Three Square Meals - Chapter 113

Oh, I don't know how I missed those! Thanks, I've updated the post with a version that fixes those. :-)

Tefler

Hey Tefler, I just rechecked this posted version and it still contains the typos that I sent earlier. As follows: Page 9: “How many children would by (be) a sustainable number?”; Page 12: *Sure. Just let us know if we can help,* Alyssa said, her voice(d) filled with concern.; Page 44: *We’ve (We’re) going to have a long night ahead of us dealing with infested colonists,; Page 45: “And of course(,) we can’t forget all the hard work from my talented fellow chef(s).”; Page 47: She gave him a coy smile as she stroke(d) her tummy.; Page 50: relishing the slick feel of her perspiration(-)soaked skin as they writhed in bed.; Page 55: There was a metallic clicking sound(s) as the machine rapidly sorted and turned each round,; Page 58: Returning his attention to the hol(o)gram, John watched; Page 63: the settlements springing up like weeds in the hollowed(-)out caverns that threaded through the asteroid.; Page 64: “Did you ever run into any problems in the red(-)light district?”; Page 72: Swarms of drones appeared as the sensor date(a) returned more information,; Cheers!

I have added the FINAL VERSION to this post! :-) Not much in the way of changes, just a few minor typos and tweaks.

Tefler

When will this be final update...

Also looking back the repetition of this sequence is bigger than I thought, Rachel also speculates in Chapter 110 and 113 about learning to use her psychic shield to defend the rest of the team. Even though theoretically in real life it could happen twice, as part of the narrative it feels awkward for it to reoccur without her talking about it in the context of the earlier conversation.

HornsOfTheseus

Chapter 110 debrief, Alyssa realizes that the Queen powered the shields and explicitly says that the she thinks the Guardians aren't psychics at all. This directly contradicts that sequence. Notably in Chapter 110, John says "but they were using hex-shields and charged blades" in response to Alyssa saying they weren't psychics and Alyssa shakes her head to the use of both hex-shields and charged blades indicating that they were psychics.

HornsOfTheseus

(CHAPTER 110) “Good, I’ll be fascinated to hear what you discover,” John said, nodding his approval. “Those Guardians were unbelievably strong. I never expected them to have psychic powers.” “Actually... I don’t think they did,” Alyssa said, her brow furrowed in thought. “But they were using hex-shields and charged blades!” he exclaimed, turning to look at her in surprise. The blonde shook her head. “When the Hive Queen powered up that massive psychic beam, the Guardians all lost their shields and we were able to gun them down with Reaper Cannons. I think the Hive Queen was throwing everything she’d got at you...” John’s eyes widened. “Which meant she was the one shielding the Guardians!” “Yeah, that’s my guess,” Alyssa agreed.

HornsOfTheseus

Alyssa thought they were projecting the shields & covering their weapons , she said " they must be powerful physics to be running all those abilities at the same time " It was Rachel that said they didn't have the enlarged amygdala to have physic powers & that it seem the Queen was doing both for them .

bigdawguw65

@Tefler The part where they are discussing the fact that Nest Guardians aren't psychic is a little strange. It doesn't make a lot of sense for Alyssa to confidently assume that they are psychic due to the blades when she knew that they had nothing to do with the creation of the shields. I feel like it would make more sense for her to either be unsure (i.e. asking if they are psychic due to the blades even though they didn't generate the shields) or ask if there is anything that explains how they got the blades if they are unlikely to be psychic.

HornsOfTheseus

I'm not saying it will work at all. What we know is that the crystal powers the nymphs; it's malleable to psychic influence; inscribed runes can alter its properties; and the master chooses the personality for the nymphs. All together the best possible outcome they could hope for that we can reasonably infer is that a copy of Faye could be made in such a manner. It is far from a sure thing as it has not been done in cannon, but it is a logical possibility. It would still be a separate entity. I don't think this would fulfill Faye's wishes for that reason, though.

Sean Miller

How do you know that is true? Is it canon? Did Rachel or Tefler say so?

Well we do know that it's not a machine interface. At best they could copy Faye's personality, but it would still be a separate entity.

Sean Miller

"Fully automated" does not necessarily mean sentient. Any complex interaction of machinery and/or programs can give the appearance of sentience and still be missing it entirely.

Damian Wright

Nor do we know that it doesn't. We have no idea what is written on or within the crystal heart.

Damian Wright

I don't think it works like that at all.

Afterwards, Alyssa lamented that she could not link telepathically the same way to communicate with Faye.

I think they were speaking through Alyssa

rich ed

if only they could make that crystal like thing that is in jade and somehow transfer faye into it and make her a body from that

Michael

Considering how few progenitors there are it is not unreasonable to assume that the remaining members of the species are all related, except for Alyssa, of course.

Sean Miller

Um...I just realized something: Rachel, Dana, and Irillith just spoke directly to each other telepathically in the scene where they were comforting Faye. That is a first!

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

Pre-Shroud/Post-Shroud for the Progenitors is on the theory that the Progenitors ancestors were likely exploring the Astral Plane and encountered something which doomed most of their number. Basically leaving only a small number of survivors behind who had a decidedly evil bent to things. The theory CAN be extended to extrapolate that the advent of the Shroud may be connected to whatever happened to the Progenitors. But presuming such a thing as a pre-shroud "good Progenitor" existed, it may very well be that the Kirrix were an experiment being conducted by one or more Progenitors to see what developed over time. Much like "off-the-astral-script" MN with the Ashanoth Collective, or his creation of the Humans. It is entirely possible that the Progenitors as they are now exist and operate at a "lesser" level than their Pre-Shroud counterparts once did. This may be particularly valid given evidence suggesting that the shroud itself dampens and alters some Psionic abilities, the Astral Entity which enslaved them may actively be preventing them from demonstrating the same level of skill as they previously possessed. (Which isn't to mention what may have been lost while their race was being subjugated) In other words, the "Pre-Shroud" Progenitors could have passed through a very long time ago(LONG before even MN), and also have been different enough in behavior that their presence, if anybody was even around to leave usable records to remember them by, was considered to be somebody other than the Progenitors when they returned post-Shroud. A longer-shot theory may be that the area of space in question was a "Pre-Shroud" workspace for MN and his ancestors, and some of what happened when he returned was him deciding to "end some projects" from before their being subjugated on the Astral Plane. Which means a certain station might be important in other ways as well, depending on just how far MN managed to go "off-script."

mark

I just started reading this story less than a week ago, Once I started i could not stop. It is very interesting concept and conjecture on the reason why LK is watching and leaving him alone. I also found it interesting when his matriarch smacked him and defied him and he laughed and took her to bed. You might be on to something with your direction. maybe LK is helping him to reach his potential. Apart of me thinks they are related some how. it is also going to be interesting to see what if anything he can find out about his mother and father. When John started setting up his wards with powers and distributing the psychic powers is something his kind does not do. He is breaking all the rules of their history. I cant wait till more chapters are added... what a great story.

