Knight to Rook

 "You need to pull that Tampon out of your pussy." 
Says the "comedian" with jokes that only punch down and offer zero self reflection.  
"I just don't you find you funny, and your humor cruel."
I say as time runs out. 

When I was younger I thought South Park was hilarious.  
Because it was. 
When I was younger I thought Family Guy was hilarious. 
Because it was.  

But there's a threshold for any comedian.  
A point where punching up becomes a lateral move and trying to tell those same jokes about people that you're now punching down at just aren't funny anymore.  
And in my opinion, that's exactly what happened with both of those shows over time.  
Sure, they still have the occasional good episode, solid joke. 
But they always come from punching up or being self reflective. 
That's why I've always thought Trey and Mat were brilliant and Seth one of the sharpest wits in showbiz. 
Because as they grew so did their targets and that's dangerous. 
But the show's themselves, at least from an outside perspective, became self referential without awareness and largely mean spirited humor with the soul behind them. 
Just my opinion. 
Most that continue on and on until they essentially kill over stage.  Like Carlin.  Kept punching up, kept taking the piss outa people that most others wouldn't. His spoken word style of poetry turning, largely, internally reflective rather than referential.  There are dozens, if not hundreds I could put on that pedestal next to him, but even in their world they are rare. 

Which brings me to the situation of the trump administration going after comedians and news sources they don't like. 
I'm going to take the piss out of Fox "news" till the end of days.  Because, well, just watch that slop and tell me I'm wrong.  And they might equate the arguments I have for the dismantling of meta and preventing the C-Suit there from being able to file bankruptcy to save their fortunes, like our very own president did.  6 times?   At least that could be proven in court. 
No.  
the difference is you don't have to Watch CBS, or ABC, or FOX, or NBC.  Or any of the major affiliate channels, you can change the channel.  You can turn it off.  
But With Meta, Facebook, Instagram. They shaped the landscape of social media.  They destroyed every competitor that came along rather than competing.  Used the information scraped from private messages, completely gave up on moderation when they found out exactly how labor intensive of an undertaking it was to moderate that much content.  I'm not talking about censorship, but verifying sources and labeling them with warnings.  
Like every fucking broadcaster has to do. 
"This is Satire."
"This is Opinion."
"This is the Source."
"This source is unconfirmed" 
You know, ethical integrity for the information disseminated by your platform. 
They go after the comedians because they're funny, people listen, the best shows, the best comedies are founded truth. 
Ask Superman how he beat the clan.
But that's the trick of the trade. 
Every one of the producers, directors, c-suit dick heads knew before broadcast were ready to accept the consequences, should there be any, of their actions. 

Zuckerberg, with meta, has demonstrated that he believes there are no consequences for his actions.   That he can take from peoples work, repackage, re sell it and claim no one has the skill to compete.

With Amazon? 
Bezos did the same thing. 
The only saving grace is that he used his operational loss to provide added value to the consumer. However, that doesn't excuse the labor rights violations and that needs to change. Prices might go up short term while the workforce stabilizes but in the long run there would be more, well paying jobs, and stable households.  And the small increase in over all cost will balance out by the exponential savings in worker safety and stability in their own lives.  
The only thing necessary in that regard is for the Labor department to raise the standards under which companies are required to operate once they reach a certain economic level of influence.  Using cost saving methods of a Mom and Pop shop.  Where people are choosing to run their businesses because that's what they are called too if you will by making sacrifices on their own accord.   Those sacrifices people make on their own is far different than a Trillion dollar corporation that funnels that savings into the accounts of people that have more money than they could ever personally spend. And are making those decisions for workers they haven't hired yet, and banking on those same workers using supplemental government aid programs that they refuse to pay into through their tax obligation. 
Instead the very same workers being taxed to essentially pay themselves through the very same programs.  
90% of the wealth, less than 1% of actual taxes?  That's bad math on my part sure, maybe it's not that large of a gap, but it's not far. But on their part, regardless of the split, they're still taking 90% of the profits while everyone else squabbles over the 10% that's left over while being taxed in the neighborhood of 30% when all sources are accounted for.

With Musk? 
Just a bad businessman propped up by Tax relief programs meant to kick start a new industry but instead used that position to enrich himself and give out free passes to industries that need to transition to continue business as usual. 
I'm fairly certain most of the larger Oil Barons, particularly those from the middle-east would be happy to trade something else if the world markets would accept it.  But nearly a century of being fought over for no other reason than that oil has made them distrustful and the world at large seeing no value in their cultures beyond that.  When many of the foundations of scientific advancement, math, solar power, water filtration, arose from those places before the oil was coveted by those from the outside. A viscous cycle. 
That's why Musk should have his personal assets seized and liquidated and his companies awarded to competitors in his field(s).  Or rather, the fields of those that were actually doing the work while he pumped out ill researched and poorly designed products that are a danger to their owners, operators, and people around them. 
Let's be real, if he had pursued any of the design rigor on the cyber truck that  any other car company in history has used that vehicle would never have been put on the road.  And if he had build the Tesla to the spirt of the subsidies he received to do so then he would built something more akin to the Slate truck than the proprietary, un maintainable, vehicle they call Tesla. 
Yes, Tesla, over all has been a net positive for the electric industry and the development of battery technology. And Starlink a godsend in communications technology.  But using tax payer funds to become a Trillionaire while people starve,  in and of it's self is a war crime.  Backed by his own admission on his own platform.  
U.S. Money, distributed under U.S. Constitutional law, to enrich an oligarch with an attempt to shout down voices he didn't like under the guise of free speech.  
I can take a joke.  Hell, I can take a punch.  But I tell ya, just because I don't agree with a comedian or the jokes they tell.  Or a news source that thinks full of shit.  Isn't going to stop me from doing what I do. 
After all, they only talk behind my back because they can't or won't keep up with me. Or instead try to knee cap and remove so they can point and laugh as I fall.
While those I follow in the footsteps of, those that stand beside me, as equals, those that  I count as friends, call me far worse in private to my face than any schmuck with a microphone would have the testicular fortitude to address me directly.  Because they know, as long as honest and offered in good faith I will listen, I will laugh, maybe cry if it hits hard.
But it keeps me honest.
Keeps me going.
Bring the roast, because roasts are punching up, are friends taking the piss. 

But don't think just because you took some MMA classes and got some talking points from some "Alpha" male...the fuck they calling themselves now? Chads and Chuds?  Fuck I'm getting old and have heard too many iterations of the same bullshit to care about honoring what ever titles they give themselves now to justify misogyny and abuse. 

"But Jack, aren't you doing just that?  Talking behind their backs in your little blog no one reads?"
"Na, that orange button says publish.  The law of the land says what you post under your accounts is your copy right.  That's how Facebook and other social media companies have been able to dodge the legal bullets fired at them for what's posted on their platforms.  So which is it Asshole.  Are you hands off providing secure storage and communication?   Or are you scraping across their copyrights to fuel your AI models that barely work outside of lab conditions? Because you've claimed one while selling the other."  

Check and Mate bitches.

