achieving price stability. Is that correct? 2) for the 6 markers I didn’t include any quotes from the context or items they gave and one of my friends is saying that’s 2 marks maximum. Please tell me that’s not the case :(

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Garmin Edge 1030 Plus cycling computer full sensor bundle. Good condition, just the marks shown in the close up. About a year old.
Edge alone is $350, with sensors is $410. Prefer PayPal, prices include shipping in the US
https://imgur.com/WJNuDpE

https://ibb.co/album/MxFyYc
Edit: I’m very Negative Nancy here lol, I actually do like the bra and it’s very comfortable, but I just wanna make sure I’m hitting all the right points.
I got a 28E bra on clearance from the Next website, which is great, because usually I can’t afford to buy any 28 band bras. I only own one other 28, which is a Figleaves bra (horrifically made and very shallow). So, I was very excited about this one.
Now it seems okay, but there seems to be a bit of a discrepancy between what I’m measuring. After scooping and swooping, I seem to have a little bit of spillage. Now, it could be the style of the bra, but I notice that in all my 30DD’s as well. This is strange as my measurements put me at a 28DD, sometimes DD/E if I’m having a full day, but 28DD really. Am I over swooping and scooping? My latest measurements taken today are in the photos - I’ll admit it could definitely be user error but who knows.
My shape is wide roots, fairly shallow, roundish fullness but lately I’ve been getting LESS centre full, and somewhat wide set. Also, how’s the band? I’m measuring it as almost 22 inches unstretched (found it difficult to get a stretched measurement, but it’s around 24-25 inches stretched), and yet it feels very comfortable, barely even snug. All my bras have that slight riding up at the back where the hooks are; someone here once told me it’s tension from the straps pulling them up (or something along those lines, sorry I don’t remember) but I’m unconvinced.
I have no previous fit checks as I deleted the posts after a while, before I realised I could just delete the imgur listing. Wish I knew that earlier.
Anyways, any and all advice is appreciated! I know most of the people here are Americans and therefore asleep, so hopefully this doesn’t get lost.

Three things investors should watch for with this Debt ceiling deal.

1. Fed meeting announcement on June 14th with expected 25 basis points lift on the interest rate.
2. Treasuries affect Tech stocks with higher interest rates causing higher Treasury yields that could negatively impact Tech stocks.
3. SoFi share price during Tuesday's market opening as the debt ceiling tentative agreement includes the student loan forbearance freeze to end. This could lead to more money going into the pockets of SoFi which has its bottom line and stock price significantly impacted by the student loan moratorium. McCarthy's yesterday interview with Fox News said "What the President did, he went unconstitutionally and said he was going to waive certain people, part of their debt for student loan. But then he paused everybody's student loan. So everybody who borrowed the student loan, within 60 days of signing, is going to have to pay that back. The Supreme Court is taking up that case. But if the Supreme Court came back and said that was unconstitutional, the president could still say he's pausing, not waiving it. But now that this is in law, the Supreme Court decision will have to be upheld."

The White House announced last November that the Student loan moratorium will end 60 days after either June 30, 2023, or the date of a Supreme Court decision on student loan forgiveness. This would mean interest would begin accruing at the end of August if the Supreme Court favors the end of the Student loan moratorium.
https://finance.yahoo.com/video/debt-ceiling-deal-investors-watch-223022379.html
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mccarthy-takes-victory-lap-debt-limit-bill-details-remain-scarce-among-house-members

I submitted an intent to file in 2015 and 2020, both without completed applications. I was a little lost on the process at the time and requested assistance through I believe a ‘VSR’. I had gone to the eBenefits portal and, after requesting assistance through one of the options, never received a reply. I attempted to follow-up as well but it never made it anywhere.
I’m going through the intent to file process again, this time with a completed application and with the assistance of local “Veteran Service Officers”. I had my first VA medical appointment to cover claimed items and am awaiting further guidance/results.
Since the original 2015 and 2020 applications failed to process, is there any hope of back pay in the event a service connected disability is identified? Or since no application was received within the first year, will it just be a moot point?r

Three things investors should watch for with this Debt ceiling deal.

