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The Lockhill Rd. Disappearances
2023.03.29 07:02 JamesCaligo The Lockhill Rd. Disappearances
A call came in that there was another disappearance on Lockhill Road. My whole town was buzzing about a person named Josephine, an old lady that had the tendency to be a little bit of a pain in the butt for cashiers, but otherwise a quiet one in town.
Apparently, the patrol that frequents near that road found her car in a ditch and saw no traces of her anywhere. The police went to check her house and saw that she wasn't there either. There was only one conclusion we all had to come to. The road has claimed another victim.
As for my name, I'm only going to tell you that it's Adam, and I'm here to explain to you that there's something absurdly bizarre about the road.
Lockhill Rd. is one of the oldest roads in Illinois. There isn't anything significantly special about it. On the surface, it's covered in large cracks, grass overtaking the edges, and it's surrounded by an unusually swamp-like environment, something a little bizarre given how up North I am.
But it's also got a rap sheet that would make Ted Bundy jealous.
From what I've learned in my twenty-eight years of living in this town, over the last two hundred years or so, around three hundred people have mysteriously disappeared. That's a significantly high number and you're probably wondering why people would want to drive on it?
Here's the thing, nobody typically uses that road. They just find themselves on it.
It's really weird but you can find yourself suddenly on that road without warning. One moment you'll be on the highway that's near my town, and right as you get off, you'll find yourself driving on that road. But this only happens at night. As a rule, driving at night is strongly prohibited. The only issue is that cops are less inclined to go about driving themselves. And this happens at completely random moments as well.
The next question I know you all are asking is "why would any of us want to live here then?"
Well, the thing is there's a mine nearby. It's a salt mine and a lot of money is gained from it. You have to weigh in the risk and reward factors here. There are people here who— despite the danger— are making bank. I don't know how much a typical salt mine will pay, but I think the extra danger of the road is the reason why the income for locals is so much better here. So for the most part we prefer not to talk about it.
Now you're probably wondering why am I here? I clearly don’t work at the mine, but instead, I am a neighborhood watch patrolman.
Since disappearances can happen if people are caught driving, I— as well as others— found ourselves working alongside the local police to keep people off of the roads for their own safety. It seems that whatever effect the road can create, it doesn't work if you're walking on two feet.
So my job is relatively safe. Sure, I don't get any weapons training other than a baton and mace, which is why I prefer to regularly work out and make sure that criminals, usually rowdy teenagers, don't have a good advantage over me or any of my partners.
But I'm here to tell you about how I got sloppy and nearly paid the price with my life...
It was your typical Wednesday, and I was with my friends at the police station, getting ready to sign in to let the department know that we were going to be working today.
That's when officer Smith (not his real name by the way) approached me and said in her smooth, southern voice, "Now you boys try to have a good night. We've been getting some reports that there's been a gang of kids that keep breaking house windows. So far they haven't entered any, but I think they're just trying to create an atmosphere of tension."
I stood there silently, always having difficulty talking to her. She was serious about her job and wasn't too kind to anyone who was caught slacking. But she cared to a great degree.
I mustered up the courage to say, "Will do. We got our mace and batons ready."
"Good, but still, if they turn out to be more hostile than usual, I need you fellas to call us ASAP."
It wasn't lost on me that even if we did call up for the actual police officers, it would still take a good while for them to arrive, giving any of these troublemakers a chance to escape from us. No cars at night, remember.
One of my partners, Derek, replied with his usual enthusiasm, "Don't sell us too short ma'am, Adam and I have been doing this for two years now. We're basically experts at this point."
She noticed his smug expression and quickly shot it down.
"I've been a cop for seven years. In that time I believe thirteen people have gone missing. And many of you neighborhood watch patrolmen have been hurt, sometimes severely, by these thugs. Call us." she ended it with a stern warning.
Derek always had this issue with over-confidence and I often think that's why he was never able to get a girlfriend. I think he’s just overdoing it half the time, thinking that it impresses people.
Still, this is the first time I've actually known this much about officer Smith. Seven years is a long time, and for that many people to have gone missing, I can tell that's got to weigh heavily on her mind.
But our patrol went on as usual. We did our regular routine for the first few hours with nothing more than warning people that they can't get in their cars because, in about an hour, the sun would've completely set by then.
Sure that's an entire hour, but why take the chance?
But around the time when the sun had already descended, I got a call on my radio by a woman that said:
"Neighborhood Patrol Unit #9, do you read me?"
"Neighborhood Patrol Unit #9, we hear you loud and clear."
"Number Nine we've been getting some odd reports of a car that is driving around. It was reported by a civilian caller, but all police officers who responded to the area haven't been able to track their location. We need you to stay alert, the last coordinates of their whereabouts were in your general location so keep your eyes peeled."
"Dispatch, we'll keep our eyes on the lookout for the driver. We'll have to flag them down and hope that they stop."
"Copy, good hunting."
It was always anxiety-inducing to hear that someone was driving around. They had to be someone who had come off the highway.
"Well, looks like we got to chase someone down on foot today." Derek happily said.
"Come on man, I don't even want to think about going after someone in a car."
"Yeah, but at least it's something to do." he chuckled.
I wasn't amused. Frankly speaking, this was only a job for me. Sure I don't get paid as much as a cop, but it's less dangerous. Now that I'm being tasked with stopping a vehicle, this is going to prove way above my pay grade. I almost can’t remember the last time I had to deal with a driver.
But the night dragged on as usual and still no sign of the vehicle. I was pretty much convinced that they must have gone off on some other section of the town, but Derek was remaining vigilant. He took this job way too seriously. Or perhaps he wasn't taking it seriously enough?
"You hear that?" he abruptly said.
We both quieted down and tried to listen carefully.
There was nothing for a brief few seconds, other than the sound of crickets in the distance and an owl hooting.
But then there was a sudden screeching of tires nearby. We had our driver and quickly started running towards whatever direction it was that we heard it from.
Despite having flashlights and reflectors on, I somehow found myself alone. I shouted out for Derek at the top of my lungs.
I heard his distant reply, "Adam! Adam, where'd you go?"
I followed his voice and saw that he had gone down the next street over.
"Derek, what are you doing over there? You were supposed to stay with me the whole time?" I shouted.
I was trying my best to hide my anger from him. He shouldn't have broken off just to chase down a car.
"What do you mean? You broke off from me?" he shouted back.
"You were supposed to go with me down Amberg Street!"
He was about to respond, but the screeching of those tires could be heard coming down my road.
I looked to my left and saw a large Chevrolet speeding toward me. I jumped out of the way just in time before they hit me. They knocked over some trash cans and a mailbox and appeared to be driving with delirium. Now I was having suspicions about this person.
"Derek, I saw the driver. I think they're drunk and they're taking their car out for a joyride since no one else is around."
He sounded confused, "Eh, what's the protocol for this again?"
I ignored his forgetfulness and pulled out my radio to call dispatch again.
"Neighborhood Patrol Unit #9 to Dispatch, we have a red Chevrolet driving erratically on Amberg Street and the local area, over."
"Dispatch to Unit #9, where are they heading, over?"
I took a look at my compass that I always keep with me, and replied, "Dispatch they're heading towards the North and don't appear to be stopping anytime soon, over."
"Dispatch to Unit #9, do not engage with the driver. We're sending over a bicycle unit to try and slow them down the best we can. We can't take risks with a vehicle, over."
"Okay, we will not engage any further but will keep you updated, over and out."
Derek soon approached behind me and said, "I get so tired of always having to use those police codewords."
"It's so that there's no confusion. You do realize there are police officers on this channel too, right?"
"Yeah, yeah. Don't lose your hair over it. I was just complaining a little."
I gave him a smirk and the two of us continued on our way. Since we didn't have the responsibility of chasing after the driver, we went about our usual patrol but with a little more alertness in mind.
But we made a bad decision to be passing by that dreaded road. It was part of our routine, and usually passing by never caused any problems.
The only problem is that as we were going by, we saw the truck. It ran off the road and crashed into a tree.
From what I could see, the silhouette of the guy was inside.
I gave Derek my radio and told him to call and tell them that we had found the driver and that they appeared to have been trying to go down Lockhill Road.
I ran over to the left side of the road where the car laid wedged up against the side of the tree. The driver's door was smashed in and I would have to climb in from the passenger side to try and save them from burning to death.
When I went for the door, I briefly hesitated. The idea of getting in a car at night and being directly on Lockhill left me with this gut feeling that kept telling me that I should just turn back and wait for First Responders to arrive.
But given that they were going to be arriving not by ambulance, but by bicycle, and with the car slowly starting to burn, I took a deep breath and opened the door, climbing inside and reaching for the man as quickly as I could.
He was knocked out cold and I grabbed hold of his arm and shook him as much as I could to wake him up.
The fire was growing and I unbuckled his seat belt, wrapped my arms around him, and used my legs to forcibly pull him out of the vehicle. This man was fat and a pain to try and pull out.
At last, I felt the weight release and both of us fell onto the grass below. I breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that I was able to save him just in time.
I got myself back to my feet and looked over to the exit of the road.
I must have fallen into a state of disbelief because I saw that there was nothing but a long stretch of road surrounded by marshland under a red moonlight.
I turned over to the other side, a soon to be fleeting hope already starting to take hold of me, and saw that it was the same in the other direction.
"No, no, no!" I shouted. "I wasn't even driving the car! The car wasn't moving!"
How could this have happened to me? This wasn't supposed to happen. As far as we all knew, if you're driving, you become snatched up by the road. At least, that's what I think the town's consensus was. Maybe everyone just assumes that that is the likely scenario. It's not like anyone's ever returned to tell us that simply being inside your car is enough to warrant whatever unusual forces are at work here.
I kept pacing myself, running from one end to the other, hoping that maybe I just misjudged the distance and I can easily still walk out and find Derek.
But besides the eerie red light coming from above, all I saw was darkness.
The drunken man groaned. This quickly caught my attention and I ran back over to him.
He was still alive but not fully awake yet.
Then I remembered my radio and reached for it. I felt nothing in my pocket and instantly remembered that I handed my radio off to Derek.
Seeing that that wasn't going to work, I went for my phone next. But there was no signal. I was completely stranded.
In a fit of rage, I started swearing up and down out of the frustration of being caught in this. I guess it's true what they say, no good deed goes unpunished. I should have listened to my instincts and told myself not to intervene. I should have left this guy and waited for backup like they always tell us. And now I'm trapped on this road with a drunkard, who I was now more than happy to abandon.
He started moving around and his eyes opened. He was awake and clearly saw the burning wreckage that was his truck.
His voice was rough, having a noticeable smoker's voice. "Hey, what happened to my piece of junk?"
"You crashed into a tree, you idiot," I alerted him to my presence.
He turned around and became instantly belligerent with me.
Holding up both of his fists at me, he fiercely said, "Who are you calling an idiot?"
I wasn't intimidated. The fact of the matter is that I work out regularly and when I was five, my parents thought it would be a good idea for me to take self-defense classes. Thank you, Mom and Pop.
He threw one of his fists my way and I was able to dodge it, backing up and having my own fists ready. When he saw that he missed, he threw his other one, only for me to grab it and easily pull them inwards with my back turned and flipped him over me, letting him hit the ground hard.
Even though he was drunk and probably didn't feel the pain all that much, his body was too heavy for him to have any decent motor function and I believe he passed out again.
Seeing that he wasn't going to be a problem anymore, I walked around— staying relatively close to the man— trying to see if I could get a signal by changing location.
This went on for about twenty minutes or so, and despite my best efforts, I was left with nothing. The unusual silence was broken by a few sharp coughs. I guess he was due to wake up again.
I stood over him, expecting him to go into another rant about what I had said earlier, but he seemed to have had a mental reset.
"Eh, who are you?"
"My name is Adam. I'm part of the Neighborhood Patrol. You had a car wreck because you were drunk, am I correct?" I said in my best stoic voice.
He got back to his feet quickly and smelled horrible. I only just now noticed because I was distracted by my situation. The sting of his alcoholic breath was much too strong for me, forcing me to take a few steps back.
"I only had a few drinks," he slurred.
"Only? How much is only?" I let my anger slip out.
"Five... seven maybe?"
"Of what?" I ordered.
"Hennessey,"
This guy was a moron. Now I was trapped on this god-forsaken road with a man who had only half a brain functioning.
I walked to one side of the road and had to take a wild guess as to which way would be best. I wasn't about to sit out here in the dark with this guy. I could only rely on the illumination of the red moonlight. I wanted to save the battery on my flashlight, so I thought it best not to use it at this moment.
"Look," I said. "We need to start walking in a direction to get out of here. Maybe there is a way to escape, but we have to come to a decision on which way."
I guess he remembered my remark from earlier after all because he said, "I ain't going anywhere with you kid. You call me an idiot."
I rolled my eyes. This guy was as petty as a child, and yet calls me a kid.
"Listen closely. You're on that road we're not supposed to be on. You got me roped into this, and I'm going to make a decision. Either come with me or stay here and wait for rescue. Not that they will be coming."
He turned around and went back to the car. At first, I was confused as to what he was up to, but I almost had a quick heart attack when I briefly thought that he was going to pull a gun out on me. I was already preparing myself to start running when he turned around and had a beer bottle in his hand.
"I ain't going with you anywhere,"
He threw the bottle at me, narrowly hitting me in the head. It shattered on the other side of the road and for a brief moment, I thought I heard something skitter away. Since I've been here, I haven't heard a single animal so the idea that something was back there silently observing us made my skin crawl.
"Fine!" I said. "Stay here. I can't make you come with me. Let's hope that we can find you by tomorrow when the sun comes up."
The heavy man flipped me off, signaling my cue to leave. I was quick to put as much distance between us as I went to the right end of the road and started my journey with only a flashlight in hand.
For the most part, nothing had happened in the last five minutes and I was content with the silence that surrounded me. Better to hear nothing than to hear something. But I would rather hear my radio crackling to life at this moment.
Going a little further on, the silence was broken again. But this time, instead of the groaning coming from that guy, I heard a blood-filled screaming coming from way back. That man had stayed behind and now he was being attacked by something. It was so guttural and wrapped up in agony that already the hairs on my body were standing up.
A part of me was screaming that I needed to go back and check on him. But whatever it was, it likely had already done the deed. Plus, if I go back, who's to say I won't become the next victim. There's always been something odd about this road and I have to approach it with the highest end of paranoia.
My only other option was to keep pressing forward and hope that salvation is at the end. Running was starting to feel like a better option, but I refrained from it. I could easily tire myself out and I didn't want to be stationary. It clearly didn't provide any safety for that drunkard. I just had to keep pressing forward at a modest pace.
Something has changed. It's been about three hours now and the moon hasn't moved. And that blood-red color is hurting my eyes. I don't like to keep my eyes shut, for fear that something might come out from nowhere and attack me, but the soreness is starting to get to me.
What's worse is that I can hear footsteps behind me. They're light on their feet, but each step is almost echoing my pace. I sped up just a little to test out my theory and whatever it was, it simultaneously matched me. I heard it lingering always behind me. My paranoia is starting to overtake any rational thinking that I have. But then again, nothing about this road is rational.
The steps seemed to be speeding up even though I had been going at the same pace for the last ten minutes. My breathing was starting to betray me, growing louder and more hoarse with each intake of the unseasonably cold air. And then there was a steadily growing whispering that was surrounding me.
Finally, having had enough of the pursuit, I turned around, pointing the flashlight at as many parts of the road as I could to get a glimpse of who was following me. But it was empty.
"No, no, I heard something... someone..." I whispered to myself.
Turning back in my original direction, the steps began again. And the whispering was only growing louder.
Without a second thought, I started charging forward, done with whatever it was that was messing with me. I wanted to get away from them, but I could faintly hear their footsteps behind me. It was growing closer even though I was now running at full speed.
In my mind, I thought maybe I could fight it. Perhaps the drunkard was caught off-guard and that's how it got him. But my legs kept moving forward, a sense of dread was keeping me in flight mode, preventing me from wanting to switch to fight mode.
No matter what, one thing was for certain. I wasn't alone on this lonely road. That's perhaps one of the worst feelings.
Up ahead, I saw a distant flashing. They were police flashes. As I drew closer, my pursuer's footsteps quieted down and the whispering ceased.
Standing in front of me was a police officer and his vehicle behind him.
"Oh thank you, I've been trapped on this road for hours." I called out to him.
His voice was low and had an echo to it which was an immediate put-off. "It's okay son. We got reports of a disappearance happening here earlier today. They sent me to try and get you."
I replied, down on my knees due to exhaustion. "Who? Dispatch?"
"Yes,"
Upon further inspection, I started noticing some irregularities. His voice and the way he spoke sounded cold and indifferent. I would think a police officer would be happy to have found someone who was lost on this road for the first time.
Another thing that was making me nervous was how unprofessional he was behaving. His answers were vague, and his appearance looked worn-out. His uniform was tattered and his hair messy. And despite there being light from the moon, the police cars headlights, and my flashlight, his face was shrouded in a dark shadow that purposely was making sure that he was obscure for me to identify any details.
I got back onto my feet and quickly looked down near his waist. I didn't see a holster.
"Where's your gun?"
"Not important." he replied harshly.
I leered at him, my body instantly going into high alert mode again. "It's very important."
"Come with me. I'll give you a drive back home."
I did another quick analysis of his appearance and saw that there was no radio, no gun, and no badge. That would mean this was no cop.
"How about we see your face first," I flashed my light up to his face, something I had been avoiding because that would be rude. And this was an instant regret.
His eyes were glazed over with a red glow coming from them. The mouth was full of razor-sharp teeth, and the skin appeared to be leathery and pale.
He echoed, "Lunchtime."
He jumped me, throwing me back to the ground, and kept trying to bite me. It took all my strength just to keep him from getting close to my face. I kept hearing the snapping of his teeth right into my ear, and a desperate struggle ensued.
I had no weapon on me, only basic self-defense skills and my baton but I couldn’t reach for it, and this guy had some inhuman strength. Despite his body looking frail and emaciated, his strength was more than on par with mine.
"I need food," he— it growled.
I gritted my teeth, getting ready to take a huge risk. Removing one of my arms just for a split second, I punched him as hard as I could in his head.
Despite the bizarreness of this man, pain was still something that he experienced. His grip released and he held on to his face.
I got back up to my feet and grabbed my flashlight to keep my eyes on him. Now I could see what it was that I did. The entire right side had been caved in.
"My God, what are you?"
Despite the impact to the side of his head, he smiled through bloody teeth and said, "Merely a puppet."
At that, his body started to disintegrate into a pile of dust, and red light streaks shot up into the air and dispersed back into the surrounding forest.
I looked around, convinced that what I had experienced was my mind psychologically breaking at this point. When I turned back towards the police car, I thought maybe I could start driving it back. Only to be met with a long-abandoned Lincoln car.
"Looks like I'm still stuck on the road." I sighed.
Exhaustion, thirst, and hunger were starting to take their toll on me. I was desperate for something and now I'm regretting my decision not to have protein bars on me at all times.
Every passing minute was a grim reminder that my time was running out. The human body can only survive for three to four days without any water and from what I could tell, I'm well past the first day. And I'm certain that constantly moving is only lessening those precious days that I have left.
I could hear them whispering behind me again. The footsteps had grown numerous; like there was a crowd behind me. I was so tired. I needed a moment to rest but I was too afraid that that would be the last thing I would do.
Out of sheer frustration with my followers, I turned around, half expecting that there would be nothing again.
What a regretful decision that turned out to be.
This time I could see who it was. It was a crowd of people. All of their eyes were glowing red, and their bodies looked like they had shriveled up, walking limply at me. In the crowd, I saw a familiar face. The drunk driver from earlier was among them. His eyes are glowing red and his body already looked like it had been drained of all fluids, same as the rest.
I turned back and started running as fast as I could. The sweat that grew on me only managed to slow me down as it sapped away more water from my body.
I thought for sure that this was a sign that I was going to end up becoming one of them. Becoming some sort of shriveled puppet for whatever it is that has a hold on this road.
They were still chasing after me, running as well, and not too much longer, I ended up losing steam and collapsing on the side of the road. I was out of breath, drenched in sweat, and my legs were numb.
If they reached me again, there's no way I could escape.
I heard the sound of a gate grinding shut. Then it opened again. Then closed again.
Looking up, I saw an old, run-down Victorian Manor. There was an eerie red glow coming from inside, but what wasn't having a red glow today.
Feeling a sudden surge of adrenaline kicking back in, I found the strength to climb up the small hill to reach the front door of this suspiciously abandoned home.
Before I receive any judgment, anyone who was desperate for shelter would have done the same thing regardless of the obvious red flags, pun not intended.
Kicking the door in, I wasted no time entering and checking behind me to make sure that my fan club wasn't following in. To my surprise, they were back on the road but stood there watching me as I entered.
I honestly couldn't tell if that was a good sign or a bad one.
Closing the door behind me, I was greeted with chilly, dusty air that kept forcing me to cough.
I pulled my shirt over my face and moved inside, wondering where that red light was coming from. Inside was a variety of dull, neutral colors of furniture and walls. What was more jarring was the number of taxidermied animals that were littered everywhere. From the walls, to lampstands, to bear rugs, everything about this house was dead, gloomy, and sinister.
I went into the kitchen and sure enough, nothing could be found in terms of food. But I did find water. There was a dirty puddle of it in the sink, and out of desperation, I started drinking it, regardless of the health risks. And it was as bitter and rusty tasting as I should’ve expected. I could only hope that it doesn’t come back to kill me.
Wiping my face with a raggedy towel nearby, I briefly heard something rustling underneath the floorboards. That was enough to tell me that I wasn't alone in the house. But now I was trapped. My only other choice was to take my chances with the outside where that menacing crowd was waiting for me, or use whatever strength I had left on whatever was hiding in here.
I inspected each of the other rooms on the first floor, not even bothering to check the second one. So far nothing seemed terribly alarming, but I could still hear the sound of footsteps beneath me. They were loud, walking on gravel. I had this sinking feeling that they wanted me to know that they were here.
Seeing that I had no other choice, I found one last unopened door. I took a deep breath, and it slowly creaked open leading to a flight of stairs that descended into a reddish glow that was surrounded by an overwhelmingly sinister blackness that threatened to envelop me should I be brave enough to proceed forward.
With a single gulp, I took my first step down and felt the first few droplets of cold sweat. I also felt a nauseating pain in my stomach, but that could be from the water.
I took each step cautiously, believing that any moment now the door upstairs would suddenly close like a cliche horror movie.
When my foot finally hit the floor, I was surprised that the door remained open. But I was met with a hallway. A long, red wallpapered, red carpeted hallway. At this point, I'm starting to become sick of the color red. At least the colors here were a dull shade.
Pulling out my flashlight again, the flickering that I was receiving from it was alarming and I had half a mind to run back up. But I had to know if I was going to be able to live in this house for some time. And the idea of someone else being in it wasn't comforting.
I held my flashlight up like a weapon, preparing to hit whatever decided to jump out at any corner that I approached.
But no matter how many corners I reached, I was met with another long hallway that stretched roughly 20 ft.
My breathing was becoming heavier and the air was getting warmer. The hallways were growing more vibrant with each turn, and they seemed to change from right to left a lot.
At the end of each turn though, I started to notice something move just out of sight at the next turn. At first, it was tiny, like the back end of a mouse. But each time I reached the next turn, it was getting taller and I was starting to see more of what it was.
Seeing that it was trying to avoid me, I gave chase and prepared myself to start my assault on whatever it was. Out of desperation, all I could think of was to fight everything. My every thought was aggression and survival.
And yet it managed to stay ahead of me at all times as if it was teasing me. And then it finally dawned on me that I had run quite some distance.
Turning back, I realized that I had made a foolish decision. Everything was getting cleaner and more vibrant still. I had gotten myself trapped. Now I was stuck in this maze with something always ahead of me, managing to move out of sight before I could get a good look at it.
Frustration, starvation, and an overwhelming sense of dread made me want to do anything to get out of this maze and not see what was at the end of it.
I looked at the wall and used the butt end of the flashlight to start digging a hole through it. I didn't care anymore, I wanted out.
I kept chipping away with frantic speed, struggling to tear apart the solid wooden wall until it finally collapsed outwards and revealed a monstrous void on the other side. I poked my head out and saw that there was nothing out there. A cold, unfathomably deep void that was a grim choice that if I was ever going to get out of here, my only other choice was to keep pushing forward through the maze, or I could take my chances of falling into oblivion.
Seeing what my choices were, I took a few steps back, slumped against the other side, and started to cry. I never normally did something like that but the stress, the feeling of entrapment, and this whole situation that stemmed from an act of kindness has led me to an increasing sense of hopelessness that seized every one of my thoughts.
I must've kept crying for who-knows-how-long anymore. It no longer matters. No matter what happens today, I'm going to die. I just want to lie here and finally get some sleep. It wasn't the most comfortable bed, but I needed this.
I was alerted by the sound of footsteps approaching. My eyes darted open and I saw that the crowd of red-eyed people were following in after me. They were already at the other end of the hallway, staring me down.
Natural instincts kicked in and I got back on my feet and started running as fast as I could to whatever it was that they were cornering me in. If there is a chance of getting out, I have to take this.
I ran and ran, never once taking a moment to catch my breath. I still wanted to sleep, but survival was pushing me forward.
It took me a few minutes to realize that something odd was going on in the hallway itself. It was starting to become warped, blindingly bright in its red colors, and inducing petrifying fear into my heart.
But then the red wallpaper was peeling off, the wooden walls breaking up into shards, and the red lamps that hung on the sides were falling apart. It was slowly getting darker and darker. I turned on my flashlight just to make sure that I didn't run into a wall, but it flickered erratically, making the way ahead obscure and unpredictable.
It didn't matter for too long because I made it to the end.
At the far end of the last hallway was a swirling vortex of black mist, an eerie white glow around the edge, and red eyes. Of course...
They stared at me as if they were awaiting my arrival. On the ceiling was a black slime that was morphing together and splitting apart, dripping down to the floor. From the vortex of eyes and mist, five long pincers were stretched out, reminding me of praying mantis’ pincers.
When I moved in closer by a few steps, I was compelled to stare into a cosmic maelstrom of impossible depths, and through the swarming array of red lightning at the other end of this unfathomable creature, a pulsing organ, shaped like a heart but covered in wiggling strands of hair and misshapen eyes. The pupils were like that of a goat, and— you guessed it— red.
I was disturbed by the crowd of red-eyed people behind me. They stopped their advance as I was making my approach to the anomaly.
"You have made it," it whispered with a slow and calculated voice.
"I have," I said, unsure about what to do next.
"You ran from my grasp outside, entered my home, and your perseverance has brought you this far so that you may see my true form."
I took a few more steps forward, peering at the entity with a sudden rush of curiosity. Upon my even closer observation, from behind the deathly heart, I swear I could see three figures shrouded in a veil of shadows behind it.
But instead of asking any questions, I begged, "Let me out!"
"Why should I? I have no reason to spare you. As you can see behind you, I feed on the minds of those who enter my domain."
Once again, my fight or flight instincts were kicking in and I was ready to do what I must. But it would be crazy to attack something as abstract and out of this world as this creature was. And then I thought for a moment. Could a deal be reached?
"Perhaps—" I swallowed. "Perhaps we can come to an agreement."
A jarring long pause followed before it said, "How so?"
"I'll uh..." I tried to think about what I was going to do. If it's anything that I've learned from movies and TV shows where these types of deals happened, this thing will want me to bring more people and encourage them to drive so that it can snatch them up onto the road. But I wasn't about to sell out my own race. I rationed with myself that I could do something else. Perhaps I should ask it what it wants.
"Is there anything that you want? Something that doesn't involve me selling out people to you?"
"If I say no, are you still willing to offer me people to feed on?"
I took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. If this was going to be where I would die, I was going to go out with a shred of dignity intact. Even if that meant having to give up my own life to save others. I don't think I could live with myself by tricking people.
"No. I care about other people's lives more than my own. I wouldn't be able to live with myself or look my mother in the eyes if she ever found out."
I stood there defiantly, but inside I was shaking and having a horrible case of butterflies in my stomach.
"How noble," it said softly. "All right then, I will make another deal for you. I can see that you will be most valuable in the future. I'll let you go on the condition that you bring me more creatures like me."
"What, disturbing?" I thought.
But what I said was, "Another like you?"
"I am a being known as a Primordial. There are many like me on this planet and I wish to devour them."
"How am I supposed to do that?"
"I'll give you a helping hand. Plus, there's a war between them and I'd rather not have my territory and peace disturbed or my human snacks wiped out over their infighting."
"That's more doable I guess." I said, believing it much less morally wrong to sell out another one of these "Primordials" and sacrifice them to this monstrosity.
"And to make sure that you don't go back on your word—"
Before I had time to react, one of its pincers extended out too quickly for me to dodge in time, drilling itself into my shoulder and leaving a nasty blackened puncture wound.
"Now you'll be forced to bring me my prize. Don't go running away. I have planted myself inside your body and could easily bring you back here should you betray me."
I should have guessed there was going to be some insurance for this creature. I was trapped and had to go through with this deal. Now the next means of action was to find another creature like this.
The creature's pincers all extended outwards and a loud flashbang hit me before I could look away. My mind left spinning, and in utter confusion. And then I heard my name being repeatedly screamed out to me.
"ADAM! ADAM! ADAM!"
I awoke, shocked to see that Derek was pulling me out of a car. He dropped me onto the ground and we both were breathing heavily.
"Man, you sure are a heavy guy," he remarked.
I was quick to realize where I was and quickly got back to my feet to look for the drunk driver. He wasn't in the driver's seat.
"Where did the driver go?" I asked.
Derek slowly got back on his feet and said, "You're welcome, and I don't know. He must have run off by the time you got over there."
I was smart enough to know that that wasn't the truth. I had to play the part that I was not aware of what truly happened to him.
I had to fill out a report to the police department and tell them everything that I knew. Well, a manufactured story that would coincide with Derek's side of the story. I took it upon myself to have the next week off, desperately trying to drown out my frequent nightmares of whatever it was that I saw with bottle after bottle of vodka and whiskey.
But one night, after a rough night of trying to get some sleep, I was disturbed by the sound of an owl. I don't know why this particular owl was able to get me out of bed, but when I went to the window to see how such a creature could be so loud, I was given a grim reminder.
That bird had that particular pair of velvet-colored eyes that I had grown to disdain. And it was a warning to me to get to work.
A sudden rush of piercing pain struck me in my shoulder. When I pulled my shirt down to check it, I could see the black, veiny markings exactly where the puncture wound happened. Weird, this wound disappeared when I got back to town. But that was a warning shot to get to work on finding more of those foul, lowlife primordial things that this... thing wants.
And right before I closed the blinds, I heard it whisper to me once more with a mocking tone. "I'm waiting. Get moving now. Or perhaps you'd like to get your mom in a car next?"
It seems that there would be no rest for the weary today. I have to get ready now, I have to find something out there. Until I'm able to update, take care and for the love of God, don't drive at night in a town with a street called "Lockhill Road."
submitted by JamesCaligo to ThresholdofEvil [link] [comments]
Apparently, the patrol that frequents near that road found her car in a ditch and saw no traces of her anywhere. The police went to check her house and saw that she wasn't there either. There was only one conclusion we all had to come to. The road has claimed another victim.
As for my name, I'm only going to tell you that it's Adam, and I'm here to explain to you that there's something absurdly bizarre about the road.
Lockhill Rd. is one of the oldest roads in Illinois. There isn't anything significantly special about it. On the surface, it's covered in large cracks, grass overtaking the edges, and it's surrounded by an unusually swamp-like environment, something a little bizarre given how up North I am.
But it's also got a rap sheet that would make Ted Bundy jealous.
From what I've learned in my twenty-eight years of living in this town, over the last two hundred years or so, around three hundred people have mysteriously disappeared. That's a significantly high number and you're probably wondering why people would want to drive on it?
Here's the thing, nobody typically uses that road. They just find themselves on it.
It's really weird but you can find yourself suddenly on that road without warning. One moment you'll be on the highway that's near my town, and right as you get off, you'll find yourself driving on that road. But this only happens at night. As a rule, driving at night is strongly prohibited. The only issue is that cops are less inclined to go about driving themselves. And this happens at completely random moments as well.
The next question I know you all are asking is "why would any of us want to live here then?"
Well, the thing is there's a mine nearby. It's a salt mine and a lot of money is gained from it. You have to weigh in the risk and reward factors here. There are people here who— despite the danger— are making bank. I don't know how much a typical salt mine will pay, but I think the extra danger of the road is the reason why the income for locals is so much better here. So for the most part we prefer not to talk about it.
Now you're probably wondering why am I here? I clearly don’t work at the mine, but instead, I am a neighborhood watch patrolman.
Since disappearances can happen if people are caught driving, I— as well as others— found ourselves working alongside the local police to keep people off of the roads for their own safety. It seems that whatever effect the road can create, it doesn't work if you're walking on two feet.
So my job is relatively safe. Sure, I don't get any weapons training other than a baton and mace, which is why I prefer to regularly work out and make sure that criminals, usually rowdy teenagers, don't have a good advantage over me or any of my partners.
But I'm here to tell you about how I got sloppy and nearly paid the price with my life...
It was your typical Wednesday, and I was with my friends at the police station, getting ready to sign in to let the department know that we were going to be working today.
That's when officer Smith (not his real name by the way) approached me and said in her smooth, southern voice, "Now you boys try to have a good night. We've been getting some reports that there's been a gang of kids that keep breaking house windows. So far they haven't entered any, but I think they're just trying to create an atmosphere of tension."
I stood there silently, always having difficulty talking to her. She was serious about her job and wasn't too kind to anyone who was caught slacking. But she cared to a great degree.
I mustered up the courage to say, "Will do. We got our mace and batons ready."
"Good, but still, if they turn out to be more hostile than usual, I need you fellas to call us ASAP."
It wasn't lost on me that even if we did call up for the actual police officers, it would still take a good while for them to arrive, giving any of these troublemakers a chance to escape from us. No cars at night, remember.
One of my partners, Derek, replied with his usual enthusiasm, "Don't sell us too short ma'am, Adam and I have been doing this for two years now. We're basically experts at this point."
She noticed his smug expression and quickly shot it down.
"I've been a cop for seven years. In that time I believe thirteen people have gone missing. And many of you neighborhood watch patrolmen have been hurt, sometimes severely, by these thugs. Call us." she ended it with a stern warning.
Derek always had this issue with over-confidence and I often think that's why he was never able to get a girlfriend. I think he’s just overdoing it half the time, thinking that it impresses people.
Still, this is the first time I've actually known this much about officer Smith. Seven years is a long time, and for that many people to have gone missing, I can tell that's got to weigh heavily on her mind.
But our patrol went on as usual. We did our regular routine for the first few hours with nothing more than warning people that they can't get in their cars because, in about an hour, the sun would've completely set by then.
Sure that's an entire hour, but why take the chance?
But around the time when the sun had already descended, I got a call on my radio by a woman that said:
"Neighborhood Patrol Unit #9, do you read me?"
"Neighborhood Patrol Unit #9, we hear you loud and clear."
"Number Nine we've been getting some odd reports of a car that is driving around. It was reported by a civilian caller, but all police officers who responded to the area haven't been able to track their location. We need you to stay alert, the last coordinates of their whereabouts were in your general location so keep your eyes peeled."
"Dispatch, we'll keep our eyes on the lookout for the driver. We'll have to flag them down and hope that they stop."
"Copy, good hunting."
It was always anxiety-inducing to hear that someone was driving around. They had to be someone who had come off the highway.
"Well, looks like we got to chase someone down on foot today." Derek happily said.
"Come on man, I don't even want to think about going after someone in a car."
"Yeah, but at least it's something to do." he chuckled.
I wasn't amused. Frankly speaking, this was only a job for me. Sure I don't get paid as much as a cop, but it's less dangerous. Now that I'm being tasked with stopping a vehicle, this is going to prove way above my pay grade. I almost can’t remember the last time I had to deal with a driver.
But the night dragged on as usual and still no sign of the vehicle. I was pretty much convinced that they must have gone off on some other section of the town, but Derek was remaining vigilant. He took this job way too seriously. Or perhaps he wasn't taking it seriously enough?
"You hear that?" he abruptly said.
We both quieted down and tried to listen carefully.
There was nothing for a brief few seconds, other than the sound of crickets in the distance and an owl hooting.
But then there was a sudden screeching of tires nearby. We had our driver and quickly started running towards whatever direction it was that we heard it from.
Despite having flashlights and reflectors on, I somehow found myself alone. I shouted out for Derek at the top of my lungs.
I heard his distant reply, "Adam! Adam, where'd you go?"
I followed his voice and saw that he had gone down the next street over.
"Derek, what are you doing over there? You were supposed to stay with me the whole time?" I shouted.
I was trying my best to hide my anger from him. He shouldn't have broken off just to chase down a car.
"What do you mean? You broke off from me?" he shouted back.
"You were supposed to go with me down Amberg Street!"
He was about to respond, but the screeching of those tires could be heard coming down my road.
I looked to my left and saw a large Chevrolet speeding toward me. I jumped out of the way just in time before they hit me. They knocked over some trash cans and a mailbox and appeared to be driving with delirium. Now I was having suspicions about this person.
"Derek, I saw the driver. I think they're drunk and they're taking their car out for a joyride since no one else is around."
He sounded confused, "Eh, what's the protocol for this again?"
I ignored his forgetfulness and pulled out my radio to call dispatch again.
"Neighborhood Patrol Unit #9 to Dispatch, we have a red Chevrolet driving erratically on Amberg Street and the local area, over."
"Dispatch to Unit #9, where are they heading, over?"
I took a look at my compass that I always keep with me, and replied, "Dispatch they're heading towards the North and don't appear to be stopping anytime soon, over."
"Dispatch to Unit #9, do not engage with the driver. We're sending over a bicycle unit to try and slow them down the best we can. We can't take risks with a vehicle, over."
"Okay, we will not engage any further but will keep you updated, over and out."
Derek soon approached behind me and said, "I get so tired of always having to use those police codewords."
"It's so that there's no confusion. You do realize there are police officers on this channel too, right?"
"Yeah, yeah. Don't lose your hair over it. I was just complaining a little."
I gave him a smirk and the two of us continued on our way. Since we didn't have the responsibility of chasing after the driver, we went about our usual patrol but with a little more alertness in mind.
But we made a bad decision to be passing by that dreaded road. It was part of our routine, and usually passing by never caused any problems.
The only problem is that as we were going by, we saw the truck. It ran off the road and crashed into a tree.
From what I could see, the silhouette of the guy was inside.
I gave Derek my radio and told him to call and tell them that we had found the driver and that they appeared to have been trying to go down Lockhill Road.
I ran over to the left side of the road where the car laid wedged up against the side of the tree. The driver's door was smashed in and I would have to climb in from the passenger side to try and save them from burning to death.
When I went for the door, I briefly hesitated. The idea of getting in a car at night and being directly on Lockhill left me with this gut feeling that kept telling me that I should just turn back and wait for First Responders to arrive.
But given that they were going to be arriving not by ambulance, but by bicycle, and with the car slowly starting to burn, I took a deep breath and opened the door, climbing inside and reaching for the man as quickly as I could.
He was knocked out cold and I grabbed hold of his arm and shook him as much as I could to wake him up.
The fire was growing and I unbuckled his seat belt, wrapped my arms around him, and used my legs to forcibly pull him out of the vehicle. This man was fat and a pain to try and pull out.
At last, I felt the weight release and both of us fell onto the grass below. I breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that I was able to save him just in time.
I got myself back to my feet and looked over to the exit of the road.
I must have fallen into a state of disbelief because I saw that there was nothing but a long stretch of road surrounded by marshland under a red moonlight.
I turned over to the other side, a soon to be fleeting hope already starting to take hold of me, and saw that it was the same in the other direction.
"No, no, no!" I shouted. "I wasn't even driving the car! The car wasn't moving!"
How could this have happened to me? This wasn't supposed to happen. As far as we all knew, if you're driving, you become snatched up by the road. At least, that's what I think the town's consensus was. Maybe everyone just assumes that that is the likely scenario. It's not like anyone's ever returned to tell us that simply being inside your car is enough to warrant whatever unusual forces are at work here.
I kept pacing myself, running from one end to the other, hoping that maybe I just misjudged the distance and I can easily still walk out and find Derek.
But besides the eerie red light coming from above, all I saw was darkness.
The drunken man groaned. This quickly caught my attention and I ran back over to him.
He was still alive but not fully awake yet.
Then I remembered my radio and reached for it. I felt nothing in my pocket and instantly remembered that I handed my radio off to Derek.
Seeing that that wasn't going to work, I went for my phone next. But there was no signal. I was completely stranded.
In a fit of rage, I started swearing up and down out of the frustration of being caught in this. I guess it's true what they say, no good deed goes unpunished. I should have listened to my instincts and told myself not to intervene. I should have left this guy and waited for backup like they always tell us. And now I'm trapped on this road with a drunkard, who I was now more than happy to abandon.
He started moving around and his eyes opened. He was awake and clearly saw the burning wreckage that was his truck.
His voice was rough, having a noticeable smoker's voice. "Hey, what happened to my piece of junk?"
"You crashed into a tree, you idiot," I alerted him to my presence.
He turned around and became instantly belligerent with me.
Holding up both of his fists at me, he fiercely said, "Who are you calling an idiot?"
I wasn't intimidated. The fact of the matter is that I work out regularly and when I was five, my parents thought it would be a good idea for me to take self-defense classes. Thank you, Mom and Pop.
He threw one of his fists my way and I was able to dodge it, backing up and having my own fists ready. When he saw that he missed, he threw his other one, only for me to grab it and easily pull them inwards with my back turned and flipped him over me, letting him hit the ground hard.
Even though he was drunk and probably didn't feel the pain all that much, his body was too heavy for him to have any decent motor function and I believe he passed out again.
Seeing that he wasn't going to be a problem anymore, I walked around— staying relatively close to the man— trying to see if I could get a signal by changing location.
This went on for about twenty minutes or so, and despite my best efforts, I was left with nothing. The unusual silence was broken by a few sharp coughs. I guess he was due to wake up again.
I stood over him, expecting him to go into another rant about what I had said earlier, but he seemed to have had a mental reset.
"Eh, who are you?"
"My name is Adam. I'm part of the Neighborhood Patrol. You had a car wreck because you were drunk, am I correct?" I said in my best stoic voice.
He got back to his feet quickly and smelled horrible. I only just now noticed because I was distracted by my situation. The sting of his alcoholic breath was much too strong for me, forcing me to take a few steps back.
"I only had a few drinks," he slurred.
"Only? How much is only?" I let my anger slip out.
"Five... seven maybe?"
"Of what?" I ordered.
"Hennessey,"
This guy was a moron. Now I was trapped on this god-forsaken road with a man who had only half a brain functioning.
I walked to one side of the road and had to take a wild guess as to which way would be best. I wasn't about to sit out here in the dark with this guy. I could only rely on the illumination of the red moonlight. I wanted to save the battery on my flashlight, so I thought it best not to use it at this moment.
"Look," I said. "We need to start walking in a direction to get out of here. Maybe there is a way to escape, but we have to come to a decision on which way."
I guess he remembered my remark from earlier after all because he said, "I ain't going anywhere with you kid. You call me an idiot."
I rolled my eyes. This guy was as petty as a child, and yet calls me a kid.
"Listen closely. You're on that road we're not supposed to be on. You got me roped into this, and I'm going to make a decision. Either come with me or stay here and wait for rescue. Not that they will be coming."
He turned around and went back to the car. At first, I was confused as to what he was up to, but I almost had a quick heart attack when I briefly thought that he was going to pull a gun out on me. I was already preparing myself to start running when he turned around and had a beer bottle in his hand.
"I ain't going with you anywhere,"
He threw the bottle at me, narrowly hitting me in the head. It shattered on the other side of the road and for a brief moment, I thought I heard something skitter away. Since I've been here, I haven't heard a single animal so the idea that something was back there silently observing us made my skin crawl.
"Fine!" I said. "Stay here. I can't make you come with me. Let's hope that we can find you by tomorrow when the sun comes up."
The heavy man flipped me off, signaling my cue to leave. I was quick to put as much distance between us as I went to the right end of the road and started my journey with only a flashlight in hand.
For the most part, nothing had happened in the last five minutes and I was content with the silence that surrounded me. Better to hear nothing than to hear something. But I would rather hear my radio crackling to life at this moment.
Going a little further on, the silence was broken again. But this time, instead of the groaning coming from that guy, I heard a blood-filled screaming coming from way back. That man had stayed behind and now he was being attacked by something. It was so guttural and wrapped up in agony that already the hairs on my body were standing up.
A part of me was screaming that I needed to go back and check on him. But whatever it was, it likely had already done the deed. Plus, if I go back, who's to say I won't become the next victim. There's always been something odd about this road and I have to approach it with the highest end of paranoia.
My only other option was to keep pressing forward and hope that salvation is at the end. Running was starting to feel like a better option, but I refrained from it. I could easily tire myself out and I didn't want to be stationary. It clearly didn't provide any safety for that drunkard. I just had to keep pressing forward at a modest pace.
Something has changed. It's been about three hours now and the moon hasn't moved. And that blood-red color is hurting my eyes. I don't like to keep my eyes shut, for fear that something might come out from nowhere and attack me, but the soreness is starting to get to me.
What's worse is that I can hear footsteps behind me. They're light on their feet, but each step is almost echoing my pace. I sped up just a little to test out my theory and whatever it was, it simultaneously matched me. I heard it lingering always behind me. My paranoia is starting to overtake any rational thinking that I have. But then again, nothing about this road is rational.
The steps seemed to be speeding up even though I had been going at the same pace for the last ten minutes. My breathing was starting to betray me, growing louder and more hoarse with each intake of the unseasonably cold air. And then there was a steadily growing whispering that was surrounding me.
Finally, having had enough of the pursuit, I turned around, pointing the flashlight at as many parts of the road as I could to get a glimpse of who was following me. But it was empty.
"No, no, I heard something... someone..." I whispered to myself.
Turning back in my original direction, the steps began again. And the whispering was only growing louder.
Without a second thought, I started charging forward, done with whatever it was that was messing with me. I wanted to get away from them, but I could faintly hear their footsteps behind me. It was growing closer even though I was now running at full speed.
In my mind, I thought maybe I could fight it. Perhaps the drunkard was caught off-guard and that's how it got him. But my legs kept moving forward, a sense of dread was keeping me in flight mode, preventing me from wanting to switch to fight mode.
No matter what, one thing was for certain. I wasn't alone on this lonely road. That's perhaps one of the worst feelings.
Up ahead, I saw a distant flashing. They were police flashes. As I drew closer, my pursuer's footsteps quieted down and the whispering ceased.
Standing in front of me was a police officer and his vehicle behind him.
"Oh thank you, I've been trapped on this road for hours." I called out to him.
His voice was low and had an echo to it which was an immediate put-off. "It's okay son. We got reports of a disappearance happening here earlier today. They sent me to try and get you."
I replied, down on my knees due to exhaustion. "Who? Dispatch?"
"Yes,"
Upon further inspection, I started noticing some irregularities. His voice and the way he spoke sounded cold and indifferent. I would think a police officer would be happy to have found someone who was lost on this road for the first time.
Another thing that was making me nervous was how unprofessional he was behaving. His answers were vague, and his appearance looked worn-out. His uniform was tattered and his hair messy. And despite there being light from the moon, the police cars headlights, and my flashlight, his face was shrouded in a dark shadow that purposely was making sure that he was obscure for me to identify any details.
I got back onto my feet and quickly looked down near his waist. I didn't see a holster.
"Where's your gun?"
"Not important." he replied harshly.
I leered at him, my body instantly going into high alert mode again. "It's very important."
"Come with me. I'll give you a drive back home."
I did another quick analysis of his appearance and saw that there was no radio, no gun, and no badge. That would mean this was no cop.
"How about we see your face first," I flashed my light up to his face, something I had been avoiding because that would be rude. And this was an instant regret.
His eyes were glazed over with a red glow coming from them. The mouth was full of razor-sharp teeth, and the skin appeared to be leathery and pale.
He echoed, "Lunchtime."
He jumped me, throwing me back to the ground, and kept trying to bite me. It took all my strength just to keep him from getting close to my face. I kept hearing the snapping of his teeth right into my ear, and a desperate struggle ensued.
I had no weapon on me, only basic self-defense skills and my baton but I couldn’t reach for it, and this guy had some inhuman strength. Despite his body looking frail and emaciated, his strength was more than on par with mine.
"I need food," he— it growled.
I gritted my teeth, getting ready to take a huge risk. Removing one of my arms just for a split second, I punched him as hard as I could in his head.
Despite the bizarreness of this man, pain was still something that he experienced. His grip released and he held on to his face.
I got back up to my feet and grabbed my flashlight to keep my eyes on him. Now I could see what it was that I did. The entire right side had been caved in.
"My God, what are you?"
Despite the impact to the side of his head, he smiled through bloody teeth and said, "Merely a puppet."
At that, his body started to disintegrate into a pile of dust, and red light streaks shot up into the air and dispersed back into the surrounding forest.
I looked around, convinced that what I had experienced was my mind psychologically breaking at this point. When I turned back towards the police car, I thought maybe I could start driving it back. Only to be met with a long-abandoned Lincoln car.
"Looks like I'm still stuck on the road." I sighed.
Exhaustion, thirst, and hunger were starting to take their toll on me. I was desperate for something and now I'm regretting my decision not to have protein bars on me at all times.
Every passing minute was a grim reminder that my time was running out. The human body can only survive for three to four days without any water and from what I could tell, I'm well past the first day. And I'm certain that constantly moving is only lessening those precious days that I have left.
I could hear them whispering behind me again. The footsteps had grown numerous; like there was a crowd behind me. I was so tired. I needed a moment to rest but I was too afraid that that would be the last thing I would do.
Out of sheer frustration with my followers, I turned around, half expecting that there would be nothing again.
What a regretful decision that turned out to be.
This time I could see who it was. It was a crowd of people. All of their eyes were glowing red, and their bodies looked like they had shriveled up, walking limply at me. In the crowd, I saw a familiar face. The drunk driver from earlier was among them. His eyes are glowing red and his body already looked like it had been drained of all fluids, same as the rest.
I turned back and started running as fast as I could. The sweat that grew on me only managed to slow me down as it sapped away more water from my body.
I thought for sure that this was a sign that I was going to end up becoming one of them. Becoming some sort of shriveled puppet for whatever it is that has a hold on this road.
They were still chasing after me, running as well, and not too much longer, I ended up losing steam and collapsing on the side of the road. I was out of breath, drenched in sweat, and my legs were numb.
If they reached me again, there's no way I could escape.
I heard the sound of a gate grinding shut. Then it opened again. Then closed again.
Looking up, I saw an old, run-down Victorian Manor. There was an eerie red glow coming from inside, but what wasn't having a red glow today.
Feeling a sudden surge of adrenaline kicking back in, I found the strength to climb up the small hill to reach the front door of this suspiciously abandoned home.
Before I receive any judgment, anyone who was desperate for shelter would have done the same thing regardless of the obvious red flags, pun not intended.
Kicking the door in, I wasted no time entering and checking behind me to make sure that my fan club wasn't following in. To my surprise, they were back on the road but stood there watching me as I entered.
I honestly couldn't tell if that was a good sign or a bad one.
Closing the door behind me, I was greeted with chilly, dusty air that kept forcing me to cough.
I pulled my shirt over my face and moved inside, wondering where that red light was coming from. Inside was a variety of dull, neutral colors of furniture and walls. What was more jarring was the number of taxidermied animals that were littered everywhere. From the walls, to lampstands, to bear rugs, everything about this house was dead, gloomy, and sinister.
