Irvine to lax shuttle

ON ST. GEORGE’S SPEAR
Ch. 18
First Previous
This takes place in an alternate universe described here.
Credit to u/spacepaladin15 for the original universe :)
Memory Transcript Subject: Com. Tomas Cardóna, Commander of the ENS Cupertino, member of the Dominican Order of Scientists
Date [standardized human time]: August 22, 2178
My promotion ceremony was purely for practical reasons, and everyone knew it. My mission was not to be conducted by anyone with “undue authority” or some other bureaucratic nonsense that always seems to find its way into everything.
However, before the government could get a handle on everything, the whole HHE found out about the Arxur's enslavement, and probable consumption of, the crew and descendants of the ENS St. Jeanne de Chantal. It was decided then, that “Squadron 12” would take upon itself a new, grim, task: Providing a secluded home for humanity to develop in times of peace, or flee to if the war goes south.
The former EES vessels were the premier ships for the job, so the Cupertino was chosen as we have been the most recent one to complete a mission successfully, and thus have the most experienced crew. It doesn’t hurt that the Cupertino has been significantly refitted into more of a light frigate than a science vessel, but I digress.
The Cupertino was to have an escort of around 8 corvettes and 2 frigates. By far the heaviest formation I have ever been in willingly. We received orders to travel to Ross 128, again, to stage our transport to our new home. Before we left Earth orbit, however, a top-secret set of orders was patched to my command desk. We were to make a detour to the Centauri system. Further orders would be given in person there.
So be it. I ordered a detour to Proxima. If they wanted to drag this out unnecessarily, well, two can play that game. Then, as if it was expecting us, an outdated museum piece of a “frigate” left orbit and started to charge toward us.
“ENS Cupertino*, this is the* ENS Philomena with permission to dock. Slow down and prepare for docking procedures.”
The Philomena?! That vessel had its heyday during the 3rd Chinese War! It still uses nuclear thermal rockets for crying out loud. We could stay at 40% power and still outrun them. However, it would be bad form just to leave another friendly craft in the dust.
I went to the docking bay to give the idiot in charge of the Philomena a piece of my mind. There is no way I am letting them tag along on an interstellar mission. That would be stupid on so many levels … No. I’m not even going to think about it.
Before I realized it, I was in the docking bay, impatiently waiting for the Philomena to maneuver around the clamps and towards the docking seal with all the tender grace of a buffering video. Markov was his usual cheery self, which is to say he showed all the emotion of a cliff face. A squad of Marines of the order of St. Sebastian was formed on either side of the seal, to show our new capabilities to the rest of the world, as well as to assure ourselves that we are ready for whatever we might find past known space. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be another genocidal maniac empire.
The door opened to a Captain standing in the doorway. He spoke before I could voice some decidedly not-Christian thoughts about his arrival.
“Are you Commander Cardóna?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. I want to talk to you about a classified topic.”
Not again.
“Very well. Follow me to the ready room. Markov, prepare the flotilla.”
Markov nodded, and the Captain followed me to a secondary room, as the ready room was near the bridge, and the docking bay was not.
As soon as the door closed, he locked the door.
“I’m not going to beat around the bush, Commander. You’re going to be transporting Aliens. The Sheep, Kangas, and Spikies had a few volunteers join us. We thought they might be able to send them to help the fleet around Treshaan with their advanced knowledge of galactic political borders and possibly steer you clear of other hostiles.”
“The who sent volunteers?”
“Oh, you probably know them by their official names. Venlil, Yotul, and Go-jid. Trust me, there’s a reason why the Yotul have been nicknamed ‘Kangas’, and it’s not just because they look vaguely similar.”
“Aren’t those aliens deathly afraid of us? How would we be able to accommodate them? We have already lost part of our habitable area to weapons systems, they would have no choice but to be crammed in with us!” I may have said that with a bit more vigor than I intended, but I wasn’t about to cause a diplomatic incident by having an alien die of fright.
“Where did you hear that?”
“Frankly, sir, I am shocked that you rose to such a rank without learning the power of the rumor mill.”
“Fair point. To address your concerns, the volunteers are all in the process of converting. To assist them, a cohort of priests, deacons, and other clergy will be helping them in their path. They have performed a miracle over the past few months. I don’t know the details, but the aliens showed “positive reactions” only 4 weeks into their rehabilitation.”
“Sir, we only have the spare rooms for 30, counting turning those rooms into bunks.”
“That’s great! As we have 32, including the clergy, on the Philomena awaiting transfer, and I doubt that your priest aboard would protest sharing his room. Fortunately for all involved, you will only be transporting them to Treshaan where they will be distributed among the fleet already stationed there.”
I saluted the Captain and went to the Chapel. There, I got down on my knees and asked, [No one in particular] what I did wrong to warrant this punishment. After a half-hour of rethinking every life choice I made up until this point, I left feeling less despair and more resignation than when I entered.
I always hated being the taxi for my family.
Memory Transcript Subject: Chief Hunter Slasaan, Arxur Dominion Sector Fleet
Date [standardized human time]: June 21, 2178
I rushed the Hunter into a small shuttle that would take me to my command ship, which I inherited from my predecessor, Chief Hinter Shaza. That old hag wouldn't be able to comprehend that there are another sapient species in the galaxy, so I guess it was for the best when she suffered that “accident”.
The Hunter seemed to be in awe of the size of the ship. I couldn’t blame her. The ship was large to such an unreasonable degree that some other Chief Hunters tried to scrap the ship due to its “impracticality” in combat situations. Another theory from the formerly-alive Chief Isif that acted as if prey could put up meaningful resistance.
After letting her tour the ship, I tried to get a sizeable fleet behind me if this new species was not open to negotiations. However, as was to be predicted, the other Chief Hunters and houses were dragging their tails as much as they could. If I didn’t know any better, I would have called them Mazic-Boned, but that would only lead to my death.
After a [week] or two, I had finally gathered my task force that would initiate official contact. I was just about to go crazy being on a ship with this many other people at once. Was this why Shaza was so weird? Did she like to keep company like that? Was she hiding defective Arxur on this ship?
Shaking that train of thought from my head, I walked onto the bridge and took everything in. If anything screamed ‘Most powerful Arxur under the Prophet-Descendant,’ this is it. As the task force started our final leg toward Treshaan, I couldn’t help but feel optimistic about negotiations with this new species.

All female 4x4 clean less than a mile south of campus with shuttles and free parking in the complex! Now until July 31st 2023 no option to renew but perfect if you are temporarily visiting! Dm for more details!!! Roommates are outgoing and very nice😊 Im moving for a new place and new job after graduation!

Help, Daddit.
I'm probably being hugely pedantic right now, but I'm very much concerned about introducing my almost 9 month old kiddo to TV. I've read multiple studies that say it is detrimental to their development to let them watch TV before 18 months old due to screens being passive engagement, and can have a negative impact on their ability to interact with others when they're older.
When my partner and I are watching TV with him nearby, I do everything I can to prevent him from watching the screen, but my partner is very lax with it and admits to letting him watch Cocomelon while she's doing things during the day and I'm at work. This annoys me greatly. If we're watching TV at night and he isn't tired enough to sleep yet, he tries as hard as he can to watch as well and gets cranky when I stop him. If he keeps trying, I turn off the TV and my partner gets annoyed at me, saying I'm being too strict.
What are your thoughts on this subject? Should I ease up? Keep true? It would be good to get responses from those with older kids and those with younger and weigh up whether I'm on the right path or not.

I have an 11-hour red eye flight coming up from LAX to LHR and decided to make the upgrade to Delta One once I saw that the aircraft had the Delta One Suites. I haven’t tried them out yet.
Am I correct that the even rows on the side seats have the side table as a buffer between the seat and the aisle? I’d usually pick row 4, but it’s taken on each side, so if I do choose to sit on one of the sides, would row 2 or 6 be better as far as for better sleep not being so close to the lavatory? I could have my pick if choosing an even row.