Birthday Wishes

 "Well that answers a few questions." 
"What's that?"
"Horizon from meta." 
"Instead of investing in an existing platform that just offer the temu version of it with a glossy overcoat."
"It can't be that bad."
"Oh, it's not?"  
"Yeah, I mean, you're not the first person to have that idea." 
"I know I'm not, but it doesn't change the fact that it was my design concept being ripped off by someone that thinks they're above justice."
"Come off it dude, you can't have invented everything." 
"I didn't.  I designed, outlined, created a blueprint.  And instead of saying "hey, cool idea, we're going to cut you in and give you a say on how it's deployed they took it." 
"Can you prove that?"
"I'll have to dig through the blog posts. Find my sketches, but yeah. Yeah I can." 
"How'd they do it?"
"Data scraping across the internet.  I mean Facebook was originally designed as the "Fuck, marry, kill." on a college network.  That's a matter of public record. You think someone that would do that shit wouldn't steal from a designer that isn't shy about talking to people?" 
"You didn't patent it."
"I point you again, to that little orange button that I hit every time I post one of these.  That the promise of paying for and using storage with Google is that my files will be protected."  
"Okay.."
"So which is it?  Did he pick up the design by having an ai bot scrape across my blog, or did an ai bot, or worse a hacker go into my documents and read through them?"    
"Because last I checked, the only people I allowed access to those where specific individuals I was either trying to hire or doing a project for." 
"What if it was the latter." 
"Then where's my fee?"
"Oh..."
"Yeah. My contract hasn't changed in over 20 years.  Sure, I wrote up a new pay scale so that everyone on staff is being paid the same.  So that they can approach their jobs from a position of "fuck you" in case they feel the need or desire to walk away." 
"That why you're going after the 1/4 of a trillion dollars from him and the other tech firms."
"Oh yeah.  You step on so many littles guys, one of em is going to hit back.  And I ain't playing this "penny ante" game the courts seem to think is "fair" compensation that equates to a cup of coffee at their scale.  These companies destroy buisness and lives.  They hit a "competetor" with legal fees beyond their ability pay.  I'm not doing that.  I know they can pay it, they should have been paying it to their workers."  
"So if you shut down meta, what are you going to do with it.  What about the people that work there."
"Already told ya.  2 years to a 1.0 vrc release.  Pretty sure the best and the brightest at those firms would be happy to work for me for a $1.35 million signing bonus."
"So everyone?"
"Well, they have to get through the ladies first.  Prove they weren't part of the culture that companies like Activision and Meta cultivated." 
"And Musk?"
"You mean the shit heel that took billions from the American tax payer to develop a proprietary shit box that is literally glued together?"
"His rockets work."
"Only because NASA wouldn't use them if they didn't.  And last I checked all those designs were lifted from the X-Prize a few decades back.  Pretty sure the Doom guys actually developed the catch/landing system Space X is using."  
"The Tesla isn't so bad." 
"You mean a car so proprietary it can't be maintenanced by the owner and costs about as much as a home and then charging for the use of their power stations after purchasing a proprietary plug?" 
"I mean, you have to have safety standards."
"Yeah, yeah you do.  But when the bill is footed by the American tax payer,  the literal 90% of people to make toys for the 10%.  They're still waiting on their return and I'm going to give it to them." 
"So you're going to do what about it?" 
"Shut down meta, move the people to the VRC project, take over space X, sell Tesla to...I dunno, a company that actually knows about car design....I think there was a company that makes a vehicle called the "Slate"  Be curious what to see what they would do with Tesla's resources because even without them they've probably got the best Electric car design on the market." 
"And if Tesla folds?"
"Brother, Tesla makes their money selling carbon credits not cars and that's fucked.  Robbing Peter to pay Paul." 
"What about Instagram?" 
"The Screen Actors Guild and the other existing Hollywood Unions.  I mean, that's what it's used for anyways, might as well put it in the hands of the professionals that have been forced to make their living there." 
"And facebook?"
"PBS and NPR are going to have to take on that headache, vetted and reliable news, kind of like twitter used to be, emergency alerts, educational content, and mental health resources.  They already have an app that's the perfect model." 
"And the company assets?" 
"As is to those that receive them in the settlement." 
"So where's the money coming from for VRC if you're just going to be passing out these two guys assets like candy?" 
"You mean like busting open a pinata at a birthday party?"
"Oh, that's where their personal fortunes come into play."
"And their offshore assets in countries with non extradition and private banking?"
"I'm not asking the banks to roll over on their clients. I'm just asking them to make sure the assets end up in the coffers when the settlement happens."
"They don't recognize U.S. law in those cases." 
"No, they don't. But they do respect international law and Maritime law.  I'm just claiming salvage rights on accounts that belong to people that frequented the St. James Isles. Pretty sure that list is public and even the worst of the worst criminals don't let those guys last in Gen Pop.  Not asking for disclosures or who's accounts they came from.  No breach of privacy, just the funds transferred back to the people it was stolen from." 
"Kind of seems like you're putting it all in American Hands there bud."  
"Musks stuff sure, because they came from the American Tax payer.  The rest will go back to the international community through the VRC project and aid organizations helping refugees find safe ports to call home." 
"You think those banks will trust you to protect their discretion and handle the funds as you say without scraping off of the top?"
"I do a job, I get paid, I go home.  Simple as that. They know that, everyone I've worked for knows that."
"That fee you talked about?"
"Yep, and like I said I already laid out what I'm going to do with it.  Hell, I'll even keep it at which ever bank decides to funnel all the funds through it." 
"So you've got it all figured out then?"
"Yeah, to the penny." 
"You think your back of napkin math is going to pass muster?" 
"Oh, no. It'll need to be verified of course, but that won't take long.  Just need to know the real total."
"And if it's all in houses, cars, and other stuff?"
"Charity auction.  Who wants a Lambo for $50?  $100 Mansions to become specialized tech and development schools."
"You're joking."
"Nope, Maybe not $50, but sure as shit not going to be gouging people on that stuff."
"And the art?" 
"ooo, sorry Smithsonian, you're going to have to find gallery's and homes for it. Get it back to it's countries of origin if you can."
"You think they have a 1/4 of a trillion dollars in cash assets lying around?"
"Na, but enough to get the VRC project rolling until the auctions settle and hopefully cover the rest."
"And if the auctions don't cover the rest?" 
"Meh, by that point VRC should be up an running on it's own and any excess staff having been able to find work on other projects. That's why the signing bonuses, to make sure they're compensated for the project and have enough to hold them over until their next gig.  You know, like professionals should be treated."
"X?" 
"Back to the original owners hands so they can finish the project they were working on with Bluesky.  Sure it's a money sink right now but if it were cleaned up to the standards it had before the takeover it should at least become viable again, after all Musk just offered the investors/board enough that they wouldn't say no and bullied his way into the sale then tried to back out when he realized he didn't have the ability or intelligence to actually manage it." 
"And you're just going to take over Space X and do what with it."
"Already told ya.  Space shuttles to orbit, retrofitting the ISS for transit and then moving the whole thing in orbit around the moon." 
"Doesn't sound like that's going to make any money."
"Non profit organization.  Staff on salary as outlined by the contract I've been carrying in my bag for the last...10 years and merch to cover operational costs." 
"So you're not going to pay taxes?"
"Hell, if I get my fee for being the intermediary between pirate banks and the American people I'll work there the rest of my life for free doing pretty much exactly what I do now. and for the few minutes it takes for the funds to bounce through my hands and back to those that it belongs to I'll be quite literally the richest person in the world, or history for the past, present, and quite possibly the future." 
"What about the crypto assets, I thought they'd all been moved to that."
"Ah, that's where the Cartels and other groups that will be working for me come in." 
"You think they'll work for you and roll over on their cash cows."
"I think, by and large, they have the same view on pedophiles, slavery, and people that can't be trusted.  That there is honor amongst thieves and I'm not asking where the money came from, just that it arrives." 
"You're not bullet proof you know."
"I know." 
"You think they'll come through?"
"Did they help out during the pandemic?  Will I make sure their people that need to start over have a place to do it?  A place to send their families if they need a way out?"
"If you have their backing you will."
"Exactly.  And if we get this done, the money transfers anyways, before Christmas I don't even have to become President to pull it off and someone more qualified can fight for that headache." 
"Then what do you do?"
"I told you man keep space X on track and travel."
"What about space X after the station is repositioned?"
"You mean Amazon Orbital?"
"Still think Bezo's owes you?" 
"Meh, does or doesn't is irrelevant  at this point. He owes his workers for the empire they built him and that's going to be addressed one way or another."
"And the rest of them?"
"Rest of who?"
"The oligarchs and billionaires?"
"Why do you think I asked Sandra to teach.  There is an army of lawyers out there trained by one of the sharpest legal minds in history.  It was a big ask, but she answered.  I'm just creating the precedent so they can finish the hunt. "
"Like a Lion?"
"I get the first bite, but the pride feeds all the same."
"So the off shore banks and cartels help you with this, what do they get out of it?" 
"The ability to wash their hands of money from slavery and pedophilia and the ability to let those people know they don't have a safe harbor anymore." 
"So if you pull this off you're not going to run for president?"
"Not if I can help it." 
"Thought you've been dreaming of that since you were a kid."
"Na, I dreamed of going to space since I was a kid. Becoming president was just a thought exercise in what I'd do if I got saddled with it."
"So you'd turn it down if people voted for you? Wouldn't put your name on the ballot."  
"I'll honor it if someone else puts my name up for it, do the job if people are crazy enough to vote for me the maybe, actually retire, if I survive it."
"And if you are elected and end up with Space X the way you say?" 
"Donated to NASA, they could use the extra hands and resources." 
"And you wouldn't want anything for it, wouldn't take over after you left office."
"Hell no, If I survive that bullshit I'll be like the David Caridean from Kung-Fu.  Wander the world to learn and study, and help if I can."
"Besides, I would have about $10million in the bank after.  No way in hell I could burn through that much in the time I have left living the way I live." 
"Wouldn't change your life style?" 
"Better computer maybe, visit some places I've never been, but na.  Pretty much the same old same old, Ramen noodles, Diet Dr. Pepper, and the occasional nice meal and new pair of shoes when I wear thru the souls." 
"Simple man."
"It's what keeps me honest." 
"So what's the plan?"
"For now?  I need to grab some more noodles, clean the floors, check the mouse traps and finish writing up the recaps from the last couple of game sessions I've had with the new group." 
"And after?" 
"Back to playing pretend in a virtual landscape and working on my own world design."
"You're insane."
"Nuttier than squirrel poop."