I went into the kitchen and sure enough, nothing could be found in terms of food. But I did find water. There was a dirty puddle of it in the sink, and out of desperation, I started drinking it, regardless of the health risks. And it was as bitter and rusty tasting as I should’ve expected. I could only hope that it doesn’t come back to kill me.
Wiping my face with a raggedy towel nearby, I briefly heard something rustling underneath the floorboards. That was enough to tell me that I wasn't alone in the house. But now I was trapped. My only other choice was to take my chances with the outside where that menacing crowd was waiting for me, or use whatever strength I had left on whatever was hiding in here.
I inspected each of the other rooms on the first floor, not even bothering to check the second one. So far nothing seemed terribly alarming, but I could still hear the sound of footsteps beneath me. They were loud, walking on gravel. I had this sinking feeling that they wanted me to know that they were here.
Seeing that I had no other choice, I found one last unopened door. I took a deep breath, and it slowly creaked open leading to a flight of stairs that descended into a reddish glow that was surrounded by an overwhelmingly sinister blackness that threatened to envelop me should I be brave enough to proceed forward.
With a single gulp, I took my first step down and felt the first few droplets of cold sweat. I also felt a nauseating pain in my stomach, but that could be from the water.
I took each step cautiously, believing that any moment now the door upstairs would suddenly close like a cliche horror movie.
When my foot finally hit the floor, I was surprised that the door remained open. But I was met with a hallway. A long, red wallpapered, red carpeted hallway. At this point, I'm starting to become sick of the color red. At least the colors here were a dull shade.
Pulling out my flashlight again, the flickering that I was receiving from it was alarming and I had half a mind to run back up. But I had to know if I was going to be able to live in this house for some time. And the idea of someone else being in it wasn't comforting.
I held my flashlight up like a weapon, preparing to hit whatever decided to jump out at any corner that I approached.
But no matter how many corners I reached, I was met with another long hallway that stretched roughly 20 ft.
My breathing was becoming heavier and the air was getting warmer. The hallways were growing more vibrant with each turn, and they seemed to change from right to left a lot.
At the end of each turn though, I started to notice something move just out of sight at the next turn. At first, it was tiny, like the back end of a mouse. But each time I reached the next turn, it was getting taller and I was starting to see more of what it was.
Seeing that it was trying to avoid me, I gave chase and prepared myself to start my assault on whatever it was. Out of desperation, all I could think of was to fight everything. My every thought was aggression and survival.
And yet it managed to stay ahead of me at all times as if it was teasing me. And then it finally dawned on me that I had run quite some distance.
Turning back, I realized that I had made a foolish decision. Everything was getting cleaner and more vibrant still. I had gotten myself trapped. Now I was stuck in this maze with something always ahead of me, managing to move out of sight before I could get a good look at it.
Frustration, starvation, and an overwhelming sense of dread made me want to do anything to get out of this maze and not see what was at the end of it.
I looked at the wall and used the butt end of the flashlight to start digging a hole through it. I didn't care anymore, I wanted out.
I kept chipping away with frantic speed, struggling to tear apart the solid wooden wall until it finally collapsed outwards and revealed a monstrous void on the other side. I poked my head out and saw that there was nothing out there. A cold, unfathomably deep void that was a grim choice that if I was ever going to get out of here, my only other choice was to keep pushing forward through the maze, or I could take my chances of falling into oblivion.
Seeing what my choices were, I took a few steps back, slumped against the other side, and started to cry. I never normally did something like that but the stress, the feeling of entrapment, and this whole situation that stemmed from an act of kindness has led me to an increasing sense of hopelessness that seized every one of my thoughts.
I must've kept crying for who-knows-how-long anymore. It no longer matters. No matter what happens today, I'm going to die. I just want to lie here and finally get some sleep. It wasn't the most comfortable bed, but I needed this.
I was alerted by the sound of footsteps approaching. My eyes darted open and I saw that the crowd of red-eyed people were following in after me. They were already at the other end of the hallway, staring me down.
Natural instincts kicked in and I got back on my feet and started running as fast as I could to whatever it was that they were cornering me in. If there is a chance of getting out, I have to take this.
I ran and ran, never once taking a moment to catch my breath. I still wanted to sleep, but survival was pushing me forward.
It took me a few minutes to realize that something odd was going on in the hallway itself. It was starting to become warped, blindingly bright in its red colors, and inducing petrifying fear into my heart.
But then the red wallpaper was peeling off, the wooden walls breaking up into shards, and the red lamps that hung on the sides were falling apart. It was slowly getting darker and darker. I turned on my flashlight just to make sure that I didn't run into a wall, but it flickered erratically, making the way ahead obscure and unpredictable.
It didn't matter for too long because I made it to the end.
At the far end of the last hallway was a swirling vortex of black mist, an eerie white glow around the edge, and red eyes. Of course...
They stared at me as if they were awaiting my arrival. On the ceiling was a black slime that was morphing together and splitting apart, dripping down to the floor. From the vortex of eyes and mist, five long pincers were stretched out, reminding me of praying mantis’ pincers.
When I moved in closer by a few steps, I was compelled to stare into a cosmic maelstrom of impossible depths, and through the swarming array of red lightning at the other end of this unfathomable creature, a pulsing organ, shaped like a heart but covered in wiggling strands of hair and misshapen eyes. The pupils were like that of a goat, and— you guessed it— red.
I was disturbed by the crowd of red-eyed people behind me. They stopped their advance as I was making my approach to the anomaly.
"You have made it," it whispered with a slow and calculated voice.
"I have," I said, unsure about what to do next.
"You ran from my grasp outside, entered my home, and your perseverance has brought you this far so that you may see my true form."
I took a few more steps forward, peering at the entity with a sudden rush of curiosity. Upon my even closer observation, from behind the deathly heart, I swear I could see three figures shrouded in a veil of shadows behind it.
But instead of asking any questions, I begged, "Let me out!"
"Why should I? I have no reason to spare you. As you can see behind you, I feed on the minds of those who enter my domain."
Once again, my fight or flight instincts were kicking in and I was ready to do what I must. But it would be crazy to attack something as abstract and out of this world as this creature was. And then I thought for a moment. Could a deal be reached?
"Perhaps—" I swallowed. "Perhaps we can come to an agreement."
A jarring long pause followed before it said, "How so?"
"I'll uh..." I tried to think about what I was going to do. If it's anything that I've learned from movies and TV shows where these types of deals happened, this thing will want me to bring more people and encourage them to drive so that it can snatch them up onto the road. But I wasn't about to sell out my own race. I rationed with myself that I could do something else. Perhaps I should ask it what it wants.
"Is there anything that you want? Something that doesn't involve me selling out people to you?"
"If I say no, are you still willing to offer me people to feed on?"
I took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. If this was going to be where I would die, I was going to go out with a shred of dignity intact. Even if that meant having to give up my own life to save others. I don't think I could live with myself by tricking people.
"No. I care about other people's lives more than my own. I wouldn't be able to live with myself or look my mother in the eyes if she ever found out."
I stood there defiantly, but inside I was shaking and having a horrible case of butterflies in my stomach.
"How noble," it said softly. "All right then, I will make another deal for you. I can see that you will be most valuable in the future. I'll let you go on the condition that you bring me more creatures like me."
"What, disturbing?" I thought.
But what I said was, "Another like you?"
"I am a being known as a Primordial. There are many like me on this planet and I wish to devour them."
"How am I supposed to do that?"
"I'll give you a helping hand. Plus, there's a war between them and I'd rather not have my territory and peace disturbed or my human snacks wiped out over their infighting."
"That's more doable I guess." I said, believing it much less morally wrong to sell out another one of these "Primordials" and sacrifice them to this monstrosity.
"And to make sure that you don't go back on your word—"
Before I had time to react, one of its pincers extended out too quickly for me to dodge in time, drilling itself into my shoulder and leaving a nasty blackened puncture wound.
"Now you'll be forced to bring me my prize. Don't go running away. I have planted myself inside your body and could easily bring you back here should you betray me."
I should have guessed there was going to be some insurance for this creature. I was trapped and had to go through with this deal. Now the next means of action was to find another creature like this.
The creature's pincers all extended outwards and a loud flashbang hit me before I could look away. My mind left spinning, and in utter confusion. And then I heard my name being repeatedly screamed out to me.
"ADAM! ADAM! ADAM!"
I awoke, shocked to see that Derek was pulling me out of a car. He dropped me onto the ground and we both were breathing heavily.
"Man, you sure are a heavy guy," he remarked.
I was quick to realize where I was and quickly got back to my feet to look for the drunk driver. He wasn't in the driver's seat.
"Where did the driver go?" I asked.
Derek slowly got back on his feet and said, "You're welcome, and I don't know. He must have run off by the time you got over there."
I was smart enough to know that that wasn't the truth. I had to play the part that I was not aware of what truly happened to him.
I had to fill out a report to the police department and tell them everything that I knew. Well, a manufactured story that would coincide with Derek's side of the story. I took it upon myself to have the next week off, desperately trying to drown out my frequent nightmares of whatever it was that I saw with bottle after bottle of vodka and whiskey.
But one night, after a rough night of trying to get some sleep, I was disturbed by the sound of an owl. I don't know why this particular owl was able to get me out of bed, but when I went to the window to see how such a creature could be so loud, I was given a grim reminder.
That bird had that particular pair of velvet-colored eyes that I had grown to disdain. And it was a warning to me to get to work.
A sudden rush of piercing pain struck me in my shoulder. When I pulled my shirt down to check it, I could see the black, veiny markings exactly where the puncture wound happened. Weird, this wound disappeared when I got back to town. But that was a warning shot to get to work on finding more of those foul, lowlife primordial things that this... thing wants.
And right before I closed the blinds, I heard it whisper to me once more with a mocking tone. "I'm waiting. Get moving now. Or perhaps you'd like to get your mom in a car next?"
It seems that there would be no rest for the weary today. I have to get ready now, I have to find something out there. Until I'm able to update, take care and for the love of God, don't drive at night in a town with a street called "Lockhill Road."
2023.03.29 06:49 Mission-Egg794 The Day I Thought I Won The Lottery
I used to think success was driving down a beach-front highway having to choose between breathing in the new car smell from your convertible, or putting the top down for some salt air.
1 week ago, I had neither of those choices and today the very thought of beach air and new car smell makes me fucking sick.
Before I get into this, let me be clear: this is not a confession of guilt for anything I’ve done. I never wanted all this shit. From the very start it was only about one thing: Getting my son, James a birthday present.
I wasn’t even trying to get him the BEST or the BIGGEST or the most EXPENSIVE birthday present. Just
A present. The present I set out to get.
But instead...
I went to the 7/11 on Santa Monica and bought a MegaMillions lotto ticket.
My name is Daniel Baxter, and this is the day I thought I won the lottery.
April 8, 2022 – 2:03AM
It’s 2 o’clock in the morning and I’m at the Hollywood Casino. I’ve got every penny to my name spread across the craps table and some dickhead on his bachelor party holds the dice of fate in his clammy little hands.
My last 3 meals have been from discarded room service trays at LAX Hilton, my truck doesn’t start without a prayer and the tires have been leaking air for the last month which is fine because now I know the location of every free air filling station in LA County.
If I’d paid my phone bill, it’d be buzzing a crater in my leg from my ex, Lenora, asking if I’d picked up our son’s birthday gift with the $200 she gave me.
“Gave me” isn’t quite the right term. She handed it to me with a scowl then told me “if you gamble this shit you’ll never fucking see him again.” Things had been tense lately.
But none of that matters because this guy’s been hot and it’s with his help that I’ve turned that 200 hundred into almost 3 grand. The only question is; are the rhythms with me or not?
Maybe you call it God. Maybe you call it Karma or the natural vibe of the earth or mercury or whatever. When the rhythms are on, everything goes your way. You crush your yearly review at work and get the raise you’re after or you’re at some party and you’ve got everyone eating outta the palm of your hand.
Most things are math. Craps is math. Poker is math. Phone bills are math. Divorce rates are math and if I keep having to eat off of room service trays, the likelihood of me waking up with diarrhea is math.
It’s all just probability. But when the rhythms are on, the probability doesn’t matter. You could take a 1 and a million shot back-to-back and hit it twice. That’s what the rhythm can do for you.
Summer of 2018 I was up over 2 million. I couldn’t lose a hand of blackjack, I couldn’t crap out if I tried, I couldn’t say the wrong thing to Lenora and every time I walked into the room my son, James, would light up like a fucking lantern.
It used to be me and Lenora at the tables. The place was always open, the food is fine and the drinks are free. If we weren’t at the tables we were in the lounge talking Black Jack strategy or in the bar talking game theory or hanging out at the slots like a couple’a mice pressing a button and waiting for the cheese to pop out.
Sometimes it’s nice to be a mouse. I’ve got rats in my house. They don’t pay rent or go food shopping. All they have to do is avoid eating a piece of death cheese or poison and honestly that’s not too far off from how I live anyways.
When we had James, things changed though. As Lenora put it “risking your son’s dinner isn’t chasing something it’s chasing nothing.” And I guess the 45-minute commute to the Hollywood wasn’t a valuable use of her time. Lots of people commute to work even longer. When I was working at Goldman, I commuted an hour and a half each way from Connecticut. Granted I was on a train but the point is we all commute to work.
It was nice having her here. It was nice seeing James with a smile. It was nice to check my bank account and feel a life raft around me, rather than a black hole forming in my bellybutton.
But the rhythms shifted.
Now it’s just me here next to Lenny with the beard, Jackie with the cigar and Jonie who’s been serving drinks here so long her face should be on the highway billboards. After Lenora broke it off with me she got together with Kelton who works for a hedge fund which (for the record) is still gambling. He’s just doing it with other people’s money.
James’ 9th birthday is three days away. He wants an iPad and soon as I cash out, I’ll be able to pick one up, maybe kick some back to Lenora and spread some cash around to the litany of people I’m on the hook to.
I’m one big night away from wiping it all out. I just need one hit. One night of pure rhythm... and I’ll be back.
The shooter shakes the dice in his hand then tosses ‘em. I watch them clack on the table walls below me, but before they even settle on the pass line, I can already feel the star implode in my stomach.
In a flash, my hard work is raked away by some new guy named Carl with a moustache and not a single ounce of sympathy.
The party’s at Lenora (and Kelton’s) which was fine because honestly, I didn’t just have rats.
The rats came in chasing the cockroaches but when a bunch of them got into my Cadbury Mini Egg stash and died under the living room floor, a pack of fleas picked the carcass clean before making their way into the carpet above. So, yeah...at the moment I have fleas, cockroaches and rats. I had a bug bomb guy coming in a couple days but things were gonna be a little itchy until then.
It's three days until the party. I’ve got no gift and if I show up without that 200 bucks I may never see my kid again.
April 8, 2022 – 6:32AM
There’s only so much you can do on a security guard’s salary and being paid $12 an hour to guard millions of dollars in Mercedes automobiles is hilarious. What am I supposed to do if some guy comes in to steal a car? Lay my life on the line and hope my out-of-pocket HMO covers bullet wounds?
I don’t even have dental. I got a root canal that needed to be recapped 10 minutes after it was put in.
I’ve been on Mr. Jenkins about a raise but he keeps telling me “we gotta sell more cars, Davey,” as if I’m the one selling cars. I’m a fucking security guard what the hell’s that gotta do with me? Last I checked it was my job to keep cars on the lot and getting them off was yours.
Jenkins owns every car dealer on Van Nuys. Maybe you’ve seen his ads on TV where he slides into frame wearing a suit while riding a surfboard just to say “COME ON DOWN!” He can afford to buy a surfboard for tv ad that has no mention of surfing or aquatic sports of any kind but he can’t pay me an extra $3 an hour so I can re-introduce cold foods to my diet.
I spend most of my shift eyeing the mint green on onyx black SLS convertible they keep in the lobby. It’s flashy but it’s got a nut sack under the hood so you know you could back it up if you went toe-to-toe with some clown at a red light. Sometimes I just stare at it but I never touch it. I only wanna touch it when it’s mine. Which it would be...
Maybe I could steal it and sell it to get the iPad and some other shit. I know all the codes but then again I wouldn’t need the whole car. The thing costs half a mill. Maybe I could lift a rear-view mirror. Who would notice? Then again with the way the rhythm’s set I’d probably bump into the fucking FBI on the way out.
I’ve been doing my best to get things together but the cards aren’t falling my way and there’s not much you can really do about that. I’ve been going to the Hollywood for 15 years so I know I’m due for a run.
Me and Lenny talking about this all the time at the lounge. Sometimes you’re on the downbeat and sometimes you’re on the upbeat. Lately I feel like it’s been all downs but the thing about being a father though, is that you’re not the only one on that ride.
It used to be that I could take a few down weeks or months even. Sleep in the car, call the landlord and talk them out of breaking down the door but when you got a kid everything changes. You suffer, he suffers. Lately Lenora’s been paying for that but you see she keeps a tally. She says she doesn’t but she does.
Every time she has to pay for something she looks at me like I’m the biggest piece of shit then says “It’s ok, David.” Which it really isn’t.
The fees and stuff aren’t the real problem. It’s being able to take James out and take care of him. She wants to take that away from me and honestly I don’t blame her.
Last week my card got declined trying to pay for ice cream. James had already eaten half of his and the lady made us give it back. He didn’t talk to me the whole way home then 2 days later Lenora told me James didn’t really like spending time with me anymore. A week after that she filed for sole custody and told me they were thinking about moving to Chicago. Who the fuck would want to live there? It’s cold as fuck and the people are assholes.
April 8, 2022 – 12:20PM
I do pickups for a porta-john company on the side. It’s just temporary. I don’t clean the shit I just spray down the units and suck out cans and shit with a wet-vac before this guy named Pete sticks a hose in the back and drains the whole thing out.
I’m always surprised by what people put on the walls of a john. Usually it’s just drawings like hearts and shit but sometimes the rhythm finds you there too. One time I spotted a phone number Sharpied on a toilet seat but it was missing 1 number. 8 digits. Kinda like 4 roulette numbers right?
I took em to the Hollywood and won 5 grand on one roll! Hasn’t worked again for me yet... but that’s the thing about it man.
But today I’m cleaning out a row of johns after some music festival which by the way is far and away the worst clean ups to get. Sure you see these kids all cleaned up online in some tweed outfit or some shit but you should see the shit that comes out of these kids. It’s like paving tar with glitter and red bull cans.
I look down in the last john I’m hosing down and I see something. Peaking out of the mounds I see: a $20 bill.
I stared at it for a second but I could hear Pete coming down the line about to suck it into oblivion. I never seen cash in the john before. Sometimes you hear a coin clank through the hose but a 20 bill just staring you right in the face?
I did what any man would do. I grabbed it and when I pulled my hand out I was half expecting it to be missing a layer of skin.
Later I’m sitting in the truck staring at this 20 bucks thinking “why would this come to me?” There had to be a reason. It wasn’t just on the floor of some john. It was in the last john after the nastiest event at a time when all I needed was one shot.
It was the rhythm.
But having to do that for just $20 didn’t add up. There had to have been a greater purpose and you know what they say about money. You don’t let it sleep. You wanna get that money out and get it working.
Craps kicked my teeth in this morning and you can’t do shit with 20 bucks on a blackjack table. I had to think bigger.
Then I’m driving home from work and I see the 7/11. Powerball was at 2.11 BILLION. The biggest in history. If you got all 6 numbers right you got the whole chicken. If you got 5 you got just shy of 8 million bucks. Boom.
I had my usual numbers but this wasn’t a usual day. I told the cashier to give me “all randoms today.” 10 slips at $2 each.
That night I sat down on my couch waiting for the Powerball to come on tv... then I blacked out.
The next thing I knew I was staring at 6 numbers lit up on my tv screen: 08, 07, 14, 29, 40, 16
And on my slip: 08, 07, 14, 29, 40, 22
I had 5 out of 6 numbers. I’d just won 8 million dollars
April 9, 2022 – 9:01AM
I’m standing in line at the California Lottery Offices. It’s not some huge expansive place. It’s a shitty little line up of people with various ailments trying to dispute their $5 winning ticket.
My mind is racing. Who do I pay back first? Do they give me the cash here? Is it in a duffel bag? When do I have to hold that big ass check? Do I wear a mask? I saw a guy do it in a scream mask once to maintain his anonymity. Honestly it might be nice to be seen. Not only has everyone seen me as a piece of shit forever but also I haven’t exactly kept a detailed list of everyone I owe money to.
It’d be good for people to just hit me up, I can cut a check and tell them “thanks for your patience.” Maybe I’d even give them a little off the top as a tip.
The guy a the counter basically spat in my face; “It’s gotta be reviewed. Takes 2-5 days. We’ll email you a link to collect any winnings.” It was like I just accused him of something. No congratulations or anything which at first, I was pissed about but then I realized that clearly I wasn’t the first asshole who thought they won the lottery.
Except I really did. 2-5 days was nothing. I’d been living in the shit for years I could do another few days.
Stepping outside, everything looked the same. The air wasn’t purer or the sunlight any more sunlightier and I still had to fill up my tires at the Shell on Cahuenga. There’s something about being rich without actually having any appearance of being rich.
That secret alone is like having a bomb in your pocket. People treat you regular, they smile and make conversation but deep down you think...if I pulled this out I could kill you with it.
But when people do think you have money, the more of it they give you.
I rolled in the doors of the Hollywood like I always did. Lenny called me a bullshitter, Jackie barely even put her cigarette down and Jonie didn’t even bring me a drink because I didn’t actually have any money on the table. I didn’t even have money in my pocket. I’d spent it all on the Megamillions and I hadn’t eaten since perusing the halls for leftover room service the night before.
Then news hit. My face was on every TV in the place. “Local man wins 8 million dollar jackpot.”
I checked my phone to see if it was blowing up, then remembered I still hadn’t paid the bill in months. So I was good there.
April 9, 2022 – 11:11AM
If you’ve ever been on a casino floor you know that it’s never silent. But I swear to God if you were on the floor when that news hit, you could’ve heard the rats eating my Mini Eggs 20 miles away. Everyone’s eyes were trained on me. For a second I even felt all the security cams shift over in my direction.
I couldn’t stand being on the floor with nothing to play with so Lenny set me up with his guy who got me a little walking around money. Japanese guy who I met in a Burger King across the street. Weird dude. Not sure what his name was.
I didn’t wanna go too nuts so I just took out a small loan. 50k at 20 points. I thought about it for a second then realized I didn’t really give a shit about the interest. 10 grand to me in a week doesn’t mean nearly as much as 50 does now. It’s just value proposition. It would have been stupid NOT to take out the loan honestly.
Walking into the casino with 50 grand in my pocket and slamming it down on the table feels a lot like taking out your dick at an orgy only when your dick comes out it’s a 60 foot cigarette boat with flames painted on the side.
But then I learned what I remembered years ago. Losing money and gaining money at that point meant almost nothing.
So losing 2 grand a hand wasn’t such a big deal because I could be making 5 on the next. That’s why I needed a little more when I lost the full 50.
Another 100k or so at another 20 points should do the trick.
It didn’t take long to realize that both winning and losing money meant almost nothing to me. So I ventured out.
A tailored suit for me (ready in 2-3 days on a rush).
An iPad for James with all the bells and whistles.
6 dozen roses sent to Lenora’s house signed “your secret admirer.” just to fuck with Kelton.
A watch for me, Lenny and Jodie.
Some special cigar Jackie had always been eyeing.
New pairs of Nikes for all of us.
And a limousine to my dentist’s office.
I paid in cash for the cap replacement, they gave me some pills and told me not to mix them with alcohol but honestly I was a little distracted by the old molar cap sitting on the table. I had an idea.
“Are you gonna just throw that away?” I asked her.
By now I realized I didn’t have a phone to receive my winnings via email. So, I stopped a guy in the lobby and paid him 2 grand cash for his before popping a few pills and slugging some champagne in the limo.
There was barely enough time to sit back and relax. I had a lifetime of debt and yearning for shit to burn through.
We made it to the Mercedes dealership but the pain killers kicked in and I could barely feel my hands as they ran across the SLS’s mint green paint. Bummer.
Jenkins sauntered over asking if I was working today and all I remember saying was “I want it.” He scrunched his eyebrows in confusion, so I put the remaining cash I had down on the table and said it again. “I WANT IT.”
They ran my credit (which was dog shit. Didn’t matter) and I looked Jenkins in his fat little face again and said “I don’t give a fuck.” He sold it to me, financed at 25 percent interest. Then when he went to fetch my paperwork and keys I took a shit on his desk, shoved the molar cap and a $20 bill in it before using his jacket to wipe my ass. Felt right. Don’t really know why.
I had walked into the CA lottery offices at 9am to start the review process on my ticket’s authenticity.
By 11am, I was watching news break from the Hollywood Casino.
By 10pm I had accrued more debt than a small country.
I hadn’t received a dime from the lotto.
And I needed more walking around money.
April 10, 11, 12 – who the fuck knows what time
The next few days were a blur but there are a few things I’ll never forget.
Quitting my job.
Hiring the limo for the week.
Trying to shit after 3 days of having nothing but fast food, champagne and pain killers.
Fielding questions at the party from Kelton’s asshole friends who told me “lotto rich isn’t real rich.”
And the heat of my house burning to the ground as James and I stood there watching with a can of gas in our hands.
He didn’t even want the iPad.
The rhythms were sliding back. James had that smile plastered back in his face and even Lenora was happy to see me.
April 16, 7:35AM
“Dear Mr. Baxter. Congratulations! You’ve successfully matched FOUR of six winning numbers. Below please find a link to collect your winnings of $10,000.”
I read it over and over again. Over and over and over.
When I called the offices an nice woman on the phone informed me that due to a printing malfunction the ticket had appeared to show the number 8 when in fact it was a 6.
They even managed to maintain a sense of excitement. I mean why wouldn’t they? They think I just won $10,000. They had no idea I’d bought a car I couldn’t afford, burned my house down, taken a shit on my boss’ desk, maxed out 3 new credit cards and borrowed a inordinate amount of money from people at a borderline illegal interest rate.
The limo company took my ride away and with no home I’ve spent the last 2 days parked on the Pacific Coast Highway, sleeping in the brand new Mercedes I can’t afford, in a suit I shouldn’t have bought, showering in the YMCA down the street, and eating 2-day-old coconut shrimp.
All of a sudden I’m fucked again. But as I stare out at the Pacific, my phone dings. It’s an alert from the Chase banking app. My lotto winnings of $10,000 have just hit my account and the only question is...
Are the rhythms with me or not?
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1 week ago, I had neither of those choices and today the very thought of beach air and new car smell makes me fucking sick.
Before I get into this, let me be clear: this is not a confession of guilt for anything I’ve done. I never wanted all this shit. From the very start it was only about one thing: Getting my son, James a birthday present.
I wasn’t even trying to get him the BEST or the BIGGEST or the most EXPENSIVE birthday present. Just
A present. The present I set out to get.
But instead...
I went to the 7/11 on Santa Monica and bought a MegaMillions lotto ticket.
My name is Daniel Baxter, and this is the day I thought I won the lottery.
April 8, 2022 – 2:03AM
It’s 2 o’clock in the morning and I’m at the Hollywood Casino. I’ve got every penny to my name spread across the craps table and some dickhead on his bachelor party holds the dice of fate in his clammy little hands.
My last 3 meals have been from discarded room service trays at LAX Hilton, my truck doesn’t start without a prayer and the tires have been leaking air for the last month which is fine because now I know the location of every free air filling station in LA County.
If I’d paid my phone bill, it’d be buzzing a crater in my leg from my ex, Lenora, asking if I’d picked up our son’s birthday gift with the $200 she gave me.
“Gave me” isn’t quite the right term. She handed it to me with a scowl then told me “if you gamble this shit you’ll never fucking see him again.” Things had been tense lately.
But none of that matters because this guy’s been hot and it’s with his help that I’ve turned that 200 hundred into almost 3 grand. The only question is; are the rhythms with me or not?
Maybe you call it God. Maybe you call it Karma or the natural vibe of the earth or mercury or whatever. When the rhythms are on, everything goes your way. You crush your yearly review at work and get the raise you’re after or you’re at some party and you’ve got everyone eating outta the palm of your hand.
Most things are math. Craps is math. Poker is math. Phone bills are math. Divorce rates are math and if I keep having to eat off of room service trays, the likelihood of me waking up with diarrhea is math.
It’s all just probability. But when the rhythms are on, the probability doesn’t matter. You could take a 1 and a million shot back-to-back and hit it twice. That’s what the rhythm can do for you.
Summer of 2018 I was up over 2 million. I couldn’t lose a hand of blackjack, I couldn’t crap out if I tried, I couldn’t say the wrong thing to Lenora and every time I walked into the room my son, James, would light up like a fucking lantern.
It used to be me and Lenora at the tables. The place was always open, the food is fine and the drinks are free. If we weren’t at the tables we were in the lounge talking Black Jack strategy or in the bar talking game theory or hanging out at the slots like a couple’a mice pressing a button and waiting for the cheese to pop out.
Sometimes it’s nice to be a mouse. I’ve got rats in my house. They don’t pay rent or go food shopping. All they have to do is avoid eating a piece of death cheese or poison and honestly that’s not too far off from how I live anyways.
When we had James, things changed though. As Lenora put it “risking your son’s dinner isn’t chasing something it’s chasing nothing.” And I guess the 45-minute commute to the Hollywood wasn’t a valuable use of her time. Lots of people commute to work even longer. When I was working at Goldman, I commuted an hour and a half each way from Connecticut. Granted I was on a train but the point is we all commute to work.
It was nice having her here. It was nice seeing James with a smile. It was nice to check my bank account and feel a life raft around me, rather than a black hole forming in my bellybutton.
But the rhythms shifted.
Now it’s just me here next to Lenny with the beard, Jackie with the cigar and Jonie who’s been serving drinks here so long her face should be on the highway billboards. After Lenora broke it off with me she got together with Kelton who works for a hedge fund which (for the record) is still gambling. He’s just doing it with other people’s money.
James’ 9th birthday is three days away. He wants an iPad and soon as I cash out, I’ll be able to pick one up, maybe kick some back to Lenora and spread some cash around to the litany of people I’m on the hook to.
I’m one big night away from wiping it all out. I just need one hit. One night of pure rhythm... and I’ll be back.
The shooter shakes the dice in his hand then tosses ‘em. I watch them clack on the table walls below me, but before they even settle on the pass line, I can already feel the star implode in my stomach.
In a flash, my hard work is raked away by some new guy named Carl with a moustache and not a single ounce of sympathy.
The party’s at Lenora (and Kelton’s) which was fine because honestly, I didn’t just have rats.
The rats came in chasing the cockroaches but when a bunch of them got into my Cadbury Mini Egg stash and died under the living room floor, a pack of fleas picked the carcass clean before making their way into the carpet above. So, yeah...at the moment I have fleas, cockroaches and rats. I had a bug bomb guy coming in a couple days but things were gonna be a little itchy until then.
It's three days until the party. I’ve got no gift and if I show up without that 200 bucks I may never see my kid again.
April 8, 2022 – 6:32AM
There’s only so much you can do on a security guard’s salary and being paid $12 an hour to guard millions of dollars in Mercedes automobiles is hilarious. What am I supposed to do if some guy comes in to steal a car? Lay my life on the line and hope my out-of-pocket HMO covers bullet wounds?
I don’t even have dental. I got a root canal that needed to be recapped 10 minutes after it was put in.
I’ve been on Mr. Jenkins about a raise but he keeps telling me “we gotta sell more cars, Davey,” as if I’m the one selling cars. I’m a fucking security guard what the hell’s that gotta do with me? Last I checked it was my job to keep cars on the lot and getting them off was yours.
Jenkins owns every car dealer on Van Nuys. Maybe you’ve seen his ads on TV where he slides into frame wearing a suit while riding a surfboard just to say “COME ON DOWN!” He can afford to buy a surfboard for tv ad that has no mention of surfing or aquatic sports of any kind but he can’t pay me an extra $3 an hour so I can re-introduce cold foods to my diet.
I spend most of my shift eyeing the mint green on onyx black SLS convertible they keep in the lobby. It’s flashy but it’s got a nut sack under the hood so you know you could back it up if you went toe-to-toe with some clown at a red light. Sometimes I just stare at it but I never touch it. I only wanna touch it when it’s mine. Which it would be...
Maybe I could steal it and sell it to get the iPad and some other shit. I know all the codes but then again I wouldn’t need the whole car. The thing costs half a mill. Maybe I could lift a rear-view mirror. Who would notice? Then again with the way the rhythm’s set I’d probably bump into the fucking FBI on the way out.
I’ve been doing my best to get things together but the cards aren’t falling my way and there’s not much you can really do about that. I’ve been going to the Hollywood for 15 years so I know I’m due for a run.
Me and Lenny talking about this all the time at the lounge. Sometimes you’re on the downbeat and sometimes you’re on the upbeat. Lately I feel like it’s been all downs but the thing about being a father though, is that you’re not the only one on that ride.
It used to be that I could take a few down weeks or months even. Sleep in the car, call the landlord and talk them out of breaking down the door but when you got a kid everything changes. You suffer, he suffers. Lately Lenora’s been paying for that but you see she keeps a tally. She says she doesn’t but she does.
Every time she has to pay for something she looks at me like I’m the biggest piece of shit then says “It’s ok, David.” Which it really isn’t.
The fees and stuff aren’t the real problem. It’s being able to take James out and take care of him. She wants to take that away from me and honestly I don’t blame her.
Last week my card got declined trying to pay for ice cream. James had already eaten half of his and the lady made us give it back. He didn’t talk to me the whole way home then 2 days later Lenora told me James didn’t really like spending time with me anymore. A week after that she filed for sole custody and told me they were thinking about moving to Chicago. Who the fuck would want to live there? It’s cold as fuck and the people are assholes.
April 8, 2022 – 12:20PM
I do pickups for a porta-john company on the side. It’s just temporary. I don’t clean the shit I just spray down the units and suck out cans and shit with a wet-vac before this guy named Pete sticks a hose in the back and drains the whole thing out.
I’m always surprised by what people put on the walls of a john. Usually it’s just drawings like hearts and shit but sometimes the rhythm finds you there too. One time I spotted a phone number Sharpied on a toilet seat but it was missing 1 number. 8 digits. Kinda like 4 roulette numbers right?
I took em to the Hollywood and won 5 grand on one roll! Hasn’t worked again for me yet... but that’s the thing about it man.
But today I’m cleaning out a row of johns after some music festival which by the way is far and away the worst clean ups to get. Sure you see these kids all cleaned up online in some tweed outfit or some shit but you should see the shit that comes out of these kids. It’s like paving tar with glitter and red bull cans.
I look down in the last john I’m hosing down and I see something. Peaking out of the mounds I see: a $20 bill.
I stared at it for a second but I could hear Pete coming down the line about to suck it into oblivion. I never seen cash in the john before. Sometimes you hear a coin clank through the hose but a 20 bill just staring you right in the face?
I did what any man would do. I grabbed it and when I pulled my hand out I was half expecting it to be missing a layer of skin.
Later I’m sitting in the truck staring at this 20 bucks thinking “why would this come to me?” There had to be a reason. It wasn’t just on the floor of some john. It was in the last john after the nastiest event at a time when all I needed was one shot.
It was the rhythm.
But having to do that for just $20 didn’t add up. There had to have been a greater purpose and you know what they say about money. You don’t let it sleep. You wanna get that money out and get it working.
Craps kicked my teeth in this morning and you can’t do shit with 20 bucks on a blackjack table. I had to think bigger.
Then I’m driving home from work and I see the 7/11. Powerball was at 2.11 BILLION. The biggest in history. If you got all 6 numbers right you got the whole chicken. If you got 5 you got just shy of 8 million bucks. Boom.
I had my usual numbers but this wasn’t a usual day. I told the cashier to give me “all randoms today.” 10 slips at $2 each.
That night I sat down on my couch waiting for the Powerball to come on tv... then I blacked out.
The next thing I knew I was staring at 6 numbers lit up on my tv screen: 08, 07, 14, 29, 40, 16
And on my slip: 08, 07, 14, 29, 40, 22
I had 5 out of 6 numbers. I’d just won 8 million dollars
April 9, 2022 – 9:01AM
I’m standing in line at the California Lottery Offices. It’s not some huge expansive place. It’s a shitty little line up of people with various ailments trying to dispute their $5 winning ticket.
My mind is racing. Who do I pay back first? Do they give me the cash here? Is it in a duffel bag? When do I have to hold that big ass check? Do I wear a mask? I saw a guy do it in a scream mask once to maintain his anonymity. Honestly it might be nice to be seen. Not only has everyone seen me as a piece of shit forever but also I haven’t exactly kept a detailed list of everyone I owe money to.
It’d be good for people to just hit me up, I can cut a check and tell them “thanks for your patience.” Maybe I’d even give them a little off the top as a tip.
The guy a the counter basically spat in my face; “It’s gotta be reviewed. Takes 2-5 days. We’ll email you a link to collect any winnings.” It was like I just accused him of something. No congratulations or anything which at first, I was pissed about but then I realized that clearly I wasn’t the first asshole who thought they won the lottery.
Except I really did. 2-5 days was nothing. I’d been living in the shit for years I could do another few days.
Stepping outside, everything looked the same. The air wasn’t purer or the sunlight any more sunlightier and I still had to fill up my tires at the Shell on Cahuenga. There’s something about being rich without actually having any appearance of being rich.
That secret alone is like having a bomb in your pocket. People treat you regular, they smile and make conversation but deep down you think...if I pulled this out I could kill you with it.
But when people do think you have money, the more of it they give you.
I rolled in the doors of the Hollywood like I always did. Lenny called me a bullshitter, Jackie barely even put her cigarette down and Jonie didn’t even bring me a drink because I didn’t actually have any money on the table. I didn’t even have money in my pocket. I’d spent it all on the Megamillions and I hadn’t eaten since perusing the halls for leftover room service the night before.
Then news hit. My face was on every TV in the place. “Local man wins 8 million dollar jackpot.”
I checked my phone to see if it was blowing up, then remembered I still hadn’t paid the bill in months. So I was good there.
April 9, 2022 – 11:11AM
If you’ve ever been on a casino floor you know that it’s never silent. But I swear to God if you were on the floor when that news hit, you could’ve heard the rats eating my Mini Eggs 20 miles away. Everyone’s eyes were trained on me. For a second I even felt all the security cams shift over in my direction.
I couldn’t stand being on the floor with nothing to play with so Lenny set me up with his guy who got me a little walking around money. Japanese guy who I met in a Burger King across the street. Weird dude. Not sure what his name was.
I didn’t wanna go too nuts so I just took out a small loan. 50k at 20 points. I thought about it for a second then realized I didn’t really give a shit about the interest. 10 grand to me in a week doesn’t mean nearly as much as 50 does now. It’s just value proposition. It would have been stupid NOT to take out the loan honestly.
Walking into the casino with 50 grand in my pocket and slamming it down on the table feels a lot like taking out your dick at an orgy only when your dick comes out it’s a 60 foot cigarette boat with flames painted on the side.
But then I learned what I remembered years ago. Losing money and gaining money at that point meant almost nothing.
So losing 2 grand a hand wasn’t such a big deal because I could be making 5 on the next. That’s why I needed a little more when I lost the full 50.
Another 100k or so at another 20 points should do the trick.
It didn’t take long to realize that both winning and losing money meant almost nothing to me. So I ventured out.
A tailored suit for me (ready in 2-3 days on a rush).
An iPad for James with all the bells and whistles.
6 dozen roses sent to Lenora’s house signed “your secret admirer.” just to fuck with Kelton.
A watch for me, Lenny and Jodie.
Some special cigar Jackie had always been eyeing.
New pairs of Nikes for all of us.
And a limousine to my dentist’s office.
I paid in cash for the cap replacement, they gave me some pills and told me not to mix them with alcohol but honestly I was a little distracted by the old molar cap sitting on the table. I had an idea.
“Are you gonna just throw that away?” I asked her.
By now I realized I didn’t have a phone to receive my winnings via email. So, I stopped a guy in the lobby and paid him 2 grand cash for his before popping a few pills and slugging some champagne in the limo.
There was barely enough time to sit back and relax. I had a lifetime of debt and yearning for shit to burn through.
We made it to the Mercedes dealership but the pain killers kicked in and I could barely feel my hands as they ran across the SLS’s mint green paint. Bummer.
Jenkins sauntered over asking if I was working today and all I remember saying was “I want it.” He scrunched his eyebrows in confusion, so I put the remaining cash I had down on the table and said it again. “I WANT IT.”
They ran my credit (which was dog shit. Didn’t matter) and I looked Jenkins in his fat little face again and said “I don’t give a fuck.” He sold it to me, financed at 25 percent interest. Then when he went to fetch my paperwork and keys I took a shit on his desk, shoved the molar cap and a $20 bill in it before using his jacket to wipe my ass. Felt right. Don’t really know why.
I had walked into the CA lottery offices at 9am to start the review process on my ticket’s authenticity.
By 11am, I was watching news break from the Hollywood Casino.
By 10pm I had accrued more debt than a small country.
I hadn’t received a dime from the lotto.
And I needed more walking around money.
April 10, 11, 12 – who the fuck knows what time
The next few days were a blur but there are a few things I’ll never forget.
Quitting my job.
Hiring the limo for the week.
Trying to shit after 3 days of having nothing but fast food, champagne and pain killers.
Fielding questions at the party from Kelton’s asshole friends who told me “lotto rich isn’t real rich.”
And the heat of my house burning to the ground as James and I stood there watching with a can of gas in our hands.
He didn’t even want the iPad.
The rhythms were sliding back. James had that smile plastered back in his face and even Lenora was happy to see me.
April 16, 7:35AM
“Dear Mr. Baxter. Congratulations! You’ve successfully matched FOUR of six winning numbers. Below please find a link to collect your winnings of $10,000.”
I read it over and over again. Over and over and over.
When I called the offices an nice woman on the phone informed me that due to a printing malfunction the ticket had appeared to show the number 8 when in fact it was a 6.
They even managed to maintain a sense of excitement. I mean why wouldn’t they? They think I just won $10,000. They had no idea I’d bought a car I couldn’t afford, burned my house down, taken a shit on my boss’ desk, maxed out 3 new credit cards and borrowed a inordinate amount of money from people at a borderline illegal interest rate.
The limo company took my ride away and with no home I’ve spent the last 2 days parked on the Pacific Coast Highway, sleeping in the brand new Mercedes I can’t afford, in a suit I shouldn’t have bought, showering in the YMCA down the street, and eating 2-day-old coconut shrimp.
All of a sudden I’m fucked again. But as I stare out at the Pacific, my phone dings. It’s an alert from the Chase banking app. My lotto winnings of $10,000 have just hit my account and the only question is...
Are the rhythms with me or not?
2023.03.29 06:06 EpicEconomics $BOIL “Current Correction is Greater Than Average of Past 20 Years. Historically, over the past 20 years natural gas has had a significant correction (more than 60% down) eight times, including the current correction. Declines ranged from -68.9% to -82.4%, over that period.
 | submitted by EpicEconomics to Epic_Economics [link] [comments] |
2023.03.29 05:43 kelsonTD Squadron TD v11.00
v11.00 released in all regions (immediately updated to 11.01)
Builder passives split into 3 tiers by wave (visit discord or reddit for details) many balance changes across builders (visit discord or reddit for details) added Hunterling (Send) with Hunter's Pounce debuff Baneling (Send) -40% area of affect (3.5=>2.5) wave 4 (Marines) +40% damage (5-7=>7-9) added Heavy Particle Beam (Doomsday Machine) beam stack count (thanks Peterk426) fixed Energy Leech (Hybrid Dominator) preventing max energy units from casting fixed area of affect damage missing very large targets due to unit radius fixed Surveillance (Satellite) affecting melee towers (thanks TreeOne7341) fixed visibility of tooltips for hidden opponent stats (thanks knownaim) fixed leaks increasing Security System upgrade cooldown (thanks Cupid) renamed Racial column to Builder in Select mode (thanks Ninefingers) added range indicators for Security System Overburn and Earthshock fixed `!reset_stats` updating scoreboard values (thanks Bullyian) fixed Blood Thirst and Sound of Madness visual blinking effect fixed imprecise Elemental attack range tooltips (thanks Nuxer) fixed usability of map pings by observers (thanks Spaceballs) added more information on ability targeting priorities fixed experience bar progression errors (thanks Speed) deleted out-of-date Russian and Korean localizations fixed Sostenuto (Producer) tooltip text (thanks Amy) fixed gas cap text truncation (thanks Zwischenzug) fixed player reward window appearing for observer reimplemented stun (no longer reduces timescale) updated default range indication model announced high level XIX winners
Detailed Passive Changes
PASSIVE TIERSNature
- Tier 1: attackers lose 10% attack speed per damage dealt, stacks 3 times
- Tier 2: attackers lose 10% attack speed and 15% move speed per damage dealt, stacks 3 times
- Tier 3: attackers lose 12% time scale per damage dealt, stacks 3 times
Sylphy
- Tier 1: 1.8% damage reduction and attack speed (max 10 stacks)
- Tier 2: 1.1% damage reduction and attack speed (max 20 stacks)
- Tier 3: 1.3% damage reduction and attack speed (max 25 stacks)
Beast
- Tier 1: Slaying an enemy grants 2% enemy hp/s regen for 12sec
- Tier 2: Slaying an enemy grants 1% enemy hp/s regen for 12sec and 15% attack speed for 2 sec (can be extended)
- Tier 3: Slaying an enemy grants 1% enemy hp/s regen for 12sec. Upon inflicting 2000 damage gains 15% attack speed for 2 sec (can be extended)
Ancient
- Tier 1: Slaying an enemy gives killer 16% of victims hp as shields
- Tier 2: Slaying an enemy gives all attackers 16% of damage each of them individually dealt to that victim
- Tier 3: Slaying an enemy gives all attackers 20% of damage each of them individually dealt to that victim
Soul
- Tier 1: 30% of attacks causes target to miss next attack
- Tier 2: 15% of attacks causes target to miss next attack (stacks 2 times)
- Tier 3: 15% of attacks blind target for 1 second
Elemental
- Tier 1: On hit, unit gains a static charge. At 15 static charges, the next hit violently discharges all static into the attacker and nearby foes. Enemies are stunned for 1.5s.
- Tier 2: On hit, units gain a static charge providing 0.5% damage reduction. At 20 static charges, the next hit violently discharges all static into the attacker and nearby foes. Enemies are stunned for 1.5s.
- Tier 3: On hit, units gain a static charge providing 1% damage reduction. At 15 static charges, the next hit violently discharges all static into the attacker and nearby foes. Enemies are stunned for 1.5s.
Celestial
- Tier 1: Upon a fatal blow, Divine Aura channels through this unit for 1.5 seconds before granting 1.5 seconds of invulnerability. Summoned units have HP/333 chance to gain invulnerability.
- Tier 2: Upon a fatal blow, Divine Aura channels through this unit for 1 seconds before granting 2 seconds of invulnerability. Summoned units have HP/500 chance to gain invulnerability.
- Tier 3: Upon a fatal blow, Divine Aura channels through this unit for 0.5 seconds before granting 2.5 seconds of invulnerability. Summoned units have HP/1000 chance to gain invulnerability.
Ghost
- Tier 1: 20% evade chance.
- Tier 2: 20% evade chance. When falling below 20% hp, gain 15% damage reduction
- Tier 3: 30% evade chance. When falling below 30% hp, gain 25% damage reduction
Mechanical
- Tier 1: Units gain +2% attack speed per attack for 6 seconds (max 13 stacks)
- Tier 2: Units gain +2% attack speed per attack for 8 seconds (max 20 stacks)
- Tier 3: Units gain +2% attack speed per second (max 25 stacks). Ranged units lose 4 stacks when taking damage, while melee untis lose 1 stack.
Shadow
- Tier 1: Upon death, unit is resurrected with 20% life, shields and 60% less attack speed. Summoned units have HP/333 chance to be resurrected.
- Tier 2: Upon death, unit is resurrected with 30% life, shields and 50% less attack speed. Summoned units have HP/500 chance to be resurrected.
- Tier 3: Upon death, unit is resurrected with 30% life, shields and 50% less attack speed. Unit is resurrected with full energy. Summoned units have HP/1000 chance to be resurrected.
Automaton
- Tier 1:Enemy attackers lose 5% damage with each attack for 5s (max 4 stacks)
- Tier 2:Enemy attackers lose 3% damage with each attack for 10s (max 6 stacks). Upon reaching 6 stacks, next attack will stun attacker for 2 seconds.
- Tier 3:Enemy attackers lose 3% damage with each attack for 10s (max 6 stacks). Upon reaching 6 stacks, next attack will stun attacker and nearby foes for 2 seconds.
Detailed Builder Changes
Nature
Guardian- Gained 1.6 attack range
- Fixed Guardian attack animation
- Entangle no longer slows attack speed. It now increases damage taken by 40%
- Updated Ranger model to match nature builder theme
- +6% attack speed (1.8 => 1.7)
- -50% damage (140-153 => 70-77)
- Now attacks closest unit instead of lowest life
- Helping hand 30 => 50% move speed
- No longer heals on death
- Water of life now heals on average every 2.5 seconds (down from 3)
Sylphy
Trait level stacks: 1/2/3 => 2/3/4All merged towers now have both traits at level 2
Glissando
- Added visuals indicator for refund
- Slow 25 => 50%; duration 1 => 0.55 seconds
- 4.25 => 4.75 attack range
- Legato 6 => 7 range
- 1450 => 1200 life
- Accent: 300 => 350% crit damage
- 1250 => 1625 life
- Fixed solo teleport issues on end waves (thanks Nuxer)
Beast
Zergling Warrior- Gash 25 => 10% attack speed slow
- Gained 1 more upgrade: Raptorling
- Leap Attack: Jumps towards an enemy, and massively slows them on impact
Upgrades reworked:
- Primal Host now spawns locust near itself; locused gained more damage and duration, and became ranged but lower hp
- Mecha Host: Launches tanky locusts towards enemy; low damage
- Massive => Armored armor type
- Damage: 64-78 => 70-76
- Fixed Emerald Fire doing only 150 damage to nearby targets, rather than 300
Ancient
Sentinel- Sentinels require 8 stacks now for full buff
- Parity check (Archive) 8s => average 8s period
Soul
Stahrry- Fix various Crescent (Stahrry) issues (failing to blind but using energy)
- 1.5 => 2 range
- Restored old shadow fist/scorned hand move speed (standard with soul units)
Elemental
Oceanus- Gained an upgrade: Thalassotherapy
- Tributary: Releases a beam that bounces off enemies doing damage. Last bounce heals an ally based on total damage dealt.
