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The candy apple red shines brightly in the sun on SOO 2403 in Middle River, Minnesota along the Minnesota Northern.
North-West Vietnam, 2000 - Leica M4, Summilux 35, Kodak Tri-X
I feel really close to my compatriots as an overseas Vietnamese from Europe. It's why I dedicate the future atypical photobook "Vietnamese We" www.zixbook.com to an unlucky great people who so much deserves a much better life.
Sal Mastropolo III inside the barn at Authentic Antique Lumber in Chester on September 1, 2015.
ERIK GLIEDMAN/Times Herald-Record
Serbia, Apr 29, 2021: Girls participate in a flash mob dance at Republic Square in Belgrade to celebrate the International Dance Day
Copyright © John G. Lidstone, all rights reserved.
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I quite like the busty sweater girl outfit, I think I need a tight high waisted below the knee hobble skirt to give me the authentic 50's look........
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on authentic facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The VF-1 was developed by Stonewell/Bellcom/Shinnakasu for the U.N. Spacy by using alien Overtechnology obtained from the SDF-1 Macross alien spaceship. Its production was preceded by an aerodynamic proving version of its airframe, the VF-X. Unlike all later VF vehicles, the VF-X was strictly a jet aircraft, built to demonstrate that a jet fighter with the features necessary to convert to Battroid mode was aerodynamically feasible. After the VF-X's testing was finished, an advanced concept atmospheric-only prototype, the VF-0 Phoenix, was flight-tested from 2005 to 2007 and briefly served as an active-duty fighter from 2007 to the VF-1's rollout in late 2008, while the bugs were being worked out of the full-up VF-1 prototype (VF-X-1).
The space-capable VF-1's combat debut was on February 7, 2009, during the Battle of South Ataria Island - the first battle of Space War I - and remained the mainstay fighter of the U.N. Spacy for the entire conflict. Introduced in 2008, the VF-1 would be out of frontline service just five years later, though.
The VF-1 proved to be an extremely capable craft, successfully combating a variety of Zentraedi mecha even in most sorties which saw UN Spacy forces significantly outnumbered. The versatility of the Valkyrie design enabled the variable fighter to act as both large-scale infantry and as air/space superiority fighter. The signature skills of U.N. Spacy ace pilot Maximilian Jenius exemplified the effectiveness of the variable systems as he near-constantly transformed the Valkyrie in battle to seize advantages of each mode as combat conditions changed from moment to moment.
The basic VF-1 was deployed in four minor variants (designated A, D, J, and S) and its success was increased by continued development of various enhancements including the GBP-1S "Armored" Valkyrie, FAST Pack "Super" Valkyrie and the additional RÖ-X2 heavy cannon pack weapon system for the VF-1S for additional firepower.
The FAST Pack system was designed to enhance the VF-1 Valkyrie variable fighter, and the initial V1.0 came in the form of conformal pallets that could be attached to the fighter’s leg flanks for additional fuel – primarily for Long Range Interdiction tasks in atmospheric environment. Later FAST Packs were designed for space operations.
The following FAST Pack 2.0 system featured two 120.000 kg class P&W+EF-2001 booster thrusters (mounted on the dorsal section of the VF-1) and two CTB-04 conformal propellant/coolant tanks (mounted on the leg/engines), since the VF-1's internal tanks could not carry enough propellant to achieve a stable orbit from Earth bases and needed the help of a booster pack to reach Low Earth Orbit. Anyway, the FAST Pack 2.0 wasn't adapted for atmospheric use, due to its impact on a Valkyrie's aerodynamics and its weight; as such, it needed to be discarded before atmospheric entry.
Included in the FAST Pack boosters and conformal tanks were six high-maneuverability vernier thrusters and two low-thrust vernier thrusters beneath multipurpose hook/handles in two dorsal-mounted NP-BP-01, as well as ten more high-maneuverability vernier thrusters and two low-thrust vernier thrusters beneath multipurpose hook/handles in the two leg/engine-mounted NP-FB-01 systems.