1. Fed meeting announcement on June 14th with expected 25 basis points lift on the interest rate.
2. Treasuries affect Tech stocks with higher interest rates causing higher Treasury yields that could negatively impact Tech stocks.
3. SoFi share price during Tuesday's market opening as the debt ceiling tentative agreement includes the student loan forbearance freeze to end. This could lead to more money going into the pockets of SoFi which has its bottom line and stock price significantly impacted by the student loan moratorium. McCarthy's yesterday interview with Fox News said "What the President did, he went unconstitutionally and said he was going to waive certain people, part of their debt for student loan. But then he paused everybody's student loan. So everybody who borrowed the student loan, within 60 days of signing, is going to have to pay that back. The Supreme Court is taking up that case. But if the Supreme Court came back and said that was unconstitutional, the president could still say he's pausing, not waiving it. But now that this is in law, the Supreme Court decision will have to be upheld."

The White House announced last November that the Student loan moratorium will end 60 days after either June 30, 2023, or the date of a Supreme Court decision on student loan forgiveness. This would mean interest would begin accruing at the end of August if the Supreme Court favors the end of the Student loan moratorium.
https://finance.yahoo.com/video/debt-ceiling-deal-investors-watch-223022379.html
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mccarthy-takes-victory-lap-debt-limit-bill-details-remain-scarce-among-house-members

I'm building a golf simulator for a friend of mine. He's going to have two displays. One is a projector into the hitting screen (1080p). The other is going to be a duplicate display for adjusting the aim point on screen. He asked if I could do a touch screen for that other screen.
He doesn't want to spend thousands of dollars, and said a 24" screen is fine. I don't think 1080p or 60Hz is going to be a problem for its use case. I would think a 10 point capacitive screen would be much better than a 1 point resistive screen.
Is the Dell P2418HT the best option at its price point? It's an older monitor, but it checks out. Anything better out there that isn't an arm and a leg?

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https://preview.redd.it/5uo4dxq5ir2b1.png?width=972&format=png&auto=webp&s=b022b0b7fb7a675251399d093710f83b6208f8bf
Company Further Strengthens Balance Sheet by Entering Debt Settlement Agreement with Creditor
Element79 Gold Corp. (CSE:ELEM) (OTC:ELMGF)(FSE: 7YS) (" Element79 Gold ", the " Company ") a mining company focused on gold, silver and associated metals, provided an update to investors today by confirming payment to a creditor to complete a contract for services
Debt Settlement
The Company also announces that it has entered into a debt settlement agreement with an arms-length creditor (the "Creditor") to settle CAD$50,000.00 (the "Debt Settlement") of debt for services provided by the Creditor to the Company.
In settlement and full satisfaction of the debt in the amount of CAD$50,000.00, the Company has agreed to issue to the Creditor 1,000,000 common shares in the capital of the Company (the "Common Shares") at a deemed issue price of $0.050 per Common Share.
All Common Shares issued pursuant to the Debt Settlement are subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance of the Common Shares in accordance with applicable securities legislation.
About Element79 Gold
Element79 Gold is a mining company focused on gold, silver, and associated metals and committed to maximizing shareholder value through responsible mining practices and sustainable development of its projects. Element79 Gold's primary focus is on two core properties: Lucero Property in Arequipa, Peru, and its flagship Maverick Springs Property in the gold mining district of northeastern Nevada, USA. The Maverick Springs Property, located between the Elko and White Pine Counties, hosts a 43-101-compliant, pit-constrained mineral resource estimate reflecting an inferred resource of 3.71 million ounces of gold equivalent "AuEq" at a grade of 0.92 g/t AuEq (0.34 g/t Au and 43.4 g/t Ag) with an effective date of October 19, 2022. Element79 Gold also holds a portfolio of 15 properties along the Battle Mountain trend in Nevada. As part of its Canadian operations, Element79 Gold has the option to acquire a 100% interest in the Snowbird High-Grade Gold Project, consisting of 10 mineral claims approximately 20km west of Fort St. James in Central British Columbia. The Company also has the option to acquire the Dale Property, comprised of 90 unpatented mining claims in the Timmins Mining Division, Dale Township, in Ontario, Canada. The Company is analyzing the non-core Nevada, Dale, and Snowbird projects for further merit of exploration, sale, or spin-out.
For more information about the Company, please visit www.element79.gold
Contact Information
For corporate matters, please contact:
James C. Tworek,
Chief Executive Officer
E-mail: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
For investor relations inquiries, please contact:
Investor Relations Department
Phone: +1.613.879.9387
E-mail: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