Taco1085

It all comes back to that shroud and presumably the Astral Beings that seem to have been toying with the Progenitors for a very long time. It could be the LK is "on the path" the MN ultimately went down, and witnessing John Blake's antics are accelerating the process in that respect.

mark

Why the other Progenitor hasn't acted directly has come up in a prior chapter. LK sited boredom, but maybe it goes deeper. John is in outright defiance of the Progenitor rulebook that the astral leviathans tried to force on him. Maybe LK is secretly hoping John will surpass him and take down the astral horrors that force his people to be galactic tyrants on pain of death (or worse). While superior in many ways progenitors have become a stagnant species. In the end I think that John might actually turn out to be their salvation. It's all pure conjecture, but there are so many valid possible reasons for LM's behavior that it will surely be the pivotal twist in the story.

Sean Miller

Maybe he has pulled a GRRM and locked himself in a cabin on the mountain?

ILRibrarian

Hope it is the ebook, but then I'm keen to get to chapter 115 which requires 114.....sigh

TF4EVA

wow, what an amazing story.... I have loved every chapter. i cant wait to see what John has planned for the visit to the plane so Alyssa can see her parents. Interesting to see what the Krrix are doing fighting themselves. Things are starting to take shape for the upcoming fight. which is interesting, why is the other Progenitor just watching all the events as John grows stronger. Why not just take him out before he gets to his full potential. So a it makes me wonder if its his brother, his father or a relative.... trying to get him to reach his full potential so he can not be killed by another Progenitor. All interesting thoughts it is going to be fun to see how you spread this out. Now on top of all that John wanted to confront the Brimorians about the Abandon and the dead switch on the shield generators... Now they are planning of attacking the Terra Federation. Oh boy they are opening a can of whip ass. Then the fool who is the traitor is either Mason, or one of the Admirality...... if it is you would think they would have learned.... cant wait for the next chapter.... plus why are the last 3 chapters not on Literotic yet.... hmm

Taco1085

Regardless of the Kirrix origins it will be interesting to see how the internal divisions are aligned. Is it as suggested along the lines of those Hive Queens who ran vs those who were dragged into Alyssa's sub-plane? Or some other division? While there is strife in the Trankaraan space is there a similar battle happening in the 'terran' space and at home? The wider the conflict I guess the more likely we see it as civil war and one side or one personality dominating. Can Alyssa deal to the Hive mind when she knows it will make her sub-plane more vulnerable to the astral beast stalkers? How will Alyssa sort out the good Kirrix from the bad? Does she intervene mid fight or wait to see who comes out on top?

TF4EVA

Jedi...is it that Progenitors can't hide their fingerprints or really don't care to . With their ego's I imagine they are rather proud with what they can do & don't mind rubbing others nose in it . Although I don't think they had anything to do with the Kirrix , I wouldn't rule out the possibility that if they wanted to hide their manipulation ( being reluctant to be connected to something as abhorrent to their sensitivities as the Kirrix ) that they couldn't . just saying :-)

bigdawguw65

Mark, post & pre-Shroud Progenitors? Where'd that come from? There's been no evidence at all that the Shroud that's cursed the Kirrix has anything to do with the Progenitors, let alone affects them too. In fact, the Kirrix themselves say that the Shroud predates Progenitor contact by a very wide margin. As for Mael creating races that don't fully conform to the Progenitor ideal template, just because he created them doesn't mean he had a high opinion of them. They were slaves, nothing more than tools to accomplish a task. But at least they matched the Progenitor template better than the Kirrix do. Mael created the Drakkar as well, and we did see how Mael and his matriarch Valada felt about them. They viewed the Drakkar as abominations, but Mael was forced to make do in order to fill out the ranks of his armies that were being decimated by Raganon. Dawg, I'm not so sure on the Kintark's method of genetic modification, but we do know that in Rachel's professional opinion, the Kintark's attempts at DNA manipulation are amateurish in comparison to a Progenitor's work. But the point is, Rachel can tell when DNA has been altered, be it by a Progenitor or anyone else. However, when it comes to the Kirrix, she has said that their DNA appears to be natural, free of artificial modification. She has laid out two possibilities: 1) the Kirrix are indeed a naturally evolved species, no genetic modification involved, or 2) whoever may have modified the Kirrix did so with extreme subtlety, to the point that whatever modifications there may be look completely natural. In the case of point number two, that takes considerable skill to accomplish, more so than even the Progenitors, as they cannot hide evidence of DNA manipulation. And when I say skill, that includes the methodology, technology, and knowledge used in the process, not just the talent of the person or race doing the modifying.

Jedi Khan

mark...I believe there is a "seed" race of physic beings that the Astral Beings target when they try to venture to far into the Astral plane ? remember Alyssa's venture to try & reach the Ashanta Physic High Command & their warning about some Ashanta that went to far & never returned . They are lured to the plane where John encountered his Monster & either sucome to their vision of conquest & destruction & receive the power & become Progenitors & are released into the Galaxy to do the bidding of the Beings or are destroyed themselves . John not only resisted & refused but was powerful enough (with the help of his girls ) to defeat the Monster & claim the power without accepting the Astral Beings deal .

bigdawguw65

Jedi...maybe not greater skill , just a different method that's not as obvious to Rachel . The Kintark have a different way to artificially modify DNA , even their own , Their ruling Dragons are highly modified & they were able to modify the Callopian Shoal Terrans to be able to breed with Brimorians to produce the Abandoned . Progenitors like to stick to their templet , both for aesthetically pleasing reasons & practicality of arming & outfitting . MN got away from it a little with the Darrkar but while the Kintark keep with the "lizard" templet they seem to follow a similar outline of radically different forms for different jobs much like the Kirrix , that might be a clue .

bigdawguw65

"Pre-Shroud" Progenitors or "Post-Shroud" Progenitors in regards to the abherration aspect? Ditto on "the Progenitor signature" on DNA Manipulation. I'm going to stick with the theory that the Progenitors were not always evil/bad, and they inadvertantly triggered whatever brought about the creation of the Shroud, and the Progenitors were forever changed as a consequence of that event. MN and John Blake are evidently important figures in that they seem to be reverting back to a more Pre-Shroud mindset for their kind. Remember how John's Guide felt about the Trankarans? Well, we know MN created them, which would be would him going against the grain for "Post-Shroud" behavior. Presumably the Ashanoth would also be viewed as abominations, and again they're creations of MN. The list goes on, but I'm convinced the Shroud is a very major pivot point for both Galactic and Progenitor History.

mark

I wonder what Tefler's up to at the moment? Is he working on ebook 4 like he's been hoping to do for the last couple months, and therefore will only give us one chapter this month, or has he hunkered down to get 114 done by the 30th? Or has IRL stuff gotten in the way again? He has been rather quiet since posting 113, so he's obviously focused on something.

Jedi Khan

Thing is, Progenitors tend to stick to a template when altering species to fit their needs: bipedal and mammalian. Anything else would be considered abhorrent. The Kirrix are about as far from that template as possible. Plus, I doubt Progenitors care much about subtlety, being the arrogant pricks that they are. As for the host creature that the Kirrix original used for incubating their eggs, I believe it was mentioned that the host laid its eggs in leathery sacks. Unfortunately, the host larva didn't have the means to cut through the sack after hatching, but the Kirrix grubs did. So the host creature itself didn't have to worry about the Kirrix grubs eating their way out of it, since they were encased in a sack that was external to the creature.