Granting the VF-1 a significantly increased weapons payload as well as greater fuel and thrust, Shinnakasu Heavy Industry's FAST Pack system 2.0 was in every way a major success in space combat. The first VF-1 equipped with FAST Packs was deployed in January 2010 for an interception mission.
Following first operational deployment and its effectiveness, the FAST Pack system was embraced enthusiastically by the U.N. Spacy and found wide use. By February 2010, there were already over 300+ so-called "Super Valkyries" stationed onboard the SDF-1 Macross alone.
The FAST Pack went through constant further development, including upgraded versions for late production and updated VF-1s (V3.0 and V4.0). Another addition to the early V2.0 variant of 2010 was the so-called “S-FAST Pack”. The S-FAST pack was originally developed at the Apollo lunar base, for the locally based VF-1 interceptor squadrons that were tasked with the defense of this important production and habitat site on the Moon, but it also found its way to other orbital stations and carriers.
Officially designated FAST Pack V2.1, the S-FAST Pack consisted of the standard pair of dorsal rocket boosters plus the pallets with additional maneuvering jets, sensors and weapons. The S-FAST pack added another pair of P&W+EF-2001 boosters under the inner wings, having the duty to give to fighter the power necessary to exit easily from the gravity of moons or little planets without atmosphere, and improve acceleration during combat situations. Range was also further extended, together with additional life support systems for prolonged deep space operations, or the case of emergency.
In order to accept the S-FAST pack and exploit its potential, the VF-1’s wings and inner wing attachment points had to be strengthened due to the additional load and propulsion. The use of the S-FAST pack also precluded the fighter from transforming into Battroid or Gerwalk mode – the underwing packs had to be jettisoned beforehand. The other standard FAST Pack 2.0 elements could still be carried, though.
The modfied Valkyries capable of accepting the S-FAST Pack received an additional “S” to their type designation – more than 100 VF-1s were converted or built in this deep space configuration until late 2011. Initial deployment of the S-FAST Pack was conducted through SVF-24 “Moon Shadows” in early 2010, a unit that was quickly disbanded, though, but re-formed as SVF-124 “Moon Shooters”, tasked with the defense of the lunar Apollo Base and several special missions.
After the end of Space War I, the VF-1 continued to be manufactured both in the Sol system and throughout the UNG space colonies. Although the VF-1 would eventually be replaced as the primary Variable Fighter of the U.N. Spacy by the more capable, but also much bigger, VF-4 Lightning III in 2020, a long service record and continued production after the war proved the lasting worth of the design.
The VF-1 was without doubt the most recognizable variable fighter of Space War I and was seen as a vibrant symbol of the U.N. Spacy even into the first year of the New Era 0001 in 2013. At the end of 2015 the final rollout of the VF-1 was celebrated at a special ceremony, commemorating this most famous of variable fighters. The VF-1 Valkryie was built from 2006 to 2013 with a total production of 5,459 VF-1 variable fighters with several variants (VF-1A = 5,093, VF-1D = 85, VF-1J = 49, VF-1S = 30, VF-1G = 12, VE-1 = 122, VT-1 = 68)
However, the fighter remained active in many second line units and continued to show its worthiness years later, e. g. through Milia Jenius who would use her old VF-1 fighter in defense of the colonization fleet - 35 years after the type's service introduction!
