Changing Lanes, Chapter 14

[Drewbie]

Chapter 14 Prelude to Battle is up

 

 

 

 

He must of found eric's picture.. and it seems even though Felecia is a bitch he's safer with her.

 

Edited November 19, 2008 by Drewbie

[C James]

Thanks Drewbie!

 

Well, there were many clues in this chapter, to all manner of things.

 

BTW, to those interested, I'm keeping the geography and geology as realistic as I can. The island is quite real, and if anyone wants to peek in google earth, they'll see it as described.

[MikeL]

Listen up, trooper! Get your gear together and pay attention as you read this chapter...and please comment here when you have read it.

 

Someone is looking for another certification of a cliffhanger-free chapter. Well..I can give you a definite maybe. Scar has a particular interest in General Bradson's

camera

:

Now, what have we here?

[Graeme]

Don't forget that those are two different islands. There's no evidence of volcanic activity on the first island, though obvious signs of activity on the second.

 

Having said that, yes, I spotted that first quote and had to wonder whether that was normal. I don't live in a zone where that sort of thing occurs very often, but I know a lot of members do. Maybe one of them can comment.....

[Benji]

Don't forget that those are two different islands. There's no evidence of volcanic activity on the first island, though obvious signs of activity on the second.

 

Having said that, yes, I spotted that first quote and had to wonder whether that was normal. I don't live in a zone where that sort of thing occurs very often, but I know a lot of members do. Maybe one of them can comment.....

 

..........Good question, if this is a 'normal' occurrence then the villagers would pay no heed to it. If it was unusual, then the vulcanologist's would be swarming the place. I was waiting for the General to digest his guest name, thinking that the dossier on Jerry would have been extensive enough that the name would have flown out at him. Mayonnaise jars! I think the General is going drop a surprise on the Iraqis setting off their detectors and watching them flee for the hills. The only surprise I got was Eric's choice in cakes, bad choice for a wedding, bad Eric!! Great chapter CJ, looking forward to the General's five mile run.

[C James]

Listen up, trooper! Get your gear together and pay attention as you read this chapter...and please comment here when you have read it.

 

Someone is looking for another certification of a cliffhanger-free chapter. Well..I can give you a definite maybe. Scar has a particular interest in General Bradson's

camera

: That seems to be a very mild cliffhanger...maybe, for now.

 

There's another unresolved matter in this chapter. Scar knows who General Bradson is. The General got a lot of press when the bombs in the US were deactivated; he is a hero who spoiled Scar's plans and cost him a chunk of change. Won't Scar seek revenge? The General, on the other hand, knows his adversary from Let the Music Play only as Jerry Clump and has good reason to believe Jerry is dead. That seems to be a lingering mystery that may develop into a genuine cliffhanger - and a climactic scene - in a later chapter.

 

I see another simmering cliffhanger developing which will likely be more obvious in a later chapter. Consider: and:

It appears we are headed for a volcanic eruption at some point...maybe during or after the wedding.

Remember, the goat went to great pains to give us information about Cumbre Vieja Volcano -- Potential collapse and tsunami at La Palma, Canary Island.

 

So, what do you think?

 

For there to be fresh volcanic ash, it merely means that there's been a little venting, just a small ash column. Nothing to worry about. Just some local color.

The quake... Earthquakes and volcanoes go hand in hand. It was a 5.5 quake that triggered the main eruption of Mt. St. Helens in 1980, causing the entire north flank to collapse, in the largest landslide ever seen by human eyes. I've been there; I highly reccomend seeing it. I stood on Jonston ridge six weeks ago (named for one of the scientists who died there during the eruption) which is a thousand feet above the valley between it and St Helens, and five miles away. It was scoured down to bedrock. The sheer power... it's hard to visualize unless you can see the results. Of course, not all eruptions are catastrophic; Kilauea in Hawaii has been erupting nonstop for over 20 years, and it's very well behaved; mainly lava flows. Cumbre Vieja is usually well-behaved, too.

 

BTW, I don't see that the camera is anything to worry about? Sure, The Scar is looking at it, but I see no indication that he plans to steal it, or do it harm? Therefor, the camera, as far as we know, is safe, and thus no cliffhanger.

 

I think we can now safely certify this chapter as cliffhanger-free?

CJ

 

Don't forget that those are two different islands. There's no evidence of volcanic activity on the first island, though obvious signs of activity on the second.

 

Having said that, yes, I spotted that first quote and had to wonder whether that was normal. I don't live in a zone where that sort of thing occurs very often, but I know a lot of members do. Maybe one of them can comment.....

 

Good point Graeme!

