Saturday, 14 June 2025

15 June: 166

On the 166th day of the year, 10 fun facts about the number 166.

  1. 166 Rhodope is an Asteroid in the central region of the asteroid belt, discovered in 1876, by Christian Peters at the Litchfield Observatory in Clinton, New York. The asteroid was named after Queen Rhodope from Greek mythology.

  2. The A166 is a trunk road between the outskirts of York and Driffield in the county of Yorkshire.

  3. It's the atomic number of a theoretical chemical element called Unhexhexium.

  4. The British Rail Class 166 Networker Turbo is a fleet of diesel passenger trains, originally built for British Rail. They were designed as a faster, air-conditioned variant of the Class 165 Turbo, intended for longer-distance journeys.

  5. The Ferrari 166 S was a sports racing car built by Ferrari between 1948 and 1953. The 166 Inter was a model adapted for use on public roads.

  6. HD 166 or V439 Andromedae is a 6th magnitude star in the constellation Andromeda, approximately 45 light years away from Earth.

  7. The London Transport Bus 166 runs between West Croydon Bus Station and Epsom Hospital.

  8. 166 is written CLXVI in Roman numerals and 10100110 in Binary.

  9. 166P/NEAT is a periodic comet in the outer Solar System. It was discovered by the Near Earth Asteroid Tracking (NEAT) project in 2001.

  10. In numerology, 166 is methodical and pragmatic. People affected by the number work step by step towards their goals and tend not to consult others when making decisions, except perhaps close family members. Goals may well include building firm foundations for the future.




Beta

(Combat Team Series #2)


Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?

Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.

Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream. 

Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.

Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.

Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.


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