With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

Chojin Patriarch · Mar 21, 2020

Mr Zoat said:
0 086 936.M41
And a bit
Seriously, did the Emperor abolish minutes or something?

"Hmm." Fio'Vre Lar'shi Manurr Shiirr stares at the orange aura protecting my left arm for a moment, then carefully applies a smart syringe to my cephalic vein. Nothing happens. "This may be easier if you turn off your force field."

Oh, that's asking a lot. Between the possibility of the doc slipping him a mickey and the presence of Brood cultists on board...

"Sorry, hang on."

I turn the fingers of my left hand so that they're pointing right, then reach across with my right hand and pull the ring off. And.. this is the first time I've felt even remotely safe enough to do this. Nearly two weeks of dodging everything while desperately trying to grab enough data not to fly into the Maelstrom. To just.. find out where the blasted Tau Empire even was. 'Galactic East' narrowed it down to a mere 2 trillion cubic light years, then between the ring's bullshit hacking and translation I was just about able to find it without getting stopped.

Remind me, what's he even wearing at this point? Still in his pyjamas, or has he 'acquired' clothing from Imperial sources? Because I would not be comfortable crossing the galaxy in my sleepwear...

Fucking warp travel and astrotelepathy. No one flies between solar systems through normal space, so I couldn't find isolated vessels to examine. No one sends exotic transmissions by bending physics merely a little, so there was nothing to intercept. No, I had to dodge system monitoring stations and get right up close to some truly terrifying thingamies. I haven't seen any Chaos-tainted ships yet, but I did see a world the tyranids were in the process of stripping, a small necron flotilla and.. a few stranger ships whose designs I didn't recognise.

Aw, no link? Then again, there aren't that many significant minor races left in the galaxies by this time, are there?

Huh. I suppose I can find out for sure whether it's pronounced tee-ranid or tie-ranid. Just need to find a human who's heard of them and doesn't feel obliged to shoot me.

Eh, there's probably different pronounciations on different local accents anyway. Pohtayto, pohtarto and all that. My personal preference: Tie-ran-id, as in Tyrant.

"Oo'rshi prrakah quanh voor?"

Mr Manuur has.. already removed the syringe. That was painless. No need for a bandage either, apparently. I shake my head. "I can't understand you." I slide the ring back on. "The ring has a translation function. Without it I'm stuck speaking a language that… No one but me and the Emperor remember."

And maybe a few other Perpetuals. Assuming they even exist in this particular timeline. The joy of variable Canon.

High Gothic doesn't actually sound anything like Latin, and more than any of the hundreds of forms of Low Gothic I've heard sound like English.

"I asked: how urgent is this? Do you have a reason to believe that you are ill? Our facilities are not designed to perform complex diagnostic procedures upon humans, and despite your efforts we have many more casualties still to tend to."

"Oh, it's not urgent at all." I look around the small diagnostic laboratory we're in. The door's closed, monitoring is.. on automatic… "I just wanted to get you alone for a moment."

Dammit, Pau'l, that's not going to make him feel any safer...

His facial cleft tightens momentarily. "That is.. not an efficient use of my time. We have many more wounded-."

"I wanted to speak to you so that I could alert you to an… Epidemic I detected amongst the crew when I came on board. Fio'Vre, I appreciate that you are a medical doctor and not a xenobiological researcher and.. that the Tau may be completely unfamiliar with the phenomena… But do you know what a Genestealer Cultist is?"

Ah, straight to the heart of the matter. The ring would alert him if the Doc was a Brood Brother, of course.

"Gene-stealer. That is what humans call the y'he elite assault creatures."

I hold out my right hand an generate an image of one, drawing particular attention to its reproductive organ. "They don't really use these in battle, but when they're performing long range infiltration missions they use these to implant some sort of.. viral DNA in their victims."

And before anyone makes a comment, that's a tongue, not anything else... Purestrains don't even have those organs...

"Plausible. Do they use a disease weapon to weaken the target population before an invasion?"

If only. "No. It does.. several things. Firstly, it ties the victim to their brood telepathy. Once the infection really gets going they're as much a part of the brood as the genestealers themselves; they'll do anything to further its interests, regardless of what they believed before hand. Secondly, it alters their reproductive system so that their offspring are… We call them genestealer hybrids-."

