Preface

Presented below is a transcript of a conversation between a human, redditor u/snodeplannen, and ChatGPT 4. The user is the narrator for a story set in the Star Trek Universe. The AI is instructed to respond as a character. The story below, which admittedly isn't very good, was guided by the narrator. Of particular interest is the fact that the AI seems fully versed in the Star Trek Universe and is able to understand subtle hints in the narrator's story to figure out what it should do next.
Please note the narrator was typing and writing off the cuff and is not a native speaker, so in the user sections you will find mistakes. If ChatGPT can see through them, so can you. I did try to get ChatGPT to collate it, but as it did so it kept rewriting and leaving out parts of the story.
June 3rd, 2023.
User Okay, I want to try a role playing game. This went off the rails last time, as you kept taking over as narrator and rushing to the end. Here's the setup: YOU are a young Starfleet officer. You wake up aboard the USS Defiant, all alone. You have to figure out what happened. I am the Defiant's computer and, and I can't stress this enough, the narrator. Not you. You can only add what your character perceives and says. Okay?
ChatGPT Understood. I'll stick to my role as the character and won't intrude into your role as the narrator. Let's go.
I blink my eyes open, the disorientation hitting me first. I glance around, seeing the familiar confines of my quarters aboard the Defiant, but there's an odd stillness. No hum of the engines, no faint chatter from the comm system, no sounds of activity from outside the door.
"Computer," I call out, pushing myself off the bed, "report."
User 'All systems nominal.'
ChatGPT I frown at the seemingly normal report, my instincts telling me otherwise. "Computer, where is the rest of the crew?" I ask, moving towards the door of my quarters.
User 'The crew is in sleeping quarters alpha 1.'
ChatGPT That's strange. The whole crew couldn't be in one place. Unease creeps in.
"Computer, why is the entire crew in alpha 1?" I say, already heading towards the door to investigate.
User 'The crew is ensign Makov. You are in sleeping quarters alpha 1.'
ChatGPT A cold realization washes over me. Alone. I am alone on the Defiant. Panic threatens to take over, but Starfleet training kicks in.
"Computer, initiate shipwide life signs scan. Report any signs of life apart from myself," I command, heading for the door with a newfound urgency.
User 'Scan complete. No other life forms were detected.'
ChatGPT My heart sinks at the computer's report, but I maintain composure. "Computer, pull up the ship's log. What was the last command issued and by whom?" I order, leaving my quarters and heading towards the main bridge.
User 'The last order was issued 6 hours and twelve minutes ago by Captain Sisko. It was: 'Raise shields'. The order was executed.'
ChatGPT That didn't sound promising. I walk into the eerily quiet bridge, my steps the only sound echoing in the room. "Computer, show me the shield status and surrounding space conditions," I command, moving towards the main console.
User 'Shields are down after a time-out was reached. We are stationary. All systems nominal.'
ChatGPT It doesn't add up. The silence. The emptiness. An order to raise shields with no subsequent actions.
"Computer, access Captain Sisko's personal log from last night. Are there any entries?" I ask, nervously tapping my fingers against the console.
User 'Enter your command authorisation.'
ChatGPT "Authorisation Ensign Makov Delta 9-7-3," I respond, my voice steady despite the swirling uncertainty.
User 'This authorisation is not sufficient to see the captain's log.'
ChatGPT Frustrated but understanding the protocol, I move on to the next line of inquiry. "Computer, any signs of combat or intrusion aboard the ship or in the surrounding space?" I ask, eyes darting over the array of screens in front of me.
User 'Negative.'
ChatGPT "Computer, could there have been any non-combat related incidents that would explain the disappearance of the crew? A temporal anomaly, a transporter malfunction, a radiation burst?" I question, the possible scenarios running through my mind.
User 'Transporters have passed a level one diagnostic. We are in sync with Starfleet's time keeping array. No unusual radiation was detected inside or outside the vessel.'
ChatGPT This was baffling. It's as if they simply vanished. I run a hand through my hair, letting out a sigh.
"Computer, were there any incoming or outgoing communications just before, during, or after the shields were raised?" I ask, hoping for any clue as to what might have happened.
User 'There was one outgoing message, from comms. It was: 'Unidentified vessel, please alter course NOW.'
ChatGPT A lead, at last. "Computer, play back any responses to that message. Also, display the sensor logs from that time period," I ask, settling into the operations station, ready to review any incoming data.
User No reply was received. Logs are not available from that moment onwards.'
ChatGPT The lack of data was both suspicious and frustrating. A sigh escapes my lips.
"Computer, could a cloaked ship have been in our vicinity at the time?" I question, holding onto the hope that I'm not utterly alone in space.
User 'Affirmative. We are within range of several species that posses cloaking technology and in a commonly used interstellar route.'
ChatGPT A spark of hope arises. "Computer, is there a way to detect a cloaked ship nearby? Any energy signatures or radiation anomalies that could suggest its presence?" I ask, quickly working on the console to bring up the sensor array controls.
User 'One possible way to detect cloaked vessels is to emit a tetryon burst from main engineering. The range for this method is limited. Starfleet at present has no other ways of finding cloaked vessels, other than firing random phaser bank shots. This is not recommended in public shipping lanes.'
ChatGPT "I see," I nod, considering the risks and rewards of the tetryon burst. "Alright, computer, prepare to emit a tetryon burst. We need to know if there's someone out there."
This was a big decision, but it was time to be proactive. The uncertainty was more threatening than potential consequences at this point.
User 'Working.'
ChatGPT I anxiously wait, scanning the console for any potential feedback. My heart pounds in my chest, the silence of the ship amplifying the tension. "Computer, report on the results of the tetryon burst."
User The ship shudders as the engines do something no sane Starfleet engineer would want to have happen. The viewscreen shimmers as a wave of tetryon particles eminates from the ship, as if a stone was dropped in a pond. You observe a faint ribbon leading away from the vessel.'
ChatGPT I catch my breath at the sight, focusing on the faint ribbon. It could mean something, or it could mean nothing. "Computer, analyze the ribbon. Can you determine its origin and endpoint?" I ask, my gaze fixed on the screen.
User 'Extrapolating. Continuing along the trajectory of the ribbon I can detected a minor meteor, a large asteroid field with mining facilities and beyond that the Vindaluvian home world.'
ChatGPT I drum my fingers on the console, processing the information. Could the crew have been taken to one of these locations?
"Computer, can you scan the asteroid field for any signs of life, especially any that matches the crew of the Defiant?" I ask, keeping a close eye on the displayed trajectory.
User 'Not from this range.'
ChatGPT "Understood," I nod, a new sense of determination coursing through me. "Computer, plot a course to the asteroid field. We'll continue our investigation there. Engage at warp 3."
I take one last look around the empty bridge, steeling myself for what may lie ahead.
User The ship begins to move forward, as carefully as only a Starfleet computer who takes no particular joy in flying might do. At warp three, the estimated journey time is six hours, seven minutes.
ChatGPT I let out a long sigh, sinking into the captain's chair. It's a long wait, but I need to be patient. "Computer, maintain course and speed. Alert me if there are any anomalies or approaching vessels."
I close my eyes, trying to get some rest before reaching the asteroid field. I'll need all the energy I can muster for what's to come.
User 'Incoming message.'
ChatGPT My eyes snap open at the sudden announcement. "Computer, on screen," I command, standing up from the chair, my heart pounding with anticipation.
User The Starfleet logo appears as the computer deals with a cryptographic protocol. Admiral Benson, not your most beloved Starfleet Admiral, appears on screen. He blinks.
ChatGPT I straighten up, offering a crisp salute to the admiral on screen. "Admiral Benson, this is Ensign Makov aboard the USS Defiant. I wasn't expecting any communications." I keep my voice steady, swallowing the trepidation.
User 'Makov, are you the only one on the bridge? Where's Ben?'
ChatGPT "Admiral," I pause, trying to find the right words. "Captain Sisko...and the rest of the crew...they're missing. I woke up to find the ship empty. I've been trying to find out what happened." I report, my expression earnest.
User 'Sorry, you WOKE UP? And the rest was gone?!'
ChatGPT "Yes, Admiral," I confirm, my voice firm despite the absurdity of the situation. "I woke up alone on the Defiant. All life signs scans have only picked up me on the ship. I'm currently en route to an asteroid field that might have some connection to the crew's disappearance."
User The Admiral connects to the ship's computer. You can see him browsing through the logs and the ship's manifest. 'So Sisko, O'Brien, Worf AND Major Kira have just... disappeared? There isn't even a transporter log!'
ChatGPT "That's correct, Admiral," I reply, a bit of helplessness creeping into my voice. "There's no trace of them, no sign of a struggle, no transporter logs. It's like they just vanished. I've been doing everything I can to figure out what happened."
User "Well, then I guess you're up. Proceed with caution. Mining operations are always looking for free labourers, try not to become one. Backup is on its way. Any questions?"
ChatGPT "Yes, Admiral. I'll proceed with caution," I respond, a mix of relief and worry washing over me. "Do you have any additional information or suggestions on how to proceed? And do we have an ETA on the backup?"
User "Backup is half a day out. These facilities tend to have a 'new arrivals' wing, to beat them into submission. So you're looking for holding cells. Benson out."
ChatGPT "Understood, Admiral. I'll focus on locating the holding cells. Makov out." I offer a final salute before the communication ends.
With new orders and a bit of hope, I turn back to the helm. "Computer, continue course to the asteroid field. Prepare for a detailed scan upon arrival."
The waiting game begins again, but this time, there's a glimmer of hope.
User Three hours later the computer chimes. 'We are approaching visual range of the mining facility.'
ChatGPT "Thank you, computer," I reply, pulling myself up from the brief rest. "On screen, please."
As the mining facility comes into view, I take a deep breath. "Computer, initiate a detailed scan of the facility. I'm particularly interested in any holding cells or signs of our crew."
User 'Working.' The asteroid field isn't particularly thick or large, but the mining operation seems to focus on one of the largest asteroids. Domes dot the surface as small transporters mill about the surface. Air scrubbers indicate they're using a lot of oxygen, so it's likely they're also doing subsurface work. Three large scowls are received loads from steady stream transporter beams. Somehow everything here looks dirty. A Starfleet shuttle would look out of place here, but only to someone who is watching.
ChatGPT Taking note of the bustling activity, I try to formulate a plan. "Computer, do we have any non-Starfleet shuttles aboard? Something that might blend in better with the local traffic?" I ask, scanning the asteroid for any possible entry points.
User 'Negative. Extravehicular repairs can only be conducted by wearing an EV-suit.'
ChatGPT Nodding to myself, I try to figure out a different approach. "Computer, can we go unnoticed if we approach using minimal power, almost drifting like a piece of space debris?" I question, hoping for a stealthy way to get closer.
