My Neighbours the Yamadas

My Neighbours the Yamadas

8.9/10.

Sixty Sixth Day of Isolation

Sixty Sixth Day – the eleventh online morning service. A rather good service about Ruth and the fact that she had faith despite being a Moabite. There was also a focus on Boaz as a Kinsman Redeemer, and the ultimate Kinsman Redeemer, Jesus. There was a slight interruption when my brother and his partner arrived, but that was fine. It was good to catch up with them.

Church notes in 2020 so far

January 2020: https://fardell24.dreamwidth.org/410967.html

February 2020: https://fardell24.dreamwidth.org/422952.html, http://fardell30.deadjournal.com/76915.html

March 2020: https://fardell24.dreamwidth.org/430899.html, http://fardell30.deadjournal.com/78540.html

April 2020: https://fardell24.dreamwidth.org/445139.html, http://fardell30.deadjournal.com/86512.html

May 2020: https://fardell24.dreamwidth.org/464008.html, https://www.deviantart.com/brenorenz/journal/Church-notes-May-2020-843872802

Church notes - May 2020

On LiveJournal: https://fardell24.livejournal.com/423546.html
On Dreamwidth: https://fardell24.dreamwidth.org/464008.html

Church notes - 31st May 2020

31st May 2020
Lamentations 3:19 - 27

Ruth 1

Ruth
Hopelessness
Devastation
Ruin
Loss
Weakness

Three widows - Naomi had lost her husband and her sons.
vs 20
Naomi - favoured one.
Mara - bitter.
She thought God had abandoned her. She was disillusioned. But God was working in an extraordinary way.
God is there for us as He was for Ruth and Naomi, in the midst of loss and heartbreak.

Not a story about an Israelite Man but a Moabite woman.

Deuteronomy 23:3 - 6
Moabites weren't friends with Israel.

But God embraced those who were marginalised and downtrodden.

vs16
Ruth wanted to go where Naomi was going. She didn't want to abandon her.

Boaz

Ruth was exposed to God through her former husband. Somehow, she had more faith in God than her mother in law did. A faith in a God who didn't abandon those who trusted in Him. She found refuge in Him. Her faith could not be discouraged.

Levictus 19:9, 10

Boaz
Ch 2.15

Kinsman Redeemer.

Ruth 4
Boaz convinces the other man to let him marry Ruth.

Destitution to Inheritance
We have a Kinsman Redeemer.

Hebrews 2:11
Galatians 4:4-7
Ephesians 2:19
Jesus is our Kinsman Redeemer.

Tenacious love and friendship - a model of how we should act.

No matter how you're down, you have a Kinsman Redeemer in Jesus.

Beginnings of 2020 - Doctor Who - The Chessmaster and the Dalek Asylum

Doctor Who – The Chessmaster and the Dalek Asylum

The TARDIS materialized on Skaro. It wasn’t often that the TARDIS materialized in that forsaken place. Certainly the Doctor hadn’t been his current incarnation. It was just as well Mel was home in Pease Pottage. He stepped out and saw a human woman there. Somehow it was she who had sent the message. “I received your message. Not many can send me a message.”

The woman then spoke up. “I have a daughter, Hannah. She’s in a Dalek prison camp. They say you can help.”

“Many people can say that I can help, especially when it comes to foiling Dalek plans,” the Doctor paused. “In fact, I am being brought into one right now.”

“What do you mean?”

“If Hannah’s in a Dalek camp, how did you escape? When no one escapes from their camps?”

“I’d be the first one,” the woman said.

The Doctor took her hand. “You’re very cold. It’s a trap!”

“What is?”

“You are,” the Doctor answered as a Dalek eyepiece emerged from her forehead!

The Doctor is acquired!

In Pease Pottage, Melanie Bush, looked over a piece of code she had been sent for bug-checking. Suddenly she heard something. “What’s that? Who’s there?”

Melanie Bush is acquired!

The Engineer and the Time Lady - Lost v0.1

8. Lost

The Baffin went to warp. But something happened at the same time, and the ship shuddered and then dropped out of warp again. “Report!” Emerson barked through the red alert klaxon.

“We were at warp for just over a second,” Andersen reported. “We're still relatively close to the planet.”

“According to sensors, the anomaly did close in on us and the shuttle just before warp was initiated,” Lu added.

“Do we still have the shuttle?” Emerson asked.

“Yes,” Lu answered.

“Full scan,” Emmerson reported.

On the Montreal, Hernandez recovered after that jolt. “Are we still in the tractor beam?” she asked.

“We are,” Albert confirmed. “We'll be back aboard in 20 seconds.”

“That's good. That was a close call,” Hernandez said.

“It may be closer than you realise,” Lawson stated.

“You mean, we didn't escape the anomaly?” Hernandez asked.

“According to the sensors, the anomaly closed in just before the ship went to warp,” Albert said.

“That probably wouldn't be good,” Hernandez murmured as she saw the shuttle re-enter the shuttlebay.

After the shuttle landed, the away team went back to the bridge.

“Preliminary results from the scan are ready,” Lu said.

“Let's hear it,” Emmerson ordered.

“Divergent Quantuum Signature,” Lu confirmed.

“So, we're in another universe?” Hernandez asked as she entered the Bridge.

“Yes,” Emmerson answered as Hernandez and the others took their stations.

It took an hour for the scan to complete. During the time Emmerson had informed the crew of the situation they were in.

“As soon as the scan is complete we're going to try to contact Starfleet as it exists in this universe,” Emmerson said.

“That would be better than us trying to do it by ourselves.”

The scan data showed that the the planet in this universe had been as affected by the phenomenon as the planet in their home universe had. They had then tried to contact Starfleet. There was no response.

Eight hours after the transition, Emmerson made another decision. “We have not received a return signal from Starfleet Command. Therefore we need to go to Sector 001 ourselves.”

