#victorylap

A CrossXworlds story

© 2025 - 2026 - Kevin W. Burke

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Note: The following interlude takes place between the events of Episodes 15 and 16.

TRYL NODENET ARCHIVES

CYCLE 5 - TURN 17 // TRENDING FEED // TAG: #GLITCHDAY / #RIFTDAY

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Source: Centrecity News 7 - Evening Commcast - Closing Segment

Timestamp: C5.T17 - 17:50 MT

Wide shot of the News 7 Studio, showing an angled desk. Two anchors, a man and a woman, are positioned at it, facing both the camera and each other from a diagonal.

As the segment starts, the reporters are in uncharacteristically candid conversation. 

“Well Mitch, it’s no understatement that today has been a news day like none I’ve ever experienced.”

“That’s right Don, and no sign things will normalize any time soon, based on the sheer scope and scale of this so-called glitchday– or riftday, as some are beginning to call it.”

“You’ve always ended our broadcast with a feel-good story to offset some of the regular news stories, which are often frightening or depressing. Please tell me you have a story like that to offset today’s insanity.”

“Don, I have three feel-good stories today. But in true Glitchday / Riftday fashion, none of them are normal.”

Don sighs.

“We’ll take what we can get, Mitch.”

“Alright… first up, a story of a needy father who became the unexpected recipient of a gift from a generous stranger– A Centrecity man received his SkyGrab meal delivery for free when the SkyGrab hoverboard driver transformed into a glowing dwarf in the middle of the transaction. The driver kept his calm, told the customer to keep his credits and enjoy the meal, then escaped quickly on his hoverboard into SK-42 traffic. As a struggling father of four, the SkyGrab customer said the free meal couldn’t have come at a better time for his family. SkyGrab corporate is cooperating with an official investigation.

“Second, an elderly woman whose faithful dog protected her from harm’s way. The 83 year old woman went out to check her post box when a horde of goblins stormed her yard and began to threaten her with sticks and daggers. The dog rushed to her rescue, barking and scaring off the goblins. The woman had just adopted the dog last month. Animal Control is investigating the whereabouts of the goblins.”

“Finally… a heroic rescue from a traffic accident. When ViewTime personality CentCityCutie encountered a very real and very dangerous dragon in Sky Corridor traffic, she suffered a loss of limbs and may have certainly perished– if not for the intervention of a brave hoverboard courier, himself a ViewTime streamer. Half the NodeNet today watched as Cutie’s daring rescuer, deliveryTimeDave, cut through institutional red tape with his persistent livestream pleading and expert hoverboard piloting. We’re pleased to report that, thanks to his heroism, CentCityCutie is in stable condition and expected to survive.”

“Thank you, Mitch. We all need a lot more Dave after a day like today.”

“Indeed we do.”

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TRYL NODENET ARCHIVES: AFTERSHOCK

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Source: s/trylWatch channel, seenit NodeNet Forum

Timestamp: C5.T18 - 15:51 WT - One day after #riftday

Subject: You Called Me Crazy – I Am Vindicated!

Posted by: u/grimlingprophet

Hello again, my disciples– and all you smug normies who downvoted my last fortytwo posts about ZetherCorp CEO, Cam Zetherbert, being “a manipulative eldritch elf-thing hiding in human skin.”

LOOK AT HIM NOW. 

A sparkling blue, elf-skin thing running down Centrecity’s executive corridor, screaming to be left alone. 

You mocked me when I said the Synapse Systems CEO Rider Vincent was an alien. 

You mocked me when I said Senator Mitt Connel was an alien plant in the Fed Assembly. 

You mocked me & u/autopods_sukk when we said AutoPod CEO Rylan Mink was an alien. 

You mocked me when I told you there was a secret cabal of aliens controlling the world!

And then yesterday, #glitchday happened. The freaking Pocket Rift opened, or whatever they’re calling it.   

This isn’t even the full list! These are just the highlights!

A high school science teacher who’s a gnome. The Centrecity mayor’s an elf. A freaking SkyGrab hoverboard driver is a dwarf. Even CentCityCutie turned out to be dragon food!

The point is. 

I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE RIGHT IN MY LIFE!!! 

New theory: Their world is collapsing and they’re colonizing. 

Or maybe ours is collapsing and they’re escaping.

Either way–

I TOLD YOU.

I. TOLD. YOU.

Oh, suddenly we’re all quiet now? 

Suddenly I’m not the crazy one?

#Vindicated #IWasRight #ToldYouSo #VictoryLap

67K upvotes

Comments:

- u/SparkAnon: bruh, simmer. u sound like u just ate 6 energy bars

- u/grimlingprophet: THEY'VE BEEN HERE FOR YEARS. YOU THINK THIS IS NEW??

- u/cutiefansunited: Too soon with the Cutie snark, she’s barely stable. Low blow!

- u/node_surfer77: Bro. Calm down before the corporate lawyers come through your vents. 

- u/JustLemmeCommute: My brother in Maris, you said the same thing about pigeons.

- u/grimlingprophet: THE PIGEONS ARE NANOBOTS

u/GloomyGloom4: this thread gave me an aneurysm

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