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Chat like an age of exploration gentleman ship captain. Also see if we can steal some sweet sweet Terran wine.
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Sep 19, 2017 00:10
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 21:18 |
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I feel like if we're going to have dinner with UT, we should at least pack a heft dose of antirads and hope that we've found a way to get polonium out of people's livers.
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Sep 19, 2017 00:14
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Dude the brain worms are crunchy, just chew your food more than normal to make sure you don't miss anything.
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Sep 19, 2017 00:47
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Brain worms for everyone. And yeah, Dinner is really the only option. We were going to get jump drives eventually so what's the big deal? How to deal with the implications of this well. That's above a mere captain's paygrade
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Sep 19, 2017 02:54
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I think we should pretend that we "Operation Paperclipped," the jump drives from an isolated IC lab group. Like some sort of secret group that was headed toward an outer body like Pluto under heavy escort. Nabbed those jokers just in time, a few more weeks and they would be all over this place. Those wacky capitalists and their need to compartmentalize vital research so they can sell it to other parts of the IC. While "we had it the whole time," is a hilarious explanation it is going to be tricky to sell it to their high command. Unless we play up the space madness angle with some elderly insane asylum patients. Couldn't safely jump with old fashioned armor technology or some hogwash.
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Sep 19, 2017 09:05
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Yes, offer to exchange our prize martian liquors!
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Sep 19, 2017 09:17
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Or we could just...not tell them at all.
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Sep 19, 2017 11:06
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Well, it's a bit late to try and pretend we don't have jump tech at all, so...
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Sep 19, 2017 11:54
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We could put on hastily made, poorly constructed gorilla suits when we go over for dinner so they think we're from a Planet of the Apes dimension rather than their home one. Or I suppose just paste goatees on everybody, but then they think we're the evil mirror dimension. 
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Sep 19, 2017 15:14
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Interlude 12 - A Hand Outstretched The shuttle slides alongside the Terran destroyer and after a moments mechanical confusion the two airlocks connect. PThighs and his XO float across the boundary and seize handholds in the Terran airlock. After a short period of sealing the exterior the inner door slides open then they are are confronted by the sight of several saluting Terrans lining the narrow passageway, all velcro'd securely to the floor. Unfortunately the Martians have chosen the wrong orientation and are currently floating upside down compared to their hosts. After a brief chuckle the Martians spin themselves 'upright' and return the salute. A young Terran officer wearing Lt-commanders tags floats forward and addresses them. "The Commodore is awaiting you in the officers mess, if you would please come with me sirs." They follow the young officer through the passageways, occasionally passing crew that snap to attention as well as possible in zero-G. They look around in surprise, noting that the ship is shockingly spacious and well equipped compared to the more spartan environment of a Martian warship. The passageways are wide enough for three people to pass at once, large wall panels display scenes of Earth at several points and they pass one large room that appears to be an open, null-G recreation area - unheard of on Martian vessels. He wonders what his own clademates would make of this outrageously extravagant display of space compared to the cramped hab domes and tunnels in the red rock of Mars they call home. Finally they transfer to the rotating ring and slowly descend until the spin gives them around half a G, slightly more than Mars but the speed of the spin section has no doubt been reduced to accommodate their guests. If he thought the rest of the ship was somewhat questionable PThighs is even more astonished by the officers mess. The room has been worked using (faux?) wood paneling (he automatically dismisses it as real wood due to the incredible expense that would entail on Mars) to replicate a cabin from the age of sail. In fact a large (wooden!) table dominates the room and a plush and soft carpet cushions his dress boots. Other adornments like the lights and tableware are practicable only in gravity and he has to wonder at their inclusion on a space-going warship. The expense of the table alone on Mars would be more than his yearly salary and despite himself he cannot help but be slightly impressed.  