A thought that's been in the back of my mind for a little while, but gelled a bit better with the ongoing discussion of the remaster, specifically the Kineticist's elements and the new holy/unholy/spirit traits, is what benefit there is to keep with having a system of damage types, rather than having damage just work on traits like most other things in 2e. I guess it carries certain mechanical implications when applied to immunities and resistances (you can only reduce mixed damage as much as the damage of the types getting resisted), but otherwise I'm struggling to think of reasons why the game couldn't just fold damage into its broader trait system, which seems to already be happening in part with good/evil alignment damage getting turned into the holy/unholy traits.
Just to illustrate the point, here's what we have for damage types and how they fit into traits:

• The BPS physical damage types. Just making them traits would have minimal impact in the case of most resistances and weaknesses, and in the case of traits like concussive could potentially even simplify matters somewhat (e.g. give the weapon both the bludgeoning and piercing traits).
• The energy damage types, which have their own traits already. In the case of positive and negative energy, simply relying on traits alone could also clarify interactions with undead and negative healing, as there's currently this double whammy of certain healing effects specifying they only work on living creatures while also having the positive trait.
• Mental damage, whose interactions are already covered entirely by its trait.
• Poison damage, which is already almost entirely covered by its trait.
• Bleed damage, whose immunity from bloodless creatures could easily be covered with a bleed trait and listed resistance or immunities.
• Precision damage, which might as well have the occasional immunity to it from oozes and incorporeal creatures defined through a trait.

Meanwhile, here's the various interactions we have that tie into damage, but lie outside of the damage type system, and could be neatly integrated through traits:

• Pretty much any elemental damage type, especially water, which is currently barely if at all covered even under creature resistances (fire creatures should likely have a weakness to water).
• Any type of special metal such as adamantine, cold iron, or silver: damage from those materials doesn't count as its own damage type, yet many monsters either have a weakness to them or have those materials bypass some of their resistances. To me, all of these interactions look like they'd work better through traits you'd then ascribe to gear, golems, etc. made with those materials.
• Axes, which many tree creatures are specifically weak against. Just make it an axe trait!

TL;DR: Unless I'm missing something crucial, it just feels like we don't really need a limited pool of damage types, so much as just trait-based interactions around damage. We already have this to a large extent with mental and poison damage, and a purely trait-based damage system feels like it would be much more open-ended, yet also simpler to handle. Elemental damage could just work directly off of elemental traits, instead of most elements being reduced to bludgeoning damage, and depending on how calculations of immunity, resistance, and weakness apply to this system, applying those could also become a much more straightforward affair. Is there a benefit to damage types that can't just be applied through traits?

Take a look at this short video:
https://twitter.com/leslibless/status/1662928042736402432
I don't know when it was recorded, but the implication seems to be that it is recent.
Let's say for the sake of argument that it is indeed a recent video (i.e. recorded within the past week or two).
If there is really a gruesome war going on in that part of the world, why is Kyiv so calm and peaceful?
Why are people hanging out at cafes and bars looking happy and relaxed?
One easy answer would be, 'well what do you want them to do, stay inside all day, worrying?'
That's fair enough. Even in a 'real' 'war', you wouldn't expect everybody to be on the front lines.
Maybe these folks are not worried about random air attacks, they certainly don't seem worried.
As one person in the twitter replies pointed out, this street in Kyiv looks more civilised than certain parts of many American cities, especially places like Detroit and San Francisco.
Is this kind of footage being shown on the news in the US and other western countries?
If not, why not?
And what does this lead an intelligent person to infer about what we think we know about the 'world wars' of last century? What were the masses being shown in newspapers back then?
tl;dr
Footage from Kyiv reportedly recorded recently suggests the place is calm and peaceful, leading to some important questions.