Frankly, it's one hell of a biological weapon. Instant subversion of the victim and genetic modification so that it makes more loyal subjects... And it's not even the scariest thing the Hiveminds can come up with.

"That sounds somewhat implausible. The modifications that would be required in order to undertake such a change in physiology would be extensive, and altering the brain of a human to make it in any way compatible with those of the y'he would kill the host more than often than not." He turns away, reaching for a computer console. "Still, there is much that is not understood regarding y'he biotechnology. It may well be that you are simply-."

At least he believes him. Most humans not in the know would probably have gone "Are you mad?"

"Ah, what are you doing?"

He glances back. "This is not the Imperium, human. We do not closet information away from those who need it. A simple enquiry-."

"Who gets notified that you're making such an enquiry?"

Because if anyone looking happens to be a Brood Sibling... Well, the Ork boarding party will look like a warmup.

His hands stop moving. "Certain enquiries trigger automatic messages to the commanding officer, senior security officer and highest ranking Aun. Kor'Vre Vhel'ua was killed by the strike on the bridge, along with-." He shudders. "Aun'Vre Vuraul. And our security complement have other things to worry about."

"But there would be a record."

I see the Doc is smart enough to realise that too. Good fellow.

"Yes. You want me to simply take your word for it that they have these abilities, and.. presumably have subordinated a part of the crew. Would it be the Tarellians, by any chance?"

"Ah, no. All appeared to be tau, most likely Brood Brothers and Sisters. On an Imperial ship I'd be worried about purestrains as well, but from the looks of things tau ships are actually… Sensibly organised, rather than being gothic space churches."

Which also raises the question of where the infection began... This means at least one Tau sept colony is subverted by the Cult...

"And what do you believe will happen if they do discover that I am making queries about them?"

"I don't know." Hm. "Usually when a cult is discovered they either hide or attack. We're on a space ship and there aren't that many of them. I'm not sure." Except… These are tau brood members, not ignorant and superstitious humans. "Though… If they've taken samples of the virus which the purestrains use, they.. could go an injection rampage or… Maybe aerosolise it?"

...Dear god that's a terrifying idea. I can only hope that isn't so...

"I am doing nothing until I can confirm that they even have these abilities. I am grateful for the lives of those you have healed, but this is-."

The door opens and a gangly tau in green and brown robes strides in, Miss Tsau'm just behind… Him? His head is taller and narrower, and his facial cleft is a little smaller than those of the other tau I've seen. An Ethereal, though given that Doctor Manurr just told me that the leading Ethereal died I've got no idea how senior he is. Ring, is he-? No, good.

And of course the scan also took a full image of the Etheral Caste's biology, allowing Pau'l to eventually work out the control method they use, I hope...

He stops, taking a moment to study me. "Gue'vesa, I am Aun'Saal Lar'shi Bo'ohk."

"Ah, someone my rank. That will cut down on the saluting."

Ah, facetiousness in the face of mortal peril...

He blinks, his head turning slightly towards Miss Tsau'm. She leans forward slightly. "A human military greeting exchanged between superior and subordinate, my lord."

"Ah. Indeed, no. I had believed that I would need to minister to the dying, but it seems that your intervention has spared me that duty. You have the thanks of the tau, and since you have expressed an interest in learning of the Greater Good I am willing to make time to instruct you in it."

Sure, sure. But that'll have to wait until they're not in imminent danger of getting nobbled by cultists.

I nod. "Thank you." Ring, shut the door. "But we have a more immediate problem to deal with first."

Doctor Manurr steps away from the console, eyes slightly down. "My lord, the human believes that a portion of the crew have been… 'Infested' by the y'he. I cannot confirm that they have the capacity he described without accessing computer records and he is concerned that they may be monitoring the archive. It is-."

Mr Bo'ohk's cleft wrinkles. "Yes, I know of this. The gene stealers. There are infected tau on board this ship?"

Ah, he's got a high enough clearance to know of the threat. This will go a lot smoother.

I hold up my left hand. "This ring's AI isn't clever enough to lie."

He walks past me and Doctor Manurr to the computer console. "I have codes for accessing our data files without leaving a record." He activates it, presses a few buttons and then steps back. "I regret, Fio'Vre, that our knowledge is far from comprehensive, but it is now available to you."

