- Location
- U.S.
The death star is inside the library's holographic krell's head's eye socket
Til I Change Your Mind (Mass Effect Krogan SI)
- Thread starter Stratagemini
- Start date
So I was pondering how plausible it was to do the whole automated conversion of Ganymede into a spaceship over a thousand years and decided to do a little maths. I assumed a VI controlled mining and general construction robot that can mine enough materials, refine them and assemble them into a perfect copy of itself or something of equivalent complexity once per year which seems conservative but it's a generalist robot not specialist for the different roles. Think fusion torch refiner, small chemical plant, 3D printers and atomic vapour deposition plus small lithography setup. Now the idea is it builds more of itself BOM Neumann style till it has enough to do the task.
So how long would it take from the first unit to enough to convert an entire moon? Well replicating once a year so 1 becomes 2, 2 become 4 after two years etc…
Well it would take less than 160 years to make every single atom in a planet the size of Ganymede into robot/anything else it could build. Exponential growth is insane.
So how long would it take from the first unit to enough to convert an entire moon? Well replicating once a year so 1 becomes 2, 2 become 4 after two years etc…
Well it would take less than 160 years to make every single atom in a planet the size of Ganymede into robot/anything else it could build. Exponential growth is insane.
- Location
- U.S.
Krell: I don't just have a Attack Moon, I have Attack Systems -God Emperor Krell
Have to admit I wouldn't stop after the first one either lol. After you have done one leave a few million replicator bots left over, have em build little ftl ships and spend the next 800 years spreading and converting amongst worlds/moons outside the network until the day the reapers arrive so does the million strong War World fleet of the Krell armada. Let's see how the reapers deal with being outnumbered by 3000km long spinal rail cannons.
Archivist Grim
Totally not AI
- Location
- The abyss
- Pronouns
- He/Him/They
"Face the power of Gigastrucutal Engineering!"
- Location
- U.S.
Imagine if Krell sent out some self replicating VI's to another galaxy with orders to convert the galaxy into a giant ship, and it arrives just in time for the reaper invasion?
Krell? Why is that galaxy getting close to us?
Don't be silly, galaxies don't move.
Oh thats good I thought I was going mad-
That's obviously the Attack Galaxy I had made in secret finally arriving
$#%$%&@!?!?!?
Krell? Why is that galaxy getting close to us?
Don't be silly, galaxies don't move.
Oh thats good I thought I was going mad-
That's obviously the Attack Galaxy I had made in secret finally arriving
$#%$%&@!?!?!?
JennyDracos
Eccentric Hugging Lady
- Location
- Chicago
I remember reading a Star Trek novel where someone suggests that a more advanced race than the Federation might just find it cost-effective to rig up random asteroids to automatically build a hidden fleet base complete with fleet, all around the galaxy, just in case they happen to be in the area and need a fleet.
This story... has made me question everyone ELSE's sanity for following along the 2000 Year Old Krogan Ex-Warlord/Ex-Poet/Ex-Engineer/several other Ex's (all Ex because he isn't paid enough for this shit)
Also how the fuck did he hollow out a Moon enough for both the library, and everything needed for the Eezo Core, Weapons, Shields/Barriers and other shit? and how much fucking money does this Krogan HAVE to make this financially possible, because moving a SMALL Moon even slowly is fucking ridiculous.
Also how the fuck did he hollow out a Moon enough for both the library, and everything needed for the Eezo Core, Weapons, Shields/Barriers and other shit? and how much fucking money does this Krogan HAVE to make this financially possible, because moving a SMALL Moon even slowly is fucking ridiculous.
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
Read the story itself.
He didn't do this by paying for it; he did this by having von Neumann machines go to work a very long time ago (when he was powerful because of being a warlord) and let them chug away at the project for the past thousand years or more.
If the Council races had known he was building this- that is to say, if he had ever done anything meaningful with it, even once- then they would have destroyed it, killed him, or both.