General characteristics:
All-environment variable fighter and tactical combat Battroid,
used by U.N. Spacy, U.N. Navy, U.N. Space Air Force
Accommodation:
Pilot only in Marty & Beck Mk-7 zero/zero ejection seat
Dimensions:
Fighter Mode:
Length 14.23 meters
Wingspan 14.78 meters (at 20° minimum sweep)
Height 3.84 meters
Battroid Mode:
Height 12.68 meters
Width 7.3 meters
Length 4.0 meters
Empty weight: 13.25 metric tons;
Standard T-O mass: 18.5 metric tons;
MTOW: 37.0 metric tons
Power Plant:
2x Shinnakasu Heavy Industry/P&W/Roice FF-2001 thermonuclear reaction turbine engines, output 650 MW each, rated at 11,500 kg in standard or in overboost (225.63 kN x 2)
4 x Shinnakasu Heavy Industry NBS-1 high-thrust vernier thrusters (1 x counter reverse vernier thruster nozzle mounted on the side of each leg nacelle/air intake, 1 x wing thruster roll control system on each wingtip);
18 x P&W LHP04 low-thrust vernier thrusters beneath multipurpose hook/handles
The S-FAST Pack added 4x P&W+EF-2001 booster thrusters with 120.000 kg each, plus a total of 28x P&W LHP04 low-thrust vernier thrusters
Performance:
Battroid Mode: maximum walking speed 160 km/h
Fighter Mode: at 10,000 m Mach 2.71; at 30,000+ m Mach 3.87
g limit: in space +7
Thrust-to-weight ratio: empty 3.47; standard T-O 2.49; maximum T-O 1.24
Design Features:
3-mode variable transformation; variable geometry wing; vertical take-off and landing; control-configurable vehicle; single-axis thrust vectoring; three "magic hand" manipulators for maintenance use; retractable canopy shield for Battroid mode and atmospheric reentry; option of GBP-1S system, atmospheric-escape booster, or FAST Pack system
Transformation:
Standard time from Fighter to Battroid (automated): under 5 sec.
Min. time from Fighter to Battroid (manual): 0.9 sec.
Armament:
2x internal Mauler RÖV-20 anti-aircraft laser cannon, firing 6,000 pulses per minute
1x Howard GU-11 55 mm three-barrel Gatling gun pod with 200 RPG, fired at 1,200 rds/min
4x underwing hard points for a wide variety of ordnance, including
12x AMM-1 hybrid guided multipurpose missiles (3/point), or
12x MK-82 LDGB conventional bombs (3/point), or
6x RMS-1 large anti-ship reaction missiles (2/outboard point, 1/inboard point), or
4x UUM-7 micro-missile pods (1/point) each carrying 15 x Bifors HMM-01 micro-missiles,
or a combination of above load-outs
The optional Shinnakasu Heavy Industry S-FAST Pack 2.1 augmentative space weapon system added:
6x micro-missiles in two NP-AR-01 micro-missile launcher pods (mounted rear-ward under center ventral section in Fighter mode or on lower arm sections in GERWALK/Battroid mode)
4x12 micro missiles in four HMMP-02 micro-missile launchers, one inside each booster pod
The kit and its assembly:
This VF-1 is another contribution to the “Old Kit” Group Build at whatifmodelers.com, running in late 2016. I am not certain about the moulds’ inception date, but since it is an ARII incarnation of this type of kit and even moulded in the early pastel green styrene, I’d think that it was produced in 1982 or 83.
Anyway, I love the Macross VF-1, IMHO a design masterpiece created by Shoji Kawamori and one of my favorite mecha designs ever, because it was created as a late 70ies style jet fighter that could transform into a robot in a secondary role. As a simple, purposeful military vehicle. And not like a flashy robot toy.
Effectively, this Super Valkyrie is a highly modified OOB kit with many donation parts, and this kit is a bit special, for several reasons. There are several 1:100 OOB kits with FAST Packs from ARII/Bandai available (and still around today), but these are normally only Battroids or Gerwalks with additional parts for the FAST kit conversion. The kit I used here is different: it is, after maybe 25 years of searching and building these kits, the #70 from the original production run. It is (so far!) the only Fighter mode kit with the additional FAST Pack parts! Must be rare, and I have never seen it in catalogues?
Until today, I converted my Super or Strike Valkyries from Gerwalk kits, a task that needs some improvisation esp. around the folded arms between the legs, and there’s no OOB option for an extended landing gear. The latter made this Fighter mode kit very attractive, even though the actual kit is pretty disappointing, and AFAIK this kit variant is only available as a VF-1S.
With the Super Valkyrie fighter kit you receive basically a Gerwalk with a standard fighter cockpit (which includes a front wheel well and an extended front wheel leg), plus extra parts. The leg/engine-mounted NP-FB-01 systems are less bulbous than the parts on the Gerwalk or Battroid kit, and the OOB dorsally mounted NP-BP-01 boosters are TINY, maybe 1:120 or even 1:144! WTF?