Signed, sealed, and delivered.

"You're up awfully early aren't you Jack?"
"Can't sleep, usually like this the night before running an actual game.  Assuming it's happening."
"Get your writing done?"
"No. Not really got distracted last night.  Got tired.  Then someone saw me at work." 
"At work?"
"Yeah.  Going from being "Mem".  Mostly quiet, telling stories, seeing the...darkness that is my life.  Hearing what happened to me, the darkest things in the world being presented in a light hearted way."
"Yeah sounds about right." 
"Then how I take that darkness and channel it into being Jack." 
"What's the difference?"
"Light hearted, silly, lost in character and over all trying to create a fun and inclusive atmosphere. The dichotomy between the two can be...startling. Because seeing all of it is a juxtaposition that a lot of people in the world just can not understand." 
"Think it scared them?"
"I think they realized I was telling the truth and they didn't know how to handle that?"
"Truth about what."
"That I don't lie.  That I tell things the way they are, the only difference is how much of the truth I tell."
"So you lied.'
"Not at all, and I think that's the part that scared people.  Usually does.  Open and honest with adults, open and honest with kids, same events, same people,  different presentation.  All in the framing."
"Yeah...not everyone can flip a switch like that."
"Not everyone has had to.   Go from one of the hardest mother fuckers on the planet, ready to throw hands and kick dicks if necessary.  To someone terrified to hurting others feelings. To someone that can match a kids energy but put a foot down when necessary."
"You didn't report anyone out of pocket." 
"I gave them fair warning.  And if the angles and demons looking over my shoulder didn't think that was enough then they better fuckin step up and do the job.  Because that's the last night I work for free."
"Oh, gonna charge kids to hear your stories now?"
"Nope, it's the last night people get access to me without permission." 
"Going orange?"
"Going orange." 
"Why not red?"
"Because, they get one more chance."
"Who's they?"
"Here's the thing pimpin. That shit is way too easy.  Game devs and owners want to have these cash cow social games right?" They want to rake it all in but then when it comes time for accountability. Time to tow the line they balk. Try to say it's not possible, that it's too expensive, that there's no way to to do it." 
"And you disagree."
"Oh yeah.  What they mean is it would be too much work.  That the guys at the top would have to give up the billion dollar salaries, the million dollar petty cash funds, to pay people to actually moderate things."
"Thought you said communities are good at doing that themselves." 
"They are. But every single person that was doing it is burnt out because of how much it took and they weren't being taken care of.  All the abuse, none of the rewards."
"You think the VRC devs are like that?"
"Dunno, haven't met em.  Unless I have and they didn't reveal themselves.  Either way both the devs and the community is going to have to choose now.  Whether they're going do the work and keep it a 13+ accessible game.  The players knowing that mods and reporters will be allowed access to their privates instances to make sure they're not pulling kids into places they shouldn't be. Or they make it an 18+ age verified game and let the adult content stay."
"You're not a red button, blue button dude."
"True.  There is the 3rd option. The best but most expensive option."
"What's that?" 
"Hire the community.  That quarter of a trillion dollars I was talking about.  Those angels and demons that think they're watching me when I'm there grading there work."
"You broke the 4th wall again?"
"Yep." 
"Scared em'?"
"Yep."
"What's the verdict."
"Grading an unfinished paper, seeing the draft and it's outline?  I'd give it, over all the potential of an A+, but in it's current state a D-."
"OOof."
"Yep, well, creators need to have more control over their own work for starters.  Because I guarantee you that the people that put the adult Avis together don't want them in minors instances or hands and if given proper tagging options backed by proper filters they wouldn't be."
"What's the issue then?"
"The ripping, the uncredited use of their creations.  Watching others make money off of their work while they struggle to be heard and pay their bills. Same as any other artistic endeavor.  People feel entitled to the work of the artists because the suits take their money are trying to sell it."
"So VRC then, how would you handle that?"
"Pay the artists, kick the C suit in the dick, and give creators the ability to manage their work."
"Oh?  How you going to kick them in the dick."
"Same thing I told Zuck the Fuck.  Clean it up or loose it all.  Because they don't realize, I'm not there to get em in trouble.  I'm there holding the an army of lawyers back representing people that don't give a shit about their good intentions if it cuts into their bottom line. I'm making a case for their continued exitance." 
"Why not just let the lawyers pick it apart?"
"Because.  I'm not going to let 4 or however many chans they have now, trolls and child groomers win. I refuse.  I draw the line and I'll negotiate the peace. It's good practice for what comes next." 
"That omegle world got under your skin didn't it?"  
"Omegle got under my skin in general back when I tried it out."
"So how do you handle it?"
 Well.  Either VRC exists as it is.  A place for artists to showcase their work and play in a sandbox of tools, worlds, and IPs.  Where adults 'live' and play, build and connect and the companies compensate the people for their time testing and experimenting, pushing the limits.  Then the companies come to them to buy assets and port their work onto their platforms. Or strait up hire them to go work for them. Either way the artists and testers that have dedicated everything they have to build the community and improve their work should be paid.  Kids out of the pool sort of thing."
"What about the kids?"
"Structuring screen time is a good thing.  Requiring exercise and good nutrition before the screen time.  Or, often better, incorporating it into the screen time.  Pretty sure PBS created a pretty solid model for that already, just needs adapted to the space.  Trick is, it's easy for a kid in a bad situation to fall prey to adults ready to take advantage of it.  To easy, because the kids don't have the experience necessary to discern dangerous from safe.  Hell, even when you tell them the stove is hot they'll touch it anyway because they don't really understand what hot means."
"Isn't that what they were doing over at Meta?  Building a space like that on their headset?"
"Oh?  You mean the platform that is/was using Instagram and Facebook as the basis for their social system and requiring the accounts on their platform already slapped with legal action for their documented disregard and outright exploitation of minors to increase engagement on their platform through the very things that shaped Ivanka and Paris into some of the most hard as naisl people I've seen." 
"Oh, you didn't believe the tears in the interview?"
"The makeup and the careful words can't hide the hell they've gone through from people that have also gone through it."
"That's why you want to hire hookers and criminals to work for you isn't it?"
"mmhmm,  Because I know they'll see the predators just as well as I do. I know if they're paid and treated with respect they'll work harder than anyone to keep people from experiencing the types of abuse they've been through." 
"Hell of a gamble man, you think the community is going to buy that." 