Note: This isn’t about the annoyance of Posh Shows. We know some of you are annoyed. We get it.
Background and Question: I bought an item in a Share show. After bidding and winning, seller went on to be snarky in the comments about bundling and my getting an item at a super low price (that the seller set, mind you). I went to the item and apparently this has been an issue in other shows by the comments section - pressuring in a snarky way about bundling more items. I decided to be kind and look at the closet, but there just wasn’t anything else I could use - mainly cheap looking jewelry being marketed as authentic. I said I couldn’t find anything else in the comments, thanked her for the great deal, and told her the size choice for the ring I purchased. The next morning, it was canceled. Looks like this is a habit. I sent a message saying that, yes, she has the right to cancel, but since this is a habit, it looks really bad for her. I then blocked this closet because I don’t want to get into this situation, again, and…
I’m probably going to host some share shows at some point in the future. Will this person be able to join my share shows? I’m hoping a block will keep her from pulling this bs in one of my shows.
Thanks.

As always, thank you to u/SpacePaladin15 for the wonderful universe that is NoP
Thank you to u/cruisingNW for proof reading and helping me out of some hang ups, you're the man!
First Prev. Next
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Memory Transcription Subject: Christopher A. Dewey, Human Merchant Sailor, Venlil-Human Exchange Participant
Date [Standardized Human Time]: August 24th, 2136.
I felt like I got hit by a truck. A small one, but still a truck.
Ensign Frenchman packed a pretty good punch and a mean hook for his size. Hopefully some time in therapy would help direct them a little better. I can’t say I blamed him, I don’t know what I’d do if I got word Ryan had been killed. I wouldn't take it out on the nearest Venlil, but it sure as shit wouldn’t have been pretty.
I’d gotten better at working the showers but Taisa still laughed at me as I fumbled with the control panel. Eventually I remembered the right button, swinging the privacy curtains between us. She seemed to find it odd that Humans were so skittish about our privacy but relented when I reminded her we didn’t exactly have fur. Filling the tub with warm water and some kind of soapy oil I slid in to soak; still pressing the melting ice pack to my tender cheek.
“Chris?” Taisa began, her tub having finished filling. “What do you think they’ll do with him?” “What do you mean?”
“Well… what do Humans do with individuals with Predator Disease?”
“Predator Disease?” I asked, working shampoo through my hair. “You mentioned it before, but I can’t say that I’m familiar with the term. Something about you having to do ‘socialization’?”
“Ya know… Predator Disease. People who are… different… are dangerous.” She responded, that note of sadness slipping into her voice again.
“Oh, we just call that mental illness I guess.”
“Ok, then what do Humans do with them?”
“Well, it depends. Some people just need some meds, help with coping mechanisms and therapy or counseling. Others need some more in depth treatments or, in more extreme cases, isolation.” I groaned, the tension of the fight leaving my muscles. “I figure for him he’ll get grief counseling, maybe some mandatory anger management classes and probably some degree of reprimand from the U.N. for his behavior.”
“Is this… therapy and anger management how Humans deal with their urges?” She asked, a thoughtful tone in her voice.
“Our… What?” I responded, confusion in my voice at the odd question.
“You know, your predatory instincts. Like violence, blood-thirst and stuff.” There was not a hint of irony nor joke in the statement.
After a moment of baffled silence I reached up and hit the button to move the curtain aside.
Taisa's messin' with me, she's gotta be.
The sudden movement of the curtain seemed to startle her, tail splashing through the water behind her, but the look on her face was most certainly serious.
“Taisa…” I sighed, pinching my fingers on the throbbing bridge of my nose. “Did you think I’ve been fighting the urge to eat you this whole time?”
“Um… No…? Maybe?” She beeped quietly, embarrassment clear in her voice as her ears lowered to the sides.
My eyes didn’t leave her as I sighed again, “No. I have never had the urge to eat you, or any Venlil. There are no urges to fight, because they don’t exist.” Her ears flicked meekly, as I broke eye contact, switching the button to close the drapes. After a moment, I asked a counter-question: “Taisa, do Venlil have a constant instinctual need to consume any plants you see? Or do you go ‘Hey I’m hungry, I could really go for a salad.’?”