- Lost Blue Wind
- Gained Fluorescence: debuffs enemy to restore energy on attack to target
- 51-60 => 95-105 damage
- Fenix 127-272 => 180-220 damage
Ghost
Wraith and Mercurial- Traumatize (Mercurial) prioritizes units without Traumatize
- Disturb (Wraith) prioritizes units without Disturb
- Added upgrade: Phantasm
- Elusive Shadow: Passive chance to evade attacks. Upon dodging enough attacks, gains 100% evade chance for short duration
- Replaced with Eidolon: Attacks deal bonus 2% of targets max hp damage
- Replaced with Melinoe: Attacks deal bonus 2% of targets max hp damage. Emp Shock: After short cast time launches emp missile stunning large group of enemies
Mechanical
Infantry- 43-63 => 43-47 damage
- 1.8 => 1.6 attack speed
- 0.15 => 0.2 attack speed
- Leviathan 2.1 => 1.9 attack speed
- Shrapnel 100 => 80 damage
- Shrapnel 15 => 12.5% slow per stack; 4 => 6 max stacks
Shadow
Skeletor- +1 min damage (35 => 36)
- 0.9 => 0.8 attack speed
- 310 => 350 cost
- Lost both previous abilities
- 30-74 => 20-25 damage
- 0.12 => 0.2 attack speed
- Increased attack range slightly
- Fatality (new): gains +4 weapon damage/attack
- Deflection (new): 50% damage reduction from ranged attacks
- 50 => 20 max energy
- Conjure Inferno 50 => 15 energy cost
- Imps lost life regen
- Max number of imps alive 10 => 8
- Hades now gains +1 energy each time he or his imps kill an enemy
- Standardized Dark Mage movement speed
Automaton
Prototype- +1 attack range (4 => 5)
- Prototype's self damage is no longer lethal
- Prototype's self damage no longer triggers or interacts with damage related buffs, damage reduction, on hit effects, etc
- Pulverizer AoE increased due to AoE bug fix
Celestial
Fallen- Tempt 30 => 15% bonus healing; 15 => 10 energy cost
- Fallen 15 => 10 max energy
Links
Feature Requests
- Continue playing after victory (thanks XOHOX)
- Allow Practice mode after victory/defeat (thanks FujMs)
- Colorize send backgrounds by purpose (green=eco,red=offense) (thanks Jamato212)
- Colorize unit backgrounds by range (melee,short,long range) (thanks Jamato212)
- Better late-game supply upgrade options (thanks NOOBEv14)
- Per-wave send unit limits (thanks Biomed)
- Enhance SS explosion cinematics (thanks mentalmp)
- Add support for player-camera following in Observer mode (thanks Amy)
- Smarter Security System targeting without player control (thanks FujMs)
- !state (!debug) preserves Towers, Resources, Income, and Wave (thanks yare)
- Add !debug buttons for !builders, !resources, !sticky, etc (thanks FujMs)
- Add !debug command/mode to support building for players in other lanes (thanks FujMs)
- Add !rain command to start atmospheric rain effect (thanks Shek)
Known Bugs
- SW3-NTZ WELDTECH Relay fails to follow injured ranged units (thanks yare)
- Multiple units attempting to merge the same target may "lose" a source unit (thanks tempcopowetu)
- !restart doesn't restore Security Service (thanks FujMs)
- Necromancy respawns units at start/tower position on 31+ (thanks Syzygy)
- Some Towers may be heard through the Fog of War (thanks Nexus)
- !start (!debug) repeated twice quickly will double-spawn wave (thanks nooga)
- Multiple behaviors using imprecise multiplicative stat [de]buffs instead of additive buffs (thanks Nexus and Parasite)
- Unbearable Heat (Mutator) stops damaging units stunned by Elemental passive (thanks Nuxer)
- Catastrophe (Meridian) implementation doesn't match tooltips (thanks Zvat)
- Zukar (Wave 29) can get stuck in floor with Mini Boss Mutator (thanks Zarbad)
- Android (Automaton) fails to respawn if killed by Unbearable Heat (thanks Parasite)
- !state load (!debug) shows incorrect values for upgraded towers (thanks FujMs)
- AFK-kicked players intermittently gain full scoreboard visibility
- Shuffle (game option) disrupts Wave Leader rotation (thanks yare)
- Venom Sac (Medusa) tooltip states 3 units effected, but only 2 gain impact
- In coop, (non-follower) pets may escape the high ground (thanks Jacubus)
- Applying a skin to a building and then switch it's type, only highlight and recolour stay (thanks Jacubus)
- AoE part of Crescent (Stahrry) may affect 4 units
- Unison (Crescendo) split damage is amplified by Crescendo damage buffs (thanks Nuxer)
2023.03.29 05:34 6carecrow 1 Month Review of a 2019 Sonata
So i work at a dealership we mostly buy and sell cars from auction, but we also do repairs. Because of this i get to drive a lot of different cars all the time so i thought why not start voicing my opinion on them (i’m sure someone out there is looking at a 19 Sonata)
The Car: 2019 Sonata SE. It’s got the cloth seats (fine with me they’re very comfortable) and the design was the best of the newer gen sonatas imo (post 2016 but pre 2020)
After driving the car for a month i don’t have many bad things to say about it. It’s a comfortable highway cruiser, very spacious, i’m 6 feet and 165 and fit very comfortably in it. The interior feels very solidly built, a significant improvement over previous generations (i’m sure the new Sonatas are even better.) The car returned very impressive MPG, my commute is 50 miles with 80 city / 20 hwy and i was averaging about 32mpg.
Performance wise it was nothing crazy but that’s to be expected from an economy car. It’s got the 2.4L which makes 178hp, but definitely feels like more than that. The engine seems to be tuned for power a lot lower in the rev range so it takes off a lot easier than other midsize sedans i’ve driven. (The honda accord 1.5, Chevy Malibu 1.5 and Fusion 2.0 to name a few) It still pulls very nicely at freeway speeds and passing never feels like a task (like it sometimes does in my civic) Again, an economy car meant to be good on gas and decently reliable, so of course nothing too exciting. When you try to drive it hard, the 6 speed feels a bit slow to respond and seems like it has rev hang under hard braking.
There’s genuinely not too many negatives with this car. I wish the gauges looked a bit better and the apple carplay seems to be hit or miss. The cloth seats are not power adjustable like they are in my civic and it feels like it’s a bit more difficult to find the right seating position.
Overall the 2019 Sonata SE is a pretty solid car, and i think i’d choose it over most of the competitors.
submitted by 6carecrow to cars [link] [comments]
The Car: 2019 Sonata SE. It’s got the cloth seats (fine with me they’re very comfortable) and the design was the best of the newer gen sonatas imo (post 2016 but pre 2020)
After driving the car for a month i don’t have many bad things to say about it. It’s a comfortable highway cruiser, very spacious, i’m 6 feet and 165 and fit very comfortably in it. The interior feels very solidly built, a significant improvement over previous generations (i’m sure the new Sonatas are even better.) The car returned very impressive MPG, my commute is 50 miles with 80 city / 20 hwy and i was averaging about 32mpg.
Performance wise it was nothing crazy but that’s to be expected from an economy car. It’s got the 2.4L which makes 178hp, but definitely feels like more than that. The engine seems to be tuned for power a lot lower in the rev range so it takes off a lot easier than other midsize sedans i’ve driven. (The honda accord 1.5, Chevy Malibu 1.5 and Fusion 2.0 to name a few) It still pulls very nicely at freeway speeds and passing never feels like a task (like it sometimes does in my civic) Again, an economy car meant to be good on gas and decently reliable, so of course nothing too exciting. When you try to drive it hard, the 6 speed feels a bit slow to respond and seems like it has rev hang under hard braking.
There’s genuinely not too many negatives with this car. I wish the gauges looked a bit better and the apple carplay seems to be hit or miss. The cloth seats are not power adjustable like they are in my civic and it feels like it’s a bit more difficult to find the right seating position.
Overall the 2019 Sonata SE is a pretty solid car, and i think i’d choose it over most of the competitors.
2023.03.29 05:22 DramaGoblinFalco Four New Races from my homebrew world
Tasi
The Tasi grow naturally from fungus that grows in semi-dry areas, as the Tasi grow to their juvenile state they wander and until they find another creature, the Tasi then begin to follow and copy parts of that creature's appearance and personality until the Tasi grows to a state it can develop its' own. The Tasi are a strange aspect of modern society as they are largely harmless and vulnerable in their juvenile state so people often temporarily adopt them while they mature.Ability Score Increase. One ability score of your choice increases by 2 and one different ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Age. Tasi reach maturity after one year and live between 20 to 30 years .
Size. Tasi vary widely in height and build, from barely 4 feet to well over 7 feet tall. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium or Small (your choice).
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Elvanian.
Shroom Morphing. As an action, you can change your appearance into a different form of Tasi. This allows you to change your basic appearance, body type, and sex. This feature also allows you to change your size between Medium or Small. You will always look like a Tasi when you use this feature, you can just change the type of Tasi you look like.
When you reach 5th level you can also use this feature to change your appearance to that of a medium, small, or tiny beast of CR 1 or lower. You retain your statistics while transformed in this way but gain the appearance and size of the beast. If any damage is dealt to you while transformed in this way you revert back to your normal form. While transformed in this way your beast form has notable mushrooms growing along its body. Once you use this feature to transform into a beast you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
Toxin Connoisseur. You are resistant to Poison damage and have advantage on saving throws against poison. In addition, you cannot consume normal food and must instead consume rotting or decomposing food or raw plant matter to gain nourishment. You do not suffer any ill-effects from consuming rotting or decomposing food in this way.
Lasting Impression. When you gain this feature choose any combination of two weapons, skills, tools, or instruments. You gain proficiency in the chosen weapons, skills, tools, or instruments.
Photokinesis. You learn and can cast the Druidcraft and Speak with Plants spells at will. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Hydrophobic. If you start your turn submerged in water you take 5 Acid damage. If a spell or other effect would bring you in contact with 1 liter or more of water you take 5 Acid damage when you first come in contact with the water. Rain does not affect you in this way as the mushroom cap on your head protects you from it.
If you are granted a swimming speed or the ability to breathe water this feature does not affect you so long as you have that swimming speed or ability to breathe water.
Sinshi
The Sinshi were created originally to conquer the world so as to give unity, they very much succeeded in this goal as in less than the span of 100 years they were able to create a nation and destroy all opposition to their empire. While once the Sinshi were the conquerors of the world and feared everywhere they now serve a far more subdued role in society as their natural strength and fighting ability is no longer needed in the now unified modern world, so now Sinshi are often placed in manual labor jobs and most commonly become the thugs of gangs or join the police force.Ability Score Increase. One ability score of your choice increases by 2 and one different ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Age. Sinshi reach maturity after 14 years and live between 40 to 50 years .
Size. Sinshi are often well over 6 or 7 feet tall, sometimes ranging into the 8 or 9 foot range. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Elvanian.
Amphibious. You can breathe both air and water, and you have a swimming speed equal to half your walking speed.
Warfare Training. You gain proficiency in three simple or martial weapons of your choice. You also gain one Fighting Style of your choice from the Fighter list.
Thick Hide. You can use Strength rather than Dexterity for calculating your armor class while wearing medium, light, or no armor.
Powerful Jaws. You have a powerful bite which you can use to make unarmed strikes. Your bite does 1d6 Piercing damage on a hit rather than the bludgeoning damage normal from an unarmed strike.
Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Grays
The grays are a species created after the Arcana Wars meant by the god that created them to become advisors to powerful leaders so that such atrocities do not occur again. For most of the world's life since the Arcana Wars the grays have filled the roles of craftsman and inventors, as they have an innate talent for gathering and applying information so they excel in many roles that require a high degree of skill and practice. In the modern day the grays are most commonly of higher class due to their skills being fundamentally needed to keep much of the modern world running. Additionally, due to grays having substantially subdued emotions they are often misunderstood and misinterpreted along with being stereotyped as completely emotionless and robotic.Ability Score Increase. One ability score of your choice increases by 2 and one different ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Age. Grays reach maturity at the age of 17 but rarely live past 50 years .
Size. Grays follow the same range of height as Humans. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium or Small (Choose when you gain this race).
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Elvanian.
Mind Like a Steel Trap. You can accurately recall anything you have seen or heard within the last month. You always know what time it is and which direction is north.
Knowledge Applied. Whenever you make an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw you can use your reaction to add your Intelligence modifier to the roll. You can choose to use this ability after you roll but before the DM declares whether you succeed or fail. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Proficiency bonus, regaining expended uses on a long rest.
Gray Psionics. You know the encode thoughts cantrip
Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the Detect Magic spell with this trait. Starting at 5th level, you can also cast the Borrowed Knowledge spell with it. Once you cast Detect Magic or Borrowed Knowledge with this trait, you can’t cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast either of those spells using any spell slots you have of the appropriate level.
Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells when you cast them with this trait (choose when you select this race). None of these spells require spell components when you cast them with this trait.
Covasi
The Covasi are one of the oldest surviving humanoid species, created to obtain and store knowledge so as to better prepare the other people in the world. During the Arcana Wars the Covasi had actually sided with the Seiki clan as they otherwise risked the destruction of their society. With the shame of aligning with the genocidal clan still prevalent in the Covasi's reputation even in the modern day, they are often ridiculed and shunned from larger society but are not entirely removed as their massive well of knowledge and experience is far too valuable for modern society to completely outcast them.Ability Score Increase. One ability score of your choice increases by 2 and one different ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Age. Covasi reach maturity at the age of 20 and can live up to 100 years .
Size. Covasi follow the same range of height as Humans. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium or Small (Choose when you gain this race).
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Elvanian.
Amphibious. You can breathe both air and water, and you have a swimming speed equal to your walking speed.
True Mind Archive. Over the course of 10 minutes you can connect to the True Mind Archive. While you are connected to the archive you are blind and deaf to your own surroundings and you are considered incapacitated. While connected to the archive you can communicate with other creatures who have this trait telepathically across any distance so long as they are also connected to the archive.
Additionally, stored within the True Mind Archive is a vast wealth of knowledge supplied by other Covasi. While connected to the archive you can attempt to search the archive for information like it was a physical library. Consider the time it would take you to find information halved while searching for it within the True Mind Archive. You may also place or remove information you know into the True Mind Archive including your own memories and any memory crystals you are in contact with while you are connected to the True Mind Archive.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of grey.
Covasi Psionics. You know the message cantrip
Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the Detect Thoughts spell with this trait. Starting at 5th level, you can also cast the Sending spell with it. Once you cast Detect Thoughts or Sending with this trait, you can’t cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast either of those spells using any spell slots you have of the appropriate level.
Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells when you cast them with this trait (choose when you select this race). None of these spells require spell components when you cast them with this trait.
2023.03.29 04:18 SRTNerd_81 WWS Ground Zero - Week 3
WWS Ground Zero
January 17, 2023
Intrust Bank Arena, Wichita, Kansas
The show opens with pyro and we move straight to commentary where the commentators recap all the advancements in the tournaments.
After Round 1 of 5, the Scott Hall Memorial Tournament, the standings look like
Cody Rhodes vs Moose
Kota Ibushi vs Matt Riddle
Daniel Garcia vs Mike Bailey
They also reveal that Orange Cassidy and Darby Allin both have qualified for the fatal four way ladder match at WWS Genesis and another qualifying match is scheduled for tonight. It’s Karrion Kross making his debut against Cody Deaner.
(10 Mins)
___________________________________________________________________________
The proper show opens with THE QUEEN.
CHARLOTTE FLAIR HAS ARRIVED IN THE WWS!
She makes a grand elaborate entrance to the ring to a mixed reaction. Some boo, some cheer and some simply don’t care. She makes her way to the ring as she awaits her opponent.
Her opponent is ATHENA!
Charlotte Flair vs Athena
(The two women circle each, Charlotte puts her fists up for a guard while Athena crawls at her licking her lips. Charlotte goes for a boot on a grounded Athena but she leaps to the side and hits a kick on the back of Charlotte’s leg. She quickly gains control with a combination of heavy attacks and has Charlotte in the corner. Athena walks up and hits a flurry of shots but Charlotte blocks most of them and she pushes her away with great force and lands a big boot to gain control back. As Athena gets back up Charlotte charges at her with a spear. Athena is reeling as Charlotte deadlifts her and lands a big back suplex. Athena rolls out of the ring with the impact. Charlotte scales the top rope and goes for her corkscrew moonsault to the outside but Athena dodges.
Charlotte, however still manages to land onto her feet, she reels back but Athena takes her head off with a jumping sidekick. Athena smiles a sadistic smile as she grabs Charlotte by the hair and smashes the back of her head onto the steel steps, again and again and again before she sends her back into the ring to meet the count at 9. Athena sadistically stalks her prey before locking in a crossface. Charlotte struggles for a bit but manages to get out. Athena still isn’t done as she gets Charlotte up and puts her down, smack on her knees. The modified lungblower!
She crawls over a pin but Charlotte kicks out. Athena grabs her arms and is about to stomp into Charlotte but Charlotte breaks free and lands a big punch square in the face. Flair gets up and headbutts Athena hard. Flair hits a front cartwheel lariat. Charlotte takes her leg looking for the figure eight but Athena grabs her neck and initiates a small package pin but Charlotte manages to break free but a spinning elbow knocks Charlotte out cold.
Athena climbs the top rope as she waits for Charlotte to get to her feet when Athena leaps and flips for the O-face but Charlotte catches her in mid air and drives a couple knees to her back. Athena is on her knees as Charlotte hits a Natural Selection Outta nowhere.
1,2,3. )
Charlotte Flair def. Athena
(21 mins)
We see the first proper advertisement for WWS Genesis which is scheduled for January 29 and it features the already established matches.
Roman Reigns vs TBD (World Heavyweight Championship Tournament Quarter Final)
Kenny Omega vs TBD (World Heavyweight Championship Tournament Quarter Final)
Orange Cassidy vs Darby Allin vs Karrion Kross/Jake Something vs TBD (Fatal Four Way Ladder Match for the Television Championship)
And a new match is also announced - Charlotte Flair vs Toni Storm (Semi Finals of the Women’s Title Tournament)
(4 minutes)
We come back from commercial for Maxwell Jacob Friedman
MJF walks out dashed in a suit with Moose by his tail and in his hands, a devil mask.
He takes to the microphone, “Now all these marks on social media, are complaining how Max Jacob Friedman has no purpose being here and how he should aim for the top, he is made for gold. You really do worship the devil, don’t ya? You see for all the actions that I do, I do it with a purpose and I’m here for a reason. You see, no one is born the devil. Everyone is an angel until they’re bogged down and they need to become the devil to rise back up again. I was an angel and I was made the devil and I am here with vengeance, I am here with a hit-list. I have been on the receiving end of a lot of sins and now as the greatest sinner of them all, I am going to purify all of them, starting of course with Orange Cassidy.
You see Cassidy, you are everything that’s wrong with this industry. I treat this as an art form, you treat it like a joke. I’m gonna put you through hell and then we’ll see how much sloth is left in your style. ”
MJF drops the mic and leaves the devil’s mask alongside it and heads to the back with Moose.
(15 minutes)
ALL BASK IN HIS GLORY
Keith Lee makes his way to the ring for his hoss fight with
SOLO SIKOA
Sikoa comes out alone.
This is a big match with big stakes. Winner gets a place in the fatal four way ladder match at Genesis.
Keith Lee vs Solo Sikoa
(The crowd cheer at the amount of meat in the ring as the two behemoths walk towards each other. Solo hits a big chop on Keith Lee’s chest and he barely flinches, Lee hits a big slap on Solo’s chest and he takes it in like a champ. Solo hits another chop, this time Lee staggers back for a bit. Lee hits a big mongolian chop and Solo falls to the ground. He gets right back up and hits a hard headbutt to Lee and that knocks him down as he falls to the corner. Solo runs and hits a big hip attack followed by another. As he charges for a third one, Lee gets out of the corner and runs to hit a big shoulder tackle which turns Solo inside out. Keith Lee grabs him by the throat and hits a big chokeslam followed by a running senton. Solo gets up but Lee hits a running dropkick sending him flying through the middle rope to the outside.
Keith Lee runs the ropes as the crowd cheers and he hits the tope con hilo as the folks go crazy. Keith picks him up and looks to go for a spinebuster but Solo elbows him and hits Lee with a superkick followed quickly with a spear. He sends Lee back to the ring. Solo climbs the apron too but instead heads to the top rope as he hits a big samoan splash. Solo scrambles for the pin but Lee gets a two count. He gets Keith Lee up and irish whips him and hits a savate kick on the rebound. Solo taunts Lee to get up and he tries to lift him for the samoan drop but Lee is too heavy and he gets out of the predicament. He hits Solo with the rolling elbow. Lee climbs the middle rope and hits the big moonsault.
Lee goes for the pin but Solo kicks out. Solo gets up but Lee hits a Belly to belly suplex and Lee doesn’t even fall back to his back. Lee gets Solo up and hits the Big Bang Catastrophe, he goes for the pin but Solo kicks out at 2.99. Lee gets Solo up as he lifts him up for a spirit bomb but Solo gets off his shoulders and hits a hard headbutt. He grabs Lee’s neck and hits a big samoan spike but Lee doesn’t fall but Solo hits another samoan spike. Solo goes for the pin and he gets the W. )
(20 mins)
Solo Sikoa def. Keith Lee
And then there was darkness.....
The lights go out. Bray Wyatt’s mask forms on the titantron as in the background all the toys from the Firefly Funhouse are hung on nooses and Cult Leader Bray’s rocking chair on fire. Bray Wyatt walks out with the same old lantern but the new mask. He walks to the ring as there is dead silence in the arena.
He enters the ring and blows the lantern and removes his mask. He takes to the mic and he just stares down the lens and says two words. “I’m Sorry”
He circles the ring grabbing his head and then he speaks again.
“I am a sinner. I have committed eternal sin.I have done bad, bad things all in chase of glory. At first I was just a messenger but then over time, I sold my soul to the devil. My soul belonged to The All Father. He was my dark passenger but I have failed him time and time again and he left me at my lowest point. Alone, a shell of myself, a broken, deadbeat man but my devotion didn’t waiver. I am still his pagan and I’ll do anything to have him take me back. That brings me to Edge. Edge, Consider yourself lucky. The Dark Father must have truly seen something special in you for he offers you his protection, all you have to do is stop hiding. Darkness is often portrayed as the voice of evil, it’s not that, it’s a way of life. You need to accept the Darkness inside you Edge. Embrace it, Embrace him. ”
Wyatt drops the microphone and puts on his mask again but he doesn’t leave, however he takes a steel chair as he sits on the ringside as if someone told him who was coming next.
The clock ticks zero.
Karrion Kross and Scarlett have arrived
Kross and Scarlett make their entrance, almost not even acknowledging Wyatt’s presence. Kross gears up in the corner for his qualifying match against Cody Deaner.
Karrion Kross vs Cody Deaner
(The match starts when Deaner just charges at Kross but he sidesteps as Deaner crashes hard in the corner. Kross smashes the forearms to Deaner’s back and hits a big Saito Suplex. Deaner gets up but Kross catches up to him and hits another Saito Suplex. He boots Deaner in the face and deadlifts him with a powerbomb. Kross mounts Deaner and starts a ground and pound attack. Deaner throws Kross out and then starts to make a comeback but its stopped dead in its tracks with a belly to belly suplex. Deaner gets up as Kross runs at him from behind to hit the Kross Hammer as he falls face first on the middle rope facing Wyatt. Kross chokes Deaner out with his knee as he makes eye contact with Wyatt. He picks Deaner up and locks in the Kross Jacket and Deaner passes out pretty quickly.)
Karrion Kross def. Cody Deaner
After the match, Kross and Scarlett celebrate in the ring. Wyatt gets up, removes his mask and slides it in the ring. He blows a kiss to Scarlett and leaves.
(20 mins)
Before the main event, the commentators announce next week’s card
Guerrillas of Destiny vs Varsity Athletes
Alexa Bliss vs Io Shirai
Kota Ibushi vs Matt Riddle
Kenny Omega’s in-ring debut in the WWS
They also recap the WWS Genesis card
Roman Reigns vs TBD Kenny Omega vs TBD
Orange Cassidy vs Darby Allin vs Karrion Kross vs Solo Sikoa - Ladder Match for the Television Title
Charlotte Flair vs Toni Storm
It’s Main Event Time.
The coin flips
The first notes of the guitar in Shinsuke’s WWE theme play but it's quickly cut by distortion to be replaced by
Subconscious
The King of Strong Style has arrived.
Nakamura comes out to his NJPW theme in his NJPW WrestleKingdom 9 gear.
Kazuchika Okada vs Shinsuke Nakamura
(From opposite corners, Okada and Nakamura stare holes into each other’s souls. Nakamura mouths, “No Punches?” from his end as Okada replies “No Punches”. The bell rings as the two faces of CHAOS walk towards each other. Nakamura takes one hand to his back and extends the other for a handshake. Okada hesitates but gives in but Naka withdraws his hand at the last moment to fix his hair. Okada looks pissed as he grabs Shinsuke Nakamura’s head and starts caving in forearm strikes. Naka quickly gains control with forearms and a knee to the gut which sends Okada back. Nakamura shrugs and hits a big knee lift to Okada’s chest. Nakamura grabs Okada from behind for a back suplex but Okada lands on his feet and knocks Nakamura out with a lariat. Nakamura gets to his knees but Okada grabs him in the front headlock and hits a big DDT. Nakamura sells the damage and gets right back up as Okada gets him up with a fireman’s carry and looks for the Death Valley Driver but Nakamura elbows him repeatedly to get out of it followed by a huge roundhouse kick. Okada falls to his knees as Nakamura hits a big knee strike right at Okada’s face. As Okada is down, Nakamura starts attacking his arm to soften the Rainmaker. Okada however, mounts a comeback and gets back up to his feet attacking Nakamura but a combination of elbows and knees fells Okada again.
Naka picks Okada up and goes for the back suplex but Okada rolls back to his feet. Picks up Nakamura and hits a big emerald flowsion but it only gets a two count. Okada picks up Naka again and irish whips Nakamura into the corner but Nakamura springboards up to the top rope and goes for a moonsault but Okada catches him and turns it into a tombstone piledriver. Okada goes to the top and hits a big elbow drop on Nakamura but that further aggravates his arm injury. Okada crawls to get a pin but only gets a one count and Nakamura kips right up too. Okada gets up as Nakamura unleashes a combination of strikes his way repeatedly kicking Okada’s injured arm. After one such kick, Okada no sells it and slaps Nakamura square in the face followed by a big dropkick. Okada picks him up and finally hits the death valley driver. Okada goes to the corner and looks for Nakamura to come up as he hits a Bomaye of his own. Okada follows this up and goes for the Rainmaker but Nakamura ducks and hits a german suplex as both men are down.
Both men get to their knees and have a forearm battle in the middle of the ring. Okada gets the better of this exchange with a wicked headbutt. Okada has the upper hand as he hits a gotch style piledriver on Nakamura, goes for the pin but Naka kicks out. Okada grabs his arms and gets him up, he looks for another rainmaker but in a last ditch effort, Nakamura grabs his arm leaps and turns it into a cross armbreaker. Okada struggles in the submission but doesnt tap out. Nakamura rises and wrenches the submission even harder but this lights a fire under Okada as he gets up and smashes Nakamura’s head in with forearm smashes and breaks free. Nakamura is on his knees as Okada walks to him and hits a few more forearm strikes and he gets him up and hits a hard looking german suplex dropping Nakamura on his neck. Okada doesn’t leave it as he turns the german suplex into a rainmaker with the other arm. He crawls for a pin and gets the win.)
Kazuchika Okada def. Shinsuke Nakamura
The crowd give both of them a standing ovation as medical personnel help carry both of them on the ramp. Okada offers a handshake and Nakamura takes this one as they get free from the medical personnel and help carry each other’s limping to the back.
CHAOS is forever.
submitted by SRTNerd_81 to fantasybooking [link] [comments]
January 17, 2023
Intrust Bank Arena, Wichita, Kansas
The show opens with pyro and we move straight to commentary where the commentators recap all the advancements in the tournaments.
After Round 1 of 5, the Scott Hall Memorial Tournament, the standings look like
- Moose - 2 points
- Matt Riddle - 2 points
- Cody Rhodes - 1 point
- Kota Ibushi - 1 point
- Daniel Garcia - 0 points
- Mike Bailey - 0 points
Cody Rhodes vs Moose
Kota Ibushi vs Matt Riddle
Daniel Garcia vs Mike Bailey
They also reveal that Orange Cassidy and Darby Allin both have qualified for the fatal four way ladder match at WWS Genesis and another qualifying match is scheduled for tonight. It’s Karrion Kross making his debut against Cody Deaner.
(10 Mins)
___________________________________________________________________________
The proper show opens with THE QUEEN.
CHARLOTTE FLAIR HAS ARRIVED IN THE WWS!
She makes a grand elaborate entrance to the ring to a mixed reaction. Some boo, some cheer and some simply don’t care. She makes her way to the ring as she awaits her opponent.
Her opponent is ATHENA!
Charlotte Flair vs Athena
(The two women circle each, Charlotte puts her fists up for a guard while Athena crawls at her licking her lips. Charlotte goes for a boot on a grounded Athena but she leaps to the side and hits a kick on the back of Charlotte’s leg. She quickly gains control with a combination of heavy attacks and has Charlotte in the corner. Athena walks up and hits a flurry of shots but Charlotte blocks most of them and she pushes her away with great force and lands a big boot to gain control back. As Athena gets back up Charlotte charges at her with a spear. Athena is reeling as Charlotte deadlifts her and lands a big back suplex. Athena rolls out of the ring with the impact. Charlotte scales the top rope and goes for her corkscrew moonsault to the outside but Athena dodges.
Charlotte, however still manages to land onto her feet, she reels back but Athena takes her head off with a jumping sidekick. Athena smiles a sadistic smile as she grabs Charlotte by the hair and smashes the back of her head onto the steel steps, again and again and again before she sends her back into the ring to meet the count at 9. Athena sadistically stalks her prey before locking in a crossface. Charlotte struggles for a bit but manages to get out. Athena still isn’t done as she gets Charlotte up and puts her down, smack on her knees. The modified lungblower!
She crawls over a pin but Charlotte kicks out. Athena grabs her arms and is about to stomp into Charlotte but Charlotte breaks free and lands a big punch square in the face. Flair gets up and headbutts Athena hard. Flair hits a front cartwheel lariat. Charlotte takes her leg looking for the figure eight but Athena grabs her neck and initiates a small package pin but Charlotte manages to break free but a spinning elbow knocks Charlotte out cold.
Athena climbs the top rope as she waits for Charlotte to get to her feet when Athena leaps and flips for the O-face but Charlotte catches her in mid air and drives a couple knees to her back. Athena is on her knees as Charlotte hits a Natural Selection Outta nowhere.
1,2,3. )
Charlotte Flair def. Athena
(21 mins)
We see the first proper advertisement for WWS Genesis which is scheduled for January 29 and it features the already established matches.
Roman Reigns vs TBD (World Heavyweight Championship Tournament Quarter Final)
Kenny Omega vs TBD (World Heavyweight Championship Tournament Quarter Final)
Orange Cassidy vs Darby Allin vs Karrion Kross/Jake Something vs TBD (Fatal Four Way Ladder Match for the Television Championship)
And a new match is also announced - Charlotte Flair vs Toni Storm (Semi Finals of the Women’s Title Tournament)
(4 minutes)
We come back from commercial for Maxwell Jacob Friedman
MJF walks out dashed in a suit with Moose by his tail and in his hands, a devil mask.
He takes to the microphone, “Now all these marks on social media, are complaining how Max Jacob Friedman has no purpose being here and how he should aim for the top, he is made for gold. You really do worship the devil, don’t ya? You see for all the actions that I do, I do it with a purpose and I’m here for a reason. You see, no one is born the devil. Everyone is an angel until they’re bogged down and they need to become the devil to rise back up again. I was an angel and I was made the devil and I am here with vengeance, I am here with a hit-list. I have been on the receiving end of a lot of sins and now as the greatest sinner of them all, I am going to purify all of them, starting of course with Orange Cassidy.
You see Cassidy, you are everything that’s wrong with this industry. I treat this as an art form, you treat it like a joke. I’m gonna put you through hell and then we’ll see how much sloth is left in your style. ”
MJF drops the mic and leaves the devil’s mask alongside it and heads to the back with Moose.
(15 minutes)
ALL BASK IN HIS GLORY
Keith Lee makes his way to the ring for his hoss fight with
SOLO SIKOA
Sikoa comes out alone.
This is a big match with big stakes. Winner gets a place in the fatal four way ladder match at Genesis.
Keith Lee vs Solo Sikoa
(The crowd cheer at the amount of meat in the ring as the two behemoths walk towards each other. Solo hits a big chop on Keith Lee’s chest and he barely flinches, Lee hits a big slap on Solo’s chest and he takes it in like a champ. Solo hits another chop, this time Lee staggers back for a bit. Lee hits a big mongolian chop and Solo falls to the ground. He gets right back up and hits a hard headbutt to Lee and that knocks him down as he falls to the corner. Solo runs and hits a big hip attack followed by another. As he charges for a third one, Lee gets out of the corner and runs to hit a big shoulder tackle which turns Solo inside out. Keith Lee grabs him by the throat and hits a big chokeslam followed by a running senton. Solo gets up but Lee hits a running dropkick sending him flying through the middle rope to the outside.
Keith Lee runs the ropes as the crowd cheers and he hits the tope con hilo as the folks go crazy. Keith picks him up and looks to go for a spinebuster but Solo elbows him and hits Lee with a superkick followed quickly with a spear. He sends Lee back to the ring. Solo climbs the apron too but instead heads to the top rope as he hits a big samoan splash. Solo scrambles for the pin but Lee gets a two count. He gets Keith Lee up and irish whips him and hits a savate kick on the rebound. Solo taunts Lee to get up and he tries to lift him for the samoan drop but Lee is too heavy and he gets out of the predicament. He hits Solo with the rolling elbow. Lee climbs the middle rope and hits the big moonsault.
Lee goes for the pin but Solo kicks out. Solo gets up but Lee hits a Belly to belly suplex and Lee doesn’t even fall back to his back. Lee gets Solo up and hits the Big Bang Catastrophe, he goes for the pin but Solo kicks out at 2.99. Lee gets Solo up as he lifts him up for a spirit bomb but Solo gets off his shoulders and hits a hard headbutt. He grabs Lee’s neck and hits a big samoan spike but Lee doesn’t fall but Solo hits another samoan spike. Solo goes for the pin and he gets the W. )
(20 mins)
Solo Sikoa def. Keith Lee
And then there was darkness.....
The lights go out. Bray Wyatt’s mask forms on the titantron as in the background all the toys from the Firefly Funhouse are hung on nooses and Cult Leader Bray’s rocking chair on fire. Bray Wyatt walks out with the same old lantern but the new mask. He walks to the ring as there is dead silence in the arena.
He enters the ring and blows the lantern and removes his mask. He takes to the mic and he just stares down the lens and says two words. “I’m Sorry”
He circles the ring grabbing his head and then he speaks again.
“I am a sinner. I have committed eternal sin.I have done bad, bad things all in chase of glory. At first I was just a messenger but then over time, I sold my soul to the devil. My soul belonged to The All Father. He was my dark passenger but I have failed him time and time again and he left me at my lowest point. Alone, a shell of myself, a broken, deadbeat man but my devotion didn’t waiver. I am still his pagan and I’ll do anything to have him take me back. That brings me to Edge. Edge, Consider yourself lucky. The Dark Father must have truly seen something special in you for he offers you his protection, all you have to do is stop hiding. Darkness is often portrayed as the voice of evil, it’s not that, it’s a way of life. You need to accept the Darkness inside you Edge. Embrace it, Embrace him. ”
Wyatt drops the microphone and puts on his mask again but he doesn’t leave, however he takes a steel chair as he sits on the ringside as if someone told him who was coming next.
The clock ticks zero.
Karrion Kross and Scarlett have arrived
Kross and Scarlett make their entrance, almost not even acknowledging Wyatt’s presence. Kross gears up in the corner for his qualifying match against Cody Deaner.
Karrion Kross vs Cody Deaner
(The match starts when Deaner just charges at Kross but he sidesteps as Deaner crashes hard in the corner. Kross smashes the forearms to Deaner’s back and hits a big Saito Suplex. Deaner gets up but Kross catches up to him and hits another Saito Suplex. He boots Deaner in the face and deadlifts him with a powerbomb. Kross mounts Deaner and starts a ground and pound attack. Deaner throws Kross out and then starts to make a comeback but its stopped dead in its tracks with a belly to belly suplex. Deaner gets up as Kross runs at him from behind to hit the Kross Hammer as he falls face first on the middle rope facing Wyatt. Kross chokes Deaner out with his knee as he makes eye contact with Wyatt. He picks Deaner up and locks in the Kross Jacket and Deaner passes out pretty quickly.)
Karrion Kross def. Cody Deaner
After the match, Kross and Scarlett celebrate in the ring. Wyatt gets up, removes his mask and slides it in the ring. He blows a kiss to Scarlett and leaves.
(20 mins)
Before the main event, the commentators announce next week’s card
Guerrillas of Destiny vs Varsity Athletes
Alexa Bliss vs Io Shirai
Kota Ibushi vs Matt Riddle
Kenny Omega’s in-ring debut in the WWS
They also recap the WWS Genesis card
Roman Reigns vs TBD Kenny Omega vs TBD
Orange Cassidy vs Darby Allin vs Karrion Kross vs Solo Sikoa - Ladder Match for the Television Title
Charlotte Flair vs Toni Storm
It’s Main Event Time.
The coin flips
The first notes of the guitar in Shinsuke’s WWE theme play but it's quickly cut by distortion to be replaced by
Subconscious
The King of Strong Style has arrived.
Nakamura comes out to his NJPW theme in his NJPW WrestleKingdom 9 gear.
Kazuchika Okada vs Shinsuke Nakamura
(From opposite corners, Okada and Nakamura stare holes into each other’s souls. Nakamura mouths, “No Punches?” from his end as Okada replies “No Punches”. The bell rings as the two faces of CHAOS walk towards each other. Nakamura takes one hand to his back and extends the other for a handshake. Okada hesitates but gives in but Naka withdraws his hand at the last moment to fix his hair. Okada looks pissed as he grabs Shinsuke Nakamura’s head and starts caving in forearm strikes. Naka quickly gains control with forearms and a knee to the gut which sends Okada back. Nakamura shrugs and hits a big knee lift to Okada’s chest. Nakamura grabs Okada from behind for a back suplex but Okada lands on his feet and knocks Nakamura out with a lariat. Nakamura gets to his knees but Okada grabs him in the front headlock and hits a big DDT. Nakamura sells the damage and gets right back up as Okada gets him up with a fireman’s carry and looks for the Death Valley Driver but Nakamura elbows him repeatedly to get out of it followed by a huge roundhouse kick. Okada falls to his knees as Nakamura hits a big knee strike right at Okada’s face. As Okada is down, Nakamura starts attacking his arm to soften the Rainmaker. Okada however, mounts a comeback and gets back up to his feet attacking Nakamura but a combination of elbows and knees fells Okada again.
Naka picks Okada up and goes for the back suplex but Okada rolls back to his feet. Picks up Nakamura and hits a big emerald flowsion but it only gets a two count. Okada picks up Naka again and irish whips Nakamura into the corner but Nakamura springboards up to the top rope and goes for a moonsault but Okada catches him and turns it into a tombstone piledriver. Okada goes to the top and hits a big elbow drop on Nakamura but that further aggravates his arm injury. Okada crawls to get a pin but only gets a one count and Nakamura kips right up too. Okada gets up as Nakamura unleashes a combination of strikes his way repeatedly kicking Okada’s injured arm. After one such kick, Okada no sells it and slaps Nakamura square in the face followed by a big dropkick. Okada picks him up and finally hits the death valley driver. Okada goes to the corner and looks for Nakamura to come up as he hits a Bomaye of his own. Okada follows this up and goes for the Rainmaker but Nakamura ducks and hits a german suplex as both men are down.
Both men get to their knees and have a forearm battle in the middle of the ring. Okada gets the better of this exchange with a wicked headbutt. Okada has the upper hand as he hits a gotch style piledriver on Nakamura, goes for the pin but Naka kicks out. Okada grabs his arms and gets him up, he looks for another rainmaker but in a last ditch effort, Nakamura grabs his arm leaps and turns it into a cross armbreaker. Okada struggles in the submission but doesnt tap out. Nakamura rises and wrenches the submission even harder but this lights a fire under Okada as he gets up and smashes Nakamura’s head in with forearm smashes and breaks free. Nakamura is on his knees as Okada walks to him and hits a few more forearm strikes and he gets him up and hits a hard looking german suplex dropping Nakamura on his neck. Okada doesn’t leave it as he turns the german suplex into a rainmaker with the other arm. He crawls for a pin and gets the win.)
Kazuchika Okada def. Shinsuke Nakamura
The crowd give both of them a standing ovation as medical personnel help carry both of them on the ramp. Okada offers a handshake and Nakamura takes this one as they get free from the medical personnel and help carry each other’s limping to the back.
CHAOS is forever.