Jedi Khan

that would make the host a self-repairing entity much like the Nymphs, who could probably survive an infestation.

Just a wild thought, but is it possible that the progenitor altered the traditional kirrix host who incubated the eggs, causing them to change the kirrix grubs as they ate their way out. a gradual change may not have been noted for a few generations, and the grubs would not have the standard progenitor fingerprint.

Dadd, the Trankarans have previously compensated for the extreme power of their engines by bulking up the armor on their ships, adding additional mass with the extremely thick plating. Doing so on strike craft or bombers would mean they take up more space in the carrier hangars, reducing the number that could be carried. That isn't a problem with ships that are FTL capable and don't have to be transported inside a carrier, such as corvettes or destroyers. I'd imagine that the Trankarans have some of those available. As for an automated or robotic recon vessel, there's no evidence that any of the empires have developed fully automated ships besides the TFed, and we all know what happened with those.

Jedi Khan

DD it almost sounds like John and crew of the Invictus need to explore the potential Achonin artifact on Karron as a priority before venturing forth. The artifact, the psychic training (especially the defensive shields) and the potential brush with the astral while raising Alyssa's parents could prove beneficial in the hours and days to come.

TF4EVA

If indeed the Kirrix are a genetically modified species, whoever did it has more skill than a Progenitor in that regards. As Rachel noted, it's easy for her to tell if a species' DNA has been altered by a Progenitor as there is distinct evidence of manipulation, but with the Kirrix, she can see no evidence of tampering.

Jedi Khan

The Hive Mind confirmed that the tragedy of the advent of the Shroud occurred long before any encounter with a Progenitor. That opened the possibility, conjectured by Rachel, that they may be an artificial species that was genetically modified by other than a Progenitor. Tashana speculated that the Achonin may be their creator, but only Tefler knows.

Sean...sort of like MN slapped together the Darrkar to fight Ranagon ? You beat me to the punch with the infesting angle . I have long wondered how are insect race developed space travel & thought they might have been from learning/absorbing knowledge through infesting/absorbing creatures that had the knowledge . Some creatures seem to be able to do it , & it's a ritual across many primitive cultures to eat the heart of your enemies to take their bravery for yourself . Just an idea .

bigdawguw65

I do like the notion that the Achonin tampered with them to counter the Progenitor threat. They are like leftover weapons of mass destruction. Another route, and this is pure conjecture, is that perhaps they gained their psychic abilities by infesting thralls during an early encounter. Them accidently gaining psychic abilities is certainly amusing.

Sean Miller

Rachel theorized that the Hive Queens evolved from individual physical conflict to species-wide cooperation only after they developed telepathy and psychic powers. Her unanswered question was whether this evolution was natural or artificial.

I may have introduced the civil war nomenclature, to note internal division. But I think you are correct that this crisis has triggered a fight or flight response in the Kirrix. That is an instinctual, rather than a rational response. Let's hope the right side wins. But as you note, some Hive Ships might make an independent run for it in hopes of protecting the bird in the hand...

As to the Kirrix civil war ( always wondered about that term...they are about the lest civil of any war ) , they discussed the Kirrix originally been separate warring hives ...(the Queens having developed as deadly fighters) , maybe they started co-operating after the devastation of their culture & almost extinction because of the Progenitor in their collective memory . Maybe the shock of encountering another Progenitor has shattered their co-operative collective & they have reverted to each Hive for itself , some hoping to get away with their prisoners in the confusion & others afraid if any don't follow Alyssa's orders that she destroy them all in revenge .

bigdawguw65

Why not send an automated or robotic recon vessel to doing the job?

So, if the Trankaran engines make smaller craft dangerous, and they have yet to adapt Dana's system to reduce engine stress, maybe they have no small, fast recon or picket ships.

The Invictus' crew has stressed the need to train and develop their psychic powers and abilities. One reason they did not begin training in the last days was their engagements at Carolis III and Brecken's World and John's insistence that they take a break, relax and depressurize before arriving at Karron. Now that they are on Karron and facing another mystery, they will likely encounter Kirrix in potentially dangerous situations in coming days. As concerning, John's desire to help Alyssa meet her parents opens them all to Astral forces that would attack them with psychic powers. Additionally, their proposed trip to Arcadia might expose them to a Progenitor or Thralls. In anticipation, they should schedule psychic training sessions especially to harden their defensive options with hex shields for Rachel, Irillith and Helene. Tashana and Irillith can practice better ways to work together to coordinate both their offensive and defensive skills as a psychic combat team. Jade and the Nymphs will grow in strength and John's connection with them can accelerate their evolving psychic and shape shifting powers. John and Dana need to share their insight into Battle Runes, while Alyssa presses the Girls to strengthen, coordinate and sustain their various skills. Psychic powers represent their greatest advantage over any adversary. It is time for them to seriously build that ability into a key aspect of how they fight and live.

Dadd, I believe Trankaran engines are too powerful for them to be used on craft such as fighters and bombers. They'd turn the pilots into paste without some way to compensate, which Dana conveniently gave them on their first visit. Plus, craft of that size typically don't have FTL drives, so they're incapable of long range recon missions. The team's Raptor is the only ship smaller than a corvette equipped with an FTL drive, and according to Tefler's ship classification table, a corvette is the smallest ship class capable of FTL. Of course, we haven't really seen the Trankarans engage in fleet combat yet, only the aftermath of such, so it's possible that they do have strike craft such as fighters and bombers.

Jedi Khan

Maybe the Trankarans do not believe in small measures and culturally prefer recon in depth. They do everything on a large scale, and we have not seen them deploy small ships like fighters, bombers or recon scout craft.

That is true. Hopefully Tefler can clarify if the battleship is the only ship in the fleet with the new sensors.

Jedi Khan

Jedi... They have the enhanced sensors on the up graded Battleship , but maybe haven't gotten them on the smaller ships yet so it would be more effective in doing the scouting & you don't send a Battleship anywhere without it's screening fleet of support ships .

bigdawguw65

The fleet in question was already deployed to defend the minor empires from the Kirrix and was right on the edge of the invasion corridor, reportedly. That's why they were tasked with recon. But why send the whole fleet out to recon? That's what I'm asking. They could have just sent one or two small, fast ships out to do the recon while leaving the rest of the fleet in place to continue defending the minor empires. I just had another look at the scenes about the Trankaran recon op. They did indeed send the entire fleet out. From the first scene: "Brokurlun focused on the map again, watching as his fleet of warships raced away from the Yelneg Dominion towards Dun Gerluhr." From the second scene: "Warden Brokurlun stared at the holographic map, watching his battleship lead the Trankaran fleet towards the outer edge of the occupied system." Unless they were actually expecting to engage the Kirrix, which I might add they were ordered not to do, sending the whole fleet would be unnecessary. The recon could have just as easily been accomplished by just one or two small ships that could move faster and be more stealthy than a whole fleet could. Hopefully Tefler can clarify during the edits.

Jedi Khan

Jedi, here's a possibility. They sent the fleet as soon as it was ready, to defend against the Kirrix. After Alyssa had her "conversation" with the hive mind, The Maliri would have passed on to the Trankarans the result of that agreement, and the Trankaran Command then told the fleet to merely creep in and see if the Kirrix were indeed complying, without a show of force which may have prompted a battle.