“If Starfleet is not there, we don't know what state we would find Earth in,” Hernandez said.

“That's true,” Emmerson conceded, “but it would be more foolhardy to go anywhere else. We'll send probes in the direction of other Federation worlds as we approach.”

The Baffin made preparations to make the journey. But first they sent a probe back to Tanarexa IV with information on what had occurred. It soon disappeared into another anomaly, but scans on the destination were inconclusive. They placed a warning beacon and then went to warp.

“Personal Log, supplemental. The situation hasn't fully hit me yet. The Baffin is lost more than what Voyager was. The chances of finding our universe again is remote, astronomical even, and it seems we're in a universe where the Federation either doesn't exist, has yet to exist or has fallen.” Hernandez paused. She wasn't sure where that line of thought was leading. Some of her ruminations were confused. She changed tack. “We have set course for Earth at Warp 8. We're not using Slipstream as while Dilithium can be recrystalised, Benamite cannot.”

Warp 8 is also the speed at which the engines are most efficient. We won't need to slow down. Without unforseen events we should arrive in twelve days.

Six days later, Emmerson came onto the Bridge. There still had been no response to the hails to Starfleet the previous evening. “We're about to send the probes in the direction of Qo'noS and Romulus, Commander,” Hernandez reported.

Beginnings of 2020 - Daria - Online Tales - Esteem of the Cynic Chick

Esteem of the Cynic Chick

‘I have low esteem for everyone else,’ Daria thought as she entered the sanctuary that was her room, repeating what she had told her family down in the kitchen. She went to her computer and opened her email.

How is the new town so far? BrCheerNot

It was from another cynical teenager who she had been corresponding with on and off for the past two years. A lot of what she had seen of Lawndale so far reminded her of what BrCheerNot had described about her town. She opened the email.

Hi,CynicGal

We have arrived in the new town, which so far seems quite like your town, very suburban. Not to digress, my sister and I have started at the local high school. The principal gave us a tour, focusing on the sports, read: football, and other non-academic nonsense. But to top it all off the quack of a school counsellor thinks I have low self esteem.

Needless to say, I don’t have low self esteem! I have low esteem for everyone else.

Daria paused, that was still on her mind. That and Quinn’s predictable reaction.

So now I have to attend a special class for a few weeks. But there was a highlight. The History teacher is a high strung, but he knows his stuff, even if constantly annoyed by idiot football players.

Daria signed off, she didn’t have much else to say, and she wanted to get started on the homework.

Quinn and Sandi

After their last class on a Friday, Sandi and Quinn left Lawndale High.

"Come, Quinn, we must prepare for next week," Sandi said.

Quinn sighed. "Why, Sandi? What are we going to next week?" she asked, although she knew what she was going to say.

Sandi turned to Quinn. "The same we do every week, Quinn! Try to take over Lawndale High!"

Beginnings of 2020 - Age of Heroes Map Game

1976

Astronomy hadn't advanced to the point where the Cloud could be picked up ahead of time.

The cloud was just that, a cloud. But it was of various strange materials, and the path it took around the middle of the Milky Way would intersect with that of the Solar System, and eventually, Earth.

It would be a new age. An Age of Heroes. And of Villains...

The impact of the cloud as meteorites is the cause of the rise of metahumans through the year.

North America

United States

The meteor shower is first noted in the town of Winchester in northern Maryland, where the Military secures the First Meteor on the day after New Years.

From there, the reports of strange events keep coming in.

In mid January a metahuman calling himself Greenboy is ‘fighting crime’ in Chicago.

President Ford reports that NORAD hadn’t picked up the meteor shower in advance.

Back in Winchester, early in February a 12 year old girl manages to sneak through to the meteor on a dare. She falls unconscious and is taken to the hospital where she would remain in a coma. Her friend who would spend most of the next month at her bedside would suddenly have visions…

Later in February, two teenagers gain their powers while on a Concorde on approach to New York.

It’s not just humans affected by the meteors, a meta-lizard with superspeed is reported in California and a meta-toad in Hawaii.

But events get out of hand, with the NYPD going on strike in mid September.

In mid-November, Xanthe Griffith, a Boston college student discovers she can project illusions.

South America

Africa

In Uganda, there are attempts at exorcisms of metahumans, starting in early February.

Also in February, Jane Goodall documents the emergence of meta-chimps.

Sixty Third Day of Isolation

Sixty Third Day – the twenty sixth day of working from home. Work went well, even though my sister and older nephew visited. Good news – he managed to get a job at a mine nearby. Hallelujah.

Beginnings of 2020 - Doctor Who - An Unearthly Child (Rebooted)

An Unearthly Child (Rebooted)

London, 26 May 2005

It had been an ordinary day at Coal Hill School. “Good evening, Miss Wright,” a teen girl said.

“Could you wait, please Susan. I won’t be long,” Miss Wright requested.

“Sure,” Susan said.

Miss Wright was taking a while, so Susan took out her iPod and a speaker and started listening to some metal music.

“Susan?” Miss Wright asked when she came back.

Susan unplugged the iPod. “Oh, I’m sorry, Miss Wright. I didn’t hear you coming in. Aren’t they fabulous?”

“Who?” Miss Wright didn’t recognise the music that had been playing.

“It’s the Common Men Triumph. They’ve gone from eighteen to three.”

“Common Men Triumph are a metal music band. They started their career as John Smith and the Common Men,” the other, male, teacher said.

“You are surprising Mr. Chesterton. I wouldn’t have expected you to know that,” Susan said.

“I have an enquiring mind,” Mr. Chesterton explained. He placed a book in front of Susan.

“Is that the book you promised me?” she asked.

“Yes,” Miss Wright answered.

“Thanks,” Susan said. It’ll be interesting. I’ll bring it back tomorrow.

