Entropy (First Contact)

space is so close and yet completely inaccessible.

Orville Wright soared a mere 10 feet in the air for a distance of barely 120 feet,

should the cabin depressurize, everyone would be unconscious within 10 to 15 seconds.

Because of this, safety dictates that there is always one pilot seated in the cockpit. Even when flying on autopilot, there must always be a pilot seated and ready to don an oxygen mask in an emergency.

South America’s geography is unique in that the land is largely flat and then, suddenly, the Andes rise where the continental plate collides with the Pacific plate. Over a hundred peaks rise to 7,000 meters or over 20,000 feet,

In the Rangers, we have a saying: if you don’t need to stand, sit. If you don’t need to sit, lie down. If you don’t need to be awake—” “Sleep,”

It’s rare to run into actual monsters, those doing it for the thrill, those who would kill.” “But there are some that do it for the thrill?” the major asks. “Yep. They’re like a cat with a mouse… There’s something in their eyes, something flickering within the depths of their souls, something bypassing reason and morals. Now, those guys. They’re the ones you don’t want to run into. For them, everything’s a calculation.” “A calculation?” “Yep. They’re only ever thinking about what you can do for them. Can you help them or not? Are they better off with you dead or alive? Stuff like that.” “And if the answer is dead?” Lisa pulls her fingernail across her throat. “And you’ve run into these guys?” McCallum asks, and it strikes Lisa that the major has only ever seen people like this down the sight of a rifle or on the black-and-white infrared video feed of an inbound missile. He’s never met one of these monsters in person. “Yes. They think in very simplistic terms. To them, you’re a door. That’s all. You’re either open or closed. If you’re open, they’ll walk on through and take what they want. If you’re closed, they’ll kick down the door. Either way, they’re gonna get what they want.”

capitalism lifted us out of poverty, and destroyed the environment.” “Ouroboros.”

“One drop—a single drop—contains more atoms than there are stars in this galaxy. That glass of water contains more atoms than there are stars in all the galaxies in the entire universe!”

Life defies entropy.”