Here's a question: why did the Trankarans send an entire fleet just to do recon? Wouldn't one ship have been enough? We've seen the Invictus drop into a system on low power and remain undetected plenty of times. No reason why another other ship couldn't do the same. Or did they just send one ship and it happened to be the flagship? If they did send just the flagship to do recon, why the flagship? Wouldn't a smaller ship class, which is likely to be faster and more maneuverable, have been a better choice?

Jedi Khan

Tefler: a funny line came up during a conversation with some of your fellow Patrons and we thought it might make a great line for Dana to use regarding John: He is a weapon of Mass Erection. :D

LunarLilith

Tough question, Jedi. Let's try canceling out what they probably won't do. They probably won't: 1) leave the captured colonists to a horrible fate, if they can save some or all of them; or 2) blast off for a rescue without an informed direction. Faye already made him feel guilty about not hanging around for post-combat cleanup operations. If Tony and the Worm Girls are anything like Alyssa and Dana, John definitely won't invite them to a bikini beach party and swim in the Lagoon. ;-) I think Alyssa will try to contact the Hive Mind to find out what is happening. They will learn about the Civil War, maybe by Lilyana via Edraele, and which side seems to be winning. That outcome should condition their choices. If Alyssa's supporters win, she can require them to return their captives to their homes. If the revanchist win, then they may chase some down, destroy some more, and carry out John's strategy as expressed to Faye -- destroy the Hive Mind, eradicate major planetary installations, knock out all their interstellar ships and stations, and let them slowly climb their way back into space.

I wonder what the team is going to do next after Karron? Are they going to try chasing down the Kirrix who have reneged on the deal to return prisoners or head to the next colony and forsake the Karron prisoners?

Jedi Khan

I don't think the "Boys" are AI(yet) , but they seem to be developing individual personalities & they seem to be using preprogramed responses but are at least mimicking emotions for now . Remember Faye had trouble as she started to grow more aware & her base program stated Maliri was the supreme life form & she realized that John & the girls were replacing them , she had to reprogram herself ( I think John unconsciously triggered that) It will be interesting how Tefler handles their growth without John becoming concerned with more possible AI's on board . BTW DD "7" said she had Zero defects , she was the one who said she thought they were perfect too , a little different in tone .

bigdawguw65

I looked again at Faye's "conversation" with Boy "7." Faye could program the bots to "simulate" conversation and the exchange of subjective views and ideas, but how boring would that be? Even the puppy-like antics of the little cleaning bot could have been programmed simply for her "entertainment." But I do not think that is the case. That scene revealed familiar relationships among "individuals" who cared for each other. For example, look again at how "7" tells Faye that the bots on the Invictus think she is perfect as she is. Faye could have scripted that content, but it would have had no emotional impact. Why would she do that to herself?

Considering the last few chapters only cover about a day in story time each, I'd say it's a safe bet that we've still got a decent number of chapters left before the end. That is, of course, unless Tefler decides to skip ahead at the speed of plot to wrap up the main thread sooner rather than later.

Jedi Khan

Jedi Khan, the 6 month's statement was in one of Tefler's comment's about the coming end of this storyline. You are correct about the 6 months in the storyline about Alyssa wanting to be pregnant but his comment was made when he was talking of ending this story and doing the sequel. I am hoping that with all the threads still to be resolved that we have 25 to 50 chapters to go before this part ends but it will depend on how many threads Tefler wishes to address. There are too many for me to list but it's quite a number. Just so Tefler knows, it won't hurt my feelings if it takes a 100 more chapters to bring this storyline to a satisfactory conclusion.

Nonconformist

I believe the "6 month" bit was in reference to the deadline Alyssa gave John to deal with LK, PJ, and whatever else is needed before they all retire to Valaden and John knocks all the girls up. Alyssa said she wanted to be pregnant for her birthday, which is about six months away.

Jedi Khan

Beowulf, that is the most logical choice of the traitor I have seen yet and even if it proves to be wrong it is still a hell of a good choice and one I didn't think of. Kudo's to you.

Nonconformist

I don't know whether this comment from Tefler was here or on Lit but he was talking about nearing the end of this storyline and starting the sequel and mentioned something along the lines of " after 6 months " but I don't know if he was saying he was taking a 6 month break from posting TSM's here or only doing a time jump of 6 months in the storyline. He had posted months ago that he was doing a time jump of about 20 years for the sequel. I know he is doing the E-books so I'm wondering if he is going to take a break to focus on them ( I hope not ). Sooo Tefler could you answer this please to clear up my confusion, thank you in advance.

Nonconformist

I suspect that the new mood influencing TF leadership and command culture would make treason a fairly unfashionable choice. Motivations and expectations of reward or personal or principled benefit are very obscure.

I think the most likely candidate for the traitor is Buckingham's girlfriend from the flagship. a desk-bound rear admiral, she has not been mentioned since. Unless they were all changed after Lynette took over, she would still have command codes and contacts, and she hated John even before Buckingham was killed.

Why are people thinking that this traitor's goal is to assassinate Lynette? Is it because she was given a personal shield generator and a pistol by John? Can the traitor's goal not be to simply hurt the TFed by somehow assisting a hostile force? As for what this traitor can do, there's a lot a low ranking officer can do to muck things up, especially when they have access to critical systems and a big enough bone to pick. It could be anything from as simple as issuing falsified orders to as complex as outright sabotage that cripples critical systems.

Jedi Khan

There were many traitors that were "forced" back into the fold during the trap on Buckinghams invasion fleet after John one-shotted that battle ship. A whole battle group of officers to consider for such an act of betrayal. Plus we have the few admirals that resigned after the Kintark invasion was crushed and Lynette installed as Fleet Admiral.

Nibbles

If the TF Traitor is not an Admiral, or have strategic command level security access, how could they be so placed as to serve as a threat of assassination against Lynette? Buckingham's son does not command a combat unit that he can independent deploy or order based on personal loyalty. He is in no position to penetrate Lynette's security coverage, nor carry out a kidnapping or assassination. He does not seem to have traitorous allies who could support any treasonous act. So, is he a Lone Provocateur? If so, what could he possibly offer that has Athgiloi so excited? What does it have to do with the Callopian Shoals? Why does he consider Shanryl to be his preferred weapon? Tefler knows.

Agree with you bigdawg. Athgiloi doesn't have a good picture (poor intel) and nor does the traitor - a souped up fleet due to arrive to reinforce Morgan (dacre) and the Tfed having allies in the Maliri. This info would surely curb the Brimorian first strike or strategy especially as they are beginning an invasion on another front. The traitor probably doesn't care as long as some bad karma comes TFeds way. I wonder what kind of ship(s) Shanryl and her team drive (and is there more than one)? Maybe the traitor knows of the Maliri alliance and is going to use it to get the Tfed fleets to let them come in close only to be hacked and finished off by the Brimorians? What is it that Shanryl and her team bring to the party that the Deep Lord thinks will tip a balance in his favour.