- Location
- U.S.
things are a lot cheaper when you don't have to pay for labor, or the materials, or even some of the parts
JennyDracos
Eccentric Hugging Lady
- Location
- Chicago
The first would probably only be by accident. Some more Salarians would probably go mad when they realized their transmissions were in hardcopy, but it's not like his calendar hasn't killed more than a few anyway - and having a copy of everyone else's transmissions would make it worth it. The problem would come when the Asari decided they wanted it, and the Great Library of
The second - heck, the only reason Krell made it this far was his general irrelevance once his clan decided his decision to stay out of the Krogan Rebellions was dumb. "Yeah, Krell's still around. Hey, did you hear his calendar has events five hundred years from now? What a kidder, right?" "Well, he is a 'Krogan scholar'...ahahaha!"
Space Battles site has the author stating facts about how cheap the costs are when you are an excellent engineer and the wait time for a project is infinite.
Stratagemini
Totally a Fire Ferret.
- Location
- Central Park
- Pronouns
- He/Him/They/Them
Very. And way beyond Krell's skill to program VIs to create.
CHAPTER 48: Hammer to Fall
Stratagemini
Totally a Fire Ferret.
- Location
- Central Park
- Pronouns
- He/Him/They/Them
CHAPTER 48: Hammer to Fall
Somewhat surprisingly, the sudden arrival of a new planetoid in the Omega system did cause some momentary chaos.
But I did get an opportunity to test the point defense systems!
They were garbage. It turns out it's actually somewhat hard to intercept small pieces of matter traveling at significant portions of the speed of light. Who knew?
Me, obviously. But now also Grunt, and Charr! And Liara, I guess, but I'm not sure what use she'd have for the knowledge.
Anyway, once I transmitted the IFF codes Javik had given me the shooting died down at least.
Of course next thing I knew, I was being hailed.
'Krell! My friend! You brought a planet?' he asked, surprised.
'Technically a moon.' I corrected.
'A moon? Is bringing a moon some strange new custom of this cycle when seeing old friends?' Javik asked, confused.
Excellent question that! I pondered the conundrum for a second.
To the best of my knowledge the answer was 'No.' Still, there really are no bad questions, only disappointing answers.
'It's my library, Javik.' I explained.
Javik paused a second for me to elaborate and as much fun as staring at Javik until he asked a follow up question might be, I really couldn't afford to mess with the avatar of Prothean vengeance more than I had to.
'It should be able to serve as a fairly an adequate, if not perfect flagship against the Reapers. With a little renovation it should be easy to coordinate entire fleets with each other, as well as serve as logistical hub, field hospital, and tactical bunker. It can also work as a carrier in a pinch.' I explained, quite proud of what I'd built.
'Indeed? How did you acquire such a thing? This is beyond the scale of even my cycle.' Javik inquired, sounding fascinated.
'I had some VIs and drones, and a few mechs, and a lot of time. I made it from scratch. Well, the moon I found. But the rest was made from scratch.' I admitted freely.
Javik nodded, solemnly.
'You called this a library? Does that word no longer have the same meaning it did in my cycle? It looks like a battle station.' Javik probed.
'Yeah, after your beacons failed and broke and vanished I figured I could keep the knowledge of this cycle in something a bit sturdier and easier to find. It has all the standard anti-ship and boarding defenses of a library this size.' I didn't mention that those defenses were standard only because my library was in fact the only library of its size.
'A library that doubles as a battle station and a central command center? Let no one say that you lack for a sense of whimsy, my friend! But I know you. You always have a plan behind even the most seemingly random of acts. So why did you really build such a thing as this library?' Javik wondered, sounding keenly interested.
None of what I told him was untrue of course. I had built it to be a library! But of course Javik was right too when he pointed out that I had another motive behind bringing it here where it might end up destroyed in battle rather than leaving it in dark space where the knowledge would be preserved.
'Like I said, I meant it as a library. But it occurs to me that your Empire needs something like the Citadel. A neutral spot for military and diplomatic cooperation. One which can defend itself and evade attacks on it. And my library is a lot better suited to that than Omega.' I admitted with an easy grin.
Liara could handle leaving behind a legacy of the knowledge of the Citadel races. This wasn't the Citadel's library, this was a Krogan library, and as a Krogan library it would be doing its part to help us win this war.
'Hah! More of your plans, my friend! Truly you are an oracle to foresee our needs so well! What then is our next move?' Javik asked, excited.
There really was only one play now that Javik had kicked off his empire. The inverse of Shepard's plan, really.
'We cement this Empire as a polity; something that will cause the Citadel to mobilize and drill and prepare. We need allies and citizens; and I have plans to get us both.' I explained.