Or do the middle seats have more space, or do they feel more spacious? I’m 6’6 so the more space the better especially on a night flight. I’m flying by myself, but privacy isn’t as much of an issue with the suites design, except for taking off and landing, right?
Thanks!

Vonne stared nervously at the dark red brick path ahead of her. Her human friend Gabriel held her hand, nervously looking from her to the brass plaques on each brick. Then the simple wooden sign beside the brick road.
The path to peace.
Empathic species be warned, psychological damage may occur.
Vonne shivered. The Y'varnos are a species deeply connected to emotions and memories. They could speak the long dead's last thoughts and emotions if they could lay their hands on the corpse.
Softly, Gabriel asked.
"Are you sure about this? You don't have to walk the path if you don't want to."
Vonne took a deep breath and nodded.
"I need to understand what that human meant by your species path to peace is paved with blood."
Gabriel nodded and squeezed her hand.
"I'll be right here the whole time just squeeze my hand if you can't handle it anymore."
Vonne nodded and slowly placed a bare claw on the red brick path. The moment the pad of her foot touched the ground, she understood.
...
The human sat against the wall of the trench, the sound of a screaming horde of Tyranians bearing down on him. His best friend and battle buddy lay face down in the mud at the bottom of the trench, half their head melted by a plasma bolt.
The human slowly began singing to themselves as they turned their eyes to the azure sky, the splotches of red blood that stained the trench walls. The screaming of the Tyranian horde almost upon him.
"I see skys of blue... Red roses too... And I think to myself..."
The horde pushed over the lip of the trench, charging for the softly singing human. the human raised the detonator with a small smile, and finished his song.
"What a wonderful world!"
...
Another step and the scene changed.
...
The human surgeon yanked the GPMG's charging handle. Screaming in fury and desperation at the Geknosians advancing on their position. He needed to buy more time for the wounded to be evacuated. The soldiers assigned to guard the medical station lay prone in the trenches in front of the surgeon. Cut down in a surprise attack.
The human surgeon plucked a grenade from a box by his feet, yanking the pin out before lobbing it at the advancing enemy. He heard the shuttlecraft engines whine as they spooled up and he hazarded a glance behind him.
He watched his empty medical tent be blown away by the backwash from the engines and smiled. He waved them to go on without him, even as the head nurse screamed for him to get run.
The surgeon just turned his back to them, hearing the shuttle lift off as he hurriedly slapped another belt into the GPMG and racked the bolt back. The barrel began to glow orange as the surgeon let hell loose on the Geknosians now swarming towards him.
Until a snipers railgun projectile entered his left eye. The surgeon died with a smile on his face, purpose fulfilled.
...
Vonne took another step, tears dripping from her eyes and completely oblivious to Gabriel's concerned questioning. The memories laid bare before her eyes.
...
An old human man shielded a young child with his body as Geknosian troops opened fire. The man felt his life ebbing away as the child ran out away from the danger. A Geknosian officer pointed a plasma pistol down at the old man, a snear on their face as the old man humbly accepted his fate.
...
Vonne began to run, her hand slipping away from Gabriel's.
...
A human refugee ship captain and bridge crew held a corridor against a group of Tyranian employed slavers. Blaster bolts and metallic projectiles whizzing through the air. The captain snarled as his M40 carbine spit lead and took the head off of a Larrian warborn. A message coming into his earpiece.
"Captain Florence, the refugees are all in the bridge. What do we do?"
The captain paused, looking at the men and women who'd served him the past twenty years. They'd all gotten the message too, the plan had been to retreat once everyone was accounted for. But now that the slavers were this close to the bridge? They'd have to use plan B. The captain keyed his mic.
"Trigger the explosive bolts and chart a course for human controlled territory."
The captain fired a few more shots as his daughter's voice returned over the mic, shocked and exasperated.
"But dad you said-"
Captain Dylan Florence grit his teeth and cut his daughter off.
"That's an order! Private Florence."
The captain heard the crackle of the explosive bolts behind him and slumped against the barricade. Before the bridge tore away, exposing the corridor to the cold void. The captain softly said.
"Look after your mother for me kiddo."
...
Vonne's claws landed on the soft grass and she fell to her knees. The last moments of a thousand scores of human warriors assaulted her vision. She sobbed, feeling the fear and despair of each and every one of them.
Yet... She couldn't help but see the macabre beauty of each scene. Each human life given, was given in exchange for the lives of friend and foe. For family and for strangers. Each human life was given to extend another.
Gabriel huffed and puffed as he finally caught up to Vonne. Concernedly kneeling next to her.
"Are you okay Vonne?"
The feathered humanoid took a deep breath and wiped her eyes.
"I will be... I understand now..."
Gabriel looked at her quizzically, still concerned about her health. But Vonne just smiled softly, tears rolling down her cheeks as she looked over at Gabriel.
"Humanity values peace and liberty... To the point that they'd give up their own lives to achieve it for their children..."
Vonne looked out at the grassy field, red poppies planted and trimmed into the shape of a massive bloodstain. Gabriel was at a loss for words, having never looked at it that way. Vonne took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she laid back. Gabriel slowly laid beside her, deep in thought. Then slowly he asked.
"Did they ever regret giving their lives? The humans you saw."
Vonne shook her head, remembering the calm inner peace that swept over each human before their death.
"Not a single one."
Suddenly Gabriel burst into tears, surprising Vonne. She looked over, but he was smiling through them as he spoke to the sky.
"I hope you gave em hell dad... I miss you..."

My husband and I flew LAX-LHR and planned to connect to a British Airways flight to Edinburgh from there on May 25th, the first day of this series of strikes. To say the BA terminal was a shit show would be an understatement. There were agents on tablets telling people one by one whether their flights were canceled or not...most were and people were instructed to leave the airport.
We initially were told our flight was delayed (there were no online updates from BA) and sent to more agents to get boarding passes printed. Once there, however, the two agents pulled up the flight again on their computer and said it was now canceled. We were on a tight schedule, so I asked when the next flights would be and was told not until the next day. We decided we would take the train instead (we were ultimately going to Newcastle, but meeting up with a friend in Edinburgh and staying a day there), so we told them so and were told to keep our receipts and we would be reimbursed.
Fast forward three hours, and on the train to Newcastle, I received a text from BA apologizing for my flight being delayed. I looked up a flight tracker and sure enough, my flight was just delayed a little over two hours.
So now BA has completely screwed me. Because my flight wasn't actually canceled and I was just told so, I can't claim a refund through the original booker (American Airlines) or my travel insurance. I've been put in a position of she said they said with no proof. BA later sent an email apologizing for disruptions and offering compensation for receipts. I submitted a case with all my receipts of the train tickets, new hotel, etc and they denied it because my flight wasn't canceled, ignoring the fact that we were wrongly denied boarding. They also claim we weren't marked as a no-show, despite being hours away from the airport when our flight left.
Do I have any options? I'm furious that they found such a unique way to completely bone us. At the very least, let this be a lesson to get video or written proof if agents tell you ANYTHING.