Further confusion: the kit includes a set of lower arm parts with integrated rocket launchers, but these are not necessary at all for the Fighter build?! As a kind of compensation there’s a new and exclusive element that simulates the folded arms under the ‘fuselage’ and which, as an added value, properly holds the hand gun under the fuselage. As a quirky flaw, though, the hand gun itself comes in the extended form for the Battroid/Gerwalk mode. For the fighter in flight mode, it has to be modified, but that’s easily done.
Anyway, with the potential option to build a Super Valkyrie with an extended landing gear, this was my route to go with this vintage kit. The Super Valkyrie already looks bulky with the FAST Pack added, but then I recently found the S-FAST Pack option with two more boosters under the wings – total overkill, but unique. And I had a spare pair of booster bulks in the stash (w/o their nozzles, though), as well as a complete pair of additional bigger standard FAST boosters that could replace the ridiculous OOB parts…
Building such a Super/Strike Valkyrie means building separate components, with a marriage of parts as one of the final steps. Consequently, cockpit, central fuselage with the wings and the air intakes, the folded stabilizer pack, the folded arms element with the handgun, the two legs and the four boosters plus other ordnance had to be built and painted separately.
Here and there, details were changed or added, e. g. a different head (a ‘J’ head for the flight leader’s aircraft with two instead of the rare, OOB ‘S’ variant with four laser cannon), covers for the main landing gear (the latter does not come with wells at all, but I did not scratch them since they are hardly recognizable when the kit is sitting on the ground), the typical blade aerials under the cockpit and the feet had to be modified internally to become truly ‘open’ jet exhausts.
The wing-mounted boosters received new nozzles and their front end was re-sculpted with 2C putty into a square shape, according to reference sketches. Not 100% exact, but the rest of the VF-1 isn’t either.
This VF-1 was also supposed to carry external ordnance and my first choice were four wing-mounted RMS-1 Anti-Ship Reaction Warheads, scratched from four 1.000 lb NATO bombs. But, once finished, I was not happy with them. So I looked for another option, and in a source book I found several laser-guided bombs and missiles, also for orbital use, and from this inspiration comes the final ordnance: four rocket-propelled kinetic impact projectiles. These are actually 1:72 JASDF LGB’s from a Hasegawa weapon set, sans aerodynamic steering surfaces and with rocket boosters added to the tail. Also not perfect, but their white color and sleek shape is a good counterpart to the FAST elements.
Experience from many former builds of this mecha kit family helped a lot, since the #70 kit is very basic and nothing really fits well. Even though there are not many major seams or large elements, PSR work was considerable. This is not a pleasant build, rather a fight with a lot of compromises and semi-accuracies.
Seriously, if you want a decent 1:100 VF-1, I’d rather recommend the much more modern WAVE kits (including more realistic proportions).
Painting and markings:
The paint scheme for this Super Valkyrie was settled upon before I considered the S-FAST Pack addition: U.N. Spacy’s SVF-124 is authentic, as well as its unique camouflage paint scheme.
The latter is a special scheme for the lunar environment where the unit was originally formed and based, with all-black undersides, a high, wavy waterline and a light grey upper surface, plus some medium grey trim and a few colorful US Navy style markings and codes.
My core reference is a ‘naked’ bread-and-butter VF-1A of SVF-124 in Fighter mode, depicted as a profile in a VF-1 source book from SoftBank Publishing. The colors for the FAST Pack elements are guesstimates and personal interpretations, though, since I could not find any reference for their look in this unit.
As a side note, another, later SVF-124 aircraft in a similar design is included as an option in a limited edition 1:72 VF-22S kit from Hasegawa, which is backed by CG pics in a VF-22 source book from Softbank, too.
Furthermore, SVF-124 finds mention in a Japanese modeler magazine, where the aforementioned VF-22S kit was presented in 2008. So there must be something behind the ‘Moon Shooters’ squadron.
According to the Hasegawa VF-22S’s painting instructions, the underside becomes black and the upper surfaces are to be painted with FS36270 (with some darker fields on the VF-22, though, similar to the USAF F-15 counter-shaded air superiority scheme, just a tad darker).