2023.03.29 03:13 wtfwafflezor (Selling) 800 Titles Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) (MA/4K) $3 Godzilla (2014) (MA/4K) $3
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1917 (2019) (MA/4K) $6 (MA/HD) $3.50
2 Guns (2013) (MA/HD) $4.75 (iTunes/HD) $3.50
21 Bridges (2019) (iTunes/4K) $3
22 Jump Street (2014) (MA/HD) $4.75 (MA/SD) $1.75
3 From Hell (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $3.50
3:10 to Yuma (2007) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $6.50
31 (2016) (Vudu/HD) $2.75
47 Meters Down (2017) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.50
47 Meters Down: Uncaged (2019) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/4K) $4.75
8 Mile (2002) (MA/4K) $3.25
A Bad Moms Christmas (2017) (iTunes/4K) $3
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) (MA/4K) $6.75 (MA/HD) $5.75
A Clockwork Orange (1972) (MA/4K) $5
A Cure for Wellness (2017) (MA/HD) $4.25
A Dog's Purpose (2017) (MA/HD) $4 (iTunes/HD) $3
A Dog's Way Home (2019) (MA/HD) $3.75
A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $4.25
A Monster Calls (2016) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3.50
A Most Wanted Man (2014) (Vudu/HD) $3.75
A Quiet Place (2018) (Vudu/4K) $4.50 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $1.50
A Simple Favor (2018) (Vudu/4K) $5 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $3.25
A Single Man (2009) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
Abominable (2019) (MA/HD) $6.25
About Time (2013) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5.50
Addams Family (1991) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $6.75
Addams Family 2 (2021) (iTunes/4K) $5.50
Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949) (MA/HD) $5.75 (GP/HD) $4.25
Adventures of Tintin (2011) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.50
After Earth (2013) (MA/HD) $2.50
Age of Adaline (2015) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3.75
Aladdin (1992) (MA/4K) $6.75 (MA/HD) $3.25 (GP/HD) $2.25
Aladdin (2019) (MA/4K) $6.25 (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $4.25 (GP/HD) $1.50
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (2014) (MA/HD) $4.75
Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016) (MA/HD) $5.75 (GP/HD) $4.25
Alien (1979) (MA/4K) $7.25 (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $5.25
Alien 3 (1992) (MA/HD) $5.75
Alien Collection 1-6 (MA/HD) $19 1-4 (MA/SD) $9
Alien Resurrection (1997) (MA/HD) $5.75
Alien: Covenant (2017) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $2.50
Aliens (1986) (MA/HD) $5.75
Aliens Ate My Homework (2018) (MA/HD) $4.75
Alita: Battle Angel (2019) (MA/4K) $5.50 (MA/HD) $4.25
All The Money In The World (2017) (MA/HD) $4.50 (MA/SD) $1
Allied (2016) (iTunes/4K) $4.50 (Vudu/HD) $4
Almost Christmas (2016) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $6.25
Almost Famous (2000) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $6.25
Aloha (2015) (MA/HD) $2.75
Alpha (2018) (MA/HD) $4.25
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2015) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.75
Amazing Spider-Man (2012) (MA/4K) $7 (MA/HD) $4.75
Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) (MA/4K) $7 (MA/HD) $5.75
American Gangster (Extended Edition) (2007) (MA/4K) $7.25 (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $6.25
American Psycho (Uncut) (2000) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $5
Amy (2015) (Vudu/HD) $6
Anastasia (1997) (MA/HD) $6.25
Angry Birds Movie (2016) (MA/HD) $3.75
Anna (2019) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $4.50
Annihilation (2018) (Vudu/HD) $2.50 (iTunes/4K) $2
Antlers (2021) (MA/HD) $4.75
Apollo 11 (2019) (MA/HD) $6.25
Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm (2022) (MA/HD) $5
Arctic (2019) (MA/HD) $5.75
Art of Self-Defense (2019) (MA/HD) $6.25
Artist, The (2011) (MA/HD) $6
ATL (2006) (MA/HD) $5
Avengers (2012) (MA/4K) $7.75 (iTunes/4K) $6.75 (GP/HD) $3.75
Avengers 1-4 (iTunes/4K) $19 (GP/HD) $7.75
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) (MA/4K) $7.75 (iTunes/4K) $6 (GP/HD) $1.75
Avengers: Endgame (2019) (MA/4K) $4.75 (iTunes/4K) $3.75 (GP/HD) $1
Avengers: Infinity War (2018) (MA/4K) $5.50 (iTunes/4K) $3.75 (GP/HD) $1
Baby Driver (2017) (MA/HD) $4
Back to the Future (1985) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $4.25
Back to the Future 3-Movie (MA/4K) $12.50 (MA/HD) $7
Bad Boys 1-3 (MA/HD) $12
Bad Guys, The (2022) (MA/4K) $8.25 (MA/HD) $4.50
Bad Lieutenant (1992) (Vudu/HD) $4.75
Bad Moms (2016) (MA/HD) $3.50 (iTunes/HD) $2.75
Bambi (1942) (MA/HD) $6.25 (GP/HD) $4.50
Band of Brothers (2001) (iTunes/HD) $7 (GP/HD) $3.50
Bank Job, The (2008) (Vudu/HD) $3.25
Basic Instinct (Unrated Director’s Cut) (1992) (Vudu/HD) $6.25
Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons (2022) (MA/HD) $5
Batman Returns (1992) (MA/4K) $5
Batman Year One (2011) (MA/4K) $5
Batman, The (2022) (MA/4K) $5.50 (MA/HD) $3
Batman: The Complete Series (2004) (Vudu/HD) $12.50
Batman: The Long Halloween Deluxe Edition (2022) (MA/HD) $6
Beauty and the Beast (1991) (MA/4K) $7 (MA/HD) $5 (GP/HD) $2.25
Beauty and the Beast (2017) (MA/4K) $7 (MA/HD) $3.50 (GP/HD) $2.25
Beguiled, The (2017) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4
Beirut (2018) (MA/HD) $5.25
Belly (1998) (Vudu/4K) $5.25
Ben-Hur (2016) (Vudu/HD) $2.50
BFG, The (2016) (MA/HD) $5.75 (GP/HD) $4
Big (1988) (MA/HD) $6
Big Hero 6 (2014) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $4.75 (GP/HD) $1.75
Big Wedding (2013) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3.75
Billy Elliot (2000) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.25
Birth of A Nation (2016) (MA/HD) $4
Birth of the Dragon (2017) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.25
Black Adam (2022) (MA/HD) $4.25
Black Mass (2015) (MA/HD) $2.50
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) (MA/4K) $6.75 (MA/HD) $3.75 (GP/HD) $2.50
Blacklight (2022) (MA/HD) $4.50
Bleed for This (2016) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4
Blood Father (2016) (Vudu/HD) $4
Bloodshot (2020) (MA/HD) $4
Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland (2016) (Vudu/HD) $5.25
Blues Brothers (1980) (iTunes/4K) Ports to MA $6
Blumhouse's Truth Or Dare (Unrated) (2018) (MA/HD) $4.75
Bodyguard, The (1992) (MA/HD) $5
Book Club (2018) (Vudu/HD) $2 (iTunes/4K) $1
Book of Henry (2017) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5
Book of Life (2014) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.50
Book Thief, The (2013) (MA/HD) $5.75
Boss, The (Unrated) (2016) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $2.75
Bourne Collection 1-5 (MA/4K) $25 (iTunes/4K) $18 (MA/HD) $13
Bourne Identity (2002) (MA/4K) $5.50 (iTunes/4K) $4.50 (MA/HD) $3
Bourne Legacy (2012) (MA/4K) $5.50 (iTunes/4K) $4.50 (MA/HD) $3
Bourne Supremacy (2004) (MA/4K) $5.50 (iTunes/4K) $4.50 (MA/HD) $3
Bourne Ultimatum (2007) (MA/4K) $5.75 (iTunes/4K) $5.50 (MA/HD) $4
Boxtrolls, The (2014) (iTunes/HD) $4.75
Boy Next Door, The (2015) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $5.25
Boy, The (2016) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3.75
Brahms: The Boy II (2020) (iTunes/4K) $2.75
Brave (2012) (iTunes/4K) $6.50 (GP/HD) $4.50
Braven (2018) (Vudu/HD) $3.50
Breakfast Club (1985) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5.25
Breakfast Club (1985), Weird Science (2008), Sixteen Candles (1984) (MA/HD) $11
Break-Up, The (2006) (MA/HD) $3.25
Bridge of Spies (2015) (MA/HD) $5.50 (GP/HD) $4
Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.25
Bring It On (2000) (MA/HD) $3.25
Bring It On: Worldwide #Cheersmack (2017) (MA/HD) $3.25 (iTunes/HD) $1.25
Broken City (2013) (MA/HD) $3.50 (iTunes/SD) $1.25
Bros (2022) (MA/HD) $6.75
Buffy, the Vampire Slayer (1992) (MA/HD) $5.75
Bullet to the Head (2013) (MA/HD) $3.25
Butterfly Effect, The (2004) (MA/HD) $3.50
Buttons: A Christmas Tale (2018) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.50
Bye Bye Man (Unrated) (2017) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $2.50
Cabin in the Woods (2012) (iTunes/4K) $2.75 (Vudu/HD) $2
Cantinflas (2014) (Vudu/HD) $5
Captain America: Winter Soldier (2014) (MA/4K) $7.50 (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $6 (GP/HD) $2.25
Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017) (MA/HD) $3.25
Case for Christ, The (2017) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.50
Casper (1995) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $3.75
Castle Rock: Season 1 (2018) (Vudu/HD) $7.25
Cat in the Hat (2003) (MA/HD) $3.25
Catch Me If You Can (2002) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $6.25
Catwoman: Hunted (2021) (MA/HD) $3.50
Central Intelligence (2016) (MA/4K) $5
Change-Up, The (2011) (Unrated) (2011) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $5.75
Chappie (2015) (MA/HD) $3.75
Charlie St. Cloud (2010) (MA/HD) $3.25
Chasing Mavericks (2012) (MA/HD) $5
Chicago (2002) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5.25
Child's Play (2019) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $6.50
Chronicle (2012) (MA/HD) $4.50
Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010) (MA/HD) $7
Cinderella (2015) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $5.50 (GP/HD) $2.50
Cinderella II: Dreams Come True (2002) (MA/HD) $6.50 (GP/HD) $5
Cinderella III: A Twist in Time (2007) (MA/HD) $6.50 (GP/HD) $5
City of Lies (2018) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5.75
Clerks III (2022) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $5.50
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013) (MA/HD) $3.50 (MA/SD) $2.25
Clown (2014) (Vudu/HD) $6.50
Clueless (1995) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.25
Coal Miner's Daughter (1980) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $6.25
Colombiana (Unrated) (2011) (MA/HD) $4.50
Colossal (2017) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $5.50
Constantine: The House of Mystery (2022) (MA/HD) $3.25
Contraband (2012) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $2.25
Contractor (2022) (Vudu/4K) $7.50 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $4.75
Counselor, The (2013) (MA/HD) $3
Countdown (2019) (iTunes/4K) $3.75
Cowboys and Aliens (2011) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $2.50
Crash (2004) (Vudu/HD) $5.25
Crawl (2019) (Vudu/HD) $3 (iTunes/4K) $2
Croods (2013) & A New Age (2020) (MA/HD) $7
Croods (2013) (MA/HD) $3.50
Croods: A New Age (2020) (MA/HD) $5.25
Cult of Chucky (Unrated) (2017) (MA/HD) $3.75 (iTunes/HD) $2.50
Daddy's Home 1-2 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $5
Daddy's Home 2 (2017) (Vudu/4K) $4.50 (iTunes/4K) $2 (Vudu/HD) $2.25
Dances With Wolves (1990) (Vudu/HD) $6
Daniel Craig Collection 5-Movie (Vudu/4K) $19
Dark Knight (2008) (MA/HD) $5
Dark Tower (2017) (MA/HD) $3
Darkest Minds, The (2018) (MA/HD) $4.75
Dawn of The Planet of The Apes (2014) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $4
DC League of Super-Pets (2022) (MA/HD) $5
Dead Man Down (2013) (MA/HD) $4.75
Deadpool (2016) (MA/4K) $6.50 (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $2
Dear Evan Hansen (2021) (MA/HD) $4.25
Death on the Nile (2022) (MA/4K) $7.25 (MA/HD) $5.25 (GP/HD) $3.50
Deepwater Horizon (2016) (Vudu/4K) $5 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $2.50
Den of Thieves (2018) (iTunes/HD) $1.75
Dentist 1-2 Collection (1996-1998) (Vudu/HD) $6
Descent, The (2005) (Vudu/HD) $5.25
Detective Knight Collection 1-3 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $13 $5.50 Each
Devil Inside (2012) (Vudu/HD) $3.75
Devil's Due (2014) (MA/HD) $2.75
Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010) (MA/HD) $4.75
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul (2017) (MA/HD) $2
Die Hard (1988) (MA/4K) $7 (MA/HD) $4
Die Hard 1-5 (MA/HD) $15
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) (MA/4K) $6 (MA/HD) $2.75 (GP/HD) $2
Dog (2022) (Vudu/HD) $3.50
Don't Breathe (2016) (MA/HD) $5.50
Don't Let Go (2019) (MA/HD) $4
Don't Tell a Soul (2021) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5
Don't Worry Darling (2022) (MA/HD) $5.50
Doors (1991) (Vudu/4K) $4 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $3.75
Dope (2015) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $5.75
Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019) (Vudu/HD) $5.25 (iTunes/4K) $4.25
Downsizing (2017) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $1.25
Downton Abbey (2019) (MA/HD) $5.75
Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022) (MA/HD) $4.25
Dr. Seuss' The Lorax (2012) (MA/HD) $3.50 (iTunes/HD) $2.25
Draft Day (2014) (Vudu/HD) $3.25 (iTunes/HD) $2.75
Dragged Across Concrete (2019) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $3.25
Dragonheart 5-Movie (MA/HD) $14
Drugstore Cowboy (1989) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
Duff, The (2015) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.75
Dumbo (2019) (MA/4K) $6 (iTunes/4K) $5.25 (GP/HD) $2.50
Dune (2021) (MA/4K) $5 (MA/HD) $2
Earth Girls Are Easy (1988) (Vudu/HD) $5.75
Easter Sunday (2022) (MA/HD) $6.75
Edge of Seventeen (2016) (MA/HD) $3.50 (iTunes/HD) $2.25
El Chicano (2019) (MA/HD) $5
Elvis (2022) (MA/4K) $7 (MA/HD) $4.50
Emoji Movie (2017) (MA/HD) $2
Emperor's New Groove (2000) (GP/HD) $5.50
Empire Records (1995) (MA/HD) $6
Empire State (2013) (Vudu/HD) $5
End of Watch (2012) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $5
Ender's Game (2013) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $3.25
English Patient (1996) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.75
Epic (2013) (MA/HD) $1.75 (iTunes/SD) $1.25
Escape from Planet Earth (2013) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
Escape Plan: The Extractors (2019) (Vudu/HD) $3.75
Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998) (MA/HD) $5.25
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) (Vudu/4K) $7.75
Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $3
Expendables 1-3 (Vudu/HD) $4.50
Extreme Prejudice (1987) (Vudu/HD) $5.25
Fabelmans (2022) (MA/HD) $6.75
Fantastic Beasts Collection 1-3 (MA/HD) $8.50
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022) (MA/4K) $5.50 (MA/HD) $3
Fantastic Four (2015) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $4.50
Fast & Furious Collection 1-8 (MA/4K) $26 1-9 (MA/HD) $10
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $6
Father Stu (2022) (MA/HD) $5.75
Fault in Our Stars (2014) (MA/HD) $1.75
Fences (2016) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $1.75
Ferdinand (2017) (MA/HD) $3.50
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $6
Fifty Shades of Black (2016) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $3.50
Fifty Shades of Grey 3-Movie + Unrated (MA/HD) $10
Fighter, The (2010) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5.25
Fighting with My Family (2019) (iTunes/HD) $3.25
Finest Hours, The (2016) (MA/HD) $6.50 (GP/HD) $4
First Cow (2019) (Vudu/HD) $6.50
First Man (2018) (MA/HD) $4.25
First Reformed (2018) (Vudu/HD) $5.25
Flight (2012) (Vudu/HD) $3.75 (iTunes/HD) $3
Footloose (2011) (Vudu/HD) $5 (iTunes/HD) $3.50
Founder, The (2017) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
Frank & Lola (2016) (MA/HD) $4.75
Frozen (2013) (MA/4K) $5.75 (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $3.75 (GP/HD) $1.75
Frozen 2 (2019) (MA/4K) $4.75 (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $4 (GP/HD) $1.75
Frozen Sing-Along Edition (2014) (MA/HD) $3.75 (GP/HD) $1.75
Future World (2018) (Vudu/HD) $4
G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $3.75
Gambler (2014) (Vudu/HD) $3.50 (iTunes/HD) $2.75
Game Night (2018) (MA/4K) $5
Gate, The (1987) (Vudu/SD) $4.50
Get Him to the Greek (Unrated) (2010) (MA/HD) $3.25
Get on Up (2014) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $4.50
Get Out (2017) (MA/4K) $7 (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $3.75
Ghost In The Shell (2017) (Vudu/HD) $2 (iTunes/4K) $2.75
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2012) (MA/HD) $6.75
Ghostbusters (1984) (MA/HD) $3.50
Ghostbusters + Extended (2016) (MA/HD) $3
Ghostbusters II (1989) (MA/HD) $3.50
Girl In The Spider's Web (2018) (MA/HD) $4.50
Girl on the Train (2016) (iTunes/4K) $2.25 (MA/HD) $2.50
Girls Trip (2017) (MA/HD) $1.50 (iTunes/HD) $1
Glass (2019) (MA/4K) $6.50 (MA/HD) $4.50
Godfather Trilogy (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $13
Godfather, The (1972) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $4.75
Gods of Egypt (2016) (Vudu/4K) $5.25 (Vudu/HD) $2 (iTunes/4K) $1.50
Godzilla (1998) (MA/4K) $8
Godzilla (2014) (MA/4K) $3
Gold (2016) (Vudu/HD) $1.75
Gone Baby Gone (2007) (Vudu/HD) $5
Gone Girl (2014) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $5.75
Good Dinosaur (2015) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $5.75 (GP/HD) $3.25
Goosebumps (2015) (MA/HD) $5.25
Grease (1978), 2 (1982), Live! (2016) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $13
Great Wall (2016) (MA/HD) $2.50
Greatest Showman (2017) (MA/HD) $2.25
Green Book (2018) (MA/4K) $7.50 (MA/HD) $5
Green Lantern: Beware My Power (2022) (MA/HD) $3.50
Green Mile, The (1999) (MA/4K) $6
Grumpy Old Men (1993) (MA/HD) $6.25
Hail, Caesar! (2016) (MA/HD) $3.75 (iTunes/HD) $2.25
Halloween Ends (2022) (MA/4K) $6.50 (MA/HD) $4.75
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998), The Curse of Michael Myers (1995), Resurrection (2002) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $10
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.50
Happy Death Day (2017) (MA/HD) $5.50
Happy Death Day 2U (2019) (MA/HD) $5.25
Happy Feet (2006) (MA/HD) $4
Hard Candy (2005) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
Harriet (2019) (MA/HD) $4.25
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) (MA/HD) $3.50
Hateful Eight (2015) (Vudu/HD) $2
Haunting in Connecticut (2009) (Vudu/HD) $6.50
Heat, The (2013) (MA/HD) $2.25 (iTunes/SD) $1
Heat: Director's Definitive Edition (1995) (MA/4K) $6.25 (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $5.25
Hell or High Water (2016) (Vudu/4K) $5.50 (Vudu/HD) $2.25 (iTunes/4K) $3.75
Hercules (1997) (MA/HD) $6.50 (GP/HD) $5
Hereditary (2018) (Vudu/HD) $3.75
Home (2015) (MA/HD) $2
Home Alone (1990) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $4
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) (MA/HD) $3.50
Hop (2011) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $2.25
Hot Fuzz (2007) (MA/HD) $3.50 (iTunes/4K) $4
Hotel Transylvania (2012) (MA/HD) $6.25 (MA/SD) $2.50
Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015) (MA/HD) $6.75
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018) (MA/4K) $6.75 (MA/HD) $4.50
House of 1,000 Corpses (2003), Devil's Rejects (2005), 3 From Hell (2019) (Vudu/HD) $6
House of 1000 Corpses (2003) (Vudu/HD) $4.75
House of the Dragon: Season 1 (2022) (Vudu/4K) $9 (Vudu/HD) $5
How to Train Your Dragon (2010) (MA/4K) $6.50 (MA/HD) $4
How to Train Your Dragon Collection 1-3 (MA/HD) $7
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019) (MA/4K) $6 (MA/HD) $4.25
Hugo (2011) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4
Hunger Games Collection 1-4 (Vudu/HD) $6 (iTunes/4K) $12
Hunt, The (2019) (MA/HD) $6
Huntsman: Winter's War - Extended Edition (2016) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $3
Hurricane Heist (2018) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $3.25
Hurt Locker (2008) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $6.25
I Can Only Imagine (2018) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.50
I See You (2019) (Vudu/HD) $4.50 (iTunes/HD) $2.50
Ice Age (2002) (MA/HD) $5
Ice Age: Collision Course (2016) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $4.25
Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) (MA/HD) $4.50
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) (MA/HD) $5.25
Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006) (MA/HD) $6
Ides of March (2011) (MA/HD) $5.25
I'm Not There (2007) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
In the Heights (2021) (MA/4K) $5 (MA/HD) $2.25
Independence Day (1996) (MA/4K) $7.75 (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $5.50
Indiana Jones 1-4 (Vudu/4K) $24 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $19
Inferno (2016) (MA/HD) $3.50
Ingrid Goes West (2017) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $5.50
Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013) (MA/HD) $5.25
Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015) (MA/HD) $6.50
Insidious: The Last Key (2018) (MA/HD) $3.25
Instant Family (2018) (Vudu/HD) $2 (iTunes/4K) $1.50
Instructions Not Included (2013) (Vudu/HD) $3.75
Insurgent (2015) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $4.25 (Vudu/HD) $3.50
Internship (2013) (MA/HD) $3.25
Interview, The (2014) (MA/HD) $3.50
Into the Woods (2014) (MA/HD) $4 (GP/HD) $2.25
Invitation, The + Unrated (2022) (MA/HD) $6.50
Iron Man (2008) (MA/4K) $7.25 (iTunes/4K) $7 (GP/HD) $3
Iron Man 1-3 (MA/4K) $20 (iTunes/4K) $15 (GP/HD) $7
Iron Man 2 (2010) (MA/4K) $7.25 (iTunes/4K) $6.50 (GP/HD) $3
Iron Man 3 (2013) (MA/4K) $7.25 (iTunes/4K) $3.25 (MA/HD) $2.75 (GP/HD) $2
Iron Man and Hulk: Heroes United (2013) (MA/HD) $5.50
Isle of Dogs (2018) (MA/HD) $4.75
It Comes at Night (2017) (Vudu/HD) $6.25
It Follows (2015) (Vudu/HD) $4.75
Jack and Jill (2011) (MA/HD) $3
Jack Frost (1998) (MA/HD) $5
Jack Reacher Collection 1-2 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $7
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016) (Vudu/4K) $5.75 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $2.75
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $3.25
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3
Jane Got a Gun (2016) (Vudu/HD) $5.75
Jaws (1975) Jaws 2 (1978) Jaws 3 (1983) Jaws: The Revenge (1987) (MA/HD) $15
Jexi (2019) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $3.50
Jigsaw (2017) (Vudu/4K) $5.25 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $2
Jingle All the Way (1996) (MA/HD) $5
JOBS (2013) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.75
John Wick Collection 1-3 (Vudu/4K) $15 (iTunes/4K) $13 (Vudu/HD) $7
Jojo Rabbit (2019) (MA/HD) $7
Joseph: King of Dreams (2000) (MA/HD) $5.50
Jumanji: Next Level (2019) & Welcome to the Jungle (2017) (MA/HD) $7.50
Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) (MA/4K) $7.75 (MA/HD) $5.50
Jungle Book (2016) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $5.25 (GP/HD) $2.75
Jungle Book 2 (2003) (MA/HD) $6.50
Jurassic Park III (2001) (MA/4K) $6.50 (iTunes/4K) $3.75 (MA/HD) $3.50
Jurassic Park: The Lost World (1997) (MA/4K) $6.50 (iTunes/4K) $3.75 (MA/HD) $3
Jurassic World Collection 1-5 (MA/4K) $19 (iTunes/4K) $17 (MA/HD) $10
Jurassic World Collection 1-6 (MA/4K) $23 (MA/HD) $11
Jurassic World: Dominion + Extended Cut (2022) (MA/4K) $7.25 (MA/HD) $4.50
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) (MA/4K) $5.75 (MA/HD) $1.75
Kicks (2016) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $5
Kidnap (2017) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3.25
Kill the Messenger (2014) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $5
Killer Joe (Director's Cut) (2012) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
Killing Kennedy (2013) (MA/HD) $6.50
Killing Them Softly (2012) (Vudu/HD) $2.75
King Richard (2021) (MA/HD) $2
Kitchen, The (2019) (MA/HD) $2.50
Knight and Day (2010) (MA/HD) $6.50
Knives Out (2019) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $5.25
Kung Fu Panda Collection 1-3 (MA/HD) $12
La La Land (2016) (Vudu/HD) $2.25 (iTunes/4K) $3.75
Last Christmas (2019) (MA/HD) $6.50
Last Witch Hunter (2015) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $1.50
Last Word (2017) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $5
Lawless (2012) (Vudu/HD) $3.75
Lawrence of Arabia (Restored Version) (1962) (MA/HD) $5
Lee Daniels' The Butler (2013) (Vudu/HD) $2.25
Leprechaun Returns (2018) (Vudu/HD) $2.75
Les Miserables (2012) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.75
Let's Be Cops (2014) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $2.75
Liar Liar (1997) (MA/HD) $3.25
Life (2017) (MA/HD) $2.50
Light of My Life (2019) (Vudu/HD) $2.50 (iTunes/HD) $2
Lightyear (2022) (MA/4K) $5.25 (MA/HD) $2.75 (GP/HD) $2
Lilo & Stitch (2002) & Stitch Has a Glitch (2005) (MA/HD) $11 (GP/HD) $6.50
Lilo & Stitch (2002) (MA/HD) $6.25 (GP/HD) $4
Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch (2005) (MA/HD) $5.25 (GP/HD) $3
Limey, The (1999) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $5
Lincoln Lawyer (2011) (Vudu/4K) $5 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $4.75
Lion (2016) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
Lion King (1994) (MA/4K) $7 (iTunes/4K) $4.50 (GP/HD) $2.75
Lion King (2019) (MA/4K) $6 (iTunes/4K) $4 (GP/HD) $1.25
Lion King 1 1/2 (2004) (MA/HD) $6.50
Little Fockers (2010) (MA/HD) $5
Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea (2000) (MA/HD) $6.75
Little Mermaid III: Ariel’s Beginning (2008) (MA/HD) $6.75
Little Women (2019) (MA/HD) $4.25
Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow (2014) (MA/4K) $5
Lodge, The (2019) (MA/HD) $5.75
Lone Ranger (2013) (MA/HD) $4.75 (GP/HD) $2.50
Lone Survivor (2013) (iTunes/4K) $2 (MA/HD) $1.50
Long Shot (2019) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $4
Lord of War (2005) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $5
Lords of Salem, The (2012) (Vudu/HD) $4.75
Lost Boys, The (1987) (MA/4K) $5 (MA/HD) $3.50
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (2022) (MA/HD) $6
Ma (2019) (MA/HD) $5.25
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1982) (MA/4K) $5
Mad Max 3: Beyond Thunderdome (1985) (MA/4K) $5
Mad Max Collection 1-4 (Vudu/4K) $19
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2
Mallrats (1995) (MA/HD) $3.25
Mama (2013) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $3.75
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018) (MA/4K) $6.50 (MA/HD) $1.75
Mamma Mia! The Movie (2008) & Here We Go Again (2018) (MA/HD) $6.50 $4.50 Each
Man On Fire (2004) (MA/HD) $6.50
Man Who Invented Christmas (2017) (MA/HD) $6.25
Many Saints of Newark (2021) (MA/HD) $2.25
Margin Call (2011) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $6.25
Marshall (2017) (MA/HD) $4.75
Martian (Theatrical) (2015) (MA/4K) $7.25 (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $3.25
Mary Poppins (1964) (MA/HD) $4.50 (GP/HD) $3
Mary Queen of Scots (2018) (MA/HD) $5.75
Matrix (1999), Reloaded (2003), Revolutions (2003), Resurrections (2021) (MA/HD) $7.50
Matrix: Resurrections (2021) (MA/4K) $5 (MA/HD) $2.25
Maze Runner (2014) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $5.50
Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018) (MA/HD) $6
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $6
McFarland, USA (2015) (MA/HD) $6.25 (GP/HD) $4.50
Meet the Parents (2000) (MA/HD) $3.25
Megamind (2010) (MA/HD) $5.50
Men in Black (1997) (MA/HD) $6.75
Men in Black II (2002) (MA/HD) $6.75
Men Who Stare at Goats (2009) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
Menace II Society (Director's Cut) (1993) (MA/HD) $5
MIB: International (2019) (MA/4K) $5.75 (MA/HD) $4.75
Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers (2004) (MA/HD) $6.50
Midsommar (2019) (Vudu/HD) $5.75
Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $4.25
Mile 22 (2018) (iTunes/4K) $1.75
Million Dollar Arm (2014) (MA/HD) $4.25
Minions (2015) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $2.75
Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022) & Minions (2015) (MA/HD) $8.25
Miracles From Heaven (2016) (MA/HD) $4.50
Miss Congeniality (2000) (MA/HD) $6
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (2015) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $2
Missing Link (2019) (MA/HD) $4.25
Mission: Impossible Collection 1-6 (Vudu/4K) $24 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $19
Mission: Impossible Fallout (2018) (Vudu/4K) $2.75 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $2.50
Mistress America (2015) (MA/HD) $5
Molly's Game (2018) (iTunes/HD) $2
Moneyball (2011) (MA/HD) $2.75
Monster Trucks (2016) (Vudu/HD) $2
Monster's Ball (2001) (Vudu/HD) $6.25
Monsters, Inc. (2001) (GP/HD) $4
Monuments Men (2014) (MA/HD) $2
Moonlight (2016) (Vudu/HD) $4
Mother! (2017) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $3.50
Mother's Day (2016) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5
Mountain Between Us (2017) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $1.50
Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014) (MA/HD) $3.25
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) (MA/HD) $3.75
Much Ado About Nothing (2013) (Vudu/HD) $4.25
Mud (2013) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.75
Mule, The (2018) (MA/4K) $5
Mummy, The (2017) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $2.75
Muppets Most Wanted (2014) (MA/HD) $6.25 (GP/HD) $4.50
Murder on The Orient Express (2017) (MA/HD) $2.75
My All American (2015) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.25
My Boss's Daughter (2003) (Vudu/HD) $6.25
My Dinner with Herve (2018) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.50 (GP/HD) $3
My Fair Lady (1964) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $5.50
My Girl (1991) & 2 (1994) (MA/SD) $6
My Little Pony: The Movie (2017) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3.25
Natural, The (1984) (MA/4K) $5
Nebraska (2013) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.25
Neighbors (2014) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $2
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2016) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $3.50
Nerve (2016) (Vudu/HD) $2.50
Never Grow Old (2019) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.50
Night at the Museum 3-Movie (MA/HD) $13 $6 Each (MA/SD) $9
Night Before (2015) (MA/HD) $4.75 (MA/SD) $2
Night Of: Season 1 (2016) (Vudu/HD) $7.25
Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) (GP/HD) Ports to MA $3
Ninth Gate, The (1999) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
No Country For Old Men (2007) (Vudu/HD) $5.50 (iTunes/HD) $6.50
Nocturnal Animals (2016) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $3.25
Non-Stop (2014) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.75
Nope (2022) (MA/4K) $8 (MA/HD) $6.25
Notting Hill (1999) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3.25
Nut Job (2014) (MA/HD) $2.50 (iTunes/HD) $1.75
Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature (2017) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.75
Office Christmas Party (2016) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $2.50
Olaf's Frozen Adventure Plus 6 Disney Tales (2017) (MA/HD) $4.75 (GP/HD) $3.25
Olympus Has Fallen (2013) (MA/HD) $5
On the Basis of Sex (2019) (MA/HD) $4.50
One Direction: This is Us + Extended Fan Edition (2013) (MA/HD) $3.25
Only God Forgives (2013) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
Operation Finale (2018) (iTunes/4K) $2.75
Ouija (2014) & Origin of Evil (2016) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $9
Ouija (2014) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.50
Over the Hedge (2006) (MA/HD) $6.25
Pain & Gain (2013) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3.25
Paper Towns (2011) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $2.75
ParaNorman (2012) (iTunes/HD) $5
Paterno (2018) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.50 (GP/HD) $3
Patriots Day (2017) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $2.50
Paul (2011) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $4.50
Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 (2015) (MA/HD) $4.25
Peanut Butter Falcon (2019) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.50
Pearl (2022) (Vudu/HD) $6
Peppermint (2018) (iTunes/HD) $1.75
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010) (MA/HD) $6.75
Pet Sematary (2019) (Vudu/4K) $4.50 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $2.50
Peter Rabbit (2018) & 2 (2021) (MA/HD) $10
Peter Rabbit (2018) (MA/4K) $5.75 (MA/HD) $5
Phantom Thread (2017) (MA/HD) $3
Pinocchio (1940) (MA/HD) $5.75 (GP/HD) $4
Pirate Fairy (2014) (MA/HD) $3.25 (GP/HD) $1.75
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) (MA/HD) $3.25 (GP/HD) $1.75
Pitch Black - Unrated Director's Cut (2000) (MA/HD) $6
Pitch Perfect 2 (2015) (MA/HD) $2.75 (iTunes/4K) $3.75
Pitch Perfect Collection 1-3 (MA/HD) $11
Planes (2013) (MA/HD) $2.50 (GP/HD) $1.50
Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) (Vudu/HD) $5 (iTunes/HD) $3.75
Planes: Fire & Rescue (2014) (MA/HD) $4 (GP/HD) $2
Planet of the Apes 1-3 (Newer) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $11
Playing For Keeps (2012) (MA/HD) $4.75
Point Break (2015) (MA/HD) $1.75
Poltergeist (1982) (MA/4K) $5
Poms (2019) (iTunes/HD) $2.50
Popeye (1980) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5.25
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016) (MA/HD) $3.25
Post, The (2017) (MA/HD) $2.50
Precious (2009) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $6.25
Predator (1987) (MA/HD) $2.75
Predator (1987), 2 (1990), Predators (2009), Predator (2018) $10
Predator (2018) (MA/4K) $6.25 (MA/HD) $2.50
Pretty in Pink (1986) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $4.75
Prey for the Devil (2022) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $6.25
Priceless (2016) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $5
Prince of Egypt (2002) (MA/HD) $5.50
Princess and the Frog (2009) (iTunes/4K) $5.50 (GP/HD) $3.25
Prometheus (2012) (MA/HD) $1.75
Prophecy Collection 1-5 (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $14
Psycho (1960) (MA/HD) (iTunes/4K) $5
Public Enemies (2009) (MA/HD) $6.25 (iTunes/HD) $4.75
Punisher: War Zone (2008) (Vudu/4K) $6
Purge: Election Year (2016) (MA/4K $5.50 (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $3
Puss in Boots (2011) (MA/4K) $7
Queen & Slim (2019) (MA/HD) $3.75
Queen of Katwe (2016) (MA/HD) $3.50 (GP/HD) $2.50
R.I.P.D. (2013) (MA/HD) $3.25 (iTunes/HD) $3
Railway Man (2013) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
Rambo Collection 1-5 (Vudu/HD) $13
Rambo Last Blood (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $2.75
Rambo: First Blood (1982) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $6
Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) (Vudu/4K) $6.75 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $5.50
Rampage (2018) (MA/4K) $5
Ready or Not (2019) (MA/HD) $6.50
Rear Window (1954) (MA/4K) $4.75
Red Sparrow (2018) (MA/HD) $4.50
Requiem for a Dream - Director's Cut (2000) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $6.25
Rescuers Down Under (1990) (MA/HD) $6.50 (GP/HD) $4
Rescuers, The (1977) (MA/HD) $6.50 (GP/HD) $4
Reservoir Dogs (1992) (Vudu/4K) $5 (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5
Richie Rich (1994) (MA/HD) $5
Riddick Collection 1-3 (Unrated) (MA/HD) $13
Ride Along 1-2 (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5
Rings (2017) (Vudu/HD) $2.75 (iTunes/HD) $1.50
Rio 2 (2014) (MA/HD) $2.25
Road to El Dorado (2000) (MA/HD) $5.50
Robin Hood (Animated) (1973) (MA/HD) $3.75 (GP/HD) $2.75
Robots (2005) (MA/HD) $6.75
Rock Dog (2016) (Vudu/HD) $4.25
Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) (MA/HD) $5.25
Room (2015) (Vudu/HD) $5.25
Russell Madness (2015) (MA/HD) $4
Safe (2012) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $1.75
Same Kind of Different as Me (2017) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2
Santa Clause (1994), 2 (2002), 3 (2006) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $10.50 (GP/HD) $6.50
Savages (2012) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $2.25
Saving Mr. Banks (2013) (MA/HD) $4.75 (GP/HD) $2.75
Saw (2004) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $5.50
Saw Collection 1-7 (Vudu/HD) $10
Scarface (1983) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $5.25
Scary Movie 3 (2003) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $3
Schindler's List (1993) (MA/HD) $5
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010) (MA/4K) (iTunes/4K) $5.75 (MA/HD) $5.25
Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (2015) (Vudu/HD) $3.75 (iTunes/HD) $2.75
Scream 5 (2022) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $4.25
Scream Collection 1-3 (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $13
Scrooged (1988) (iTunes/HD) $3.75
Second Act (2018) (iTunes/HD) $1.50
Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015) (MA/HD) $4.50
Secret Headquarters (2022) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/4K) $6
Secret Life of Pets 1-2 (MA/HD) $7.50
Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019) (MA/4K) $6.25 (MA/HD) $5
Secret Life of Pets, The (2016) (iTunes/4K) $3.75 (MA/HD) $2.75
Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) (MA/HD) $1.75
Secretary (2002) (Vudu/HD) $5
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $4.50
Serenity (2005) (MA/HD) $3.50
Seventh Son (2015) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $1.50
Sex Tape (2014) (MA/HD) $3
Shack (2017) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $1.50
Shallows, The (2016) (MA/4K) $7 (MA/HD $4.25
Shape of Water (2017) (MA/HD) $3.50
Shaun of the Dead (2004), Hot Fuzz (2007), World's End (2013) (MA/HD) $10
Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015) (Vudu/HD) $4.25
Shawshank Redemption (1994) (MA/4K) $5
She's Having a Baby (1988) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.50
She's the Man (2006) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3.25
Shooter (2007) (Vudu/HD) $5.75
Sicario (2015) (Vudu/4K) $6 (Vudu/HD) $1.75 (iTunes/4K) $3
Sideways (2004) (MA/HD) $5.25
Silent Night, Deadly Night: 3-Film Collection (1989-1991) (Vudu/HD) $6
Sin City (2005) (Vudu/HD) $5.75
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014) (Vudu/HD) $6.50
Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2007) (MA/HD) $6.50
Sing (2016) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $2.75
Sing 2 (2021) (MA/4K) $6.50 (MA/HD) $3.75
Sinister (2012) (Vudu/HD) $3 (iTunes/HD) $2.75
Sisters (Unrated) (2015) (MA/HD) $4 (iTunes/HD) $3.25
Sleeping Beauty (1959) (MA/HD) $3.50 (GP/HD) $2.75
Sleepless (2017) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $1
Smile (2022) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $6.75
Smokey and the Bandit (1977) (MA/4K) $6.75 (MA/HD) $3.75
Smurfs: The Lost Village (2017) (MA/HD) $3.25
Snatched (2017) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $1
Snitch (2013) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $1.75
Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs (1937) (MA/HD) $6.50 (GP/HD) $3.75
Snowden (2016) (MA/HD) $3.50 (iTunes/HD) $4
Some Kind of Wonderful (1987) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.50
Son of God (2014) (MA/HD) $1.25
Sorry to Bother You (2018) (MA/HD) $5
Sound of Music, The (1965) (MA/HD) $6
Source Code (2011) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $5
Space Between Us, The (2017) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $5
Space Jam (1996) (MA/4K) $5
Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021) (MA/4K) $5
Spider-Man (2002) (MA/HD) $5.75
Spider-Man 2 + Extended Edition (2004) (MA/HD) $5.75
Spider-Man 3 (2007) (MA/HD) $5
Spider-Man Collection 1-8 (MA/HD) $24
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) (MA/HD) $4.25
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) (MA/HD) $1.75
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018) (MA/HD) $5
Spies in Disguise (2019) (MA/HD) $3.75 (GP/HD) $2.75
Spirit, The (2008) (Vudu/HD) $3
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2003) (MA/HD) $5.25
Spy (Unrated) (2015) (MA/HD) $2
Spy Game (2001) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $5.75
Star Trek 1-3 (Vudu/4K) $18 (Vudu/HD) $9 (iTunes/4K) $13
Star Trek Beyond (2016) (Vudu/HD) $1.75 (iTunes/4K) $3.25
Starsky & Hutch (2004) (MA/HD) $6
Step Up Revolution (2012) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3.25
Still Alice (2015) (MA/HD) $3
Stillwater (2021) (MA/HD) $5
Stir of Echoes (1999) (Vudu/HD) $4.75
Straight Outta Compton (Unrated Director’s Cut) (2015) (MA/4K) $7.50 (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.50
Strange World (2022) (MA/HD) $5
Stronger (2017) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.75
Stuber (2019) (MA/HD) $4.25
Suburbicon (2017) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $3.25
Suffragette (2015) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $3
Suicide Squad, The (2021) (MA/4K) $5
Super 8 (2011) (Vudu/4K) $5.75 (Vudu/HD) $3.25 (iTunes/4K) $5
Super Buddies (2013) (MA/HD) $5.75 (GP/HD) $4
Super Troopers (2002) (MA/HD) $5.75
Super Troopers 2 (2018) (MA/HD) $3
SW: Force Awakens (2015) (MA/4K) $5.50 (iTunes/4K) $3.75 (GP/HD) $1.50
SW: Phantom Menace (1999) (MA/4K) $7.50 (iTunes/4K) $6.50 (GP/HD) $3.50
SW: Revenge of the Sith (2005) (MA/4K) $7.50 (GP/HD) $3.50
SW: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) (MA/4K) $6.75 (iTunes/4K) $4 (GP/HD) $1.50
Sword in the Stone (1963) (MA/HD) $6.25 (GP/HD) $3.75
Taken (2009), 2 (2012), 3 (2015) (MA/HD) $9
Tangled (2010) (MA/HD) $5.25 (GP/HD) $4
Tarzan (1999) (MA/HD) $6.50 (GP/HD) $5
Ted (2012) (Unrated) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $3.25
Terminator: Genisys (2015) (Vudu/HD) $1.75 (iTunes/4K) $3
Terms of Endearment (1983) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5
Theory Of Everything (2014) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $4
Thing, The (2011) (MA/HD) $6.25 (iTunes/HD) $5.75
Think Like a Man (2012) & Two (2014) (MA/HD) $9
This Is 40 (2012) (MA/HD) $3.75 (iTunes/HD) $2.50
Thor (2011) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $7 (GP/HD) $3.50
Thumbelina (1994) (MA/HD) $6.25
Till (2022) (iTunes/4K) $6.50
Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast (2014) (MA/HD) $6.25 (GP/HD) $4.50
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (2011) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $4.25
Titanic (1997) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.75
TMNT Out of the Shadows (2016) (iTunes/4K) $4
Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003) (Vudu/HD) $6
Tomorrowland (2015) (MA/HD) $5.50 (GP/HD) $3.50
Top Five (2014) (Vudu/HD) $5 (iTunes/HD) $3.75
Top Gun (1986) (Vudu/4K) $5.25 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
Total Recall (1990) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $5.25
Total Recall + Extended (2012) (MA/HD) $5.25 (Theatrical) $4.25
Tower Heist (2011) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $4
Toy Story of Terror! (2013) (MA/HD) $3.75
Trading Places (1983) (Vudu/HD) $4 (iTunes/4K) $5
Trainwreck (2015) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $1.50
Transformers 1-5 (Vudu/4K) $29 (Vudu/HD) $22
Transformers: Last Knight (2017) (Vudu/4K) $4.75 (iTunes/4K) $2.25 (Vudu/HD) $2
Trauma Center (2019) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $3.25
Trick 'r Treat (2009) (MA/HD) $5
Triple 9 (2016) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $2.50
Trolls (2016) (MA/HD) $1.50
Trolls Collection 1-2 (MA/HD) $6.50
Tully (2018) (MA/HD) $5.75
Tyler Perry Presents Peeples (2013) (Vudu/HD) $1.75
Unbanned: The Legend of AJ1 (2019) (Vudu/HD) $5.50
Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $6
Unbroken (2014) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3
Unfinished Business (2015) (MA/HD) $4.50
Unhinged (2020) (Vudu/HD) $4
Up in Smoke ‘Cheech and Chong’ (1978) (Vudu/HD) $3.25 (iTunes/HD) $2.50
Upside, The (2017) (iTunes/HD) $2
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017) (Vudu/HD) $2.75
Venom (2018) (MA/4K) $7 (MA/HD) $3.50
Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) (MA/4K) $7.25 (MA/HD) $3.50
Vice (2015) 'Bruce Willis' (Vudu/HD) $2.75
Vow, The (2012) (MA/HD) $3.25
W. (2008) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
Walk the Line (2005) (MA/HD) $4.75
Walk, The (2015) (MA/HD) $5
Walking with Dinosaurs (2013) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.50
Wanted (2008) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $6
Warm Bodies (2013) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $2
Warrior (2011) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/HD) $4
Watch, The (2012) (MA/HD) $4.25
Way, Way Back, The (2013) (MA/HD) $5.25
Wayne's World (1992) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $6.50
What Men Want (2019) (Vudu/HD) $1.75 (iTunes/4K) $1.25
What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.25
Where the Crawdads Sing (2022) (MA/HD) $5
Whiplash (2014) (MA/HD) $5.75
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2016) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.25
Why Him? (2016) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $2
Widows (2018) (MA/4K) $6.50 (MA/HD) $1.50
Wild Card (2015) (Vudu/HD) $4.25
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) (MA/4K) $5.50
Wind River (2017) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.50
Wings (1927) (Vudu/HD) $4
Witch, The (2016) (Vudu/HD) $3.50
Wizard of Lies (2017) (Vudu/HD) $5 (iTunes/HD) $4.25 (GP/HD) $3
Woman in Gold (2015) (Vudu/HD) $2.75
Woman King (2022) (MA/4K) $7.25 (MA/HD) $5.75
Wonder (2017) (Vudu/4K) $5.75 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $3.25
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) (MA/4K) $3
Won't Back Down (2012) (MA/HD) $3.75
Woodlawn (2015) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3.75
World War Z (2013) (Vudu/HD) $3.50 (iTunes/HD) $1.50
Wraith, The (1986) (Vudu/HD) $5
Wrath of Man (2021) (Vudu/HD) $3
X-Men (2000), X2 (2003), The Last Stand (2006) (MA/HD) $14.50
X-Men: First Class (2010), Days of Future Past (2004), Apocalypse (2014) (MA/HD) $11
xXx: The Return of Xander Cage (2017) (Vudu/4K) $5.50 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $1.25
Youth in Revolt (2009) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
submitted by wtfwafflezor to DigitalCodeSELL [link] [comments]
Disney/Marvel titles are split codes. Only redeem what you pay for. Thank you.