“No, we don't have a need to consume every plant we see, it's just… We only know about one other predatory species, and by all accounts they do feel that urge. I just… got kind of worried from what I saw earlier. So many of the Humans in the cafeteria just seemed so angry, so… out of control.” Taisa sunk down to her chin in the tub, her ears back, like she was trying to hide from the words.
“Did I?” I countered, leaning against the side of the tub, pushing buttons until I found one to turn on a water-jet to massage the soreness from my sides.
“...No.” She conceded, her head raising out of the water a little as she grabbed a tube of shampoo, squirting a small amount into her open paw. “But… It’s not You that I’m worried about.” “Do you trust me, Taisa?”
She froze a moment, and I could see the shadow of her ears swivel as she thought, before turning, head and ears, to focus on me through the privacy screen. “Yes.” I lifted my head up above the privacy screen, her gleaming amber eyes met mine and I measured my tone to emphasize my promise. “Then trust me when I say that no sane Human has urges, plans, or instincts to eat you, a Venlil, or any other Sapient being for that matter. Sure as the sun rises in the morn’ no one’s eatin’ you on my watch.” I smiled, splashing water over at her as her ears lifted a little, laughing as she splashed water back at me.
---
Memory Transcription Subject: Taisa, Venlil Starship Mechanic, Venlil-Human Exchange Participant
Date [Standardized Human Time]: August 24th, 2136.
I sank into the warm waters, letting the wood scented oils soak into my wool, my tail slowly swaying through the water beneath me. I didn’t need to do a full wash for another paw or so but I always found it relaxing to just soak for a while. It was a good bonus that it helped to loosen any knots in my wool, not that I really ever got too many of them with how short I kept it.
My admission to Chris that I trusted him sat in my chest in a way I really couldn’t describe; it wasn’t a bad feeling per se, just… new. I hadn’t really ever had someone that I think I could say I actually trusted, outside of my family of course. It was difficult to process that the first person I really trusted in so long… was a predator. He was the first person to have ever come back; predator or not he stuck around. If he was willing to see beyond my past… Then I was willing to give him, and his species, the benefit of the doubt. Even if the topic was about eating me.
I allowed my thoughts to drift while I reveled in the warmth of the water soaking into my bones, when I heard water move from Chris’ direction. Watching his shadow through the privacy curtain Chris opened the bag he had brought in with him, setting out what looked like a few bottles and a brick of… something?
How do Humans keep clean? Do they have to clean more often than we do? They don’t have fur to shampoo outside of their heads so maybe it’s less? Still, Chris’ hair is just as well kept as any Venlil’s wool I’d ever seen, and longer than my father’s, so he certainly doesn't neglect it.
“Chris,” I began, my tail curling in curiosity, his shadow jumped slightly as I spoke up. “How do Humans groom?”
It’s kinda cute that I can scare him, sometimes.
“Well, it’s a little different for everyone, I suppose. For one, most Humans take showers to get clean, and baths to relax; it’s a lot quicker that way for us. Hell, shipboard I didn’t even have the option to take a bath; we only had the showers.” He responded, squirting some viscous liquid from an upturned bottle into an open hand; was that human shampoo?
"Ok, then how do you groom?” I asked as he worked his hands together before running them through his hair and beard.
He chuckled at that before dunking his head under water and shaking his hands through his hair vigorously for a few seconds before coming back up. “Luckily for me I’m a civilian sailor, otherwise I wouldn’t really have anything to take care of in the first place. As it is though, I use a specialized strengthening shampoo every other day to give it thickness and shine paired with Argan oil conditioner a couple times a week for some nice softness.” Chris grabbed another of his bottles and squirted it into his hands, repeating the same motion to work it into his hair but not immediately washing it out, Human conditioner, then? ”Granted, all that wouldn’t matter much without regular trips to my barber, Lorenzo, back home, that old bastard can cut hair like no one else alive. Pair that with some good wax pomade, beard oil and a stiff comb to keep everything in line between cuts… and I’m set! Gotta work to look this good!” I couldn’t see it through the curtain but I was certain he had that wide goofy smile on his face.