Due to the 1:100 scale tininess of my VF-1, I alternatively went for Revell 75 (RAL 7039), which is lighter and also has a brownish hue, so that the resulting aircraft would not look too cold and murky, and not resemble an USAF aircraft.
All FAST Pack elements were painted in a uniform dark grey (Humbrol 32), while some subtle decorative trim on the upper surfaces, e.g. the canopy frame, an anti-glare panel and a stripe behind the cockpit and decoration trim on the wings’ upper surfaces, was added with Revell 77 (RAL 7012). Overall, colors are rather dull, but IMHO very effective in the “landscape” this machine is supposed to operate, and the few colorful markings stand out even more!
The cockpit interior was painted in a bluish grey, with reddish brown seat cushions (late 70ies style!), and the landing gear became all white. For some added detail I painted the wings’ leading edges in a mustard tone (Humbrol 225, Mid Stone).
The kit received some weathering (black ink wash, drybrushing on panels) and extra treatment of the panel lines – even though the FAST Pack elements hide a lot of surface or obscure view.
More color and individuality came with the markings. The standard decals like stencils or the U.N. Spacy insignia come from the kit’s and some other VF-1s’ OOB sheets.
Based on the SVF-124 VF-1 profile and taking the basic design a bit further, I used dull red USAF 45° digits for the 2nd flight leader’s “200” modex and the Apollo Base’s code “MA” on the dorsal boosters. Some discreet red trim was also applied to the FAST Packs – but only a little.
Since all of SVF-124’s aircraft are rumored to carry personal markings, including nose art and similar decorations, I tried to give this VF-1JS a personal note: the pin-up badges on the dorsal boosters come from a Peddinghouse decal sheet for Allied WWII tanks, placed on a silver roundel base. Unfortunately (and not visible before I applied them) the pin-up decal was not printed on a white basis, so that the contrast on the silver is not very strong, but I left it that way. Additionally, the tagline “You’re a$$ next, Jerry” (which IS printed in opaque white…?) was added next to the artwork – but it’s so tiny that you have to get really close to decipher it at all…
Finally, after some soot stains around the exhausts and some vernier nozzels with graphite, the kit received a coat of matt acrylic varnish.
Building this vintage VF-1 kit took a while and a lot of effort, but I like the result: with the S-FAST Pack, the elegant VF-1 turned into a massive space fighter hulk! The normal Super Valkyries already look very compact and purposeful, but this here is truly menacing. Especially when standing on its own feet/landing gear, with its nose-down stance and the small, original wheels, this thing reminds of a Space Shuttle that had just landed.
Good that I recently built a simple VF-1 fighter as a warm-up session. ARII’s kit #70 is not a pleasant build, rather a fight with the elements and coupled with a lot of compromises – if you want a Super Valkyrie Fighter in 1:100, the much more modern WAVE kit is IMHO the better option (and actually not much more pricey than this vintage collector’s item). But for the vintage feeling, this exotic model kit was just the right ticket, and it turned, despite many weaknesses and rather corny details, into an impressive fighter. Esp. the lunar camouflage scheme looks odd, but very unique and purposeful.
Anyway, with so many inherent flaws of the ARII kit, my former method of converting a pure (and much more common) Gerwalk kit into a space-capable VF-1 fighter is not less challenging and complicated than trying to fix this OOB option into a decent model. :-/
Vans California Authentic Indigo Herringbone - Wear Test Day 1. I love the way Vans Authentics fade and change as you wear them. Day to day wear and sun take there toll in a distinctive way. I think these ones in particular are going to look amazing as they age. The indigo Herringbone fabric is a great switch up to my usual choice of core navy blue canvas. They have the contrast metal eye holes, upgraded inner sole and take off the foxing stripe and the deal is sealed.
Check out our selction of Vans shoes at : www.flatspot.com/store/vans-footwear-1708-0.html
Casa Poblado & Ebenisteria Jaume, Pal, La Massana, Vall nord, Andorra, Pyrenees
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The Books of Katarina by Adrian Keeley (Feat Kat Verde-Dillingham)
VOLUME 2
CHAPTER NINE
The Keepers of Meaning 1938
The bells of Vienna did not sound different.