Santo Anato, in the Cape Verdes (about thousand miles from the Canary Islands) is the one The Scar, General Bradson, etc, are on. It's volcanic, but is not known to have a volcano that has been active in historical times. La Palma, where Eric is, has Cumbre Vieja, which goes through eruptive cycles a couple of times a century, on average.

 

An, um, Graeme, considering that you live close to an active volcano, perhaps you better learn some vulcanology?

(Mainland Australia's only active volcano, though it hasn't erupted in a couple of thousand years, is about 130 miles to Graeme's west.)

 

..........Good question, if this is a 'normal' occurrence then the villagers would pay no heed to it. If it was unusual, then the vulcanologist's would be swarming the place. I was waiting for the General to digest his guest name, thinking that the dossier on Jerry would have been extensive enough that the name would have flown out at him. Mayonnaise jars! I think the General is going drop a surprise on the Iraqis setting off their detectors and watching them flee for the hills. The only surprise I got was Eric's choice in cakes, bad choice for a wedding, bad Eric!! Great chapter CJ, looking forward to the General's five mile run.

 

It's Iran that's holding the two marines, not Iraq.

 

When I was at Mt St Helens, I talked to quite a few people who live in the area. The ones downwind get an occasional dusting of ash from the ongoing small eruptions, and think nothing of it. There are some vulcanologists, but that's more due to the convenience of St Helens than anything else. For a recent example, remember the island of Montserrat in the Caribbean? The Soufire hills volcano erupted, devastating most of the island. But how much do we hear of it now? (It's still erupting, BTW).

 

There are about 1500 active volcanoes in the world (roughly 600 on land, 900 under the sea) . A volcano is, as a rule of thumb, thought of as active if it has erupted within the last 10,000 years. (there are several in Nevada, for example). People often mix up the terms active an erupting. At any given time, there are between 20 and 40 volcanoes erupting (on land) worldwide. Generally speaking, vulcanologists pay the most attention to, and monitor most closely, ones like Pinatubo and St Helens, that have a history of explosive eruptions.

[Graeme]

An, um, Graeme, considering that you live close to an active volcano, perhaps you better learn some vulcanology?

(Mainland Australia's only active volcano, though it hasn't erupted in a couple of thousand years, is about 130 miles to Graeme's west.)

What's your definition of an active volcano? If you're talking about Mount Gambier, I don't know of anyone who would consider that to be an active volcano. As you can see by the picture, it's full of water.... ( you can click the image to go to the Mount Gambier tourism site )

 

 

EDIT TO ADD:

 

The link to the Wikipedia entry on Volcanoes says that there is no agreed definition of an active volcano. One definition is the one that CJ has used -- erupted in the last 10,000 years, but it's only one and it's certainly not agreed. Indeed, based on that wikipedia entry, a volcano can be simultenously active and extinct. In other words, if it has erupted in the last 10,000 years but is not expected to erupt again, it is both active (because it erupted in the last 10,000 years) and extinct (because it's not expected to erupt again).

 

Needless to say, CJ will use whatever definition suits him best....

Edited November 20, 2008 by Graeme

[MikeL]

For there to be fresh volcanic ash, it merely means that there's been a little venting, just a small ash column. Nothing to worry about. Just some local color.

 

The quake... Earthquakes and volcanoes go hand in hand. It was a 5.5 quake that triggered the main eruption of Mt. St. Helens in 1980, causing the entire north flank to collapse, in the largest landslide ever seen by human eyes. I've been there; I highly reccomend seeing it. I stood on Jonston ridge six weeks ago (named for one of the scientists who died there during the eruption) which is a thousand feet above the valley between it and St Helens, and five miles away. It was scoured down to bedrock. The sheer power... it's hard to visualize unless you can see the results. Of course, not all eruptions are catastrophic; Kilauea in Hawaii has been erupting nonstop for over 20 years, and it's very well behaved; mainly lava flows. Cumbre Vieja is usually well-behaved, too.

 

BTW, I don't see that the camera is anything to worry about? Sure, The Scar is looking at it, but I see no indication that he plans to steal it, or do it harm? Therefor, the camera, as far as we know, is safe, and thus no cliffhanger.

 

I think we can now safely certify this chapter as cliffhanger-free?

CJ

 

 

 

When I was at Mt St Helens, I talked to quite a few people who live in the area. The ones downwind get an occasional dusting of ash from the ongoing small eruptions, and think nothing of it. There are some vulcanologists, but that's more due to the convenience of St Helens than anything else. For a recent example, remember the island of Montserrat in the Caribbean? The Soufire hills volcano erupted, devastating most of the island. But how much do we hear of it now? (It's still erupting, BTW).

