Wrote A Teaser Prologue Thingy For A Hyperlanes Campaign I Want To Run, Called Orions Echo. Possibly

wrote a teaser prologue thingy for a Hyperlanes campaign I want to run, called Orion’s Echo. possibly more parts to come!

Captain's Log // Pathfinder Telamon // 20.5.5240 // 05:15 Fleet Standard Time

[several seconds of silence]

(quietly) ... I never know how to begin these things, even after twenty years of recording them.

(normal volume) This is Commander Akair Vayth of the Pathfinder Telamon, Argo-class capital ship for the Pathfinder Initiative expedition into the Trapezium Cluster. We're currently docked in Palladion Skyharbor, and preparations to leave Athenian orbit are nearly complete. We're scheduled to launch at 0600, bound for 45 Orionis. Our plan is to take the jumpgate routes to Rigel to resupply, then make the jump to Alnilam. From there, we're on our own as we fly into unknown territory.

[beat]

Our fleet is twelve ships strong: the Telamon herself, a support carrier and the capital ship; four Asterion-class exploration frigates, the Archimedes, Pythagoras, Aristarchus, and Eratosthenes; four Hephaestion-class industrial frigates, the Prometheus, Brontes, Arges, and Steropes; two Heraklion-class support frigates, the Balius and Xanthus; and an Asclepion-class medical support corvette, the Dione. I'll admit, when the commission proposed a mere twelve ships for an expedition of such long duration, I was quite skeptical, but in composing the fleet I've grown confident in the crew's capability.

[beat]

Still... I worry. We're going further into the Orion Nebula than anyone ever has, and we don't know what lurks in the dark between the stars. Previous expeditions in the Clouds have described unusual readings from the Trapezium Cluster, hinting at... well, we're not sure. It could be a black hole. Could be a high-arity pulsar, or an exotic star. Or something... organic.

[beat]

I'm overthinking this, I'm sure. We're just going to chart the cluster, gauge its habitability, and set up a jumpgate if possible. But in any case, I'm needed on the bridge again. Commander Vayth, signing off.

[log terminates]

How to train an AI to generate an image of a horse

okay so first you take a regular horse

and then y–

uh. that. that’s a bit too much horse there buddy. remove some horse and then w–

well fuck, now there’s not enough horse. add the appropriate amount of horse t–

OH GOD OH FUCK TOO MUCH HORSE

okay so just reset your horse and give it a normal amount of hor–

sir that is a duck. that is not a horse anymore. you need a horse for this task.

okay you know what? fine. sure. I’ll settle for Horse But Slightly To The Left.

now what you do is you take that horse and–

OH FOR FUCK’S SAKE

I love phylogenetics because you expect something like this (Tarpon)

To be related to this (Milkfish, or herring in general)

But turns out it’s more closely related to eels (due to a stroke of luck that most of their other relatives presumably died out, therefore their respective orders and only a handful of other make up the extant survivors). (Pic: European Eel)

And you’d expect these (Anthias: Hawk Anthias and Lyretail Anthias)

To be related to this (Chromis, or damselfish in general)

But they’re actually related to groupers (Goliath Grouper)

i can draw anything and so can u

I raise you:

WorkGek Arse

the face of a man who knows no fear

TODD DAMN YOU