“That’s not necessary,” Miss Wright said. “Keep it until you have finished it.”

“I’ll have finished it.”

“I’m going to give Miss Wright a lift. There’s room for one more.”

“No thank you, Mr. Chesterton. I like walking through the dark. It’s mysterious,” Susan answered.

“Be careful, Susan. There’ll probably be fog again tonight. See you in the morning.”

The teachers having left, Susan opened the book and found something. “But that’s not right!”

A short while later, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright had arrived at the location given in Susan’s enrolment records. On a nondescript stretch of street on Totters Lane, where there was a junkyard. The junkyard was at the address listed in those records. They had talked about how Susan was unusual and was far ahead in science and history when she had appeared as she rounded a corner near that junkyard. “Too many questions, and not enough answers,” Barbara said again.

Susan looked around and went into the junkyard, leaving a gate wide open.

“Look. Can we go in now? I hate to think of her alone in that place.”

“If she is alone. Look, she is fifteen. She might be meeting a boy. Didn't that occur to you?”  Ian said.

“I almost hope she is. It would be wonderfully normal.”

Ian turned the engine back on.

“What are you doing?”

“Driving in,” Ian answered.

She was surprised when she heard the sound of a car engine behind her. She turned around and saw the two teachers she had talked to half an hour earlier drive through the gate she had just walked through. Mr. Chesterton, Ian, got out of the car. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

“We’re concerned for you, Susan,” Miss Wright said as she got out of the car.

‘Susan’ could see that. But they shouldn’t have followed her home. “You shouldn’t be here.” And their car being in the ‘junkyard’ was certain to cause something. She still didn’t have much control of the ship’s systems. She then felt the vibrations increase. Something was about to happen. She had to get to the console.

“Maybe we shouldn’t,” Ian said in response to what Susan just said. He could feel some kind of vibration as if some large engine was running somewhere in the junkyard. Then what seemed to be impossible happened. An older man appeared out of nowhere somewhere behind Susan. “Intruder Alert.”

“No, deactivate intruder alert!” Susan cried. She ran through the junkyard. He saw Barbara run off after her.

He then heard something behind him. He turned and saw that the gate was closed. Was there a third person there?

She got to the console. But Barbara (or Miss Wright) was close behind. She didn’t like what she saw there.

Emergency Departure Sequence Activated.

The rotor lit up. “No! Deactivate Emergency Departure Sequence!” She commanded as she tried to tell the ship to stay.

But the rotor started moving.

Ian could then hear a strong thrumming sound. Voorrrp! Voorrrp!

The Sixtieth and Sixty First Days of Isolation

Sixtieth and Sixty First Days – the twenty fourth and twenty fifth days of working from home, and the seventh Bible Study video chat. Both days of work went well. I’m focussing better with my nephew back at school. He is enjoying being back at school and seeing his friends again. (The main problem might be with the bubblers being unavailable.) Bible Study was good too. Continuing through our study of Philippians with Chapter 3, another important passage of Scripture. Considering everything else as loss, compared to Christ…

Prayer – that everything would continue to go well with a first time pregnancy in the group. (Due in August.) Praise points: That school has gone back full time, also that the procedure on the melanoma went well.

Beta Request

Title: The End of the Doctor
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: T
Characters: Clara Oswald, Tasha Lem, Daleks, Susan Foreman

Summary: Alternate Universe ending to The Time of the Doctor. When Tasha Lem and Clara return to Trenzalore it appears that the Doctor has died, with the Timestream present in the tower...

Fifty Ninth Day of Isolation

Fifty Ninth Day – The tenth online morning service. A rather good service with a sermon focused on Joshua 2, about Rahab as a person of faith. My nephew didn’t want to do Sunday school though. Maybe next week. Prayer – that he would be able to join in.

Church notes - 24th May 2020

24th May
Hebrews 11:6
Jeremiah 29:13

Joshua 1:9

Malachi 3:6 - 17
Bring the tithes into the storehouse.

Joshua 2:1 - 21

Rejected
Ridiculed
Marginalised
Ostracised

Rahab
James 2:25 - 26
Hebrews 11:31

A Canaanite, a woman and a prostitute. Also she was dishonest (lying about the whereabouts of the Israelite spies.)

God can bring change into our lives.
Rahab was desperate to change her life. She was ready to change.
vs 8, 9
She was developing a faith in Him.
vs 11
An expression of faith.

1 Corinthians 6:11
God can change our circumstances and our hearts. He will accept us no matter what we have done.
God can cleanse us.

A reminder of the Good News of Jesus. What God said to Rahab, Jesus also said to the woman caught in adultery.
God sees the potential in all of us. He doesn't see what the World sees.

2 Corinthians 5:17

All can be saved, no matter their past.

God uses the most unlikely people.

Matthew 1:4, 5
Rahab is one of Jesus' ancestors.

No matter what your past and current circumstances are God can use us.

God can
- Change us.
- Cleanse and restore us.
- Use us for His purposes.

Beta Request

Title: Escape from Trenzalore
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: T
Characters: Eleventh Doctor, Clara Oswald, Lady Vastra, Jenny Flint, Strax

Summary: Immediate continuation of The Name of the Doctor. How do the Doctor and Clara escape the Timestream and the Tomb?

Fifty Sixth Day of Isolation

Fifty Sixth Day – The twenty third day of working from home. The day went well. I was able to focus on the work.

Fan Fiction Update - The Doctor and Sarah 01: The Deadly Assassin - Chapter 1

The Doctor and Sarah 01: The Deadly Assassin
The Doctor and Sarah arrive on Gallifrey where the Doctor tries to prevent the Assassination of the Time Lord President.