 

There are about 1500 active volcanoes in the world (roughly 600 on land, 900 under the sea) . A volcano is, as a rule of thumb, thought of as active if it has erupted within the last 10,000 years. (there are several in Nevada, for example). People often mix up the terms active an erupting. At any given time, there are between 20 and 40 volcanoes erupting (on land) worldwide. Generally speaking, vulcanologists pay the most attention to, and monitor most closely, ones like Pinatubo and St Helens, that have a history of explosive eruptions.

Nothing to worry about? That's what the people living around Mt St. Helens thought back in 1980. Remember the local character named Harry Truman? Poof!

Caption: Harry Truman

[W_L]

Actually, there has been a few conspiracy theories about tsunamis or earthquakes and nuclear testing links. I wonder if our friendly Goat will apply 1+1 together for fiendish plot of revenge.

 

I am starting to like the strong women characters in your stories more than the gay characters right now; CJ is turning me straight, hehe!

 

Honestly, Felicia and the General would make an interesting dynamic duo.

[Benji]

For there to be fresh volcanic ash, it merely means that there's been a little venting, just a small ash column. Nothing to worry about. Just some local color.

 

..........Where have I heard that before??

 

BTW, I don't see that the camera is anything to worry about? Sure, The Scar is looking at it, but I see no indication that he plans to steal it, or do it harm? Therefor, the camera, as far as we know, is safe, and thus no cliffhanger.

 

................Again a prelude indicator of a cliffhanger!!

 

I think we can now safely certify this chapter as cliffhanger-free?

CJ

 

..........No, I don't think so!

 

It's Iran that's holding the two marines, not Iraq.

 

............Freudian slip! Big opps!!

 

..........And what about the General hearing Jerry giving his name as Scar?

Edited November 20, 2008 by Benji

[Bondwriter]

..........And what about the General hearing Jerry giving his name as Scar?

I thought about this too at first, but I don't think Instinct or anyone beside his accomplices knew of the nick name in LTMP. Hence the even more devious encounter. How is The Scar going to survive an earthquake and a volcano/ landslide, and a bunch of angry mercenaries this time? I think by now everyone has identified CJ's true hero. Brandon is out of the picture, Eric indulges in earthly, futile pleasures, General Bradson is easily tricked and deceived, not to mention bossed around...

[Benji]

I thought about this too at first, but I don't think Instinct or anyone beside his accomplices knew of the nick name in LTMP. Hence the even more devious encounter. How is The Scar going to survive an earthquake and a volcano/ landslide, and a bunch of angry mercenaries this time? I think by now everyone has identified CJ's true hero. Brandon is out of the picture, Eric indulges in earthly, futile pleasures, General Bradson is easily tricked and deceived, not to mention bossed around...

 

............True as it maybe, I would find it hard to believe that a CIA, Intel, or any other intelligence agency didn't have a thick enough dossier on Jerry that the 'nick-name' never showed up.

[Pai-kun]

I don't see how The Scar can't already know that the General had a part in preventing the bombings and bringing him down... So him seeing a picture of Eric shouldn't really be a surprise. Well, he might be surprised at how stupid the General is(if he didn't completely remove it, not just deleted it, he's stupid). But he should know that Instinct and the General know each other. I assumed that was the reason that the Scar even took on the Generals mission to begin with(since it's made clear in this chapter that he's not interested in the money). I dunno, maybe I'm forgetting something or maybe I'm just not getting something. But I don't really consider it a cliffhanger. Great chapter though!

[TalonRider]

Yuri did ask the General about getting a hold of certain items and he told Yuri that he could no longer get to them.

[Graeme]

............True as it maybe, I would find it hard to believe that a CIA, Intel, or any other intelligence agency didn't have a thick enough dossier on Jerry that the 'nick-name' never showed up.

But did the general get to see that dossier? Not likely, since his involvement effective ended once the devices were discovered and neutralised. the intel would have occurred AFTER that point. He found out about the explosion that was believed to have killed Jerry, but that doesn't mean he saw the complete set of intelligence available. He may have been told about the explosion in a briefing. Since he was on the outer with the Pentagon and the White House at that time, it is unlikely they would have agreed to share too much information with him.

[Benji]

But did the general get to see that dossier? Not likely, since his involvement effective ended once the devices were discovered and neutralised. the intel would have occurred AFTER that point. He found out about the explosion that was believed to have killed Jerry, but that doesn't mean he saw the complete set of intelligence available. He may have been told about the explosion in a briefing. Since he was on the outer with the Pentagon and the White House at that time, it is unlikely they would have agreed to share too much information with him.