Assuming they can take a few alive, they'll have plenty of samples to learn from...

A holographic projection appears, and Doctor Manurr's eyes dart over it before he walks up to the console and starts pressing buttons to call up additional data. "Mm. We have no record of inter-tau transmission. There must be a purestrain somewhere, most likely many. I can begin a round of blood tests on all members of the crew, and isolate those who show the signature physical anomalies."

I shake my head. "You'll need to drug them. With brood telepathy, if the others detect their fellows being picked up-."

So it's got to happen all at once. That's going to be tough to organise, especially with subverted tau in the security staff.

"Yes. Wise. Even so, it may not be entirely reliable. We may need to simply identify them and release them temporarily. Dealing with intelligent diseases is beyond my field of expertise."

"Fio'Vre, Aun'Saal, if you believe me when I tell you that they exist, why not simply let me mark them out for you? You could pick them up in one go, perform your tests to make sure that I'm not lying and then… Either try to cure them or euthanize them."

Which will be interesting to see. Pau'ls getting a lot of information about the Tau from this encounter, as much as they're learning about him.

Doctor Manurr looks at Mr Bo'ohk for guidance, but Mr Bo'ohk merely makes a.. palm outward gesture with both hands. "Disease outbreak containment is part of your sphere of responsibility. I will support your decision."

Doctor Manurr looks down for a moment, then makes a close fisted gesture with his right hand. "We will need to create additional holding areas. And this will have to wait until the casualties from the ork attack have been stabilised. But I will begin making plans now."

Ah, reasonable leadership. God, imagine if the Paragon were here. He'd probably be cheering it. And then instantly resolve it because epic-level Lantern...

And so another alternate steps from the limelight, leaving us with more questions than answers. Will Pau'l and the ship's crew successfully contain the cultists? What will Pau'l do to help his new hosts? What likelihood is there of him getting some blue nookie? (Probably none.)
Alas, it's back to Pony Planet tomorrow, and more than likely the conclusion of Sunset's big moment. Imminent alicornhood, or a magical disaster? I for one can't wait.

...could go an injection rampage...

...could go on an injection rampage...

Korfayron · Mar 21, 2020

Jus4532 said:
The Warp I think. Warhammer Fantasy Paul was able to charge his ring through the warp, so this Paul could probably do that.

Can you point me to the post confirming this?

Jus4532 · Mar 21, 2020

Korfayron said:
Can you point me to the post confirming this?

Here is the post that confirm it.

Mr Zoat said:
A few weeks, I think. And it turns out that he can charge slowly from the warp.

Turning up in orbit around ~~Earth~~ Terra was interesting.

As is knowing how to break into the Emperor's throne room.

Handlewithcare · Mar 21, 2020

I can't tell if they are believing him too quickly or not.

He is a stranger, he has shown bullshit powers, this is 40k so very little doesn't happen anway...

But thes are very blase about it either way. Which fits with the T'aus naive/arrogant behaviour, I suppose.

Dakkan Sall · Mar 21, 2020

Mr Zoat said:
High Gothic doesn't actually sound anything like Latin, and more than any of the hundreds of forms of Low Gothic I've heard sound like English.

Is this the intended word, or should it be "any more than"?

OrigamiPhoenix · Mar 21, 2020

lancelot said:
Doesn't the book mention forced sterilizations of xenos, and if your race doesn't add anything cool enough there have been multiple coincidental planetary scale 'accidents' that genocide whatever race that homeworld belongs too?

Zoat himself doesn't know of evidence for sterilization. AFAIK, they only steamroll planets that pose a threat to the expansion of their empire.

Mr Zoat · Mar 21, 2020

Chojin Patriarch said:
Remind me, what's he even wearing at this point? Still in his pyjamas, or has he 'acquired' clothing from Imperial sources? Because I would not be comfortable crossing the galaxy in my sleepwear...

He transmuted himself some clothes.

Aw, no link? Then again, there aren't that many significant minor races left in the galaxies by this time, are there?

Plenty. You might not be missed, but the line is really long.

Eh, there's probably different pronounciations on different local accents anyway. Pohtayto, pohtarto and all that. My personal preference: Tie-ran-id, as in Tyrant.

BROTHER! Or.. possibly SISTER! I never asked.

And maybe a few other Perpetuals. Assuming they even exist in this particular timeline.