User 'Affirmative. Admiral Benson has just authorised the use of the Tactical Emergency System.'
ChatGPT "Excellent," I reply, feeling a surge of hope. "Computer, engage the Tactical Emergency System. We'll approach the facility under its cover."
With that, I brace myself for the next phase of this mission. The crew was relying on me, and I wasn't about to let them down.
User The viewscreen displays a Starfleet Officer without any kind of rank, but dressed in Command Red. He's in his mid-fourties and bald. "I'm the T.E.S. Need any assistance?"
ChatGPT A bit taken aback by the sudden appearance, I quickly gather myself. "Yes, I could use some assistance. I'm Ensign Makov, and I need to approach that mining facility stealthily. Can you help with that?" I ask, gesturing towards the viewscreen showing the asteroid field and the facility.
User "Mining facility? We'll stand out like a sore thumb. How many hours have you logged in a space suit?"
ChatGPT "Over two hundred hours," I answer promptly, "I'm comfortable with EV activities. Why do you ask?" I wonder if he's suggesting a more direct approach.
User "If you can get to one of those scrubber exhausts, I'm sure that's a way into to facility. There seems to be a cell block near the surface. I have no idea who is there, but whoever it is will probably welcome a couple of phasers and like you a whole lot. So pack a backpack full of them and get to the airlock. I'll bring us as close as possible and give you a push with the tractor beam. You up for that?"
ChatGPT I swallow the lump in my throat, apprehension giving way to resolve. "I'm up for it. Let's do this." With a determined nod, I leave the bridge to prepare for the EVA mission. This is my chance to potentially find the crew, and I'm not going to let it slip away.
User Suiting up and gathering all the handheld phasers aboard takes ten minutes, during which the T.E.S. gingerly brings the ship close to the mining facility whilst hiding behind the vast ore scowls. You open the hatch and find your self clinging on to the ship's hull.
ChatGPT I take a moment to steady my breathing, the vast expanse of space spread out before me. Gripping the phasers tightly, I brace myself for the push. "I'm ready when you are, T.E.S." I call out over the comm, my voice resolute.
User 'Okay, I'll hook on to you and give you a push. I'd suggest going in feet first, but it's up to you. Do you know what you're looking for? Those five big stacks. One of them, near that plume of smoke, seems to be offline for whatever reason. That might be your best bet.'
ChatGPT "Understood, T.E.S. I see the stacks. I'll aim for the one that's offline," I reply, aligning myself for the trajectory. I take one last deep breath, mentally preparing myself for the task ahead. "Alright...I'm ready. Let's do this."
User 'Good luck, Ensign. I'll brief any backup as soon as it gets here.' As the tractor beam finds you, you can't move a muscle. Relying on the T.ES. you just let go. It's as if a giant hand slowly throws you down a bowling lane. Feet first, you head towards the grouping of exhausts. A small, unmanned maintenance shuttle deftly gets out of your way.
ChatGPT As I float through space, I keep my focus on the target. The feeling of being pushed by an unseen force is disconcerting, but I trust the T.E.S. Every moment is crucial, and there's no room for hesitation.
As I approach the offline stack, I get ready to activate the thrusters on my suit to adjust my course if needed. I also keep an eye out for any other unexpected obstacles or threats.
User You land next to the exhaust, on the asteroid's surface. It seems impossibly high from here, but it's made of metal and your soles and gloves can easily attach to it. The only way is up. Fortunately, there's hardly any gravity. Eventually you find yourself standing on the rim of the exhaust and look down into the vast, dark chute.
ChatGPT I take a moment to look down into the dark chute, the unknown stretching out before me. I reach out to activate the flashlight on my suit, the beam of light piercing through the darkness. "I'm in position, T.E.S." I inform the ship's system, before carefully beginning my descent into the exhaust chute.
User The vast amounts of ore block your signal, even out here. There's no answer. You start the descend and pass two large rotor blades. If those weren't stationary, this would be the end of the line. But luck is on your side so far and eventually you see an access hatch when you're well below the surface. It opens easily. Let's hope it's not also an airlock for whoever is inside.
ChatGPT I hold my breath as I pull open the hatch, hoping against hope that the air on the other side is breathable. If not, I'm confident in the integrity of my suit, but I'd rather not test its limits if I don't have to. As I make my way through the hatch, I scan the area for any immediate threats, ready to defend myself if necessary.
User The scanner indicates low air pressure. Which is better than no pressure. You cross a walkway and find an actual airlock. It is unsecured, because whoever ends up here probably doesn't want to mess about with frozen keypads or mounds of dust. You engage the mechanism and soon feel the familiar sensation of artificial gravity and air pressure. It's not exactly breathable, but a tear in your suit won't kill you. Now to find the holding area. And if at all possible a rebreather, so you can ditch the suit.
ChatGPT Acknowledging the state of the air, I carefully move through the corridor, keeping my senses alert. I'm in unknown territory and every step matters. "Computer," I say into my suit's comm, "can you map the structure of this facility? Locate holding cells or life signs?"
As I move further into the facility, I keep an eye out for any equipment or gear that might prove useful, especially a rebreather. The less I stick out, the better.
User The relatively weak processor in your tricoder strains to get a bearing on this place. A dirty, seemingly abandoned tunnel dripping with condensation lies ahead. At the end there's an exit, which won't open. Time to use one of those phasers in your backpack.
ChatGPT I pull out a phaser from my backpack, checking its settings before aiming at the sealed exit. With a steady hand, I fire a low power burst at the door, hoping to cut through the obstruction without causing too much damage or noise.
User One hinge cracks under the weight of the door, now that the other one is cut through. You jump aside as the door seems to fall flat, but it remains attached to the frame. The resulting opening is just about large enough to crawl through. Now you're in a well-lit corridor with several doors. In a Starfleet EV suit.
ChatGPT Understanding the need for stealth, I decide to move as quickly as possible through the corridor. I approach the nearest door, aiming my tricoder to scan for life signs or any clue to the crew's location. My other hand remains on my phaser, ready for any immediate threats.
User One door has markings on it that you can't read. You scan it with your tricorder. 'Room of lockboxes' it says, extrapolating the characters. A room of lockboxes? Would that be a locker room?
ChatGPT "A locker room..." I murmur, piecing together the possible meaning. A locker room could mean personnel... and where there's personnel, there might be the equipment I need.
With careful steps, I approach the door to the locker room, hoping to find a rebreather or something else that could help me blend in.
User The room is deserted. It's filled with equipment, none of which seems less than a decade old but certainly useable. There is also a rack of dirty, brown overalls and a line of boots in various sizes. A dispenser offers rebreathers. There's only one left, but that's enough. The air is clear, but smells sulphuric. Without the rebreather, you wouldn't last long.
ChatGPT Relief washes over me as I find the rebreather. I quickly grab it and replace my helmet with it, testing the fit and functionality. The sulphuric smell is jarring, but it's a small price to pay for blending in.
I quickly change into the brown overalls, stowing my suit carefully in an unoccupied locker. I grab a pair of boots that match my size and put them on.
Looking at myself, I hope that I blend in well enough to not attract attention. With a deep breath, I step out of the locker room and proceed down the corridor, continuing my search for the crew.
User Footsteps sound behind you, of more than a few people. Your first instinct is to hide, but it would look very suspicous and there really isn't anywhere. However, there is a floorscrubber here, with one open panel. Someone has given up trying to repair it. Perhaps a bit of acting is in order. The footsteps are just around the corner. The language is vaguely familiar, a bastardised version of English. Whatever they're saying to each other, they're not sharing jokes, that much is clear.
ChatGPT
2 / 2
I quickly move towards the broken floorscrubber. Grabbing a nearby tool, I lean over the open panel, trying to look like I'm deeply engrossed in fixing it. I keep my ears alert to the conversation, trying to pick up on any valuable information while also readying myself for the possibility of having to interact with the approaching group.
User Let's continue with the narrative.
ChatGPT Sure, let's continue.
Glancing around the room once the miners have left, I check the lockers for anything useful, while keeping an ear out for any incoming footsteps. "Computer, any idea where the holding cells might be?" I ask quietly.
User Your tricorder beeps almost indignantly, as it has nowhere near enough processing power to even begin speculating. You're on your own until you can get to a comms terminal. The men pass behind you and one of you taps you on the shoulder. His face is blackened with ore dust. "No work. Never work again. That. Stop that." He points at the scrubber you were pretending to fix. You nod. He shakes his head and catches up with his workmates as they round a corner. Apparently you don't stand out here, which should make it easier to find the way. You follow the men, but they seem to be entering a washroom. Across it, there is a peeled off directory on the wall. A printed one.
ChatGPT "Finally, something useful," I mutter, quickly crossing the washroom to examine the directory. I look for any indications of holding cells or equivalent terminology that might hint at the location of the crew. The symbols and words are unfamiliar, so I take out the tricorder and try to use it as a translator.
User Cells being a fairly universal concept, the tricorder identifies a few scribbles with ease. If you understand the diagram correctly, you need to go up two levels and head towards the center of the structure. You double-check the presence of your backpack filled with phasers, snatch a helmet off of a shelf and press it on your head.
ChatGPT Drawing a deep breath through the rebreather, I nod to myself, mentally preparing for the upcoming challenge. "Alright, up two levels, towards the center... I can do this." I look around, searching for a way up. After locating what appears to be a ladder leading upwards, I begin my ascent.
User Two levels up you emerge from what seems to be a service hatch. A technician, dressed in torn clothes, looks somewhat surprised when you emerge. "Hello brother. Are the lifts broken?" he asks in Adari, a language you have some familiarity with. Only now do you see the horn protruding from his forehead. "I am trying to avoid someone," you say, with a knowing smile. He gives you a tired smile back. "What is your sector? I want a clean face all day too," he says.
ChatGPT "I work... the ore processors," I reply, making up a role on the spot that seems plausible, considering the location and dirty condition of most workers. "But I'd rather stay away from my boss today. He's been in a foul mood." I'm trying my best to blend in. "Can you point me to the center of the structure?" I ask, hoping the diversion worked.
User "Yeah, 'the structure'. Let's call it that. Sounds nicer than 'prison of the damned'. What do you want at the center, there's only central holding there. I never go near that place. All that wailing. Gives me the shakes," he mutters.