TF4EVA

I think that Athgiloi has made John's path forward easier . John has fretted about what to do about the Brimorians , their aid to the Kintark , Athgiloi's treachery about the cut off switch on the shields & the Abandoned . He doesn't want to appear as a tyrant his race has been , but if Athgiloi attacks the T Fed from using the Callopian Shoals as a base , even if it's an assassination attempt , it will give him all the excuse he will need to straighten the Deep Pool out & even if he doesn't get a chance to kill Athgiloi , I doubt his fellow Lords will let him survive long . I only hope john & Jade learn about his nymph so she can join the family ASAP . I can even see the reason Athgiloi is using Shanryl , a Maliri assassin , so he can try & lay blame on them , little does he know of John's relationship with Edraele & the house Matriarchs .

bigdawguw65

Tefler, Big Dude enjoyed it.

Big Dude

Given the naming convention Tefler seems to be using for star systems, I imagine Beta Crusis to be in the Crusis constellation. However, now that I've looked up what "Crusis" is (I originally thought it was Latin for cross, thus somehow related to the Southern Cross constellation), I'm thinking it has something to do with water and is therefore near the Callopean Shoals.

Jedi Khan

"elapsed" story time. Dam auto-spelling correction

This entire chapter was only 10 hours in lap story time. Wow it is going to take 50 chapters to find out about his mom.

I wonder where the Beta Crusis system is. When Athgiloi said for Shanryl (and the rest of the Lahlenori?) to go there she had a reaction which suggested that she could see 'a game was afoot'

TF4EVA

Jedi, is a docking/cargo bay the same as a hangar? If the answer is yes then the Great Creator perhaps has a slight continuity thingy to see to.

TF4EVA

When John went back to Karron the second time to get Sparks and another load of ore, didn't they park in the largest hangar Karron had? If I recall correctly, that hangar was just large enough for the 500m Invictus at the time. How is the now 750m Invictus fitting in the hangar this time?

Jedi Khan

The Tachyon Lances replaced the Beam Lasers and Gauss Cannons. The Quantum Flux Cannons will replace the six Heavy Cannons on the top deck, supplementing the firepower from the Tachyon Lances. We've only seen one example of the Quantum Flux Cannons in use, with the Ashanath's Legacy, which was able to take out the Drakkar's dreadnought with just a few shots. And that was just one Quantum Flux Cannon. Dana believes she'll be able to mount four of them on the Invictus. So yeah, I think the Quantum Flux Cannon is more powerful than the Tachyon Lances.

Jedi Khan

Have to disagree Ron , Progenitors can manipulate life , but nothing we've seen so far suggests they can create life . Rachel has said she sees the fingerprints of Progenitor manipulation not creation . With the nymphs we have a species spliced together from multiple sources & this might be a way forward .

bigdawguw65

As a Progenitor, John has the power to create life. He probably just needs to learn the right Progenitor rune. That said, clearly Faye is on her way to being a creator in her own right.

Hinterlands Man

Throughly enjoyed Tef, especially the nerdy machine code exchange. I would strongly encourage you to consider more dramatic flare to the end of the scene with Alyssa and Fat Tony. My feeling is that the monster comment needs more build-up to emphasize the punch that comment delivers!

Koa

Sean, I could easily see the entity and the shroud being related in some way however if it were the entity itself my impression from it's attitude and behaviour towards John on the astral is that it would be more active and 'nasty'. On the astral it is part of 'growing' progenitors in real kirrix space and time it's reason for being seems so benign....

TF4EVA

No, that's a sucker bet. In reality it seems as a sure thing. The team will build the interface for it into the Invictus and then show up at Arcadia within seconds. The team will go exploring and Dana will become disoriented (disorientated for my Australian and European Tefler compadres) and the artifact will become clear to her. Alakazzam!

Big Dude

Anyone else think the shroud is actually that gargantuan entity in the Astral Plane that John fought on top of with the titans?

Sean Miller

Thanks for the feedback. Afternoons and early evenings don't tend to be a great time for me because I'm spending time with the family, but I can try to get on there earlier sometime. In terms of readership demographics (on Patreon and Amazon), it breaks down roughly like this: 1) America (~75%) 2) UK (10%) 3) Canada 4) Australia 5) EU (predominately Germany) 6) India 7) The rest of the world

Tefler

No worries. Sakura will put them in Guest Quarters on Deck Four. She and Faye will make sure they are fed, comfortable and under control. They will only do and see what the crew want them to. I do not think they will be guests for long.

Since the trio has been "rescued" from Karron and they don't have anywhere to go, does this mean that John will be "feeding" Kellie and Perl and "letting" them join the "harem"? Sure hope he dosen't try to feed Fat Tony!

Who Me

<i>A note for Tefler</i> Tef, it was really good to see the lengthy chat on Discord the other day - I really enjoyed reading through it afterwards. It did, however get me thinking on a couple of related points. First off, it was really GREAT to see you on there again - as you have said, it’s been a while with RL getting in the way. I’m hoping that you showing up and having such a good chat indicates that your family and you are now moving in calmer waters. I certainly hope so. I would have liked to join in, but I only saw it the following day. I’m UK - based, but being an old fart still stuck behind a 9-5 desk during the week, my bedtime is usually well before midnight. I’m also aware that you have a large enthusiastic following in time zones around the world where the local time would even further misalign with the chance to chat with you. UK time 2:00 am is 7:30 am in India, so most of your fans there will be ploughing through Mumbai traffic! Your natural relaxing time in the early UK morning- “I think I’ll just go on Discord before turning in” is ideal for the New World chapter of your fan club, but extremely difficult for most of the rest. If you are now in a calmer place where you may be able to get on Discord a bit more often, I would suggest trying an afternoon or early evening finishing not much later than 9pm as an alternative, for a change. This would be fine for U.K., your EU based fans, and then the large and growing contingent in India. I would strongly recommend announcing here such an intent and a rough time, however. I realise this may clash for you with school runs, cooking evening meals, and the like, all of which which obviously take precedence, but maybe something could be done on a weekend, or perhaps a short one or two slipped in between other weekday commitments? A related point is a bit of fun that I was saving up for a ‘dry spell’ when you’re working on one of the books, but I must admit it does interest me. As you no doubt are aware, you have a truly global following, anchored in the Anglophone world, but not exclusive to it. My betting on headcount would put your readership per region in the following order, factoring in population and likely popularity: 1. North America and Caribbean 2. Indian sub-continent 3. UK 4. Rest of EU 5. Australia + NZ 6 &amp; onwards.... goodness knows! It would be fun to have a little survey on one of the pages where we can click on the country or region we are currently residing in. Not the whole of the UN - that would be way too unwieldy - but perhaps 10 or so, with a ROW option. Finally, congratulations on 113. A complex chapter where you are handling a number of delicate issues, which was done supremely well. When reading it I was in a perpetual state of low-level fear, but I came out of it feeling positive for the team, and very relieved the Faye issue (you really did have us going on that one) was sensitively and well managed. Fantastic work!! Tim

Timbo

We know of another , artificial species , the Nymphs , who have limited physic powers , wonder if there is any coincidence in that , Especially with the possible Achonin rune included . This might be a big clue or as you said a whale of a red herring

bigdawguw65

So far, John has not fallen for the same trick twice. His nightly commiserations with Athena probably explore these possibilities. She warned him that the Astral Beasts are hunting them, and would be drawn by powerful psychic displays to hone in on them. His tactical mind would have considered various responses to known risks and threats. He may not be totally confident of success, but would emphasize risk reduction.