1917 (2019) (MA/4K) $6 (MA/HD) $3.50
2 Guns (2013) (MA/HD) $4.75 (iTunes/HD) $3.50
21 Bridges (2019) (iTunes/4K) $3
22 Jump Street (2014) (MA/HD) $4.75 (MA/SD) $1.75
3 From Hell (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $3.50
3:10 to Yuma (2007) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $6.50
31 (2016) (Vudu/HD) $2.75
47 Meters Down (2017) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.50
47 Meters Down: Uncaged (2019) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/4K) $4.75
8 Mile (2002) (MA/4K) $3.25
A Bad Moms Christmas (2017) (iTunes/4K) $3
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) (MA/4K) $6.75 (MA/HD) $5.75
A Clockwork Orange (1972) (MA/4K) $5
A Cure for Wellness (2017) (MA/HD) $4.25
A Dog's Purpose (2017) (MA/HD) $4 (iTunes/HD) $3
A Dog's Way Home (2019) (MA/HD) $3.75
A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $4.25
A Monster Calls (2016) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3.50
A Most Wanted Man (2014) (Vudu/HD) $3.75
A Quiet Place (2018) (Vudu/4K) $4.50 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $1.50
A Simple Favor (2018) (Vudu/4K) $5 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $3.25
A Single Man (2009) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
Abominable (2019) (MA/HD) $6.25
About Time (2013) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5.50
Addams Family (1991) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $6.75
Addams Family 2 (2021) (iTunes/4K) $5.50
Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949) (MA/HD) $5.75 (GP/HD) $4.25
Adventures of Tintin (2011) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.50
After Earth (2013) (MA/HD) $2.50
Age of Adaline (2015) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3.75
Aladdin (1992) (MA/4K) $6.75 (MA/HD) $3.25 (GP/HD) $2.25
Aladdin (2019) (MA/4K) $6.25 (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $4.25 (GP/HD) $1.50
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (2014) (MA/HD) $4.75
Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016) (MA/HD) $5.75 (GP/HD) $4.25
Alien (1979) (MA/4K) $7.25 (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $5.25
Alien 3 (1992) (MA/HD) $5.75
Alien Collection 1-6 (MA/HD) $19 1-4 (MA/SD) $9
Alien Resurrection (1997) (MA/HD) $5.75
Alien: Covenant (2017) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $2.50
Aliens (1986) (MA/HD) $5.75
Aliens Ate My Homework (2018) (MA/HD) $4.75
Alita: Battle Angel (2019) (MA/4K) $5.50 (MA/HD) $4.25
All The Money In The World (2017) (MA/HD) $4.50 (MA/SD) $1
Allied (2016) (iTunes/4K) $4.50 (Vudu/HD) $4
Almost Christmas (2016) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $6.25
Almost Famous (2000) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $6.25
Aloha (2015) (MA/HD) $2.75
Alpha (2018) (MA/HD) $4.25
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2015) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.75
Amazing Spider-Man (2012) (MA/4K) $7 (MA/HD) $4.75
Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) (MA/4K) $7 (MA/HD) $5.75
American Gangster (Extended Edition) (2007) (MA/4K) $7.25 (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $6.25
American Psycho (Uncut) (2000) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $5
Amy (2015) (Vudu/HD) $6
Anastasia (1997) (MA/HD) $6.25
Angry Birds Movie (2016) (MA/HD) $3.75
Anna (2019) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $4.50
Annihilation (2018) (Vudu/HD) $2.50 (iTunes/4K) $2
Antlers (2021) (MA/HD) $4.75
Apollo 11 (2019) (MA/HD) $6.25
Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm (2022) (MA/HD) $5
Arctic (2019) (MA/HD) $5.75
Art of Self-Defense (2019) (MA/HD) $6.25
Artist, The (2011) (MA/HD) $6
ATL (2006) (MA/HD) $5
Avengers (2012) (MA/4K) $7.75 (iTunes/4K) $6.75 (GP/HD) $3.75
Avengers 1-4 (iTunes/4K) $19 (GP/HD) $7.75
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) (MA/4K) $7.75 (iTunes/4K) $6 (GP/HD) $1.75
Avengers: Endgame (2019) (MA/4K) $4.75 (iTunes/4K) $3.75 (GP/HD) $1
Avengers: Infinity War (2018) (MA/4K) $5.50 (iTunes/4K) $3.75 (GP/HD) $1
Baby Driver (2017) (MA/HD) $4
Back to the Future (1985) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $4.25
Back to the Future 3-Movie (MA/4K) $12.50 (MA/HD) $7
Bad Boys 1-3 (MA/HD) $12
Bad Guys, The (2022) (MA/4K) $8.25 (MA/HD) $4.50
Bad Lieutenant (1992) (Vudu/HD) $4.75
Bad Moms (2016) (MA/HD) $3.50 (iTunes/HD) $2.75
Bambi (1942) (MA/HD) $6.25 (GP/HD) $4.50
Band of Brothers (2001) (iTunes/HD) $7 (GP/HD) $3.50
Bank Job, The (2008) (Vudu/HD) $3.25
Basic Instinct (Unrated Director’s Cut) (1992) (Vudu/HD) $6.25
Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons (2022) (MA/HD) $5
Batman Returns (1992) (MA/4K) $5
Batman Year One (2011) (MA/4K) $5
Batman, The (2022) (MA/4K) $5.50 (MA/HD) $3
Batman: The Complete Series (2004) (Vudu/HD) $12.50
Batman: The Long Halloween Deluxe Edition (2022) (MA/HD) $6
Beauty and the Beast (1991) (MA/4K) $7 (MA/HD) $5 (GP/HD) $2.25
Beauty and the Beast (2017) (MA/4K) $7 (MA/HD) $3.50 (GP/HD) $2.25
Beguiled, The (2017) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4
Beirut (2018) (MA/HD) $5.25
Belly (1998) (Vudu/4K) $5.25
Ben-Hur (2016) (Vudu/HD) $2.50
BFG, The (2016) (MA/HD) $5.75 (GP/HD) $4
Big (1988) (MA/HD) $6
Big Hero 6 (2014) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $4.75 (GP/HD) $1.75
Big Wedding (2013) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3.75
Billy Elliot (2000) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.25
Birth of A Nation (2016) (MA/HD) $4
Birth of the Dragon (2017) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.25
Black Adam (2022) (MA/HD) $4.25
Black Mass (2015) (MA/HD) $2.50
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) (MA/4K) $6.75 (MA/HD) $3.75 (GP/HD) $2.50
Blacklight (2022) (MA/HD) $4.50
Bleed for This (2016) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4
Blood Father (2016) (Vudu/HD) $4
Bloodshot (2020) (MA/HD) $4
Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland (2016) (Vudu/HD) $5.25
Blues Brothers (1980) (iTunes/4K) Ports to MA $6
Blumhouse's Truth Or Dare (Unrated) (2018) (MA/HD) $4.75
Bodyguard, The (1992) (MA/HD) $5
Book Club (2018) (Vudu/HD) $2 (iTunes/4K) $1
Book of Henry (2017) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5
Book of Life (2014) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.50
Book Thief, The (2013) (MA/HD) $5.75
Boss, The (Unrated) (2016) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $2.75
Bourne Collection 1-5 (MA/4K) $25 (iTunes/4K) $18 (MA/HD) $13
Bourne Identity (2002) (MA/4K) $5.50 (iTunes/4K) $4.50 (MA/HD) $3
Bourne Legacy (2012) (MA/4K) $5.50 (iTunes/4K) $4.50 (MA/HD) $3
Bourne Supremacy (2004) (MA/4K) $5.50 (iTunes/4K) $4.50 (MA/HD) $3
Bourne Ultimatum (2007) (MA/4K) $5.75 (iTunes/4K) $5.50 (MA/HD) $4
Boxtrolls, The (2014) (iTunes/HD) $4.75
Boy Next Door, The (2015) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $5.25
Boy, The (2016) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3.75
Brahms: The Boy II (2020) (iTunes/4K) $2.75
Brave (2012) (iTunes/4K) $6.50 (GP/HD) $4.50
Braven (2018) (Vudu/HD) $3.50
Breakfast Club (1985) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5.25
Breakfast Club (1985), Weird Science (2008), Sixteen Candles (1984) (MA/HD) $11
Break-Up, The (2006) (MA/HD) $3.25
Bridge of Spies (2015) (MA/HD) $5.50 (GP/HD) $4
Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.25
Bring It On (2000) (MA/HD) $3.25
Bring It On: Worldwide #Cheersmack (2017) (MA/HD) $3.25 (iTunes/HD) $1.25
Broken City (2013) (MA/HD) $3.50 (iTunes/SD) $1.25
Bros (2022) (MA/HD) $6.75
Buffy, the Vampire Slayer (1992) (MA/HD) $5.75
Bullet to the Head (2013) (MA/HD) $3.25
Butterfly Effect, The (2004) (MA/HD) $3.50
Buttons: A Christmas Tale (2018) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.50
Bye Bye Man (Unrated) (2017) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $2.50
Cabin in the Woods (2012) (iTunes/4K) $2.75 (Vudu/HD) $2
Cantinflas (2014) (Vudu/HD) $5
Captain America: Winter Soldier (2014) (MA/4K) $7.50 (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $6 (GP/HD) $2.25
Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017) (MA/HD) $3.25
Case for Christ, The (2017) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.50
Casper (1995) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $3.75
Castle Rock: Season 1 (2018) (Vudu/HD) $7.25
Cat in the Hat (2003) (MA/HD) $3.25
Catch Me If You Can (2002) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $6.25
Catwoman: Hunted (2021) (MA/HD) $3.50
Central Intelligence (2016) (MA/4K) $5
Change-Up, The (2011) (Unrated) (2011) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $5.75
Chappie (2015) (MA/HD) $3.75
Charlie St. Cloud (2010) (MA/HD) $3.25
Chasing Mavericks (2012) (MA/HD) $5
Chicago (2002) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5.25
Child's Play (2019) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $6.50
Chronicle (2012) (MA/HD) $4.50
Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010) (MA/HD) $7
Cinderella (2015) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $5.50 (GP/HD) $2.50
Cinderella II: Dreams Come True (2002) (MA/HD) $6.50 (GP/HD) $5
Cinderella III: A Twist in Time (2007) (MA/HD) $6.50 (GP/HD) $5
City of Lies (2018) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5.75
Clerks III (2022) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $5.50
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013) (MA/HD) $3.50 (MA/SD) $2.25
Clown (2014) (Vudu/HD) $6.50
Clueless (1995) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.25
Coal Miner's Daughter (1980) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $6.25
Colombiana (Unrated) (2011) (MA/HD) $4.50
Colossal (2017) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $5.50
Constantine: The House of Mystery (2022) (MA/HD) $3.25
Contraband (2012) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $2.25
Contractor (2022) (Vudu/4K) $7.50 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $4.75
Counselor, The (2013) (MA/HD) $3
Countdown (2019) (iTunes/4K) $3.75
Cowboys and Aliens (2011) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $2.50
Crash (2004) (Vudu/HD) $5.25
Crawl (2019) (Vudu/HD) $3 (iTunes/4K) $2
Croods (2013) & A New Age (2020) (MA/HD) $7
Croods (2013) (MA/HD) $3.50
Croods: A New Age (2020) (MA/HD) $5.25
Cult of Chucky (Unrated) (2017) (MA/HD) $3.75 (iTunes/HD) $2.50
Daddy's Home 1-2 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $5
Daddy's Home 2 (2017) (Vudu/4K) $4.50 (iTunes/4K) $2 (Vudu/HD) $2.25
Dances With Wolves (1990) (Vudu/HD) $6
Daniel Craig Collection 5-Movie (Vudu/4K) $19
Dark Knight (2008) (MA/HD) $5
Dark Tower (2017) (MA/HD) $3
Darkest Minds, The (2018) (MA/HD) $4.75
Dawn of The Planet of The Apes (2014) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $4
DC League of Super-Pets (2022) (MA/HD) $5
Dead Man Down (2013) (MA/HD) $4.75
Deadpool (2016) (MA/4K) $6.50 (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $2
Dear Evan Hansen (2021) (MA/HD) $4.25
Death on the Nile (2022) (MA/4K) $7.25 (MA/HD) $5.25 (GP/HD) $3.50
Deepwater Horizon (2016) (Vudu/4K) $5 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $2.50
Den of Thieves (2018) (iTunes/HD) $1.75
Dentist 1-2 Collection (1996-1998) (Vudu/HD) $6
Descent, The (2005) (Vudu/HD) $5.25
Detective Knight Collection 1-3 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $13 $5.50 Each
Devil Inside (2012) (Vudu/HD) $3.75
Devil's Due (2014) (MA/HD) $2.75
Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010) (MA/HD) $4.75
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul (2017) (MA/HD) $2
Die Hard (1988) (MA/4K) $7 (MA/HD) $4
Die Hard 1-5 (MA/HD) $15
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) (MA/4K) $6 (MA/HD) $2.75 (GP/HD) $2
Dog (2022) (Vudu/HD) $3.50
Don't Breathe (2016) (MA/HD) $5.50
Don't Let Go (2019) (MA/HD) $4
Don't Tell a Soul (2021) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5
Don't Worry Darling (2022) (MA/HD) $5.50
Doors (1991) (Vudu/4K) $4 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $3.75
Dope (2015) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $5.75
Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019) (Vudu/HD) $5.25 (iTunes/4K) $4.25
Downsizing (2017) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $1.25
Downton Abbey (2019) (MA/HD) $5.75
Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022) (MA/HD) $4.25
Dr. Seuss' The Lorax (2012) (MA/HD) $3.50 (iTunes/HD) $2.25
Draft Day (2014) (Vudu/HD) $3.25 (iTunes/HD) $2.75
Dragged Across Concrete (2019) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $3.25
Dragonheart 5-Movie (MA/HD) $14
Drugstore Cowboy (1989) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
Duff, The (2015) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.75
Dumbo (2019) (MA/4K) $6 (iTunes/4K) $5.25 (GP/HD) $2.50
Dune (2021) (MA/4K) $5 (MA/HD) $2
Earth Girls Are Easy (1988) (Vudu/HD) $5.75
Easter Sunday (2022) (MA/HD) $6.75
Edge of Seventeen (2016) (MA/HD) $3.50 (iTunes/HD) $2.25
El Chicano (2019) (MA/HD) $5
Elvis (2022) (MA/4K) $7 (MA/HD) $4.50
Emoji Movie (2017) (MA/HD) $2
Emperor's New Groove (2000) (GP/HD) $5.50
Empire Records (1995) (MA/HD) $6
Empire State (2013) (Vudu/HD) $5
End of Watch (2012) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $5
Ender's Game (2013) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $3.25
English Patient (1996) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.75
Epic (2013) (MA/HD) $1.75 (iTunes/SD) $1.25
Escape from Planet Earth (2013) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
Escape Plan: The Extractors (2019) (Vudu/HD) $3.75
Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998) (MA/HD) $5.25
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) (Vudu/4K) $7.75
Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $3
Expendables 1-3 (Vudu/HD) $4.50
Extreme Prejudice (1987) (Vudu/HD) $5.25
Fabelmans (2022) (MA/HD) $6.75
Fantastic Beasts Collection 1-3 (MA/HD) $8.50
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022) (MA/4K) $5.50 (MA/HD) $3
Fantastic Four (2015) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $4.50
Fast & Furious Collection 1-8 (MA/4K) $26 1-9 (MA/HD) $10
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $6
Father Stu (2022) (MA/HD) $5.75
Fault in Our Stars (2014) (MA/HD) $1.75
Fences (2016) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $1.75
Ferdinand (2017) (MA/HD) $3.50
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $6
Fifty Shades of Black (2016) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $3.50
Fifty Shades of Grey 3-Movie + Unrated (MA/HD) $10
Fighter, The (2010) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5.25
Fighting with My Family (2019) (iTunes/HD) $3.25
Finest Hours, The (2016) (MA/HD) $6.50 (GP/HD) $4
First Cow (2019) (Vudu/HD) $6.50
First Man (2018) (MA/HD) $4.25
First Reformed (2018) (Vudu/HD) $5.25
Flight (2012) (Vudu/HD) $3.75 (iTunes/HD) $3
Footloose (2011) (Vudu/HD) $5 (iTunes/HD) $3.50
Founder, The (2017) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
Frank & Lola (2016) (MA/HD) $4.75
Frozen (2013) (MA/4K) $5.75 (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $3.75 (GP/HD) $1.75
Frozen 2 (2019) (MA/4K) $4.75 (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $4 (GP/HD) $1.75
Frozen Sing-Along Edition (2014) (MA/HD) $3.75 (GP/HD) $1.75
Future World (2018) (Vudu/HD) $4
G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $3.75
Gambler (2014) (Vudu/HD) $3.50 (iTunes/HD) $2.75
Game Night (2018) (MA/4K) $5
Gate, The (1987) (Vudu/SD) $4.50
Get Him to the Greek (Unrated) (2010) (MA/HD) $3.25
Get on Up (2014) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $4.50
Get Out (2017) (MA/4K) $7 (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $3.75
Ghost In The Shell (2017) (Vudu/HD) $2 (iTunes/4K) $2.75
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2012) (MA/HD) $6.75
Ghostbusters (1984) (MA/HD) $3.50
Ghostbusters + Extended (2016) (MA/HD) $3
Ghostbusters II (1989) (MA/HD) $3.50
Girl In The Spider's Web (2018) (MA/HD) $4.50
Girl on the Train (2016) (iTunes/4K) $2.25 (MA/HD) $2.50
Girls Trip (2017) (MA/HD) $1.50 (iTunes/HD) $1
Glass (2019) (MA/4K) $6.50 (MA/HD) $4.50
Godfather Trilogy (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $13
Godfather, The (1972) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $4.75
Gods of Egypt (2016) (Vudu/4K) $5.25 (Vudu/HD) $2 (iTunes/4K) $1.50
Godzilla (1998) (MA/4K) $8
Godzilla (2014) (MA/4K) $3
Gold (2016) (Vudu/HD) $1.75
Gone Baby Gone (2007) (Vudu/HD) $5
Gone Girl (2014) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $5.75
Good Dinosaur (2015) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $5.75 (GP/HD) $3.25
Goosebumps (2015) (MA/HD) $5.25
Grease (1978), 2 (1982), Live! (2016) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $13
Great Wall (2016) (MA/HD) $2.50
Greatest Showman (2017) (MA/HD) $2.25
Green Book (2018) (MA/4K) $7.50 (MA/HD) $5
Green Lantern: Beware My Power (2022) (MA/HD) $3.50
Green Mile, The (1999) (MA/4K) $6
Grumpy Old Men (1993) (MA/HD) $6.25
Hail, Caesar! (2016) (MA/HD) $3.75 (iTunes/HD) $2.25
Halloween Ends (2022) (MA/4K) $6.50 (MA/HD) $4.75
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998), The Curse of Michael Myers (1995), Resurrection (2002) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $10
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.50
Happy Death Day (2017) (MA/HD) $5.50
Happy Death Day 2U (2019) (MA/HD) $5.25
Happy Feet (2006) (MA/HD) $4
Hard Candy (2005) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
Harriet (2019) (MA/HD) $4.25
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) (MA/HD) $3.50
Hateful Eight (2015) (Vudu/HD) $2
Haunting in Connecticut (2009) (Vudu/HD) $6.50
Heat, The (2013) (MA/HD) $2.25 (iTunes/SD) $1
Heat: Director's Definitive Edition (1995) (MA/4K) $6.25 (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $5.25
Hell or High Water (2016) (Vudu/4K) $5.50 (Vudu/HD) $2.25 (iTunes/4K) $3.75
Hercules (1997) (MA/HD) $6.50 (GP/HD) $5
Hereditary (2018) (Vudu/HD) $3.75
Home (2015) (MA/HD) $2
Home Alone (1990) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $4
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) (MA/HD) $3.50
Hop (2011) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $2.25
Hot Fuzz (2007) (MA/HD) $3.50 (iTunes/4K) $4
Hotel Transylvania (2012) (MA/HD) $6.25 (MA/SD) $2.50
Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015) (MA/HD) $6.75
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018) (MA/4K) $6.75 (MA/HD) $4.50
House of 1,000 Corpses (2003), Devil's Rejects (2005), 3 From Hell (2019) (Vudu/HD) $6
House of 1000 Corpses (2003) (Vudu/HD) $4.75
House of the Dragon: Season 1 (2022) (Vudu/4K) $9 (Vudu/HD) $5
How to Train Your Dragon (2010) (MA/4K) $6.50 (MA/HD) $4
How to Train Your Dragon Collection 1-3 (MA/HD) $7
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019) (MA/4K) $6 (MA/HD) $4.25
Hugo (2011) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4
Hunger Games Collection 1-4 (Vudu/HD) $6 (iTunes/4K) $12
Hunt, The (2019) (MA/HD) $6
Huntsman: Winter's War - Extended Edition (2016) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $3
Hurricane Heist (2018) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $3.25
Hurt Locker (2008) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $6.25
I Can Only Imagine (2018) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.50
I See You (2019) (Vudu/HD) $4.50 (iTunes/HD) $2.50
Ice Age (2002) (MA/HD) $5
Ice Age: Collision Course (2016) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $4.25
Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) (MA/HD) $4.50
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) (MA/HD) $5.25
Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006) (MA/HD) $6
Ides of March (2011) (MA/HD) $5.25
I'm Not There (2007) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
In the Heights (2021) (MA/4K) $5 (MA/HD) $2.25
Independence Day (1996) (MA/4K) $7.75 (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $5.50
Indiana Jones 1-4 (Vudu/4K) $24 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $19
Inferno (2016) (MA/HD) $3.50
Ingrid Goes West (2017) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $5.50
Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013) (MA/HD) $5.25
Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015) (MA/HD) $6.50
Insidious: The Last Key (2018) (MA/HD) $3.25
Instant Family (2018) (Vudu/HD) $2 (iTunes/4K) $1.50
Instructions Not Included (2013) (Vudu/HD) $3.75
Insurgent (2015) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $4.25 (Vudu/HD) $3.50
Internship (2013) (MA/HD) $3.25
Interview, The (2014) (MA/HD) $3.50
Into the Woods (2014) (MA/HD) $4 (GP/HD) $2.25
Invitation, The + Unrated (2022) (MA/HD) $6.50
Iron Man (2008) (MA/4K) $7.25 (iTunes/4K) $7 (GP/HD) $3
Iron Man 1-3 (MA/4K) $20 (iTunes/4K) $15 (GP/HD) $7
Iron Man 2 (2010) (MA/4K) $7.25 (iTunes/4K) $6.50 (GP/HD) $3
Iron Man 3 (2013) (MA/4K) $7.25 (iTunes/4K) $3.25 (MA/HD) $2.75 (GP/HD) $2
Iron Man and Hulk: Heroes United (2013) (MA/HD) $5.50
Isle of Dogs (2018) (MA/HD) $4.75
It Comes at Night (2017) (Vudu/HD) $6.25
It Follows (2015) (Vudu/HD) $4.75
Jack and Jill (2011) (MA/HD) $3
Jack Frost (1998) (MA/HD) $5
Jack Reacher Collection 1-2 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $7
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016) (Vudu/4K) $5.75 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $2.75
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $3.25
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3
Jane Got a Gun (2016) (Vudu/HD) $5.75
Jaws (1975) Jaws 2 (1978) Jaws 3 (1983) Jaws: The Revenge (1987) (MA/HD) $15
Jexi (2019) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $3.50
Jigsaw (2017) (Vudu/4K) $5.25 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $2
Jingle All the Way (1996) (MA/HD) $5
JOBS (2013) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.75
John Wick Collection 1-3 (Vudu/4K) $15 (iTunes/4K) $13 (Vudu/HD) $7
Jojo Rabbit (2019) (MA/HD) $7
Joseph: King of Dreams (2000) (MA/HD) $5.50
Jumanji: Next Level (2019) & Welcome to the Jungle (2017) (MA/HD) $7.50
Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) (MA/4K) $7.75 (MA/HD) $5.50
Jungle Book (2016) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $5.25 (GP/HD) $2.75
Jungle Book 2 (2003) (MA/HD) $6.50
Jurassic Park III (2001) (MA/4K) $6.50 (iTunes/4K) $3.75 (MA/HD) $3.50
Jurassic Park: The Lost World (1997) (MA/4K) $6.50 (iTunes/4K) $3.75 (MA/HD) $3
Jurassic World Collection 1-5 (MA/4K) $19 (iTunes/4K) $17 (MA/HD) $10
Jurassic World Collection 1-6 (MA/4K) $23 (MA/HD) $11
Jurassic World: Dominion + Extended Cut (2022) (MA/4K) $7.25 (MA/HD) $4.50
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) (MA/4K) $5.75 (MA/HD) $1.75
Kicks (2016) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $5
Kidnap (2017) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3.25
Kill the Messenger (2014) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $5
Killer Joe (Director's Cut) (2012) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
Killing Kennedy (2013) (MA/HD) $6.50
Killing Them Softly (2012) (Vudu/HD) $2.75
King Richard (2021) (MA/HD) $2
Kitchen, The (2019) (MA/HD) $2.50
Knight and Day (2010) (MA/HD) $6.50
Knives Out (2019) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $5.25
Kung Fu Panda Collection 1-3 (MA/HD) $12
La La Land (2016) (Vudu/HD) $2.25 (iTunes/4K) $3.75
Last Christmas (2019) (MA/HD) $6.50
Last Witch Hunter (2015) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $1.50
Last Word (2017) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $5
Lawless (2012) (Vudu/HD) $3.75
Lawrence of Arabia (Restored Version) (1962) (MA/HD) $5
Lee Daniels' The Butler (2013) (Vudu/HD) $2.25
Leprechaun Returns (2018) (Vudu/HD) $2.75
Les Miserables (2012) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.75
Let's Be Cops (2014) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $2.75
Liar Liar (1997) (MA/HD) $3.25
Life (2017) (MA/HD) $2.50
Light of My Life (2019) (Vudu/HD) $2.50 (iTunes/HD) $2
Lightyear (2022) (MA/4K) $5.25 (MA/HD) $2.75 (GP/HD) $2
Lilo & Stitch (2002) & Stitch Has a Glitch (2005) (MA/HD) $11 (GP/HD) $6.50
Lilo & Stitch (2002) (MA/HD) $6.25 (GP/HD) $4
Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch (2005) (MA/HD) $5.25 (GP/HD) $3
Limey, The (1999) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $5
Lincoln Lawyer (2011) (Vudu/4K) $5 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $4.75
Lion (2016) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
Lion King (1994) (MA/4K) $7 (iTunes/4K) $4.50 (GP/HD) $2.75
Lion King (2019) (MA/4K) $6 (iTunes/4K) $4 (GP/HD) $1.25
Lion King 1 1/2 (2004) (MA/HD) $6.50
Little Fockers (2010) (MA/HD) $5
Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea (2000) (MA/HD) $6.75
Little Mermaid III: Ariel’s Beginning (2008) (MA/HD) $6.75
Little Women (2019) (MA/HD) $4.25
Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow (2014) (MA/4K) $5
Lodge, The (2019) (MA/HD) $5.75
Lone Ranger (2013) (MA/HD) $4.75 (GP/HD) $2.50
Lone Survivor (2013) (iTunes/4K) $2 (MA/HD) $1.50
Long Shot (2019) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $4
Lord of War (2005) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $5
Lords of Salem, The (2012) (Vudu/HD) $4.75
Lost Boys, The (1987) (MA/4K) $5 (MA/HD) $3.50
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (2022) (MA/HD) $6
Ma (2019) (MA/HD) $5.25
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1982) (MA/4K) $5
Mad Max 3: Beyond Thunderdome (1985) (MA/4K) $5
Mad Max Collection 1-4 (Vudu/4K) $19
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2
Mallrats (1995) (MA/HD) $3.25
Mama (2013) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $3.75
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018) (MA/4K) $6.50 (MA/HD) $1.75
Mamma Mia! The Movie (2008) & Here We Go Again (2018) (MA/HD) $6.50 $4.50 Each
Man On Fire (2004) (MA/HD) $6.50
Man Who Invented Christmas (2017) (MA/HD) $6.25
Many Saints of Newark (2021) (MA/HD) $2.25
Margin Call (2011) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $6.25
Marshall (2017) (MA/HD) $4.75
Martian (Theatrical) (2015) (MA/4K) $7.25 (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $3.25
Mary Poppins (1964) (MA/HD) $4.50 (GP/HD) $3
Mary Queen of Scots (2018) (MA/HD) $5.75
Matrix (1999), Reloaded (2003), Revolutions (2003), Resurrections (2021) (MA/HD) $7.50
Matrix: Resurrections (2021) (MA/4K) $5 (MA/HD) $2.25
Maze Runner (2014) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $5.50
Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018) (MA/HD) $6
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $6
McFarland, USA (2015) (MA/HD) $6.25 (GP/HD) $4.50
Meet the Parents (2000) (MA/HD) $3.25
Megamind (2010) (MA/HD) $5.50
Men in Black (1997) (MA/HD) $6.75
Men in Black II (2002) (MA/HD) $6.75
Men Who Stare at Goats (2009) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
Menace II Society (Director's Cut) (1993) (MA/HD) $5
MIB: International (2019) (MA/4K) $5.75 (MA/HD) $4.75
Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers (2004) (MA/HD) $6.50
Midsommar (2019) (Vudu/HD) $5.75
Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $4.25
Mile 22 (2018) (iTunes/4K) $1.75
Million Dollar Arm (2014) (MA/HD) $4.25
Minions (2015) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $2.75
Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022) & Minions (2015) (MA/HD) $8.25
Miracles From Heaven (2016) (MA/HD) $4.50
Miss Congeniality (2000) (MA/HD) $6
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (2015) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $2
Missing Link (2019) (MA/HD) $4.25
Mission: Impossible Collection 1-6 (Vudu/4K) $24 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $19
Mission: Impossible Fallout (2018) (Vudu/4K) $2.75 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $2.50
Mistress America (2015) (MA/HD) $5
Molly's Game (2018) (iTunes/HD) $2
Moneyball (2011) (MA/HD) $2.75
Monster Trucks (2016) (Vudu/HD) $2
Monster's Ball (2001) (Vudu/HD) $6.25
Monsters, Inc. (2001) (GP/HD) $4
Monuments Men (2014) (MA/HD) $2
Moonlight (2016) (Vudu/HD) $4
Mother! (2017) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $3.50
Mother's Day (2016) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5
Mountain Between Us (2017) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $1.50
Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014) (MA/HD) $3.25
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) (MA/HD) $3.75
Much Ado About Nothing (2013) (Vudu/HD) $4.25
Mud (2013) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.75
Mule, The (2018) (MA/4K) $5
Mummy, The (2017) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $2.75
Muppets Most Wanted (2014) (MA/HD) $6.25 (GP/HD) $4.50
Murder on The Orient Express (2017) (MA/HD) $2.75
My All American (2015) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.25
My Boss's Daughter (2003) (Vudu/HD) $6.25
My Dinner with Herve (2018) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.50 (GP/HD) $3
My Fair Lady (1964) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $5.50
My Girl (1991) & 2 (1994) (MA/SD) $6
My Little Pony: The Movie (2017) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3.25
Natural, The (1984) (MA/4K) $5
Nebraska (2013) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.25
Neighbors (2014) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $2
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2016) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $3.50
Nerve (2016) (Vudu/HD) $2.50
Never Grow Old (2019) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.50
Night at the Museum 3-Movie (MA/HD) $13 $6 Each (MA/SD) $9
Night Before (2015) (MA/HD) $4.75 (MA/SD) $2
Night Of: Season 1 (2016) (Vudu/HD) $7.25
Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) (GP/HD) Ports to MA $3
Ninth Gate, The (1999) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
No Country For Old Men (2007) (Vudu/HD) $5.50 (iTunes/HD) $6.50
Nocturnal Animals (2016) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $3.25
Non-Stop (2014) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.75
Nope (2022) (MA/4K) $8 (MA/HD) $6.25
Notting Hill (1999) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3.25
Nut Job (2014) (MA/HD) $2.50 (iTunes/HD) $1.75
Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature (2017) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.75
Office Christmas Party (2016) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $2.50
Olaf's Frozen Adventure Plus 6 Disney Tales (2017) (MA/HD) $4.75 (GP/HD) $3.25
Olympus Has Fallen (2013) (MA/HD) $5
On the Basis of Sex (2019) (MA/HD) $4.50
One Direction: This is Us + Extended Fan Edition (2013) (MA/HD) $3.25
Only God Forgives (2013) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
Operation Finale (2018) (iTunes/4K) $2.75
Ouija (2014) & Origin of Evil (2016) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $9
Ouija (2014) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.50
Over the Hedge (2006) (MA/HD) $6.25
Pain & Gain (2013) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3.25
Paper Towns (2011) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $2.75
ParaNorman (2012) (iTunes/HD) $5
Paterno (2018) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.50 (GP/HD) $3
Patriots Day (2017) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $2.50
Paul (2011) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $4.50
Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 (2015) (MA/HD) $4.25
Peanut Butter Falcon (2019) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.50
Pearl (2022) (Vudu/HD) $6
Peppermint (2018) (iTunes/HD) $1.75
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010) (MA/HD) $6.75
Pet Sematary (2019) (Vudu/4K) $4.50 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $2.50
Peter Rabbit (2018) & 2 (2021) (MA/HD) $10
Peter Rabbit (2018) (MA/4K) $5.75 (MA/HD) $5
Phantom Thread (2017) (MA/HD) $3
Pinocchio (1940) (MA/HD) $5.75 (GP/HD) $4
Pirate Fairy (2014) (MA/HD) $3.25 (GP/HD) $1.75
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) (MA/HD) $3.25 (GP/HD) $1.75
Pitch Black - Unrated Director's Cut (2000) (MA/HD) $6
Pitch Perfect 2 (2015) (MA/HD) $2.75 (iTunes/4K) $3.75
Pitch Perfect Collection 1-3 (MA/HD) $11
Planes (2013) (MA/HD) $2.50 (GP/HD) $1.50
Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) (Vudu/HD) $5 (iTunes/HD) $3.75
Planes: Fire & Rescue (2014) (MA/HD) $4 (GP/HD) $2
Planet of the Apes 1-3 (Newer) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $11
Playing For Keeps (2012) (MA/HD) $4.75
Point Break (2015) (MA/HD) $1.75
Poltergeist (1982) (MA/4K) $5
Poms (2019) (iTunes/HD) $2.50
Popeye (1980) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5.25
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016) (MA/HD) $3.25
Post, The (2017) (MA/HD) $2.50
Precious (2009) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $6.25
Predator (1987) (MA/HD) $2.75
Predator (1987), 2 (1990), Predators (2009), Predator (2018) $10
Predator (2018) (MA/4K) $6.25 (MA/HD) $2.50
Pretty in Pink (1986) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $4.75
Prey for the Devil (2022) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $6.25
Priceless (2016) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $5
Prince of Egypt (2002) (MA/HD) $5.50
Princess and the Frog (2009) (iTunes/4K) $5.50 (GP/HD) $3.25
Prometheus (2012) (MA/HD) $1.75
Prophecy Collection 1-5 (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $14
Psycho (1960) (MA/HD) (iTunes/4K) $5
Public Enemies (2009) (MA/HD) $6.25 (iTunes/HD) $4.75
Punisher: War Zone (2008) (Vudu/4K) $6
Purge: Election Year (2016) (MA/4K $5.50 (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $3
Puss in Boots (2011) (MA/4K) $7
Queen & Slim (2019) (MA/HD) $3.75
Queen of Katwe (2016) (MA/HD) $3.50 (GP/HD) $2.50
R.I.P.D. (2013) (MA/HD) $3.25 (iTunes/HD) $3
Railway Man (2013) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
Rambo Collection 1-5 (Vudu/HD) $13
Rambo Last Blood (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $2.75
Rambo: First Blood (1982) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $6
Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) (Vudu/4K) $6.75 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $5.50
Rampage (2018) (MA/4K) $5
Ready or Not (2019) (MA/HD) $6.50
Rear Window (1954) (MA/4K) $4.75
Red Sparrow (2018) (MA/HD) $4.50
Requiem for a Dream - Director's Cut (2000) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $6.25
Rescuers Down Under (1990) (MA/HD) $6.50 (GP/HD) $4
Rescuers, The (1977) (MA/HD) $6.50 (GP/HD) $4
Reservoir Dogs (1992) (Vudu/4K) $5 (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5
Richie Rich (1994) (MA/HD) $5
Riddick Collection 1-3 (Unrated) (MA/HD) $13
Ride Along 1-2 (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5
Rings (2017) (Vudu/HD) $2.75 (iTunes/HD) $1.50
Rio 2 (2014) (MA/HD) $2.25
Road to El Dorado (2000) (MA/HD) $5.50
Robin Hood (Animated) (1973) (MA/HD) $3.75 (GP/HD) $2.75
Robots (2005) (MA/HD) $6.75
Rock Dog (2016) (Vudu/HD) $4.25
Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) (MA/HD) $5.25
Room (2015) (Vudu/HD) $5.25
Russell Madness (2015) (MA/HD) $4
Safe (2012) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $1.75
Same Kind of Different as Me (2017) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2
Santa Clause (1994), 2 (2002), 3 (2006) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $10.50 (GP/HD) $6.50
Savages (2012) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $2.25
Saving Mr. Banks (2013) (MA/HD) $4.75 (GP/HD) $2.75
Saw (2004) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $5.50
Saw Collection 1-7 (Vudu/HD) $10
Scarface (1983) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $5.25
Scary Movie 3 (2003) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $3
Schindler's List (1993) (MA/HD) $5
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010) (MA/4K) (iTunes/4K) $5.75 (MA/HD) $5.25
Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (2015) (Vudu/HD) $3.75 (iTunes/HD) $2.75
Scream 5 (2022) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $4.25
Scream Collection 1-3 (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $13
Scrooged (1988) (iTunes/HD) $3.75
Second Act (2018) (iTunes/HD) $1.50
Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015) (MA/HD) $4.50
Secret Headquarters (2022) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/4K) $6
Secret Life of Pets 1-2 (MA/HD) $7.50
Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019) (MA/4K) $6.25 (MA/HD) $5
Secret Life of Pets, The (2016) (iTunes/4K) $3.75 (MA/HD) $2.75
Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) (MA/HD) $1.75
Secretary (2002) (Vudu/HD) $5
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $4.50
Serenity (2005) (MA/HD) $3.50
Seventh Son (2015) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $1.50
Sex Tape (2014) (MA/HD) $3
Shack (2017) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $1.50
Shallows, The (2016) (MA/4K) $7 (MA/HD $4.25
Shape of Water (2017) (MA/HD) $3.50
Shaun of the Dead (2004), Hot Fuzz (2007), World's End (2013) (MA/HD) $10
Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015) (Vudu/HD) $4.25
Shawshank Redemption (1994) (MA/4K) $5
She's Having a Baby (1988) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.50
She's the Man (2006) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3.25
Shooter (2007) (Vudu/HD) $5.75
Sicario (2015) (Vudu/4K) $6 (Vudu/HD) $1.75 (iTunes/4K) $3
Sideways (2004) (MA/HD) $5.25
Silent Night, Deadly Night: 3-Film Collection (1989-1991) (Vudu/HD) $6
Sin City (2005) (Vudu/HD) $5.75
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014) (Vudu/HD) $6.50
Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2007) (MA/HD) $6.50
Sing (2016) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $2.75
Sing 2 (2021) (MA/4K) $6.50 (MA/HD) $3.75
Sinister (2012) (Vudu/HD) $3 (iTunes/HD) $2.75
Sisters (Unrated) (2015) (MA/HD) $4 (iTunes/HD) $3.25
Sleeping Beauty (1959) (MA/HD) $3.50 (GP/HD) $2.75
Sleepless (2017) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $1
Smile (2022) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $6.75
Smokey and the Bandit (1977) (MA/4K) $6.75 (MA/HD) $3.75
Smurfs: The Lost Village (2017) (MA/HD) $3.25
Snatched (2017) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $1
Snitch (2013) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $1.75
Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs (1937) (MA/HD) $6.50 (GP/HD) $3.75
Snowden (2016) (MA/HD) $3.50 (iTunes/HD) $4
Some Kind of Wonderful (1987) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.50
Son of God (2014) (MA/HD) $1.25
Sorry to Bother You (2018) (MA/HD) $5
Sound of Music, The (1965) (MA/HD) $6
Source Code (2011) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $5
Space Between Us, The (2017) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $5
Space Jam (1996) (MA/4K) $5
Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021) (MA/4K) $5
Spider-Man (2002) (MA/HD) $5.75
Spider-Man 2 + Extended Edition (2004) (MA/HD) $5.75
Spider-Man 3 (2007) (MA/HD) $5
Spider-Man Collection 1-8 (MA/HD) $24
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) (MA/HD) $4.25
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) (MA/HD) $1.75
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018) (MA/HD) $5
Spies in Disguise (2019) (MA/HD) $3.75 (GP/HD) $2.75
Spirit, The (2008) (Vudu/HD) $3
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2003) (MA/HD) $5.25
Spy (Unrated) (2015) (MA/HD) $2
Spy Game (2001) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $5.75
Star Trek 1-3 (Vudu/4K) $18 (Vudu/HD) $9 (iTunes/4K) $13
Star Trek Beyond (2016) (Vudu/HD) $1.75 (iTunes/4K) $3.25
Starsky & Hutch (2004) (MA/HD) $6
Step Up Revolution (2012) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3.25
Still Alice (2015) (MA/HD) $3
Stillwater (2021) (MA/HD) $5
Stir of Echoes (1999) (Vudu/HD) $4.75
Straight Outta Compton (Unrated Director’s Cut) (2015) (MA/4K) $7.50 (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.50
Strange World (2022) (MA/HD) $5
Stronger (2017) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.75
Stuber (2019) (MA/HD) $4.25
Suburbicon (2017) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $3.25
Suffragette (2015) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $3
Suicide Squad, The (2021) (MA/4K) $5
Super 8 (2011) (Vudu/4K) $5.75 (Vudu/HD) $3.25 (iTunes/4K) $5
Super Buddies (2013) (MA/HD) $5.75 (GP/HD) $4
Super Troopers (2002) (MA/HD) $5.75
Super Troopers 2 (2018) (MA/HD) $3
SW: Force Awakens (2015) (MA/4K) $5.50 (iTunes/4K) $3.75 (GP/HD) $1.50
SW: Phantom Menace (1999) (MA/4K) $7.50 (iTunes/4K) $6.50 (GP/HD) $3.50
SW: Revenge of the Sith (2005) (MA/4K) $7.50 (GP/HD) $3.50
SW: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) (MA/4K) $6.75 (iTunes/4K) $4 (GP/HD) $1.50
Sword in the Stone (1963) (MA/HD) $6.25 (GP/HD) $3.75
Taken (2009), 2 (2012), 3 (2015) (MA/HD) $9
Tangled (2010) (MA/HD) $5.25 (GP/HD) $4
Tarzan (1999) (MA/HD) $6.50 (GP/HD) $5
Ted (2012) (Unrated) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $3.25
Terminator: Genisys (2015) (Vudu/HD) $1.75 (iTunes/4K) $3
Terms of Endearment (1983) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $5
Theory Of Everything (2014) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $4
Thing, The (2011) (MA/HD) $6.25 (iTunes/HD) $5.75
Think Like a Man (2012) & Two (2014) (MA/HD) $9
This Is 40 (2012) (MA/HD) $3.75 (iTunes/HD) $2.50
Thor (2011) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $7 (GP/HD) $3.50
Thumbelina (1994) (MA/HD) $6.25
Till (2022) (iTunes/4K) $6.50
Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast (2014) (MA/HD) $6.25 (GP/HD) $4.50
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (2011) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $4.25
Titanic (1997) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.75
TMNT Out of the Shadows (2016) (iTunes/4K) $4
Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003) (Vudu/HD) $6
Tomorrowland (2015) (MA/HD) $5.50 (GP/HD) $3.50
Top Five (2014) (Vudu/HD) $5 (iTunes/HD) $3.75
Top Gun (1986) (Vudu/4K) $5.25 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
Total Recall (1990) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $5.25
Total Recall + Extended (2012) (MA/HD) $5.25 (Theatrical) $4.25
Tower Heist (2011) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $4
Toy Story of Terror! (2013) (MA/HD) $3.75
Trading Places (1983) (Vudu/HD) $4 (iTunes/4K) $5
Trainwreck (2015) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $1.50
Transformers 1-5 (Vudu/4K) $29 (Vudu/HD) $22
Transformers: Last Knight (2017) (Vudu/4K) $4.75 (iTunes/4K) $2.25 (Vudu/HD) $2
Trauma Center (2019) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $3.25
Trick 'r Treat (2009) (MA/HD) $5
Triple 9 (2016) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $2.50
Trolls (2016) (MA/HD) $1.50
Trolls Collection 1-2 (MA/HD) $6.50
Tully (2018) (MA/HD) $5.75
Tyler Perry Presents Peeples (2013) (Vudu/HD) $1.75
Unbanned: The Legend of AJ1 (2019) (Vudu/HD) $5.50
Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $6
Unbroken (2014) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3
Unfinished Business (2015) (MA/HD) $4.50
Unhinged (2020) (Vudu/HD) $4
Up in Smoke ‘Cheech and Chong’ (1978) (Vudu/HD) $3.25 (iTunes/HD) $2.50
Upside, The (2017) (iTunes/HD) $2
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017) (Vudu/HD) $2.75
Venom (2018) (MA/4K) $7 (MA/HD) $3.50
Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) (MA/4K) $7.25 (MA/HD) $3.50
Vice (2015) 'Bruce Willis' (Vudu/HD) $2.75
Vow, The (2012) (MA/HD) $3.25
W. (2008) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
Walk the Line (2005) (MA/HD) $4.75
Walk, The (2015) (MA/HD) $5
Walking with Dinosaurs (2013) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.50
Wanted (2008) (iTunes/HD) Ports to MA $6
Warm Bodies (2013) (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $2
Warrior (2011) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/HD) $4
Watch, The (2012) (MA/HD) $4.25
Way, Way Back, The (2013) (MA/HD) $5.25
Wayne's World (1992) (Vudu/4K) (iTunes/4K) $6.50
What Men Want (2019) (Vudu/HD) $1.75 (iTunes/4K) $1.25
What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.25
Where the Crawdads Sing (2022) (MA/HD) $5
Whiplash (2014) (MA/HD) $5.75
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2016) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $2.25
Why Him? (2016) (iTunes/4K) (MA/HD) $2
Widows (2018) (MA/4K) $6.50 (MA/HD) $1.50
Wild Card (2015) (Vudu/HD) $4.25
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) (MA/4K) $5.50
Wind River (2017) (Vudu/HD) (iTunes/HD) $4.50
Wings (1927) (Vudu/HD) $4
Witch, The (2016) (Vudu/HD) $3.50
Wizard of Lies (2017) (Vudu/HD) $5 (iTunes/HD) $4.25 (GP/HD) $3
Woman in Gold (2015) (Vudu/HD) $2.75
Woman King (2022) (MA/4K) $7.25 (MA/HD) $5.75
Wonder (2017) (Vudu/4K) $5.75 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $3.25
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) (MA/4K) $3
Won't Back Down (2012) (MA/HD) $3.75
Woodlawn (2015) (MA/HD) (iTunes/HD) $3.75
World War Z (2013) (Vudu/HD) $3.50 (iTunes/HD) $1.50
Wraith, The (1986) (Vudu/HD) $5
Wrath of Man (2021) (Vudu/HD) $3
X-Men (2000), X2 (2003), The Last Stand (2006) (MA/HD) $14.50
X-Men: First Class (2010), Days of Future Past (2004), Apocalypse (2014) (MA/HD) $11
xXx: The Return of Xander Cage (2017) (Vudu/4K) $5.50 (iTunes/4K) (Vudu/HD) $1.25
Youth in Revolt (2009) (Vudu/HD) $4.50
2023.03.29 02:01 FurtherAfrica Angola is home to significant upstream potential, as demonstrated by the sharp contrast between its proven and estimated reserves: 9 billion versus 57 billion barrels of oil and 11 trillion versus 27 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
 | submitted by FurtherAfrica to FurtherAfrica [link] [comments] |
2023.03.28 23:58 DayZ-Doc PC US Central PVEVP Banov Winter 1PP (3pp driving) BBP (vanilla damage) Survival Focused Zombie Hordes Reduced Economy Just survivors dealing with what’s left. Very little military, mostly civilian weapons Outstanding community LOTS of Crafting Dog Tags Wiped March 20!
- Server Name: Black Winter Challenging Survival 1PP Building Wiped3/20
- IP/Port: 63.143.56.107 : 2302
- Discord: https://discord.gg/8pRTUF7ftB
- Max Players: 30 - Wiling to increase as the community grows if the community wishes
- Restarts: 11/5/11/5 CST
- Automatic Mod Updates during Reboots
- Time Settings: 6/4
- Lighting: Bright nights, no personal light
- 1pp only (3pp while driving)
- Playstyle: I'd say at our core, we're PVE'rs .. Base Building, Hunting, and Map Lore are interests. However, what fun is that without the threat of death around every corner? So, PVP is legal everywhere
- Base raiding on Saturdays. Vanilla Damage to BBP Doors/Gates/Windows
- Max FPS Server (Upgraded RAM, Max CPU Cores/Priority, NVME)
- Revised Stamina
- Ammo Making, BoomLays, BBP, Leatherworking, and many many more crafting options.
I'd like to invite you to join my gaming community. We just wiped on March 20, 2023. The server is built around the community and not the map. DayZ is an amazing game, but after a while, maps get stale, boring and we all fade out and loose interest. On my server we will be swapping out maps from time to time to keep things interesting and fresh. Same people, same play style, same mod set (within reason), new challenges. That said, we just moved on to Banov so I expect we'll be here for a while.
The community is an older, more mature crowd and we're pretty cooperative with more of a PVE Mindset. That said PVP is legal everywhere. The threat of death should be ever present. In all, I would say that the community promotes good sportsmanship and we lack any toxic drama for which I have zero tolerance.
The Black Winter theme is really one of just regular folks making due with what's left. Although I have some amazing weapon mods in place, I've only picked out 1 or 2 civilian weapons from each to add to our theme. There are a few "item pack mods" installed as well but again, only a select couple items have made it into play.
A lot of attention has been placed on Quality of Life - both good and bad.
The economy has been reduced as follows:
Category - Usage - Reduced by %
- Clothes - Military - 80%
- Clothes - Farm, Village, Town, Industrial, School, Hunting, Coast - 30%
- Clothes - Police, Medic, Firefighter - 50%
- Containers - Military - 80%
- Containers - Village, Hunting, Industrial, Farm, Coast, Hunting, Medic, Town, Village, School - 35%
- Explosives - Military - 80%
- Explosives - Police - 50%
- Food - All - 50%
- Industrial Food - All - 50%
- Tools - All - 30%
- Weapons - Military - 80%
- Weapons - Police - 50%
- Weapons - Civilian - 30%
My target audience is the mature gamer who would like to build a cozy base, do some hunting and fishing and chat with some new folks and go on some adventures. Maybe shoot at a nerd when the mood is right =)
We currently have a very solid group of regulars, mature professionals who just want to unwind after a day at work and hide from the kids while trying to get lost in the world we're building together. This is an excellent server to meet some folks and start your Banov adventure.
We do have a couple of "light" role players. Nothing to "hark who art thou" - but I think all of our game play is along the lines of, this is me and this is what I'd do in the apocalypse. Meet up conversations are usually focused on what we're doing in the game.
Quick and Dirty FAQ.
- There is no trader, though a player suggested he may be working towards that.
- In game map, you need to find a map to use the M key. You need to find a GPS and have iton to see your location on the map. 3D Marks are disabled.
- Is KOS Legal? Yes ( player interactions are what make this game special ) Just because it's legal, doesn't mean it's required. Most of player interactions are positive and cooperative.
- Is there global chat? No - but there are TacSat Radio's and Field Radios that won't despawn - some players chatter via radio. The white noise adds to the ambience =).
- Time is not persistent so your base will need a flag. Anything without a flag icon at your base should be in a container or may poof.
- Check the discord for crafting recipes and base building recipes in the tips and recipes section.
- Press the pause key for the Server Information Panel - Rules, and details in there.
- Some of my players have been giving feedback in the days since wipe; their misery is perfectly on point. The economy is a challenge, but not impossible. You will need to prioritize getting warm, fed, and hydrated first and foremost. There are no natural foods (apples, mushrooms etc cuz winter reasons) so don't waste your time looking there.
2023.03.28 23:48 zebraskilz Yet Another Circle of Spores Revision
The Circle of Spores has both fascinated and frustrated me with its cool flavor but lack of meaningful scaling and potential. This revision is aimed at buffing the lackluster Symbiotic Entity, making the Fungal Infestation more useful and flavorful, and providing some scaling across the board with the subclasses features.
I've taken a look at a lot of different versions of the Circle of Spores and picked aspects from the ones that I liked the most. There are some elementals that are wholly new to this revision, but largely this is built off of others' revisions.
Please let me know your thoughts, this is a first draft so don't hold anything back :D This hasn't been tested in any capacity, so it could well be wildly unbalanced. All changes are made in bold and the new zombie stat block at the bottom is entirely new.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest. At 14th level you are able to raise creatures of sizes Large, Medium, and Small.
Whenever a creature that isn't you moves into the cube or starts its turn there, that creature takes your Halo of Spores damage, unless the creature succeeds on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. A creature can take this damage no more than once per turn.
While the cube of spores persists, you can't use your Halo of Spores reaction.
AC: 10 + summoner’s Wisdom modifier (Natural Armor)
Hit Points: 3 X druid level X size scaling (1 for medium, 1.5 for large, and 0.5 for small) rounded down
Speed: 30 ft
STR 12 (+1) DEX 12 (+1) CON 18 (+4) INT 2 (-4) WIS 6 (-2) CHA 1 (-5)
Condition Immunities: Blind, Deafened, Frightened, Charmed, Poisoned
Resistances: Necrotic, Poison
Senses: Blindsight 30 ft (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 8
Languages: None, understands any spoken commands from its summoner
Actions:
Melee Weapon Attack: +Wisom modifier of summoner to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit 2d4 necrotic damage (Plus 1d4 for large creature, minus 1d4 for small creatures)
Death’s Reply: Upon taking lethal damage the corpse can use its reaction to quickly grow mushrooms in its head, cracking it open just enough to release a puff of spores. If the target that struck the corpse down is within 10 feet of the corpse it is attacked by Halo of Spores and must make a Constitution saving throw against your Spell Save DC, on a fail taking damage equal to the roll of the Halo of Spores die using d4.
Head-Splitting Spores: As an action the corpse can kill itself by rapidly growing mushrooms in the corpse's head, splitting it open completely to release a cloud of spores in the surrounding area. The spores swirl in a 10-foot cube and only last until the end of the current round. A large creature will create a 20-foot cube while a small creature will only create a 5-foot cube. Each creature (excluding the summoner) inside the cloud must make a Constitution Saving throw against your Spell Save DC, on a fail taking damage equal to the roll of the Halo of Spores die. Any hostile creature that enters or starts its turn in the cloud must do the same. A creature can take this damage no more than once per turn. At 10th level the cloud of spores lasts for 1 minute. This does not remove any spore clouds created by Spreading Spores, but it does similarly preclude the use of Halo of Spores as a reaction. The number of spore clouds created this way is limited by the number of Cordyceps Corpses that the druid is able to have under their control at a time, choosing which cloud they wish to dissipate when the limit is exceeded.
Circle of Spores, Variant) on danddwiki
u/lucas-hanson for their Circle of Spores (buffed)
submitted by zebraskilz to DnDHomebrew [link] [comments]
I've taken a look at a lot of different versions of the Circle of Spores and picked aspects from the ones that I liked the most. There are some elementals that are wholly new to this revision, but largely this is built off of others' revisions.
Please let me know your thoughts, this is a first draft so don't hold anything back :D This hasn't been tested in any capacity, so it could well be wildly unbalanced. All changes are made in bold and the new zombie stat block at the bottom is entirely new.
Circle Spells
UnchangedHalo of Spores
Starting at 2nd level, you are surrounded by invisible, necrotic spores that are harmless until you unleash them on a creature nearby. When a creature you can see moves into a space within 10 feet of you or starts its turn there, you can use your reaction to deal 1d4 necrotic damage to that creature unless it succeeds on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. The necrotic damage increases by 1d4 at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.Symbiotic Entity
Also at 2nd level, you gain the ability to channel magic into your spores. As a bonus action, you can expend a use of your Wild Shape feature to awaken those spores, rather than transforming into a beast form, and you gain 4 temporary hit points for each level you have in this class. While this feature is active, you gain the following benefits:- The damage dies for your Halo of Spores is changed to a d6
- Your melee attacks are now coated with spores, adding a roll of your Halo of Spores die, using a d4, as necrotic damage
- You cannot target anything with spells outside of your Halo of Spores areas while Symbiotic Entity is active
- While you have temporary hit points (from Symbiotic Entity) remaining, the following features are in effect once unlocked:
- At 6th level, Successful Constitution Saves against Halo of Spores now deals half damage
- At 10th level the range for Halo of Spores is increased to 20 feet
- At 14th level you can deliver touch spells onto any creature inside your Halo of Spores areas without physically touching them
Fungal Infestation
At 6th level, your spores gain the ability to infest a corpse and animate it. If a creature of size Medium or Small dies within range of your Halo of Spores, you can use your reaction to animate it, causing it to stand up immediately. If the creature is killed by your Halo of Spores damage, you may freely raise it without the use of your reaction. A creature that was never flesh and blood to begin with (such as a construct, elemental, ooze, plant, or undead) can't be animated. The creature uses the Cordyceps Corpse stat block outlined below. It remains animate for one hour after which time it collapses and dies. In combat, the corpse’s turn comes immediately after yours and obeys your mental commands. No more than one corpse can have its animation maintained at a time, although you may relinquish your hold on one to raise a new one (note that no abilities of the relinquished corpse may be used when this is done). This limit increases by one at 10th and 14th level. The risen corpse isn't targeted by the cloud of spores generated by Spreading Spores or any other method used by its summoner.You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest. At 14th level you are able to raise creatures of sizes Large, Medium, and Small.
Spreading Spores
At 10th level, you gain the ability to seed an area with deadly spores. As a bonus action while your Symbiotic Entity feature is active, you can hurl spores up to 30 feet away, where they swirl in a 10-foot cube for 1 minute. The spores disappear early if you use this feature again, if you dismiss them as a bonus action, or if your Symbiotic Entity feature is no longer active.Whenever a creature that isn't you moves into the cube or starts its turn there, that creature takes your Halo of Spores damage, unless the creature succeeds on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. A creature can take this damage no more than once per turn.
While the cube of spores persists, you can't use your Halo of Spores reaction.
Fungal Body
At 14th level, the fungal spores in your body alter you: you can't be blinded, deafened, frightened, or poisoned, and any critical hit against you counts as a normal hit instead, unless you're incapacitated. Moreover, you gain Resistance to Necrotic damage.Cordyceps Corpse
Large or smaller Plant, NeutralAC: 10 + summoner’s Wisdom modifier (Natural Armor)
Hit Points: 3 X druid level X size scaling (1 for medium, 1.5 for large, and 0.5 for small) rounded down
Speed: 30 ft
STR 12 (+1) DEX 12 (+1) CON 18 (+4) INT 2 (-4) WIS 6 (-2) CHA 1 (-5)
Condition Immunities: Blind, Deafened, Frightened, Charmed, Poisoned
Resistances: Necrotic, Poison
Senses: Blindsight 30 ft (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 8
Languages: None, understands any spoken commands from its summoner
Actions:
Melee Weapon Attack: +Wisom modifier of summoner to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit 2d4 necrotic damage (Plus 1d4 for large creature, minus 1d4 for small creatures)
Death’s Reply: Upon taking lethal damage the corpse can use its reaction to quickly grow mushrooms in its head, cracking it open just enough to release a puff of spores. If the target that struck the corpse down is within 10 feet of the corpse it is attacked by Halo of Spores and must make a Constitution saving throw against your Spell Save DC, on a fail taking damage equal to the roll of the Halo of Spores die using d4.
Head-Splitting Spores: As an action the corpse can kill itself by rapidly growing mushrooms in the corpse's head, splitting it open completely to release a cloud of spores in the surrounding area. The spores swirl in a 10-foot cube and only last until the end of the current round. A large creature will create a 20-foot cube while a small creature will only create a 5-foot cube. Each creature (excluding the summoner) inside the cloud must make a Constitution Saving throw against your Spell Save DC, on a fail taking damage equal to the roll of the Halo of Spores die. Any hostile creature that enters or starts its turn in the cloud must do the same. A creature can take this damage no more than once per turn. At 10th level the cloud of spores lasts for 1 minute. This does not remove any spore clouds created by Spreading Spores, but it does similarly preclude the use of Halo of Spores as a reaction. The number of spore clouds created this way is limited by the number of Cordyceps Corpses that the druid is able to have under their control at a time, choosing which cloud they wish to dissipate when the limit is exceeded.
Credits:
u/Answerisequal42 for their Circle of Spores (Variant)Circle of Spores, Variant) on danddwiki
u/lucas-hanson for their Circle of Spores (buffed)
2023.03.28 23:16 askdrprepper The Dangers of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning For Preppers: What You Need To Know - Ask Dr. Prepper
Hello preppers,
I was blown away by the amount of discussion generated by my post last week. I'm going to start posting information as I'm able to, hopefully once a week.
This week's post covers carbon monoxide poisoning--what it is, how it hurts people, what you should do if exposed, and most importantly, what you can do to PREVENT it from affecting you and your family.
It’s late October.
You turn on the pellet stove for the first time this season.
Works well. You settle in for the night.
You wake up with an awful headache, blurry vision, and nausea.
You stumble to the bathroom to throw up. Your legs don’t work right.
You find your significant other there, passed out on the floor.
They have vomit on their face and all over the toilet.
You call 911.
What happened?
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless gas.
It is produced by the incomplete combustion of fuels.
It is a risk whenever something burns.
Your organs need oxygen to function.
When you breathe, your blood absorbs oxygen from the air through your lungs.
When you breathe CO, it binds to your blood 240x more strongly than oxygen.
It prevents oxygen from binding to your blood well.
It also stops your body from using the oxygen it CAN bind.
It also releases damaging chemicals in your body (reactive oxygen species).
Common scenarios include:
Poorly functioning heating systems.
Improperly vented fuel-burning devices (lanterns, kerosene heaters, grills, gas generators).
Cars left running in poorly vented areas.
Fires.
*I put fires last here because the presence of a fire should be obviously dangerous.
The symptoms it causes are nonspecific.
That means they are found in a lot of other diseases.
This can make it hard to recognize even for EMS and docs.
Be vigilant, especially if multiple people have similar symptoms at the same time.
Watch for dizziness, chest pain, confusion, blurred vision, headache, shortness of breath, and nausea.
CO can be detected by machines.
CO monitors are required by code, specifics depending on state.
Some have built-in batteries rated for 10 years.
Some plug in and have a 9V battery as backup.
Some are combination smoke and CO detectors and can be hardwired.
Put one on every floor of your home including the basement.
Install them how the manual says to.
Test them regularly.
I test mine once a week. Press the button until it beeps.
Note that this tests the circuitry but not the CO sensor itself.
You can buy canisters of CO gas to test the actual sensor too.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
If you make propane or kerosene heaters (Mr. Buddy is a popular one) part of your prep, get a battery powered CO detector.
Test it with a fresh battery.
Take the battery out and tape it to the detector.
Store it with the heater.
That way it’s ready to go.
Use the heater in a big area and open the windows (as the environment and OPSEC allow).
If you use a portable generator, move it 20 feet away from the garage.
NOT in the garage. That traps CO.
Even if the door is open, there is likely poor airflow within the 3 remaining walls.
Angle the exhaust away from open doors and windows.
Which of the following doesn’t produce CO?
A. Campfire
B. Electric space heater
C. Kerosene lamp
D. Oil boiler
E. Propane kitchen stove
The electric space heater doesn’t combust fuel to produce heat.
What’s the first step when you think someone might have CO poisoning?
A. Gather important documents.
B. Open a window.
C. Call 911.
D. Evacuate everyone outside.
Evacuate. Opening a window might not be sufficient.
True/false: CO detectors are always different from smoke detectors.
True
False
Combination smoke and CO detectors are sold as well as standalone units. Check which one you have.
True/false: CO poisoning can be mistaken for the flu or other viral illnesses.
True
False
Symptoms of CO poisoning are not specific (headache, vomiting, dizziness) and can lead to misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis. It can be hard to reliably figure out without blood testing, especially if the patient is confused or doesn’t recognize what happened to them.
Take home points:
CO is dangerous.
You can't sense it.
Assume it's present anywhere something is being burned.
It can kill you in minutes if it builds up (improper ventilation).
Get CO monitors if you don’t have them.
Remember to test them.
Put a spare detector with your prep heat/cook source if it uses combustion and you might use it indoors.
Get your stove/furnace/boiler serviced at appropriate intervals, usually yearly.
Stay healthy and stay prepared,
Dr. Prepper
Video: https://youtu.be/aPKEdpcDY34
Article: https://askdrprepper.substack.com/p/headache-dizziness-and-stumbling
See prior post or the About page on Substack for proof of my credentials.
submitted by askdrprepper to preppers [link] [comments]
I was blown away by the amount of discussion generated by my post last week. I'm going to start posting information as I'm able to, hopefully once a week.
This week's post covers carbon monoxide poisoning--what it is, how it hurts people, what you should do if exposed, and most importantly, what you can do to PREVENT it from affecting you and your family.
You turn on the pellet stove for the first time this season.
Works well. You settle in for the night.
You wake up with an awful headache, blurry vision, and nausea.
You stumble to the bathroom to throw up. Your legs don’t work right.
You find your significant other there, passed out on the floor.
They have vomit on their face and all over the toilet.
You call 911.
What happened?
It is produced by the incomplete combustion of fuels.
It is a risk whenever something burns.
When you breathe, your blood absorbs oxygen from the air through your lungs.
When you breathe CO, it binds to your blood 240x more strongly than oxygen.
It prevents oxygen from binding to your blood well.
It also stops your body from using the oxygen it CAN bind.
It also releases damaging chemicals in your body (reactive oxygen species).
Poorly functioning heating systems.
Improperly vented fuel-burning devices (lanterns, kerosene heaters, grills, gas generators).
Cars left running in poorly vented areas.
Fires.
*I put fires last here because the presence of a fire should be obviously dangerous.
That means they are found in a lot of other diseases.
This can make it hard to recognize even for EMS and docs.
Be vigilant, especially if multiple people have similar symptoms at the same time.
Watch for dizziness, chest pain, confusion, blurred vision, headache, shortness of breath, and nausea.
CO monitors are required by code, specifics depending on state.
Some have built-in batteries rated for 10 years.
Some plug in and have a 9V battery as backup.
Some are combination smoke and CO detectors and can be hardwired.
Install them how the manual says to.
Test them regularly.
I test mine once a week. Press the button until it beeps.
Note that this tests the circuitry but not the CO sensor itself.
