Let the Music Play, Chapter 37

[rbenn5]

last week I was too quick to say this but i will repeat what i said last week:

[GaryK]

Now that we all agree that CJ still holds the #1 spot as the King of Evil Cliffhangers how about we discuss some of the merits of the story?

 

It seems unlikely that Instinct and Helen are going to survive. That means nobody will ever learn what the boys think they know about The Scar.

 

Will there be enough of the plane left for the authorities to realize the plane had been sabotaged prior to being shot down? Or will they fall for the goose ruse?

 

With Instinct and their suspicions out of the way does this mean The Scar is going to get away with his plans?

 

Will he eventually feel the need to kill Dimitri so that nobody is left who knows the full extent of what The Scar has done?

 

What do you think is going to happen next? Where will the next demonstration take place? Will there be a need for another demonstration or will the US cave in and immediately pay The Scar's extortion fee? If so how is The Scar going to collect without being caught?

 

What role will Joe play in all of this? Will he somehow manage to implicate his father?

Edited April 29, 2008 by GaryInMiami

[Tiger]

That will mean a trainwreck ending. Not even evil cliffhangers are as evil as trainwrecks. I hope they survive somehow.

[Drewbie]

I don't think The scar will go to prison, only way to get him is for his death.

 

How the scar will get his money? probably by wire transfer, or a direct deposit. Can't imagine him getting it in person.

Edited April 29, 2008 by Drewbie

[Graeme]

I am surprised a flyby wasn't done first...and the sparrows??

I'm not surprised at the no flyby. They have a aircraft suspected of carrying a nuclear device towards Las Vegas. The transponder signal indicates a hijacking is in progress. If they do a flyby, they may lose any chance of stopping the device from being detonated. I'm not sure if they realise that the device in Australia was a very dirty bomb (the cobalt seeding means it produces a LOT of radioactive fallout), but even if it is exploded outside Las Vegas, the fallout will probably still kill a large section of the population.

 

I also think it is wrong to call this a mere or even evil cliffhanger. All the cliffs in this chapter are WAY below where the action is taking place. This is so much higher than a cliffhanger that maybe we should call it something else.....

[GaryK]

Perhaps a cloud hanger?

[rknapp]

Roast goat would really hit the spot right about now...

 

The only scenario I can think of to save them is there is some sort of uncontrollable maneuver in the plane that forces it to accidentally dodge the missiles. Realizing they've missed their target they'll, as per Hollywood, turn towards each other to come back at the jet and hit each other, exploding. That or Instinct dies. Either way this is the climax of the story where we find out if Jerry will be discovered. If they survive, they'll tell the first authority they see (they're out of range already of the L.A. bomb, so it won't matter if that goes off). If they don't, then CJ will have to find another way to bring Scar down or simply let him have his way.

[Lissa]

last week I was too quick to say this but i will repeat what i said last week: THE GOD OF EEEVILLL CLIFFHANGERS STRIKES.

This week, I'm sure everyone will agree. Another great chapter, CJ!

[wildone]

I hereby name LTMP 37 The Mother F*@ker Of All Evil Cliffhangers

 

Excuse my profanity!!

 

What are you guys doing talking in here??? We should all be in here !!!!

 

And you know that he is sitting up there on his cliff in Arizona bleating his shaggy arse off as we all suffer here until next week.

 

I'm going for a walk.................

[Graeme]

Rather than moan or admire, why don't we come up with some ideas on how they can get out of this?

 

I should point out that I already know what happens next as I've beta-read chapter 38. I think it's fair and reasonable to say that Eric does NOT learn to play the harp though I'll it to others to decide is that's a likely instrument for anyone else in the band

 

But seriously, how do people think they can survive this? I'll be honest and say that I didn't work it out when I had the chance.

[JSmith]

It would be a fresh dose of reality if CJ did kill some of them off. Too many online stories have the happy endings where everyone lives some unbelievable accident. It would suck if he kills them all after he already killed Gunter, but I would take it.

 

One of the ways I could see them surviving is if the second engine fails and they start descending too low and the missiles either lose their tracking or they hit something else. Though then you have the crash in the desert to worry about, but at least they would survive the missiles

 

Absolutely GREAT chapter, CJ. My hats off to you as I sit here and twiddle my thumbs and plot my revenge for this chapter.

[Bondwriter]

I'm like Graeme, I read 38. Here is what I replied in the email that went back with 37:

"This is reaching an apex. I'm not too big of a fan of the lengthy description of the aftermath of the bombing, but I guess it goes with the genre. I don't see how you possibly can avoid Instinct becoming Extinct.