"That's the beauty of a platform like VRC and the potential for what it can become.  Yeah, it can be exploited.  But you can also use those same exploits to handle business. Hire them to be performers, to wear the characters that kids talk to, to be in the instances, to hunt the trolls and creeps."
"You know you can code on your own right Jack, you know the language, you just refuse to speak it." 
"Sure, I could, but that would be cheating?"
"How is knowing how to code, how to see where it's breaking, being able to repair and fix it cheating?"
"Because I've always wanted to be a tester, not a coder.   Like the test pilot going up in an experimental aircraft.  You got to know how it works so you can explain to the engineers what's wrong with it." 
"So all kids out of the pool?"
"For now.  until the ladies can let Chris Hanson know which doors to knock on." 
"Hanson doesn't do that work anymore Jack."
"Fuck."
"Did it to yourself there bud."
"You know.  But I'll fucking break their necks if I showed up on their door step knowing they were expecting a child."
"What was that about people being paid not to do that and keeping their murder fantasies to themselves?"
"It's not a fantasy.  I'm the human version of a pit-bull man.  Sweet and kind and playful until someone goes after the kids.  It's not a fantasy or a boast.  It's a warning. And I don't know if there's enough money in the world to stay my hand" 
"If you stay digital then you won't have to worry about that part you know?"
"I got to get the old Salty Dogs out of my head first." 
"Still can't shake the memories huh?"
"My hypothesis proved true and I'm payin' the price for it."
"So you going to be the next Chris Hanson then?"
"Only if the ladies agree and the C suit foots the bill. I'll come when the bat signal is raised."
"Not going to change your name are ya?"
"Nope.  Because when I show up it will be the only warning they get." 
"Like Chris Hanson?"
"Like Chris Hanson." 
"You know they were just messing with you the other night right?"
"I know, but sometimes I forget that people believe me, maybe even trust me.   Earning the trust or not is up to the person, not me and I always assume I'm the bad guy in everyone else's stories. 
"You know that's not true Jack. You're not the bad guy.  Just kinda stupid sometimes."
"Know and understand aren't always the same thing.  Like knowing the sky is blue v.s. understanding why the sky is blue."
"So what do you need."
"Paid."
"How much?"
"Already said... a quarter of a trillion dollars."
"Bit greedy aren't ya?"
"Already laid out the budget man, explained how I'd manage the funds, almost too the penny." 
"And how much would you keep for yourself?"
"$10 million, after taxes. Same as any other job.  Except, instead of giving it away I'd keep it, retire, pass on the Mem and travel.  Check in and say hi from time to time. Maybe take some friends out to dinner and a movie as a thank you for keeping me sane and honest." 
"What's the rider?" 
"$50k up front to zero my accounts and upgrade my workstation and soundproof my office. I have most everything I need just got to take it to the shop for a tune up and have them put a new graphics card and extra ram in it. Full body, face tracking, and a new headset.  I'm looking at an ultralight  because the brick I'm using now is hell on my neck. so I can fully express myself. Plus $200k for back rent to my folks.  Oh yeah, and Medical/dental/vision paid in full until the end of the contract." 
"how long? 3 more years....shit...2 more years...but I handle my own funds this time"
"Why only 2 years." 
"Incase I ended up getting elected and I can cleanly walk away from any possible emolument violations." 
"Still think that's going to happen?"
"Hopefully not, but if it does I'll do the job just like any other." 
"So you're campaigning?"
"Nope, still working, just being honest with people." 
"So that it on the rider?"
"Oh...no... another $10 million to buy and renovate the farm."
"For the Vet School?"
"For the Vet School."
"Know what university yet?"
"K-State obviously, they're the Ag-School in these parts. Partner them with Washburn so the ag students can focus on ag and the Law students can practice law on their behalf." 
"Got it all planned out don't ya?"
"Yeah, I never walk into a room without an exit strategy, or a meeting without something to bring to the table."
"So what are you bringing to this table?"
"I'm not.  It's my table.  I'm just waiting for the high rollers to ante up so I can pay the crew, then I'll deal the cards" 
"How does someone get on the crew?"
"Ask the ladies, not my call, it's theirs.  I just hold their seat at the table and deal with the dick heads."
"That why the old salty dog keeps coming out?  The ladies?"
"Na, the dick heads and remembering I don't have to pretend I'm one of 'em just to survive anymore"
"Really think you can get VRC to a 1.0 release in less than 2 years?"
"I think I can do it in less than 1."
"Bullshit."
"Many hands make light work." 
"What do the high rollers get out of it?"
"Ask Bill and Steve "
"Bill and Steve? "
"Mr. Gates and Mr. Jobs to you." 
"Gates gave his fortune away and Jobs was obsessed with simplicity in design."
"You really think you can pull this off?"
"Did Sandra teach?
"...."
"Exactly."
"So $20 million to you and a quarter of a trillion to a bunch of artists, programmers, and students?"
"$20.05 million. After Taxes. Half up front, half at the end of the contract, with the $50k signing bonus" 
"What's the monetization strategy?" 
"$10 account verification fee and merch."
"Merch?" 
"3d printed copies of custom avies for players to put on their shelf. Licensed figures from IPs that have unlock codes for in game customizations.  And if they want to get really fancy we hire McFarlan and other toy makers to do production runs for artists to put on shelves at retailers and marketplaces."
"Never going to make that money back."
"I know.  That's not the point. that money is a penalty.  The cost that the monopolies have to pay as they're broken up." 
"What's the give?"
"Companies having the say on how their IP is deployed for worlds and avatars and final approval on designs and how they want the instances that host their worlds managed, final say on performers to be those characters at events." 
"What about fortnite?"
"What about it?"
"Isn't this going to be killing fortnite with something like this?"
"You mean cross over events?"
"Different game engine." 
"For now, sure, but if it works they're going to want my controller design and layout for their VR build."
"Their VR build?"
"Yeah, I'm doing this to create the VR equivlent of the Duelshock. A standardized control format for games to adopt."
"Oh, and if that works, what are you selling that for?"
"Selling?" 
"Yeah, what are you going to make on that?"
"um....did you forget about the moon base?"
"What does a VR game controller have to do with that silly ass moon base idea of yours?"
"Why where the 360s in the barracks?"
"...."
"Told you Artemis was just step 2.  Old aesthetics with new tech."
"So, when you get paid what?  You give the design away?" 
"na, I find the hardest of the core VR pilots and have em test it, then we give it away." 
"Who's doing the work on the initial design and fabrication?"
"What can I say, I'm a fanboy.  But only a fan boy because of their design work and the standards to which they hold their hardware." 
"Why not an American Company?" 
"Because it's a global effort." 
"So that's why you've been doing character creation sessions."
"Yep.  Showing them how to host an instance even if they aren't familiar with the IP"
"Pretty sure most of them know how to host."
"They do, and that's why I know I've found the right people." 
"Still a big gamble." 
"I don't gamble, that's why it's going to work."