That was what unsettled Katarina most.
Cities seldom announced the moment they changed. Stone remained stone. Bridges continued to span rivers. Bakers opened before dawn. Children still hurried to school carrying satchels that swung against their knees.
History rarely arrived with thunder.
More often...
It entered quietly through an unlocked door.
The train crossed into Austria shortly before midnight.
By the time Katarina and Lucien stepped onto the platform, Vienna seemed almost unchanged.
The cafés were still full.
Music drifted through open windows.
A violinist played beneath a gas lamp while couples walked arm in arm along the Kärntner Straße.
Nothing appeared broken.
Yet something had shifted.
People lowered their voices whenever uniforms passed.
Conversations ended before strangers approached.
Shopkeepers looked twice before closing their shutters.
Fear had not replaced ordinary life.
It had merely begun sharing the same pavement.
Katarina stopped.
"Can you feel it?"
Lucien nodded.
"They've arrived before the soldiers."
She looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
"The idea."
The Archive occupied three modest rooms above an antiquarian bookseller's workshop near the old university.
No sign identified the entrance.
Inside, candlelight reflected from carefully ordered shelves filled with ledgers, catalogues and correspondence that stretched back centuries.
Nothing here suggested power.
Only patience.
Waiting for them was Doctor Emil Hartmann.
He stood as they entered.
He was sixty-two, impeccably dressed despite threadbare cuffs, with the careful hands of a conservator who had spent his life repairing paintings others scarcely noticed.
He greeted Katarina warmly.
"I feared you might not come."
"We always come."
He smiled.
"I know."
They spoke until nearly dawn.
Not of politics.
Of paintings.
Of pigments that no longer existed.
Of forgotten techniques.
Of restorations performed so perfectly that future generations never realised the damage had once been there.
Finally Hartmann became quiet.
He looked around the room.
"I've spent forty years preserving paintings."
Katarina listened.
"I thought they were the important thing."
He hesitated.
"I'm no longer certain."
She waited.
"If every conservator disappeared tomorrow..."
"...who would know how to preserve them?"
Silence settled across the room.
Lucien looked towards Katarina.
She understood before either man spoke again.
Later, after Hartmann had retired for the night, Katarina remained alone in the archive room.
The Olympic photographs lay before her.
The cheering crowds.
The stadium.
The fireworks.
David's final photograph rested above them all.
The father removing his own family name.
Three streets away.
She stared at it for a long time.
"We've always preserved memory."
Lucien stood beside the window.
"Yes."
"Since long before I was born."
"Yes."
She touched the edge of David's photograph.
"Then why does this frighten me more than Leuven?"
Lucien crossed the room slowly.
He placed one hand upon the stack of official Olympic photographs.
"They're real."
"I know."
He lifted David's photograph.
"So is this."
She looked between them.
"I don't understand."
He laid both images side by side.
"For centuries..."
"...those who feared history tried to destroy it."
His finger rested lightly upon the photograph of the stadium.
"Now they intend something more dangerous."
He looked at her.
"They intend to replace it."
The words remained in the room long after they had been spoken.
Over the following weeks the Archive altered nothing.
Its purpose remained exactly as it had always been.
Its methods became more disciplined.
Every testimony would now be matched with another.
Every photograph supported by letters.
Every official document balanced against private diaries.
Every newspaper compared with eyewitness accounts.
Not because truth had become more valuable.
Because lies had become more sophisticated.
Katarina wrote the new directive herself.
She used only one sentence.
No memory shall stand alone where another witness may yet be found.
She closed the ledger.
Leuven had taught them that memory could burn.
Berlin had taught them that memory could be rewritten.
The Archive would answer both.
By early April the visitors had changed.
They no longer arrived carrying trunks filled with manuscripts.
Instead they came with questions.
A dismissed schoolmaster.
A synagogue librarian.
A museum registrar.
A village historian.
A music teacher.
None believed themselves important.
Each apologised for taking the Archive's time.
Each carried something no catalogue had ever recorded.
One afternoon an elderly cantor unfolded a single sheet of music.
"There is nothing remarkable about this."
