Displaying items by tag: Benjamin Keeling

Monday, 08 July 2024 16:05

No Heroes, Part 4: A definition of stress

No Heroes
Part 4: A definition of stress

by null0trooper

"Everybody knows the fight was fixed
The poor stay poor, the rich get rich"
— Leonard Cohen, "Everybody Knows"


Monday, 08 July 2024 16:00

No Heroes, Part 3: Memory's crooked lane

No Heroes
Part 3: Memory's crooked lane

by null0trooper

Some people come to Academy because they need to, some come because they are needed. How far a person will go for a second chance can be as revealing as a light in the darkness. A candle ground underfoot along the way tells a darker, but no less important, tale. Which will you choose to remember when your own book is signed and closed?


"I've been a fool, I've been cruel to myself
I've been hanging onto nothing
When nothing could be worse than hanging on"
— Ruth Moody, "Heaven When We're Home"

Monday, 24 June 2024 20:00

No Heroes, Part 2: Hard wakeup calls

No Heroes
Part 2: Hard wakeup calls

by null0trooper

"Everybody knows that the war is over
Everybody knows that the good guys lost."
— Leonard Cohen, "Everybody Knows"

 

Monday, 27 May 2024 04:00

No Heroes, Part 1: New to the neighborhood

No Heroes
Part 1: New to the neighborhood

by null0trooper

Benjamin needs a new coat, a roommate, a clue or two, and maybe someone should inventory the rocks in his head. It's all good for something at Whateley Academy.

A/N: Thanks go out to Wasamon, Domoviye, and Amethyst for help with the Student Orientation.


"Everybody knows that the dice are loaded
Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed."
— Leonard Cohen, "Everybody Knows"

Tuesday, 14 March 2023 00:00

Icejack's Very Sucky, No Good, Combat Final

Icejack's Very Sucky, No Good, Combat Final

by

null0trooper

Fall 2015 Combat Final: Bystander vs. Icejack. Ooopsie!

We often see how Whateley Academy's combat finals go. But what comes after the grades are recorded, and the crowd's attention shifts to the next spectacle?


A Whateley Academy Tale

 

Triptych
Part 3: Arabesque pour une Garrison Chinoise

by

null0trooper

Shadowing an office-bound employee should be child's play for an AI capable of tapping any electronic device the employee touches. Colombine has two weeks to learn the high-stakes game said employee is playing. How Benjamin plans to cash in his chips and who's looking over his shoulder remain a mystery.


Monday, 27 June 2022 08:00

Triptych, Part 2: Count Zero Concerto

A Whateley Academy Tale

Triptych
Part 2: Count Zero in Concerto

by

null0trooper

Just before midnight, January 6, 2017,
Elmendorf Air Force Base

"We are on standby for take-off. The seatbelt light is on. Passengers, please return to your seats if you haven't already."

Benjamin was still dead to the world, and if it weren't for his seatbelt, he would have slid out of his seat by now. Colombine amused herself by sabotaging Kota Kobayakawa's attempts to call out on his phone despite security restrictions. The various numbers he'd tried to reach could be extended into a useful exercise in social network analysis. Once they were clear of the air base and Anchorage, she let him try his luck with the extensive cell coverage in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.


Monday, 13 June 2022 08:00

Triptych, Part 1: Solo Bransle for A Minor

A Whateley Academy Tale

Triptych
Part 1: Solo Bransle for A Minor

by

null0trooper

In which Benjamin Keeling and his personal assistant, Colombine, set off on the journey to his new school. He's traveling in good company and high spirits, even as he dreams of another life.


Monday, 16 May 2022 20:00

So Not A Date (A Parents Day Incident)

A Whateley Academy Tale

So Not A Date
(A Parents Day Incident)

by

null0trooper

Parents Day! A Whateley tradition devised to show families how their little monsters are settling in amidst the many challenges of an enriching academic environment. In some cases, the message is "See? Our buildings are still standing. Do you think you could do as well with that kid of yours for what you're paying?"

Benjamin Keeling's only visiting on a job. It's only a coincidence that he's visiting today, and it's not like he's checking up on anyone. Nope!