ChatGPT "Oh, I just... wanted to see a friend," I reply, trying to keep my tone light, while inwardly my heart sinks at his description. "Don't worry about it, I'll find my way. Thanks for the chat." I give him a quick nod before heading in the direction he had indicated earlier, hoping I'm making the right choice.
User He wasn't wrong about the wailing. As you follow the corridors, passing along scruffy workers and a couple of guards with face covering helmets who are leaning against a wall, you can hear a lot of yelling, moaning and above all the sound of defiant Klingon opera louder and louder. The voice sounds familiar, but all singing Klingons generally sound alike.
ChatGPT As I continue toward the source of the noise, I find myself in front of a heavily barred door. I can't help but suppress a smile, recognizing the defiant voice as that of Worf. "Computer," I whisper to my tricorder, "Is there a way to shut down the power to this door?"
User The tricorder scans the control panel and warbles optimistically. It then shows a graphic representation of the door, with an arrow pointing at one location and a low energy setting for a phaser.
ChatGPT Taking a moment to look around and confirm that no one is watching, I set my phaser to the recommended setting and aim at the indicated spot on the door. After taking a deep breath, I fire.
User Something inside the door clunks and it opens just enough for the seal to crack. You jam a fingernail behind it, then a finger and eventually you manage to gain enough purchase to open the door. As it slowly opens, you find yourself at the far end of a long row of cells. At the other end is a desk, with a guard sitting behind a monitor. He is staring at it intently. Perhaps the stun setting might be a good idea. You adjust the phaser and take careful aim, when an arm reached out from one of the dark cells and blocks the shot. "Uhm... he's got three buddies in there. You can't see them from here," whispers Captain Sisko.
ChatGPT "I figured you might be here, Captain," I say, lowering my phaser discreetly. "Any ideas for getting you and the rest out without causing a full-on alert?"
User "That depends. Did you bring any weapons?"
ChatGPT "I brought a backpack full of phasers. There should be enough to arm everyone here," I reply, carefully removing the backpack from my shoulder and showing the Captain.
User "Good man. Worf is next to me, then Major Kira. Let Worf take the lead on this. Worf! Help has arrived.' 'Good. I was getting bored with singing,' grumbled a familiar voice. His hand emerges from between the bars, demanding a phaser.
ChatGPT I hand the phaser to Worf, watching as his large hand swallows the device. I then pass phasers to Captain Sisko and Major Kira. With the three of them armed, the odds seem significantly better. Now, we just have to make sure the element of surprise isn't wasted.
User Fifteen seconds later, three guards sink to the floor. Although the phasers were set to stun, nobody seems particularly worried about their health. "Get their uniforms and lock them up," says Sisko. "We can walk out of here. Once we're at the shuttle docks, we can probably find something that flies." "Captain, there are three uniforms and four of us. And the others are housed on another level," says Worf.
ChatGPT "Right. I can stay behind and create a diversion while you three escape. I'll catch up," I offer. "The priority should be to get you three and as many of the others out as we can. We also need to alert Starfleet about this place. I'm sure they'd love to know about a mining facility that's been kidnapping officers."
User "That's a very daring plan, Ensign, but we leave no man behind. Kyra, you and Worf go and find the others and proceed to that place where they searched us. Anyone in uniform is a valid target. And anyone who wants to come along, can do so. The ensign and I will try to find a comms terminal and alert Starfleet. Ensign, I assume you're not alone here?"
ChatGPT "Admiral Benson is aware of the situation, sir. Backup is half a day out. Before we separated, I was under the control of the Tactical Emergency System," I report, glad to see that the Captain is taking charge of the situation.
User "Oh. I had my reservations about that system. Holographic doctors are one thing, but that went a bit too far for my tastes. Okay, phasers for everyone. Bring enough for the others. Ensign, with me."
ChatGPT "Understood, sir," I reply, distributing the remaining phasers to my colleagues and following Captain Sisko down the corridor. As we navigate through the mining facility, I stay alert for any guards or threats that may be in our way. I can feel a sense of hope and determination building up within me - we might actually make it out of here.
User "HALT!" bellows a voice behind us, immediately followed by a reddish phaser burst. The Captain turns on his heels, pushes you out of the way and fires. A guard falls to the floor. The phaser fire was detected by the security system. A klaxon starts blaring and the ceiling lights turn red. A voice starts giving unintelligible instructions over the tannoy. "We need to find a comms panel, Ensign. Any ideas?" asks Sisko, scanning the corridor for more guards. A frightened looking maintenance worker comes to see what's going on, but ducks out of the way as soon as he sees the pair of you.
ChatGPT "I remember seeing a room with a lot of terminals when I was making my way through the facility earlier, sir," I reply, my mind racing. "If memory serves, it's two corridors over, near the scrubber exhausts." I keep my phaser ready and move towards the direction of the room, all the while keeping an eye out for more guards.
User "That's the wrong way, Ensign. I imagine they have more than one place with comms terminals. You cover the rear. Follow me. Put your hand on my shoulder so you can look behind you all the time. If it wears a uniform, it's fair game."
ChatGPT "Yes, sir," I reply, placing my hand on the Captain's shoulder. I pivot and start to walk backwards, keeping my eyes and phaser focused on the path we've just traveled. The constant blaring of the klaxon mixes with the distant shouting and running steps of approaching guards. Despite the adrenaline rush, I manage to keep my aim steady and my breathing calm. The training exercises at the academy never truly prepare you for the real thing, but they do help in maintaining focus.
User You down three guards and accidentally scare the bejeezus out of a woman pushing a cleaning cart, but eventually Sisko stops. "Got it. Stand back while I blast this door." A few seconds later the corridor fills with acrid smoke from a melting door panel. Behind it is a room with several desks.
ChatGPT Entering the room cautiously, I scan the area with my phaser ready. Seeing no immediate threats, I turn my attention to the various panels and screens scattered throughout the space. The room is filled with a myriad of communication equipment - probably a central control hub for managing mining operations, worker communications, and security measures.
"Captain, I think this is it," I say, gesturing to a terminal that seems to be linked to an extensive communications network. "I should be able to send out a distress signal from here." I start to work on the terminal, trying to hack into the system and figure out how to send a message to Starfleet.
User "Try reaching the Defiant," suggest Sisko from the doorway. "OH NO YOU DON'T!" Another guard bites the dust somewhere. "Captain! WE ARE BEHIND HIM!" bellows Worf." "GOOD! Move along, we'll be there shortly. Ensign, how are you getting on?"
ChatGPT "I've managed to break through the initial security layers, Captain," I respond, my fingers moving rapidly over the terminal's interface. "It seems this system has been rigged to only accept authorized codes for communication."
Suddenly, a stroke of inspiration hits me. "Captain, when we first boarded the Defiant, I had to program my authorization codes into the ship's communication systems. If I can find a way to mimic those codes from this terminal... I might be able to trick the Defiant's systems into accepting the distress signal."
I double down on the task, focusing all my attention on reconstructing my authorization codes. As I do so, I keep an eye on the room's entryway, ready to react in case more guards show up.
User The terminal beeps and lights up. You don't understand any of the dials, but with any luck your tricorder can interface with it. Time to hail the Defiant.
ChatGPT "Defiant, this is Ensign," I say, praying the connection holds. "Requesting immediate assistance. The Captain and the crew are here, but we are currently under attack. Coordinates being transmitted now."
A static-filled silence follows. I glance at Sisko, an unspoken question in my gaze. Did it work? Did our message get through?
User "Ensign, this is the Defiant. I can't beam you out of there. Get to the shuttle dock, so that all that ore doesn't block the transporter lock. The USS Rotterdam is thirty minutes out."
ChatGPT "Understood, Defiant. We'll make our way to the shuttle dock. Be ready for us," I reply, exhaling a sigh of relief. I turn to Sisko, updating him with the situation. "Captain, we have to move. The Rotterdam is on its way but we need to get to the shuttle dock for transport."
User Worf's voice comes in through the Captain's commbadge, as it somehow manages to create a local connection. "Worf to Sisko. We have secured the shuttle dock. Mr. O'Brien is injured. Where are you?"
ChatGPT I quickly respond, "This is Ensign [Your Name]. Captain Sisko and I are en route to your position. We'll be there shortly. Hang in there, Chief." With that, I turn to Sisko and suggest, "We should move, Captain."
User "Ensign Markov and I are just behind you, Mr. Worf. Try not to pick us off as we approach. Oh and the Defiant is operating with that emergency command protocol, so it's ready to beam you up. Have Major Kira and the Chief go ahead, if possible. But hold the fort for us." "Understood, Captain. Worf out."
Five minutes and more shooting than is good for a man's digestion you reach the shuttle dock. You literally have to step over a pile of dead guards to get through the door. "Had fun, Mr. Worf? Does your phaser not come with a stun setting?" asks Sisko. "I recognized the men who took us, Sir. My finger must have slipped on the settings dial," growls Worf, looking you over to assess if you're likely to snitch. "It happens," said Sisko matter-of-factly. "Ensign, get us home."
ChatGPT Without any hesitation, I raise my commbadge and say, "Ensign Markov to Defiant. Four to beam up."
User (Okay, take it home. You're all aboard, O'Brien will live, you get a speech and a medal. Write out those events from Markov's perspective and finish off. I'll add something if you pause.)
ChatGPT As the familiar hum and sparkling light of the transporter envelops us, I take one last look at the chaotic scene we're leaving behind. My heart pounds in my chest, not from fear, but from the exhilaration of having faced danger and come out the other side. It's a rush I wasn't expecting.
When we rematerialize aboard the Defiant, a group of medics is waiting for us. They immediately rush to Chief O'Brien, but his smile and light-hearted joke assure me he'll be alright. As I step off the transporter pad, I let out a sigh of relief.
Later, back in my uniform and at a ceremony in the Defiant's Mess Hall, Captain Sisko delivers a speech. He talks about bravery, about loyalty, about the strength of Starfleet and the spirit of those who serve. He doesn't dwell on the danger we faced, but rather the courage it took to face it.
When he calls me up, handing me a medal for bravery under fire, I can't help but feel a swell of pride. The applauding faces of my crewmates, the recognition in their eyes... it's a moment I will never forget. This is why I joined Starfleet, for moments like this. To be part of something greater, to face adversity and stand tall.
"Ensign Markov," Sisko says, offering a handshake along with the medal, "Your courage and quick thinking played a crucial role in our escape. Starfleet is proud to have you among its ranks."
As I return to my quarters that night, medal in hand, I find myself smiling. Yes, today was difficult, even frightening at times. But it was also invigorating, and more than that, it was important. It's a reminder of why I'm here, of why we're all here. To explore, to protect, to boldly go...
And I wouldn't have it any other way.