Rating: K

Fanfiction.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13590480/1/The-Doctor-and-Sarah-01-The-Deadly-Assassin

Archive of Our Own: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24286360

Dramatic Reading - The Count of Monte Cristo - Chapter 6

The Apostles' Creed

Fifty Third and Fifty Fourth Days of Isolation

Fifty Third and Fifty Fourth Days – The twenty first and twenty second days of working from home and the sixth Bible Study video chat. Both days of work went well. I focused despite having to help my nephew with his school work. However, from next week, school will be back full time, so that will be good. It would be better for both of us. He’ll get the attention he needs in the classroom environment, and I’ll be able to focus better at work. (See below for praise point.) Bible study was back, so that was good too.

Philippians Chapter 2 is a rather important chapter. Paul was writing to the Philippian Christians about the character of Christ and how we should be like Him. (And not just in His humility, but in other ways too. Being selfless.) Prayer points: Discernment and wisdom for a couple as one of their children wishes to be baptised at a rather young age; healing for older relatives. (A procedure on a melanoma, and for recovery from a stroke; Another child is sad. Praise points: One person’s breathing is recovering and that I have been able to help my nephew with his schoolwork.

Beginnings of 2020 - Daria - Communications Breakdown

Daria – Tales of Lawndale

Communication Breakdown

Quinn Morgendorffer was on the phone. “…Yeah. So, then she goes ‘You should go out with me’, so then he goes ‘Go out with you?’, so then I go. ”Hey, you should go.”

Her sister, Daria, who had just come up to the kitchen bench, then said; “And then I say, ‘You’re an idiot.’”

Quinn shot Daria a look of annoyance and walked toward the basement door.

But Daria wouldn’t be dissuaded so easily. “Come on, I need to call Jane!”

Their mother, Helen, then entered the kitchen from the Dining Room. “It looks like your father’s car is due for a service.”

Quinn's Code - Cafe Geekdale - Part 7

Thursday, October 21, 2005

Through the day, many of the students of Lawndale High, thought about what they might be seeing if they went to the Coffee House, or in a minority of cases, what they would be performing...

During lunch, Brittany was reading over the scene from Romeo and Juliet. 'Is that Caplet or Capulet?' She was excited about performing at the Coffee House, but she didn't know how Kevin would perform. 'At least he promised he would learn the lines.'

Jodie came up to Daria as they left Science. “Mr. O'Neill told me that you are doing something at the Coffee House,” she said.

“So?” Daria asked.

“So, I would like to know what you are going to do?”

“You will find out when everyone else does,” Daria said, as she walked off.

Jodie sighed. She had been hoping that she would be able to help Daria with whatever performance she had planned.

“What's wrong?” her boyfriend, Michael 'Mack' Mackenzie, asked as he came up.

“Nothing,” Jodie said.

Mack didn't believe that, but he didn't press.

After school, Quinn met Andrea as she left the school building. “There will be a meeting of the Programming Club tomorrow,” Andrea said.

“Yeah, Laurence told me,” Quinn replied, referring to another member of the Programming Club.

“One of the things we will be discussing will be the coffee house,” Andrea said, as she started walking.

Quinn followed her. “Why?” she asked.

Andrea looked back “You will find out,” she said.

“I'll be there,” Quinn said.

“Good,” Andrea said.

'What is she up to?' Quinn thought yet again.

When Daria arrived with Jane and Jennifer at the Pizza King, many of the patrons were discussing the Coffee House. “Is that all they can talk about?” Daria asked.

“It's Lawndale. There's not much else to talk about,” Jane said.

“I guess so,” Daria said, as she went to order a pizza.

“Touchy, isn't she?” Jane asked Jennifer.

“Definitely,” Jennifer murmured, as she remembered what Jodie told her about at lunch.

Griffin residence

The Fashion Club was in Sandi's room, they were nearing the end of their regular official meeting.

“Motion approved?” Sandi asked.

All three other members put up their hands.

“Motion carried,” Sandi said.

Tori smiled.

“Coool!” Tiffany said.

“Last topic for this afternoon; tomorrow night's opening of the Coffee House,” Sandi directed.

Stacy fidgeted as she entered the topic into her notebook, betraying her agitation about Sandi's antagonism towards Quinn.

Sandi noticed the fidgeting. “Sta-cy, is there, like, a problem?”

“Eep! No, Sandi. No, problem!” Stacy said quickly.

“Good. Now, I have written a speech in which I eloquently state the reason why Geeks, especially, like, that Quinn, should not be popular,” Sandi said. She took a sheet out of the right drawer beneath her computer.

“Are you going to read it to us?” Tori asked.

“Sure,” Sandi said. She then read the speech to the club.

“Good Evening, Students of Lawndale High and other Coffee House patrons...”

Later

“Opinions?” Sandi asked, looking at Tori.

“Quite argumentative. Most people will support us,” Tori said.

“But, Sandi -,” Stacy began to say, but she was interrupted by a glare from Sandi.

“No buts!” Sandi said.

“Sandi! What will Mr. O'Neill say?” Stacy asked.

Sandi snorted “Puh-lease, like Mr. O'Neill will do anything more than say 'Oh dear!' He won't say anything negative. He certainly won't say anything to Ms. Li,” she said, imitating Mr. O'Neill when she said 'Oh dear!'

“That's riiight,” Tiffany said.

'That seems to be true,' Tori thought.

“Maybe,” Stacy said, more subdued.

Sandi smiled. “That concludes this meeting. Stacy, concluding time?”

Stacy looked at her watch and at Sandi's bedroom clock. Both were within two minutes of each other. “5:45, for a duration of 1 hour and fifteen minutes,” she said, averaging the time between the two time pieces.

“Usual length of meeting, plus time to, like, read the speech,” Sandi said.

Stacy wrote the concluding remarks down and closed the notebook.

Unknown to the Fashion Club, Sandi's mother, Linda, had listened to Sandi make the speech. She smiled a wicked looking smile. 'Very good, Sandi,' she thought. It was exactly as she had hoped. Sandi was following in her footsteps.