His routine sounded surprisingly similar to mine, albeit with less area to cover, although the answer didn’t quite cover everything. “What about the… rest of you?”
“Ah,” He started, reaching over to fetch and hold up the brick. “That's what the soap is for, nothing special here, just suds and sandalwood, rub it into a washcloth, wipe everything down and rinse off! How do Venlil groom? I imagine it can get tedious having that much wool to clean and comb through.”
“It’s not all too dissimilar from your hair routine, in all honesty. Every few paws I rub my face wool with cleaning powder - I use a Basin Tree oil based powder - and rinse it out. I can’t stand putting shampoo in my head wool, it always finds its way into my eyes. Then for the rest of my wool I use an Elva flower scented shampoo and Chessiu nut oil based conditioner! I use a pretty soft brush for my wool since it’s not often I have knots that have to get worked through; outside of my tuft.” I ran my claws through the thick tuft of wool on my head to emphasize the point, scratching lightly at the skin beneath.
“Not all Venlil do but I always try to scrape and shine under my claws. The feeling of gunk building up drives me mad, especially if I’ve been servicing carbon filters.” I shuddered, shaking out my wool at the memory of the pressure under my claws.
“I hear that, I hated getting packing grease stuck under my nails whenever I had to help the Chief get through some of the maintenance while we were underway. Gotta go after it with a pick; horrid feeling. Can’t imagine it feels any better with retractable claws.” I giggled a little at that, imagining the big human hunched over, a small pick in one hand delicately trying to dig grease out from his ‘nails’. “Do Venlil have to trim their claws back? Every week or two I have to clip my nails down so they don’t get too long.”
“We, or at least I, don’t clip my claws. I file them back once a cycle or so to keep them from getting to be too much to actually work with, but if I go too far then they’ll snap on me if I pry with them wrong and that brahking hurts.” I responded, flexing my paw, I probably wasn’t too far off from needing to tend to my claws again, now that I thought about it.
“I can’t say I’ve broken any nails but I’ve slammed my fingers in plenty of door jambs and joints. Now that hurts like nothing else.” He countered, chuckling a little.
All the talk of work over the last few days, explaining what I had studied, hearing about Chris’ time at sea, gushing, somewhat embarrassingly, over his family’s truck and just… talking, really talking… had planted a seed in my head. One that was finally sprouting.
“Chris, what do you think you’re going to do once the Exchange Program is over?” I asked as my ears perked up, tail swishing through the water in curiosity.
“Huh…” He grunted, stopping a moment as he thought, before his hand reached over and hit the button for the privacy screen again to meet my eyes. “I hadn’t really thought about it, if I’m honest. I'm not sure! I could go home and go back to sailing, but that doesn't really feel like enough after... this. Honestly I’d rather fly the stars than sail the seas at this point. What about you?”
"I was trying to get a job in my field but I can't seem to find a crew or shipping company that will have me, especially with the current state of the trade markets; and I'd rather not join the Corps if I can help it. Outside of that, it would just be going back to Heartwood River to help my family with the equipment on the farm I guess." I sighed, ears pinned to my head, my paws kneading into the tuft of my tail as I remembered the issue I had been trying to avoid by signing up for the exchange.
"Guess we could always get our own ship and try to make it on our own." He chuckled, amused by the idea. "Although I doubt that'd be easy, Humans don't really have our own commercial FTL ships yet, and I don’t exactly know how to fly one either. I don't suppose you know any Venlil who could give us a good deal on a freighter??"
“Course I do! Got little Vikki the shipwright here tangled in my wool!”
Chris smiled at that and smashed his hands down into the bath before exclaiming. "Well there we go! We get a ship from Vikki, pick up some cargo and make runs from VP to Earth and back! Easy money and easy work for both of us! I'd bet there's people all over both planets spoilin' to get goods from the other!" He exclaimed, excitement apparent in his voice. "Uh... I don’t suppose lil’ Vikki there has a price in mind?"