We don't need roads.

 Without the Boys,  Superman wouldn't feel so hopeful. 
Without Deadpool, Captain America wouldn't seem so wholesome. 

"Hey...uh Jack."
"Yeah."
"People are starting to talk?"
"Bout what?" 
"Seems like you've always got someone in your lap."
"And?"
"Really think that sends the right kind of message?"
"To who?"
"Everyone."
"Look.  When I originally laid this crazy plan.  Staying independent and negotiating over shooting.  Building over bombing I said pretty fucking clearly who I expected my entourage and  security detail to consist of."
"I thought you were kidding."
"Deadly serious brother, Only swinging dick in my crew is mine."
"What bout the Tranies?"
"You watch your fucking mouth, show some respect, and mind your fucking business. Because unless you plan on sharing a bed with 'em it's none of your fucking business what they do or don't have in their lower half."
"So hookers, porn stars, and strippers huh?"
"I mean, I ain't judging what they did before they got there. Hell, that experience is why I prefer them watching over my back than a bunch of dudes who's survival was guaranteed by the thickness of their neck and the meanness in their voice." 
"They make the conservatives upset and the admirers a bit jealous." 
"Look, if rolling with with the crew I asked for is good enough for Jesus it's good enough for me, and if the pearl clutchers have a problem they can take it up with Jesus and read the bible themselves."
"Equating yourself to Jesus are you?"
"Nope, just not going to pretend I'm better than anyone else morally. And if judgment falls on my head and I'm found lacking that's my problem, not ya'lls. The one thing about me that unnerves a lot of people, and why most of my soon to be predecessors failed is because they were trying to deal with people doing their best from a position of moral superiority."
"You really think drug dealers and murderers are doing their best?"
"Look man.  I think, just like any other group, the U.S. included.  Started of with good intentions, but the longer fighting wears on the intentions often get lost in the compromises we make with ourselves to take care of the people we care about. " 
"How do you know they were just doing there best?"
"Because I listen without judgment, take and receive advice in equal measure and do my best to see that everyone around me is safe.  Everyone."
"Blue button?"
"Purple Button."
"There is no purple button."
"There are four lights."
"What."
"You just tried to tell me there were only two lights.  There are four."
"Red and Blue bud that's it."
"Left or Right?  That's what you're telling me?  What if I want to go up, or down?  There are four lights. I'm a purple button guy."
"Okay...so you're going to replace the men in secret service with women?"
"Don't be daft.  The men can cook and clean and sit in the office and type reports.  But doing the field work, walking the patrols, sitting in the guard posts around the White House. Short, tall, wide, skinny, doesn't matter as long as they pass the tests and finish the training. Full makeup and heels if they're comfortable in em.  Like a Victoria secrets runway if the models were some of the most dangerous people on the planet."
"Why, so you can have harem of women at your beck and call."
"You don't know me do you?  Ask the last guy what I told 'em when they asked for a seat at the table. No.
It's not about enforcing beauty standards or a perverts fantasies. It's about symbolism.  Think about it.  You're a young woman, told your whole life that you were less than, didn't belong, or couldn't do the job.  But then the most powerful person on the planet walks in surrounded by Valkyries.  Imagine you're a young boy, being told that same thing but in reverse and you go to the seat of the largest and most feared military presence in human history and instead of seeing muscled men straining their suit jackets you are confronted with women who exude more power in a glance than you were led to believe women weren't even capable of."
"You're serious aren't you?"
"As a heart attack." 
"You going to be doing the same with your cabinet, all women there too."
"Dude, that's a whole different thing.  I have some people on my list that I'm going to put up for positions but they have to go through the process like everyone else and I plan on pulling most of my cabinet from the seated House and Senate when I take office. 
Oh, going to put your buddies and family members on your cabinet? 
Na.  Only person I have on my list at the moment is for secretary of education.  Haven't seen 'em in years and they probably wouldn't want the job anyways, but I'd still want 'em in that seat." 
"Why?"
"Because I trust them, they put their students safety and well being as a top priority, and they take their responsibilities as seriously as I do."
"So.  your V.P. pick then?"
"A.O.C.  if they want it, if they don't, their recommendation."
"A fucking blue haired cat lady?"
"Need you to understand something there bud. Even if I did buy into that 'Liberal are just a bunch of soft little snowflakes" bullshit I'd still want someone like that as my V.P. for two very important reasons. It protects me from crazy ass conservatives looking for a bell tower to post up in, because as much as they hate me if they took me off the board their worst nightmares would come true.
2nd. Regardless of what I think of her politics I know for a fact that they will come out of their corner swinging when needed and has the knowledge to get the job done."
"Been stalking that lady online have you?"
"No more or less than any other major political figure of the last 30 years. I can't generate accurate prediction models if I don't stay aware of who the players are."
"So you're going to surround yourself with scantily clad and muscled women that are known to have sex and undress for money and possibly have a history of drug use to protect you and the nations capital, pick a leader in the progressive movement as your 2nd in command and then walk into the homes of the most notorious criminals on the planet for cigars and scotch and tell them they're working for you now.  Then sit down for meet and greats with terrorist leaders and dictators to tell them the war's over?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
"You're insane."
"Yeah."
"No way in hell."
"Never know until I try."
"You're just going to let the Terrorists win."
"No, I'm going to let the soldiers go home to their families to grieve and to rest and to heal." 
"What about the ones that don't want to stop fighting?"
"Pretty sure I've been clear on my marching orders. The U.S. Military will be the backbone of global humanitarian efforts.  Only setting foot on foreign soil at U.N. direction." 
"Docs and Chow huh?  You're serious about that?" 
"Mmmhmm.  the U.S. had the worlds respect and trust then lost it.  We have to earn it back."
"What about the war hawks?" 
"Pretty sure the U.S. military is a volunteer force, and as long as I live and breath it will remain so.  That's what makes it the most disciplined and feared fighting force in history outside of the wars where the draft was used."
"What about no fatties, trannies, or fags." 
"Might as well say no Irish, no Italians, no dogs if you're going to have that attitude."