Friday, 22 October, 2005

Sandi awoke at 7:20. After getting ready, she took the speech and went to the bathroom.

“Sandi Griffin, Fashion Club President,” she said, scrutinizing her near perfect appearance.

“Good Evening, Students of Lawndale High and other Coffee House patrons, I have prepared this statement to tell you that Geeks are not welcome, like as members of the popular cliques,” she began.

…

“Thank you for your time.” After this conclusion she was silent for a moment before looking at herself again. “You will be triumphant! Quinn, that Geekendorffer will not, like come back from this.”

There was knocking. “Come on Sis! I need to go!” her brother, Sam said.

'Of course he would,' Sandi thought. She folded the sheet with the speech on it and opened the door. “All yours, you brat!”

“Finally!” he said as he dashed into the bathroom past his sister.

Helen was preparing to leave for work when the door bell rang. “Who could that be?” she wondered. She went and opened the door. “Oh, Hi, Jennifer! Are you here for Quinn or for Daria, neither of them have come down for breakfast yet.”

“Hi, Mrs. Morgendorffer. For Daria. I am helping her with her performance at the Coffee House this evening,” Jennifer said.

Helen opened the door wider, allowing the quiet girl in. “It is great that she is participating in an extra-curricular activity. She is still quite anti-social and stubborn,” Helen said. 'I see that you have been a good influence,' she thought.

“I had to encourage her,” Jennifer murmured. She knew what it was like to be shy and emphasized with Daria.

“What was that?” Helen asked, not quite hearing what Jennifer said.

“Yeah, it's great,” Jennifer said with a little sarcasm.

“You can go right up,” Helen said, pondering Jennifer's tone.

Jennifer knocked on Daria's door.

Daria quickly opened it. “Hi, are you ready?” she asked.

“I am. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't.”

Daria smirked briefly, prior to letting Jennifer into the room.

“Close the door. I don't want Quinn complaining about the noise.”

“Sure,” Jennifer said, as she closed the door and glanced at the padded walls. 'Excellent soundproofing,' she thought.

Daria grabbed her guitar, carefully swung it around and began to play.

15 minutes later, Daria had gone through her performance twice.

“That's a little better. Mr. O'Neill will still react to it though,” Jennifer said.

“I want him to react,” Daria said.

“Make him think that the Coffee House is a bad idea?” Jennifer asked.

“Yes,” Daria simply said.

Jennifer shook her head in good humor.

Quinn and Jenna were talking as they approached Lawndale High.

“...And then Jennifer said that Daria doesn't want the Coffee House to succeed,” Quinn said.

Jenna stopped. “She wants it to fail?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“I hope that her song, whatever it is about, won't be that bad.”

“Well it's metal music, so I think it might be borderline,” Quinn said with a nervous laugh, as they came to the front of the school.

“I will try to convince Mr. O'Neill to have the Anime reviews first,” Jenna said.

“I have my Ghost in the Shell review.”

“That's good!”

Quinn smiled.

Quinn approached the Programming Club meeting with aprehension. “Why are you so apprehensive, Quinn?” Wolfgang Schuhardt asked.

Quinn turned to the nerdy boy. “Have you ever thought that Andrea may be a cracker or something?” she said quietly.

Wolfgang stopped and looked around. “I have, but only after others have told me their suspicions,” he said.

“No one has told me, but she gives off that vibe, you know,” Quinn said uneasily.

“She does give off an unfriendly vibe, but I don't think that means that she is a cracker.”

“What of the network share at her house?”

“You don't have to share files there if you don't want to.”

“I guess not,” Quinn said.

Wolfgang opened the door. “Girls first,” he said.

“Thanks,” Quinn said.

Pom Poko rating

Pom Poko

8.0/10.

Fifty Second Day of Self Isolation

Fifty Second Day – The twelfth livestream church service. The ninth online morning service. There isn’t an evening service tonight (and probably not for another two weeks), but it probably needed to be off so it can be improved. The same caveats regarding the morning service still apply, but it was good that there was still a dedication regardless of the lack of interaction. Even so, I asked my nephew if he would join in on Sunday School. But first, the message was on Nehemiah and the fact that he prayed to God about the situation in Jerusalem before acting.

A rather topical message. Just acting without praying wouldn’t be a good idea. But Sunday School was good too, with the lesson being about the Battle of Jericho. Despite the instructions being unusual, the Israelites obeyed God and captured the city. Even though he was restless my nephew learned some things. He is going to be re-reading the memory verse (Joshua 1:9) through the week with the help of his grandmother, so that’s good too. Hallelujah.

Church notes - 17th May 2020

17th May
Dedication
Tickell, Hudson
Tickell, Adelaide
1 Samuel 1:27, 28
Luke 2:21 - 24
Joseph and Mary dedicate Jesus at the Temple
Deuteronomy 6:5 - 9
Matthew 19:13 - 15

Romans 8:38, 39

Nehemiah 1

Opportunity International
Making a Difference
Nehemiah
Jerusalem was still a mess.

Enemies surrounded them, the walls were in ruins and morale was low.

Holy Discontent

e.g. Wilberforce - against the slave trade.
Outrage
God's call to go to do something.
vs 4
4 months of prayer
Chapter 2
vs 17
They were well aware of the mess Jerusalem was in, but they had learned to live with it.

Urgent Prayer

Take Action

"Someone should do something about that."

But some people actually take action.

Overcome Opposition

2:19

But troubles arose.
Life is a battle.
Opposition Persistent

Persistance, overcomes  opposition

Nehemiah refused to spend time to please people who couldn't be pleased.

Nehemiah 4
Discouragement came.

What is your discouragement?

Nehemiah 6:15

Completed in 52 days, ahead of time and below budget.