Behind the larger moon of Nebo, the large hulking mass of ship named Glazier, was holding its geostationary orbit as the battle commenced below on the planet of Valhallah. Injured and inactive Marines, Sol Stellar Infantry, and Vaalorian Navy personnel walked the halls of the great ship, or were held in the Medical bay. Medical suites were filled to capacity and overflowing with casualties. Injured Vaalor and Humans were everywhere. Several Cariolinous could be found to be bandaged or missing bits or limbs. Blaine woke to the sound of a medical examination table beeping away in the background, and instantly regretted moving his head, which pounded like a bass drum. “OOooh, fuck! My head! What the fuck happ- UNJHH! Mmmff, fuck! That’s not good!” He said, looking down at his ribs which were bandaged and bloody. Looking around, he noticed he was alone, and so tried to heal himself. The flames ignited around his palms; and as he focused, a rib snapped back into place, almost rendering him unconscious. He cursed under his breath, and was about to try again, when Constance walked in. “Ahh! Captain! You’re awake! Good! Good… So, you’re not going to jump up and break my wrist so you can get back into the fight, are you? I must say, I’m no longer interested in trying to stop you. But, my sister is.” She said, looking him over. “What? Why would Glam want to stop me? She was all for getting away from the Aquila, when we were on our way here…” Blaine asked, puzzled. “She’s a mommy, now.” Constance said. “Oh.” Blaine croaked. “Are you sure you should be sitting up? You don’t sound too good. You do understand, you got lucky. You caught a round just as you came onto the shuttle, and therefore the others were able to slow the bleed long enough for you to make it aboard the Glazier. We were able to stabilize you with some donor blood, luckily enough. There’s two universal human donors on this craft right now, but there was three. Contingency Captain Richter was killed in action yesterday.” Constance said. Blaine groaned again. “Fuck. I’m gonna miss that asshole.” He said, a heavy weight seeming to slam into his heart. “You knew the Contingency Captain well, I assume?” Constance said, trying to gauge his mental state. “We were in a lot of situations together. We used to refer to him as ‘the human earthquake’. He was a demolitions specialist, Ms. Helsbane.” Blaine said. “How many made it out of Zubrim?” “Well, thanks to your quick efforts, Zubrim was lost without many casualties. We expected more. Twelve Sihn Rifles and all of Zubrim Air Defense made it out. General Sihn is alive and well, and you even saved two Seals. Marconia Traviar, and Ah’lahn Capia, both Seals of their own respective SkyKnight contingents. Here… you read the report. I expect you’re not going anywhere for a few days…” Constance said, and handed him a qwikslate. “Your translator is working flawlessly, Constance. Thought I’d say…” Blaine said, as he accepted the qwikslate. “The translator is off. I spent the last three months learning English. How am I doing?” Constance said, smiling expectantly. “Really freaking good! That’s really impressive! Three months?!” Blaine said, astonished. “I’ve always been a fast learner.” Constance mused, happily. “That’s good…” Blaine said, distracted by the qwikslate. “I’ll… um… Leave you to it, then?” Constance said, and walked out, not waiting for an answer. “Yeah…” Blaine said, not paying attention. He tapped the qwikslate screen, and looked at the HUDvid recordings for Zubrim, and Operation Black Watch. He played through several recordings, taking in separate angles of the battle, trying to recreate a 3-d picture in his mind of the chaos. He rewatched his HUDvid, and realized what had really happened. As he’d run from the crash site to the Fort, he’d unknowingly passed within a hundred yards of the Mahl front lines. They had seen him, but he’d been too busy with trying to reach the Fort to notice. His HUDvid had recorded their positions, however. Five rows of at least a hundred Mahl warriors, had watched him limp passed, within a mere twenty yards of them. They hadn’t reacted, or broken cover at all. But, they had obviously taken notice of him if his HUDvid was to be believed. Blaine realized then, that these were no ordinary Mahl. These were well trained and disciplined warfighters, and they were leagues apart from the Mahl that had attacked Sol, in both space and capability. They were well armed, with plasma rifles and several recognizable firearms in their midst. Some of them, American made. Blaine saw the rifles from his homeland, and felt a pang of guilt and hatred in the same moment. He found new drive in that moment, and reignited the blue flames, trying again to fix his shredded insides. He felt things twist and knit, and a feeling of intense nausea welled up within him. Finally, he could handle the nausea no more, and he extinguished the flames and promptly vomited bile. Laying back against the bed, he felt his mind wander, and fell unconscious again. Sometime during his slumber, Constance came back in to check his bandages, and almost lost her mind when she saw the healed wounds. She remained silent, but quickly left and returned with Captain Krinski, and Glam. They waited in the medical suite until he woke up. “Mmmuh, Mornin’ Cap’n. What’s up?” Blaine said, coming around groggily. “I muzt know… how? Jhoo are healedt! Just jyesterday, jhoo ver on Deat’s doorshtep! How are jhoo alife?” Anastasia said. “Uhh…” Blaine said, hesitantly. “Look, I don’t care if whatever you did was illegal. We have a lot of injured who could benefit from the technology.” Constance said, eagerly. “Uhh… It’s… not technology?” Blaine said, hesitant still. “Then what is it?” Constance begged. “I need to know! There are people who need this, desperately!” “Spirit Fire.” Blaine said, looking at Glam. “Like, what happened to Fern when he died?” Glam said, curious. “Kinda. Spirit Fire cannot be wielded by the dead. But, the dead are the source. It is the power to heal, or destroy by fire. And it’s extremely rare. My great grandad could barely do what I can, and it’s got serious side effects…” Blaine said. “How does it work?” Constance said, desperately still trying to bottle it for later use. “The Ancestors choose an individual to heal others, by the energies of the Ancestral Eather, through the conduit of the chosen individual. Depending on the physical strength of the individual( I presume), the power can be super-strong, or mild. The energies are specific to the one being healed and the virtuosity of the act. What’s more, the energies can cause women to become fatally attracted to the individual if it’s a man, and vice versa. Also, healing oneself can be a horrible experience, let me tell you!” Blaine said at length. “Now, promise me on pain of death, that you’re never going to tell anyone. I’m serious!” He added, with a glare. “Y-yes! Of course!” Constance said, taken aback. “I don’t belief jhoo, Captink. Show meh. Or, I vill hafv jhoo trown in shainz, for lyink tooh jyur feddow vorfighterz!” Anastasia said, snarling slightly. “Captain, I believe him-” Glam said, trying to intervene before things went awry. “VELL, I DON’T! Andt ziss is shtill mine craft! VHAT DO I HAFV TOOH SAY OR DO, TOOH MAKE ZHAT CLEAR, CAPTINK?!” Anastasia roared. Three Brasscar stepped into the doorway, all sporting tasers, at that moment. “Uhm… This is going to get a hell of a lot more complicated the more people you involve, Captain. By the very nature of what they might see or experience! You do understand that if I am telling you the truth(which I really am), that you cannot keep it a secret with so many involved, right?” Blaine replied. “Corrinda, Please brink zeh Corporal in? I’m churr Captink Preiss vill not argue againsht healink hiz own crroo…” Anastasia said to one of the Brasscar. “Yes, Ma’am. “ Collinda said, and went to retrieve the aformentioned individual. “It doesn’t matter, then, if you end up getting me killed. Fine… So beit.” Blaine sighed, and sat up. At the same moment, Collinda walked back in carrying a very gravely injured Japfey on a stretcher, aided by yet another Brasscar. Blaine stood up and walked unsteadily to where the two Brasscar held the stretcher between them. “Corporal… You can’t tell anyone, clear?” Blaine said, as Corporal Japfey looked up at him with a wan smile and a distant stare. “Sure, Cap! I’ma butterfly!” Japfey said, his eyes crossing slightly. “And I’m a lepidopterist.” Blaine chuckled. He focused on the blue fire, and heard seven separate gasps as everyone collectively drew a deep breath of astonishment. Japfey shook his head, and looked around him. “Cap? The fuck, Sir? What’s going on?” “I’ll let you read the report and watch your HUDvid, Corporal. After which, you will speak of it to nobody. Is that clear?” Blaine repeated. “Y-yessir! I’m just slightly confused- how did I get here, and how did you get better? I watched your drop, remember?” Japfey said, stunned. “Watch the HUDvids, Japfey.” Blaine said, wearily. “Satisfied, Captain Krinski?” “I’m… Yah, Captink. I ahm satisfiedt. Jhoo may leave unhinderdt, andt ooll here are svorn tooh secretsee, jah.” Anastasia said, still in shock. “But-” Constance began. “No… C’mon, Sis. There’s other ways.” Glam said, realizing that what Blaine had been saying about his life being in jeopardy wasn’t just idle chat. Glam guided Constance out, who was still struggling to keep Blaine in her sight. “But, Glamrica! He could… Stop, dammit! I can walk on my own, girl!” Constance protested. “Then DO SO! The Captain needs to leave, and get some rest on his own ship, for HIS safety!” Glam snapped at her, shoving her out of the room. “Jess… for jyur safety, Captink… Please return tooh zeh Aquila.” Anastasia said, suddenly realizing the implications as well. “Yess’m. Are any others of my crew on board, Captain Krinski?” Blaine asked, as an afterthought. “Jess. Narah Sihn arrived ziss mornink. She’s vell, just berry scaredt. Her Fadder didn’t make it tooh zeh Imperial Palace, and zerr is no vord on his veraboutz…” Anastasia said. “Vy? Vhat is zoh important about zhat?” She added as