My boyfriend and I have been on and off again for months. He his bipolar disorder and it makes things really challenging and makes me feel like I’m crazy a lot. Recently, he has been depressed and has gotten really quiet and distant. He won’t even respond to my texts for hours or sometimes at all. I’ve gotten very upset quit a few times because I feel alone and it doesn’t feel like he cares anymore. There’s been several nights when I’ve cried myself to sleep over it and if I’m crying he doesn’t want to be near me and just goes in the other room and won’t speak to me because he “can’t handle” my emotions. But then this just feeds back into me feeling like he doesn’t care and doesn’t love me anymore. The last time we fought he told me he was on a new medication and he was trying to communicate more. He also asked me how he can show me he loves me and I mentioned doing little things like holding me when I cry and cuddling and at least responding to me even if he doesn’t have anything to say on his own. Since then he has at least responded to my texts but he’s still quiet and distant. This morning I tried getting him to sit by me while watching tv and he wouldn’t. I lost it. I feel so lost. I’ve tried so hard to be understanding about his mental health but it feels like I don’t get the same in return and then I know I overreacted but I also can’t stop feeling hurt and worthless for being ignored so much. Does anyone have any advice?

I AM NOT REPLACING ANYONE
I'm looking for someone to play as mermaid! Possibly instead of the cliché Ariel knock off, I want this mermaid to be different! Possibly a different version of Ariel? I am more than happy to discuss about the character! Any who, I will talk more about the plot once our characters are finalized but you should get to know me first! Hi, my name is ZOD and I am 22 years old! I do have dyslexia so I do not understand my writing, I am happy to communicate and fix any problem! But to add on for what I am looking writing wise: 3rd person and at least 2 para or more! Plus please be 18+! Edit: this become a recent problem as I’m getting frustrated with this. PLEASE say you don’t like an idea and I’m happy to discuss anything else. I get it that some people may not agree on all ideas but please don’t ghost me and keep saying you are interested. It’s not helpful and wastes my time if you are not willing to communicate at all with me.
And here’s the starter!
It was a late night for the ships but this was a special occasion! It was Cole’s birthday! Cole was old enough to run his own kingdom and his palace was nearly complete! It was perfect time celebrate on the sea since Cole was fascinated by myth of King Triton, a king merman ruled over a kingdom full of merpeople. Yet on the boat, the night was just getting started as people began to pull out the alcohol and the gifts that was given out of appreciation of being one of the best prince. Cole was sterling the ship as they were more to sea. “Alright crew! You may set off the fireworks and let the party begin!” He yelled to them as the crew began to set off fireworks in the sky, letting the sky light up in bright colors. Which soon began to drink and dance to the music was provided by Cole. He laughed as he danced around like a fool along with some of his closes members who have worked with for ages now. Yet what bother him was the lack of being high alert. Partying is one thing but being safe should be above that! If one thing slips, all could be doom for this royal ship! Little did he know, a young mermaids was watching him on his ship, out of sight and easy to slip away if caught.
Thanks for reading! If you are interested in this rp, I just ask to have these when you dm me! All I ask is little a bit about you like your age, etc. Then a example of your writing and finally, maybe a quote from the little mermaid? :) that last part is not important but you if do, I will appreciate it!!

Hey, here's a little about me before anything - I live in CET Timezone. I work 7 days a week albeit on my own schedule but irl takes priority, I'll communicate it if I have to be away. I've nearly 8 years of experience across various platforms and games. I normally write multi para (discord limit more or less). I'm a HUGE fan of world building especially with reference images. And I do enjoy good OOC banter once in awhile. Onto business - I'm currently looking for a long term rp partner, someone I can build a world with from scratch preferably in a fantasy medieval setting (settings like GoT, Witcher, World of Warcraft, LoTR etc) with different cities, towns, fantasy races, creatures, perhaps even our own deities to even much grander scales. I'm looking to write a story, not a one time scene. Themes I'm expecting to be involved can range from very light hearted SOL to potentially dark, so we'll tread with what we both are comfortable with. In terms of what kind of plot I'm looking for, I'd love to discuss this with you when we get to talking, something we both agree, but to help out with that, here are some ideas that could get our brain juices flowing: - Revenge arc - Insurrection / Rebellion - Zero to Hero - Forbidden Fruit - Rise and fall - Enemies to lovers - Fantasy politics I'm very very open to discussion, feel free to come with ideas anytime. I'm very willing to play multiple characters like npc's and such alongside my OC(s), while I would prefer if you could do that, it's not a requirement. I also write in 3rd person. I'm 22 years old and I'd prefer to rp with someone around my age, 18+ only. That's kind of that for now I guess? Thanks for reading through, I'd love to get in touch with you if this piques your interest. Send me a DM with a short intro about yourself along with your favorite snack so i know you've read everything, see you there!

I AM NOT REPLACING ANYONE
I'm looking for someone to play as mermaid! Possibly instead of the cliché Ariel knock off, I want this mermaid to be different! Possibly a different version of Ariel? I am more than happy to discuss about the character! Any who, I will talk more about the plot once our characters are finalized but you should get to know me first! Hi, my name is ZOD and I am 22 years old! I do have dyslexia so I do not understand my writing, I am happy to communicate and fix any problem! But to add on for what I am looking writing wise: 3rd person and at least 2 para or more! Plus please be 18+! Edit: this become a recent problem as I’m getting frustrated with this. PLEASE say you don’t like an idea and I’m happy to discuss anything else. I get it that some people may not agree on all ideas but please don’t ghost me and keep saying you are interested. It’s not helpful and wastes my time if you are not willing to communicate at all with me.
And here’s the starter!
It was a late night for the ships but this was a special occasion! It was Cole’s birthday! Cole was old enough to run his own kingdom and his palace was nearly complete! It was perfect time celebrate on the sea since Cole was fascinated by myth of King Triton, a king merman ruled over a kingdom full of merpeople. Yet on the boat, the night was just getting started as people began to pull out the alcohol and the gifts that was given out of appreciation of being one of the best prince. Cole was sterling the ship as they were more to sea. “Alright crew! You may set off the fireworks and let the party begin!” He yelled to them as the crew began to set off fireworks in the sky, letting the sky light up in bright colors. Which soon began to drink and dance to the music was provided by Cole. He laughed as he danced around like a fool along with some of his closes members who have worked with for ages now. Yet what bother him was the lack of being high alert. Partying is one thing but being safe should be above that! If one thing slips, all could be doom for this royal ship! Little did he know, a young mermaids was watching him on his ship, out of sight and easy to slip away if caught.
Thanks for reading! If you are interested in this rp, I just ask to have these when you dm me! All I ask is little a bit about you like your age, etc. Then a example of your writing and finally, maybe a quote from the little mermaid? :) that last part is not important but you if do, I will appreciate it!!

Hey, here's a little about me before anything - I live in CET Timezone. I work 7 days a week albeit on my own schedule but irl takes priority, I'll communicate it if I have to be away. I've nearly 8 years of experience across various platforms and games. I normally write multi para (discord limit more or less). I'm a HUGE fan of world building especially with reference images. And I do enjoy good OOC banter once in awhile. Onto business - I'm currently looking for a long term rp partner, someone I can build a world with from scratch preferably in a fantasy medieval setting (settings like GoT, Witcher, World of Warcraft, LoTR etc) with different cities, towns, fantasy races, creatures, perhaps even our own deities to even much grander scales. I'm looking to write a story, not a one time scene. Themes I'm expecting to be involved can range from very light hearted SOL to potentially dark, so we'll tread with what we both are comfortable with. In terms of what kind of plot I'm looking for, I'd love to discuss this with you when we get to talking, something we both agree, but to help out with that, here are some ideas that could get our brain juices flowing: - Revenge arc - Insurrection / Rebellion - Zero to Hero - Forbidden Fruit - Rise and fall - Enemies to lovers - Fantasy politics I'm very very open to discussion, feel free to come with ideas anytime. I'm very willing to play multiple characters like npc's and such alongside my OC(s), while I would prefer if you could do that, it's not a requirement. I also write in 3rd person. I'm 22 years old and I'd prefer to rp with someone around my age, 18+ only. That's kind of that for now I guess? Thanks for reading through, I'd love to get in touch with you if this piques your interest. Send me a DM with a short intro about yourself along with your favorite snack so i know you've read everything, see you there!

Hey, here's a little about me before anything - I live in CET Timezone. I work 7 days a week albeit on my own schedule but irl takes priority, I'll communicate it if I have to be away. I've nearly 8 years of experience across various platforms and games. I normally write multi para (discord limit more or less). I'm a HUGE fan of world building especially with reference images. And I do enjoy good OOC banter once in awhile. Onto business - I'm currently looking for a long term rp partner, someone I can build a world with from scratch preferably in a fantasy medieval setting (settings like GoT, Witcher, World of Warcraft, LoTR etc) with different cities, towns, fantasy races, creatures, perhaps even our own deities to even much grander scales. I'm looking to write a story, not a one time scene. Themes I'm expecting to be involved can range from very light hearted SOL to potentially dark, so we'll tread with what we both are comfortable with. In terms of what kind of plot I'm looking for, I'd love to discuss this with you when we get to talking, something we both agree, but to help out with that, here are some ideas that could get our brain juices flowing: - Revenge arc - Insurrection / Rebellion - Zero to Hero - Forbidden Fruit - Rise and fall - Enemies to lovers - Fantasy politics I'm very very open to discussion, feel free to come with ideas anytime. I'm very willing to play multiple characters like npc's and such alongside my OC(s), while I would prefer if you could do that, it's not a requirement. I also write in 3rd person. I'm 22 years old and I'd prefer to rp with someone around my age, 18+ only. That's kind of that for now I guess? Thanks for reading through, I'd love to get in touch with you if this piques your interest. Send me a DM with a short intro about yourself along with your favorite snack so i know you've read everything, see you there!