Joy
They experienced God's grace.

Nehemiah made a difference in his generation. Won't you make a difference in this?

Sunday School
The Battle of Jericho
Joshua 5:13 - 6:23

Memory Verse: Joshua 1:9
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." ESV.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service

On Her Majesty's Secret Service

8.8/10.

Beginnings of 2020 - Daria - The Youngest Barksdale

The Youngest Barksdale

Daria Barksdale looked at Lawndale as the plane flew over on approach to the airport. She still wasn’t sure why she had to live with Helen and her family. She would have preferred to live with Amy. But her mother was insistent, neither Rita nor Amy were ‘suitable’. She shook her head and focused on the town below. She could see various sprawling subdivisions arrayed around a rather small 19^th Century core. ‘It’s more middle class. That’s what I’ll say for it,’ she thought.

Jake Morgendorffer waited in the Arrivals Lounge of the Lawndale Municipal Airport. He knew why his wife had sent him there to meet her sister, she was working late on yet another big case. ‘Not enough time for me. Not enough time for Quinn. Now there’s not enough time for Daria either.’ As he was thinking this, he saw Daria approaching, a short teen girl wearing an understated but well-tailored green dress, a pair of small glasses and her auburn hair tied back in two buns above her ears.

“Jake!” she called, as she pulled along her two suitcases.

“Let me help you with that.”

“Thanks,” Daria said as he picked up one of the suitcases.

The Forty Ninth Day of Isolation

Forty Ninth Day – The twentieth day of working from home. Work went well. I focused better, as I didn’t need to help my nephew with his schoolwork (he’s started going back, albeit not full time yet).

Beginnings of 2020 - The Engineer and the Time Lady - Lost

8. Lost

The Baffin went to warp. But something happened at the same time, and the ship shuddered and then dropped out of warp again. “Report!” Emerson barked through the red alert klaxon.

“We were at warp for just over a second,” Andersen reported. “We're still relatively close to the planet.”

“According to sensors, the anomaly did close in on us and the shuttle just before warp was initiated,” Lu added.

“Do we still have the shuttle?” Emerson asked.

“Yes,” Lu answered.

“Full scan,” Emmerson reported.

On the Montreal, Hernandez recovered after that jolt. “Are we still in the tractor beam?” she asked.

“We are,” Albert confirmed. “We'll be back aboard in 20 seconds.”

“That's good. That was a close call,” Hernandez said.

“It may be closer than you realise,” Lawson stated.

“You mean, we didn't escape the anomaly?” Hernandez asked.

“According to the sensors, the anomaly closed in just before the ship went to warp,” Albert said.

“That probably wouldn't be good,” Hernandez murmured as she saw the shuttle re-enter the shuttlebay.

After the shuttle landed, the away team went back to the bridge.

The Engineer and the Time Lady - Investigation v1.0

7. Investigation

Alpha heard a noise. She turned and saw Nina enter the Bridge. She saw that she had rested and smiled. “You are ready for duty?”

“Yes. What happened on that ship shouldn't have happened.”

“It would probably be a while before I'll let you go on another away mission.”

“I was thinking about that,” Nina said as she sat her console. “It would depend on the kind of mission.”

“It would,” Alpha said.

“I was considering travelling forwards to this planet's information age and copying historical data from the worldwide network.”

Alpha was intreagued, but cautious. “So, you'll go forwards, and steal a data storage device with the data on it?”

Nina interuppted. “I'll take a tricorder and use that to copy the data.”

“That would be better,” Alpha conceded.

“I can do it today,” Nina sated.

“Sure,” Alpha was pleased that Nina seemed to have recovered from the previous day's experience, but she was still concerned that she was letting her exuberance get away with her. “But not right away.”

Nina examined more of the data collected by the Baffin crew, specifically that on the version of Tanarexa IV in the first alternate universe they visited. Her conclusion was inconclusive. Whatever, or whoever, was responsible for the displacements on that planet probably wasn't going to help her and the holocrew return the ship to it's home universe. 'But maybe we could try?' It wouldn't be the first time a Time Lord tried to turn a powerful being to their side.

1200 hours. Alpha turned to Nina. “If you want to go on that forward journey, you can.”

“I shall.”

In the shuttlebay, Nina grabbed several tricorders and PADDs. “Are you sure you'll need all those?” Alpha asked.

“The contents of the network may be greater than the storage capacity,” Nina answered.

“That's unlikely, the PADDs have a storage capacity of four gigaquads each. Same with the tricorders.”

“I'll find a use for them.”

“You probably won't be gone that long.”

“Probably not.”

“You might need this,” Alpha said, holding out a phaser by the emitter end.

“No. I don't think I would get into that kind of trouble,” Nina said with a shake of her head.

“Away Mission Personnel shall not go into an unknown area unprepared for the possibility of combat.”

“Is that a regulation?” Nina asked.

“Yes,” Alpha answered.

Nina sighed and took the phaser. “I'll be back as soon as possible.”

Soon, the TARDIS dematerialised, and Alpha left the shuttlebay.

Nina looked over the Console Room as the TARDIS travelled forwards in time. It was still in it's default design. She hadn't changed anything since she had fled Gallifrey. She considered that it was time to make changes. 'Starfleet certainly knows how to design a ship interior that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing,' she thought. She turned back to the console and accessed the Architectural Configuration System. 'Now, the scanner has the Baffin's interior on file.' She then set the ACS to style set the Console Room Theme to Starfleet.

That done, she left the Console Room to find the wardrobe. She suspected that just wearing the Starfleet uniform would draw unwanted attention.

After finding a simple Time Lord robe that matched the colour of the uniform, Nina entered one of the auxiliary console rooms and quickly re-assigned control of the TARDIS to that room. The ship was about to land.