In The Box.

Which also raises the question of where the infection began... This means at least one Tau sept colony is subverted by the Cult...

Gravalax.

...Dear god that's a terrifying idea. I can only hope that isn't so...

There's a canon Genestealer Cult that actually does this.

And so another alternate steps from the limelight, leaving us with more questions than answers. Will Pau'l and the ship's crew successfully contain the cultists? What will Pau'l do to help his new hosts?What likliehood is there of him getting some blue nookie? (Probably none.)

They're only banned from mating with tau of other castes. There's probably one water caste xenosociologist who's curious enough to try it.

...could go on an injection rampage...

Thank you, corrected.

Dakkan Sall said:
Is this the intended word, or should it be "any more than"?

Thank you, corrected.

OrigamiPhoenix said:
Zoat himself doesn't know of evidence for sterilization. AFAIK, they only steamroll planets that pose a threat to the expansion of their empire.

If only because sterilising them is far more work.

Stsword · Mar 21, 2020

GamingPizza1998 said:
That sounds like an hilariously bad idea, I get beggers can't be choosers but still.

Lacking a soul, he doesn't have a soul to corrupt, and his ring would allow him to resist physical mutation.

That is, as long as he stays soulless.

However, considering how many alt.Pauls have gotten a soul, he might get one too.

I'm not positive that it wouldn't happen eventually in any magic rich universe like the process with the tattoos, just much slower.

Zoat stated that consuming demons gave Sybarite a soul, and if he didn't have the innate ability to grow a soul when there's energy available, why would he grow one by accident?

DAT_NOOB · Mar 21, 2020

Jus4532 said:
Here is the post that confirm it.

Wait if he can break into the emperor's throne room why didn't he?

Darko · Mar 21, 2020

Assimilating demons and whatever Sybarite did to become a half demon could be completely different, so maybe he'll just assimilate demons without gaining a soul.

Breaking Into the throne room could be dangerous as the Emperor could try to attack him, or mind control him.

lancelot · Mar 21, 2020

Mr Zoat said:
If only because sterilising them is far more work.

As you brought up aerosol dispersal, but it might just be an involuntary population control so they'll never be more zeno then Tau.

OrigamiPhoenix said:
Zoat himself doesn't know of evidence for sterilization. AFAIK, they only steamroll planets that pose a threat to the expansion of their empire.

No I remember reading this in one of the newer books. Multiple times a race that has joined the Tau aren't useful in of themselves, resources or some piece of tech and beyond that their useless. When that has happened some terrible 'accident' will happen before a useful breeding population can leave the planet and kills them all. The mourn the terrible loss but quickly leaving the old shit and put up strip malls and shit because the 'accident' never makes the planet uninhabitable.

BR549 · Mar 21, 2020

DAT_NOOB said:
Wait if he can break into the emperor's throne room why didn't he?

Because Paul is smart enough that after he determines if he could, he stops to ask if he should.
(Usually.)

Chojin Patriarch said:
Imminent alicornhood, or a magical disaster?

Bold of you to assume 'or'.

Mquz · Mar 21, 2020

So since we're getting back to ponies and unicorns...

Lately, I've been reading the Laundry Files series of books by Charles Stross. It's a sci-fi horror comedy series set in a Lovecraftian modern-day universe where the main character basically works for the British MIB. Anyway, one of the freely available short stories, Equoid, has probably the most horrifying kind of unicorn I've ever seen in any piece of literature. It'd be amazing to see something like it implemented in a MLP fic.

Mr Zoat · Mar 21, 2020

Mquz said:
So since we're getting back to ponies and unicorns...

Lately, I've been reading the Laundry Files series of books by Charles Stross. It's a sci-fi horror comedy series set in a Lovecraftian modern-day universe where the main character basically works for the British MIB. Anyway, one of the freely available short stories, Equoid, has probably the most horrifying kind of unicorn I've ever seen in a piece of literature. It'd be amazing to see something like it implemented in a MLP fic.

Unfortunately, those things aren't clever enough.

Simonbob · Mar 21, 2020

Vaermina said:
The Tau are ostriches that vigorously suppress any information that might harm the party line.

Space Communists, what are you gonna do?

Still nicer than almost all other factions. Eh, 40K.