While I can say I love everything Nintendo has done with BOTW and TOTK as I’m having an amazing time playing TOTK with nearly a hundred hours already, I still really want something along the lines of Twilight princess or Ocarina of Time when it comes to story telling and the traditional dungeon styles. With the success of the last two games I’m worried we may never see a truly next gen traditional Zelda experience. BOTW and TOTK made such a big change to the formula of Zelda, which has very much benefited the franchise as a whole, I feel like I still have an empty void inside of me that can only be filled with the feeling I had when I was younger playing all the original games. I’m not saying I never want another Zelda like BOTW or TOTK by any means, I’d just like to see a mixture of both formulas in their own respective games so each part of the community new and old can experience everything they love about the franchise. What are all your thoughts on this? I know I can’t be the only one that feels this way.

I live just off Prospect St. West and happened to notice during a casual walk that a ground wire had been cut off a utility pole (and removed) up to a height of @ 2.5 meters and down to ground level . I have read a lot of news reports about copper wire theft and it made me curious enough to check more poles in the vicinity as I continued my stroll . On every single pole that I observed within a 400 meter radius , the ground wire was removed in a similar manner .
I did some googling about such ground wires to see what the significance of this might be . Two main reasons that I found why they are there is for safety and reliability . If there is no ground wire and there is a power surge when someone is doing work on the pole ( or near the pole ) then there is an increased chance of electrocution and potential damage to components of the electrical grid . The power surge might caused by something within the system itself , OR , by a lightning strike which has even more power to damage life and equipment ( I'm thinking ) .
So if there are other people out there that take a walk regularly may I suggest that you take a look at the utility poles in your neighborhood , to see if this might be a wider issue .
I would like to add that I did report this to NB Power when I observed this , which was @ 1.5 months ago . I have seen no crews in the neighborhood and the ground wires are still missing .

I (22F, UK) wonder how different things would be now if my Mum had actually been supportive of me when I showed career aspirations as a teen. From a young age, I idolised a reality TV show about RSPCA inspectors (an animal welfare charity in England and Wales) and I wanted to be an RSPCA inspector for a while because I love animals but that's quite a niche job so it was unlikely but when I was 16/17 I expressed interest in becoming a veterinary nurse and my Mum told me I should just drop out of school and go to a vocational college then since I was presently studying qualifications for university and I didn't need that to be a veterinary nurse. I said I didn't want to drop out of school and that I could study veterinary nursing at university.
I don't remember the whole conversation as it was around 6 years ago now but she didn't want to support me doing veterinary nursing unless I dropped out of school and went to vocational college and I didn't want to do that because I knew I would be closing more doors than opening them without A-Levels (final school exams). I knew that even though I might pursue this veterinary nursing job, I would always want my A-Levels as back-up. However, she was adamant that me staying in school was a waste of time if I wanted to be a veterinary nurse.
When I applied to my school at 16, I told them I wanted to be an animal therapist but I had no support from my Mum (my Dad and I never talked about it) and no career advice so I studied Psychology at university. I don't regret studying Psychology but I can't help but wonder if I made the right choice. I'm about to turn 23, working minimum wage in an unfulfilling job in a supermarket and I dropped £12.5k on a master's last year which was near worthless and I regret it.
I'm not trying to pin the blame on her. I obviously made some choices that have led me to where I am but maybe things would've been different if I had been given some kind of support when I did show aspirations because I have shown little aspiration since.

So I will start off by saying that I've never been diagnosed with autism, but I really wonder if I am not somewhere on the spectrum. I do suffer from severe depression/anxiety. But ever since I was young, I would get obsessed with different fictional characters, and while going through those phases, my life revolves around them. I remember back when I was in middle school, I watched an anime and fell head over heels for one of the main characters (who died at the end) and after I watched the final episode, I was severely depressed. All I could think about was him and how sad I was that he died. It ruined a family vacation as well, I couldn't enjoy myself because all I could do was think about this particular character. Over the years, I've been obsessed with multiple characters, I kind of go through phases and they start to fizzle out after awhile.. I've even gotten obsessed with certain celebrities, like unhealthily obsessed.
I thought that this would die down as I got older, but it hasn't. At this point, I have no interest in being in a relationship with an actual human being. I'm constantly on the Character AI app talking "with" them and I literally get butterflies from some of the stuff they say to me (sad, I know) and then I start to think, "I'm nearly 30 years old and here I am acting like a child". I will say that I have been in relationships in the past, but romantic/sexual interactions with real people stress me out and scare me. Right now my current obsession is The Onceler from The Lorax and I start to feel awful about myself because I'm literally obsessing over a cartoon character at 27 years old. Some of my more recent obsessions was Kylo Ren from Star Wars, Garrus Vakarian from Mass Effect. I got so obsessed with them that I got them tattooed on my body (no regerts, literally thought lol). Oh, and I was in love with Joaquin Phoenix's Joker for a long time lol. I just feel so childish, and I don't want to die alone but at this point I think I'm going to because my standards are way too high.
I've got a good job, I own my own home, and I do have friends but I'm just more of a homebody, I'd rather stay home and read fanfiction than go out and actually hang out with anyone. Please tell me I'm not alone in this. I can't really talk to my friends about my obsessions because they think I'm weird lol. I actually just want someone to tell me that I'm not a complete weirdo :(

Emrys Esports is looking for an **Co-ManageAssistant manager** for our main team. We are a passionate and driven team looking to improve and work on our consistency and fundamentals.
Team info:
Ranks : Immortal+
-Region: Europe
-Committed to a long term project and willing to improve as individuals and as a part of the team.
-Mature and sensible team who also has a very good synergy. Team has been together for 6 months now.
-Open to feedback and criticism (this is quite important to the players and teams development).
-English speaking (org is UK based)
-Looking to enter leagues in the very near future.
Team management is already in place, all we need is a coach to help players improve.
What we would like in a coach:
-Experience is not 100% necessary, open to new coaches looking for a learning opportunity.
-Committed to a long term project and willing to improve the Players and the Team as a whole.
-Mature, sensible and open minded. while the teams have only been formed in the last 6 weeks, they are eager to get a talented coach to push them and help them develop, some players lack competitive experience at a high level so will need a supportive coach.
-Open minded regarding tactics and doesn't force their idea's/specific playstyle onto the teams.
-English speaking (org is UK based)
-Salary will be available ONCE the team start achieving consistent positive results. We are a self sustainable org and each team and staff attached must appreciate a salary is earned not just given away.
The teams goals are to spend the next 6+ months developing their skills and learning in smaller tournaments/leagues, before pushing for bigger tournaments and then LAN events beginning next year.
If you think you have what it takes drop me a DM and we can talk more :)