As soon as the ship had landed and she had used the scanner, Nina found that she had indeed landed in the planet's information age. So, she interfaced one of the Tricorders with the Scanner and set it to send the information to one of the PADDs. “OK, copy the information from the planet's network to the PADD,” she said as she set the scanner. The tricorder than began to receive the data from the scanner and transmiting it to the PADD. 'Good!' she thought.

She emerged from the ship to see that she had landed next to a large library, and that the ship had disguised itself as a motor home (with the Baffin's regristry number, translated into the local number system, on the licence plates, and in Circular Gallifreyan on the sides). She also noticed the Starfleet pennants on the roof. 'Great! Is the Chameleon Circuit glitching?' She didn't want to worry about that. Instead, she decided to go into the library.

The library was what she expected. A well organised space, with many people interacting and looking up information, like any library she had seen. She also saw that there were librarian jobs available. 'Not sure how long I'll be staying, even if I could be back at the Baffin within a minute of depature.' She decided to stay at least a day or two. 'And I can work at this library for a day. She took a place at one of the desks and used the PADD to interface with the TARDIS, instructing her ship to create an identity for her.

Half an hour later, she came to the desk and handed over her application.

Name: Nina Lumbra

Age: 27

…

“Nina Lumbra? Sounds foreign,” the librarian said.

“My father was from the North,” Nina responded.

“I see.”

“Everything checks out, you can start tomorrow.”

“That's good.”

The librarian handed Nina a card. “Welcome to the Rladibud Library.”

Alpha waited for Nina to return. Thus she spent another day to herself listening to Klingon Opera and occasionally checking on the marooned ship via the probe.

“Commander's log, Day 1024, Crewman Nina still hasn't returned for over a day... Otherwise the Baffin is still ship shape”.

Alpha finished the log and called up the data on the stranded ship Nina had visited two days before.

She noticed something. She called up the data from two days before. She could see that the wave action against the ship had further compromised it's structural integrity. “Computer, estimate time until structural collapse.”

“Estimated time until structural collapse any time from six to ten days.”

“Right.” She thought for a while. There had to be away she could rescue that crew without violating the Prime Directive. She couldn't go, the 29^th Century technology behind the mobile emitter hadn't yet been reverse engineered. But using probes to repair the ship would almost certainly cause a violation. And simply beaming them off definitely would be a violation. That seemed to lead to one solution. A Synthetic. The schematics for Synthetics, including the positronic brains, were in the Baffin's databases.

Alpha entered Engineering with a PADD showing instructions. “Computer, activate Emergency Engineering Holograms Beta and Gamma.”

“Affirmative.”

“Please state the nature of the Engineering Emergency,” Beta and Gamma said in unision. They then looked at each other in surprise before turning back to Alpha.

Alpha handed Beta the PADD. “Build a Synthetic that can go on away missions, so we can rescue the crew of a sailing ship without violating the Prime Directive?” he asked, once he had read it. He handed the PADD to Gamma.

“Yes,” Alpha answered.

“But, what will you be doing?” Gamma asked, her curiosity showing in her voice.

“I'll be in one of the holodecks, running repair simulations,” Alpha answered.

Both Beta and Gamma nodded, before turning to one of the consoles.

Alpha approached Holodeck 1. “Computer, load scan data of the crashed ship to Holodeck 1.”

“Affirmative.”

Ten seconds later, the computer reported. “Program complete.”

Alpha entered the holodeck onto the virtual ship's deck...

The next day, Nina was ready to start work at the library. She first looked at the progress of the download. “25%” she said. That meant she'd still be there in a few days hence. 'That's not a problem,' she thought. She had been on similar worlds before for extended periods of time. Before setting out she had the TARDIS bring up the local news. She saw that noting particularly notable was occurring, although two medium sized nations were at war over terrorism. She also noted that the island where Baffin had crashed was disputed between the two.

'Interesting,' she thought.

Nina entered the library and saw that one of the other librarians was clearly worried about something as she looked intently through the returned items. “Morning,” she said.

The other librarian turned with a start. “Oh, you gave me a shock,” she said. “You're the new assistant librarian, right?”

“Yes. I'm Nina.”

“I'm Aialah,” the worried librarian said.

“So, what are you looking for?”

“A rare book was loaned out. It is very overdue.”

“Oh,” Nina responded. “Wouldn't something like that not be loaned out?”

“Ordinarily,” Aialah said with anxiety. “But it was the Mayor's son!”

“I see,” Nina said. 'What have I got myself into?”

“Can you help me find it?”

“Of course.”

A short while later, the returns had been flung aside (mainly by Aialah), but the book hadn't been found. “Most likely, he still has it,” Nina stated as Aialah collapsed into a chair with annoyance.

“I'm in big trouble! If they find out that I loaned out a book that I shouldn't have loaned out, I'll be fired!”

“They don't have to find out,” Nina said in a reassuring tone.

“What's that?”

“I'll help you avoid that outcome.”

“But, you might get fired too.”

“We'll find it.”

“I shouldn't have told you.”

“Nonsense, I can help you. If it's not here, the Mayor's son would still have it, right?”

“That's the most likely option,” Aialah said, more nervous than before. “I guess I can call him during lunch.”

The morning went well (other than young children being noisy, as their mother's tried to read to them). However, something else was going on. There was a report of some sort of hostage situation in the city near the library. 'Is that something I'm going to be involved in?' Nina thought. She dismissed the possibility. She may have got involved with many things at other places after leaving Gallifrey, but wouldn't mean it would happen this time.

Aialah saw Nina enter the break room, and give her a supportive look. It was time to call him. She picked up her phone and quickly selected him from her contacts list. “Aialah! Why are you calling now?”

'He's annoyed!' Aialah thought. She felt the determination building inside her. “You know why I'm calling!”

“I forgot. It's at home somewhere.”

“It needs to be returned!” Aialah retorted.