Blaine made a beeline for the door. “James.” Blaine said, walking out. He searched the Medical suites first, finding them full of injured personnel. His heart ached to help them, but he knew the cost was too high to do so. Moving quickly, he found Narah staring blankly at a wall in the second to last Medical suite on that wing of the bay. He touched her gently on the shoulder, and smiled when she turned to look at him. Narah jumped up and wrapped him in a hug, so quickly it startled him. She held him like a vise, and started to cry silently. Then, stepping back from him and letting go reluctantly, she voiced her desperate fears. “He’s missing, and nobody knows what happened! One minute they were flying along, and the next they just disappeared off of the comlsink and tracking scopes! Nobody has heard a single thing from them since, and no demands from any would-be kidnappers! It’s like they just…” Narah stumbled through, and sniffled. “Disappeared. I understand. Get me a suit, and a dropzone.” Blaine said, his eyes flashing reddish behind the normal soft brown. Narah didn’t argue, nor did she wait for confirmation of what she thought she’d just heard. Without a second’s breath, she was running full-out for the shuttle bay, and skidded to a halt at the S.U, Aquila, before smashing the code into the doorway keypad. She grabbed his rifle, a fresh Seraphim suit, and his sabre, before stopping momentarily to stare at the particle beam cannon on the floor. She shook her head, looked at it again, and then shook her head again, before rushing back out the door and barely stopping to close it again. Again, she tore off towards the Medical suite she had just left, and found Blaine staring at the same wall she had just been. “Uhh, Baby? I.. I’m not sure this is smart. I just… Maybe we should bring Rosey.” She said, looking at his feet, shamefully. “Maybe. Let’s not until we know. Where is Lisa, or Jupiter?” Blaine said. “Lisa is on board, with Hector. They should be in the Galley, right now.” She said. “Nav Officer Renhardt… She’s MIA, too!” “What? Wasn’t she flying the shuttle that brought me?” Blaine said, suddenly questioning just how long he’d been asleep. “Yeah, silly.. She… She went out after James and Daddy went missing, to try and find them. She’s a great pilot, but I don’t think she’s really qualified as a Spacejumper.” Narah said, hesitantly. “Can you take these? They’re getting heavy.” “Sorry.” Blaine said, taking the suit. “Then I'm going to need the Ortiz clan. Monster is always good to have in a fight. And Lisa can fly the shuttle and shoot, so we’re good for now.” “I’ll send her a.. Text?” Narah said, looking at him with a puzzled expression. “Yeah, a text would be a great idea.” Blaine confirmed, missing her query but answering it all the same. Narah stood in a corner with a qwikslate, typing like mad, while Blaine suited up minus the jetpack. This he carried with his rifle in one hand, and the sword in the other. Narah looked up from her qwikslate as he finished, and nodded. “Good. Let’s go shoot this goose, babe! I has a lot o’ questions what need answers.” Blaine said. Narah let out a short cackle, and smiled. “Yeah. Let’s shoot the goose! What’s a goose?” “Not important. C’mon…” Blaine said, putting an arm around her and guiding her towards the door. “Just what do you think you are doing, Captain?” Brashi’i said, standing in the doorway. “Where the absolute fuck did you appear from, and how do you guys keep doing that?! You and Jupiter both! And you, Narah! Just all of a sudden, Pop-goes-the-weasel, and you’re in my face!” Blaine said, finally letting vent to something that had been frustrating him for several weeks. “You really don’t know how well that neuro-link device works, do you? It literally retrained our bodies to walk much more quietly, after we took turns running through one of your sims. What do you think I was doing, when I was in the sim?” Brashi’i waved him off. “Well.. then you’re going to love learning this next trick… Love you!” Blaine kissed her on the cheek and Brashi’i promptly fell unconscious. “What was that? What did you just do to her?!” Narah squeaked, looking at the crumpled heap of woman on the floor. “Quickly, quickly… she’s not gonna be out for long…!” Blaine bustled her out the door. “But-” Narah said. “Goooo!” Blaine chided her. “It’s ‘the kiss of bliss’... a Martial arts technique I learned when I was a kid. She’s going to wake up in a few seconds!” “Fine! But don’t you ever-” Narah said, as he hustled her towards the Galley. “Shh! Hi! Yep! Just a human… Nothing to see here…” Blaine said, pushing her on, as people turned and stared at them. “Blaine… I’m not joking.” Narah said, stopping right in front of the Galley. “Neither am- OOF!” Blaine started to say, only to be lifted bodily from the floor by a hefty punch to his ribs. “What the fuck, you asshole! You just fucking punched a commanding officer in the chin, you human pile of gutless crap!” Brashi’i screamed from behind him as he collapsed. “dammit… Hi, Baby!” Blaine said, smiling through the pain. “Don’t you ‘Hi Baby’ me, you slippery fuck! Or I’ll punch something you can’t heal!” Brashi’i spat, turning blue as her rage welled within her. “Huuhhh…. GASP- I didn’t punch you… mmmnnngh… I pushed a vertebrae out of place, rendering you instantly unconscioussss… fuck! Why the ribs? Why always the ribs?!” Blaine said through tears and intense burning in his lungs, rolling slightly back and forth on the floor. “Whatever you did, IT FUCKING HURTS! You really thought I’d just let you walk out, no whatever and not a by-your-leave? You must be fucking crazy!” Brashi’i screamed, her fists still curled into tight balls and her face the image of twisted fury. “Yes. Precisely. Because, in fact, sweety… grunt… Enough time has already been wasted with being down. Which is why I’m not stopping, for fuck-all.” Blaine said, standing back up, still clenching his ribs. “And I’ll do it again, if you’re gonna try an’ stop me, Brash…” “Stop you? I just wanted to know what you were doing! Narah is on suicide watch until her father is located and retrieved. Or did you not know?” Brashi’i said, still snarling at him with intense venom. “Why would she want to kill herself? We’re literally going to get him?!” Blaine blurted out through the throbbing of his bruised ribs. “Why not say that, you stubborn fool! Why just knock me out, and run?” Brashi’i said, still breathing heavily. “Because..” Blaine wheezed, “I don’t have time for all of this crap!” “What the fuck is five more minutes gonna cost you?” Brashi’i spat. “Maybe my sister’s life, Brash. So, one more time… Get the ever loving fuck, out of my way!” Blaine said, finally catching his breath. Brashi’i said nothing, but stepped aside symbolically, using one hand to gesture forwards passed her. “Thank you! For Chrissake…” Blaine said loudly, and turned around to find Lisa and Hector staring at him, in utter amazement. “When and where, Caballero?” Lisa asked, seeing he was in no mood for small-talk. “Now. Shuttle.” Blaine said, nodding at Hector. Hector smiled and winked back. “On it, Cap!” Hector said, and dragged Lisa towards the shuttle bay. “Anything else, or can we go?” Blaine said, looking around at the crowd that was gathering to watch. With a lot of muttering and sheepish looks, people stepped back and made a thoroughfare for them, towards the shuttle bay. Blaine sighed, grabbed up his equipment, and walked the shame mile. Narah quickly caught up to him, and took his jetpack to carry for him. Blaine was grateful for the relief of pressure on his aching ribs. A shout sounded behind them, as Brashi’i vented her anger and strode into the Galley. “You ok? I heard the thump off that hit!” Narah said, trying to comfort him. “I’ll be fine! She used the wrong hand- probably the reason for the scream. Remind me to fix that for her if we make it back?” Blaine said, jokingly. “Yeah, right after I break my fist on her mouth.” Narah said, giggling. Blaine chuckled. “Damn, bloodthirsty, aren’t we?!” “Well, she did just try to stop us from getting my Dad. Thanks for not taking no for an answer, by the way…” Narah said, smiling at him. “I wouldn’t have, anyways. You know how I feel about our family… Now, imagine that I’ve felt that strongly about my sisters since we were little. You had nothing to fear… I was going with or without her permission.” Blaine said, and increased his pace. “So, this isn’t about my Dad?” Narah said, crestfallen. “I didn’t say that. I said that I have more than just him as personal investment, in this situation.” Blaine said. “Good save.” Narah said, smiling again. They walked onto the shuttle, and sat down, as Lisa negotiated their departure. This was made more complicated by the fact that they didn’t have any official orders or flightplan. Lisa finally got them clearance, by threatening diplomatic tensions between Humans and Vaalor. She turned off the comslink, and spoke solely to the four present. “We are flying into a shitstorm, with no backup, I’m pretty sure. Since that’s the case, I need to know, Cap- how much is this worth to you?” Lisa asked. Hector rolled his eyes, but stayed silent. “I’d shoot the President, to make it happen.” Blaine deadpanned. “My resolve knows no end.” “Ok… That’s good enough for me! Hang on… We’re in for a ride!” Lisa said, and dove for atmosphere. The walls of the shuttle began to heat up and glow, as they dropped through the atmosphere. Blaine felt as the shuttle began to shake from the buffeting, and Lisa pulled up on the yoke. “RRRrrr-you-son-of-a-bitch! Rah! Come about!” she grunted, as she pulled. The shuttle slowed, and started to become more aerodynamic. Lisa cruised to the coordinates that Narah gave her, and they came to a hover at 1500 feet. “We’re here…” Lisa said, and set the hover function to auto and stood up, stretching. Blaine stood up, and readied his rifle. Opening the door, he was met with a faceful of wind, and nearly sucked from the craft. He looked around at Lisa, with a smirk, and engaged his suit’s magnetic system. Looking back out the door, he asked, “You sure this is it? We’re a thousand feet up, at least!”