"You open the flood gates like that you're going to get people that can't read, can't write, and probably shouldn't be trusted with a tooth brush, let alone a gun."
"That's what basic is for.  To determine aptitude and offer the ability to educate themselves."
"So they get shot at for a few years and then they get to go to school for free when they get home."
"No, they go to school during basic.  They pass their exams, they complete the course, they get deployed.  They come home with a degree that can be leveraged in civilian life."
"What about the ones that can't pass their exams?"
"How does someone no pass their own exam?"
"Huh?"
"This isn't no child left behind or standardized testing we're talking about. It's finding their aptitude, placing them in positions where they'll succeed and then proving they can handle the challenge."
"Coddling?  Really, that's your plan for the armed services."
"No, testing, giving them the greatest challenges of their lives and teaching them the skills to succeed.  In exchange 1 deployment into an active combat zone or 5 in ton none combat zones. Then they can choose to stay or go assuming the docs give them the mental all clear to resume their duties. If not transition them back to civilian life."
"Transition them?"
"Yeah, find em work they want to do and the V.A. helps them get there."
"The V.A. doesn't have the funds to do that kind of thing."
"Yet." 
"Yet?"
"I aint done rummaging pockets."
"Gonna loose a hand doing that."
"Going to loose the planet if I don't."
"So what then? You convince the worst of the worst to work for you and/or lay down their weapons and go home then convince the rest of the world to trust you with the Nukes?"
"Pretty much." 
"To send 'em to the moon and then set the islanders up to monitor any and all nuclear activity on the planet."
"That would be Justice since the bombs were tested on their people and their homes." 
"And the Russians, Chinese, and North Koreans are going to be on board with this?"
"Pretty sure the already are, they just don't trust the folks in the seats right now because they're mostly the same people that were there when all the shady shit went down in the first place."
"Playing some awfully dangerous pool there Jack."
"Not from my perspective." 
"Oh, and you think you've got the end all opinion on it all do you."
"Nope.  I just know that Nuclear bombs and bickering over resources is keeping us to distracted from the real threats."
"ohhh, climate change?  Some people think that's a hoax or just a liberal scare tactic."
"Do they mow their lawn?"
"What's that got to do with climate?"
"That's climate change in you own hands.  You're trimming the grass, grass affects the ambient temperature, moisture retention, and wild life nests. You cut the grass, you affect those things.  Little things ad up, especially when multiplied on the scale of a city or a nation. That sands of the Sahara is the dust from the Amazon.  Simple as that."
"So what's it distracting us from?"
"Ask the dinosaurs."
"Some people don't believe those exist."
"Next time you look up and see a shooting star in the sky, hope we saw it coming and that it's not big enough to hit the surface then."
"What if someone tells you god has a plan."
"Not going to talk someone out of their beliefs, just ask them a question."
"Oh?"
"Do you think God, capital G for respect to their beliefs, is going to let them back into His garden if they don't take care of theirs?"
"Ooof."
"Just a question.  After all, the good book says in almost all of it's iterations that Free Will was gods gift to humanity and what sparked the Devil's jealousy that caused him to fall."
"Not every book says that.."
"True but most of 'em, and the ones that don't have a similar moral." 
"So your platform is world peace because you think you're the 2nd coming?"
"Not even close. I'm neither prophet or holy man.  Just a kid that grew up too fast."
"Fucking moon base huh?"
"I am a simple creature, motivated by simple things."
"Why not just buy a ticket on one of the rockets and be happy you got the privilege?"
"I think Carl Sagan said 'To make an apple pie, you first have to create the universe' and I personally would rather do the work so that kids I'll never meet and voices I never hear will be able to look up with hope the way I did back when the shuttles were still flying."
"You keep talking like that people might actually start to trust you."
"Can't think about that. Got to focus on the work."
"What?  Going to parties and playing games?"
"Introducing myself and listening to what people have to say."
"In VR."
"Shorter commute, saves money,  and everyone has a chance to pop in at some point.  Only cost of admission is finding a device to connect with and finding me in one of the worlds. Hang out and listen or ask questions.  People are starting to figure out they can literally AMA.  Ask me anything and I'll answer no matter how rude or ridiculous."
"What about Iowa?"  
"What about it?"
"Aren't you going to do a campaign stop there to secure the votes?"
"Kissing hands and shaking babies?  Not my style."
"Showing people you're a regular person."
"Uh...I dunno what's regular about going to an ice cream shop with an entourage and press following you around."
"So no public appearances, you scared or something?"
"Na.  Not scared just pinching pennies. It takes money and resources to do those campaign trips. If and when the time comes I'll hire a train and we'll ride the rails and do it that way."
"Makes you an easy target there bud." 
"Meh, no worse or less than at any other point. Besides I don't need millions for ads or anything else.  I'm not asking people to give me their dollars and time for vague future promises and   I'd rather they use their money and time and invest it into their communities how ever they can. Be it volunteering to clean up trash or donating to their local library. Not my money, not my choice. How many times have people thrown money at a politician just to see it pissed away?"
"You're missing photo ops not going to do that yourself." 
"I've done that myself, and not for photo ops or recognition, just because it needed done."
"Banking on it now aren't you."
"Just setting an example that I hope others follow." 
"So how are you going to pay for it all then?  The campaign that is?"
"I've got a few tricks up my sleeve."
"uh huh, you're bluffing your way through all this aren't you."
"Just need to renew my license."
"Then what."
"Then I pay my crew."
"With what?"
"We'll see, I haven't looked at those accounts since they were opened."
"And if they're empty?"
"I make a list of supplies I need and send it out and see if anyone can lend a hand."
"Not money?"
"na, just food for me and the cats, stuff to fix and upgrade my equipment so I can keep doing what I do., maybe some weed from time to time so I can focus on the writing I need to do.
"Then you start a whole new political party?"
"With black jack and hookers."
"Fuck off."
"Would love too but moon base."
"Child."
"Never stop dreaming."
"Fag."
"Gotta a problem with that?"
"Pussy."
"You can raise your voice, but don't raise you hands, I don't hesitate."
"Bitch."
"And a sassy one."
"Retard"
"Smarter than you."
"..."
"Got anything new to say or can we get to work?"