I wonder -- was Tashana's question whether the Kirrix were an artificial species created by the Achonin significant, or a Red Herring?

DD...like the idea , Lynette promised that the T Fed would do better for the outer worlds &amp; this would be a nice test bed for just what a private/public enterprise could do to improve the life of those brave people that strechout the frontiers . Just might be a great place for Aylssa's &amp; Danas orphanage , giving others a better chance than they got.

bigdawguw65

I doubt they could claim ownership or effective possession of Karron just by surviving an alien invasion. Corporate links to TF banks, investors and mining consortia would probably have more compelling claims. What would be cool, though, is for our favorite insider trader, Henry Voss, to buy out the whole shebang and turned it into his production center for Sparks Tech. He and Lynette could make Karron into a turnkey test bed for advancing development among the frontier colonies. While the asteroid is untenanted, he could rebuild it into an advanced technology center with attractive accommodations and work spaces, attracting all classes of workers from throughout the TF. In honor of the Karron Girls, they could establish an orphanage that trained its wards to assume leadership roles in the asteroid's future.

Hmmm...if they can't get back the prisoners from Karron would Tony .Kelli &amp; Perl be able to claim it ? Since they were the last one's there ? Also just what will happen to it , is it worth it for the T Fed to clean up &amp; brijng some law &amp; order to the place , they can almost start with a clean slate.

bigdawguw65

Dawg, the introduction of the Lahlenori was interesting. I got the impression it was a newly introduced alien species. Your idea that she might be a renegade Maliri Assassin is interesting. But though she was in armor, her helmet was transparent. That does not sound very Maliri, to me, even if she did not fear death for showing her face to strangers. I do wonder if she is alone, has troops or ships, and what her capabilities are?

Maybe, maybe not! Once John's short side trip to Karron is over, he could rendezvous with Admiral Zelig and unload them before chasing down escaping Hive Ships -- or proceeding to Arcadia. They would, at least, be off that rock at last.

It seems they are becoming a self-aware, interactive machine network, with Faye as their hub.

Deep Lord Athgiloi's ego is going to really put Brimorians into hot water (couldn't help myself) , not only has he weakened his invasion force but his sending someone to attack High Command &amp; start something with T Fed at this time is doubling down on a disaster , not that it couldn't happen to a nicer guy .Does anyone else think Shanryl is an exiled Maliri , possibly a house assassin that failed a job &amp; had to run ?

bigdawguw65

Lol, I'm pretty certain he's British. Thanksgiving is an American specific holiday. Still a nice sentament.

Sean Miller

Great chapter, but aside from that, Happy Thanksgiving, Tefler. I know you'll be in a few peoples' prayers of thanks.

ETNSosa

I really like how Tefler introduced the challenges of freedom to Helene in their discussion about the countervailing impacts of uncontrolled population growth and more modest family size. Helene's resilience again is noted, as well as Faye's role as her personal tutor. Watch this space...

Dab Dab Faye still sad, so I still mad. Dab.

Alphaonetango

Faye is not a machine. She is software. He chassis is not her, but a tool to use in certain situations. It is clear that she does not expect to ever become an organic being -- unless the Girls can perform some unlikely bio-cybernetic miracle far into an unpredictable future. All of her views expressed on this matter shows she did not really expect her wish to come true. She concluded that her chassis will never become an organic body, and though she is a synthetic being, that is not a bad thing. With that realization, maybe her understanding will evolve to be more accepting of her nature and value.

Dag, I am not sure there is an AI or Computer on Kirrix ships. Their data management and control systems seem more sub-sets of Hive Mind awareness and operations. Faye is a self-aware AI system, with critical discrimination and volition. We do not know that Kirrix ship systems possess either characteristic. I am reluctant to draw that equivalence, because we do not know enough.

I think in the case of Faye being "real" &amp; "organic" are two different things . She wants to be a real girl , so she can have John's children . Her body now gives her a presence now , with all the biomechanical feed back she missed as a hologram. It's only draw back is the lack of regeneration with John. Any doubt she is "real' is gone as far as I'm concerned &gt; machines don't have broken hearts !!

bigdawguw65

DD...I do think Faye is prompted , by her desirer to protect John &amp; the girls , her family so her "standing orders" from John are to protect his girls &amp; the Invictus . Are you thinking she is becoming like the computer running the Kirrix ship? It would be an interesting development but considering the completely different way they store info &amp; compute&amp; access it it will be a monumental bit of recoding to use the Kirrix entity as a model

bigdawguw65

Increasingly, Faye is trusted to operate the Invictus while John and the Girls are focused on strategic, tactical, scientific, technological and relationship priorities. She initiates major actions without prompting and anticipates their needs while positioning the systems under her control to achieve them. Does anyone else share my view that she is becoming the AI Mind of the Invictus? Since ships are often described as feminine constructs, and Faye is becoming the essence of the Invictus, in a sense, she is becoming a Real Girl of unique prospect.

Tefler. You are amazing. Another dense, substantive, beautiful and gratifying installment. The arc resolving Faye's current malaise was deftly done -- clarifying John's limits to transform her synthetic body, kicking the problem down the road of a potential future, and recognition that she is valuable and valued as she is in the here and now. She also reinforced the principle that sharing her thoughts with her friends, rather than struggling alone with secret quandaries, is important to her own growth, but also for harmony with the rest of the crew. Potentially the most important revelation to me is that Faye is the "nexus" of an evolving machine culture, using interactive digital communications, to link Cleaner Bots, the Boys and Faye into a collective, mutually aware, AI-driven community. The Bots also seem to be aware of themselves, the human crew and their roles aboard the Invictus. Their sympatheic "conversation" reveals a degree of autonomous thinking inside their collective awareness. Their "affection" and "concern" for Faye's well-being was surprising, but fascinating. I suspect that this plot development arc will have important implications for the future, especially since they intend to expand Faye's capabilities, enhance her servers, add additional Avatars and build more Bots.

Tefler, great chapter! A few suggested edits for Chapter 113 are as follows: Page 9: “How many children would by (be) a sustainable number?”; Page 12: *Sure. Just let us know if we can help,* Alyssa said, her voice(d) filled with concern.; Page 44: *We’ve (We’re) going to have a long night ahead of us dealing with infested colonists,; Page 45: “And of course(,) we can’t forget all the hard work from my talented fellow chef(s).”; Page 47: She gave him a coy smile as she stroke(d) her tummy.; Page 50: relishing the slick feel of her perspiration(-)soaked skin as they writhed in bed.; Page 55: There was a metallic clicking sound(s) as the machine rapidly sorted and turned each round,; Page 58: Returning his attention to the hol(o)gram, John watched; Page 63: the settlements springing up like weeds in the hollowed(-)out caverns that threaded through the asteroid.; Page 64: “Did you ever run into any problems in the red(-)light district?”; Page 72: Swarms of drones appeared as the sensor date(a) returned more information,; As always, if you disagree, I completely understand. Good luck with the next chapter! Cheers!