'Excellent. What do you need?' Javik asked, easy as can be.
It probably helped that much like the equivalent word in the Prothean dialect that Javik spoke, the Krogan word I used could mean 'citizens' and 'soldiers' interchangeably.
'The ability to negotiate treaties and make laws for the Empire in your name. Also, a ship, so we can get where we're going.' I stated, carefully not mentioning that I also needed the ship for other reasons. Other reasons like avoiding awkward family reunions. I got the feeling that Javik wouldn't approve. Or he'd tell me more about Prothean breeding habits. Either way I'd lose. No reason to let that happen.
'You shall have both. Who do you plan to enlist?' Javik asked.
'You already have the Drell and Hanar. As a practical manner if not a legal one. That's a good start, but we have an opportunity in the races the citadel has passed over, the Geth and the Quarians.'
'And the Krogan?' Javik deduced.
'Exactly.' I agreed.
'I do not like treating with the machines.' Javik admitted.
'If we do not treat them as fellow sentients and deal with them as such, we will continue to have the problem of machines rising up against us. The Geth are predisposed to us, and willing to communicate and use diplomacy. We'll never get a better chance to try.' I explained.
'I do not like it, but I have done many things I do not like and will do many more in this fight against the Reapers... You have the authority you need. Take 'The Friendly Headbutt' as your diplomatic courier. You are no longer just my chief strategist. You are now also the head of my diplomatic corps.' Javik proclaimed, after a slight hesitation.
'Wonderful.' I replied, perhaps a bit less pleased than Javik intended for me to be at his announcement.
Well, the reward for a job well done was more work. Time to see if I can manage to build something that can withstand the Reapers... and beyond.
That reminds me! The Krogan naval tradition! I suppose I'd need to keep this conversation going a little longer after all.
I zoomed my camera out so that Javik could see the minions I had flanking my throne.
'One last thing before I head out, Javik.'
I gestured to my left.
'This is Grunt. He's currently in charge of training and supervising the Krogan Fleet. We currently have a military pact with Wrex's new unnamed Krogan polity. I'll work on making that something more solid.'
I gestured to my right.
'Liara here is my Granddaughter and Chief Underling in Charge of Intelligence Operations. If you need to know something, ask her. She'll be running the library while I'm gone.'
Javik nodded. 'Excellent. I knew I made the right decision appointing you as my chief strategist. I look forward to what other surprises you have in store.'
'You aren't the only one!' I smiled back, obliquely referencing my own curiosity as to what the hell I was going to do next. The timeline was out the window now. With Cerberus shattered and the Prothean empire reborn there was no way that things could remain the same as the future I remembered playing through.
The Reapers were probably on the same time scale since Shepard blew up that solar system. But beyond that? Who knew?
'Hah! Such confidence! Very well. I must manage the transition to the new wartime capitol of my Empire which you have brought me. Go and enact our vengeance!' Javik pronounced before ending the call.
'Real sense of melodrama and bombast, that one.' I observed hypocritically as I stared at the now-blank screen.
I turned to Grunt and Liara. 'I'm going to need you to keep an eye on things here, Liara. Keep me informed. I suspect that I'll be working with Legion, Wrex, and Tali, so I shouldn't need all that much assistance intelligence-wise. But if something big happens back here I need to know about it. Grunt, start setting up a formal structure for training Wrex's forces. Regardless of if the Krogan join this empire or not, we're gonna need that.'
'You made Legion, Tali, and Wrex the chief ambassadors of their races.' Liara realized.
'Wrex was always going to unite the Krogan. Don't give me credit for that. Also I think Legion was designed to be an ambassador.' I corrected.
'You made our friends the only ambassadors capable of having these talks, and now you're going to talk them into creating a rival for the Citadel. You even built a rival to the Citadel. Grandfather, how long have you been planning this?' Liara asked, shocked.
'Would you believe 5 minutes?' I asked, completely serious. Well, it was more like the past couple of days, but that's close enough in scale.
'No.' Grunt chimed in.
'It's funny how things happen sometimes, isn't it?' I grin.
'Yeah. Funny.' Liara looked at me suspiciously.
'Alright! You all know your missions! It's time to do some diplomacy!' I announced as bombastically as I could.