“Calm down. I haven't lost it,” Lanran responded.

“But you know, I could lose my job, right?” Aialah said.

“I know that!”

“So, I would like it to be returned today.”

“Calm down.”

There was something off about his tone. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she knew something was wrong. “I am calm,” she responded.

“You're not. I will return it when I'm ready to return it.”

That was it! Didn't he see that it would be difficult for her to find another job? “I am calm. And it needs to be returned today,”she said in the tone of voice she reserved for unruly children.

“Look, you can wait, for me, OK.”

Some things connected in Aialah's mind. She then hung up.

Nina saw Aialah begin to tear up as she ended the call. It obviously didn't end well. “I take it, he's not returning it?” she asked, after a few moments.

“No,” Aialah sobbed as she left the break room.

Day 1025. Crewman Nina still hasn't returned. I'm getting more concerned about her. Or maybe the TARDIS isn't as reliable is it should be out of it's home universe. I'm still running the simulations on repairing that ship. The scans show it will break up within two days. It is good that Beta and Gamma have almost completed the Emergency Away Mission Synthetic. He should be able to work on site this afternoon. End log.

Having recorded the log, Alpha left the bridge again, heading back to the Holodeck. She had run many repair scenarios. The probability of success was at 90%. The chance of failure was still too high for her. She hoped the Synth would be as adaptable as she and the other holograms were. Then there was the fact that ship was still exposed to the elements. The sensors were detecting a cold front moving in. A storm decreased the probability of success to 56%. The repair had to be done before one arrived.

She entered Holodeck 1. “Computer, update Alpha Ship Rescue Program with latest sensor data and re-run.”

“Affirmative. You may enter when ready.”

She entered the simulation. As usual she entered into the hold of the ship, where the rents in the hull were growing larger.

She turned to the simulation of the repair materials and tools. It was time to start. “Computer, select speed setting: x20.”

“Affirmative.”

That was the speed at which she could go and still be functioning effectively. She could go faster, but it seemed that was the limit of her efficacy. (Of course, she suspected that Zeta could probably go faster, but she was sure he wouldn't do the simulations as effectively as she would). After the first few attempts she decided not to risk possible overstressing of her algorithms.

An hour later, she had ran another five simulations. The first didn't have a storm. The other four had storms of increasing intensity. The first three had a successful repair, but the other two had the ship break up, with the final simulation leading to the loss of the synth. 'I'm sure there may not be time to build another one,' she thought as she drifted beneath the sea after the ship had broken up in that final simulation. Even with Delta helping Beta and Gamma, it wouldn't really go any faster. The fifth simulation ended, leaving Alpha on the bare hologrid.

“Computer, show weather systems.”

“Affirmative.”

The holosystems then showed a simulation of the region of the planet from orbit. Alpha could see that a storm system associated with that cold front was already over the Baffin and heading towards the stuck ship.

'Another simulation, then I'll check in on Beta and Gamma' she thought. “Computer, restart simulation, decrease storm intensity.”

“Affirmative.”

Beta and Gamma had almost completed the Emergency Away Mission Synthetic. All that was really left was the most difficult part; assembling and installing the positronic brain.

“Ready?” Gamma asked, as she opened the drawer containing the positronic brain components. There were enough there for several Synthetics.

Beta wasn't sure why a ship like the Baffin would have such components stored aboard when it had a full compliment of Emergency Holograms. “Yes,” he answered as Gamma selected a portion of a positronic brainstem. She then placed it in it's place on the rear half of the Synth's skull.

The work proceded well, with hardly any 'hiccups'. Even so, there were 'touch and go' moments. The components were sometimes tricky to fit together. As Gamma placed the cerebellum on the rest of the components Beta found himself admiring the way she worked. He shook his head. That was hardly professional! He looked again at the work, but there was still a distraction in his attention subroutines. There was something, interesting, in the way she moved the nanobonder tool over cerebellum.

He shook his head again. He probably needed to run a diagnostic on his matrix.

“Are you OK?” Gamma was looking at him with concern. He realised that he had missed several sentences she had said.

“I'm fine,” he said, not entirely sure. Gamma still looked at him with concern, but she did repeat the instructions.

The difficulties did recurr as they continued putting the positronic brain together, but he didn't miss what she said again.

Alpha entered Engineering and saw that Beta and Gamma were working closely on the positronic brain. “How does it go?” she asked.

“We're almost done, despite some... difficulties,” Gamma said.

There was an undertone in Gamma's words Alpha wasn't sure of. What were those difficulties? She hoped they wouldn't impair the function of the Synthetic. “Difficulties?” she asked.

“Nothing that counldn't be overcome,” Beta answered.

“Good to hear,” Alpha said. She noticed that the two others were looking at each other in a way that suggested more was going on. 'Whatever that is, it isn't my business. It's unlikely to impair the function of the ship.”

Ten minutes later, the synthetic was complete. “Programming is loaded into the positronic brain,” Beta reported.

“Turn him on,” Alpha ordered.

Gamma pressed the button. “Please state the nature of the Away Mission Emergency,” the Synthetic said.

Nina re-entered the TARDIS. She had spent most of the afternoon ruminating on Aialah and her situation. She had left work early after the confrontation with her partner at lunch. She had asked one of the other librarians about her, but she was told it was none of her business (although she did see that librarian was worried). Was Aialah in an unhealthy relationship? The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

Even so she didn't want to think about it over night, so she decided to distract herself with the Baffin's logs, which she had copied to one of the PADDs. But first she checked the progress of the download. It was at 40.2%. The TARDIS was also indicating that she was picking up unsual patterns within the data. “Unusual how?” she asked. It seemed the TARDIS had picked up on something but wasn't certain what it was. “Something else to be concerned about,” she groused as she picked up the PADD containing the logs.

She then re-accessed the logs made at the beginning of the ship's journey.