“Yeah here, let me check!” I dunked my snout under the water and burbled a high whistle, earning a healthy guffaw from my partner. Resurfacing, I answered, “Vikki said 20mil. and your dad’s truck; I feel like his head’s a little higher than the reeds, if ya know what I mean.”
Chris was cackling by now, “That much huh?! Could always rob a bank! My old man may not like losing the truck though.” He laughed, glancing over at me before crossing his arms over his chest. “‘Hello sir, I’d like one of your finest ships please, no don’t mind the cops outside, they’re here for someone else.’”
I giggled a little, dropping my voice to a whisper as my ears pinned forward “No, no that's too obvious, we have to be stealthy about it. Better plan would be to just put on a set of Labor Safety gear and fly off with one, no one ever questions L and S.”
He threw his head back in laughter at that. “I shouldn’t be surprised that people don’t wanna get visits from space OSHA any more than normal OSHA. I guess cuttin’ safety is a universal constant.”
“Maybe we could get the Exchange program to pay for it?” I asked giggling again as my tail thrashed through the water behind me at the joke.
He chuckled a little before adding, “Yeah I bet they would love to pay for an interspecies merchant ship. Not like they’re swimming in-” His voice caught and his body froze. I watched as his face contorted through a dozen different expressions, before he settled on ‘distressingly wrinkled’ and stroked his hand down his beard. “... We could tell the Exchange program we want to… ‘Run an experiment on Human-Venlil business partnerships.’ Yeah that sounds nice… Maybe if it’s official-like they might pick up the tab!”
"Ha! Business partnerships! Like the program would ever go for that." I was whistling my humor, but Chris grew a broad smile and his eyes gleamed with wicked mischief.
My tail slowed in the water, "Wait… That couldn't actually work. Right, Chris?" I didn’t receive a response, instead he was intently mumbling to himself.
"-UN's the only world power in this, and they’ve been bending over backward to make it work… The blockade can't be good for the economy, so VP has to be as desperate for this to work as we are… they're already doing training for pilots, and they have way more soldiers than merchants…"
His eyes snapped up to meet mine, and I couldn't hide my hesitancy at the mad look in them, "Taisa, I know we were joking earlier, but this time I'm serious: do you know where we could buy a freighter?"
My ears swiveled as I racked my brain, "A-Actually…" I pondered, my ears pricked up with hope at the idea. "Wh-When the blockades with the federation happened a lot of freight companies went out of business; or sold their old ships to the yards at a loss to stay liquid. I doubt many of the ships have really moved, considering the blockades are still up; and a lot of traders are still a little bolty about trading with Humans. Really just about any sizable shipyard should have a fair few on paw that they’re probably looking to turn for a quick profit."
His hand continued to work through his beard as he processed the thought. “We might actually be able to get that to work… Doubtful they’ll pick up the tab on anything too big but that just means we work higher value cargo. Curio contracts, charter service and specialty hauls would be our bread and bu-… uh, Jelly. How long is the trip from Earth to VP?”
I racked my brain for a moment considering the distance. “Drives run at [Human Unit: 4.5 ly/hr]. That trip is around [Human Unit: 16 ly] so we’re looking at a little under a Claw for a run, give or take another half Claw for in-system maneuvers and landing clearance. By the Stars we could start a next paw delivery service and still have time to spare!”
“Hell that ain’t even that bad, I’ve had domestic flights longer than that. The training may be an issue but I can’t imagine them pitching in on the ship and leaving us out to dry on how to actually use it. The better question now is how we actually bring it up.” He sighed the last sentence as his eyes focused on a random spot on the wall.
As if to answer the question our pads beeped simultaneously, informing us of an incoming message.
Please report to the Partnership Program lead office promptly. Suite 4006 on deck 4.
Chris and I exchanged glances, considering the message on the pads before quickly finishing our time in the baths. Time, and convincing a multi-government alien integration agency to buy you an old ship, wait for no-one.
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