Liara rolled her eyes, but headed off to her office. Grunt took a seat at the helm.
The races of the galaxy were better through cooperation and peace. We were better when we worked together.
Beyond the vaguest of plans, I had no idea how the hell we going to accomplish that; but so far we were off to a great start!
___________________
Author's Note: Honestly this chapter kind of feels like an epilogue to me. Of course, there are several more months before Shepard's let out for good behavior. Technically speaking Krell has a plan. But the plan is "Smile like you know what you're doing and desperately improvise."
Hammer to Fall is one of Queen's best songs. It's weird I never see it on lists of the best Queen Songs. It's always Fat Bottom Girls and Another One Bites the Dust; never Hammer to Fall and Teo Torriatte. That's honestly kind of a shame, I think. Hammer to fall is all about waiting for an impending nuclear holocaust to wipe out all life on earth. The numbers are a bit bigger in Mass Effect, but I think the general vibe of the song conforms pretty well to the interregnum period between ME2 and ME3 just the same.
Somewhat surprisingly, the sudden arrival of a new planetoid in the Omega system did cause some momentary chaos.
But I did get an opportunity to test the point defense systems!
They were garbage. It turns out it's actually somewhat hard to intercept small pieces of matter traveling at significant portions of the speed of light. Who knew?
Me, obviously. But now also Grunt, and Charr! And Liara, I guess, but I'm not sure what use she'd have for the knowledge.
Anyway, once I transmitted the IFF codes Javik had given me the shooting died down at least.
Of course next thing I knew, I was being hailed.
'Krell! My friend! You brought a planet?' he asked, surprised.
'Technically a moon.' I corrected.
'A moon? Is bringing a moon some strange new custom of this cycle when seeing old friends?' Javik asked, confused.
Excellent question that! I pondered the conundrum for a second.
To the best of my knowledge the answer was 'No.' Still, there really are no bad questions, only disappointing answers.
'It's my library, Javik.' I explained.
Javik paused a second for me to elaborate and as much fun as staring at Javik until he asked a follow up question might be, I really couldn't afford to mess with the avatar of Prothean vengeance more than I had to.
'It should be able to serve as a fairly an adequate, if not perfect flagship against the Reapers. With a little renovation it should be easy to coordinate entire fleets with each other, as well as serve as logistical hub, field hospital, and tactical bunker. It can also work as a carrier in a pinch.' I explained, quite proud of what I'd built.
'Indeed? How did you acquire such a thing? This is beyond the scale of even my cycle.' Javik inquired, sounding fascinated.
'I had some VIs and drones, and a few mechs, and a lot of time. I made it from scratch. Well, the moon I found. But the rest was made from scratch.' I admitted freely.
Javik nodded, solemnly.
'You called this a library? Does that word no longer have the same meaning it did in my cycle? It looks like a battle station.' Javik probed.
'Yeah, after your beacons failed and broke and vanished I figured I could keep the knowledge of this cycle in something a bit sturdier and easier to find. It has all the standard anti-ship and boarding defenses of a library this size.' I didn't mention that those defenses were standard only because my library was in fact the only library of its size.
'A library that doubles as a battle station and a central command center? Let no one say that you lack for a sense of whimsy, my friend! But I know you. You always have a plan behind even the most seemingly random of acts. So why did you really build such a thing as this library?' Javik wondered, sounding keenly interested.
None of what I told him was untrue of course. I had built it to be a library! But of course Javik was right too when he pointed out that I had another motive behind bringing it here where it might end up destroyed in battle rather than leaving it in dark space where the knowledge would be preserved.
'Like I said, I meant it as a library. But it occurs to me that your Empire needs something like the Citadel. A neutral spot for military and diplomatic cooperation. One which can defend itself and evade attacks on it. And my library is a lot better suited to that than Omega.' I admitted with an easy grin.
Liara could handle leaving behind a legacy of the knowledge of the Citadel races. This wasn't the Citadel's library, this was a Krogan library, and as a Krogan library it would be doing its part to help us win this war.
'Hah! More of your plans, my friend! Truly you are an oracle to foresee our needs so well! What then is our next move?' Javik asked, excited.
There really was only one play now that Javik had kicked off his empire. The inverse of Shepard's plan, really.
'We cement this Empire as a polity; something that will cause the Citadel to mobilize and drill and prepare. We need allies and citizens; and I have plans to get us both.' I explained.