You can buy canisters of CO gas to test the actual sensor too.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Test it with a fresh battery.
Take the battery out and tape it to the detector.
Store it with the heater.
That way it’s ready to go.
Use the heater in a big area and open the windows (as the environment and OPSEC allow).
NOT in the garage. That traps CO.
Even if the door is open, there is likely poor airflow within the 3 remaining walls.
Angle the exhaust away from open doors and windows.
A. Campfire
B. Electric space heater
C. Kerosene lamp
D. Oil boiler
E. Propane kitchen stove
The electric space heater doesn’t combust fuel to produce heat.
What’s the first step when you think someone might have CO poisoning?
A. Gather important documents.
B. Open a window.
C. Call 911.
D. Evacuate everyone outside.
Evacuate. Opening a window might not be sufficient.
True/false: CO detectors are always different from smoke detectors.
True
False
Combination smoke and CO detectors are sold as well as standalone units. Check which one you have.
True/false: CO poisoning can be mistaken for the flu or other viral illnesses.
True
False
Symptoms of CO poisoning are not specific (headache, vomiting, dizziness) and can lead to misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis. It can be hard to reliably figure out without blood testing, especially if the patient is confused or doesn’t recognize what happened to them.
CO is dangerous.
You can't sense it.
Assume it's present anywhere something is being burned.
It can kill you in minutes if it builds up (improper ventilation).
Get CO monitors if you don’t have them.
Remember to test them.
Put a spare detector with your prep heat/cook source if it uses combustion and you might use it indoors.
Get your stove/furnace/boiler serviced at appropriate intervals, usually yearly.
Stay healthy and stay prepared,
Dr. Prepper
Video: https://youtu.be/aPKEdpcDY34
Article: https://askdrprepper.substack.com/p/headache-dizziness-and-stumbling
See prior post or the About page on Substack for proof of my credentials.
2023.03.28 22:38 Omansurver A text-based work of art inspired by a certain piece of media, created by a fan of said media, which follows the same or an alternate universe of the aforementioned media artwork. Or, a fan fiction.
Dunno if y'all will like this, or if it will even remain up, but a bit of a DISCLAIMER; The first chapter is more akin to a prologue than an actual part of a story, but it is required for the story to make sense, as the story needs a lot of world building and explanation for everything to work out, and unless y'all wanna be confused for the next three chapters, then I suggest you read, unless you aren't interested of course. Oh yeah, it was so long that I needed to post the first chapter in multiple parts, so get comfy, and prepare to read almost forty pages in total.
Chapter One - Part One
Extremely Lengthy Exposition
He didn’t know how to describe it.
A sort of lucid state in which he was only partially aware of who and what he was? Maybe. A condition of some sort of brain death, it being a result of gazing upon an entity far too complex for the human mind to ever even dream of conceiving? Perhaps. Or maybe it was a sign. A sign from whatever gods or higher beings that were our forefathers, our creators. The very things that created the universe, and all others as we know it. Perhaps it was a sign from Them, of his ascension, his final evolution into a being so superior, that to others, he could be considered a god himself. Yes, that was right. He could feel it, the power. Not in a way of touching something with a hand, but in a more metaphysical way, one far better than the crude grasping tools that humanity has had to work with for far too long.
It was so close, the innate understanding that was intrinsically tied into the human genome from eons ago, the inheritance he was meant to receive, what he DESERVED to receive, was right there. All he had to do was reach out, and touch it. He did just that, his mental probes extending outwards towards it, to claim what was rightfully his. He closed his fingers around it, and-
“Jacob, wake up. The doctor is trying to say something to you.”
Or it could just all be a construct of his dying brain, one that was futilely trying to sort the things that he was experiencing into something that could be translated and read.
“Jacob?” His mother repeated, with a more stern note entering her voice.
“Oh uh, sorry. What were you trying to say?” Jacob leaned forward, clasping his hands together, placing his elbows on his knees and leaning on his arms.
“I was asking you how you’ve been feeling recently, as it does pertain to the conversation I am having with your parents.” The doctor smiled patiently, expertly hiding most of his probable frustration behind a veneer of placidity.
“Relatively well, though I have been having a good amount of headaches, considerably more than usual.” Jacob responded, plastering a nonchalant expression onto his face.
“And what about that little . . . episode you had a moment ago?” The doctor questioned, leaning forward expectantly.
“Oh yeah, that. I guess I just kinda zoned out there for a second, you know?” Jacob replied casually.
“Zoned out for over half an hour?” The doctor tilted his head.
“Yep.” Jacob wasn’t going to fall for the bait.
“Hmm.” The doctor leaned back. “Well, I'm fairly sure that ‘zoning out’ for over half an hour with absolutely no idea what's going on in the outside world isn’t exactly normal behavior typical for a boy of your age, Jacob. Did you perchance have any sort of feeling that you can’t explain, or something similar to an out of body experience? It could even just be similar to lucid dreaming.” The doctor appears to be very insistent, Jacob, why don’t you take care of him? You could be out of state within a day or tw-
“Well when you put it like that, sure.” Jacob decided that he would indeed play the doctor’s game.
“Hmm. Well Mrs. Pattine, you heard it from him. When we did our testing last week, we noticed extremely irregular brain patterns that would normally indicate extreme stress upon the brain. However, Jacob here seemed perfectly fine, aside from a rather annoying headache.”
“Now, I’m fairly sure that anybody could deduce that that type of behavior from the brain isn’t good at all. In fact, the tumor that we had diagnosed Jacob the same week, being practically the size of a peanut, has now doubled in size. In fact, the growth appears to be scaling upwards in terms of the growth rate. What was doubling in size per week, will quickly grow to quadrupling, and then quintupling. Soon, Jacob will have to undergo intense chemotherapy.”
Jacob’s mother did not seem placated, like what the doctor was trying to do, but in fact appalled.
“Why are you saying all this in front of him!? He’s just a child for damn sake!” Jacob's mother clutched Jacob tighter, much to his both amusement and frustration after she refused to let go.
“I’m sorry Mrs. Pattine, but all parties involved here have to know what’s at stake here, including young Jacob here.” The doctor, to his credit, did seem genuinely remorseful, yet not really backtracking enough to make an effective apology, more like creating a plausible justification for his actions.
Jacob didn’t really care either way. Well, he did care that he was probably going to die and was thankful that the doctor had decided to be blunt, but not caring about his mother’s rather extreme outburst in his supposed defense.
That had been the case as of late, not really caring about his loved ones. Well, he DID care, at least he thought he did, but why did they always have to be just, so, well, like that all the time? Jacob was rather exasperated from the whole ordeal, and plus, the doctor was talking again.
“-however, we have a solution to this problem of Jacob’s.” The doctor reached out to the briefcase on the table to his right, opening it. He then extracted what appeared to be a syringe filled with clear liquid.
“This is a prototype we, us being ANTI, have been working on for a long time. You might have learned what this is from various pop culture and media sources, but if you don’t, I’ll explain what it is now.” Without giving anybody in the room time to protest, he continued on.
“This is a syringe full of nanobots. Yes, honest-to-god, genuine nanobots. We’ve been working on these for a good amount of time, since around 2000, yet no significant headway had been made towards making a nanobot serum cost-effective enough to employ in more, liberal, uses.”
“However, when Russia annexed Crimea back in 2014, Congress decided that a viable threat was rising, and revived the program with a stimulant called cold hard cash. When another budget increase came with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it didn’t exactly hinder us, and a year later, we came up with the first effective prototype of nanotechnological biological cellular regeneration to date. And now, we're gonna give it to Jacob.”
Mrs. Pattine didn’t appear to care about all of the war stuff or fancy political words, only really catching onto the words of, “give it to Jacob” and responded accordingly.
“I don’t believe it. What's the catch?” Mrs. Pattine glared suspiciously at the doctor.
“No catch, just the requirement that we are given full liberty to experiment on the tumor in Jacob’s head, within legal bounds.” The doctor appears to be trying to brush over that fact, but Mrs. Pattine also catches onto the important bits.
“You want to experiment on my son!? That sounds like a pretty big catch to me!” Mrs. Pattine screeches in protest.
“It’ll be within full humane laws, nothing illegal, I promise you. In fact, we’ll give you even more incentive.” The doctor pauses, seemingly for dramatic effect.
“So, out with it!” Mrs. Pattine seems to be quite stressed, and most likely wants nothing more than to just go home already.
“We will give you a sum of thirty million dollars, with no tax put on it.” The doctor says plainly.
Mrs. Pattine doesn’t react for a moment, seemingly processing what she just heard.
“Th-th-thirty million dollars!?” Mrs. Pattine splutters in disbelief. “You can’t be serious!”
The doctor chuckles. “Oh but I am. We’ll place it directly into your bank account, as liquid assets would likely be hard to manage for you. It’ll even be covered by insurance.”
Mrs. Pattine clearly is still suspicious. “This is too good to be true.”
“I can assure you, Mrs. Pattine, it is not.”
She looks unsure as to whether or not to take the deal, and looks at Jacob.
“Go ahead.” Jacob shrugs, hoping to maybe NOT die.
Mrs. Pattine then gets up. “I need to go over this with my family.”
They accepted the deal.
* * *
Three days later, Jacob was inside a chamber packed with men and women in lab coats, all of them seeming to be doing something important. The room was about twenty feet in diameter and in height, circular, with a large ten-foot-high blast door being the only intentional access point that could be used to enter the chamber. A large secure industrial vent was inset into the ceiling, also covered with a steel mesh to prevent something from getting in, or perhaps out. In the center of it all was a large contraption, with many pipes, hoses, and wires protruding from various access ports around the machine. It all seemed a bit too militaristic for a minor cryo experiment, but what did he know?
On the front of the machine in the center of the room was a thick plastic cover that exposed the interior, the interior being a cavity about eight feet tall and two feet wide. It appeared to have been designed to allow a human to rest upright inside the machine, and rest comfortably to boot, utilizing a foam mold to mimic a bed. In fact, the little foam mold appears to be fitted to Jacob’s exact dimensions. Jacob, being the ever-curious fellow, inquired as to what the strange doohickey.
“So uh, what am I looking at here?” Jacob gestured to the machine in the center of the room.
“This is, for all intents and purposes, a cryo pod. It can effectively freeze a human being, preserving them for extended periods of time, without them growing or aging at all.” The doctor, who appeared to be in charge of this whole ordeal, answered him.
“And you’re putting me in there?” Jacob asked.
“Yes. We are hoping to learn more about that little tumor-that-isn’t-a-tumor in your head, as it's something that we haven’t ever seen before. Since the tumor is progressing at an alarmingly fast pace, and since we don’t want you to die, we will be placing you in this for a single year, on the dot. The freeze will stop the progression of the tumor, and the nanobots will keep you in top shape even if something goes wrong with the pod, and they will even combat the tumor, so you aren’t in any danger.” The doctor replied.
“Huh. And you’re gonna find some sort of miracle cure for the tumor while I’m on ice?” Jacob asked, wanting to get all of the essential information.
“Yes.” The doctor didn’t elaborate this time.
“Uh, cool. So we’re starting now? I was wondering why I was in this weird looking wetsuit thingy.” Jacob pulled at his sleeves, the tightness of them a little uncomfortable.
“Yes. Once the specs have been fully calibrated, we can place you in the pod, and you can say goodnight.” The doctor nodded to himself. “Yes, it should only be ten more minutes.”
* * *
Fifteen minutes later, a bit over schedule, everything was set up. Jacob was standing in front of the cryo pod, talking to one of the doctors.
“So I just step inside, right?” Jacob inquired.
“Correct you are. We’ll strap you up, run diagnostics, and then see you in t- a year.” The lady, Dr. Sophia Vasel by her nametag, appeared to have stopped herself from saying something was either a simple misspoken word, or something she wasn’t supposed to say. It didn’t really matter to Jacob, since you could just kill her, now and be done with it. It would be so easy, to ju-
“Alright, nice.” Jacob stepped up inside, a little stepladder conveniently set into the machine. He turned around and shifted a little, trying to get comfortable. Dr. Vasel and one other doctor began strapping him in, hooking little electrodes and wires up to him to do all sorts of technical mumbo jumbo. After a minute of attaching devices to him and making sure everything was in order, they began to run diagnostics to make sure everything electronic was working. After an agonizingly long ten minutes of affirming and reaffirming, the first doctor that he had met with walked up to the plastic clear door with a microphone in his hand.
“Can you hear me Jacob?” The doctor asked.
“Yeh.” Jacob replied lamely
“Uhm, OK, it seems like everything is alright on our side, so without further ado, I think we’ll be seeing you in a year.” The doctor nodded to his colleagues next to him, and they started to press buttons on the console. A loud alarm started blaring, and a hissing noise spread throughout the pod. Devices began to inject what was probably some sort of powerful anesthetic, considering he began feeling extremely drowsy a moment later.
The last thing he saw before he fell asleep was the plastic cover being coated in frost.
* * *
Three weeks after that, a government official of the program that had taken Jacob Pattine in for treatment and experimentation contacted the Pattine family to offer their condolences, as they had to inform them that due to a malfunction in the systems of the nanobots, Jacob Pattine had unfortunately died in testing, and that they hoped this won’t sour relations between them.
However, it did sour relations between them, as the subsequent lawsuit against them proved all too well. It had even progressed to a Supreme Court case called Pattine v Army Nanotechnological Initiative, which ended up with a seventy-two million dollar payment towards the Pattines, and a ruling that outlawed any and all with the use and/or experimentation on humans with nanotechnology, as it was deemed too dangerous to use on humans. A deep-dive into the records of the ANTI yielded many discoveries, the most notable of them being the many deaths of humans in the testing trials of the nanobots. This also led to the dissolution of the ANTI, and shaped the future of nanotechnology for years to come.
However, using nanobots for the use on humans didn’t stop there. In fact, some would say it thrived, just in a different way than imagined. Like many other creations that were found to be too radical or immoral for the majority of the populace, the CIA was the one to collect the scraps, and make it their own. By using their own funding to revive the unofficially named Nano-Cryo project, they resumed research, employing many of the original members of the infamous project, with the doctor being put back in charge of the currently unnamed project.
That left only Jacob to deal with. Luckily for him, Jacob wasn’t so disposable as some might believe, as certain conditions on his being made his potential quite desirable to some shadowy heads of certain organizations. This led to the CIA creating a cover story about the unfortunate death of the boy, which would allow them to both obtain the asset, and snip off the loose thread that was ANTI, killing two birds with one stone. They continued testing within CIA Black Site-046, which was located within the city known as New Jersey, which would later influence the name of the secretive project.
One more alteration would be made to the test. As Jacob had now been cut off from the outside world and was presumed dead, the CIA had no worry about public retribution, allowing them to extend his period in the cryo pod from one year to ten. At the end of the ten years, Jacob would be woken up from stasis, and testing would be enacted, with various procedures analyzing how his physiology had reacted to the tumor and the extended stay in cryostasis. The nanobots were there to ensure that Jacob didn’t die from the tumor, but also to make sure he didn’t die from the long periods of time spent sleeping. After twenty-four hours had passed, Jacob would be placed back within the cryo pod, and be woken up again when another ten years had passed, with this cycle repeating for the foreseeable future.
In the development of the cryostasis model, one thing had persisted throughout the trials. When the testers had been subjected to extended periods of time within stasis, once unfrozen, the brain would refuse to reactivate. No matter what measures were taken, the brain would simply not resume biological function, and the subject would be effectively dead. The leading theory on this was that the brain had been “dead” for so long, that it simply couldn’t remember that it was alive. This is the same reason why cavemen, even if perfectly preserved in ice, couldn’t be simply revived with a shock paddle or some adrenaline.
So, the nanobots were there to stimulate and keep the brain semi-active during time spent sleeping, keeping the brain alive through the barest of actions, making it more akin to sleep instead of simply dying and then being revived with a perfectly preserved body and brain. However, this led to the tumor being slightly active as well, so it would still progress while within stasis, albeit at an incredibly glacial pace. This would likely cause problems in the future, but a solution is bound to come up at some point.
Right?
* * *
Invariably.
What an interesting word
And a nice one at that. It really just rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it? A word that most people probably can’t even recall the meaning of, yet is seen so commonly in works that are often above the skill of your average eighth grader. It means for something to happen a lot, or always. For instance, you could say, “Oh, whenever I go to my friend's house, the meals his mother makes are invariably burnt.” or something along those lines.
Jacob couldn’t apply that word to his situation.
That would imply that he had been doing or experiencing something for long enough that he could use that word as a hyperbole. However, he hadn’t. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Imagine blinking your eyes. Now try to recall how long the moment between opening your eyes and the light reaching your eyes was. Now that's a more accurate comparison.
Right when Jacob closed his eyes, he had been hearing a hissing sound, expecting sleep to take him. Then a slight, rather odd blip in his awareness caused him to lose his bearings for a moment, but quickly regained them. The hissing continued, and became rather annoying after a bit, considering the nasty headache he currently had. Did he have that before he entered the pod? He wasn’t sure, but he was having a hard time remembering his last moments before he entered the machine, which was odd, as that was just a moment ago. Oh, now the hissing noise is stopping, so Jacob guessed that the doctors realized there was a problem, and were now spooling down the machine to take him out before something disastrous happened.
The hissing noise stopped, and the sound of pistons groaning filled the small cavity instead, along with a notable difference in the positioning of the cryo pod door, specifically moving upward. Ah, now the door is opening, fantastic. Jacob hoped that he could just get this damn experiment underway, without any more delays.
Goddamn the door is slow. At least he could see somewhat outside, as the door had opened up enough to let him see the feet of two people standing outside his little home. Actually, scratch that, three people standing outside, as the door had opened more up to let him see a third person standing behind the pair that were closest to him. He blinked several times to clear the fog from his eyesight, his eyeballs feeling pretty cold, as if he had spent a little in pure winter weather with his eyes open, letting them freeze a bit. Matter of fact, as feeling returned to his body, he felt cold all over. Not so cold that it was painful, but more of a cool uncomfortableness.
Speaking of feeling returning to his body, he felt a rather unpleasant prickling sensation throughout himself, like his entire body had fallen asleep, or if he had just returned from the cold after a long stay in the frigid winter air. He flexed his fingers, or at least tried to. His fingers were encased in a hard plastic glove, molded to fit his hand. It was the same story with the rest of his body, many straps fastened tight enough to restrict his movement, but not enough to restrict his blood flow. He tried to see more than the feet of the unknown people in front of him, as the door was open about halfway now, but the fog, or maybe steam, wafting up from his pod was masking everything else.
Oh yeah, the hissing was back too.
After another eternity of the door just slowly opening, the long-awaited event finally arrived. The door clanked to a stop, now resting somewhere on top of the cryo pod. The hissing noise also came to a stop, seeming to have been the cause of the fog as well, considering how it began to clear up with the end of the abhorrent hissing sound. The fog cleared up fully, allowing him to see a rather strange sight.
Three people in full hazmat suits were standing in front of him, one of the two in front holding an odd device that looked vaguely like a heart monitor. The one with the heart monitor stepped up to him, uttering a single word.
“Please hold still.”
Jacob naturally held still as the person wrapped a sensor on his wrist, then one on his neck. The man then pressed a few buttons on his little machine, and then watched some sort of readout on the screen that Jacob couldn’t make out from his angle. The man stayed like that for about half a minute before taking off the little sensors from his wrist and neck, and then put the device down on some sort of table that Jacob also couldn’t see due to his angle, before nodding to the man beside him.
The pair moved into action, unstrapping and unclamping him in various areas around his body, unrestricting his movement. Jacob didn’t move yet though, as once the pair were done taking off the various inhibitors, the third man in the back stepped up, as if he wanted to speak. The unnamed man grabbed the bottom of his visor, where a small lip was present. The man then used that lip to pull up the plastic covering his face, or at least the layer that was preventing Jacob from seeing his face. The man pulled it up, revealing the doctor, who’s name he still didn’t know. However, something was off about him, though Jacob couldn’t put his finger on it.
“Long time no see Jacob.” The doctor smiles disarmingly, which makes Jacob beg the question of why he would need to be disarmed.
“What do you mean, ‘Long time’? It hasn’t even been half an hour.” Jacob frowns, tilting his head questioningly, though Jacob is pretty sure he already knows the answer to his own question.
The doctor’s smile wavers, and his eyes turn downcast, avoiding Jacob’s.
“Well, ah, you see Jacob, it HAS been a long time. I imagine you just didn’t notice, due to no little input on our part.”
Suddenly, Jacob realized what was off about the doctor. When he had seen him last, the doctor had a look about him that made him seem like he could be in his early thirties or late twenties, with a little margin for error, of course.
However, The doctor now looked like he had aged around a decade, sporting a few new wrinkles that definitely weren’t there before. Instead of being a man just entering his more mature ages, he looked more like a man entering a higher, more responsible position in your standard American technical corporation. To put it shortly, he looked like he was in his forties.
“So you're saying that it's been a year already, and I was just too out of it to notice?” The doctor winced, and opened up his mouth to speak, but Jacob continued talking.
“However, I have noticed that while you said I was supposed to be in here for a year, the actual reality is different. Unless you somehow had a growth spurt, or decided that looking older was a new fashion trend, it's odd that you seem to have aged a decade in what was supposed to be a year of stasis.” Jacob tilted his head, focusing a stare on the doctor. “Tell me, doctor, how long was I out?”
The pair in front of him, having been listening this whole time, looked back at the doctor expectantly. The doctor shook his head, and attempted a smile, though the result looked more like a pained grimace. The doctor then looked up at Jacob, giving him a strange look.
“Noticed that, did you? Well, I suppose you do deserve an explanation. Let's talk about this in a more, comfortable, area.”
* * *
Jacob fixed the doctor with another bland stare for the fifteenth time in four minutes.
“So you’re telling me, that the damn CIA kidnapped me, your government organization was dissolved, and now I’m officially dead to the outside world? Not to mention I was asleep for not a year, but a decade?” Jacob said all of this with a tone that might have implied disbelief and anger.
“Well, when you put it like that, it sounds, well, exactly like what happened I suppose, but I wouldn’t put it, well, any sort of other way, so yes.” The doctor, contrary to the facade he was still bravely trying to put up, didn’t appear too comfortable with telling Jacob all of this. After all, who would want to tell an innocent, carefree, bright-eyed young boy, that his family thought him dead, and that he was asleep for a decade as well.
Jacob leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms and breathed out the air he had been holding in.
“Huh.” Jacob didn’t elaborate.
“I’m sure that this might be very alarming to you, but remember that this wasn’t in our control. I’m very sorry for your loss, but just know that we do have therapists and other people that you can talk to on hand, just let us know.” The doctor didn’t seem very proud of this series of unfortunate events happening to the aforementioned carefree child.
“Well, as long as they aren’t dead yet, I’ll be fine.” Jacob shrugs.
The doctor blinks in surprise.
“I- what? Are you sure? Your mental health is very important, and despite what our higher ups at the CIA might say, you are also important as a person.” The doctor had an increasingly worried expression on his face.
“Nah, I think I’m pretty good for now.” Jacob remained seemingly uncaring for his current status as perceived dead by his family, or for his mental health. “So, what happens to me now? I’m assuming I’m not getting executed for lack of further usefulness, or else you wouldn’t be offering me therapists, and I’m not exactly going back out into society, as that would be a rather awkward situation for the CIA. So, that leaves only one more avenue of action.” Jacob leaned forward. “I’m going back in the machine, aren’t I?”
“. . . yes.” The doctor seemed put off by Jacob’s lengthy statement.
Jacob leaned back and nodded, satisfied by his answer. “I have just one question then.”
The doctor cocked an eyebrow.
“Why am I so important? Plenty of people have brain tumors, and yet you guys aren’t kidnapping those people, right? So, what makes this one special?” Jacob tapped the side of his head.
The doctor cleared his throat, seemingly more comfortable to be conversing over a topic more familiar to him, like neuroscience.
“I can do that. Follow me.”
* * *
The doctor led Jacob to a room with only one other person inside, that person being an assistant. The lights were off, the only source of illumination being a projector shining on a blank whiteboard, the image being an x-ray of what looked like a brain.
“Well, as I’ve said before, that so-called tumor in your head isn’t exactly behaving like a tumor normally would. In the beginning, when it first appeared, it looked like any old brain tumor, forming in your cerebral cortex. It grew a bit abnormally, but nothing too out of the ordinary.” The doctor pointed at a small marble sized mass that was present inside the aforementioned section of the brain on the projection. “However, that's when things took a turn for the stranger.” The doctor motioned for the assistant to switch to the next slide, which he did.
The diagram now showed the same image as before, which Jacob now knew to be his brain, with the sole difference being that the mass had now enlarged, seemingly spreading what looked like feelers or tentacles outwards, the longest one stretching towards a middle section of the brain.
“After this happened, we were notified through plants, and we took over your medical case, observing the growth of your tumor.” The slide switched again, now showing a larger tumor. It had grown even more feelers, now numbering at five, and the longest one was now in the middle of the brain.
“The tumor had spread itself out, and the longest appendage of it had now entered what we call the anterior insular cortex, or, “ The doctor looked at Jacob. “the empathy center.”
Jacob stared back at the doctor, not showing any outward form of reaction. The doctor looked back towards the projection, clearing his throat.
“Ahem, anyway. As you can probably guess, this was highly irregular behavior from what was supposed to be a simple tumor. And what we realized next was even more shocking.” The assistant clicked to the next slide, this one showing . . . nothing.
Actually, it did show something, Jacob just didn’t notice at first. The tumor was now not a simple mass, but instead had somehow become, fainter, he supposed. It didn’t have any clear separation from his brain, instead, only sections could be made out from the former tumor. It seemed like it had merged with his brain, which wasn’t exactly comforting to Jacob.
“The tumor now couldn’t be described as a simple tumor. We had to deduce that it had somehow become part of your brain, as we couldn’t find any clear definition of where the tumor began and where it ended. We could still technically see the tumor, though it was like it had faded its edges in with your brain, merging with it.” The assistant shut off the projector, and turned the lights back on.
The doctor turned back towards Jacob, with what looked to be a sympathetic expression on his face.
“Now I hope you understand why we want to know what the hell this thing is. If this was some sort of parasite, and if it could spread . . “ The doctor let Jacob figure out the rest on his own.
“Huh, yeah. I wouldn’t really want the world to turn into a reenactment of a certain hit TV adaptation of a certain hit zombie game.” Jacob nodded. “So, how are you gonna go about solving, “ Jacob gestured haphazardly to his head. “This?”
“We . . . aren’t sure yet.” The doctor grimaced. “However, it has only been, well, it's been quite awhile, but we learned a lot from the first go around. We are hoping to gain more data from the next decade, with some new technologies to be used.”
Jacob nodded his head, looking around. “So do I just go back in now?”
“No, actually. The planned procedure is to keep you awake for a minimum of twelve hours, with us taking several tests to determine if any changes have been made to your mental or intellectual state. And also, you are going to have to visit some therapists, that's non-optional.” The doctor replied.
Jacob only grunted in response to that last statement.
* * *
Jacob is running on a treadmill, with several devices measuring his various functions.
“Just let us know when you’re getting tired.” The man, Dr. Markus Vasquez by his nametag, repeated for the fifth time.
“And that would be right around now, actually.” Jacob stopped running when Dr. Vasquez pressed the off button.
“Hmm, alright. You’re operating at standard rates for a boy of your age.” Dr. Vasquez writes down notes on his clipboard, probably about him. Or maybe some sort of weird fan fiction about some US president, you never know.
Dr. Vasquez motioned for Jacob to follow him, which Jacob does.
“And that should conclude your physical testing regimen for today.” Dr. Vasquez leads Jacob into a square room about six feet wide, with a couch, a chair, two tables, a bookshelf, and a TV on the wall opposite from the couch.
Then, another doctor walks into the room, holding a clipboard and a sheet of papers. Dr. Vasquez and the new doctor share a few silent words, ones that Jacob can’t make out, before Dr. Vasquez walks out of the room. The new doctor, a Dr. Sophia Vasel by her nametag, sits down on the chair next to the couch.
“Hey again Jacob. I’m here to-” Dr. Vasel begins, but Jacob cuts her off.
“Oh wait, aren’t you one of the people who strapped me in that pod a decade ago?” Jacob tilts his head questioningly.
Dr. Vasel blinks. “Erm, yes. Anyway, I’m just here to give you a couple tests, alright? Just standard procedure.” Dr. Vasel flips through her clipboard. “Here is the first one.”
Jacob started again. “No signing any forms or asking for consent or anything?”
Dr. Vasel hid her apparent frustration admirably. “Uh, no. Our policy doesn’t require us to do that. Anyway, if we could get on with the test?” Dr. Vasel pulled out a pen. “Just some questions for the first one.”
* * *
Jacob was a bit bored.
Actually, that was an understatement. He was VERY bored. There, a much more apt statement.
After a large amount of rigorous testing, physical, mental, biological, the whole shebang, they had basically left him in the small room and told him to entertain himself for the remaining eight hours, twenty-seven minutes, and five seconds. After that, he would be going back into cryosleep. They gave him access to a good amount of literature from his time, as well as giving him a rather generous library of online media, also from his time. However, they had severely underestimated his preferences, as the majority of the online material consisted of children for the age of ten, and all the good books he had already read several times over.
So yes, he was quite bored. So bored, in fact, that even pacing around and thinking couldn’t sate his hunger for entertainment, as the intense migraine he had prevented him from running any sort of complicated scenario that could even mildly entertain him. So, he was forced to turn to his old friend.
History.
A decade ought to have yielded a good amount of entertaining historical fruit, especially when you consider the rather hot pot that was world politics at the time of the beginning of his short nap. So, he had requested a book that recapped everything important that had happened in the last ten years. And how interesting it was.
Standing out the most in terms of the global stage, the American intervention in the Russo-Ukrainian war, pushing the Russians not just out of Ukraine, but also reclaiming Crimea for the Ukrainians as well. This had happened due to Russia repeatedly threatening to use nuclear weapons in the war, and so America finally had to intervene, managing to push them out of Ukraine in just two and a half months. And it seems Russia was bluffing, as no nukes were ever launched.
However, war wasn’t the only highlight of the last decade, as a miniature space race actually occurred not between the East and the West, but SpaceX and NASA were both racing for the clout and money that being the first to have a human land on Mars would be. It ended up with a SpaceX victory, and not a small amount of a budget increase.
Nanotechnology had also progressed, yet not as much as other avenues, as it's mostly been used for small-scale construction supposedly. Congress was being quite strict on the Supreme Court’s ruling. However, some small advancements had been made in the effectiveness and build of a standard nanobot, making them considerably cheaper and easier to make. However, the availability of nanobots was mostly limited to either private firms or large corporations willing to invest in the product.
As entertaining as history was, it wasn’t enough to sustain him for more than an hour, so he resigned himself to sitting, standing, pacing, and occasionally watching kids cartoons for the rest of his time. He wasn’t going to ask for his benefactors to obtain some new content for him to watch, not because they couldn’t, no, they likely could do anything, but because his pride would be too injured if he did. Yes, a truly brilliant mind we have here.
* * *
“This feels familiar.” Jacob mused, his words certainly pertaining to the scenario that he was currently in.
Dr. Vasel and another doctor were strapping him in, securing his hands and feet in molded plastic to restrict movement, and straps to secure his arms and legs. This time, a little hat with a dozen blinking electrodes was added to his menagerie of devices. They had also given him a fresh edition of nanobots, these ones supposedly more efficient by two percent. Yes, such a great increase. However, they also fed off the energy his own body produced, so that theoretically gave them an infinite life, as long as he was alive.
The doctors finished up strapping him into the machine, giving him a final once over to make sure nothing bad happens again. They stepped back, and began to run diagnostics on their computers to make sure everything electronic was in order as well.
Jacob sighed. He had a feeling that this set of actions would become an agonizingly long procedure.
After a very long fifteen minutes, the unnamed doctor, who had come down during the diagnostics, nodded to an assistant, and he began pressing buttons. The machine clicked and hissed, and the door came down, blissfully quicker this time. After just thirty seconds, the door sealed shut, and Jacob saw the doctor through the plastic. The doctor walked out of sight, as the foggy plastic couldn’t see that far, though the doctor clearly went somewhere where he could talk to Jacob, as he heard the doctor’s voice over what sounded like an intercom inside the pod.
“You can hear me, right Jacob?” The doctor asked.
“Uh, yep.” Jacob replied.
“Very good. As there isn’t anything else we have to do on our end, we’ll be sending you off right about now. Any questions before you’re frozen?” The doctor inquired.
“None that I can recall.” Jacob said.
“Then we’ll see you again in ten years.” The doctor said.
The intercom shut off with a crackle, and the hissing noise came back, probably meaning he was gonna fall asleep any time now. He wondered what the world would look like in another decade, bu-
Oh wait, he did have a question. What WAS the doctor’s nam-
-------------------------------
Part Two is gonna come, maybe in a day. I've already finished it, but the first part will serve to as a way to observe this communities reactions to this little thing, and see if I should post another. I expect about ten to twenty chapters, with hopefully not all of them being as long as this one, so yeah, hope y'all like this.
submitted by Omansurver to MurderDrones [link] [comments]
Chapter One - Part One
Extremely Lengthy Exposition
He didn’t know how to describe it.
A sort of lucid state in which he was only partially aware of who and what he was? Maybe. A condition of some sort of brain death, it being a result of gazing upon an entity far too complex for the human mind to ever even dream of conceiving? Perhaps. Or maybe it was a sign. A sign from whatever gods or higher beings that were our forefathers, our creators. The very things that created the universe, and all others as we know it. Perhaps it was a sign from Them, of his ascension, his final evolution into a being so superior, that to others, he could be considered a god himself. Yes, that was right. He could feel it, the power. Not in a way of touching something with a hand, but in a more metaphysical way, one far better than the crude grasping tools that humanity has had to work with for far too long.
It was so close, the innate understanding that was intrinsically tied into the human genome from eons ago, the inheritance he was meant to receive, what he DESERVED to receive, was right there. All he had to do was reach out, and touch it. He did just that, his mental probes extending outwards towards it, to claim what was rightfully his. He closed his fingers around it, and-
“Jacob, wake up. The doctor is trying to say something to you.”
Or it could just all be a construct of his dying brain, one that was futilely trying to sort the things that he was experiencing into something that could be translated and read.
“Jacob?” His mother repeated, with a more stern note entering her voice.
“Oh uh, sorry. What were you trying to say?” Jacob leaned forward, clasping his hands together, placing his elbows on his knees and leaning on his arms.
“I was asking you how you’ve been feeling recently, as it does pertain to the conversation I am having with your parents.” The doctor smiled patiently, expertly hiding most of his probable frustration behind a veneer of placidity.
“Relatively well, though I have been having a good amount of headaches, considerably more than usual.” Jacob responded, plastering a nonchalant expression onto his face.
“And what about that little . . . episode you had a moment ago?” The doctor questioned, leaning forward expectantly.
“Oh yeah, that. I guess I just kinda zoned out there for a second, you know?” Jacob replied casually.
“Zoned out for over half an hour?” The doctor tilted his head.
“Yep.” Jacob wasn’t going to fall for the bait.
“Hmm.” The doctor leaned back. “Well, I'm fairly sure that ‘zoning out’ for over half an hour with absolutely no idea what's going on in the outside world isn’t exactly normal behavior typical for a boy of your age, Jacob. Did you perchance have any sort of feeling that you can’t explain, or something similar to an out of body experience? It could even just be similar to lucid dreaming.” The doctor appears to be very insistent, Jacob, why don’t you take care of him? You could be out of state within a day or tw-
“Well when you put it like that, sure.” Jacob decided that he would indeed play the doctor’s game.
“Hmm. Well Mrs. Pattine, you heard it from him. When we did our testing last week, we noticed extremely irregular brain patterns that would normally indicate extreme stress upon the brain. However, Jacob here seemed perfectly fine, aside from a rather annoying headache.”
“Now, I’m fairly sure that anybody could deduce that that type of behavior from the brain isn’t good at all. In fact, the tumor that we had diagnosed Jacob the same week, being practically the size of a peanut, has now doubled in size. In fact, the growth appears to be scaling upwards in terms of the growth rate. What was doubling in size per week, will quickly grow to quadrupling, and then quintupling. Soon, Jacob will have to undergo intense chemotherapy.”
Jacob’s mother did not seem placated, like what the doctor was trying to do, but in fact appalled.
“Why are you saying all this in front of him!? He’s just a child for damn sake!” Jacob's mother clutched Jacob tighter, much to his both amusement and frustration after she refused to let go.
“I’m sorry Mrs. Pattine, but all parties involved here have to know what’s at stake here, including young Jacob here.” The doctor, to his credit, did seem genuinely remorseful, yet not really backtracking enough to make an effective apology, more like creating a plausible justification for his actions.
Jacob didn’t really care either way. Well, he did care that he was probably going to die and was thankful that the doctor had decided to be blunt, but not caring about his mother’s rather extreme outburst in his supposed defense.
That had been the case as of late, not really caring about his loved ones. Well, he DID care, at least he thought he did, but why did they always have to be just, so, well, like that all the time? Jacob was rather exasperated from the whole ordeal, and plus, the doctor was talking again.
“-however, we have a solution to this problem of Jacob’s.” The doctor reached out to the briefcase on the table to his right, opening it. He then extracted what appeared to be a syringe filled with clear liquid.
“This is a prototype we, us being ANTI, have been working on for a long time. You might have learned what this is from various pop culture and media sources, but if you don’t, I’ll explain what it is now.” Without giving anybody in the room time to protest, he continued on.
“This is a syringe full of nanobots. Yes, honest-to-god, genuine nanobots. We’ve been working on these for a good amount of time, since around 2000, yet no significant headway had been made towards making a nanobot serum cost-effective enough to employ in more, liberal, uses.”
“However, when Russia annexed Crimea back in 2014, Congress decided that a viable threat was rising, and revived the program with a stimulant called cold hard cash. When another budget increase came with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it didn’t exactly hinder us, and a year later, we came up with the first effective prototype of nanotechnological biological cellular regeneration to date. And now, we're gonna give it to Jacob.”
Mrs. Pattine didn’t appear to care about all of the war stuff or fancy political words, only really catching onto the words of, “give it to Jacob” and responded accordingly.
“I don’t believe it. What's the catch?” Mrs. Pattine glared suspiciously at the doctor.
“No catch, just the requirement that we are given full liberty to experiment on the tumor in Jacob’s head, within legal bounds.” The doctor appears to be trying to brush over that fact, but Mrs. Pattine also catches onto the important bits.
“You want to experiment on my son!? That sounds like a pretty big catch to me!” Mrs. Pattine screeches in protest.
“It’ll be within full humane laws, nothing illegal, I promise you. In fact, we’ll give you even more incentive.” The doctor pauses, seemingly for dramatic effect.
“So, out with it!” Mrs. Pattine seems to be quite stressed, and most likely wants nothing more than to just go home already.
“We will give you a sum of thirty million dollars, with no tax put on it.” The doctor says plainly.
Mrs. Pattine doesn’t react for a moment, seemingly processing what she just heard.
“Th-th-thirty million dollars!?” Mrs. Pattine splutters in disbelief. “You can’t be serious!”
The doctor chuckles. “Oh but I am. We’ll place it directly into your bank account, as liquid assets would likely be hard to manage for you. It’ll even be covered by insurance.”
Mrs. Pattine clearly is still suspicious. “This is too good to be true.”
“I can assure you, Mrs. Pattine, it is not.”
She looks unsure as to whether or not to take the deal, and looks at Jacob.
“Go ahead.” Jacob shrugs, hoping to maybe NOT die.
Mrs. Pattine then gets up. “I need to go over this with my family.”
They accepted the deal.
* * *
Three days later, Jacob was inside a chamber packed with men and women in lab coats, all of them seeming to be doing something important. The room was about twenty feet in diameter and in height, circular, with a large ten-foot-high blast door being the only intentional access point that could be used to enter the chamber. A large secure industrial vent was inset into the ceiling, also covered with a steel mesh to prevent something from getting in, or perhaps out. In the center of it all was a large contraption, with many pipes, hoses, and wires protruding from various access ports around the machine. It all seemed a bit too militaristic for a minor cryo experiment, but what did he know?
On the front of the machine in the center of the room was a thick plastic cover that exposed the interior, the interior being a cavity about eight feet tall and two feet wide. It appeared to have been designed to allow a human to rest upright inside the machine, and rest comfortably to boot, utilizing a foam mold to mimic a bed. In fact, the little foam mold appears to be fitted to Jacob’s exact dimensions. Jacob, being the ever-curious fellow, inquired as to what the strange doohickey.
“So uh, what am I looking at here?” Jacob gestured to the machine in the center of the room.
“This is, for all intents and purposes, a cryo pod. It can effectively freeze a human being, preserving them for extended periods of time, without them growing or aging at all.” The doctor, who appeared to be in charge of this whole ordeal, answered him.
“And you’re putting me in there?” Jacob asked.
“Yes. We are hoping to learn more about that little tumor-that-isn’t-a-tumor in your head, as it's something that we haven’t ever seen before. Since the tumor is progressing at an alarmingly fast pace, and since we don’t want you to die, we will be placing you in this for a single year, on the dot. The freeze will stop the progression of the tumor, and the nanobots will keep you in top shape even if something goes wrong with the pod, and they will even combat the tumor, so you aren’t in any danger.” The doctor replied.
“Huh. And you’re gonna find some sort of miracle cure for the tumor while I’m on ice?” Jacob asked, wanting to get all of the essential information.
“Yes.” The doctor didn’t elaborate this time.
“Uh, cool. So we’re starting now? I was wondering why I was in this weird looking wetsuit thingy.” Jacob pulled at his sleeves, the tightness of them a little uncomfortable.
“Yes. Once the specs have been fully calibrated, we can place you in the pod, and you can say goodnight.” The doctor nodded to himself. “Yes, it should only be ten more minutes.”
* * *
Fifteen minutes later, a bit over schedule, everything was set up. Jacob was standing in front of the cryo pod, talking to one of the doctors.
“So I just step inside, right?” Jacob inquired.
“Correct you are. We’ll strap you up, run diagnostics, and then see you in t- a year.” The lady, Dr. Sophia Vasel by her nametag, appeared to have stopped herself from saying something was either a simple misspoken word, or something she wasn’t supposed to say. It didn’t really matter to Jacob, since you could just kill her, now and be done with it. It would be so easy, to ju-
“Alright, nice.” Jacob stepped up inside, a little stepladder conveniently set into the machine. He turned around and shifted a little, trying to get comfortable. Dr. Vasel and one other doctor began strapping him in, hooking little electrodes and wires up to him to do all sorts of technical mumbo jumbo. After a minute of attaching devices to him and making sure everything was in order, they began to run diagnostics to make sure everything electronic was working. After an agonizingly long ten minutes of affirming and reaffirming, the first doctor that he had met with walked up to the plastic clear door with a microphone in his hand.
“Can you hear me Jacob?” The doctor asked.
“Yeh.” Jacob replied lamely
“Uhm, OK, it seems like everything is alright on our side, so without further ado, I think we’ll be seeing you in a year.” The doctor nodded to his colleagues next to him, and they started to press buttons on the console. A loud alarm started blaring, and a hissing noise spread throughout the pod. Devices began to inject what was probably some sort of powerful anesthetic, considering he began feeling extremely drowsy a moment later.
The last thing he saw before he fell asleep was the plastic cover being coated in frost.
* * *
Three weeks after that, a government official of the program that had taken Jacob Pattine in for treatment and experimentation contacted the Pattine family to offer their condolences, as they had to inform them that due to a malfunction in the systems of the nanobots, Jacob Pattine had unfortunately died in testing, and that they hoped this won’t sour relations between them.
However, it did sour relations between them, as the subsequent lawsuit against them proved all too well. It had even progressed to a Supreme Court case called Pattine v Army Nanotechnological Initiative, which ended up with a seventy-two million dollar payment towards the Pattines, and a ruling that outlawed any and all with the use and/or experimentation on humans with nanotechnology, as it was deemed too dangerous to use on humans. A deep-dive into the records of the ANTI yielded many discoveries, the most notable of them being the many deaths of humans in the testing trials of the nanobots. This also led to the dissolution of the ANTI, and shaped the future of nanotechnology for years to come.
However, using nanobots for the use on humans didn’t stop there. In fact, some would say it thrived, just in a different way than imagined. Like many other creations that were found to be too radical or immoral for the majority of the populace, the CIA was the one to collect the scraps, and make it their own. By using their own funding to revive the unofficially named Nano-Cryo project, they resumed research, employing many of the original members of the infamous project, with the doctor being put back in charge of the currently unnamed project.
That left only Jacob to deal with. Luckily for him, Jacob wasn’t so disposable as some might believe, as certain conditions on his being made his potential quite desirable to some shadowy heads of certain organizations. This led to the CIA creating a cover story about the unfortunate death of the boy, which would allow them to both obtain the asset, and snip off the loose thread that was ANTI, killing two birds with one stone. They continued testing within CIA Black Site-046, which was located within the city known as New Jersey, which would later influence the name of the secretive project.
One more alteration would be made to the test. As Jacob had now been cut off from the outside world and was presumed dead, the CIA had no worry about public retribution, allowing them to extend his period in the cryo pod from one year to ten. At the end of the ten years, Jacob would be woken up from stasis, and testing would be enacted, with various procedures analyzing how his physiology had reacted to the tumor and the extended stay in cryostasis. The nanobots were there to ensure that Jacob didn’t die from the tumor, but also to make sure he didn’t die from the long periods of time spent sleeping. After twenty-four hours had passed, Jacob would be placed back within the cryo pod, and be woken up again when another ten years had passed, with this cycle repeating for the foreseeable future.
In the development of the cryostasis model, one thing had persisted throughout the trials. When the testers had been subjected to extended periods of time within stasis, once unfrozen, the brain would refuse to reactivate. No matter what measures were taken, the brain would simply not resume biological function, and the subject would be effectively dead. The leading theory on this was that the brain had been “dead” for so long, that it simply couldn’t remember that it was alive. This is the same reason why cavemen, even if perfectly preserved in ice, couldn’t be simply revived with a shock paddle or some adrenaline.
So, the nanobots were there to stimulate and keep the brain semi-active during time spent sleeping, keeping the brain alive through the barest of actions, making it more akin to sleep instead of simply dying and then being revived with a perfectly preserved body and brain. However, this led to the tumor being slightly active as well, so it would still progress while within stasis, albeit at an incredibly glacial pace. This would likely cause problems in the future, but a solution is bound to come up at some point.
Right?
* * *
Invariably.
What an interesting word
And a nice one at that. It really just rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it? A word that most people probably can’t even recall the meaning of, yet is seen so commonly in works that are often above the skill of your average eighth grader. It means for something to happen a lot, or always. For instance, you could say, “Oh, whenever I go to my friend's house, the meals his mother makes are invariably burnt.” or something along those lines.
Jacob couldn’t apply that word to his situation.
That would imply that he had been doing or experiencing something for long enough that he could use that word as a hyperbole. However, he hadn’t. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Imagine blinking your eyes. Now try to recall how long the moment between opening your eyes and the light reaching your eyes was. Now that's a more accurate comparison.
Right when Jacob closed his eyes, he had been hearing a hissing sound, expecting sleep to take him. Then a slight, rather odd blip in his awareness caused him to lose his bearings for a moment, but quickly regained them. The hissing continued, and became rather annoying after a bit, considering the nasty headache he currently had. Did he have that before he entered the pod? He wasn’t sure, but he was having a hard time remembering his last moments before he entered the machine, which was odd, as that was just a moment ago. Oh, now the hissing noise is stopping, so Jacob guessed that the doctors realized there was a problem, and were now spooling down the machine to take him out before something disastrous happened.
The hissing noise stopped, and the sound of pistons groaning filled the small cavity instead, along with a notable difference in the positioning of the cryo pod door, specifically moving upward. Ah, now the door is opening, fantastic. Jacob hoped that he could just get this damn experiment underway, without any more delays.
Goddamn the door is slow. At least he could see somewhat outside, as the door had opened up enough to let him see the feet of two people standing outside his little home. Actually, scratch that, three people standing outside, as the door had opened more up to let him see a third person standing behind the pair that were closest to him. He blinked several times to clear the fog from his eyesight, his eyeballs feeling pretty cold, as if he had spent a little in pure winter weather with his eyes open, letting them freeze a bit. Matter of fact, as feeling returned to his body, he felt cold all over. Not so cold that it was painful, but more of a cool uncomfortableness.
Speaking of feeling returning to his body, he felt a rather unpleasant prickling sensation throughout himself, like his entire body had fallen asleep, or if he had just returned from the cold after a long stay in the frigid winter air. He flexed his fingers, or at least tried to. His fingers were encased in a hard plastic glove, molded to fit his hand. It was the same story with the rest of his body, many straps fastened tight enough to restrict his movement, but not enough to restrict his blood flow. He tried to see more than the feet of the unknown people in front of him, as the door was open about halfway now, but the fog, or maybe steam, wafting up from his pod was masking everything else.
Oh yeah, the hissing was back too.
After another eternity of the door just slowly opening, the long-awaited event finally arrived. The door clanked to a stop, now resting somewhere on top of the cryo pod. The hissing noise also came to a stop, seeming to have been the cause of the fog as well, considering how it began to clear up with the end of the abhorrent hissing sound. The fog cleared up fully, allowing him to see a rather strange sight.
Three people in full hazmat suits were standing in front of him, one of the two in front holding an odd device that looked vaguely like a heart monitor. The one with the heart monitor stepped up to him, uttering a single word.
“Please hold still.”
Jacob naturally held still as the person wrapped a sensor on his wrist, then one on his neck. The man then pressed a few buttons on his little machine, and then watched some sort of readout on the screen that Jacob couldn’t make out from his angle. The man stayed like that for about half a minute before taking off the little sensors from his wrist and neck, and then put the device down on some sort of table that Jacob also couldn’t see due to his angle, before nodding to the man beside him.
The pair moved into action, unstrapping and unclamping him in various areas around his body, unrestricting his movement. Jacob didn’t move yet though, as once the pair were done taking off the various inhibitors, the third man in the back stepped up, as if he wanted to speak. The unnamed man grabbed the bottom of his visor, where a small lip was present. The man then used that lip to pull up the plastic covering his face, or at least the layer that was preventing Jacob from seeing his face. The man pulled it up, revealing the doctor, who’s name he still didn’t know. However, something was off about him, though Jacob couldn’t put his finger on it.
“Long time no see Jacob.” The doctor smiles disarmingly, which makes Jacob beg the question of why he would need to be disarmed.
“What do you mean, ‘Long time’? It hasn’t even been half an hour.” Jacob frowns, tilting his head questioningly, though Jacob is pretty sure he already knows the answer to his own question.
The doctor’s smile wavers, and his eyes turn downcast, avoiding Jacob’s.
“Well, ah, you see Jacob, it HAS been a long time. I imagine you just didn’t notice, due to no little input on our part.”
Suddenly, Jacob realized what was off about the doctor. When he had seen him last, the doctor had a look about him that made him seem like he could be in his early thirties or late twenties, with a little margin for error, of course.
However, The doctor now looked like he had aged around a decade, sporting a few new wrinkles that definitely weren’t there before. Instead of being a man just entering his more mature ages, he looked more like a man entering a higher, more responsible position in your standard American technical corporation. To put it shortly, he looked like he was in his forties.
“So you're saying that it's been a year already, and I was just too out of it to notice?” The doctor winced, and opened up his mouth to speak, but Jacob continued talking.
“However, I have noticed that while you said I was supposed to be in here for a year, the actual reality is different. Unless you somehow had a growth spurt, or decided that looking older was a new fashion trend, it's odd that you seem to have aged a decade in what was supposed to be a year of stasis.” Jacob tilted his head, focusing a stare on the doctor. “Tell me, doctor, how long was I out?”