Poor Sweet Summer Child

 "Where'd ya go Jack?" 
"To reflect on why I don't trust people."
"Kind of Dark for first thing in the morning isn't it?" 
"Yeah, well, end of the day all I can do is take the L and go back to being me."
"What the hell does that mean?"
"Mute mostly."
"What about the D&D game?"
"Oh, if they contact me I'll run the game. If they don't then no sweat off my back." 
"I thought you were excited about that." 
"I was excited to build something new out of the ashes of something old." 
"But in the end everyone thinks I'm still full of shit when all I've done is tell the truth."
"People don't like the truth, you know that."
"Yeah, well as I've already said to two people tonight that seem to think they were the ones to upset me."
'It's easy to kick the retarded kid following the rules around'

"Dude, that's fucked."
"Doesn't make it any less true. Question is, what happens when I stop playing by the rules?" 
"Don't do that Jack, you know that the rules are the only thing that keeps anyone safe."
"Yeah...but it would be so easy...."
"No...stop right there, you don't want to go down that road again."
"Which one?  The one where I give up because every time I open myself up to trust people I get kicked in the dick in some way?  Or the one where I start beating them at their own game because I stop following my rules and start following theirs?"
"I thought you were supposed to be doing character creation, writing character intros, rebuilding the database in the server." 
"I was. Made some decent progress too, but then people decided to fuck with my zen and it all went out the window."
"You need sleep, you need food."
"You know I can't sleep when I'm crunching on a problem and I'm about out of food.  Need to make it last." 
"So you're just going to starve."
"Wouldn't be the first time."
"If you're not careful it could be the last."
"If I'm successful I won't have to worry about it anymore."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"To quote Captain Tight Pants. 'I do a job, I get paid, I go home."
"I thought you were home."
"No, I haven't been home in over 20 years."
"Oh, where's that then?"
"Where my heart is.  Where my Soul is."
"Thought you said you didn't have one and sold the other."
"True. Can't have a heart if someone else has it and I didn't sell it to the devil if that' what you're worried about."
"So you're not mad?"
"Irritated because I tied my own hands years ago.  Wanting to withdraw again after pulling myself out of my shell for the fist since...Well, since...you know what?  I've never pulled myself out of my shell before, someone else always dragged me out.  All I ever wanted was a place to call home, place to feel safe and I let myself pretend for a night and when reality knocked 
"So which is it then back to whorin or back to work?"
"Neither, I'm on strike until I get paid. I'm not working for free anymore."
"You don't work for free, you get paid."
"No, I work and hope I'm going to get paid.  So far, that hasn't happened.  I do the work, I bill my hours, then I hope to get paid, usually I get paid just enough to buy groceries and the occasional treat.  I'm still working with broken tools and salvaged parts.  Only thing new is the gpu and even that wasn't new when I bought it. Last decades model with some pretty lights on it."
"So what's the plan then?"
"Same as it's always been.  Try not to die and when I finally get paid what I'm owed disappear and never been heard from again." 
"And if you don't get paid?"
"Then I don't eat, I could steal the food I guess.  Done that a time or two when I was starving but in the end what's the point if I'm just going to be in the same situation again a couple of months or even a couple of weeks from now?" 
"You could humble yourself."
"I've tried that and it just put me right back where I started.  Do not pass go, do not collect $200 dollars."
"You're not in jail there bud, you're free to come an go as you please."
"Fuck off. Free to come and go means I have the resources to do so. Which every time I pull those together, find a good job, and start to make progress I get stalled until they're depleted, find out the job wasn't what it was or can't take it because the resources to get me there ran out, or I get reset back to zero because I find myself working for free again."
"Sooo...You're giving up."
"On what?"
"All the stuff you've talked about, the stories, the heroes, the students?"
"I can't, not, tell stories.  That's who I am. I'll just go back to telling them to myself since no one is listening, or doesn't seem to be. The heroes have been hands off since I gave the marching orders and I'm no longer involved so can't give up on something that doesn't need or want me.  And the students don't need a tired old dude hanging around telling old war stories just so he doesn't forget the people that were lost along the way." 
"What about the script?"
"What script? Which script? The moment I put it all to paper it just disappears again.  And with everything else going on no one needs or wants my help anyways.  
I've been hacked daily for people trying to get spoilers and shit not realizing I plugged that hole a long time ago."
"You know they're just jealous, want you to give up because if you succeed that means you were right."
"Jealous of what? being in pain every day? waking up screaming when the memories hit?  Not being able to sleep until exhaustion overtakes me so that I can avoid dreaming all together? Pick your poison there buttercup."
"Because they can't do what you do Jack."
"What's that.  Get hit in the mouth?  Kicked in the dick? Punched in the throat."

"Get back up dude.  How many times have you been knocked on your ass?"
"More times than I can count or even remember at this point."
"And how many times have you gotten back up"
"every single one, I wouldn't be here today if I didn't"
"Exactly. "
"So what are you going to do?"
"Same thing I always do."
"What's that."
"Breath fire, speak the truth, probably get hit in the mouth again."
"Starting to think you like that."
"Not at all, I just don't hit back and that unnerves them more than if I did."
"Keep that attitude because I know how much you want to." 
"It would be so easy."
"Yeah, but when have you ever done anything easy?"
"I took a whole week off once and just lived out in the woods."
"How long ago was that?"
"uhhh....Junior year of high school?  I don't even think anyone noticed I'd been gone."
"Go do that." 
"To old for that kind of shit if it isn't life or death or "glamp" fabulous."
"Still think you could survive in the wild with just a knife?"
"Don't even need the knife."
"Cocky."
"No, just true. A rock becomes a knife and a few sticks a trap. Dinner as soon as I find the trails and tracks."
"Prove it." 
"Fuck off.  I don't work for free and I don't kill unless I have to."
"So if you run out of food?"
"I get my pocket knife out and catch a bunny."
"Go to bed dude, you're just talking out of your ass now."
"I still don't know who to trust." 
"How you going to fix that?"
"Get some sleep, try again tomorrow." 
"See Jack. That's what they're jealous of?  What that I'm disabled, essentially unemployed, and have access to zero benefits to remedy any of that." 
"I thought that's what you were working on down there."
"It is...but...it takes time and right now it's a race against the clock and my dwindling pantry."
"You've got this bud."
"I know."
"Stop moping."
"I'm not."
"Get back to work"
"I'm multitasking."

Fly me to the moon...