'Excellent. What do you need?' Javik asked, easy as can be.
It probably helped that much like the equivalent word in the Prothean dialect that Javik spoke, the Krogan word I used could mean 'citizens' and 'soldiers' interchangeably.
'The ability to negotiate treaties and make laws for the Empire in your name. Also, a ship, so we can get where we're going.' I stated, carefully not mentioning that I also needed the ship for other reasons. Other reasons like avoiding awkward family reunions. I got the feeling that Javik wouldn't approve. Or he'd tell me more about Prothean breeding habits. Either way I'd lose. No reason to let that happen.
'You shall have both. Who do you plan to enlist?' Javik asked.
'You already have the Drell and Hanar. As a practical manner if not a legal one. That's a good start, but we have an opportunity in the races the citadel has passed over, the Geth and the Quarians.'
'And the Krogan?' Javik deduced.
'Exactly.' I agreed.
'I do not like treating with the machines.' Javik admitted.
'If we do not treat them as fellow sentients and deal with them as such, we will continue to have the problem of machines rising up against us. The Geth are predisposed to us, and willing to communicate and use diplomacy. We'll never get a better chance to try.' I explained.
'I do not like it, but I have done many things I do not like and will do many more in this fight against the Reapers... You have the authority you need. Take 'The Friendly Headbutt' as your diplomatic courier. You are no longer just my chief strategist. You are now also the head of my diplomatic corps.' Javik proclaimed, after a slight hesitation.
'Wonderful.' I replied, perhaps a bit less pleased than Javik intended for me to be at his announcement.
Well, the reward for a job well done was more work. Time to see if I can manage to build something that can withstand the Reapers... and beyond.
That reminds me! The Krogan naval tradition! I suppose I'd need to keep this conversation going a little longer after all.
I zoomed my camera out so that Javik could see the minions I had flanking my throne.
'One last thing before I head out, Javik.'
I gestured to my left.
'This is Grunt. He's currently in charge of training and supervising the Krogan Fleet. We currently have a military pact with Wrex's new unnamed Krogan polity. I'll work on making that something more solid.'
I gestured to my right.
'Liara here is my Granddaughter and Chief Underling in Charge of Intelligence Operations. If you need to know something, ask her. She'll be running the library while I'm gone.'
Javik nodded. 'Excellent. I knew I made the right decision appointing you as my chief strategist. I look forward to what other surprises you have in store.'
'You aren't the only one!' I smiled back, obliquely referencing my own curiosity as to what the hell I was going to do next. The timeline was out the window now. With Cerberus shattered and the Prothean empire reborn there was no way that things could remain the same as the future I remembered playing through.
The Reapers were probably on the same time scale since Shepard blew up that solar system. But beyond that? Who knew?
'Hah! Such confidence! Very well. I must manage the transition to the new wartime capitol of my Empire which you have brought me. Go and enact our vengeance!' Javik pronounced before ending the call.
'Real sense of melodrama and bombast, that one.' I observed hypocritically as I stared at the now-blank screen.
I turned to Grunt and Liara. 'I'm going to need you to keep an eye on things here, Liara. Keep me informed. I suspect that I'll be working with Legion, Wrex, and Tali, so I shouldn't need all that much assistance intelligence-wise. But if something big happens back here I need to know about it. Grunt, start setting up a formal structure for training Wrex's forces. Regardless of if the Krogan join this empire or not, we're gonna need that.'
'You made Legion, Tali, and Wrex the chief ambassadors of their races.' Liara realized.
'Wrex was always going to unite the Krogan. Don't give me credit for that. Also I think Legion was designed to be an ambassador.' I corrected.
'You made our friends the only ambassadors capable of having these talks, and now you're going to talk them into creating a rival for the Citadel. You even built a rival to the Citadel. Grandfather, how long have you been planning this?' Liara asked, shocked.
'Would you believe 5 minutes?' I asked, completely serious. Well, it was more like the past couple of days, but that's close enough in scale.
'No.' Grunt chimed in.
'It's funny how things happen sometimes, isn't it?' I grin.
'Yeah. Funny.' Liara looked at me suspiciously.
'Alright! You all know your missions! It's time to do some diplomacy!' I announced as bombastically as I could.