The pair in front of him, having been listening this whole time, looked back at the doctor expectantly. The doctor shook his head, and attempted a smile, though the result looked more like a pained grimace. The doctor then looked up at Jacob, giving him a strange look.
“Noticed that, did you? Well, I suppose you do deserve an explanation. Let's talk about this in a more, comfortable, area.”
* * *
Jacob fixed the doctor with another bland stare for the fifteenth time in four minutes.
“So you’re telling me, that the damn CIA kidnapped me, your government organization was dissolved, and now I’m officially dead to the outside world? Not to mention I was asleep for not a year, but a decade?” Jacob said all of this with a tone that might have implied disbelief and anger.
“Well, when you put it like that, it sounds, well, exactly like what happened I suppose, but I wouldn’t put it, well, any sort of other way, so yes.” The doctor, contrary to the facade he was still bravely trying to put up, didn’t appear too comfortable with telling Jacob all of this. After all, who would want to tell an innocent, carefree, bright-eyed young boy, that his family thought him dead, and that he was asleep for a decade as well.
Jacob leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms and breathed out the air he had been holding in.
“Huh.” Jacob didn’t elaborate.
“I’m sure that this might be very alarming to you, but remember that this wasn’t in our control. I’m very sorry for your loss, but just know that we do have therapists and other people that you can talk to on hand, just let us know.” The doctor didn’t seem very proud of this series of unfortunate events happening to the aforementioned carefree child.
“Well, as long as they aren’t dead yet, I’ll be fine.” Jacob shrugs.
The doctor blinks in surprise.
“I- what? Are you sure? Your mental health is very important, and despite what our higher ups at the CIA might say, you are also important as a person.” The doctor had an increasingly worried expression on his face.
“Nah, I think I’m pretty good for now.” Jacob remained seemingly uncaring for his current status as perceived dead by his family, or for his mental health. “So, what happens to me now? I’m assuming I’m not getting executed for lack of further usefulness, or else you wouldn’t be offering me therapists, and I’m not exactly going back out into society, as that would be a rather awkward situation for the CIA. So, that leaves only one more avenue of action.” Jacob leaned forward. “I’m going back in the machine, aren’t I?”
“. . . yes.” The doctor seemed put off by Jacob’s lengthy statement.
Jacob leaned back and nodded, satisfied by his answer. “I have just one question then.”
The doctor cocked an eyebrow.
“Why am I so important? Plenty of people have brain tumors, and yet you guys aren’t kidnapping those people, right? So, what makes this one special?” Jacob tapped the side of his head.
The doctor cleared his throat, seemingly more comfortable to be conversing over a topic more familiar to him, like neuroscience.
“I can do that. Follow me.”
* * *
The doctor led Jacob to a room with only one other person inside, that person being an assistant. The lights were off, the only source of illumination being a projector shining on a blank whiteboard, the image being an x-ray of what looked like a brain.
“Well, as I’ve said before, that so-called tumor in your head isn’t exactly behaving like a tumor normally would. In the beginning, when it first appeared, it looked like any old brain tumor, forming in your cerebral cortex. It grew a bit abnormally, but nothing too out of the ordinary.” The doctor pointed at a small marble sized mass that was present inside the aforementioned section of the brain on the projection. “However, that's when things took a turn for the stranger.” The doctor motioned for the assistant to switch to the next slide, which he did.
The diagram now showed the same image as before, which Jacob now knew to be his brain, with the sole difference being that the mass had now enlarged, seemingly spreading what looked like feelers or tentacles outwards, the longest one stretching towards a middle section of the brain.
“After this happened, we were notified through plants, and we took over your medical case, observing the growth of your tumor.” The slide switched again, now showing a larger tumor. It had grown even more feelers, now numbering at five, and the longest one was now in the middle of the brain.
“The tumor had spread itself out, and the longest appendage of it had now entered what we call the anterior insular cortex, or, “ The doctor looked at Jacob. “the empathy center.”
Jacob stared back at the doctor, not showing any outward form of reaction. The doctor looked back towards the projection, clearing his throat.
“Ahem, anyway. As you can probably guess, this was highly irregular behavior from what was supposed to be a simple tumor. And what we realized next was even more shocking.” The assistant clicked to the next slide, this one showing . . . nothing.
Actually, it did show something, Jacob just didn’t notice at first. The tumor was now not a simple mass, but instead had somehow become, fainter, he supposed. It didn’t have any clear separation from his brain, instead, only sections could be made out from the former tumor. It seemed like it had merged with his brain, which wasn’t exactly comforting to Jacob.
“The tumor now couldn’t be described as a simple tumor. We had to deduce that it had somehow become part of your brain, as we couldn’t find any clear definition of where the tumor began and where it ended. We could still technically see the tumor, though it was like it had faded its edges in with your brain, merging with it.” The assistant shut off the projector, and turned the lights back on.
The doctor turned back towards Jacob, with what looked to be a sympathetic expression on his face.
“Now I hope you understand why we want to know what the hell this thing is. If this was some sort of parasite, and if it could spread . . “ The doctor let Jacob figure out the rest on his own.
“Huh, yeah. I wouldn’t really want the world to turn into a reenactment of a certain hit TV adaptation of a certain hit zombie game.” Jacob nodded. “So, how are you gonna go about solving, “ Jacob gestured haphazardly to his head. “This?”
“We . . . aren’t sure yet.” The doctor grimaced. “However, it has only been, well, it's been quite awhile, but we learned a lot from the first go around. We are hoping to gain more data from the next decade, with some new technologies to be used.”
Jacob nodded his head, looking around. “So do I just go back in now?”
“No, actually. The planned procedure is to keep you awake for a minimum of twelve hours, with us taking several tests to determine if any changes have been made to your mental or intellectual state. And also, you are going to have to visit some therapists, that's non-optional.” The doctor replied.
Jacob only grunted in response to that last statement.
* * *
Jacob is running on a treadmill, with several devices measuring his various functions.
“Just let us know when you’re getting tired.” The man, Dr. Markus Vasquez by his nametag, repeated for the fifth time.
“And that would be right around now, actually.” Jacob stopped running when Dr. Vasquez pressed the off button.
“Hmm, alright. You’re operating at standard rates for a boy of your age.” Dr. Vasquez writes down notes on his clipboard, probably about him. Or maybe some sort of weird fan fiction about some US president, you never know.
Dr. Vasquez motioned for Jacob to follow him, which Jacob does.
“And that should conclude your physical testing regimen for today.” Dr. Vasquez leads Jacob into a square room about six feet wide, with a couch, a chair, two tables, a bookshelf, and a TV on the wall opposite from the couch.
Then, another doctor walks into the room, holding a clipboard and a sheet of papers. Dr. Vasquez and the new doctor share a few silent words, ones that Jacob can’t make out, before Dr. Vasquez walks out of the room. The new doctor, a Dr. Sophia Vasel by her nametag, sits down on the chair next to the couch.
“Hey again Jacob. I’m here to-” Dr. Vasel begins, but Jacob cuts her off.
“Oh wait, aren’t you one of the people who strapped me in that pod a decade ago?” Jacob tilts his head questioningly.
Dr. Vasel blinks. “Erm, yes. Anyway, I’m just here to give you a couple tests, alright? Just standard procedure.” Dr. Vasel flips through her clipboard. “Here is the first one.”
Jacob started again. “No signing any forms or asking for consent or anything?”
Dr. Vasel hid her apparent frustration admirably. “Uh, no. Our policy doesn’t require us to do that. Anyway, if we could get on with the test?” Dr. Vasel pulled out a pen. “Just some questions for the first one.”
* * *
Jacob was a bit bored.
Actually, that was an understatement. He was VERY bored. There, a much more apt statement.
After a large amount of rigorous testing, physical, mental, biological, the whole shebang, they had basically left him in the small room and told him to entertain himself for the remaining eight hours, twenty-seven minutes, and five seconds. After that, he would be going back into cryosleep. They gave him access to a good amount of literature from his time, as well as giving him a rather generous library of online media, also from his time. However, they had severely underestimated his preferences, as the majority of the online material consisted of children for the age of ten, and all the good books he had already read several times over.
So yes, he was quite bored. So bored, in fact, that even pacing around and thinking couldn’t sate his hunger for entertainment, as the intense migraine he had prevented him from running any sort of complicated scenario that could even mildly entertain him. So, he was forced to turn to his old friend.
History.
A decade ought to have yielded a good amount of entertaining historical fruit, especially when you consider the rather hot pot that was world politics at the time of the beginning of his short nap. So, he had requested a book that recapped everything important that had happened in the last ten years. And how interesting it was.
Standing out the most in terms of the global stage, the American intervention in the Russo-Ukrainian war, pushing the Russians not just out of Ukraine, but also reclaiming Crimea for the Ukrainians as well. This had happened due to Russia repeatedly threatening to use nuclear weapons in the war, and so America finally had to intervene, managing to push them out of Ukraine in just two and a half months. And it seems Russia was bluffing, as no nukes were ever launched.
However, war wasn’t the only highlight of the last decade, as a miniature space race actually occurred not between the East and the West, but SpaceX and NASA were both racing for the clout and money that being the first to have a human land on Mars would be. It ended up with a SpaceX victory, and not a small amount of a budget increase.
Nanotechnology had also progressed, yet not as much as other avenues, as it's mostly been used for small-scale construction supposedly. Congress was being quite strict on the Supreme Court’s ruling. However, some small advancements had been made in the effectiveness and build of a standard nanobot, making them considerably cheaper and easier to make. However, the availability of nanobots was mostly limited to either private firms or large corporations willing to invest in the product.
As entertaining as history was, it wasn’t enough to sustain him for more than an hour, so he resigned himself to sitting, standing, pacing, and occasionally watching kids cartoons for the rest of his time. He wasn’t going to ask for his benefactors to obtain some new content for him to watch, not because they couldn’t, no, they likely could do anything, but because his pride would be too injured if he did. Yes, a truly brilliant mind we have here.
* * *
“This feels familiar.” Jacob mused, his words certainly pertaining to the scenario that he was currently in.
Dr. Vasel and another doctor were strapping him in, securing his hands and feet in molded plastic to restrict movement, and straps to secure his arms and legs. This time, a little hat with a dozen blinking electrodes was added to his menagerie of devices. They had also given him a fresh edition of nanobots, these ones supposedly more efficient by two percent. Yes, such a great increase. However, they also fed off the energy his own body produced, so that theoretically gave them an infinite life, as long as he was alive.
The doctors finished up strapping him into the machine, giving him a final once over to make sure nothing bad happens again. They stepped back, and began to run diagnostics on their computers to make sure everything electronic was in order as well.
Jacob sighed. He had a feeling that this set of actions would become an agonizingly long procedure.
After a very long fifteen minutes, the unnamed doctor, who had come down during the diagnostics, nodded to an assistant, and he began pressing buttons. The machine clicked and hissed, and the door came down, blissfully quicker this time. After just thirty seconds, the door sealed shut, and Jacob saw the doctor through the plastic. The doctor walked out of sight, as the foggy plastic couldn’t see that far, though the doctor clearly went somewhere where he could talk to Jacob, as he heard the doctor’s voice over what sounded like an intercom inside the pod.
“You can hear me, right Jacob?” The doctor asked.
“Uh, yep.” Jacob replied.
“Very good. As there isn’t anything else we have to do on our end, we’ll be sending you off right about now. Any questions before you’re frozen?” The doctor inquired.
“None that I can recall.” Jacob said.
“Then we’ll see you again in ten years.” The doctor said.
The intercom shut off with a crackle, and the hissing noise came back, probably meaning he was gonna fall asleep any time now. He wondered what the world would look like in another decade, bu-
Oh wait, he did have a question. What WAS the doctor’s nam-
-------------------------------
Part Two is gonna come, maybe in a day. I've already finished it, but the first part will serve to as a way to observe this communities reactions to this little thing, and see if I should post another. I expect about ten to twenty chapters, with hopefully not all of them being as long as this one, so yeah, hope y'all like this.
2023.03.28 21:51 bluespy12 I created weapon specific feats for every weapon in DnD feat here they are
Hello everyone for the last year I have been working to create feats that make weapons more unique, intresting and make weapon wielding characters think tactifuly. I uploaded on DMs Guild and since I recieved some good comments on it so I decided I can post it here all of it so people can access it for free. If you like what you read and feel like supporting me and grabing the document with the fancy art you can find it here:
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/430055/Weapon-of-choice-Feats-for-every-weapon?term=weapon+of+choi
The design behind this system is based on the following factors:
- Creating a niche for each weapon. No more exactly similar Glaive/Halbert
- Tactical combat. These feats add new actions depending on your weapon so there are no more "I attack and end my turn." players
- Easy to import. Feats are a known feature of the game and will not complicate it with extra rules. Additionally, you can have only specific monsters handling the weapon that are experts with it use the abilities.
I propose two way to use these feats. One is the normal way that feats are used in DnD 5e. This will affect the balance of your game the least. The other is the Generous mode. During character creations if your class gives proficiency in all simple weapons you may pick a simple weapon of choice and gain a feat associated with it presented in this book. Alternatively if you have proficiency in all simple and martial weapons you may gain a any feat presented in this book. If at any point your character acquires proficiency to all simple or martial weapons in later levels, for example through multiclassing you may gain your feat at that point. This mode give characters who rely on weapons an extra pinch in combat.
Here are the actual feats:
submitted by bluespy12 to dndnext [link] [comments]
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/430055/Weapon-of-choice-Feats-for-every-weapon?term=weapon+of+choi
The design behind this system is based on the following factors:
- Creating a niche for each weapon. No more exactly similar Glaive/Halbert
- Tactical combat. These feats add new actions depending on your weapon so there are no more "I attack and end my turn." players
- Easy to import. Feats are a known feature of the game and will not complicate it with extra rules. Additionally, you can have only specific monsters handling the weapon that are experts with it use the abilities.
I propose two way to use these feats. One is the normal way that feats are used in DnD 5e. This will affect the balance of your game the least. The other is the Generous mode. During character creations if your class gives proficiency in all simple weapons you may pick a simple weapon of choice and gain a feat associated with it presented in this book. Alternatively if you have proficiency in all simple and martial weapons you may gain a any feat presented in this book. If at any point your character acquires proficiency to all simple or martial weapons in later levels, for example through multiclassing you may gain your feat at that point. This mode give characters who rely on weapons an extra pinch in combat.
Here are the actual feats:
Club
Tonfa wielder
You can modify a normal club to a Tonfa, a valuable tool with several advantages. You gain the following benefits:- Finesse. While you are wielding a club it has the finesse property.
- Club adept. When you use a club, its damage die changes from a d4 to a d6.
- Wood carver. You gain proficiency with woodcarver tools. If you already have proficiency you gain expertise.
- Defensive stance. Immediately after a creature you can see hits you with an attack you can use your reaction to postion your weapons to take a protective stance. Until the start of your next turn, you gain resistance to slashing damage and you have a +1 bonus to AC for every club you are wielding. These bonuses include the triggering attack potentially turning it into a miss.
Dagger
Dagger deftness
You have trained numerous times with daggers allowing you to utilize them in unforeseeable ways. You gain the following benefits:- Sharp knives. When you make a weapon attack using a dagger it scores a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.
- Counter grapple. You have advantage on attacks using a dagger against creatures that grapple you.
- Expert poisoner. You can coat a dagger with poison as part of the attack you make with it.
- Stashed weapon. You can hide up to two daggers in your clothing appearing unarmed while these are the only weapons in your possession. A creature can only detect the daggers by succeeding in an Intelligence (Investigation) contested by your Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) or Charisma (Deception) check (you choose the ability to use).
Knife thrower
You have heightened the peculiar ability of knife throwing. You gain the following benefits:- Dagger adept. When you use a dagger to make a ranged weapon attack, its damage die changes from a d4 to a d6.
- Increased range. The thrown range of the dagger increases to 30 ft. for its short range and 90 ft. for its long range.
- Knife barrage. When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second Attack. This only applies when you make ranged weapon attacks using daggers.
- Disruptive dagger. You can toss a dagger to an attacking enemy throwing them off balance. When an enemy creature makes an attack within 30 feet of you that you can see, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and you gain all expended uses back in a long rest.
Greatclub
Greatclub brute
Your extraordinary strength and determination turns the greatclub in a deadly weapon in your hands. You gain the following benefits:- Greatclub adept. When you use a greatclub to make an attack, its damage die changes from a d8 to a d12.
- Smash the meek. You have advantage on a greatclub attack against a creature that is one size smaller than you.
- Stunning blow. Your greatclub can be used with such forcce to temporary immobilize an opponent. Once per turn, when you successfully hit a creature with a greatclub you can force it to make it a Constitution saving throw equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier. On a failure, that creature is stunned until the start of your next turn. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and you gain all expended uses back in a long rest.
Handaxe
Handaxe raider
You have mastered the use of your handaxe in battle, charging at your foes and hurling your weapon with pinpoint accuracy. You gain the following benefits:- Increased range. The thrown range of the handaxe increases to 30 ft. for its short range and 90 ft. for its long range.
- X-strike. When you successfully attack a creature twice with a handaxe it rolls a d4 and subtracts the number rolled from all its saving throws until the start of your next turn.
- Raider's charge. When you throw a handaxe and you hit an enemy creature you can move 30 ft. towards the target as part of that attack action. If you arrive within 5 ft. of it you can violently retrieve your handaxe from the target, inflicting slashing damage equal to as many d4 as your proficiency bonus. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and you gain all expended uses back in a long rest.
Javelin
Peltast
You can use javelins with abnormal focus and grace. You gain the following benefits:- Finesse. When you make a range weapon attack with a javelin it gains the finesse property
- Increased range. The thrown range of javelin increases to 60 ft. for its short range.
- Skirmisher. When you use the Attack action to make a range weapon attack using a javelin you can move up to 10 feet before each attack. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks.
- Impailing shots You can use your javelins to pin down your opponents. When you successfully hit a creature in contact with a surface (such as the ground, a wall, or a ceiling) with a thrown javelin you can force it to make it a Dexterity saving throw equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier. On a failure, that creature is restrained until the start of your next turn. A creature automatically succeeds if it is Huge or larger. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and you gain all expended uses back in a long rest.
Light hammer
Battle smith
You have expanded the capabilities of the light hammer as a tool and as a weapon. You gain the following benefits:- Light hammer adept. When you use a light hammer, its damage die changes from a d4 to a d6.
- Smith. You gain proficiency with Smith tools. If you already have proficiency you gain expertise.
- Enchance item. As part of a long rest you can use your light hammer to polish a metallic weapon, armor or a shield. If you choose a weapon it gains +1 to bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls until your next long rest. Alternative you can make an armor or a shield give +1 bonus to AC to the creature that wears them.
- Curved throws. You can hurl light hammers in a curved arc letting no attack go to waste. Once on each of your turns, when you miss with a ranged weapon attack using a light hammer, you can make another weapon attack as part of the same action but to a different target within 20 feet of the first target. The new attack starts from the first target for the purposes of determining the cover of the second target.
Mace
Mace mastery
Your blows with maces become disruptive and precise. You gain the following benefits:- Mind-numbing attack. Damaging a creature concentrating on a spell with a mace, increases the minimum constitution saving throw they have to succeed to maintain concentration from 10 to 15 for this attack.
- Dazing strike. Once per turn, when you successfully hit a creature with a mace it can’t take reactions until the start of its next turn.
- Calculated swings. You can masterfully direct the trajectory of your attacks. Whenever you miss an attack roll with your mace, and there is another creature within 5 feet of you, you can attack that creature as part of the same attack action. If this attack hits it deals an additional 1d6 bludgeoning damage. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and you gain all expended uses back in a long rest.
Quarterstaff
Staff expert
You make use of the quarterstaff to perform elaborate maneuvers in the battlefield. You gain the following benefits:- Staff defense. When you roll initiative or take the dodge action while holding a quarterstaff you gain temporary hit points equal to as many d6 as your proficiency bonus.
- Wood carver. You gain proficiency with woodcarver tools. If you already have proficiency you gain expertise.
- Shove expert. While holding a quarterstaff you have advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks for the purposes of shoving a creature.
- Vault. When you fail a Strength or Dexterity saving throw while holding a quarterstaff you can use your reaction to reroll it. If you do so, you must use the new roll. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and you gain all expended uses back in a long rest.
Sickle
Harvester
The sickle becomes a symbol of terror in your possession granting you the following benefits:- Sickle adept. When you use a sickle, its damage die changes from a d4 to a d6.
- Sharpe edge. When you make a weapon attack using a Sickle it scores a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.
- Herbalist. You gain proficiency with with the herbalism kit. If you already have proficiency you gain expertise.
- Grim harvest. Your decapitating killing blows with sickles instill fear to the heart of your enemies. When you reduce a hostile creature to 0 hit points with a sickle attack you can force up to 3 creatures within 30 ft. of you to make a Wisdom saving throw equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier. On a failure, that creature is frightened until the start of your next turn. While Frightened by this ability, a creature must take the dash Action and move away from you by the safest available route, unless there is nowhere to move. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and you gain all expended uses back in a long rest.
Spear
Hoplite
Although the spear is a simplistic weapon to wield, it pays off once you have mastered it. You gain the following benefits.- Spear adept. When you use a spear, its damage die changes from a d6 to a d8, and from a d8 to a d10 when wielded with two hands.
- Coup de grâce. When you hit a prone creature with a spear you deal an additional 1d8 piercing damage if you are within 5 feet of the creature.
- Versatile reach As a bonus action on your turn, you can increase your reach with a spear by 5 feet until the start of your next turn. (This benefit has no effect if another feature has already improved the weapon’s reach.)
- Brace. You can set your spear to receive a charge. If any creature enters or moves within your spear’s reach, you can make an opportunity attack against it with your spear. If the target took the dash action it takes an extra 1d8 piercing damage, or an extra 1d10 piercing damage if you wield the spear with two hands. You can only take this reaction if you moved no more than half your speed on the previous turn.
Crossbow, light
Nimble shooter
You have honed your light crossbow handling skills and you can use this weapon with unparalleled speed. You gain the following abilities:- Bolt to the foot. When a hostile creature's movement provokes an opportunity attack from you, you can use your reaction to make a light crossbow attack, rather than making an attack with a melee weapon.
- Titan slayer. You can easily hit vital points of larger opponents. Once per turn you can deal an additional 1d8 damage piercing damage to Large or larger creatures.
- Agile hands. When you cast a a cantrip or take the dash, disengage or dodge action you make an attack with a light crossbow as a bonus action. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you gain all expended uses back in a long rest.
Dart
Dart thrower
You can employ darts as fatal tools in the battlefield granting you the following benefits:- Increased range. The range of darts increases to 30 ft. for their short range and 90 ft. for their long range.
- Lockdown. With each dart attack you get insight on your opponent's movement. You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with darts against a creature for every dart attack you have made against it this turn. This bonus cannot exceed your proficiency bonus.
- Retry. When you miss with a dart attack against a creature, you can use your reaction to make a second dart attack against the same opponent.
- Dart barrage. Using darts you can unleash a deadly barrage. When you take the Attack action and make a ranged weapon attack with a dart that you’re holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to make an equal number of range weapon attacks with darts, given that your other hand is free. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and you gain all expended uses back in a long rest.
Shortbow
Point blank shooter
Even though the Shortbow lacks in force you can utilize its small size for close quarters combat. You gain the following benefits:- Firing in Melee. Being within 5 feet of an enemy doesn’t impose disadvantage on your ranged Attack Rolls with a shortbow.
- Close target. When you make a weapon attack using a shortbow against a creature within 30 feet it scores a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.
- Trip attack. When a creature enters or moves within your reach you can use your reaction to force it to make it a Strength saving throw equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier. On a failure, that creature falls prone.
- Fatal Shot. When you successfully hit a prone creature with within 5 feet of you with a shortbow you deal an additional 2d6 piercing damage. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you gain all expended uses back in a long rest.
Mounted archery
You have honed your skills as a mounted archer, allowing you to expertly wield shortbows elegantly while riding a mount.. You gain the following benefits:- Mounted volley. After your mount moves at least 20 feet you can use your reaction to make an attack with a shortbow.
- Moving target. If your mount moves at least 20 feet the next ranged attack against you has disadvantage. This effect lasts until the start of your next turn.
- Veer. While mounted, you can use your Reaction to force an attack that hits your mount to hit you instead.
- Leap Aside. If your mount is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity Saving Throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the Saving Throw, and only half damage if it fails. For your mount to gain this benefit, you must be riding it, and neither of you can be Incapacitated.
Sling
Slingshot Expert
You master the sling weapon and you get the following benefits:- Sling adept. When you use a sling to make weapon attack, its damage die changes from a d4 to a d6.
- Increased range. When you use a sling, its normal and long range are doubled.
- Slinger's training. If you are using a sling in one hand and a shield in the other, you can still reload your weapon, even if you don't have a free hand.
- Blinding shots. During a long rest you can create a number of Mud Ball ammunition equal to your proficiency modifier. Using the attack action, you can make a special ranged attack. On a hit the creature is blinded until the start of your next turn. If you’re able to make multiple attacks with the attack action, this attack replaces one of them. The old Mud Balls lose their properties when you take a long rest to create new ones.
Arcane slinger
If you have proficiency with the sling when you attack with it you can use different options as ammunition. You gain the following benefits:- Alchemist. You gain proficiency with the Alchemist’s Supplies. If you already have proficiency with them you gain expertise.
- Alchemical shots. When you make a ranged weapon attack using a sling you can use as ammunition Alchemist fire, Acid, Oil or another similar object. You use the proficiency and the range of the sling normally during the attack roll and instead of dealing damage the effect of these items take place.
- Cantrip. You learn a cantrip of your choice from any class's spell list, that includes a melee spell attack.
- Magic bullets. When you cast a cantrip that requires a melee spell attack roll you can instead store it in a sling bullet for 1 hour. When you attack with that sling bullet, if the attack hits, the target is affected like it has also been hit by the cantrip stored in the bullet in addition to the normal damage done by the sling bullet. You can have only three magic sling bullets at a time.
Battleaxe
Battleaxe Adept
You can wreak havoc to your opponents with you battleaxe expertise. You gain the following benefits:- Adrenaline rush. When you reduce a hostile creature to 0 hit points with a battleaxe attack you gain temporary hitpoints equal to your proficiency bonus.
- Bloodlust. You can finish off wounded combatants with ease. Once per turn you gain advantage on melee attack rolls with a battleaxe against any creature that has less than half its hit points.
- Powerfull strike. Before you make a melee attack with a battleaxe, you can choose to take a penalty equal to your proficiency bonus to the attack roll. If the attack hits, you add double your proficiency bonus to the attack’s damage.
Flail
Flail Mastery
The flail is a tricky weapon to use, but you have spent countless hours mastering it. You gain the following benefits.- Bypass shield. Your attack rolls with a flail gain a +2 bonus against any target using a shield or a foe that is protected by a shield of faith spell. Additionally, you gain +5 against a creature protected by a shield spell.
- Distracting presence. While holding a flail you can use the Help action as a reaction in response to an ally making an attack roll against a creature withing 5 feet of you.
- Crushing blow. You can crush the spirit of your opponents as well as their bones. When you successfully hit a creature with a flail you can force it to make it a Wisdom saving throw equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier. On a failure, that creature acts like it is affected by the Slow spell until the start of your next turn. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and you gain all expended uses back in a long rest.
Glaive
Glaive Expert
You can use the glaive both in defense and offense. You gain the following benefits:- Glaive dancing. You gain a +1 bonus to AC while you are wielding a glaive.
- Push to safety. You can use the blunt side of your weapon to guide your allies out of harm. When a creature withing 10 feet of you makes a dexterity saving throw you can use your reaction to give it advantage on the roll. You must be holding a Glaive to use this ability.
- Sweeping strikes. You can perform wide attacks using a Glaive that affect multiple opponents. Once per turn, when you take the attack action with a Glaive you can attack every creature in a line of 10 feet long and 15 feet wide. If you’re able to make multiple Attacks with the Attack Action, this ability replaces one of them. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you gain all expended uses back in a long rest.
Greataxe
Axecutioner
You have trained extensively with the greataxe, honing your skills to deliver devastating strikes. You gain the following benefits:- Impactful hit. Once per turn when you make an attack with advantage using a greataxe you can re-roll one of the attack’s damage dice. You must use the new roll.
- Brutal critical. You can roll one additional weapon damage die when determining the extra damage for a critical hit with a melee Attack.
- Lacerate. You may launch a strong strike that rips through your opponent's flesh and leaves them with sharp, deep wounds that are hard to treat. When you successfully hit a creature with a greataxe you can make the attack deal an additional 1d6 necrotic damage. Additionally, the creature struck by that attack can't regain hit points until the start of your next turn. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you gain all expended uses back in a long rest.
Greatsword
Cleaver
You have honed your skill with the greatsword, allowing you to slice through enemies with ease. You gain the following benefits:- Slice through. When you hit an enemy with a greatsword, any excess damage dealt beyond the creature's remaining hit points can be transferred to the nearest enemy within 5 feet of you, if the original attack roll would also hit it. This effect triggers again until there is no more excess damage after reducing a creature to 0 hit points or there are no more enemies within 5 feet of you.
- Watchful sentry. When a creature provokes an opportunity attack from you and you hit it with a greatsword, you deal an additional 1d6 slashing damage.
- Sundering strike. You have learned the art of striking your opponents with such force that you impair their ability to fight effectively. When you damage a creature with a greatsword you can force it to make it a Constitution saving throw equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier. On a failure, that creature's attack rolls and spell save DC takes a cumulative −2 penalty for 1 minute. At the end of each of its turns, the target can make another Constitution saving throw. On a success, the cumulative penalty resets to 0. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and you gain all expended uses back in a long rest.
Halberd
Halberdier
You have sharpened your abilities with the halberd allowing you to control the battlefield. You gain the following benefits:- Imposing weapon. While you are holding a halberd all area within your reach becomes difficult terrain for the creatures of your choice.
- Dual nature. When you make an attack with a halberd, you can choose to deal slashing or piercing damage instead of the weapon's usual slashing damage. You can make this choice for each attack you make with the weapon.
- Strike from afar. Once per turn, when you make a halberd attack against a creature with a reach of 5 feet or less, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the attack roll.
- Hook and drag. When you hit a Large or smaller creature with a halberd attack, you can choose to hook the target with the blade. The target must make a Strength saving throw DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier. On a failure, the creature takes 1d6 slashing damage and you can move it 5 feet as long as it stays withing your reach. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and you gain all expended uses back in a long rest.
Lance
Eminent jouster
You have trained extensively with the lance, becoming an expert in its use. You gain the following benefits:- A horseless knight. You can use your lance one-handed even when you aren't mounted, but it deals 1d8 piercing damage instead.
- Dismounting thrust. When you hit a creature with a lance that rides a mount it must succeed on a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier Dexterity saving throw or fall off the mount, landing prone in a space within 5 feet of it.
- Lance expert. You no longer have disadvantage when attacking an opponent within 5 feet of you with a lance.
- Jousting charge. You have trained to make devastating charges with your lance. Once per turn, when you move at least 20 feet straight toward a target and then you hit it with a lance attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 1d8 piercing damage.
Longsword
Einhänder
You are skilled in wielding a longsword with precision and deadly efficiency. You gain the following benefits:- Dual nature. When you make an attack with a longsword, you can choose to deal slashing or piercing damage instead of the weapon's usual slashing damage. You can make this choice for each attack you make with the weapon.
- Swordsman's focus. Once per turn you can gain advantage with a longsword attack. You must be holding a longsword in one hand and nothing on the other hand to activate this ability.
- Parry. When another creature damages you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction and reduce the damage by a number of d6s equal to your proficiency bonus.
- Expose weakness. Your longsword attacks put your foes on the defensive, which your allies can exploit. When you hit a creature with a longsword attack, choose an ally that is within 5 feet of you and the enemy creature. That ally can immediately use its reaction to make one weapon attack. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and you gain all expended uses back in a long rest.
Maul
Mauler
You have honed your skills with the maul to a deadly degree, allowing you to crush your enemies with ease. You gain the following benefits:- Unstoppable momentum. Once per turn when you hit a creature with a maul, you can choose to push them up to 10 feet away from you, provided they are no more than one size larger than you. If they collide with another creature or object, they take 1d6 bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet they were pushed.
- Shockwave impact. Once per turn, when you miss on a melee attack roll you make with a maul, the target takes bludgeoning damage equal to your Strength modifier (minimum of 0). This effect cannot activate if you rolled a natural 1.
- Earthshaker. You can slam your maul into the ground, unleashing a shockwave that ripples through the earth. When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one of your attacks with a slam of your maul into the ground unleashing a shockwave that ripples through the earth. All creatures within 5 feet of you must make a Dexterity saving throw equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier or take thunder damage equal to as many d6 as your proficiency bonus and be knocked prone. On a successful save, a creature takes half damage and is not knocked prone. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and you gain all expended uses back in a long rest.
Morningstar
Morningstar specialist
You have mastered the morningstar weapon and can use it to create chaos on the battlefield. You gain the following benefits:- Dual nature. When you make an attack with a morningstar, you can choose to deal bludgeoning or piercing damage instead of the weapon's usual piercing damage. You can make this choice for each attack you make with the weapon.
- Surprise attack. If you surprise a creature and hit it with a morningstar attack on your first turn in combat, the attack deals an extra 2d6 damage to it. You can use this trait only once per combat.
- Groundbreaker. When you miss with an attack using a morningstar attack, you can choose to create difficult terrain in a 15-foot cone starting from the tile the creature you attacked is standing. This terrain lasts until cleared, with each 5-foot-diameter portion requiring at least 1 minute to clear by hand.
- Demolishing hit. You can deliver devastating blows with Morningstar, shattering shields, leaving foes defenseless. When you successfully hit a creature with a morningstar you can force it to make it a Dexterity saving throw equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier or have its shield shattered. If the target is not holding a shield, it takes an additional 1d8 piercing damage instead. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and you gain all expended uses back in a long rest.
Pike
Pikeman
You have cultivated your abilities through disciplined training with the pike, mastering its long reach and deadly potential. You gain the following benefits:- Assist from afar. When you use the Help action to aid an ally in attacking a creature, the target can be within your reach instead of within 5 feet of you. Additionally, if you are able to make multiple attacks with the Attack action, you can replace one of them with the Help action.
- Brace. You can set your pike to receive a charge. If any creature enters or moves within your pike’s reach, you can make an opportunity attack against it with your pike. If the target took the dash action it takes an extra 1d10 piercing damage. You can only take this reaction if you moved no more than half your speed on the previous turn.
- Skewer. You can use the pike to pierce through multiple targets with a single thrust. When you make a melee attack with a pike against a creature, you can also choose to attack a creature behind your initial target as part of the same attack. The targets must be within your reach and you make a separate attack roll against each target. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and you gain all expended uses back in a long rest.
- Versatile reach. As a bonus action on your turn, you can increase your reach with a pike by 5 feet until the start of your next turn. (This benefit has no effect if another feature has already improved your reach.) While this feature is in effect you have disadvantage when you use a pike to attack a target within 5 feet of you.
Rapier
Master fencer
Your mastery of the rapier has been refined through years of fencing, enabling you to engage in risky and accurate maneuvers. You gain the following benefits:- Acrobat. You gain proficiency in the Dexterity (Acrobatics) skill. If you already have proficiency you gain expertise.
- Riposte. When a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to make a rapier attack against the creature.
- Organ puncture. Your precise strikes with the rapier allow you to target vital organs of your opponents with deadly accuracy. When you successfully hit a creature with a rapier you can force it to make it a Constitution saving throw equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier or have disadvantage on all attack rolls for 1 minute. At the end of each of its turns, the target can make another Constitution saving throw to end this effect. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and you gain all expended uses back in a long rest.
Scimitar
Blade dancer
Through rigorous training and practice, you have attained a high level of expertise with the scimitar. You gain the following benefits:- Debilitating cut. Once per turn when you hit a creature with a scimitar, you can reduce the speed of the target by 15 feet until the start of your next turn.
- Swift slashes. If you attack with a scimitar on your turn and have advantage on an attack roll against a target, you can forgo the advantage for that roll to make an additional weapon attack against that target, as part of the same action. You can do so no more than once per turn.
- Bleeding strikes. Your strikes cut deeply your foes leaving impairing injuries on them. When you successfully hit a creature with a scimitar you can force it to make it a Constitution saving throw equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity or Strength modifier or take a cumulative 1d6 slashing damage at the start of each of its turns due to bleeding. Any creature can take an action to stanch the wound with a successful DC 13 Wisdom (Medicine) check. The wound also closes if the target receives magical healing. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and you gain all expended uses back in a long rest.
Shortsword
Gladius champion
You have honed your skills with the shortsword to a razor's edge, allowing you to strike with deadly accuracy. You gain the following benefits:- Counter grapple. You have advantage on attacks using a shorsword against creatures that grapple you.
- Blade furry. Each time you hit a creature with a shortsword attack, you deal an additional 1d6 damage for every previous hit you have made with a shortsword against that creature this turn
- Precision Strike When you make a shorsword attack against a creature and you miss you can roll a d6 and add it to the attack roll potentially changing the result. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and you gain all expended uses back in a long rest.
Trident
Tri-bladed Warrior
The trident is a rarely used weapon, but in your hand it becomes an object to be feared. You gain the following benefits:- Trident adept. When you use a trident, its damage die changes from a d6 to a d8, and from a d8 to a d10 when wielded with two hands.
- Three prong stab. You deal an additional 1d8 piercing damage to creatures that have their speed reduced to 0.
- Stand your ground. You can pierce the ground with your trident prongs to maintain your balance. While holding a trident you have advantage on ability checks and saving throws against effects that would knock you prone or move you against your will.
- Redirect. You can trap your foes' attack between your trident prongs directing it at your will. When a Large or smaller creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to force that creature to repeat the same attack against another creature (other than itself) of your choice. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and you gain all expended uses back in a long rest.
War Pick
Battle miner
You have trained extensively with the warpick, mastering its unique properties and delving with it in the depths of the earth. You gain the following benefits::- Tremorsense. You gain Tremorsense with a range of 10 feet.
- Expert tunneler. While holding a warpick you have a burrowing speed of 5 feet. This speed doubles if you are holding a warpick with two hands. Whiles burrowing you leave an open tunnel behind that has the diameter of your size.
- Dual nature. When you make an attack with a warpick, you can choose to deal bludgeoning or piercing damage instead of the weapon's usual piercing damage. You can make this choice for each attack you make with the weapon.
- Armor piercer. You have learned to strike your enemies with precision and force, causing their armor to crack and weaken. When you successfully hit a creature with a warpick you can decrease its AC by 1d4 until the start of your next turn. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and you gain all expended uses back in a long rest.
Warhammer
Hammering time
You have learned to wield your warhammer with such force that every attack can have devastating consequences to your foes. You gain the following benefits:- Knockdown. Once per turn when you make an attack with advantage using a warhammer, you can knock the target prone if the lower of the two d20 rolls would also hit the target.
- Ground Pounder. When you hit a prone creature with a warhammer, you can choose to deal maximum damage instead of rolling the damage dice.
- Mighty Swing. Your powerful blows can render your opponent defenseless. When you successfully hit a creature with a warhammer you can force it to make it a Constitution saving throw equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier or attack rolls against that creature are made with advantage until the start of your next turn. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and you gain all expended uses back in a long rest.
Whip
Whip expert
You have mastered the art of handling the whip and you can utilize it in ways others cannot. You gain the following benefits:- Whip adept. When you use a whip, its damage die changes from a d4 to a d6.
- Trip attack. Whenever you hit a creature no more than one size larger than you with an opportunity attack using a whip, it must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier) or be knocked prone.
- Snatch attack. When you successfully attack a creature on your turn you can choose to forgo damage. Instead, choose an item that the target is holding or wearing and it is small enough that you can grasp in one hand. You can move that item in any point within your reach of your choice including yourself if you have a free hand.
- Entangle. You can attempt to grapple with a whip. When you do so you can grapple a creature within 10 ft. of you without the need of a free arm. Until this grapple ends, the creature is restrained, and you can't attack another target with the whip. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and you gain all expended uses back in a long rest.
2023.03.28 21:38 hempitecture [MegaThread] Save Money, Save Energy, and Save the Planet: Home Improvement Incentives with the Inflation Reduction Act and US-made HempWool Insulation 🏡 🇺🇸
![[MegaThread] Save Money, Save Energy, and Save the Planet: Home Improvement Incentives with the Inflation Reduction Act and US-made HempWool Insulation 🏡 🇺🇸](https://external-preview.redd.it/DFfQ6K7K85zoSWqI3GO0I5ijUzF7Jt4AIs0LmclSkRU.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=13b6c92350995e611d3daffde58ec9e025972955 "[MegaThread] Save Money, Save Energy, and Save the Planet: Home Improvement Incentives with the Inflation Reduction Act and US-made HempWool Insulation 🏡 🇺🇸") | TLDR; Hello homeowners and builders! Are you looking to save money on your energy bills while reducing your carbon footprint? Look no further than the incentives with Inflation Reduction Act and HempWool insulation. submitted by hempitecture to u/hempitecture [link] [comments] The Inflation Reduction Act is a federal program that offers tax credits and rebates to homeowners who invest in energy-efficient improvements for their homes. These improvements include insulation, HVAC systems, and renewable energy sources. HempWool is high-performing, non-toxic, and mold-resistant. HempWool® is a high-performing bio-based and nontoxic building insulation product. With a high R-value, HempWool is an excellent choice for both new construction and retrofit projects. HavenGrown installing HempWool insulation in their Healthy Hemp Tiny Home! What is Hempitecture? What's HempWool insulation?Hemp-itecture (pronounced similar to architecture) is an evolving pursuit to address the problems that exist within the built environment using bio-based and regenerative materials.Since its inception, Hempitecture led the way in bio-based building methods in the United States, including the supply and completion of over 20 hempcrete projects, ranging from small builds to intricate projects designed by world-renowned architects, and from those projects, Hempitecture took another. pivot. forward: Scaling a solution; truly sustainable materials. Manufactured in the United States with renewable energy, North American-grown hemp fiber, and innovative technology, HempWool® is a high-performing bio-based and nontoxic building insulation product. HempWool is appropriate for anywhere in a structure’s thermal envelope, including walls, floors, ceilings, attics, and partition walls. It is a one-to-one replacement for conventional insulation materials like fiberglass, mineral wool, and spray foam. How does the Inflation Reduction Act impact HempWool insulation?The Inflation Reduction Act aims to reduce the cost of construction materials and promote energy efficiency in buildings. As a sustainable and energy-efficient insulation material, HempWool could be an excellent choice for builders and homeowners looking to take advantage of the incentives offered by the act. These incentives may include tax credits, rebates, and other financial incentives that can help offset the cost of using HempWool insulation.Beginning on January 1, 2023, the expanded 25C will provide a 30% tax credit (up to $1200 annually) to consumers who take certain steps to make their homes more energy efficient, which includes updating and improving your buildings' insulation. 2023 applications have to comply with the 2021 IECC. Benefits of Building and Retrofitting with HempWool®HempWool can provide numerous climate, energy efficiency, and structural benefits to homes:
You can purchase HempWool online here. HempWool Insulation is installed in a garage renovation project. How to get incentives for using HempWool insulationTo get incentives for using HempWool insulation, there are a few steps that builders and homeowners can take. First, it's important to research the specific incentives that are available in your area. This may involve contacting local or state government offices, as well as researching online to find out what incentives are available. Here are some websites you can start your research on potential building incentives and tax rebates, as well as where to find more resources on HempWool Insulation:
We will work to keep folks updated via our website newsletter and through this thread on any new information and updates on these incentives. We encourage you to share your experiences with energy-efficient home improvements and ask any questions you may have about the Inflation Reduction Act or HempWool insulation. We are working to compile a list of incentives offered by cities and states, know of one in your area? Share it below! Let's work together to make our homes more energy-efficient and sustainable! |
2023.03.28 21:36 shankska24 My Rivian R1T 1 month review
Rivian R1T 1 month review
Vehicle
The R1T is just a great vehicle all around. Great quality. Attention to detail. Feels well built. The tech is amazing. OTA updates, I think I have done a total of 4 updates now since I got the truck a month ago. Every update, new features added, changes to the vehicle, etc. I mostly drive in all purpose mode, but had take one “road trip” (more on that later) and drove a lot in conserve on that. Ride is smooth and quiet. It is effortless to drive, but thrilling at the same time. I almost compare to driving a sports car, because of how fast it is. I just love it and yet its still a truck when I get out. For comparison, I am coming from a 2014 GMC Sierra 1500 denali. I’ve had a few years as the daily driver and to haul the family around, kids with 2 car seats. I have also had a fair share of “sports cars”, with the most recent being a 2019 BMW M2 competition. The quality of Rivian and this truck is up there with BMW, easily. This truck replaces my daily driver tho and I am thoroughly happy with it thus far.
Efficiency
The main driving factor and justification for me to get this truck was primarily how much I spent on gas last year. We have a lake house 180 miles from our primary residence we visit often during the summer. Also, the updated tech and safety of the truck helped. I have put almost 1000 miles on the truck in the past month. For around town, I have been around 1.7-2 mi/kwh. I have the 22” wheels. This has been in the 30s-40s ambient temperature mostly. Some warmer days mixed in there and coming full time in my Midwest region very soon to compare efficiency increase. For spring break we went down to our lake house a couple weeks back. I averaged 1.96 mi/kwh for the whole trip of almost 3 hours of driving. 90% of the drive, I switched to conserve mode as it was my first real EV road trip outside of a big city. I had tailwind for the trip down and temp was mid-40s. I was pleasantly surprised to arrive at our lake house with almost 100 mile range left in the “tank”. I charged up to 100% prior to leaving just to be sure and to get a good feel with the estimates and what to expect. Again, my first long drive/road trip. On the way back, quite the opposite. Major headwinds, 15-20 mph. colder temps. These 2 really crushed the range. I only was able to charge up to 97% to return home on the 180 mile trip, but I felt confident based on my experience and trip down a few days prior. I arrived home with 50 mile range, so the high winds and colder temps took away 30-40 miles of my range. It didn’t help that a third of the trip I drove ~84 mph. one thing I did learn tho is when you put in your destination on the navigation, the arrival range is very very accurate. I have come to trust this in the truck and gives me a sense of ease and confidence. It does adjust as you drive, so keep an eye on it, but without any major outside variables (wind, cold weather, etc), its usually right on the money.
Storage
My sierra had a tonneau cover. I really do miss having a tonneau cover. Unfortunately, my R1T does not have one. I am trying to hold off for the Rivian manual cover. Maybe I will break down and get a DIY or aftermarket one. Honestly, not sure tho. As a family of 4 and a dog. We were able to pack up all of our things for our week stay during spring break, with nothing required to go into the bed of the truck. The frunk is awesome and large. The gear tunnel is also awesome. Able to store all our luggage and items in these 2 areas no problem for our road trip. The access door from the back seat to the gear tunnel is awesome as well. I was able to strategically place the kids snacks and diaper bag for easy access during the drive. This was great to hide it away and give more room/space in the cabin.
Driving
I just love driving this truck. Everything about it. It’s a full electric truck, whats not to love. Like I said earlier, its almost like driving a sports car. Its quick and nimble. The throttle response is fantastic. The day I got the truck, I immediately configured the regen mode into high. Going into ownership of an EV, this is a mind shift and something that is easily prepared for. Its an EV, not an ICE. No more coasting, no more excessive braking. Regenerative braking is the future. I have no regrets of this and if you are prepared and understand this, you will not have any regrets either. Actually you will enjoy the driving experience with this. Is the high overwhelming? Maybe if you are not prepared, but not for me, no. I love the brake regen and I have become accustomed to it now. Seriously, why use the brakes? Its just amazing to drive with one pedal. The throttle is very responsive and I feel one with the input experience and deliver exactly what I want power wise the truck. Also, the let off (regen braking) is the exact same. Its second nature now. One thing I am pleasantly surprised with the power and regen braking is parking my truck. I back my truck into my garage at my house. Same with my old sierra. I HATED backing my old truck into the garage space because if I got caught on the lip to the garage floor, my goodness getting a half ton truck over a little 1 inch hump without thinking I would back through my house and into the back yard was ridiculous. The lag of the throttle, the quick transitioning from accelerator to braking. Horrendous. And I had no idea until I backed my new R1T into the same garage space. Its amazing. Power to all 4 wheels. I back over this 1 inch hump like its nothing and don’t even notice its there. With exact confidence in the power I am delivering to safely back into my garage space. Easily let off the accelerator to brake/stop and place the truck into park exactly where I wanted the truck.
Charging
The mobile charger is great that comes with the truck. The 120v traditional plug and the 240v 4 prong. The 120v is obviously slow, but good for certain situations. When I first got my truck, I used it for about 2 days until my hard wired charger got installed by the electrician. It worked. About 2 mi/hr. I was able to charge it from mid 40% to 70% in about 2 days. I also had to use the mobile charger at the lake house during spring break visit. When I first arrived, I just plugged into the 120v in the car port, as it was quick and easy, while I was able to focus on unpacking and getting the kids situated in the house. Thankfully we also had a 30 amp 3 prong that I am able to reach with an extension cord. I switched back and forth between the 2 plugs (120v/240v) to get the truck charged back up during the week, with numerous in town trips and lunch/dinner etc, eating away some of the battery charge I gained over time by being plugged in when parked at the house. The only gripe I have about this is the 4 prong is obviously the only adaptor today. I hope rivian releases more adaptors. I had to use an adaptor from the house 3 prong to 4 prong and the issue with this is the charger thinks its on a 40 amp circuit, when its on a 30 amp. I always kept forgetting to lower the charging amps to 24a every time I plugged into the 3 prong adaptor. Either way, it worked great and I got charged up to 97% in time to head back home. About 11 mi/hr if I recall correctly. Also, I am very lucky to have a tesla destination charger within a couple miles of my house. Conveniently located in a high traffic area we visit often, great restaurant and activities. I was able to plug into this tesla destination charger a couple times throughout the week when we were in the area by using the lectron adaptor and it worked flawlessly. I gained a lot of battery charge throughout the week doing this 2 or 3 times. One time I was already at 70%, so I went ahead and changed my charge limit to 85% to get some free juice while we were there and didn’t have to charge until next day at the house. Just a quick note on the hard wired wall charger, which is rivian, it works as you would expect. I have it set to the max 48 amp setting on a 60a circuit. I get 24 mi/hr when charging at home. I plug in every time I get home and no issues with it so far. Its quick and seamless. Always have enough range to do my daily driving as required and never have to worry about it. Never going to gas station again (at least to fill up a trucks gas tank), maybe yeah for my wifes tahoe or maybe to fill up a 5 gallon gas tank for the lawn mower and pressure washer haha. I have yet to test out DCFC on the truck. Honestly not sure when that time will come. I purchased the truck with full intentions of always charging at my house and at the lake house. That’s where I will charge 99% of the time. No plans or intentions of doing cross country, at least at this time, so DCFC will be far and in between for me. Luckily, they just installed an EVgo DCFC a block over from my house, so maybe I will test that out just to know the process and what to expect soon.