Nice chapter for shock value and high level of violence fans!"

 

So I agree with Joe, it seems they're doomed. What can possibly happen next? The Scar, Joe, Barbra become the lead characters? The Army people take over the story? We'll have to wait and see how this "cloud-hanger" turns out...

[shadowgod]

What happens next??

 

Que music...

 

"Meet me half way, Across the sky...

Make this a new begining, of another life...."

 

When I originally read this chapter, which i did at work -bad idea by the way-, I was left feeling nauseous. CJ has been rather masterful in painting Eric into this corner, okay he painted the rest of the band there too. With the extensive set up; I just can't see anyway out. Especialy with comments made in previous chapters.

 

 

Steve

[Low Flyer]

OK, I'm going to make myself unpopular. The tag at the end of the chapter says that feedback is welcome regardless.

 

I didn't think it was a good chapter. It was going fine until the end. Does CJ seriously think that we won't read the next chapter if he doesn't leave us with a cliffhanger? It seems to me to be a rather cliched mechanism, and entirely unnecessary. It's the sort of thing I might expect from an inexperienced writer, but not from an author of CJ's ability, and I'm surprised that he felt the need to employ it.

 

I'm also, I have to say, slightly surprised that people who've read the next chapter are giving it away on a public forum. OK, we can all make a guess that the heroes of the piece are likely to survive, even if we can't figure out how, but surely reading Beta chapters implies a duty of confidentiality.

 

OK, I should probably stop there before those missiles are redirected towards me...

 

LF

[shadowgod]

You raise a good point Low Flyer,

 

but I am going to counter with this. CJ, is pretty good, at something. He roped the majority of us in with a little diddy about a relationship. However as chapters progressed, it appeared the story centered more and more around The Scar's plans, consiquently less and less around Instinct. they have, in a way, become a device to introduce and further the real story CJ wants to tell.

 

As for not thinking it was a good chapter, just because of the open end? I have to disagree with you there. It's a standard practice, employed by amature as well as pro alike. I personally have seen more movies then I can count on mmy hand where a scene was cut in the height of drama to move to a more low key scene, only to go back to point of the cut.

 

it's a technique used to build tension... nothing more and nothing less in my opinion. Would we all rather have 38 up right now? yeah sure we would, but the anticipation is part of the fun as well

 

Furthermore, not to pull the tail feathers out of a goose, but who said anything about a group of misfit musicians being the heroes?

 

and don't worry about people throwing missiles your way. We are all entitled to our opinions. I for one am glad a voice of distention has stepped above the frey. kudos Low Flyer!!

 

Steve

[C James]

I've only got a few seconds here, but I had to respond to one point;

 

Don't worry, no one is giving away any inside info on the next chapter, Honest.

What we are seeing here is something I do too; when I want to comment in a thread but I've seen the next chapter, I recall my impressions when I read it. That way I can speculate, etc, and join in.

Thanks!!

CJ

[Low Flyer]

It was a good chapter, I just didn't like the ending (who did?). I think there's a difference between building up the tension in a movie or in a printed book and doing it in a story being serialised weekly.

 

Then again, perhaps I'm being too picky. It's not impossible. I suppose TV series do it all the time, so why shouldn't CJ?

 

You're absolutely right about one thing though - the story has been developed magnificently. I got sucked in by the hard-luck element of Brandon. I'm a total sucker for that kind of thing (a certain lad named Cody springs to mind here, but he seems to have vanished off the radar for the last 25 days...). But from that beginning we're into something worthy of any highly published author.

 

LF

[shadowgod]

It was a good chapter, I just didn't like the ending (who did?). I think there's a difference between building up the tension in a movie or in a printed book and doing it in a story being serialised weekly.

 

Then again, perhaps I'm being too picky. It's not impossible. I suppose TV series do it all the time, so why shouldn't CJ?

 

You're absolutely right about one thing though - the story has been developed magnificently. I got sucked in by the hard-luck element of Brandon. I'm a total sucker for that kind of thing (a certain lad named Cody springs to mind here, but he seems to have vanished off the radar for the last 25 days...). But from that beginning we're into something worthy of any highly published author.

 

LF

 

yeah I have been neglecting Cody. I apologize. I have to get back to him and soon. there will be a chapter next week I promise come hell or nuclear detonation

 

and to be quiet honest no I don't like this ending one bit, when I first read it I was rather nauseous with nervousness. I think SPiCE is going to have to do something about this predicament.