Massgamer · Mar 21, 2020

Really enjoying how the Tau are being so open-minded about this in general and taking Paul's word as long as he gives good information.

Maxx Crowley · Mar 21, 2020

lancelot said:
Waiting for Paul to figure out the Tau are just as much monsters as everyone else, they're just subtle and try to hide it unlike everyone else.

I suppose it would depend on whether Zoat likes the Tau or not. I mean, in comics, Luthor is the very definition of stupid evil. Doesn't matter what happens, what godlike abilities he somehow obtains, or new super tech he comes up with. He ALWAYS tries to kill Superman anyway.

But, in WTR, Lex is a bit more of a sensible human being. A bit more.

Ardy said:
Look dude, you can just ignore the random BS that Vaermina makes up at this point.

Wait...there are still people who haven't put Vaermina on ignore?

lancelot · Mar 21, 2020

Maxx Crowley said:
Wait...there are still people who haven't put Vaermina on ignore?

Seriously isn't that the first thing someone does when they go from SB, to SV, and then to QQ. Really putting that fucking idiot of a troll on ignore should be medical advice at this point. Guaranteed to lower your blood pressure when you don't have to deal with bad faith arguments, LIES, out right trolling, and ignoring counter points that complete shut down his bullshit.

Rule ??: First things after signing up put Vaermina on ignore. Don't worry nothing of value will be lost.

Bramble Thorn · Mar 21, 2020

Grimnar said:
Fucking lol.

Well, aren't you an entitled, dismissive little asshat.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Right. There may well be a few Ork Infiltrators lurking somewhere too.

Are Orc Infiltrators a thing that exists?
Like Green Skinned Brutes mincing around on tiptoes loudly whispering to each other "NOW BE VERY VERY QUIET!" in Ork Speech?
Or is it more like Malfean Stealth, where scaring and intimidating them so much they pretend they never saw you counts as a success?

jaelin910 · Mar 21, 2020

I put people on ignore when they make me angry and Vaermina doesn't really exceed exasperation as far as I'm concerned. I'm somewhat fascinated (and exasperated) to see what Vaermina will say next for much the same reason I've watched a couple of flat earth videos*; I'm not going to pretend someone doesn't exist just because they say stupid things.

*and I don't mean these ones.

Chaoswind · Mar 21, 2020

Stsword said:
Lacking a soul, he doesn't have a soul to corrupt, and his ring would allow him to resist physical mutation.

That is, as long as he stays soulless.

However, considering how many alt.Pauls have gotten a soul, he might get one too.

I'm not positive that it wouldn't happen eventually in any magic rich universe like the process with the tattoos, just much slower.

Zoat stated that consuming demons gave Sybarite a soul, and if he didn't have the innate ability to grow a soul when there's energy available, why would he grow one by accident?

There is an idea... Because this Paul is assimilating orcs and every time they respawn the orcs dump their memories on him...

Mr Zoat · Mar 21, 2020

Massgamer said:
Really enjoying how the Tau are being so open-minded about this in general and taking Paul's word as long as he gives good information.

It's not so much 'the tau' as it is the handful of shellshocked individuals the SI has met so far, most of who know that he's the reason they weren't eaten by orks. No one he's met so far is senior enough to make policy decisions.

Stsword · Mar 21, 2020

Darko said:
Assimilating demons and whatever Sybarite did to become a half demon could be completely different, so maybe he'll just assimilate demons without gaining a soul.

Breaking Into the throne room could be dangerous as the Emperor could try to attack him, or mind control him.

No, not assimilate, consume.

He doesn't have a lantern, so he eats demons to regain charge.

An influx of energy that somehow formed a soul, which is a structure of energy.

Zoat has the soul be like a body made out of energy.

Two things, so far, differentiate souls in this story, structure and composition.

New God apotheosis changes the structure of the soul so it can grow larger over time, like a reverse bonzai.

Composition also affects souls, since Zoat made Blaze not a half demon but a 100% biological human with a soul made out of Hell energy, likewise Alan was undergoing a transformation into a Will Elemental from his ring leaking, which his soul naturally absorbed like a sponge.

So Sybarite consumed demons, which provided energy, but what provided a shape for his soul?

Now I might very well be wrong, but sans another explanation, the idea that Sybarite had a latent soul structure but just hadn't been exposed to enough energy to form that structure seems like the simplest explanation.