His host, the Commodore from the viewscreen makes no comment as the two Martians pause to take in the room, after a moment he welcomes them in his jovial accent that PThigh's eventually identifies as 'English,' but lacks the knowledge to place further. After perfunctory greetings their offering of Martian brew is whisked away by a young officer and thanks from the Commodore ("even better at brewing it than the Belgians I hear!") and they sit down to an offer of (Italian or French) wine. PThighs is beginning to suspect the Commodore is something of an aficionado of the finer things in life and probably quite blue-blooded while he's at it. PThigh's delicate commentary on the lavish furnishings is waved away, ("this ship cost over two billion credits, they can spare a few for some comforts") and they settle down to discussing the current situation. PThigh's presses his earlier point about the Treaty of Luna giving Mars rights to the system which is in turn countered by the Commodore's assertion that the treaty doesn't specifically address ownership of systems beyond the point. It's apparent that neither side is going to give any ground and eventually it is agreed to put the matter aside and "leave it to the penny counters and lawyers" as his host puts it. The main course arrives and PThighs is slightly horrified to be informed it is actual meat from an animal and not vat grown but he manages to get over his initial distaste and is forced to admit to his grinning host that the real article is superior to the substitute. He fends off the Commodores questions about Martian access to jump drive technology and implies heavily that its not a recent development which gets a raised eyebrow from his opposite number. Finally the conversation turns to the vast ruins and rings of the planet below. The Earther admits to being a recent arrival themselves and lets slip that theirs is a specially outfitted expedition for long term study with a significant scientific contingent though they are yet to land on the surface of the planet themselves. The Commodore honestly seems to have very little information to go on but is clearly extremely enthusiastic about what they have found. He even gives an eloquent speech about how he is glad of the Martian arrival as he predicts it will allow them to publish freely instead of everything disappearing into a black hole of classified information. After much speculation on the topic of the aliens and their eventual fate the Commodore finally dismisses the majority of the Terrans present leaving only his own Captain and the two Martians. He delicately inquires on any 'unusual incidents' suffered by the Martian crews to which PThighs gives away nothing but a minor admission about disorientation after a jump. At this the Commodore steeples his fingers and looks quizzically at the Martian, "No strange incidents at all?" he repeats, "No odd disturbances among the crew, no psychological issues arising from normally stable crew members?" PThighs answers in the negative and proffers that perhaps the Martian constitution is better adapted to the rigors of space travel than those of Terran stock. The Commodore's frown deepens and he ventures that it is possible. After a few seconds of indecision he picks up his interface screen and pulls up some data. "I hope Colonel that I can count on your discretion on this matter. It is of the gravest concern to me or I would not share the information." He guides PThigh's though the information displayed which is tracking reports of psychological disturbances and discipline incidents among members of the Terran Fleet who have undergone jump travel. The rate of issues rises rapidly after a single jump, especially if more than one was carried out in close succession but even widely spaced jumps seem to have a cumulative effect. Notes indicate the symptoms are superficially similar to PTSD but deeply rooted in specific fears personal to the subjects. For the first time the Commodore betrays some uncertainty, he leans forward over the table and almost whispers to the two Martians, "I too have experienced something similar. At first I thought the discipline issues were a normal discipline issue brought on by the rigors of space travel but during a jump I experienced something that I cannot explain. I felt like the devil himself had awoken and was gazing down upon our small ships ready to snatch them up and consume us entirely." PThighs shifts uneasily, himself having slept rather poorly the previous night after his first jump with nightmares of an unidentifiable and formless horror. Furthermore he is aware of the Tangaroa incident. The Commodore gives him a knowing look and continues. "I fear there is something out there, something that makes all our petty concerns like sandcastles before the tide. Look at the planet below, my scientists tell me the structures date to mere millions of years ago, less than an eyeblink in cosmic time and the species that built them were clearly far far beyond us and yet, where are they?" A certain manic light glints in his eyes as he draws a deep breath and continues, PThighs shares an alarmed look with his XO. "Why are the stars silent if traveling between them is so easy? Where are the aliens? The mega-structures, the Ringworlds, the Matryoshka brains shrouding stars? Everywhere we look it is nothing but silence, graveyards and dust and it terrifies me to the core." PThighs is distinctly uneasy by this point and the Commodore seems to sense this, he presses a data capsule into his hands, "This is all the information I have been able to gather on this phenomena, my own command has dismissed my concerns in light of the bounty spread out before us but I implore you to follow it up with your own. Hopefully one of us will be prepared for whatever is coming if we can manage to avoid our own destruction in the squabble for this planet." The Commodore subsides and leans back, seeming to deflate and wind down from whatever was driving him to commit what could be interpreted as treason by handing over the information he has. After some formalities PThighs hurriedly departs for his shuttle, clutching the data-store in his fist and beset with confusion over the unexpected turn of events. Saros fucked around with this message at 16:30 on Sep 19, 2017 |
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Sep 19, 2017 15:17
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I don't suppose you'd consider putting a Gellar Field technology into the tech tree for us, Saros?
OwlFancier fucked around with this message at 15:26 on Sep 19, 2017 |
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Sep 19, 2017 15:24
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OwlFancier posted:I don't suppose you'd consider putting a Gellar Field technology into the tech tree for us, Saros? There are other solutions. 