Lisa looked at him, and shook her head. “I can’t hear you!” “Helmets!” Blaine shouted, donning his. The rest of them pulled on their helmets, and the silence was shocking to behold. Everyone started talking at once. “We’re in the right area, right?” Blaine said. “Whoa, so quiet!” Narah said. “Middle of the fucking air! Narah!” Lisa shouted, crossing her arms. “God, thank you! I fucking hate HALO jumps!” Hector sighed. Unfortunately, all that was heard, was a cacophony of insane noise. “What?” everyone said at exactly the same time, which had the strange effect of sounding like a Beachfront quartet. This had the women giggling, and the men chuckling too! “Ok.. so… Are you sure this is the spot, Narah?” Blaine asked, as he got his mirth under control. “Yep. This is the marker from the computer. I didn’t change anything. We’re exactly where their beacon was last, before it disappeared. Lisa, spin us around slowly. Let’s get a good view of how this place looks.” Narah said, nodding. Lisa did as she was told, and sat back down in the pilot's seat. She disengaged the hover function, and started to rotate the craft. This caused the shuttle to slide forwards slightly, and suddenly the scenery changed. Instead of a windswept 1500 foot altitude without a bottom, they were a mere 50 feet up and maneuvering between trees in a tropical forest. “OH SHIT!” Lisa cursed, and quickly brought the yoke up as high as she could pull it without dislodging it. The shuttle shot straight up, and soon they were hovering over the top of the Amazon Rainforest on Earth, according to their instruments. More specifically, somewhere outside of Anza De Esparanza, Brazil. “What the… fack?” Blaine said, as a brightly colored Scarlet Macaw landed on the shuttle deck, and squawked at him. “Huh? Am I missing something?” Narah said. “Lisa, take us back! I need to check something!” Blaine said, a sudden realization dawning upon him. “Ohh, kay?” Lisa said, and hesitantly set the shuttle back towards its previously known position. They slowly maneuvered back through the trees, and then suddenly they were on Valhallah, again. Blaine smiled and shouted for joy, realizing the implications. “You wanna fill us in on what just happened, there? Or, should we just guess?” Lisa asked Blaine as Narah’s eyes got wide as saucers. “A laminar wormhole! A literal fucking laminar wormhole! BETWEEN EARTH AND VALHALLAH!” Blaine said, his face wreathed in smiles behind his visor. “Are you saying-” Lisa said, slowly catching on. “THAT THE LEGENDS ARE ALL REAL! THEY’RE HISTORY!” Blaine said, closing the door and smiling like a madman. “So, Thor, Meremere, and all that?” Lisa said, suddenly looking stunned. “Yeah, Thor, Moljnir, and all that!" Blaine confirmed. “So, if it’s a laminar wormhole, where is James, and where’s my Dad? Narah said, bringing everyone back to the reality before them. “They should be on one side, or the other. Your guess is as good as mine as to where. However, what’s bothering me, is why didn’t they just fly back through? James would have turned back!” Blaine said, at a loss for answers. “Just like you did. So.. Lisa? Take us back through, but keep the shuttle at 3000 feet, so that we can have time to deploy our wings.” Narah said, before sitting back down. “What’s on your mind, hun?” Blaine said, sitting down next to her. “Recon.” Narah said, stone faced. “Right. Well, where we came through at, I’m sure we hit a tree the first time. Perhaps we should start at the base?” Blaine suggested. “Good idea. Lisa, change of plans… I want you to get us as close to that tree we hit coming in, without landing right at its base, I want to make landfall.” Narah said. Lisa looked at Blaine. “What, you want permission?” Blaine said, smiling garishly at her. “Right. Back through. Don’t mind me if I change my pants afterwards! You SA’s are crasee!” Lisa said, and flew the shuttle back through the wormhole. “There’s a clearing over there… I’m gonna put down there.” “Ok, gear up, expect predators!” Blaine said, belting on his sword and grabbing his rifle. “What kinds?” Narah said. “Snakes, spiders, Caiman, Crocodiles, Jaguar, Ocelot, and Puma, to name a few. Big cats, and venomous snakes. Spiders as big as a dinner plate.” Blaine said. “I hate spiders, homie!” Hector said, staring at Blaine and turning pale as a sheet. “I fuckin’ hate ‘em!” “Then, keep your eyes peeled, don’t walk through any webs, and don’t panic if you see one. They’ll only chase you if you run.” Blaine assured him. “Ok… I’m good… Ok…” Hector said, nodding and psyching himself up. “Good. Don’t touch flowers. No matter how pretty.” He said, looking from Narah to Lisa. “Why?” Narah asked. “We’re in the rainforest. Everything here is trying to kill and eat something else. Nothing is safe. Even things that might seem so.” Blaine said, seriously. “Ok… So, what should we eat if we’re here for a while?” Narah said, being sensible about her questions. “Only what I hand you. Don’t eat or touch anything else, especially if it’s brightly colored.” Blaine warned her. “Why?” Narah asked. Blaine looked skywards for patience. Lisa came to his rescue. “Everyone knows bright colors mean venom or poison. Especially in the rainforest. With rare exception.” “Oh. You know, that’s not the case on Valhallah. Or my planet.” Narah said. “That’s why I asked.” “What’s your planet like, Narah?” Blaine said, trying to distract from the hike they were now embarking on. “Crazy enough, it’s a lot like yours. Just, venomous plants and animals are usually also trying to hide, whether predator or prey. Reds are normal. Yellows and greens, too. Most of the brightly colored plants only become so when fruiting. And most are not toxic. It takes an expert eye to be able to discern… What are you doing! You said not to eat anything brightly colored!” Narah suddenly shrieked, as Blaine peeled a banana. “Yes. I did. I also said don’t eat anything that I don’t give you. This, is a fruit known as a banana. It’s actually edible. Just, be careful when you pick them. See?” Blaine pointed to a large spider crawling across a banana leaf. “I’ll have to keep that in mind…” Narah said, as she stared at the slowly moving spider. “What’s that?” “One of the most deadly spiders known to mankind. Its bite would probably be harmless to you, but to us, it’s a very excruciating way to die, and very embarrassing as well. Basically….” Blaine said, before whispering in her ear. “Oh! That’s… both horrible and strangely … it kinda turns me on!” Narah said, smiling. “It’s not as nice as you think. It’d be like popping a bean, and never being able to rub it relaxed again, until you finally die from a heart attack. Us humans are naturally afraid of spiders, because of spiders like that.” Blaine said at length. “Yeah, sounds a lot worse when you say it like that.” Narah said, frowning. “Hey! That’s Archangel armor!” Blaine was suddenly right next to her, peering through the woods towards where she was pointing. A single scale stuck from a tree branch. Blaine looked down, and around the area across the ground. A large four-clawed bipedal print, told Blaine the worst was to fear. “Mahl.” Blaine said, as Lisa followed his gaze. “Oh, Christ!” Lisa said, terrified. “I thought they didn’t land on Earth?” “They didn’t, or these woods would be crawling with Brazilian and UN forces. No, this is a loner.” Blaine said, looking at the trail they left behind. “I’ll tell you this… James is being smart. She’s obviously being dragged. Your father is walking… With a limp, but walking.” He said, pointing to the trail leading from the tree through the underbrush. “How’s she being smart? She’s letting herself be dragged off by that brute! Why not just rip his arms off and beat him with them? She obviously can…” Narah pouted. “Precisely! She’s not! Which means there’s a good reason. Either she feels bested, or there’s a larger game afoot!” Blaine said, gritting his teeth and causing a vein to pop in his temple. “So, what do we do?” Narah asked. “Follow. In dead silence.” Blaine