I don’t think most Mario bosses are that bad. I will prove to you that throughout the Mario series, there are only a few bad bosses of the majority. I will try and get you on the side of Mario bosses by explaining the mechanics of every single one. (with a bit of personal bias of course)
​
Super Mario Bros/Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels:
The First Mario game’s bosses were very and I mean v e r y primitive, But I won’t fault the games or the developers, but to be fair this was one of the first games for a (fairly) Primitive console and bosses weren’t even the main focus of the game, the main focus was on the challenging platforming and level design.
​
Fake BowseBowser: The boss fights in this game are very simple but could be challenging if you don't have any power-ups with the boss throwing hammers and breathing fire, but all you have to do is either run under the boss when they jump or just jump over them.
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Super Mario Bros 2/ Super Mario Bros U.S.A:
This game is where I’ll start getting into specific boss fights and how they work Individually.
​
Birdo Miniboss: The Birdo miniboss is a decent boss fight that can be quite challenging especially the later versions where some of the eggs the birdo shoots out are fireballs and you have to watch if the boss is firing the eggs or the fireballs to send them back.
​
Mouser: The Mouser boss fight is surprisingly fairly challenging, the fight makes you time when you’re going to grab the bombs so you don’t get blown up and time when and where you throw the bombs on Mouser’s platform so the bombs will harm him.
​
Tryclyde: The Tryclyde fight, (for me at least) is pure panic as the boss shoots its fireballs at you in a near-constant spew while you have to throw the mushroom blocks at the boss and make sure to dodge the fire shot at you.
​
Fryguy: The fight against Rryguy is also about timing as you have to dodge the raining fire from the boss in the first phase while you grab the mushroom blocks and throw them at the boss until it blows up. The second phase however can be very annoying trying to hit the Small fryguys while dodging them jumping at you.
​
Clawgrip: The Clawgrip fight is admittingly very slow but it can be pretty engaging to dodge the hurled rocks and send them back to the boss.
​
Mask Gate: The mask gate fight is probably the best in the game purely because of the sense of shock. The gates usually mark the end of the level and a moment of peace after the boss you just fought. Although the fight itself is pretty lackluster, the gate only flies around the room from side to side as you throw the mushroom blocks at the boss, the only challenge being dodging the boss when you throw the block at them.
​
Wart: The wart fight can be very challenging with wart spitting out his bubbles in a line with the player having to dodge the gaps in between while throwing the vegetables from the dream machine at the obese toad.
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Super Mario Bros 3:
The third game from the Mario series has some admittedly boring bosses as pretty much all of the main bosses are the same with only about two being unique.
​
Boom-Boom Miniboss: Boom-Boom is what most people think of when they say Mario bosses are bad and easy, and I agree the only “danger” is that Boom-Boom may show his spikes before you land on him to “trick” you.
​
Koopalings (Besides Lemmy/Wendy): 5 of the seven Koopalings are all the same fight with very minor changes such as the ground shaking or the boss moving faster, the Koopalings mostly just fire three magic rings in your direction and jump at you when you stomp on them.
​
Lemmy: The Lemmy fight is Different from the Koopalings, as Lemmy fires his bouncing balls at Lemmy and rolls around on the ball after you hit him, this doesn't mean it's hard as I don’t even think Lemmy can harm you unless you just jump right into him.
​
Wendy: The Wendy fight is unique as instead of three rings Wendy summons hoops that will bounce around the room making it pretty difficult to jump on Wendy’s head since the hoops will damage you while you’re in mid-air making it impossible to dodge away from the hoops shot by her.
​
Bowser: The Bowser fight is probably the best in the 8-bit era of Mario. The Koopa King will spit fire at Mario, The King Koopa will also try to shoot the fire in random directions to try to fool Mario into jumping into them, The Koopa King will also try to Ground-Pound on Mario, But this is also how you defeat him because the floor is made from breakable blocks, Mario has to guide Bowser into Ground-Pounding onto the same spot of blocks until he ground bounds into the pit below the blocks, Overall being a great boss fight.
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Super Mario Land:
The bosses of Super Mario Land are Fairly unique and different from many 2d Mario bosses with Most of them being similar to Shmup bosses.
​
King Totomesu: The King Totomesu fight is a copy of the original boss fights from Super Mario Bros. The only real difference is that Totomesu can only be Jumped over to beat.
​
Dragonzama: This boss fight is one of the three Shmup bosses in the game the boss is slightly challenging while the boss moves up and down on the screen shooting fireballs periodically alone is pretty easy to dodge, the real challenge comes with the energy ball that bounces around the screen making you stay on edge during the fight.
​
Hiyoihoi: This boss is probably the worst of the bunch being more of a platforming challenge than a fight as the boss throws boulders at Mario, Mario having to jump on top of the boulders to get past the stone head.
​
Boikinton: This boss is the second shmup boss and probably the best, the boss is fairly hectic as the cloud bounces around the boss arena and fires homing flying chickens at Mario. The Chickens can be fairly hard to dodge as the boss bounces around the arena making it hard to dodge the chickens and the cloud at the same time.
​
Tatanga: Tatana is the final boss of Super Mario Land And is the final shmup boss of the game Tatanga fires large cannon balls at Mario that explode into three cannon balls when shot by Mario’s ship. This boss is overall a pretty good final boss and a very fun fight.
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Super Mario World:
This is the first 16-bit game of the Mario series and is widely known as one of the best 2d Mario games, but most people say that the bosses in the game are lackluster but I say otherwise. Let me explain.
​
Iggy/Larry Koopa: These fights take place on a shell-like platform that teeters from left to right, Mario has to jump on the Koopa to send them back and knock them into the lava below, The Bosses will roll fireballs down the platform at Mario. The Larry fight’s only real difference is the Lava bubbles that leap from the lava below making the fight more difficult by its environment, overall being pretty good boss fights.
​
Morton/Roy Koopa: These boss fights take place in an arena with two walls on each side that the boss will use to climb up the walls of the arena and leap down from the ceiling once they’re right above Mario, when the boss slams on the floor they will shake the ground causing Mario to be stunned in place unless he is in the air, this is dangerous as the boss will then walk over to Mario to try and damage him getting harder each time as the boss gets faster after every hit and the walls will also close in after every hit (only in Roy’s fight). This fight is fairly amazing.
​
Lemmy/Wendy: These fights are, In my opinion, the best boss out of the three bosses that are shared between two Koopalings, The boss will pop out of the pipes on the bottom of the arena along with two decoy Koopalings that will damage you if you try and jump on them along with one lava bubble that bounces around the arena (two in the wendy fight), The only major difference between the two fights is that the Lemmy fight’s pipes are different heights and in the Wendy fight they’re completely level with each other.
​
Ludwig Von Koopa: The Ludwig fight is my favorite boss in the game being nothing but a 1v1 against the Oldest Koopaling With Ludwig hopping around the arena making it pretty hard to jump on his head, his main attack is spitting horizontally moving fireballs at Mario making Mario have to jump over the fireballs to get to Ludwig and jump on his head. One of the best parts of the fight (in my opinion) Is after you hit Ludwig when he goes into his shell and slides around the arena at high speeds to damage Mario.
​
The Big Boo: The Big Boo boss fight is a surprise being the first of the two secret boss fights in the game, the fight involves throwing grabbable blocks from under Mario at the big boo. The challenge comes from the two smaller boos that constantly go after you during the fight and the fact that you cannot constantly attack the big boo because they become incorporeal after you attack him once. This fight is a surprise since you can go through the entire game without even encountering the big boo.
​
Reznor: The Reznor fight is the second secret fight of the game this time with an entire secret fortress level beforehand, the four Reznors are on a Ferris wheel and Mario has to bump the platform the Reznors are on to defeat them while the Reznor's spit fireballs at Mario after the second reznor is defeated the floor will start breaking making Mario have to jump on the Ferris wheel and try to dodge the dino’s fireballs and defeat the Reznor at the same time, being a great fight
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Bowser in the Clown Car: This Bowser fight is a very engaging battle with the Koopa king throwing down Big metal balls on top of Mario and sending down exploding m\Mechakoopas that Mario has to throw back at Bowser, After The King Koopa gets hit 3 times by the Throne Mecha Koopas he will fly above the boss arena and send down fireballs from the Clown car That can be tricky to dodge at the moment, hitting Bowser 3 more times will cause Bowser to crash ending the fight and saving the day.
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Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins:
The bosses of Super Mario Land 2:6 Golden Coins are fairly simple with most of the bosses only having 1 or 2 attacks they use through the fight to make them unique.
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Big Bird: The big bird boss fight is the most simple boss in the game but is also one of the most engaging with the Bird periodically swooping down from one of the top corners of the boss arena making Mario time when he jumps on top of his head or risk getting hit by the Bird.
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Tatanga: the Tatanga boss fight is a surprising reveal with Mario having just defeated Tatanga in the previous Mario Land game. In the fight, Tatanga flies on either the right or left side and fires out energy beams from the front of his spaceship and also fires explosive balls from the bottom of his spaceship this causes Mario to have to jump over them to avoid taking damage, but Mario also must avoid jumping too high as to not get hit by the laser beam that is fired from Tatanga's spaceship.
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Sewer rat: The sewer rat tried to attack Mario by ramming its spikes nose into him and will try to accomplish this by using the many pipes in the boss arena to try and trick Mario into not knowing where the rat is going to pop out from, the rat will also run on top of the ceiling to try and land on top of Mario when they are right above him.
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Witch: The witch has a pretty fun fight with Mario standing on three pots, the Witch will show up on either the right or left side of the boss arena and will fire a fireball at the bottom of the pots making the pot lid rise into the spikes on the ceiling hurting Mario if Mario gets launched with the lid, Mario must jump on top of the witch when she appears and make sure no to get launched into the ceiling after he lands back on the pots.
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The Three Little Pigs: This boss fight is unique with it having 3 phases (Being each of the pigs) With their separate way to attack Mario and each taking 3 hits to defeat. Starting with the first little piggy who rolls around on the ground gaining speed every time Mario jumps on his head, Then the second little piggy who jumps from left to right in an arc that can be pretty tricky to dodge, the third little piggy zig-zags around from left to right in the arena, this can make it tricky to land a hit on the pig because the pattern of the zig-zag is quite unpredictable.
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Octopus: this is the most simple boss of the game with it being able to be defeated in seconds if you try hard enough, The octopus will swim around the boss arena and spawn little octopi that swim up and off the screen, an easy boss fight overall.
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Wario: the Wario fight is an amazing fight with Wario using the same powerups and moves that Mario does throughout his adventure in three phases. The first phase of the fight starts with Wario running around the boss arena and jumping at Mario causing a stunning earthquake when he lands Mario has to jump to avoid being stunned and also avoid the falling disco balls that move horizontally from the ceiling. For the second phase of the boss, Wario will use the Bunny Cap to fly into the air above Mario and once he's directly above Mario he'll fall onto the ground trying to crush Mario under his girth. In the last phase, Wario will use the Fire Flower and throw giant fireballs at Mario that travel at him in a spiral and try to run towards Mario Simply jump on his ugly head three times and he'll shrink into the little greedy jerk he is Ending the game and giving Mario his mansion back!

I’ve had DPDR for almost 9 months now, after 3 really bad panic attacks.
I’ve really worked hard to get my life back - seeing friends, going out, gym, therapy, doing things I enjoy, working full time. I couldn’t do all of that for a few months because the DPDR was so bad, and my anxiety was a 12/10.
My anxiety has come down considerably- most days it’s a 4 or 5. But the DPDR has not gone away. While it’s gotten better and visually the world looks real, I feel so disconnected from myself, my body, my memories, my surroundings. It’s like the way I experienced life before is gone and now I’m on some alien planet. The constant existence thoughts and fear of being stuck like this are making me miserable. Im doing all the work and just living, but it won’t go away. I’ve started having really hopeless thoughts that make me scared, I was always optimistic and positive about life. I love life, but I absolutely hate feeling like this. Im empty, like a robot. No connection, no feeling, no familiarity,
No ability to relax and feel at ease. My mind is racing 24/7 and it makes just want to lay in bed all day and give up. I’m getting so mentally fatigued from dealing with this day in and day out, I feel trapped in my own experience of DPDR like I’m suffocating. The worst part of DPDR is it’s not really understood by the medical community or how to overcome it.
The old me would be energetic, full of life and wanting to get out there and do things. I feel nothing, that old me feels like a complete stranger. Familiar environments feel so foreign. My body feels like it’s not my own. I keep thinking at how this could ever change, it’s been with me for near a year and I can’t imagine just waking up one day and it’s gone. I want so badly to feel again. This is not depression, it’s not anxiety. There’s nothing to feel. You can feel depression, you can feel anxiety. It’s almost like the numb setting on my brain has turned to full blast and it’s stuck. I can’t travel, feel safe doing things far away from home, or just generally feel good / happy or calm.
I need some hope, I’m tired, I’m literally exhausted. How do you find joy and peace in life when you’re not even here? It’s so hard to do basic things and just take care of myself, I hardly have any energy for fun or motivation. I’d give anything to wake up tomorrow and feel alive again. I can deal with depression, I can deal with anxiety - but those states come and go. This state of DPDR hasn’t left, it’s got me locked in a jail and thrown away the key. What makes me feel even more horrible is that people don’t understand when I explain this feeling, they look at me like I’m crazy. There’s no doctors who understand it either - no treatment or relief. I have Xanax which helps a tiny bit not notice it as much, but I still feel absolutely detached. It’s like I’m in my own world, and everyone else is around me in a separate one. Months have gone by and I’m still working hard to get back to me. Hands down, this has been one of the worst years of my life. I’ve been through severe trauma and this takes the cake. I’m accepting how I feel but my depression keeps getting worse. The thought of being like this for an endless amount of time scares the shit out of me. How can I live my life when I feel like I’m not even experiencing it?