Service
I had a couple things come up on the truck. Main thing being alignment being off. Steering wheel to the left, but pulled to the right. I went ahead and scheduled service right from the Rivian mobile app, which was great. Received a call back to get scheduled at my local service center. Was about a week and half out on a day that worked with my schedule. I also had something come up after I created the appointment and was easy to get my concern/issue easily added to my existing upcoming service appointment. I was able to receive a great R1T as a loaner vehicle, so that was awesome. I compare to past ICE cars I have had serviced, I would always get the low end vehicle they offered and dreaded the loaner in comparison to my car getting serviced. Ie my 2019 BMW M2 comp, I would get a 2020 bmw 328i, boo. The pickup process was very easy and seamless. They had my truck plugged in and fully charged to my set charge limit so that was awesome. It would be like a dealer filling up my gas tank after getting service done, which would never happen ha. All in all, a great service experience to get some small items addressed, so I am happy to experience this first hand and builds more confidence in the brand and my ownership of a Rivian.
submitted by shankska24 to Rivian [link] [comments]
Vehicle
The R1T is just a great vehicle all around. Great quality. Attention to detail. Feels well built. The tech is amazing. OTA updates, I think I have done a total of 4 updates now since I got the truck a month ago. Every update, new features added, changes to the vehicle, etc. I mostly drive in all purpose mode, but had take one “road trip” (more on that later) and drove a lot in conserve on that. Ride is smooth and quiet. It is effortless to drive, but thrilling at the same time. I almost compare to driving a sports car, because of how fast it is. I just love it and yet its still a truck when I get out. For comparison, I am coming from a 2014 GMC Sierra 1500 denali. I’ve had a few years as the daily driver and to haul the family around, kids with 2 car seats. I have also had a fair share of “sports cars”, with the most recent being a 2019 BMW M2 competition. The quality of Rivian and this truck is up there with BMW, easily. This truck replaces my daily driver tho and I am thoroughly happy with it thus far.
Efficiency
The main driving factor and justification for me to get this truck was primarily how much I spent on gas last year. We have a lake house 180 miles from our primary residence we visit often during the summer. Also, the updated tech and safety of the truck helped. I have put almost 1000 miles on the truck in the past month. For around town, I have been around 1.7-2 mi/kwh. I have the 22” wheels. This has been in the 30s-40s ambient temperature mostly. Some warmer days mixed in there and coming full time in my Midwest region very soon to compare efficiency increase. For spring break we went down to our lake house a couple weeks back. I averaged 1.96 mi/kwh for the whole trip of almost 3 hours of driving. 90% of the drive, I switched to conserve mode as it was my first real EV road trip outside of a big city. I had tailwind for the trip down and temp was mid-40s. I was pleasantly surprised to arrive at our lake house with almost 100 mile range left in the “tank”. I charged up to 100% prior to leaving just to be sure and to get a good feel with the estimates and what to expect. Again, my first long drive/road trip. On the way back, quite the opposite. Major headwinds, 15-20 mph. colder temps. These 2 really crushed the range. I only was able to charge up to 97% to return home on the 180 mile trip, but I felt confident based on my experience and trip down a few days prior. I arrived home with 50 mile range, so the high winds and colder temps took away 30-40 miles of my range. It didn’t help that a third of the trip I drove ~84 mph. one thing I did learn tho is when you put in your destination on the navigation, the arrival range is very very accurate. I have come to trust this in the truck and gives me a sense of ease and confidence. It does adjust as you drive, so keep an eye on it, but without any major outside variables (wind, cold weather, etc), its usually right on the money.
Storage
My sierra had a tonneau cover. I really do miss having a tonneau cover. Unfortunately, my R1T does not have one. I am trying to hold off for the Rivian manual cover. Maybe I will break down and get a DIY or aftermarket one. Honestly, not sure tho. As a family of 4 and a dog. We were able to pack up all of our things for our week stay during spring break, with nothing required to go into the bed of the truck. The frunk is awesome and large. The gear tunnel is also awesome. Able to store all our luggage and items in these 2 areas no problem for our road trip. The access door from the back seat to the gear tunnel is awesome as well. I was able to strategically place the kids snacks and diaper bag for easy access during the drive. This was great to hide it away and give more room/space in the cabin.
Driving
I just love driving this truck. Everything about it. It’s a full electric truck, whats not to love. Like I said earlier, its almost like driving a sports car. Its quick and nimble. The throttle response is fantastic. The day I got the truck, I immediately configured the regen mode into high. Going into ownership of an EV, this is a mind shift and something that is easily prepared for. Its an EV, not an ICE. No more coasting, no more excessive braking. Regenerative braking is the future. I have no regrets of this and if you are prepared and understand this, you will not have any regrets either. Actually you will enjoy the driving experience with this. Is the high overwhelming? Maybe if you are not prepared, but not for me, no. I love the brake regen and I have become accustomed to it now. Seriously, why use the brakes? Its just amazing to drive with one pedal. The throttle is very responsive and I feel one with the input experience and deliver exactly what I want power wise the truck. Also, the let off (regen braking) is the exact same. Its second nature now. One thing I am pleasantly surprised with the power and regen braking is parking my truck. I back my truck into my garage at my house. Same with my old sierra. I HATED backing my old truck into the garage space because if I got caught on the lip to the garage floor, my goodness getting a half ton truck over a little 1 inch hump without thinking I would back through my house and into the back yard was ridiculous. The lag of the throttle, the quick transitioning from accelerator to braking. Horrendous. And I had no idea until I backed my new R1T into the same garage space. Its amazing. Power to all 4 wheels. I back over this 1 inch hump like its nothing and don’t even notice its there. With exact confidence in the power I am delivering to safely back into my garage space. Easily let off the accelerator to brake/stop and place the truck into park exactly where I wanted the truck.
Charging
The mobile charger is great that comes with the truck. The 120v traditional plug and the 240v 4 prong. The 120v is obviously slow, but good for certain situations. When I first got my truck, I used it for about 2 days until my hard wired charger got installed by the electrician. It worked. About 2 mi/hr. I was able to charge it from mid 40% to 70% in about 2 days. I also had to use the mobile charger at the lake house during spring break visit. When I first arrived, I just plugged into the 120v in the car port, as it was quick and easy, while I was able to focus on unpacking and getting the kids situated in the house. Thankfully we also had a 30 amp 3 prong that I am able to reach with an extension cord. I switched back and forth between the 2 plugs (120v/240v) to get the truck charged back up during the week, with numerous in town trips and lunch/dinner etc, eating away some of the battery charge I gained over time by being plugged in when parked at the house. The only gripe I have about this is the 4 prong is obviously the only adaptor today. I hope rivian releases more adaptors. I had to use an adaptor from the house 3 prong to 4 prong and the issue with this is the charger thinks its on a 40 amp circuit, when its on a 30 amp. I always kept forgetting to lower the charging amps to 24a every time I plugged into the 3 prong adaptor. Either way, it worked great and I got charged up to 97% in time to head back home. About 11 mi/hr if I recall correctly. Also, I am very lucky to have a tesla destination charger within a couple miles of my house. Conveniently located in a high traffic area we visit often, great restaurant and activities. I was able to plug into this tesla destination charger a couple times throughout the week when we were in the area by using the lectron adaptor and it worked flawlessly. I gained a lot of battery charge throughout the week doing this 2 or 3 times. One time I was already at 70%, so I went ahead and changed my charge limit to 85% to get some free juice while we were there and didn’t have to charge until next day at the house. Just a quick note on the hard wired wall charger, which is rivian, it works as you would expect. I have it set to the max 48 amp setting on a 60a circuit. I get 24 mi/hr when charging at home. I plug in every time I get home and no issues with it so far. Its quick and seamless. Always have enough range to do my daily driving as required and never have to worry about it. Never going to gas station again (at least to fill up a trucks gas tank), maybe yeah for my wifes tahoe or maybe to fill up a 5 gallon gas tank for the lawn mower and pressure washer haha. I have yet to test out DCFC on the truck. Honestly not sure when that time will come. I purchased the truck with full intentions of always charging at my house and at the lake house. That’s where I will charge 99% of the time. No plans or intentions of doing cross country, at least at this time, so DCFC will be far and in between for me. Luckily, they just installed an EVgo DCFC a block over from my house, so maybe I will test that out just to know the process and what to expect soon.
Service
I had a couple things come up on the truck. Main thing being alignment being off. Steering wheel to the left, but pulled to the right. I went ahead and scheduled service right from the Rivian mobile app, which was great. Received a call back to get scheduled at my local service center. Was about a week and half out on a day that worked with my schedule. I also had something come up after I created the appointment and was easy to get my concern/issue easily added to my existing upcoming service appointment. I was able to receive a great R1T as a loaner vehicle, so that was awesome. I compare to past ICE cars I have had serviced, I would always get the low end vehicle they offered and dreaded the loaner in comparison to my car getting serviced. Ie my 2019 BMW M2 comp, I would get a 2020 bmw 328i, boo. The pickup process was very easy and seamless. They had my truck plugged in and fully charged to my set charge limit so that was awesome. It would be like a dealer filling up my gas tank after getting service done, which would never happen ha. All in all, a great service experience to get some small items addressed, so I am happy to experience this first hand and builds more confidence in the brand and my ownership of a Rivian.
2023.03.28 20:44 Clean-Awareness-2482 This is van good for a year long road trip in North and South America? More details in the comment.
 | submitted by Clean-Awareness-2482 to vandwellers [link] [comments] |
2023.03.28 20:41 Helpful_Project7472_ Hills of Palani
- sorry peeps no TLDR :,-)
- copied from sroomery😉 Enjoy
I was in India to do a story on Zafar Futahelli, the father of India’s environmental movement. Futahelli, an elegant and hardworking man in his eighties, had recently formed the Palni Hills Conservation Society, a group whose goal is to reforest the Hills, which are rapidly being deforested to make way for time-share resorts, new monoculture eucalyptus, pine and Australian wattle groves, and for the building materials and cooking fires of the people native to the region.
The Society was working to save the Hills because they are the watershed for the huge Plains of Madouri, the breadbasket of Southern India. Roughly 20 miles wide and 40 miles long, they rise up from the center of the flat Madouri Plains to a height of more than 9,000 feet. Hit twice by monsoons annually, the roots of the old growth rainforest which used to cover them caught and held the rains like a sponge, letting gravity pull the water to the Plains’ streams as needed over the course of the dry seasons.
It was a good system until the resort builders began to clear land recklessly and lumbermen began to convert the ancient forest to monocultures, starting a chain of events that has led to the plains now flooding after monsoons, then drying up shortly afterward. To make up for the recent water shortages farmers on the Plains have begun drilling wells for irrigation, which have lowered the water table on the Plains, in turn killing the Plains’ natural covering. Summer sun bakes the now dry topsoil and seasonal winds blow much of it away. In short, the Plains don't produce like they used to, so a lot of people are eating less throughout Southern India, and many of them are starving. Just another man-made catastrophe which the World Bank will try to solve with billions of dollars tossed in the wrong direction at interest rates India won't have a prayer of repaying.
Futahelli’s plan is simpler: Replant the Hills. Hire the locals displaced by the newcomers to plant millions of trees of the varieties that used to be there, and in 10 years time the Hills can again generate water year round for the Plains. The little funding the project calls for would come from those people buying time-shares at the resorts. So I was in India to talk to Futahelli and some of the builders, knowing that his solution is too clever to ever be adopted on the scale that’s needed, and after several days of listening to resort builders explain why their untreated human waste simply had to be disposed of in the Hills’ natural marshes—"How bad can the waste from my 145 units be?" one builder asked in the sing-song English of the country. "People must be using the toilet, after all..."—I needed a break.
Which is where Vijay and his paranoias came into the picture. Vijay had been recommended by several people, all of whom said he was a bit peculiar but knew the Hills better than anyone. "We can take some very good walks," he assured me, when I approached him about being my guide for a magic mushroom walk. The mushrooms were an unexpected bit of luck. A day earlier, while returning to my tiny hotel room after several hours with some of the opponents of Futahelli’s plan, I had bumped into a shriveled old woman dressed from head to toe in black. She asked me something in a language I didn't understand, and when I started to explain that I didn't get what she said she smiled, reached into the bosom of her dress and withdrew a small package of newspaper. In it were dozens of tiny psilocybin mushrooms. "Take three and enjoy the countryside," she said in very understandable English. "Take six and talk with Shiva."
They were small headed with bluing stalks and had probably been beautiful when fresh, but looked like they’d been picked a couple of days earlier and secreted in her bosom ever since. "Very good, be assured." I asked for six. "I only sell them in lots of two dozen." "Give me two dozen then." She smiled, tore off a bit of the newspaper, counted them out and handed them to me. "Watch out for the police. If they catch you with these they will beat you senseless."
Vijay had no problem with the thought that I would be doing mushrooms on a hike with him. "We can leave this afternoon," he said. "Go to Berijam and camp there. Of course we will not be getting there until early morning as it is nearly 30 kilometers away and walking at night is very slow and dangerous. Then tomorrow you take your mushrooms, away from the watchful eye of the police." "Why not just leave in the morning, go see some of what’s left of the old shoala, and I’ll eat the mushrooms along the way. We can return at dusk." "Oh no. Not here! The police will get you for sure." "How?" "Suppose they asked me what you were doing and I told them?" "You could say we’re hiking," I suggested. "Yes, but that would be a sin of omission, and I have just recently become a Christian. No, I would have to tell them that we were having an hallucinogenic walk, which is very illegal here in India." "Would you also have to tell them what we’re having for lunch? If you didn’t omit anything we’d have to spend the rest of our lives with the officer." "They would not need to know about our lunch. But if we were walking to get lunch, then I would have a spiritual priority to tell them. In this case they are asking why we are walking and we will be walking for the mushrooms. There is the obligation." "Hypothetically speaking, what if I tell you that if you snitch I’ll toss you off a cliff?" "Then my priorities would change. With no physical life I have no more spiritual obligations." "Good. So what time is good for you tomorrow?" "Shall we say 4 AM?" He shook his dreadlocks side to side; for a moment I thought he might topple beneath their weight. "On further thinking, let me suggest 7AM. It is very cold in these hills before then, and I never rise at four." And then he was off, an elfinish vision with crazy hair, disappearing into a patch of eucalyptus trees. The next morning I was up at five. By six I was having coffee at Trichy’s, the only tea stall for miles which also sold a good cup of coffee. Though mist hung from the trees, the morning promised to be clear and beautiful. I breathed the thin, high altitude South Indian air.
Vijay appeared at eight. "A cha," he said. "I had so much praying to do, which is why I am late. I have been sinning so much." I ordered us coffee and asked where he had decided to take me. "To Pilar Rocks," he answered. "The most beautiful free standing stones. There are two and each stands unsupported for more than 1,500 meters." "Will we pass through the shoala?" He shook his head side to side. "The shoala is all around them."
We drank our coffee in silence, then set off along the town’s main road. Despite the damage that had been done, the Palni Hills and the little town of Kodaikanal remained lovely. Prior to its blossoming as a resort area it was known primarily for its exclusive private school for wealthy English and Indian children, and for the summer homes their parents kept there. The homes were nearly all built in British country cottage style, fitted stone with clay tile rooves. If not for the tea stalls and the monkeys that roamed freely about, Kodaikanal might have been a town in the English countryside.
We passed Kodai Lake—surrounded by wretched, two-story brick garden apartments—turned off the road at the famous guru Sai Baba’s summer home, then started up a steep stone stairway leading into the hills surrounding the town. At the top of the stairs we entered an area where locals lived and Indian temples seemed to blossom like flowers, everywhere. Around us children in school uniforms and factory workers in overalls made their way toward their destinations. By nine the morning mist had burned off and I was in the mood for my mushrooms. I suggested to Vijay that we stop for a moment. "Not here! Not here!" he said. "Wait until we are in the church." I had no idea why we were going to a church but waited as he asked and a short while later we reached an old, unused Presbyterian building high on a promontory bluff overlooking a beautiful valley. We stopped and I took out my mushrooms while he rolled a joint. "How do you reconcile the dope with your new faith?" I asked. "I am also Rasta," he said, shaking his dreadlocks. "Good answer," I said, eating three of the little psilocybes. "The will of God," he laughed, starting down a path to a little village not far away. It took less than 20 minutes for the first wave to hit me, and when it did we were in a tiny hut of a restaurant Vijay had insisted we stop at so that he could satisfy the craving for food his joint had brought on. I could not even consider eating: large rats climbed over everything and while the locals and the owner simply shooed them away I was beginning to trip and they seemed to be getting larger by the minute.
"I’ll wait for you outside, Vijay," I said, standing. Though the hut door was only a few steps away I was suddenly uncoordinated and the trip took an inordinate amount of time. Outside, I opened my little package of newspaper, ate three more of the tiny-capped mushrooms, and caught my equilibrium. Vijay joined me a few minutes later, stuffing his rucksack with chapati, Indian bread, for the walk. "We will be going now," he smiled through a full mouth, pointing me down a road that led past colorful shrines to Vishnu and Shiva, and small houses fronted with tall brick fences. At the street’s end was a stand of beautiful old growth forest and my heart leapt at the thought that there was rainforest this close to Kodaikanal. We stepped beneath it and I breathed deeply to fill my lungs with the sweet smell of ancient vegetation. Instead I began coughing and choking: just behind the stand of old growth was a monoculture tree farm of Vicks-Vap-O-Rubby eucalyptus and the scent nearly took the top of my head off.
Vijay seemed non-plussed with both my reaction and the fumes. He continued walking, eating his chapati, and I followed him into a breech in the tree farm at the base of a steep hill. To one side of the breech was the tiny remnant of old growth; on the other a eucalyptus tree farm a mile long and half that wide which had also been shoala just 15 years ago. But standing in the breech between the two forests was a sacred cow. Of course it wasn’t just a cow, it was 900 pounds of pulsating energy wearing a brown and white leather coat, and it was straddling the very pass we had to pass and taking every inch of it. Vijay caught my arm and explained that hill cows were known for their cunning, and that they could be surly and dangerous, though he refused to be pinned down on exactly how many tourists he’d lost to them. Yes, I thought, I knew there was something about that cow, something about the way it was looking at me, so fiercely. Perhaps this bovine gatekeeper was a sort of test, I imagined, put in place to stump mushroomed gringos. I gathered myself up for it. Vijay looked for another way up the hill. There was none. "Perhaps we are not meant to go this way," he whispered. "Perhaps it’s just a test," I answered. "If I am getting hurt will you be paying the bills?" "Of course." "Then let us make our way. Follow me. Be careful." He took a tentative step. The cow didn’t move. He waited a moment and took another. Nothing. He waved me to follow and we approached with caution. Stealthily we moved in, angled, feinted, then slid behind its hindquarters. Not so hard after all, I thought, but just as I did it let out a bellow. It was no earthly sound, I was sure, no cow sound I’d ever heard. It was more like deep-tone-vibration that emitted from the mouth of the pulsing flesh in glorious and frightening color and began to shake the air violently. The trees responded and began to shake as well, and then the ground and Vijay and I began a racing assault up the steep hill to get away from it, clambering over the vine-covered, root-tangled earth. We didn’t look back until we reached the top; the cow hadn’t moved. The scene was back to normal.
I congratulated myself by exacerbating my condition with three more mushrooms. Filled with our bovine success we confidently moved on into the thick of the Palnis, past pilgrims and peasants, steppe-farmers and their daughters, shimmying past goats and dogs and monkeys, all unusually alive, all beginning to glow, and all suspiciously curious. Two hours and five mushrooms later we’d climbed dozens of hills and reached 9,000 feet. I was out of breath and watching my skin turn colors from the inside. The smell of eucalyptus clung to me like a body suit.
Then, suddenly we could see a clearing through the trees at the top of the next hill and I headed for it. Vijay tried to stop me, but I was sure I was on to something. I bounded over the underbrush of tiny wattle leaves and broke out onto a patch of bright green grass that turned out to be the 13th green of the Kodai Golf Club, which Vijay explained was one of the world’s most difficult courses. "Some of the holes are very difficult because cows graze here, and the balls bounce off them sometimes and get lost. And if a monkey gets your ball he will chew it. Very hard to play." I nodded. Though not a golfer I could see where those would be difficult challenges. "Of course," he added, "there is a course in Kashmir, I forget the name, where there are tigers. I have heard that is also very difficult to play." He spoke with an air of authority and while he did he put on a large cap to cover his locks. "This is for disguise. On the matter of the course in Kashmir, I have never actually met anyone who played there, but that is what I have heard." Suddenly he crouched, issued me a silent warning to keep quiet and broke into a run. I caught up with him on the fairway and asked why we were running. "To avoid the greens police." "I’m a tourist," I said. "I’m supposed to be on a golf course." "You don’t know them. Just keep running." It was useless to argue so I followed. Moments later we caught the attention of several men with uniforms and sticks who began to chase us, frightening half-a-dozen cows and a herd of grazing goats into a frenzied stampede. When I realized they were gaining on me I turned and asked in a shouting voice for the clubhouse, thinking that might slow down my pursuers. It didn’t. I turned and followed Vijay, who was fleeing into the brush at the edge of the fairway. He ran like a man with the devil at his heels, kicking a poor golfer’s ball wildly as he did and ignoring several peccaries rooting at the base of a fruit tree. I had no choice but to continue fleeing, finally beginning to put some distance between myself and the men chasing us. We fled through the scrub brush, beneath some trees and finally ran down a small hill next to a busy roadway and into an open cement culvert that was wet with sludge. We ran along the ditch for perhaps 50 yards before I slipped and fell. Vijay stopped to help me up but stopped short of actually touching me. "That is really too bad," he said when he caught his breath. "This is the waste ditch from some new condos," he explained matter-of-factly. "Very disgusting."
I got up and wiped myself off as best I could. "How is it possible that I'm on my knees in human waste sucking exhaust from every car on the road when this is supposed to be a nature hike?" Vijay looked hurt. He didn’t answer. I took a deep breath and tried to calm down. I meditated a moment to see if there wasn’t a bigger picture here that I was missing. Where was the Great Spirit in all this, the oneness, I wondered, eating three more mushrooms. Was it possible Vijay had a plan? Perhaps he wanted me to walk in the shit so that I would understand India better, or the pressing need for conservation. Perhaps it was something like that and I was just too simple or stoned to see it. Yes, I thought, that must be it. I decided to keep a lookout on my sensibilities and continue to go along with this guru guide of mine, this man who had such a master plan concealed in his behavior. We hadn’t yet gone near shoala, but somehow this would pay off. Yes, a walk through human sludge was exactly what an arrogant Westerner like me needed. Vijay started off again, walking now as the greens police had evidently given up the chase. I ate two more mushrooms and fell in behind him, through the shit and slime, alongside the roadway. We walked for miles, kicking discarded beer cans and food wrappers. But somehow it all seemed to be making sense now, now that I had given myself up to the secret plan of Universe, and I found myself laughing, grinning, running to keep pace with my madman companion.
The road curved off and we climbed out of the culvert and up the embankment to the two-lane asphalt; to our right sat the squat, thrown-together, wretched sludge-producing condos. I decided to melt them with my X-ray vision, but before I could a bus careened around the bend and nearly took me to my next incarnation. I jumped back and breathed a lungful of the black smoke issuing from its tailpipe. It was followed by a car, and then another, each one taking the turn too wide, all of them honking insistently, and we hugged the near shoulder of the road as we followed after them. An hour passed and still we trudged along the roadway, past stop signs and dangerous curve signs, past herds of goats and an overturned truck, my guide answering my question as to why we were taking such a dangerous path when we could just as easily walk in the woods with a cryptic, "Why must one assume that the path one is not on is a simpler one?" The sky turned overcast, the busses and cars passing us became a nearly constant stream. I wondered where they were headed and why Zafar Futahelli’s group wasn’t also working to outlaw the diesel fuel that filled the air. Before I could answer those questions the road took a sharp left and there, suddenly, unexpectedly, reaching to the sky were the two pillars of Pilar Rocks. Strong, bold, magnificent and covered in a thick white mist. Nearly unidentifiable except for the parking lot signs on the road below me, in which dozens of busses and cars sat with their motors idling, blowing noxious black smoke and belching tourists by the hundreds. Near them, adjoining the parking lots, was a wall lined with chi stalls and tourist stands.
I was appalled. I was tagged and weaving. Worse, I soon found myself the curious object of attention to dozens of tourist families. They flocked to my side, lined up near me and posed as if in conversation with me while friends and family took photographs of them with their gringo friend. Whole families absorbed me into their Pilar Rock snapshots. Some even pushed me into positions they thought would look more conversational, sitting me on a rock wall overlooking both the Rocks and the parking lots, telling me to smile or talk or turn this way or that. I went along with the game, imagining some ancient ritual with foreigners I knew nothing about—perhaps there was a story of luck associated with taking photos of outsiders at Pillar Rock. Certainly there had to be something more than that my guide had simply walked me into a tourist trap. So there I stood, and sat and posed, waiting for direction from Vijay, but I soon realized my guide was nowhere to be found. He’d wandered off and lost himself in the crowd. I’d been abandoned. I slipped down from my perch on the wall and into the nearest chi shop, where comments were made about the smell and look of my clothing and shoes. And all the while the insidious Hindi-Christian-Rasta guide of mine stayed hidden from me—me, ripped out of my mind, being fed cupfuls of bacteria and sludge, up to my ankles in Indian refuse. But why? Wasn’t Pilar Rocks his idea? What happened to the shoala and why weren’t we in it? Dozens of questions flooded my mind, but they were too complex for anyone with five uneaten mushrooms to consider, so I ate what was left and decided to remain calm. This was India, after all, so I knew I wasn’t lost.
Instantly the recognition of that calmed me down and I decided that as long as I was here I would try to get a closer look at Pilar Rocks. But the mist which had been gathering just a few minutes earlier had now fully enveloped not only the great stone monuments but the tourist busses as well. Everything was being enveloped in white mist and disappearing like a ghostly visage. Where are you, my intrepid guide? I wondered. Pour me another cup of that sludge tea, my good man, I’ve got enough bacteria in me to infect a small village. I’m a biological warhead. Point and shoot me, I’ll infect the lot!
Suddenly it hit me and I knew—knew—where Vijay had gone. I felt it and knew I was right. I left the chi shop and slowly worked through the mist to a stand of trees the tourists were using as a latrine, moved past a squatting family and called out his name. "Over here," came the feint reply. I headed toward the sound and nearly bumped into him. He was sitting on a stone, rolling another joint. "I knew you would be here," I said. "Less tourists. I like nature," he commented. "Me too. Let’s find some. I’m hoping you thrust me into the pit of snakes for a reason. Did you?" "You are a tourist. I thought you wanted to be with other tourists." "I wanted to go to the jungle. The shoala. You brought me here. Are you insane?" He moved away, out of reach. "You are going to be yelling at me now, aren’t you?" "No. I am going to forgive your lunacy. But you are going to get me away from here and take me to the jungle. I am going to walk with the shoala beneath my feet. No roads, no drainage ditches, no diesel fuel, no tourists. Only jungle." Without a word he stood and started up a near sheer cliff of loose boulders. I followed up the incline, forcing my wobbly feet one in front of the other, nearly falling, nearly dying, and finally reaching the top of the hill. "There," he said, pointing 30 yards to our left. "There is the shoala."
Indeed it was. Beautiful, gnarled ancient trees clustered with hanging vines and flowers, thick, dark, wet, ominous and beautiful. "Let’s go," I said, already forgiving him the first five hours of the day. "In there?" he asked incredulously. "Of course. That’s why we came." "Oh, no. It is very dangerous. There are wild animals and snakes, and crevasses in the earth." "Let’s go look at them." "They are very deep. If you fall in you will never get out." He hated me. I knew that now. We were walking on a scrub path littered with paper and beer cans, not 50 feet from a rainforest at nearly 9,000 feet, but he was not going in. "Too, it is not allowed." "No one will see us." "Like the golf police?" "That was nothing." "Still, that is how it is." And then, diverting his attention to the path we were on, he fell to his knees. "Look! Some wild animal has passed here recently...yes...follow me quietly. No laughing." And he was off and running, the banshee who hated me. "Yes...an animal. Large...possibly dangerous...." The track he’d seen looked common enough to me but I took his word since I realized I was not thinking clearly any longer. Somewhere along the way I’d stuffed my pockets with sticks and stones which must have seemed important at the time, and I began unloading them. What were they doing in my pockets? I certainly didn’t remember doing it. Perhaps the tourists had made me little presents. Strange. I followed after him... "Yes!" he suddenly said. "An animal. I am sure of it." And then, further on, another 20 paces, we came on it, a mangy dog sleeping in the dirt. "Look! A jungle dog!" he announced. Taking no more, I dashed into the shoala despite his protests. I filled my lungs and ran through the thick underbrush, catching my clothes and hair on vines and branches, then tumbled on a tangle of roots and came to rest at the foot of a small shrine to one of the people who had investigated the crevasses without benefit of a rope. A plaque on the shrine at the yawning mouth of the black hole read: "Dedicated to my father SHEN BAGANADAR May 12, 1955 Body recovered, May 13, 1955 From a depth of 500 feet."
I peered into the hole and wished him well, then praised Shiva that while Shen had bought it I had only window shopped. "You see I am not fooling now," I heard Vijay say from the top of the embankment I’d fallen down. I looked around. It was finally beautiful. Even to be in a rainforest which had been chopped to bits, a piecemeal patchwork of old forest interspersed with eucalyptus, wattle and pine, it was still rainforest, thick with vines and new and old growth and moving underbrush alive with things. My little Rasta was off rolling another joint but I was practically dancing, making my way to one edge of the cliff the forest stood on, looking out onto the only uninhabited piece of India I’d ever seen. Utterly inaccessible cliffs, sheer mounts fronting strange vapor covered valleys, home of the few remaining spotted panthers and mountain goats in all of Southern India. A verdant landscape of living moving things and dancing trees, filled with white-faced macaques and Ghandi monkeys, rooting boars, snakes and a host of birds. What wonder! What splendor! I pictured the entire Palni Hills covered with this sort of vegetation, and imagined what the dry Plains of Madouri must have been like with forests like these draining out into year round streams. How golden and green those plains must have been a generation ago.
Reality began slipping and I found myself picturing giant sponges like these hills dotting all of those places where greed had gotten the upper hand and left desert where there once was forest. I imagined us piling up all the beer cans and papers we throw away and instead of tossing them into holes in the ground to make land fill, piling them into heaps in the middle of deserts until the heaps were 9,000 feet high and 20 miles long by 40 miles wide and then covering the piles of garbage with dirt and planting millions of trees on them and watching our trash turn into sponge, bringing verdant life back to those dry places. Sponging the Sahara! Sponging Death Valley! Sponging the Gobi!
I sat at cliff’s edge and felt the forest around me for as long as sunlight held. It was just a speck of ancient deep green surrounded by a more modern world. Still, it was thick and lush and full of life and mystery. A person could spend days, months even, in that little rainforest and not learn all of its secrets. It was the same in every beautiful spot in the world, I thought. People find something extraordinary. They want to be near it. They build their homes and condos and resorts and hotels until very little of the original is left. It was just our nature to smother things.
When the crevasses became difficult to see, I headed out with my wild-eyed guide who was sure we were going to die in there, back to the scrub brush road and the homestretch. The road back was as asphalt as the one enroute. We stopped at every chi shop we saw for tea as Vijay tried to tack on the hours to increase his pay. I went along with the madman until my bladder began to float, then paid him off and zeroed in on getting back to town, back to my room, back to my own worries about conservation in the Palnis, and back, of course, to the old woman who’d sold me the mushrooms.
2023.03.28 20:26 LIS1050010 Do You Have the Skills You Need to Survive a Depression?
Do you think you have the skills to survive a Depression?
Let’s face it. We may say we’re preparing for winter blizzards or freak hurricanes, but down deep, if you’re a prepper, what you’re really preparing for is a collapse of America’s economy. It may happen within a few days, or it may be a continual downward slide over many years. Its causes may include numerous Katrina-size natural disasters, a toppling federal government, chaos on Main Street, and the odd meteor or two.
Regardless of the causes, we want our families to be as secure as possible for the long haul.
So, the question that naturally arises is: How do you prepare for a Greatest Depression? Is it even possible to prepare for something that may last a decade or much, much longer? Is it better to be a homeowner, even if someday you’re unable to make your mortgage payments, or is it better to have mobility and rent? Should you leave your life savings and retirement funds where they are or take the tax and penalty hit and invest in land, or gold, or a year’s worth of food?
While there are no definitive answers to these questions, you can take stock of your level of preparedness, see where the gaps are, and work to fill them.
If you answered yes to all in this level, congratulations! You will survive.
If you passed the easy and medium levels but failed the hard level, not to worry. You are teachable. A Boy Scout learns 99% of these depression survival skills! Select a skill to learn, make a plan, and then work the plan! Rinse and repeat.
Now, let’s consider a question.
We’re preparing for something on a worldwide scale, so I asked Survival Mom readers this question: How should we prepare for a Greatest Depression? Here is a curated selection of those responses.
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submitted by LIS1050010 to selfreliance [link] [comments]
Let’s face it. We may say we’re preparing for winter blizzards or freak hurricanes, but down deep, if you’re a prepper, what you’re really preparing for is a collapse of America’s economy. It may happen within a few days, or it may be a continual downward slide over many years. Its causes may include numerous Katrina-size natural disasters, a toppling federal government, chaos on Main Street, and the odd meteor or two.
Regardless of the causes, we want our families to be as secure as possible for the long haul.
So, the question that naturally arises is: How do you prepare for a Greatest Depression? Is it even possible to prepare for something that may last a decade or much, much longer? Is it better to be a homeowner, even if someday you’re unable to make your mortgage payments, or is it better to have mobility and rent? Should you leave your life savings and retirement funds where they are or take the tax and penalty hit and invest in land, or gold, or a year’s worth of food?
While there are no definitive answers to these questions, you can take stock of your level of preparedness, see where the gaps are, and work to fill them.
Assess Your Depression Survival Skills
Let’s begin by evaluating your skills that would help you survive a depression. Answer yes or no to the following questions:
Easy skills level:
- Do you know how to sew on a button?
- Do you know how to use an oil lamp?
- Do you know how to boil an egg?
- Do you know how to ride a bike?
- Do you know how to keep houseplants alive?
Medium skills level:
- Do you know how to cut up a whole chicken?
- Do you know how to hem or fix a rip in clothing?
- Do you have a stocked first aid kit in your home?
- Do you know how to build and maintain a fire?
- Do you know how to cook and season dried beans?
Hard skills level:
- Do you know how to grow your own vegetables?
- Do you know how to use a pattern and sew your own clothes?
- Do you know how to can fruits and vegetables?
- Do you know how to start a fire without matches?
- Do you know how to raise chickens?
- Do you have a fully prepared emergency kit in your home?
- Do you own and know how to use a gun?
- Do you or someone in the home know how to fish and hunt?
- Do you have a well-stocked pantry?
- Do you know how to make a quilt?
- Do you know how to bake bread from scratch?
- Do you know CPR and basic first aid skills?
- Do you have the physical ability to ride a bike?
- Do you know how to purify water for drinking?
- Do you know how to cook in a dutch oven with charcoal?
If you answered yes to all in this level, congratulations! You will survive.
If you passed the easy and medium levels but failed the hard level, not to worry. You are teachable. A Boy Scout learns 99% of these depression survival skills! Select a skill to learn, make a plan, and then work the plan! Rinse and repeat.
Now, let’s consider a question.
Readers Respond: How Should We Prepare for a Greatest Depression?
If we could talk with survivors of the first Great Depression and ask them, “If you could go back to 1925, how would you have prepared for the Great Depression,” I wonder what they would say.We’re preparing for something on a worldwide scale, so I asked Survival Mom readers this question: How should we prepare for a Greatest Depression? Here is a curated selection of those responses.
- Is it possible to prepare for something that may last decades? Yes, but it’s not easy. I think it involves home ownership (not a mortgage, which means the bank pretty much owns your home), enough land for self-sustainability, and the skills to utilize that land. I see prepping as something that will help me get through lean times. Hopefully, we never have to survive totally off our food storage. Instead, our food storage will just help us stretch our budget if things get hard. (Bitsy)
- I remember my grandparents and uncles talking about the Great Depression and WWII rationing; honestly, I don’t think they noticed a huge difference in their lives. They lived very simple lives in eastern Kentucky, my grandfather quitting school at 7 to go to work. But they also had skills that most of us preppers can only dream of. Inflated food costs were no big deal if you were growing most all of what you needed. They kept gardens, orchards, chickens, and cows. Made their own clothes. Mended their own shoes. Never really strayed too far from home. If we’re going to survive something long-term, we HAVE to relearn those basic skills and learn to take care of ourselves. (Andrea)
- The way I look at it, my food storage and other preps are giving me OPTIONS and increased flexibility at a time when we might all need to be extremely creative to thrive. I won’t be nearly so dependent on a steady paycheck, so even if I lose my job, I can make it for some amount of time without facing utter hopelessness. If I’m fortunate enough to have a job and steady pay, I can use my money for needs other than food. All I’ve stored is insurance and wealth for bartering. (Linda)
- We know how to can, dehydrate, and we are saving many staples, but do we know how to fix and repair? Can we stitch a wound or have an understanding of herbal remedies for when doctors are not in the budget? The preparation we need to do is on every single level of our lives. (Kris)
- I think of food storage as a supplement if things somehow manage to limp along. If things completely collapse, then food storage becomes not a supplement but a bridge to tide us over while new ways of growing and transporting food are worked out. Keep in mind that there are basic differences in types of food. Grain is relatively easy to transport for long distances and is more likely to be at least somewhat available. Perishable items like meat, eggs, and fresh vegetables are likely to only be available according to what is locally produced or from your own backyard. Basic gardening skills can be ramped up fairly quickly, but those basic skills take years to learn. If you anticipate the need to produce your own food, get started now. Even if it is on a very small scale, you need to learn by experience what works and what doesn’t for your situation. Once you’ve got the basics covered, expanding the output is just a matter of doing more of the same. Buying a can of “survival seeds” and thinking that you’ll just plant them if the need arises is not a plan – it is almost guaranteed to fail at a time when failure could have very serious consequences. Can we prepare for something that will last for generations? That is really the question in a society such as ours, where the same systems that make us so efficient and wealthy are extremely fragile and interconnected by their very nature. Our system has no resilience, so if one part collapses, it can take everything else down with it. My preparations for a multi-generational collapse take a different approach than the typical prepper. Long-term preparations include a home-schooling library for our grandchildren, an extensive library on a wide variety of topics, “obsolete” technology in the form of slide rules (they were used for all the calculations that put man on the moon and built the Boeing 747), and quality basic hand tools and fasteners of various types. The worst thing that could happen in this regard is for our society to lose the basic knowledge we have built over the past 6,000 years. (Stephen M.)
- Before the Great Depression, most Americans did not live the life of affluence, that is the middle class and above standard of today. They were not poor by that era’s standard. As a matter of fact, compared to their immigrant parents’ life in the old world, they were very well off. Go look at a middle-class house built around the turn of the last century. Rooms are small to conserve heat. The closets are tiny because that’s all the room they needed. Few people had more than two or three changes of clothing. My Grandmother rarely owned more than four dresses at any one time. The newest one for church and special occasions. The next older one is for going out in public, such as visiting and going to town. The next older one for everyday wear. (and I mean every day, the same dress.) The very oldest one, oft mended and patched, for doing dirty work. The house I live in now, built in 1920, originally had a total of only four electric sockets. Nobody thought someone would have enough appliances to need more. My point here is that many people like my grandparents didn’t feel much difference once the Depression hit because they didn’t have much to lose. They were accustomed to a life that we consider austerity. Modern Americans are more spoiled than they think. $8 a gallon for gas is no big deal when you don’t own a car and never did and only dreamed you ever would. (Barbara)
- I think it will be a different type of depression than it was back in the 30’s. People were closer to the earth and didn’t count on the government as much. They also “networked” alot and used barter with friends and neighbors even in the good times before the depression. This is one thing I have been working on myself. (Woodnick)
- Zero DEBT!!! (George)
- I would consider every purchase NOW in light of how it would be viewed if LATER we were in a Depression. For instance, would your child benefit more from a pocket knife or a new video game? A book or a plastic toy? An emergency radio that doubles as an MP3 player or an iPod? Buy things of quality, too. I would replace things now that you can. (Katy)
- I think learning skills to survive a depression and teaching those skills to your children is important. My daughter can knit, sew, and crochet better than I can. In fact, my son can sew better than I can. We homeschool, so we have lots of books, including stockpiled curriculum for grades my children have not yet reached (in case we can’t afford to buy a math textbook then). Textbooks get low priority compared with food. I guess I am looking at a scenario where life is likely to get much harder and everything but food and shelter is considered a luxury. (Katy)
- You get comfortable with populations shifting around, little or nothing in the way of government public services, and surviving without a job. You get used to using absolutely every part of everything you have. You “fix it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.” You learn how to plant and harvest and butcher and shoot. (Sunshine)
- For a large-scale long-term Depression, I’d continue to store food and basic necessities as there may come a time when we have to completely rely on them. However, if there is no telling how long it would last, then money and storage would eventually run out. I have written about coming up with a personal economic crash plan to fall back on if or when a worst-case scenario happens. Not pretty to think about, but it may have to include moving in with family to pool resources, selling off belongings, possible bartering, etc. The main thing is survival and learning to live on less now. Imaging the worst-case scenario would help in preparing and not being in a state of shock if it happens. (Bernie)
- Lately, every time I shop and buy something, I ask myself, “What would I do if I couldn’t buy this thing? How would I make do ?” It’s really made me think and has caused me to stockpile some items I hadn’t previously thought about, like repair supplies for water hoses and shoes and iron-on repair patches for clothes. Sometimes, I’ve gone to the internet and printed off recipes for homemade cleaning products, vinegar, fruit pectin, and instructions for darning socks, making paper and homemade ink and glue, etc. I don’t have time to learn to do all that stuff right now, but I want that info in my survival notebook for later, just in case. (Linda)
- My mother will soon be 88. She was young during the depression. She said there wasn’t a change in their living standard. They lived in a rural area on a working farm. If they didn’t raise it or make it, they didn’t need it. They never had much to begin with, and when the depression began, they couldn’t tell any difference. I suppose somewhere in that story is our lesson. I am afraid that we may have lost enough of our morals and skills and have grown so used to our creature comforts that perhaps a depression could be much harder on us than the last one . . . much harder. (Reggie)
- I advise stocking up on tools and tools and more tools. Especially consumable tools. A bow saw with a dozen extra blades. Extra drill bits. My cordless 14.4 drill is going on 12 years. I advise a solar panel for recharging. If you have the motivation, tools will help you tremendously in building what you need. I think that there will be an abundance of emptied structures to strip for raw materials. We will be pulling screws and nails from buildings. Every one will have value. But stocking up on extra boxes now is not a bad idea. (Sierra D.)
- We are concentrating on learning skills to survive a depression. This year we are learning to save seed from our garden produce. I learned to knit this summer and have gotten some yarn on clearance from different places. I just watched videos on how to make tallow candles and pemmican….we have never saved the tallow from the deer and elk that the boys harvest each fall…now we will! Hopefully, the skills we learn will help fill in the needs as they arise as times get harder. (Sheri)
- I think we’ll be seeing high prices and scarce commodities (if only because fleets will be grounded for lack of fuel or too-high fuel costs) and an actual lack of petroleum-based products like gas, plastics, and rubber. So one thing we’re doing is stocking up on spare tires for our biodiesel vehicles and bicycles, tire patching kits, plastic bags, etc. – anything made from petroleum that we think we need during a major transition to a different lifestyle. Oh – and fabric, thread, needles (besides food & seed). (Mary)
- This is why I’m learning skills: gardening, animal husbandry, repair, crafting (practical things like knitting socks), cob building, and the like. I think if you already know how to do these things, it will be much easier to make the transition. (Herbwifemama)
- My mom lived in a NYC tenement during the depression, and it was pretty bad. She said the only time she got enough to eat was when they went to my great-aunt’s farm in the summer to work. Sickness was everywhere and you couldn’t afford medicines. My grandmother lost her hearing due to ear infections. All my mother’s teeth were cracked and broken due to poor nutrition and illness. (Vicki O.)
- My parents both lived through the depression before they married. My father, at times, nearly starved and worked at any job he could find. My mother’s family owned a farm and always had food. They didn’t have extra money and were very frugal, but they were able to eat well. I think preparations must include knowledge….how to grow food, both animal and vegetable. (Bernadine)
- Practical, hands-on knowledge is, by far, the best thing we can do for ourselves. What good is an emergency seed bank if we don’t have the proper soil for it and don’t know what to plant when? How do you can your produce and meat over a campfire? Do you know the medicinal properties of the common herbs we use for cooking? (I didn’t know that Thyme tea is excellent for upper respiratory problems–specifically the ears!) What about hunting without a gun? Butchering what you’ve managed to kill? Get past the squeamishness and learn how while there is time to make the necessary mistakes along that learning curve. (Patty)
- Has anyone thought of blacksmithing? Back in the day, every village had a blacksmith. I figure we’d need at least one skilled blacksmith for every few hundred people. (Chandra)
- Interestingly enough, I had a grandmother and mother who lived through the Great Depression with lots of info! My grandmother lived on a farm, worked hard, lived frugally, and wasted nothing ( even cooking water went back to water the gardens…and amazing gardens she had!). She reused paper towels and foil later on in life, composted, and never bought anything without purpose ( big lesson there!). She spoke of hard times but not starvation. My mother grew up in New York City and painted quite a different picture: standing in food lines for bread every week, no heat or electricity ( too expensive), cooking potato soup on a potbelly stove, clothing from the Salvation Army, quitting school at nine years old to work in a pencil factory for food for her family, getting Christmas presents from the local church ( one gift, a wooden cradle, her father promptly broke up and burned to keep his children warm…heartbreaking). While hard times are ahead, I think the standard of living is so different now that we have many ways to downgrade and still live very well. It goes back to living intentionally, shopping with purpose, and planning ahead. We do need to learn to provide for ourselves and learn long-lost skills should our modern conveniences ne’er return. We also must return to forming communities, getting to know our neighbors beyond a wave of hello at the mailbox as we hurry inside. (Doctorb)
- I used to have a class in a large city teaching people skills and urging them to make the move to the country. We had a very interesting large panel discussion on the depression. We invited people who had lived thru the depression and could relate stories of what they went thru. I’m glad we filmed it (quite amateur but a good record). It was fascinating! One consistent thing was that those who had lived in the country had gardens and lived like “kings and queens” compared to those who lived in the cities. They often said that as children, they didn’t know they had it bad. They ate well, played outdoors with siblings, cousins, etc. People in the cities often went hungry, stood in bread lines, and made meals out of the most meager ingredients. (Jan D.)
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2023.03.28 19:14 6mon1 New bathroom exhaust fan is as loud as the previous. I'm questioning my installation.
I've had a bathroom fan installed ~10 years ago. Haven't paid much, I made peace with the noise it made.
Were redoing the bathroom and decided to change the fan for a better (quieter!) model.
Sadly it's as noisy as the old one.
Model announces 0.7 sones (~23 db) and my phone reads 45 db (~3 sones).
Question is : could it be because the ductwork is too long? It's roughly 20 feet with one smooth 90° bend and horizontal all the way.
Or could it be because I used flexible (and insulated) hoses?
It's 4" as per recommended by the manufacturer.
submitted by 6mon1 to HomeImprovement [link] [comments]
Were redoing the bathroom and decided to change the fan for a better (quieter!) model.
Sadly it's as noisy as the old one.
Model announces 0.7 sones (~23 db) and my phone reads 45 db (~3 sones).
Question is : could it be because the ductwork is too long? It's roughly 20 feet with one smooth 90° bend and horizontal all the way.
Or could it be because I used flexible (and insulated) hoses?
It's 4" as per recommended by the manufacturer.
2023.03.28 19:05 TheAscendedTaco What are some things to add before I toss up some drywall?
Hey all,
I'm in the middle of planning my garage setup. The plan is to turn it into a woodshop/man cave. It's a an attached two car garage. The right wall is shared with the house, so it's insulated and drywalled. But the other walls are open.
Currently planning on 1) 20 amp plugs spread around 2) rough in for garage heater (gas/electrical) and bracing 3) high plug for Tv and bracing for mount. 4) extra plug for security camera (exterior). Mounted above garage door. 5) fur out 2x4 walls to 2x6 for added r-value 6) possibly adding a rough-in for hot/cold water for future sink 7)thinking about adding a window to gain some natural lighting.
I'm trying to plan far ahead into the future as I plan on drywalling and taping the whole space. Any other suggestions?
submitted by TheAscendedTaco to garageporn [link] [comments]
I'm in the middle of planning my garage setup. The plan is to turn it into a woodshop/man cave. It's a an attached two car garage. The right wall is shared with the house, so it's insulated and drywalled. But the other walls are open.
Currently planning on 1) 20 amp plugs spread around 2) rough in for garage heater (gas/electrical) and bracing 3) high plug for Tv and bracing for mount. 4) extra plug for security camera (exterior). Mounted above garage door. 5) fur out 2x4 walls to 2x6 for added r-value 6) possibly adding a rough-in for hot/cold water for future sink 7)thinking about adding a window to gain some natural lighting.
I'm trying to plan far ahead into the future as I plan on drywalling and taping the whole space. Any other suggestions?
2023.03.28 17:44 Apprehensive-Wolf128 Lg dryer not spinning or heating
So 3 days ago on Saturday my lg gas dryer model number DLG7101W finished a dry cycle but stopped working. Every time I tried starting it, it would click and come back with a te1 code on the display. Looked the code up on lg's website and found the code was set by the thermistor in the exhaust vent. Tried doing a hard reset with the power and play button, nothing. Same code te1. This time i tried starting it about 5 times and on the 5th try a te2 code appeared. Look that code up on lg's website. Pulled the machine away from the wall and checked the exhaust hose. Exhaust hose was a bit dirty but wasn't completely plugged. I cleaned everything out including the hose protruding threw the wall which is only about 6 inches threw the wall. Checked the flaps on the exterior of the house. Everything looked good. Hook everything back up. And same issue. This time I tried starting about 15 times. Majority of the time it was throwing a te1 code with an occasional te2 code. I decided to open the machine and inspect further figuring a possible bad thermistor sensor. While inspecting with my fluke meter I noticed the thermistor was reading but It was all over the place. While in the machine it was reading 13 ohms. Pulled it out of the machine it was reading 9 ohms. While letting it sit for a while it was reading 11 ohms but it was continually fluctuating between 11.08 and 11.96. The median temperature in the house was about 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Unsure of if this was normal i ordered a new one. While in the machine. I also checked the thermostats on both the exhaust and the gas heater. The gas heater was reading normal. The exhaust on the other hand was blown showing no current. So I ordered a thermostat as well. Parts came in yesterday (monday). Install both parts. Finish thoroughly cleaning interior of machine. Reassembled machine and try again. First few tries I tried starting it was spitting back the same te1 and te2 code. Finally it started up after about 15 tries. Had it on a 40 minute cycle but it only ran for 10 minutes before it stopped spinning and stopped heating. This time it didn't spit a code back though. The countdown continued to countdown with the normal lights working on the display as if it was spinning and heating. I shut it off and tried it a few times with every time it not spinning and heating but the display worked as if it was. Ended up giving up for the night as it was late and I was tired. Tried starting it again this morning and it's back to clicking and throwing the same te1. Te2 code. I havent ripped it back apart yet but im expecting the thermostat to be blown again. my questions are as follow A. Has anyone ever run into this issue before? B. Is it possible I have a bad logic board that's throwing these codes and sending to much power threw the thermostat blowing the thermostat in the process? C. Does anyone have any other ideas on what to check for? The machine was purchased in September of 2020 so it's obviously out of warranty but this is ridiculous. The last machines I had were kenmore machines and lasted 20 years. Later today when I rip it back apart again. I'm gonna check the same components. I'm also gonna trace the wiring, check the continuity in the wiring and do a wiggle test to check for any brakes. Only other thing I could think of is a possible bad logic board though. Thanks in advance. Shawn
submitted by Apprehensive-Wolf128 to appliancerepair [link] [comments]