I may write a little more in the morning, for a bigger day. Should have alot more time. Tonight I thought through, re-designed, and implemented my most complex algorithm yet for the game. It sorts the players by their z coord, which I needed for the grappling system. ... She felt her own body became insubstantial. A vision passed before her eyes. She held her hands to her chest, desperate to staunch the flow of the deep, warm liquid. Her own heart had been torn away. She looked out upon a grassy field; its perfect verdure, the scattered stones-- littered with the bodies of soldiers. A great rift had opened in the earth, belching black smoke from deliriously whirring engines. Her gloves and tunic were glistening black as she stumbled toward the rift; as if she might understand if only she could see more clearly within. A soldier called to her and she turned toward him. Ralphel stared back at her whence he lay upon the upturned ground, half buried... or.... His helmet was cloven shear away. His chain cowl mangled and black. ... And then she heard Ralphel's voice. She squinted through her fingers to see him hurrying across the chamber, cutting the mists into violent whorls. The light was gone. "Urcea!" her childhood friend cried to her. He rushed to where she lay fallen, eased his arm under her shoulders and turned her toward him. She buried her face in the hard leather of his pauldrons and wept. After a time, he said quietly, "So you had one too-- a vision, I mean." She nodded meekly. "Was there a war?" he asked. Her eyes shot up, searching his face. It was the same Ralphel she'd always known, harder now, travel-worn, but the good natured eyes, the brotherly smile. Right down to the green flecks in his amber eyes. Her throat protested, but she managed: "Y-yes." He smiled. "It's going to be glorious. I shall be a general after all." "But... I thought you wanted to buy out your commision and retire?" "Well, of course." "So you're going to be able to buy out a general's commision?"