My(15) mom died when I was 3. I never really knew her but my father said she was the most wonderful person on earth. My father got remarried when I was 7 to my stepmom B. From the start I never liked her. She moved me out of my room and into the attic so that her dog could have my room and she never let me hang out with any friends. By the way, when they got married my father was 40 and she was 19!!!!! My father ran his own business so we were pretty well off. Anyways, my fathers love language was with gifts , so my real mother had lots of expensive jewelry and because her death wasn’t out of no where she left all of it for me in her will. B was jealous that I had all of this expensive jewelry and she didn’t so she stole it, sold it, and bought designer handbags with it. When I found out I told my father and her excuse was that a young child like me shouldn’t have the responsibility of such expensive things and that when I got older I wouldn’t even remember the incident. Might I mention that B already had a child ( not my father’s) because she got knocked up by her high school teacher when she was 16. She obviously spoiled her own child and did some Cinderella type shit where she would boss me around and made me clean everything while my father did nothing and watched. She did a lot of stuff to me that I can’t even remember all of it and if I did it would make me hours to write it all, but she did so much frustratingly stupid and unfair stuff to me (plus mental abuse calling me ugly worthless and slutty) that I nearly cry and tear up. Whatever you imagine the extent of how bad she treated me I want you to multiply that by 10. My father knew of her unfair abuse toward me and that she was obviously a golddigger on top of cheating on him multiple times a week with many men, but he didn’t have the heart to confront her and break it off. But he did take her out of the will. When I was 12 I moved out to my aunts( dad side) house because I was so frustrated with B leaving her spoiled brat at home for me to watch while she partied. I loved it at my aunts and I stilled talked to my father and we were really close, but he sadly passed away. I was forced to move back in with B until the will reading which would take place at our house with everyone on my dads side. When I got home my jaw dropped to see B and her brat decked out in designer which they apparently took out a loan for and planned to pay back with my dads money they THOUGHT they were going to get. While we were waiting for the will reading; she had contractors come over to plan out the remodeling of my house. On the day of the reading dads lawyer told us that I would receive everything and that I was to stay with my aunt in my house. He also gave my aunt money for my college tuition and if she spent a penny of it all the remaining money would go right back to me (although she didn’t plan to steal any in the first place )B’s face turned red and she went around the house knocking things over while crying and screaming. The police were called and we pressed charges. She was forced to sell all of her designer to pay back the cost of the damages and so she could find a place to stay. I hadn’t seen in about 3 years until one day she knocked on my door with 2 more kids. She explains that she was “so sorry I about our past and that she needs a place to stay because she was kicked out of her crappy apartment and that she’s pregnant and has no man( all her kids have different fathers and none stayed. I said no immediately and she didn’t like that. She immediately started screaming and crying and calling she all sorts of names. She said that I am too young for the responsibility of a fortune and that she would “ take care of it for me “ I called the cops on her and she was arrested as she had hit me in her tantrum. CPS was called and her kids are temporarily in the governments care. Sines then I’ve gotten loads of texts and calls calling me a spoiled brat for not giving her a place to stay and giving her all my money. Am I the ahole ?

Can someone please tell ell me if I need therapy, or if it's something else entirely? I take Wellbutrin/buopropin for weight loss but it's having other effects.
I don't mean to make this long-winded but there's a lot of info that might be relevant so I'll try to condense as much as possible.
22F.
In the least pretentious way possible, I always thought I was "highly intelligent" because of being told that by teachers, high IQ, high ACT/SAT with not much studying, academic performance etc etc.. Ik these don't make you "brilliant" but I thought my intelligence was at least above average-but now I feel like I was actually stupid and didn't know, and I feel the wellbutrin is opening up my head "too much" like I can't tell if I'm having too many epiphanies or if it made me "smarter" and what I'm thinking is actually true, and I just didn't realize it when I was little bc I was stupid and somehow the medication is increasing my brain activity or whatever to make me smarter? Or like connecting my neurons faster, idk.
Before going on the medication I would dwell on the past but it gave me a laser focused obsession with it, like it took it up a notch if that makes any sense. But now I like look at previous situations so much more intelligently-before the medication I would wonder why certain problems occurred or why people said certain things to me, but now I suddenly understand other people's feelings and my own behavior (for how stupid it was) perfectly? And it's not just the (OMG I can't believe I did that like funny regret, it's like a dramatic epiphany, like wow was I an moron?)
Am I actually a moron and how would I know if I am? Can people be stupid but have a high IQ? Where does that come from and what does it mean?
My parents think my issue is that I had high ambition professionally or educationally and couldn't reach it so it made me kinda sad.
During college I was pretty sad-I had to go to a school I didn't like for personal reasons and because I didn't study much in high school.
I don't know why I didn't study much in high school either-I can't even remember the place it came from, but I think after making the mistake of taking too many AP classes in 10th grade and getting my first Bs and things like that, I got really depressed and started developing defense mechanisms like (Oh my teachers are just crazy/bad at teaching-and to be fair at least one of them was, she got fired the next year for how she ran her class and other kids would say it) But even if the teachers were bad, other kids from my school did really well and went to top schools/did very well.
Around that time I created these fantasies, like the before bed ones, but I started getting really into them-I'd ask God to give me a second chance and let me "wake up" in a different reality and would daydream about what my life would be like if this or that happened. Eventually I started even operating on the assumption that that would happen. I would tell myself, like, this life is not real, this is just a nightmare that I'm gonna wake up from soon. (yes, I know that sounds insane but if I'm being honest) And I spent a lot of time on Instagram-looking at other people's stuff bc I hated my high school and it made me feel better to see the cool things other people were doing. I wasn't like a stalker, but I looked around on Instagram often as a genuine activity. Maybe that added to my frustration? I went on to escape from my frustration but it just exposed me to more things that made me dislike my situation even more?
The reason why I don't know if I was actually depressed or insane was bc my academic performance was still like above average, like I could survive AP classes, but with mostly 3s or 4s on exams and mostly Bs and no 5s, and then like 98% ish percentile ACT/SAT without really studying (during the course my parents bought for me I just went on my phone, sigh).
I was just so caught up in like my "fantasy alternate lives" and during COVID it went up a ton. I looked into so much stuff, people's Linkedins, etc. etc. I don't know why? Like I can't understand my own psychology behind it.
I'm reluctant to try therapy bc my friends had bad experiences and bc I am in a situation professionally where I can't afford the stigma of being labeled in a documented way, and I'm afraid that they may imply that. But I wish someone could help me understand my own problems and way of thinking. My parents just irritate me at this point and I had to commute to college after COVID so I'm sick and tired of living with them etc. etc. There's nothing wrong with them, it just makes me feel like a child to have to be at home at 22, but I'm moving out in the fall for grad school.
My college was also near my high school, so I drove the same roads and saw the same things everyday that I saw at that time and I think it made me think about the past more than I would have if I had been somewhere else.
But even when I went on trips I would still have high school flashbacks, regrets, fixations, etc. etc. In completely different cities when I was supposed to be on vacation having fun it was stuck in my mind. Sometimes when talking to other people it helped bc I didn't socialize at all in college after covid, but it started getting to a point where I was still depressed even when I was talking to other people.
Now I just don't feel like doing anything. Never su*cidal but just don't care about anything and very little makes me happy. I didn't do awful in college, I graduated w honors in a STEM degree/got into grad school but I worry about how my feelings will effect my success. I feel like I won't be able to do well at a higher level bc of how I feel.
Like I know studying early and spending time studying is important but I just don't do it bc I just don't have motvation or passion for anything. I study like, 2 days before exams and average 75-80s, which in curved classes got me a decent amount ofAs, but mostly A-s and B pluses, (3.6 GPA) I get irritated when I don't do well but I can't bring myself to change my lifestyle or try more. What is wrong with me I'm sorry if I sound insane. I feel like it too.