Katarina examined it.
The notation seemed ordinary.
He smiled gently.
"The notes are ordinary."
She looked up.
"The pauses aren't."
He tapped the paper.
"My grandfather taught them to me."
"His grandfather taught him."
"They were never written."
"If I die..."
"...the music changes forever."
Katarina carefully returned the page.
It suddenly felt heavier than parchment should.
That evening she walked with Lucien beside the Danube.
The river reflected the city lights without judgment.
"I've been thinking about Hartmann."
Lucien smiled faintly.
"So have I."
"We've always preserved libraries."
"Yes."
She stopped walking.
"But libraries cannot explain themselves."
"No."
She turned towards the water.
"A manuscript cannot remember who read it."
"No."
"A photograph cannot tell us what happened before the shutter opened."
Lucien looked across the river.
"Nor after."
She understood.
For nearly two centuries the Archive had believed its greatest responsibility lay upon the shelves.
Now she realised another truth.
Sometimes memory lived inside people.
Sometimes an entire civilisation survived within a single voice.
The names began appearing quietly.
Not lists of the famous.
Never that.
Hartmann.
The librarian from Leopoldstadt.
A village schoolmistress from the Tyrol.
A conservator from Graz.
Two archivists dismissed from municipal service.
Three cantors.
A linguist.
An elderly woman who alone could still read a medieval dialect spoken in one mountain valley.
Beside each name the Archive recorded only practical questions.
Who could offer employment?
Who could provide introductions?
Who possessed spare rooms?
Which institutions abroad required experienced hands?
No fortunes changed hands.
No governments were manipulated.
Only opportunities were created.
Enough for knowledge to keep breathing.
Late one evening Hartmann returned carrying a small wooden box.
Inside lay dozens of tiny labels.
Each had once been attached to paintings inside the museum.
He placed them carefully upon the table.
"They're worthless."
Katarina picked one up.
The handwriting was elegant.
"Why bring them?"
"Because I know which painting every one belongs to."
He smiled sadly.
"If I disappear..."
"...they become scraps of paper."
She looked at him.
"And if you don't?"
He closed the lid.
"They remain a map."
After he had gone, Lucien remained staring at the box.
"Curious."
"What?"
"We spent generations believing the greatest treasures were behind locked doors."
Katarina nodded.
"They never were."
He looked at the empty chair Hartmann had occupied.
"The treasures have always walked in under their own power."
That night, before dawn forced them below ground, Katarina made one final entry in the Archive ledger.
Not a new mission.
Not a change in purpose.
Only an observation.
Books preserve words.
Photographs preserve moments.
Records preserve facts.
But people preserve meaning.
If meaning is lost, the archive becomes a room full of beautiful silence.
She sanded the ink.
Closed the book.
Lucien quietly asks,
"Is it enough?"
Katarina does not answer.
Instead...
She extinguishes the lamp.
End Volume Two.
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Image Prompt - Ultra-photorealistic cinematic historical drama, 16:9, IMAX quality, Netflix prestige production still. Night beside the Danube River, Vienna, 1938. Wet cobblestone promenade glistening after rain, elegant stone embankment, warm gas lamps reflected across the dark water, illuminated bridges and historic Viennese skyline fading into soft mist. MANDATORY KATARINA IDENTITY LOCK — preserve her exact locked facial geometry: heart-shaped face, high cheekbones, almond blue-grey eyes, refined straight nose, full lips, warm porcelain complexion, long thick naturally curly golden-blonde hair exactly matching the canonical reference. Wearing an elegant authentic 1938 deep burgundy wool coat with subtle fur collar over a cream high-neck silk blouse, fitted gloves, period skirt and leather shoes. MANDATORY LUCIEN IDENTITY LOCK — preserve his exact locked facial geometry: lean aristocratic face, strong jaw, deep-set eyes, long wavy black hair to the shoulders, pale complexion, clean-shaven. Wearing a tailored charcoal 1938 double-breasted overcoat, three-piece suit, white shirt, dark tie, polished leather shoes. They walk side-by-side in quiet conversation, looking at one another with thoughtful expressions, hands relaxed, no romance pose. Moody atmospheric lighting, authentic 1938 wardrobe, cinematic depth, shallow DOF, HDR, razor-sharp focus, realistic skin texture, natural colour grading, subtle film grain, museum-quality historical realism, no illustration, no fantasy elements, no watermark.