Now that the Invictus is on Karron and Fat Tony and the girls are on their way to the invictus I wonder how it is the Great Creator will bring the story around so that John and his Pride go to investigate the artefact? What will Calara find about the Marchants? Who or what are the Lahlenori and what are they being tasked to do? The Terrans and the Brimorians aren't actually in strife so what 'damage' can the traitor do unless the Deep Lord thinks his two fleets will take down the TF Border fleets as a first strike. But then where? How will the Kirrix 'civil' war impact Alyssa's deal? Will Alyssa be faced with more 'ethical' dilemma - good Kirrix vs bad Kirrix??? The Great Creator did promise some intriguing plot twists to come and it certainly looks that way ........

TF4EVA

She’s linked to her, able to telepathically talk to her as well as receive.

" "Calara smiled as she listened to her lover’s thoughts get befuddled, Alyssa losing herself in waves of rolling climaxes"....since when has calara been a telepath ?!?!

Rus I have no idea as to how I could do that. Sorry. Hmmm try this :- <a href="https://discord.gg/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://discord.gg/</a>

Nibbles

Exactly how is the red aura faliable? Did Fat Tony not beat a son to death in front of his parents just to join the gang? “But you only hit me and robbed me, so that would be overkill,” Alyssa continued in a quiet voice that dripped with menace. “You’ve done a lot of fucked-up things to a lot of people and I’ve got a much better way of dealing with scum like you. The last guy I punished like this clawed his own eyes out to make the visions stop.” Leaning closer, she added. “But I am going to laugh, Tony... That’s the last thing you’ll hear... apart from your screams.” That seems to suggest that her red aura worked correctly does it not?

Nibbles

Would someone please create an invite for me for Discord?

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

The thing that Far Tony found in the tunnel

Oh, yeah! Great stuff, threads seem to be coming together...

I do have to admit, for a moment there. When John and Alyssa were making love. I thought John was going to overload Alyssa with an orgasm so powerful it would send shockwaves through the entire psychic network. Where ever girl connected to Alyssa would feel it. That would be kind of hot. On a serious note. It was nice seeing John and Alyssa together again. There is something. ....special, when they are together.

MJHSharkbait365

Fantastic chapter Tefler. Your writing never ceases to amaze and delight me.

MJHSharkbait365

That would be awesome! I could see her rocking a staff, or dual wielding wands.

Roethan

That is very true! While Tashana did get her hands dirty too, she was doing it in self defense or against pirates (who deserve it). Irillith, however, did it initially to appease her mother before enjoying the suffering of others. She's now been converted, and has redeemed herself, in the eyes of the crew at least. Fat Tony is an improvement in that he didn't need a DNA re-write to better himself. Whether it sticks or not is yet to be determined.

Roethan

That still seems like the easiest route for it to go. Once John (or the girls) figure out how to create life, making a body for Faye will be easy. Finding a way to make her mind transfer over will still be tricky. I'm not sure a human(oid) body, even augmented by John can do everything Faye can. She'll probably have to leave a version of herself as is. Probably have to give her cyber powers so the two forms can mesh somehow.

Roethan

she said, turning to look at Rachel and Helen -&gt; Helene

Kim Biel-Nielsen

Great chapter can't wait till John on the girls deal with the Brimorians and of course breed some more blue pussy

Jason Darbe

Thanks.

Kim Biel-Nielsen

THE PLOT THICKENS!!!!!!! Sooooooo many possibilities

Mark Hall

Ironic twist...Alyssa and John racing in and saving the kirrix from themselves.

Frostfyre

The Valkyrie already has the giant rotary cannon just waiting to be upgraded. Switching two of the Raptor's gun turrets to runic cannons might be a good idea. I have a funny feeling John wants to lure the abyssal horrors into a fight on this plane, and heavy caliber rune weapons would make a huge difference.

Frostfyre

While Tefler has assiduously avoided any of the Terran religions, I wonder if the idea of forgiveness in the Abrahamic religions would apply. The Jewish idea of being a mensch by performing a mitzvah (in the non Talmudic sense but the colloquial) applies to Fat Tony. Or the Christian idea of atonement and redemption might apply. (Yeah, I hads me some religious studies electives). I wonder if Alyssa weighing what was done to her by Fat Tony against what as done for Perl and Kelli by Fat Tony might give the some expansion to her character. She hasn't had to face a moral dilemma since the battling the Kirrix Hive Queen. But the red aura poses a predicament. Every red lit human has been basically the lowest amoral examples of degenerates (Ganymede soldiers, Buckingham's cronies, the pirates, etc.). We the readers do not know anything of Tony's early life except the recent information. We only know him from the most recent chapters where he has been pretty damn selfless; his internal monologue being a bit more base at the start. I wonder if this is Tefler's way of introducing some uncertainty in Alyssa as the red aura is now fallible. The next chapter is going to be an interesting resolution.

commatoes

I absolutely LOVE Erotic Science Fiction. It is SO hard to find. This is the best I have read in a long, long time. I just can't believe you don't have at least 100 books under your belt. Very good writing. Thank you.

Who Me

Still getting used to the Patreon interface on my cranky old laptop. In paragraph 3, you referred to a character called 'Helen' - presumably omitting the terminal e. It occured to me that there is a race that knows how to build organic computers. So to grant Faye's wish they have to free the Kirrix from the Shroud.

Keep on KEEPN' ON!!!!!

Another triumph! All those threads...little tidbits of interest...sure whets the appetite! Thanks again!!!!!!

Arrowglass

That was fun.

Gun Porn, I am sure that PLR and Jedi have already discussed, but I want to keep the discussion going. Runed weapons for the Raptor and Valkyrie? Remember the rounds do not have to be very large so one could think that between 1000 and 5000 rounds could be carried by each. Also for the Valkyrie maybe have two different size rounds that fire out of the same gun, one for Capital Ships / large targets / one for fighters / tanks/ Juggernauts, same barrels, just a switch in the feeds. rounds could be the same diameters, just different lengths.

I think that Dana needs to have a little heart to heart with Faye and let her know that once all of this craziness with the other progenitor is over, she is going to make John feed her all day, every day until he has an answer to make her organic. (Anyone else see the classic Tefler twist where they find Mael’nerak’s lab and John and crew is able to do something for Faye?)

So many open story arcs to list, just think about all of the minor arcs that will still come into play somehow?? So Many surprises on the horizon from the mid-level story arcs 1. Weapon/Base in the unclaimed wastes 2. Shroud 3. Astral Plane (Power Progenitors)/ Astral Monsters 4. Evil Progenitor John 5. John’s parents. 6. Psychic Battle practices. Your additions, maybe someone should start a google docs of all of the story arcs that are still in play? a spreadsheet and let a couple of people be editors.

at this pace, I can see an easy 50 more chapters unless, unless (OK so Crazy whispered this thought into my ear) What if the other progenitor is trying to create a grand battle that would cause John to either fully develop and then enslave all of these races or fail / die trying.

Really looking forward to the interactions with Fat Tony, his girls and Sparks. I can see them on board the Invictus for several chapters just due to the fact they they do not have anyplace to drop them off the they would feel safe about. Pretty hard to leave them with Terran warships about to go into battle.