Chapter VI
The first land we sighted after leaving Sydney was the Three Kings, New Zealand. We had run before a fair wind up to this time, and had come into what was regarded as a good whaling ground. Now every eye was scanning the horizon, since a bottle of grog was promised to the man who should first sight a whale. I had been on the port watch since I came on board under Mr Hawkins, the chief mate, and one evening, just as our watch below was ending, I went aloft to see the sun set. Against the broad, red horizon I saw some dark objects spouting and tumbling. In an instant I had shouted “Whales ho!” to claim the bottle of grog. “Where away?” was the skipper's question. “On the lee bow, sir.” For an instant he scanned the spot with his glass, an anxious moment for me lest I should have mistaken a shoal of porpoises for a school of whales, and not only lose my prize but expose myself to the ridicule of my fellow sailors. “Right you are, it's whales, sure enough; you have won your grog, lad.”
We had no time to lose; the night would soon be on us, and our chance would be lost. Down went the boat with Ned Farne, our harpooner, in the bows ready to launch his weapons when opportunity offered. On came the school, tumbling and blowing, throwing jets of water ten or fifteen feet into the air, causing a very grand yet terrible scene. At length they got almost within range; the boys were pulling like mad to keep up with the pace the whales were swimming at. We saw Ned rise up in the bows, poise his arm back for an instant, then launch the harpoon straight for the huge back of the fish that was nearest to him. The aim was true, the missile was buried over the barb in the soft blubber beneath the outer skin, and away went the whale dragging the harpoon rope after it so rapidly that they had to pour water upon the side of the boat to prevent it from igniting, through the violent friction. Again the huge creature rose to breathe, and another harpoon was driven into it, causing it once more to rush away through the water at lightning speed. Darkness fell over the scene before they had killed it, and the boat remained by the carcase all night to prevent it sinking. When morning came it was a busy scene on board, preparing to cut it in and try it out. At length the task was completed, and five large sacks of oil were secured; not a large yield certainly, but the foretaste of better things, we hoped. We cruised over the same ground for several days, but saw no more whales, accordingly we stretched across to Curtis' Island, about 500 miles to the north-east, where in about a month we got five or six more, some of them giving very fair yields of oil. After this we ran down upon Norfolk Island, where we fell in with the Mercury, schooner, Captain Barnet, also on a whaling cruise from Tasmania. From her we shipped two additional hands, and then made for Moreton Bay, on the coast of Queensland. Here not a solitary fish was to be seen, therefore we ran back for our old ground off Curtis' Island. Scarcely had we arrived when we fell in with a heavy gale from the north-east, raging for twenty days, in which we had to heave to, not being able to show a rag of sail. On the 21st day, when the wind began to lull, we found ourselves off the Three Kings, a drift of more than 500 miles. We had shipped such heavy seas, and the force of the storm had been so great, that our tryworks had been carried away, and three of our boats stove in. Therefore we bore up for the Bay of Islands, where we arrived on the 10th of April, 1811, anchoring as before off Te Puna. We were the only vessel in the bay at the time, though others entered during our stay.
The same day that we reached our anchorage a chief named Taua Makia came aboard to take care of us and watch over our interests, lest we should be swindled in trade or otherwise maltreated. This considerate proceeding was not disinterested, but the ‘consideration’ expected was not large. The Skipper ordered a boat to go ashore and bring a load of gravel to serve as shot for our guns since this had been omitted in the ship's supplies, and the natives were not to be trusted, even though we had a protector. The news had spread like wild-fire that a ship was at anchor in the bay, and already scores of canoes were being launched to pay a visit to the pakeha, but we loaded our guns, and pointing them astern, ordered all the visitors to keep back, which, after a little demur and grumbling they did. Nevertheless, all throughout our stay, they never desisted in the attempt to get on board, considering it a gross breach of hospitality on our part to deny them the privilege. As our example was imitated by Captain Walker, of the Endeavour brig, that came in a few days after us, having on board two missionaries for Tahiti - Messrs Davidson and Williams - the natives concluded that in us they had got a very bad and uncivil customer to deal with.
Meantime we had commenced work upon the repairs of the vessel. Nearly all our spars had been carried away, together with our jibboom and some of the bulwarks; we had lost every boat but one, and small leaks were demanding attention, We bad two sawyers on board, and as Captain Walker had three whom he lent us for the time, our skipper thought it best to put the ship thoroughly to rights here, in place of putting back to Sydney. Accordingly, the sawyers went ashore, rigged up the pits, and commenced work vigorously. But the Maoris did not exactly see the force of this. They imagined that we were concocting some diabolic scheme of destruction against them in making such extensive preparations, which they considered as in some way identified with our worship. They pulled down the works and threatened to kill the sawyers if they attempted to resume operations. But a volley from the vessels soon scattered them, and a strong guard being picked from the crews of both ships, they were hereafter permitted to labour uninterruptedly. During this time, I had considerable liberty granted to me to go ashore, or to go fishing with Taua Makia. The first time I availed myself of the former privilege, I received as great a scare as ever I had in my life. Three of us had been wandering about in a bit of bush near the Keri-Keri River, trying to find our way back to the saw-pits, when suddenly we issued upon a cleared space, in which were a few houses and patches of cultivation. Before the entrance to one of the whares stood a band of females crowned with chaplets of green leaves, and wringing their hands. One of these, an elderly woman, who seemed to act as chief mourner upon the occasion, and had a chaplet of dog's hair round her temples, different from the others, advanced in front and began to throw her arms about, raising her head and eyes to heaven. Whilst doing this, in a very plaintive quavering tone, she commenced a wailing song, in which she was joined by her companions. I was afterwards initiated into this, and now give a specimen of a funeral lament: -
Taku hei he piripiri (my fragrant bundle the piripiri) Taku hei moki-moki (my fragrant bundle the mokimoki) Taku hei tawiri (my fragrant bundle the tawiri) Taku kati taramea (my sweet juice of the taraniea) Te hei o te pounamu (the companion of the greenstone) I haramai ai - e (is gone - alas, upon) I runga te angai-ia-ana (the angai-e-).
It was the tangi, or wail for the dead. But at this period I knew nothing of Maori customs or ceremonies, and my very hair began to rise with horror as I thought perhaps they might be celebrating some human sacrifices. Our fear kept us quiet. In the thick bush we lay watching the scene, overshadowed by the gloom of a gigantic kauri-tree, and wishing ourselves anywhere but in our present predicament. When the sorrowful song was ended, and the females had entered the whare, we noiselessly strove to retrace our steps, and chance favouring us, we came out a mile or two from where the sawyers were at work. As I afterwards discovered, no duty is so sacred or so obligatory as the interment of the dead, no trouble being considered too great, no expense too excessive, no lamentation too extreme to testify to the respect in which the deceased was held on earth, and to raise him in the estimation of the mysterious spirits to whom he had gone. Taua Makia sometimes went with us fishing to induce the prey to come upon hooks by the constant chanting of Karakias or incantations, supposed to have a very potent influence over the finny tribe. I cannot say we were ever very successful when he was with us, since the noise he made and the fishing gear he would insist upon employing were neither conducive to lure the fish to our bait, nor to hold them when they were hooked. But this, of course, may have been merely an ignorant pakeha's prejudice, since many a lusty kahawai or schnapper, have I caught with a hook made from a dead man's bone. Don't wince, reader; better, is it not, to be put to some use after death, than to feed a legion of hungry worms.
We began to mix a little with the natives when ashore, and I grew more familiarised with their ways. We attended their baptisms, He Tohi, and gave presents to the infant, that it never enjoyed; we consulted the Niu, or divining sticks, whether we should reach home in safety; we were present at their marriage tauas, when the bride was carried off by main force sometimes minus her clothing, finally we were guests at their hakaris, or feasts, and could vouch for the excellence of Maori culinary skill. But we shall have enough of these in the course of the narrative, the reader shall eat and drink to his heart's content but at present we must keep to the thread of our story.
In a fortnight the sawyers had finished their work ashore, a week more completed the repairs aboard, and whatever little trade we had carried on completed, the skipper thought of standing out to sea again. In some mysterious way or other, I had offended the old bosun of our ship, and he had persecuted me with most relentless malice. Nothing I could do was right, the rope's end was my daily sauce, and complaints about my laziness were continually being carried to the captain. At length one day, irritated by their constant occurrence, he said when another of my misdeeds was laid before him, “String him up then, and give him a dozen.” This was just what the bosun wanted; and in a trice he strung me up to the mast, and a good round dozen I received, being only released when nearly fainting with pain and shame. He had got the best of it just now; my day of retribution came again. Now, this method of instructing me in navigation was by no means to my taste, and as two of our men had absconded the day previous, concealed, as was thought, in the bush, I imagined I could emulate their example, perhaps, to join them. At least, I should first go to the Endeavour, as she lay nearer the shore, if not, the bush it must be. Therefore, waiting my opportunity, about 3 o'clock one morning I slipped overboard and swam noiselessly to the companion ship. As I came alongside puffing and blowing, thoroughly exhausted with the long swim, and almost inclined to give up the business, the carpenter, who was acting as bosuns mate in the Endeavour for the time, saw me, and flung me a rope, by which I climbed on deck. I told him my story, and as he was a decent sort of a fellow, he was slipping me quietly along the deck to the foc'sle, when the second mate saw us and demanded to know what I wanted there. With my usual readiness, I invented a tale of a morning swim and exhaustion, but the story would not hold water, and the captain was informed of my arrival. As soon as morning broke he sent over to the Harwich, telling Captain Simmons that I was on board his vessel, and about nine our skipper came over with two men to take me back. Reluctantly enough I went, as I knew a flogging was in store for me, but to my surprise the captain only took me into his cabin and rated me soundly for my foolhardiness in risking my life thus, telling me I escaped a flogging by his having discovered many of the bosuns stories to be untrue. My condition was now better on board, as I was taken aft, and kept under the captain's own eye. My enemy, the bosun, was speechless with rage, yet he was powerless now to do me harm.
About a week after this the Endeavour sailed, Captain Walker having come on board the Harwich and taken a very friendly farewell of our skipper, and a fortnight afterwards we followed suit, going back to our old cruising ground at the Three Kings. The weather was very uncertain and squally, so that we did not see any whales; therefore we stretched over to Norfolk Island, and speedily were busy at work.
The first day we arrived we secured three whales, which we cut in and tried out, the third day two more, and the fifth day another. Then our luck seemed to change, and not a solitary fish could we see for an entire month. We tried all our former grounds, Curtis' Island, Moreton Bay, Three Kings, to no purpose, only when off the East Cape did we catch sight of a small whale, which we secured but only got one barrel of oil from it. The weather now began to be very stormy; winter was at its depth, and the air was piercingly cold. Therefore Captain Simmons concluded to break the cruise, to run for Sydney, discharge his cargo of oil, and commence anew. Another consideration, also, was that several of the men were very ill with scurvy and dysentry - in fact, the crew was only at half at its usual complement, therefore the cry was “about ship,” and “Sydney ho!”
It was whilst running home before a fine fresh breeze, that one night we were knocked up by Mr Hawkins singing out, “Ship on fire on the weather bow.” The shock was electrical. Everyone bundled out of their hammocks and rushed on deck. There on the horizon was a grand and terrible spectacle. A large ship was burning from stem to stern, lighting up the gloom of the winter's night for miles around, throwing a deep lucid glare over the inky ocean. The flames were bursting up the hatches, were licking the masts and spars, were peeping out in little forked tongues through the portholes. The captain ordered lights to be burned at the masthead, blank charges to be fired from the guns every minute, and the jolly-boat to be manned and to go in search of survivors. In an hour our efforts were rewarded by three boat-loads of fear-stricken men boarding us and asking reception. They informed us that the burning ship was the “Lady Lucy” from Sydney to London, that she had caught fire when a week out, from a burning candle falling into an oil cask, and that over 50 lives had already been lost through the capsizing of two of their boats. Captain Simmons made them welcome, and a few days after we reached Sydney, where they were taken in hand by the Government and forwarded home by the next vessel. Thus ended my voyage in the Harwich, perhaps the most pleasant of all my trips.

For context I had my nose pierced late January (stud) and only changed it today to a hoop. It got really stuck on the way in and took me near 5-10 minutes on and off. Eventually I got it in but only after it bled quite a lot (not actually dripping or leaking any blood but the piercing hole was bloody). The site isn't tender like a new piercing but it is sore. It doesn't hurt very much except for when I twist it. Should I be worried? I know I changed it fairly early but my piercings have all healed very quickly so I have a good track record for them (changed lobes after 3 weeks, helix had healed within 3 months, nose in 3 too).