said, looking at her severely. Narah nodded, and followed him. They walked for the rest of the day, silent and slow. Blaine stayed in the lead, following the trail ahead. The Mahl stopped a couple of times, each time for water. They came finally to a tree, where the trail dead ended at it’s base. Blaine waited for the rest to catch up, and then smiled at Narah. Narah scowled at him puzzled at why he’d seem so happy at losing the trail. “Look up.” Blaine said quietly, grinning at Narah and the other two. A deep guttural growling roar, issued from a ball of fur halfway up the tree, sporting two others who were wearing Seraphim suits. “Hi, bonehead! I’m Blaine. You’ve got something that belongs to me. How’s about you give them back, and I don’t … make a mess…” Blaine said cheerily, smiling and waving to the Mahl. “GRRrrr, WHY SHOULD I?!” The Mahl said in a deep voice, which almost matched his growl. “Because! I’m allowing you to keep your arms. That’s more than she will do.” Blaine said, pointing to James. James smiled, and twisted around, grabbing the Mahl by his arm. “Ready, Freddy?” She snarled. “James! Wait-” Mordecai said, terrified. The Mahl made as if to bite her head off, and James changed. Her hair stood on end, and her face twisted grotesque. The Mahl stopped momentarily, looking at the savagely frothing woman in his claws, and suddenly had second thoughts about thinking her a mere weakling. That, didn’t matter, however. James ripped the Mahl’s head off of his shoulders, and spat down the creature’s esophagus. Then, they all came crashing out of the tree. Landing hard, Mordecai groaned as he lay still. James landed catlike, and ripped the offending Mahl’s bodily remains to dreg shreds, with her bare hands. Then, she roared, and passed out face first into the loamy soil of the rainforest floor. Blaine ran to Mordecai’s side, and looked him over. The elderly man had a broken wrist, and a large gash across his brow. Furthermore, he was completely unconscious. Blaine wasted no time, the blue flames glowing brightly in the failing light. Narah was at his side before he had finished, and watched, with tears in her eyes. “What about James?” Narah said, looking at Blaine as he finished and extinguished the blue fire. “Well…” Blaine said, and squatted next to her. He opened her eye, and checked the reactivity. He then became visibly worried. James wasn’t reactive at all. It was like her mind was empty. Like her soul had left her body. Blaine whimpered, as he held her hand to his lips. He looked around, like a scared child, and then closed his eyes. Blue light lit up the undergrowth, and blinded Lisa and Hector as they slowly walked closer. “SOB… GASP! Not yet, kiddo! Not yet!” Blaine’s voice could be heard from within the giant blue-white halo. “Please!” “Uhhn… Bean? Wha? OH! Fuck…” James’ voice could be heard saying. The light subsided and left Narah, Lisa, and Hector blinking furiously and rubbing their eyes. Blaine could be heard crying, as he hunched over, but nobody could see well enough to understand why for several minutes more. Then James slowly rolled over and stood up, weakly. “Bean… It’s ok… C’mon! We gotta go! It’s getting dark again!” She said, panic rising in her voice. “I…I-I thought… Yeah. Let’s go….” Blaine said, tears rolling down his cheeks. They ran flat out, for several minutes, before Blaine shouted at them. “STOP! We need to set camp! Don’t run in the woods at night!” “Scrape a clearing! I’ll get some firewood, and you, go get a bunch of banana leaves. You do know what those are, right Narah?” James said, helping as much as she could. “Yeah, I know what they are. I’ll be right back.” Narah said, and disappeared into the undergrowth. “Uhm.. Cap?... Do monkey’s eyes glow?” Hector said, as he stared into the gathering night. “No. Why, Monster? Find a monster?” Blaine said, and chuckled at his joke. “Nah, for reals, Cap! Look!” Hector said, pointing at two reddish orange orbs in the undergrowth. “Whoa! Hector! You found our monster, alright! It’s the apparatus that is creating the wormhole!” Blaine said, noticing where they were. “See? There’s the broken tree we hit earlier, Narah… Narah? Sweety?” Blaine looked around, worried. Then, he heard a muffled squeak which sounded oddly familiar. “I’m comin’ hun!” Blaine bellowed, and tore off through the cycads and the bromeliads. He found her being wrapped up by a massive anaconda, and drew his sword. Swinging deftly, he struck the creature clear to its spine with a fatal blow, directly behind the snake’s skull. He then roared mightily, as he peeled the massive jaws from Narah’s shoulder. Sobbing in terror and desperation of breath, Narah wriggled free of the snake’s coils, and slithered her way back several feet from it, wiping her skin like she was covered in some slimy sludge. Her heart raced, and she sobbed harder as she stared in terror at the thing that had just held her in its coils and tried to crush the life out of her. James ran up, and realized what had happened. She walked over to Narah and sweetly said to her as she helped her stand, “I’m so sorry! Come on! Let’s get you away from here!” The two quickly walked back to camp, James taking the chance to see to Narah’s wounds. Blaine sliced a huge chunk off of the snake, and carried it back to the fire he’d been starting just previously. Building up a pile of wood, he concentrated on the crimson and gold flames, and then the pile leaped to life with flames flickering merrily. The smell of cooking flesh, mixed with the day’s happenings, drew the six individuals to partake without argument or aplomb. Smiles were in short supply, but were certainly easier to manage with meat to fill their bellies. Narah was still clammy, and therefore wouldn’t let anyone touch her. Blaine made a joke about who would have died first, the snake or Narah, and Narah smiled at his attempt to cheer her up. “Maybe we should just sleep in the shuttle.” Blaine suggested. Nobody argued the logic, and so around an hour later, they were all back inside of the shuttle. They fell asleep, unaware of the several sets of beady little black eyes that watched them from the topiary level of the forest. Mahl clung to trees all around the clearing, hanging upside down from the vines and Burna trees. They didn’t make a sound, and simply watched until morning light, before disappearing into the jungle treetops, silent as a wraith. —----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brashi’i sat with her thoughts, mulling over her feelings on the previous day's activity, and wondering about the man she’d let go. Had he left and simply decided to not come back? Or, was there another, more sinister reason for his absence? She sipped her strong drink, and sighed to herself. If he was gone, then he would move heaven and earth, to come back to them. That much, she was certain of. A voice like a thunderstorm, pulled her from her revelry. “Vhat troubles jhoo, Madam Zeal? “ Anastasia said, as she sat down next to Brashi’i. “Nothing, Anastasia. I’m fine.” Brashi’i replied, haggardly. “I’m just worried about my crew.” “Vee hafv naht oolvays seen eye tooh eye, Brashi’i. Zhat does naht mean zhat I do naht vorry, tooh. I hafv mine own reasons, tooh vhant Captink Preiss tooh return unharmedt, jah?” Anastasia said, winking at the bartender. “I understand. Still, I’d rather not talk about it, kay?” Brashi’i said, delicately. “Zhat is fine. I vos only tryink tooh be friendly, Madam Zeal.” Anastasia said, accepting her drink from the slightly surly bartender. “Tank jhoo, Frankie.” “I have no idea what happened to them, where they went, or how to get them back. They vanished in the same place exactly, as Ensign Price and the General.” Brashi’i muttered, as a patron walked passed them. “Jyur man…. Zeh Captink… He is naht a childt. He vill be fine. Jhoo vill see!” Anastasia reassured her. “I know… It still doesn’t make it easier. Enjoy your drink, Captain. Good night.” Brashi’i said, downing the rest of her drink and leaving.