Especially since the various Pauls keep going on about Earth-Prime not having magic (although Mysa Nal of Earth-Prime says hi).

desolatedsabers · Mar 21, 2020

ORKIE COMANDYS ARE VEWY STELFY. THEY PUHPUL. ALWAYS SNEKY, HOOMIES, SQUIDS, N ELVIES NEVA SEE EM.

Simonbob · Mar 21, 2020

Bramble Thorn said:
Are Orc Infiltrators a thing that exists?
Like Green Skinned Brutes mincing around on tiptoes loudly whispering to each other "NOW BE VERY VERY QUIET!" in Ork Speech?
Or is it more like Malfean Stealth, where scaring and intimidating them so much they pretend they never saw you counts as a success?

desolatedsabers said:
ORKIE COMANDYS ARE VEWY STELFY. THEY PUHPUL. ALWAYS SNEKY, HOOMIES, SQUIDS, N ELVIES NEVA SEE EM.

Ork Kommandos, as I recall.

Yes, stealthy orks are a thing. A silly thing, but so are orks.

Grimnar · Mar 21, 2020

Bramble Thorn said:
Well, aren't you an entitled, dismissive little asshat.

When you dismiss the Tau as anything but fanatic military imperialists you deserve to be lol'ed at. They are explicitly a nation hopped up on their own juice, and snarling at the bit to take everything they can get their grubby mitts on.

Darko · Mar 21, 2020

Sybarite was said to be essentially like Satanus and Angelica, before her transformation, so his soul is just hell magic that behaves like a regular earth magic one.
His biggest diffrence would be the composition, though yeah the structure also plays a big role, so he probably has similar avarice based powers like paragon, but instead of being just pure emotional manipulation it is more demonic in his case.

Zoat can paragon manipulate the emotions of those around him even without his ring, no matter how small that manipulation is, like making them confess what they want?

I know he can see the other colors, with or without the ring, but i was wondering if he could manipulate their avarice and desires without his ring?

Can the paragon travel through the Honden of Avarice without his ring?

Could all enlightened people manipulate the emotions of those around them without using a power ring, or any other such emotion manipulating device, or even magic, but simply by focusing and trying to stir whatever emotion they have become enlightened to in another person?

If a New God were to become enlightened then would they be able to manipulate the light they have become enlightened to, like Stewart 50 can, making constructs and having the other powers that light provides without using a ring or any device?

If a New God were to become enlightened even after they have some kind of Domain then would they lose their Domain, or become a god of their original Domain and whatever emotion they have become enlightened to?
I think you said something about New Gods only being able to have one Domain, but that they could stretch it.

Will Highfather have white quote marks in your story?

desolatedsabers · Mar 21, 2020

sooo, do people forget that like, the imperium, an IMPERIALIST FANATICAL OGLIARCHY, has that entire system where your descendants can be punished for you failing to follow a command or something? like that book of the whatever the fuck, and the trials can go on long after the original people are dead. and servitors. and a whole bunch of other shit that every other faction has done, but when it's the imperium of man it's suddenly perfectly okay?

Chaoswind · Mar 21, 2020

I am thankful we are leaving warhammer behind and going back to the regular programming.

Maxx Crowley · Mar 21, 2020

Bramble Thorn said:
Like Green Skinned Brutes mincing around on tiptoes loudly whispering to each other "NOW BE VERY VERY QUIET!" in Ork Speech?

They paint themselves purple I believe.

Because you've never seen a purple Ork.

With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

Veteran Lurker

Making the rounds.

Versed in the lewd.

Versed in the lewd.

Random Encounter

Getting sticky.

Dedicated ragequitter

Versed in the lewd.

Accused of writing in a far away land

Connoisseur.

Grand High Poobah

This is filth! FILTH!!

Versed in the lewd.

Dedicated ragequitter

Really? You don't say.

I trust you know where the happy button is?

I trust you know where the happy button is?

Grand High Poobah

Verified Silhouette

habitual lurker

Lord of nonsense

Dedicated ragequitter

Versed in the lewd.

Know what you're doing yet?

Really? You don't say.

Versed in the lewd.

Connoisseur.

Know what you're doing yet?

Lord of nonsense

I trust you know where the happy button is?

Users who are viewing this thread