Pic, Prompt and Story by Adrian
Best Lodging near Raja Ampat Island – Raja Ampat is one of the beautiful island in Indonesia, not only in Indonesia, but Raja Ampat is already renowned worldwide. underwater beauty make tourists feel awe. The coral reefs of various kinds to make this island called paradise of coral reef. for those of you who are going on holiday to Raja Ampat, I recommend the following is the best lodging near Raja Ampat islands
Agusta Eco Resort
Agusta Eco Resort offers pet-friendly accommodation in Besir. The resort has an outdoor pool and views of the sea, and guests can enjoy a meal at the restaurant.
Some rooms feature a seating area for your convenience. All rooms have a private bathroom.
Misool Eco Resort
Misool Eco Resort is one of the most remote dive resorts on the planet, located in pristine surroundings on the island Batbitim in the southern region of Raja Ampat, West Papua. Misool Eco Resort is located on a private island, nestled deep in a vast archipelago of mostly uninhabited islands, Widely Considered the richest, most bio-diverse regions in the world dive. They are surrounded by our own 1220 sq km Marine Protected Area. All of Reviews their dive sites are within Reviews their own Patrolled No-Take Zone.
Raja Ampat Dive LodgeRaja Ampat Dive Lodge offers sweeping views of the sea and free Wi-Fi access. Property located in Sorong provide a comfortable resting place. This accommodation can be reached in two hours by speedboat from Pier Mina Enterprises.
This beachfront property offers rooms with a fan, a seating area, wardrobe and desk. Attached bathrooms are equipped with hot shower facilities / cold, hair dryers, and complimentary toiletries.
Restaurant serves Western food and accommodation Indonesia. You can relax in the garden or terrace.
Raja Ampat Dive Resort
Raja Ampat Dive Resort is located on one of the islands in the Raja Ampat offers accommodation stunning seaside getaway, with full-board service at the property diving center, a restaurant and free Wi-Fi access in public areas.
It takes a 20 minute boat ride from the hotel to go Waiseo, capital of Raja Ampat, while service in Sorong Dominique Edward Osok reachable by ferry ride about 2 hours from Sorong Port, and continued minute drive to the airport.
Sorido Bay Resort
Sorido Bay Resort is located a short 15 minute walk along the beach (during low tide) from its sister property Kri Eco Resort. The resort which opened in 2004 is built to offer all western comforts, combining modern and traditional Papuan building methods. The results are confortable beachfront bungalows, completely integrated in nature with one of the world’s richest dive sites as its house reef.
The bungalows are extremely spacious and comfortable, with en suite bathroom, satellite TV, air conditioning, fan, and mini bar. Each room Also has a spacious camera work table with both 220V and 110V power outlets, as well as a camera rinsing area. Tastefully decorated with authentic Papuan artifacts, each bungalow has a private verandah that offers breathtaking views of Cape Kri.
That’s some of the best lodging near Raja Ampat Island. i hope these recommendations can help you find lodging that suits your needs.
by New Hotel Travel in ift.tt/1rsFKZO
Authentic Parmesan cheese, from producer to consumer, I captured the sale in a street market with its smells and its traditions.
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Authentic Dess, November, 2024
In the Album: SMOKING VDEOS
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Description from the back - "Inside these golden doors are priceless waxen figures of world-famous movie and television stars - past and present - lavishly costumed, stopped in action in authentic settings reminiscent of their best-known roles. Standing at the entrance is one of the Museum's two gold-finished Rolls-Royces."
Published by SeniKrome and distributed by Golden West.
Postmarked Long Beach, CA September 24, 1962 - "Hi, Just a line before leaving for work. Hot here - 92. Yesterday went to the Wax Museum yesterday. Enjoyed it very much. Had a figure of Marilyn Monroe + Jean Harlow reclining on a white chair lounging. Have you heard any more from my mink??? Gerry"