Hey folks,
I am a male grad student moving to Irvine for work. I am searching for housing near csuf.
Move in: Mid July (Flexible with early move in) Room: Either Private or Shared (Prefer a private room)
I tried Facebook and other websites but nthg actually helped. Reaching out for your help.
Any information is greatly appreciated.

Looking for a hotel in LA that is either close enough to walk or close to a shuttle/bus to the HB. I’ll be solo, staying 1-2 nights and no car. Hoping for something under $400/night? Thank you for your response. Cheers.

Hi, I am a transfer student (F) and got accepted to a bunch of UCs for the same major— Political Science. However, my dream was UCLA but I got waitlisted. Now, I am stuck between UCI and UCSD (Eleanor Roosevelt College). I need to make a decision by JUNE 1ST!!!
I live in Irvine, so it would be cheaper to go there. Plus, I can commute. But, I am down for a change and saw that UCSD ranks 8th in the nation for poli sci, which is amazing. If I go there, I would be staying with some friends, so I would not dorm. I am stuck between the two because they do seem similar. I don't care much about the party life but I do care about diversity and how approachable people are, and it seems that UCSD is much better at this than UCI. I am leaning towards UCSD, but do not want to make the wrong decision and hear people's experiences. I just want to know if one is better than the other based on the Political Science program, and if I will have more opportunities at one university compared to the other.
My goals for the future consist of going to law school and becoming a lawyer, which might play a role in which university would be a better pick. Please help me choose and list some pros and cons of each school!! Do you regret picking UCI/UCSD? Thanks!!
TLDR; Got accepted to UCI and UCSD (Eleanor Roosevelt College) for Political Science major, which one is a better pick?

Hi, I am a transfer student (F) and got accepted to a bunch of UCs for the same major— Political Science. However, my dream was UCLA but I got waitlisted. Now, I am stuck between UCI and UCSD (Eleanor Roosevelt College). I need to make a decision by JUNE 1ST!!!
I live in Irvine, so it would be cheaper to go there. Plus, I can commute. But, I am down for a change and saw that UCSD ranks 8th in the nation for poli sci, which is amazing. If I go there, I would be staying with some friends, so I would not dorm. I am stuck between the two because they do seem similar. I don't care much about the party life but I do care about diversity and how approachable people are, and it seems that UCSD is much better at this than UCI. I am leaning towards UCSD, but do not want to make the wrong decision and hear people's experiences. I just want to know if one is better than the other based on the Political Science program, and if I will have more opportunities at one university compared to the other.
My goals for the future consist of going to law school and becoming a lawyer, which might play a role in which university would be a better pick. Please help me choose and list some pros and cons of each school!! Do you regret picking UCI/UCSD? Thanks!!
TLDR; Got accepted to UCI and UCSD (Eleanor Roosevelt College) for Political Science major, which one is a better pick?

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(original story but also a promt I'd love to see other people expand on as well)
Wind howled past the cave opening, and Vr’ocria cursed the cold air for the hundredth time that day. “Volunteer for the away team,” Galek had said. “It’s a great experience,” he said. “You’ll love it,” he said.
Vr’ocria swore she would throw her nestmate right out the airlock the moment they got back.
It was supposed to be a simple survey mission, only lasting a few hours and with only two members on the team.The moon they’d landed on was rich with vegetation and wildlife, but also–as they’d discovered too late–suffered frequent and terrible storms due to a sudden shift in seasons. The two of them ended up having to take shelter in a cave and were pretty much stuck until their shuttle came back for them. Which should have been several hours ago–except that they received word from the shuttle that there was a delay due to an engine malfunction, and that they weren’t expected to be back for them until the next morning.
Vr’ocria was utterly miserable.
“Hey you,” a voice said from over her shoulder, and she was startled when something heavy–and warm-- fell across her back. She turned to look.
“Human Aldrick?”
Human Aldrick laughed. “I told you, just call me Aldrick.”
Vr’ocria reached up to touch the fabric draped over her. “Is this your coat?”
He shrugged. “You seem to need it more than me. I come from a cold climate, I’m pretty used to this.”
Vr’ocria’s scales flushed purple and she tugged the coat closer around her. For the warmth, of course, and not to hide the flush. “Thank you, Hu– erm, Aldrick.”
“You’re welcome.” He sat down across from her, on the other side of the fire. The fire still freaked her out a bit–her people rarely, if ever, used open flame–but she cherished its heat. She had Aldrick to thank for that, too.
Honestly, if it weren’t for Aldrick, she probably would have withered away in misery hours ago. She wasn’t accustomed to such storms, but according to Aldrick, they were fairly common back on Earth. It was thanks to him that they were able to find shelter in the first place, and he was the one to build them a fire and collected edible herbs and roots to supplement their rations–in the off chance they were here even longer.
Vr’ocria shuddered at the thought.
“Are you alright? Still too cold?”
Vr’ocria snapped out of her thoughts. Aldrick’s head was tilted, eyes filled with concern.
She shrugged. “I’m alright. I just can’t wait to get back to the ship.” She sighed. “I miss my stasis chamber.”
Aldrick groaned in agreement. “I’m not excited about sleeping on a stone floor.”
Vr’ocria paused. “Sleep?” The word felt foreign on her tongue.
“Humans sleep, we don’t enter stasis. We can’t rest standing up like you do,” he explained. “Sleep for us is different–when you enter stasis, you’re still sort of aware of your surroundings, right?”
Vr’ocria nodded.
“See, for us, we’re fully unconscious. When I’m asleep, I can’t see or hear anything, unless it’s loud enough to wake me up. And because we’re unconscious, our bodies go completely limp.” He shifted where he sat. “I mean, sometimes we move around a bit when we sleep, like rolling over or something. But because we go so limp, we can’t stand up. Sometimes we can sleep sitting down, but really we have to be lying down.”
Vr’ocria frowned. “But if you’re unconscious, then how will you know if there’s danger?”
Aldrick gave a wan smile. “We don’t.”
She stared. “But…”
“Sleeping is a very vulnerable position.”
Vr’ocria was starting to realize how little she knew about humans. She’d always been told how dangerous they were, how resilient and fearless. She’d always somehow thought that humans barely needed rest at all. But here she was, realizing that when night fell, her crewmate would be in the most vulnerable position a human could be in.
She drew her shoulders up, her scales rippling. “I will protect you,” she declared.