 "So any insights after crunching your "moon data" there Jack?" 
"Yep."
"Just spit it out." 
"We're only on stage 2 of...shit I can't remember how many.  But so far everything's on schedule.  I'm just double checking if anything needs to be updated or revisited."
"Wait, stage 2 of what?"
"Well.  Orion has met it's benchmarks and has some tricks up it's sleeve that haven't been revealed yet and Artemis, so far and surprisingly, is on schedule.  So in my book we're actually ahead of schedule.  Next step is project Enterprise." 
"Like as in Star Trek?  You want to put a Star Trek ship in space."
"Na...I mean yeah...but....not yet." 
"Okay....?"
"The shuttle, sitting mothballed in a museum right now. Gonna put it back to work.  It and the others."
"Those things are dangerous to launch and even more dangerous to land." 
"Yeah, well, we don't need to land 'em, just get them into orbit."
"Why exactly?"
"Here's the thing.  The international space station is getting old and needing replaced. The original, not my, plan was to drop it in the ocean and then start from scratch.  I don't mind the starting from scratch thing, but it would be the biggest waste in human history to drop it back down to earth regardless of if it survived the "landing" or not. I'm going to send it to the moon and use the shuttles to do it."
"You want to fly the space station to the moon?  With the Shuttles?" 
"Yep, that's the plan."
"You're insane."
"Yeah, but think about how cool it would be?  Not to mention the trillions of dollars worth of effort that went to getting all that shit up there in the first place.  I say, send it to the moon, use the shuttles as retro stabilizers and thrusters to get it there.  Put it in orbit, and if for some reason it's unusable or too damaged drop it on the surface for future missions to scavenge for parts, supplies, and data.  Less of a waste than dropping it in the ocean or burning it up in the atmosphere and if it survives the trip we have a fulling functioning space station floating around the moon for emergencies, supply storage, and surface observations without having to spend another 50 years worth of labor and resources getting something similar up there."
"So you're plan is to use outdated tech to do cutting edge research, and save literal Trillions in resources and billions in labor hours...that...actually makes sense."
"Yep, not to mention retrofitting those old things won't be super difficult.  Hell, you could slap a smart phone to the dashboard of a shuttle and have more computing power than mission control did when those things first launched.  Launch them remotely to avoid unnecessary accidents, have them loaded with the payload necessary to  retrofit the station for transit."
"That will take forever, you can't send the station sailing as fast as something as the Orion." 
"Yeah, I know.  Why do you think Artemis has the schedule it does and regardless of what I think of the jackasses personally their little rocket projects will be key in resupply and personnel transfers."
"Okay, so...then there won't be a station around earth." 
"Oh ye of little faith.  I haven't peaked at what the other teams are doing because I like to be surprised but if they took the challenge...bro...it's going to be bad ass.  Fucking Gundam levels of badass.  No joke." 
"Wait...what challenge." 
"Challenge I issued to all the agencies...almost...fuck...30 or so years ago." 
"Wait...did you...are you saying you..."
"I'm just a humble librarian that answered a few questions and gave my thoughts on the topics.  I can't help it if they took the challenge and followed my outlines." 
"Bullshit." 
"Yep, sure enough is, cause I did it for the shits and giggles and because I wanted to see it before I die. But still happening none the less."
"So...you're going to fly the ISS to the Moon and use it as a station there...that's the plan?"
"Yep."
"What happens to the shuttles after that?"
"They do the job they were meant to do...just...back and forth from station to station instead of station to earth.  Deliver supplies, pick up samples, transport crew." 
"You're serious aren't you."
"Deadly, it's my life's work."
"I thought the movies were your life's work."
"..." 
"So the enterprise is going to be the universes first shuttle bus to the moon?"
"MMhmmm" 
"Assuming everything makes it in one piece...or at least salvageable pieces."
"And you think every space agency in the world is going to back this plan?"
"Already have one way or another."
"No fucking way."
"Yep...now if you excuse me I have 2 characters intros to write and two more character creation sessions to schedule before the first game."
"First game of what?"
"Spoilers."

Quiet Moments and Old Wounds

 "How'd you sleep Jack?"
"Like shit. Feel like I've been beaten half to death with a bag of dicks.  But other than that I'm mostly functional." 
"Really got to learn to work on that language you're using.  It makes some folks feel uncomfortable."
"I get that and I try to keep that in mind when I'm talking, but you can't live the life I have without a few salty words and expressions creeping in when you're not on the clock.  And even when you are sometimes they're necessary to make a point."
"How's that 'necessary' to make a point." 
"Time to Dick. or Time to Penis if you prefer. 
 The amount of time it takes for a person to use a new tool or feature to draw or imitate a penis. Literally has become a core consideration in game design. And, in academic circles a study of human empathy when looking at social games that allows interaction with other players.  Even non-player characters."
"You mean AI?"  
"Yup."
"So you're not going to clean up your language."
"I'll use the teacher rule."
"The teacher rule?" 
"Yo, teachers put their best face and foot forward and heavily censor themselves when around students for a number reasons. 
Safety for themselves because students can become incredibly attached if they view you in a parental or romantic light. 
For professionalism.  Because not everyone has the same level of comfort or experience with bad words and hard concepts.  
Fear of being attacked.  Still some people out there that teaching and discussing hard and emotionally charged topics is viewed as a the worst thing a person can do.  But they have to be talked about or we're doomed to repeat their mistakes. And some folks were never taught restraint or empathy for people outside of their sphere of understanding.   So teaching, by far, probably one of the most dangerous professions on the planet."
"That's a little dramatic"
"Is it?"
"Then why don't you just change your screen name or use alt accounts for some of that stuff?"
"...."
"Don't smirk at me."
"Look man.   If I'm going to get the whole world to trust me I've got to be as open, honest, and authentic as possible.  I'm not going to pull that undercover boss shit and try to gaslight people into seeing things my way." 
"So are people trusting you yet?"
"Dunno, but they're starting to believe me and that's kinda spooky."
"What about for your safety?" 
"I'm an educator.  That kind of danger comes with the territory and if I really need time to myself I just shut everything off and sit in the dark for awhile.  Besides.  Half the people only think I'm a Legend anyway, might as well live up to the title."
"Awful big head you're getting there."
"Na, not legend like you're thinking.  Legend as in a cryptid, a big foot, Nessie,  a ufo.  They want to believe someone like me exists but they don't quite believe it.  Almost can't believe it in some cases. Hell, I have a hard time believing it myself sometimes, have to pretend I don't just to function others.  and I live it every day  Scares em.  Scares me.  But I exist"
"So everyone then?  You're going to try to get everyone on board and save the world?"
"From the King of England to the Hounds of Hell."
"That's not how the song goes."
"It is now."
"You're gonna get yourself killed, you know that right?"
"Only if I fail and so far I've been bullet proof."
"You know you're not."
"I have to act like I am, otherwise try is the only thing I'll be able to do."
"Be careful."
"Always."
"Be safe."
"As I can be."
"Don't be stupid."
"The whole thing is stupid, but that's what makes it brilliant." 

https://youtu.be/0J2QdDbelmY