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Sep 19, 2017 16:02
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Saros posted:There are other solutions. We already do all the time without Gellar Fields. At least now we have a justifiable reason to do them!
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Sep 19, 2017 16:18
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Since we apparently have the capability to vat grow meat, we can continue with our "moon the dark gods" plan and shield ourselves during jumps just the same. Coat our spaceward ships in a layer of vat-grown asses. Then the rear end-shields get the nightmares, we get safe jump travel, and the dark gods have to get an eye full of the grim darkness of the future.
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Sep 19, 2017 16:53
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So it should go without saying that we're like doing the whole hardcore air-gapping in a Faraday cage stuff with this set of data right? Like full on Person-of-Interest style right?
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Sep 19, 2017 17:04
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You can assume basic competence in your officer corps yes.
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Sep 19, 2017 17:06
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Zaodai posted:Since we apparently have the capability to vat grow meat, we can continue with our "moon the dark gods" plan and shield ourselves during jumps just the same. Coat our spaceward ships in a layer of vat-grown asses. Then the rear end-shields get the nightmares, we get safe jump travel, and the dark gods have to get an eye full of the grim darkness of the future. Brilliant!
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Sep 19, 2017 17:08
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Zaodai posted:Since we apparently have the capability to vat grow meat, we can continue with our "moon the dark gods" plan and shield ourselves during jumps just the same. Coat our spaceward ships in a layer of vat-grown asses. Then the rear end-shields get the nightmares, we get safe jump travel, and the dark gods have to get an eye full of the grim darkness of the future.
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Sep 19, 2017 17:08
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"Sir, why are our helm controls returning an address we're supposed to send 'bitcoins' to?"
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Sep 19, 2017 17:09
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frankenfreak posted:I don't know if putting human hams on our ships is a good idea. Depends on where you stand on the "getting your mind hosed by cosmic horrors" vs. "getting eaten by cosmic horrors" debate. Uh, a human ham shield sounds perfect, actually. Let the abyss gaze into our unblinking brown eyes.
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Sep 19, 2017 17:09
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Hey, maybe JP's are sort of like Terminator universe time travel. Anything organic is OK to go through. Our guys only went crazy because the non-euclidean brain rays weren't absorbed by a thick layer of jiggly long pork.
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Sep 19, 2017 17:21
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Zaodai posted:Since we apparently have the capability to vat grow meat, we can continue with our "moon the dark gods" plan and shield ourselves during jumps just the same. Coat our spaceward ships in a layer of vat-grown asses. Then the rear end-shields get the nightmares, we get safe jump travel, and the dark gods have to get an eye full of the grim darkness of the future. frankenfreak posted:I don't know if putting human hams on our ships is a good idea. Depends on where you stand on the "getting your mind hosed by cosmic horrors" vs. "getting eaten by cosmic horrors" debate. ...why use muscle tissue? If we're going to use Batshit Crazy vs Cosmic Evil we'd better make sure the meatshield is made of cloned human nerve/brain tissue so that it can actually absorb/block the nightmare rays. Nothing can possibly go wrong with exposing an unprogrammed amalgam of brain matter to mind-altering unknown stimuli that may be either an illusion or may be some psychic influence from a strange entity. Especially when those brains weigh on the order of hundreds-of-tons. And have been fed nootropic chemicals to make them grow faster. And basically hardwired into warships. If they somehow become sapient as a result, they automatically gain citizenship. Yay more Martians for the cause!
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Sep 19, 2017 18:05
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We should probably slap a shield on a warp ship and send it through with shields up and see if that changes anything.
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Sep 19, 2017 19:00
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Maybe this is why the Pluto aliens use wormholes. If we're lucky, stabilizing a jump point will help such matters.
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Sep 19, 2017 19:53
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mossyfisk posted:Maybe this is why the Pluto aliens use wormholes. And if we're
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Sep 19, 2017 20:03
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Friend Commuter posted:And if we're This seems right on the money for me. Jump points probably act as a sort of "door chime" for the eldritch abominations lurking between the stars, alerting them to start hunting when a civilization has grown advanced enough...
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Sep 19, 2017 21:05
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My understanding was that a jump gate isn't a constantly active Stargate-like device, but rather a structure that acts as a focus/stabilizer to allow traditional TNE drive fields to pierce spacetime like the jump drives. If that was the case I would think it would be a softer knock on the door to hell than forcibly ripping a hole in spacetime.