Aldrick blinked, and his cheeks turned–pink? Was that normal for humans?
Who was Vr’ocria kidding, she didn’t know.
“Thank you,” he said quietly.
That night, Aldrick curled up at the back of the cave.
Curled up!
He reminded Vr’ocria of her little rillard she’d had as a pet when she was a hatchling. Her scales were bright purple now. Thank the planets Aldrick’s eyes were closed. She forced herself to turn around and face the cave entrance before entering stasis.
She couldn’t protect him if she was busy staring at him.
Vr’ocria was beyond relieved when the shuttle arrived the next morning. She and Aldrick boarded eagerly, and the shuttle took them to a space station to await their ship.
Upon arriving at the station, they were assigned temporary living quarters.
“Normally we would put the two of you in separate rooms, but everything is full right now,” the attendant said briskly. “I trust you don’t mind sharing for a few cycles?”
Vr’ocria’s scales rippled nervously, but Aldrick replied before she could say anything. “As long as there’s a bed for me and a stasis chamber for her, I don’t care,” he said.
Vr’ocria was sure her scales were permanently stained purple.
She trailed behind them as the attendant led them to their quarters. “What’s a bed?” she asked.
Aldrick smiled. “It’s where humans usually sleep. You’ll see when we get there.”
The room they were given turned out to be small, but not terribly so. There was a stasis chamber in the corner and some kind of large, rectangular thing draped with what looked like multiple different kinds of fabrics.
Aldrick darted to the rectangle and threw himself face down upon it with a loud sigh, his legs splayed out as they hung off the side. The rectangle appeared to give under his weight, almost bouncing a bit.
“Is the room satisfactory?” The attendant asked.
“God, yes.” Aldrick’s voice was muffled from where he lay. The attendant left without another word.
“So…” Vr’ocria began, “is that a bed?”
Aldrick was in the process of kicking his shoes off. “Yep! Basically just a big squishy cushion with blankets and pillows.” He motioned to the two smaller cushions at the top end of the bed. “I slept like shit in that cave, so I’m exhausted and I’m going to sleep.”
Vr’ocria’s scales flushed their deepest purple yet when he pulled his shirt and uniform pants off. But Aldrick didn’t seem to notice, and simply pulled the upper layers of fabric back and crawled underneath. He curled on his side, resting his head on top of a pillow, one arm clutching the pillow underneath and the other hand pulling the top coverings to his chin.
Vr’ocria’s scales rippled and fluttered.
Why was that so blasted cute?
Humans are supposed to be scary. They’re dangerous, they’re nearly unkillable creatures! They should not be allowed to be cute!
She found herself creeping closer until she was standing over him. His eyes were closed, his breathing slowing. Was he already asleep?
She slowly reached out and tentatively brushed a strand of hair out of his face.
She nearly jumped out of her scales when Aldrick’s eyes opened to look up at her. His cheeks were pink again.
His lips curved in a smile. “Everything okay?”
“I–um. Well,” she stuttered, and cursed her clumsy tongue. “Just. Checking if you need anything else for your sleep?”
“Well, actually–” he raised his head to look towards the control panel, “if you don’t mind, could you dim the lights? Easier to sleep when it’s dark.”
“Of course.” Vr’ocria crossed the small room to the panel and turned the lights off. Only a tiny emergency light illuminated the bottom of the door now. She turned to face the door, standing between it and the bed, and stood still.
There was a pause, and then Aldrick’s voice came from across the room. “Are you entering stasis?”
“Yes.”
“But–Vr’ocria, you don’t have to do it right there. Use the stasis chamber in the corner.”
“I want to do it here.”
“Buy why?”
“To protect you.”
Silence filled the room.
“Vr’ocria–”
“I want to do it here,” she said firmly.
Silence again. Her insides knotted as she suddenly wondered if she’d offended him.
Then, finally–“Thank you, Vr’ocria.” Aldrick’s voice was softer than she’d ever heard it.
At least it was too dark to see her scales, for once.
Hours later, when she had finished stasis, Aldrick was still sleeping. She could hear his slow, deep breaths drifting through the darkness.
Leaving the lights off, she felt for her communicator in her pocket and addressed a message to her nestmate, Galek.
What do you know about human mating rituals?

Here is my idea for 3 realms. Heaven, Earth, and Overworld analogues. When the universe first began there were only a collections of spirits floating around. Over time these spirits coalesced into two spectrums. One one end were the spirits who believed that eternity should be spent on finding meaning through beauty and aesthetics. Pursuing knowledge and perfecting harmony. Then there were the spirits who believed that conflict and strife alone breath through the monotony of an eternal existence. That only through conquest can one hope to achieve anything. The third group of spirits either agreed with both, neither, or believed that eternity should just be spent enjoying it in its entirety.
The spirits ultimately agreed to split the universe up into their three respective domains. The spirits who kept their original form to maintain and shape the realm that is analogous to heaven would be called celestials. In Earth they would be called elementals. In Hell they would be called infernals.
The other spirits who wouldn't be needed to maintain the various realms would take on physical forms. In the realm known as heaven most of the spirits who took on physical form would be known as angels. A few of the most powerful spirits who took on physical form would be known as gods. In the realm known as Earth most spirits would become animals. Only a few of the most powerful spirits would become titans. In the realm known as Hell, most spirits would become demons. Only the most powerful would be dubbed Devils.
The nature and intent of the various spirits would influence the realms. The heavenly realm desired perfection and their realm and its denizens would burst with overflowing spiritual energy in a paradise of ever lasting energy. Hell sought glory so there realm would be a world dedicated solely for conflict where only the strong could thrive.
The spirits who made Earth only sought to continue their experiences and live. The power of the average animal pales in comparison to demons and devils. The Titans also make the smallest ratio of their realm, especially compared to Gods or Demons.
However, the fact that Earth was made with the intention of new experiences made it the most expansive and encompassing of all the realms. A epiphany the realms of Heaven and Hell would realize, after learning they are being absorbed into Earth. Earth would slowly but surely add Heaven and Hell to it to form a singular realm to encompass the entire universe. Heaven would be absorbed into a series of sky islands, continents, and archipelago, and Hell would be forced under Earth as a massive ever snaking Subterranean world.
The Gods and Devils would realize this and start investing in Earth early to exert control over it for the inevitable merger. They would until the battle and death of the Titans. The Titans would have a largely hands off approach until encourage and supported to rule through proxy by the other realms. However, the various denizens of Earth would get used to their lax approach and be outraged to have new overlords. The Dragons would be the greatest rebels as the strongest animals. A war between the Dragons and the Titans begin that leave the Titans diminished and the Dragons near extinct. The few remaining Titans decide that governing Earth is a folly and invite the various Devils and Gods to try for themselves.
The Gods and Devils try to build followings and power base on Earth, particularly the humans. The humans are the smartest race on Earth and the only one capable of forming the complex cults they wish for, especially after the near extinction of the Dragons even they come to fear. The relationships between Humans and the Deities are complex and that isn't to mention the relationship between Heaven and Hell. Ultimately Hell is beaten back and rejected by most of Earth in favor of Heaven. Heaven also started exerting control over Hell directly. Several Gods descend into Hell to take over vast swaths of it and take command of the Demons from Devils, beating them back and lowering their numbers. Eventually with the help of their angels, some humans, and a few demons the Devils are wiped out entirely. With the Gods as the prominent deities of Earth they began to guide humans to build a variety of civilizations and use them as pawns in their games. However, after millennial of being the toys of the increasingly decadent Gods the humans rebel with the aid of the angels who grow tired being subordinate to the Gods.
As time passes the Demons and Angels grow melancholic as they realize their age is coming to an end. The absorption of their realms also mean the weakening of their powers, which is what made the defeat of the Gods possible for the humans.
Archangel is used for angels strong enough to be recognized by the deities. Archdemon is the term for demons. There isn't an equivalent term for humans but the most common one was Buddha.