[rknapp]

One thing that's nagging me in the back of my mind is that the story read that the planes structure met its maximum just as Brandon took the empty yoke -- before he could correct the nosedive. Is there the off chance that the plane starts to break apart and fall out of the sky before the missiles hit? Kind of like what was already suggested about the portside engine failing -- except the plane comes apart and crash-lands that way. The people in the back of the plane could still survive if the plane doesn't go into a total nose-dive, but it probably would at that altitude. If it crash lands then the military could see that it was not armed with a nuke and could send help out to the scene of the accident.

 

Note that if that happened, Brandon would die. No matter what, at least one member of Instinct will die. Two if Eric fails to stop Chase from going up there.

Edited April 29, 2008 by rknapp

[Low Flyer]

One thing that's nagging me in the back of my mind is that the story read that the planes structure met its maximum just as Brandon took the empty yoke -- before he could correct the nosedive. Is there the off chance that the plane starts to break apart and fall out of the sky before the missiles hit? Kind of like what was already suggested about the portside engine failing -- except the plane comes apart and crash-lands that way. The people in the back of the plane could still survive if the plane doesn't go into a total nose-dive, but it probably would at that altitude. If it crash lands then the military could see that it was not armed with a nuke and could send help out to the scene of the accident.

 

Note that if that happened, Brandon would die. No matter what, at least one member of Instinct will die. Two if Eric fails to stop Chase from going up there.

 

I'm not sure that falling from 3000' would be survivable for anyone, but who knows?

 

LF

[Graeme]

I, on the other hand, didn't feel nauseous with nervousness. I trust CJ enough that he will do the right thing by the reader. What I couldn't work out is HOW he'll do the right thing.

 

Though I have to say he's developed a habit of killing off popular minor characters: first Vladimir and now in this chapter. My only question is what other popular minor characters will go before the ending (and who wants to pick which ones are minor....)

 

Low Flyer, I have to say that normally I wouldn't comment on being a beta-reader, but I had to make an exception here. CJ is a good friend and I was careful to follow the same guidelines he's used previously when doing similar things. I also know he was online at the time I posted, and was able to delete the post if he thought it inappropriate.

 

Having said that, my copy of chapter 38 is open for sale... who would like to start the bidding at, say, $20 billion and half the gold in Fort Knox?

[Low Flyer]

Having said that, my copy of chapter 38 is open for sale... who would like to start the bidding at, say, $20 billion and half the gold in Fort Knox?

 

I think CJ might be rather insulted that you'd sell it so cheap... ;-)

 

LF

[TalonRider]

There's always the chance that Brandon will remember the correct transponder code and change it to the correct one? Will the authorities believe it?

[Drewbie]

It would be a fresh dose of reality if CJ did kill some of them off. Too many online stories have the happy endings where everyone lives some unbelievable accident. It would suck if he kills them all after he already killed Gunter, but I would take it.

 

One of the ways I could see them surviving is if the second engine fails and they start descending too low and the missiles either lose their tracking or they hit something else. Though then you have the crash in the desert to worry about, but at least they would survive the missiles

 

Absolutely GREAT chapter, CJ. My hats off to you as I sit here and twiddle my thumbs and plot my revenge for this chapter.

 

Good point Joe

 

Or one of the engines could also just fall off, that has happened before. Just like to point out, some planes can survive on one. someone said if Brandon got the right code authorities would then know the jet doesn't have a nuke on it. but missiles or one of them still have a chance of blowing them up, Brandon would be the one likely to die, because he's up front.

 

Many post later Cj, thanks you got us thinking got hold of our emotions.

Edited April 29, 2008 by Drewbie

[GaryK]

Come on. Let's be real here! There are at least four missiles streaking toward the plane at supersonic speeds. That means they are mere seconds away from blowing the plane out of the sky. Personally I think Instinct is as good as dead. That means it's up to Joe to do something that will cast suspicion on The Scar. Then the authorities could keep an eye out for him and arrest him on the spot. End of story!

 

Then again this is CJ we're discussing. So it can't really be that simple can it?

 

Regarding the beta-read and editor issue. I think it's fine for the author to leak teasers of what's to come. Anything else is unacceptable. I really don't want this to come across as a personal attack on CJ's team because it's not. I've seen the same thing happen with other stories so my comments are not directed at CJ's team. I think beta-readers and editors should have to sign what amounts to an NDA.