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Sep 19, 2017 21:18
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silentsnack posted:If you're gonna go weird, go really weird: Make the outer hull a double-shell and fill the gap layer with whatever materials are used to grow the pseudomeat, so that it remains (relatively) alive. Also... this makes a lot of sense e: also your words are really good Saros sebmojo fucked around with this message at 21:39 on Sep 19, 2017 |
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Sep 19, 2017 21:35
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Hmm, this is intense. It looks like we may have bigger issues on our hands that just dealing with UT.
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Sep 19, 2017 21:47
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Zaodai posted:Since we apparently have the capability to vat grow meat, we can continue with our "moon the dark gods" plan and shield ourselves during jumps just the same. Coat our spaceward ships in a layer of vat-grown asses. Then the rear end-shields get the nightmares, we get safe jump travel, and the dark gods have to get an eye full of the grim darkness of the future. habituallyred posted:Scanners Live in Vain it up folks.
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Sep 19, 2017 21:53
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i cant wait to be a captain of a meatship
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Sep 19, 2017 22:07
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Well this explains why Terra was so keen on the treaty. I loving told you guys it was too good to be true.
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Sep 19, 2017 22:35
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are their strategic implications of repeated gate transit being heavily constrained?
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Sep 19, 2017 22:48
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sebmojo posted:are their strategic implications of repeated gate transit being heavily constrained? Extrasolar power projection would depend a lot more on colonies and bases I imagine. Instead of warping fleets in and of hot spots, it will make more sense to keep assets deployed forward and to have the capacity to supply, maintain and crew ships without a return to Sol.
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Sep 19, 2017 23:21
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It's pretty well going to make any traditional sense of extra solar state impossible as far as I can see. It'd be like Europe trying to colonise the Americas if krakens actually existed. Some ships will make it through and colonies will be established but centralised control will be impossible and without being able to trade you might ask what the point is in the first place. Alternately it might turn out that totally lifeless ships can transition just fine, so we can still send shipments through, but people are tending to make one way journeys. In which case colonisation would be meaningful but each system is very rapidly going to seek independence I would think, and there's really nothing anyone in Sol could do to stop that. Why would you consider yourself to still be part of a nation that you are literally never going to see again ever? Any fleet you send in after them is just going to join them because they can't go home either. Which all means that our system of a network of affiliated friendly states rather than a centralised empire should hopefully respond to these rules quite well, better than UT's heavy handed centralisation at least.
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Sep 19, 2017 23:32
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As engine speeds improve we may be able to rely on extra-solar based fleets for any military responses, but as the Battle of Titan demonstrated we don't even have the speed to rely on inter-planetary based fleets for rapid response. Locally based fleets & PDC's will still be the first line of defense for decades to come. Right now the biggest impact of restricting JP travel would be on mining & transport companies moving infrastructure to new colonies & minerals back to Mars. This could be mitigated by rotating ship crews after each round trip & mandating a months-long period of restricton to inner system duties & psychiatric evaulation for crews after each transit. I don't know if Mars has a draft or conscription law, but if so then we could encourage participation in an inter-system merchant marine by exempting from military service anyone who completes 3 'tours' or goes crazy trying.
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Sep 19, 2017 23:39
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 The next generation fleet: Skunkworks file I am going on holiday until October so in all likelyhood the LP will be on hiatus from tomorrow. To keep everyone busy I am issuing a design request for the next generation of the Martian Fleet. Both the overall fleet proposal and the individual ship designs need to be discussed and arrived on using the technologies in the save provided (includes Ion drives and allllll sorts of goodies). These advances are derived from general tech advances, data from the Pluto facility and the deconstruction of IC designs. There are a number of requirements I will spell out below.
Get building Goons, I can't wait to see what abominations you come up with. If you're playing catchup and don't want to read a lot of design chat feel free to skip to here when normal updates resume. Saros fucked around with this message at 15:10 on Oct 2, 2017 |
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Sep 20, 2017 00:10
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Screw building ships. We should also design all of Mar's military (and civilian, I guess) awards so we can all get shiny medals.  I think someone named one already, the Deimos Cross. Galaga Galaxian fucked around with this message at 00:15 on Sep 20, 2017 |
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Sep 20, 2017 00:13
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See new post https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3822055&pagenumber=80#post476567072 Tythas fucked around with this message at 01:22 on Sep 20, 2017 |
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Sep 20, 2017 00:40
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 21:18 |
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You've got 900 more tons of space to dick around with that I'd rather not just leave on the table, but it's great.
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Sep 20, 2017 00:42
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