Liara rolled her eyes, but headed off to her office. Grunt took a seat at the helm.
The races of the galaxy were better through cooperation and peace. We were better when we worked together.
Beyond the vaguest of plans, I had no idea how the hell we going to accomplish that; but so far we were off to a great start!
___________________
Author's Note: Honestly this chapter kind of feels like an epilogue to me. Of course, there are several more months before Shepard's let out for good behavior. Technically speaking Krell has a plan. But the plan is "Smile like you know what you're doing and desperately improvise."
Hammer to Fall is one of Queen's best songs. It's weird I never see it on lists of the best Queen Songs. It's always Fat Bottom Girls and Another One Bites the Dust; never Hammer to Fall and Teo Torriatte. That's honestly kind of a shame, I think. Hammer to fall is all about waiting for an impending nuclear holocaust to wipe out all life on earth. The numbers are a bit bigger in Mass Effect, but I think the general vibe of the song conforms pretty well to the interregnum period between ME2 and ME3 just the same.
Ghost in a wall
Just a bit spooky
No, see, people are going to go "When did he make that... Oh shit, he's so old, he could have started infrastructure to make it a thousand years ago and have an armada of the things!" Which will be halarious, for a variety of reasons.
Man, Gigastructures are the best.
Man, Gigastructures are the best.
Iridium Flare
Cyborg Commando
- Location
- AC-130 Gunship circling overhead
It's possible that Krell is actually genuinely acting according to some ridiculously clever plan he hatched fuckassloads of centuries ago, but he's got dementia so he doesn't properly remember it, and his instincts are his subconsciousness screaming into his mind DO THIS, RIGHT THE FUCK NOW, YOU IDIOT!
Probably not though, this would be ridiculously convoluted.
Probably not though, this would be ridiculously convoluted.
I mean, if you can find that many eezo-rich moons, I honestly believe you deserve the armada.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Some of them are going to have to learn that lesson the hard way. The Asari are going to be pissed that their hegemony has just been challenged and they are dealing with a sudden Cold war, which will quickly fade when the Reapers come.
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- Location
- Germany
Krell, Master of the Indy Ploy.
It greatly helps that he has so many things in his stash to pull out when needed.
Also fits his identity as KRELL HERO OF PROTEAN EMPIRE everybody will think he is a super genius that has planned and prepared for centuries, while he just rolls with whatever the universe throws at him.
It greatly helps that he has so many things in his stash to pull out when needed.
Also fits his identity as KRELL HERO OF PROTEAN EMPIRE everybody will think he is a super genius that has planned and prepared for centuries, while he just rolls with whatever the universe throws at him.
Great Greedy Guts
Ceterum censeo Vigilam esse delendam.
Okay, so, I loved the chapter and it was a great use for this song title, but I'm glad to see someone else agree with me that Hammer to Fall is criminally underrated among Queen songs. I get that they have too many bangers to easily list, but still. It's so good.
See, that feels like it's only half-true. He planned a lot of things that set this up well in advance, like the Moon Library which he armed largely for the Knowledge is Firepower pun, but then having done so he was able to easily find a use for it that makes it look like there was more to the initial plan than annoying his granddaughter (or someone else) with an obnoxious-as-hell pun.
This is why no one believes Krell when he says things like this, even when they're true.
- Location
- Somewhere, Maybe
reminds me of another quote:
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan said:
- Location
- Planet Earth
I'm really hoping now that he DOES in fact have some mobile Planetoids as well, but they are his "Backup plan". I just imagine him going to VERY out-of-the-way locations and dropping off Mechs/VI's to handle things... Suddenly the Migrant Fleet has actual Homeworlds, that are also able to migrate.
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
Maybe. Then again, there are only so many eezo-rich moons he can steal with nobody noticing, and if anyone starts investigating "who is stealing planetoids to convert into mobile battlestations" or even knows that this is a relevant question to ask, Krell's life gets a lot harder and/or shorter.
Krell is a man who knows how to put himself in the path of good fortune by creating a situation where good events are likely to happen to him. And so he's made various preparations, some of which came to nothing but some of which are paying off greatly. None were designed for exactly this situation in particular, since he couldn't possibly have foreseen it, but many were designed to give him the tools and werewithal to be effective in whatever situation he found himself in.
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