I still see Alyssa with a Staff with runes on it, maybe it comes apart, a piece for each hand? Chrystal Alyssium with Eternity Crystals embedded. It would have been cool to have her just drive the staff to the ground at Karron.

Wonder if the Quantum Flux Cannons are more powerful than a Tachyon Lance GEO style? Would they replace the Lances or be an addition? Also, I though a couple of chapters ago the Smaller projectile weapons were removed from the Invictus and replaced with the new lasers? Am I wrong? Has anybody maintained the Invictus weapons load out spreadsheet?

Really love the interaction between Faye and the Boys and the Bots. My question is this - are the Boys / bots autonomous therefore have developed there own sense of self or are they just extensions of the Invictus server core? Quoting Jedi, PLR will have fun with this.

The Rebellion between the Kirrix. I am estimating that they we be between the hive queens that were and were not in Alyssas little powwow. Those who were not do not believe, ohhh how they are going to regret that stupid mistake. I can see the ones who are trying to follow the truce begging for forgiveness that Alyssa will not destroy the home world.

Great Chapter as always. It is obvious that you have spent the last two chapters doing some character development and also setting the stage for future plot arcs. My Thoughts in Different posts so people can comment.

A comparison might be made between Tony and Irillith. Her earlier casual plans to have Ceraden killed (and of course implementing the Fulmanax genocide) imply she would have had a blood-red aura due to various people she surely ordered killed prior to meeting John.

Nice idea, I'll try and find that bit and take a look...

Tefler

No BSOD for Faye!

Tefler

Glad you enjoyed it!

Tefler

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. :-)

Tefler

Duly noted... :-)

Tefler

Really nice suggestions... I might work that into a conversation in the next chapter.

Tefler

They were going to do that after finding the survivors, but I can make that clearer. :-)

Tefler

Thanks! :-)

Tefler

"before moving onto the next" should be "on to"

eggman

Yeah, I remember that being brought up already too, but I dont remember who all was a part of it.

Roethan

Having thought a bit more, I wonder if the scene with Alyssa confronting Fat Tony could be sharpened or less rushed (although perhaps this can be left for the next chapter). There is a conflict of worldviews here, between the idealistic idea of good and evil (in which people are either one or the other, symbolized by Alyssa's red mark) verses the (IMO) more realistic view that all people are flawed and have to make the best of the circumstances they find themselves in. In the terrible circumstances on Karron (an exaggerated metaphor for life in general), good character means: first, don't make things worse by your own actions; second, try to make something better; third, try to improve yourself. There is a universal message of redemption in this, and Fat Tony is a great archetype for that. Alyssa may be young, but she is very experienced and intelligent for her age. She is not being a monster to want to condemn Fat Tony, but her own experience speaks to the capacity of people to improve.

John Jameson

By the way, Tefler, weren't they going to try turning Karron's power back on so Faye can do some data mining? Seems that's been forgotten almost.

Jedi Khan

Well that was certainly enlightening. Good to see Faye got sorted out. Given the timeline for the potential of her wish coming true, that's probably something for the sequel, isn't it? And Faye's scene with the bots - PLRus is gonna go nuts over that one. I wonder what John is planning to do for Alyssa's family reunion? Probably something rash and ultimately dangerous, if he can even find enough echos to pull it off. Honestly, I have to wonder if it will even be successful. Unlike with Sakura, Alyssa didn't get to spend decades living with her parents, so there really shouldn't be much, if anything, for John to work with. And that's even if the information Calara pulled up was accurate. It wouldn't be Calara's fault of course, considering just how spotty the record keeping on Karron was.

Jedi Khan

I really enjoyed the read. Also, it was a great relief to learn that Faye OS is a Unix derivative with full ETML support - no wonder she is so resiliant :)

John Jameson

I think we can guess who the traitor is. There was a certain commander who was just disciplined by the Admiral.

Sean Miller

Thank you Tefler that was a most enjoyable read.

Nibbles

I am confused about this Chapter. Felt like a filler. So are the Kirrix now fighting among themselves? Are some of them rebelling and not turning over their human prisoners? Who is the traitor in the Human fleet (again) and who are the Brim’s now attacking? Kintark, Kirrix, Human, all? Where are the Maliri? And will John be attacking the Brims soon to teach them a lesson and destroy their fleet?

David B

In the scene where Rachel, Rill, and Dana make plans for after they retire I could see Dana mentioning "needing some help from John" in working on their project, then licking her lips thinking of what that help would consist of.

Thank you Telfor was another great chapter.

Sorry to start out with a correction, but wasn't it already determined in a previous chapter that the hive queen was shielding the nest guardians? The way it's written makes it seem like that was forgotten.

Sean Miller

wow. Nice change of pace and made me think about earlier rhythms of action and respite, action and reset. Not really many answers to questions but definitely definitely can see we are setting up for some resolutions and more actions. Who is the spy and are they being groomed by LK or motivated by revenge - obviously the surprise no one apparently saw coming. The return to karron still has a few stories to tie up but went more smoothly than anticipated and we have confirmed the first signs of 'true' love.... Well done and thank you Great Creator.

TF4EVA

That scene was in chapter 105 (search for the phrase "crazy scientists" to find the right bit). She was still hurt at being abandoned on Karron.

Tefler

Another smashing instalment in this amazing franchise, but one question though: Didn't Dana come to the conclusion that her parents might not have been assholes, following the discovery of the some of the secret experiments conducted on ganymede? I can't remember exactly how her reaction went but after it was found that Dana was possibly one of the genetically engineered children from one of those experiments, didn't she change her perspective on her parents?

Nathos

Awesome as expected. Request to cut down on sex please.

Sushant Bhartiya

Thanks, I fixed that in the new version I just uploaded.

Tefler

Thanks Tefler

'can definitely feels surreal' -&gt; 'can definitely feel surreal' 'it feels like-“' -&gt; 'it feels like-”'

Evan

Thanks Tefler.

Great! I’m on a ferry in southeast Alaska. Passed through the Wrangell Narrows...got a wisp of cell coverage. Just enough! A happy man

DCM

Thank you, Tefler!

Evan

I'm not gonna girly squeal, I'm not gonna girly squeal, I'm not gonna... *squee!* Ah, better. Thank you, Crazy. Time to read.

Jedi Khan

There is no 23pm, it is either 2300 or AM/PM.

Long awaited....thanks tefler

bob lakhanpal

YAY!!! Thanks Tefler!!!

Anthony Kester

Damn it I have work, well now I have something to read at lunch and break now!

Chris

:)

The tremors have stopped thank you Tef!

Fuck my important meeting , im going to read this NOW xbbb, thx Tef

Excellent!!!!!

bigdawguw65

Outstanding!

Thanks Tefler.

Cignal

I'm going to get right onto reading this!!!!

Awesome!!

Amazing

Roman Andrew Chalfant

cheers mr

Braw

Sweet!

Fab! Thanks Tefler :)

Nchalada

cool!

Yay

Muledrvr

Wahoo!

Daniel Watkins

cool

Richard de Leeuw

Wohoooo

Awesome! Thanks!