 

........Perhaps it was his conversation with "Chase's" parents that led me to believe he had dug into Jerry's profile!

[C James]

What's your definition of an active volcano? If you're talking about Mount Gambier, I don't know of anyone who would consider that to be an active volcano. As you can see by the picture, it's full of water.... ( you can click the image to go to the Mount Gambier tourism site )

 

 

EDIT TO ADD:

 

The link to the Wikipedia entry on Volcanoes says that there is no agreed definition of an active volcano. One definition is the one that CJ has used -- erupted in the last 10,000 years, but it's only one and it's certainly not agreed. Indeed, based on that wikipedia entry, a volcano can be simultenously active and extinct. In other words, if it has erupted in the last 10,000 years but is not expected to erupt again, it is both active (because it erupted in the last 10,000 years) and extinct (because it's not expected to erupt again).

 

Needless to say, CJ will use whatever definition suits him best....

 

Yep, I meant Mt. Gambier.

 

Just becuase it's full of water, does not mean that it's not active. I can think of several active volcanos with water in their craters between eruptions. I can also think of a few that are under ice.

 

And what? Me, use whatever definition is convenient?

 

Nothing to worry about? That's what the people living around Mt St. Helens thought back in 1980. Remember the local character named Harry Truman? Poof!

Caption: Harry Truman

[C James]

Yuri did ask the General about getting a hold of certain items and he told Yuri that he could no longer get to them.

 

Good catch! Yes, this is the bit that implies The Scar knows who Bradson is and what he did.

 

But did the general get to see that dossier? Not likely, since his involvement effective ended once the devices were discovered and neutralised. the intel would have occurred AFTER that point. He found out about the explosion that was believed to have killed Jerry, but that doesn't mean he saw the complete set of intelligence available. He may have been told about the explosion in a briefing. Since he was on the outer with the Pentagon and the White House at that time, it is unlikely they would have agreed to share too much information with him.

 

Well said! The General did see a little of the dossier, but that was during or immediatly after the nuclear hunt. Enough to know of Clump's relationship with the Carlise's parents. However, as you point out, he wouldn't have access to it all, and certainly not after the higher-ups gave him the old heave-ho.

 

........Perhaps it was his conversation with "Chase's" parents that led me to believe he had dug into Jerry's profile!

 

The General had access to the Carlshitski's interview notes. They would have been interviewed right around the time of the nuke hunt, and he'd have access to that due to need-to-know. However, anything coming in after he parted company with the government, not likely.

 

BTW, the title of chapter 15 is "Worth a Thousand Words".

[Drewbie]

BTW, the title of chapter 15 is "Worth a Thousand Words".

 

 

Yup The General and Eric are doomed.

[MikeL]

And THANK YOU for the cliffhanger-free declaration!!

Huh? Our dark-haired Swede merely said he did not consider the camera thing to be suspenseful.

But I don't really consider it a cliffhanger.

See? Hardly a declaration...much less a certification.

[Phantom]

I agree... I do think that this chapter was EEEVIL and full of cliffhangers... or so my evil duckie tells me (the reason he's evil is taht he read one to many CJ cliffies and it corrupted him )

 

As always CJ, amazing job and I cannot wait for more

 

Eric

[Former Member]

Can't add much to the discussion right now because I should be doing homework, but...

 

great chapter CJ! Keep 'em coming!

[C James]

Yup The General and Eric are doomed.

 

Why? The Scar already knows of the General's role against his nukes... He already knows that the General knows Eric. And he knows (we can assume, due to it being public knowledge via the press) that Eric and Brandon killed Dimitri. What could The Scar possibly learn to change anything in any way?

 

Huh? Our dark-haired Swede merely said he did not consider the camera thing to be suspenseful.

 

See? Hardly a declaration...much less a certification.

 

Well, been as you wouldn't certify the chapter cliffhanger free, somebody had to.

 

I agree... I do think that this chapter was EEEVIL and full of cliffhangers... or so my evil duckie tells me (the reason he's evil is taht he read one to many CJ cliffies and it corrupted him )

 

As always CJ, amazing job and I cannot wait for more

 

Eric

 

Eric!! What cliffhangers? You know I never use cliffhangers... Your duckie is Evil, and thus in league with Shadowgod!!

 

Can't add much to the discussion right now because I should be doing homework, but...

 

great chapter CJ! Keep 'em coming!

 

Thanks!

 

Okay.. I promised pictures!!

 

Here's three of the place I had in mind when Eric picked the party location.

 

To put the last two into perspective, the are taken from the same direction, about fifteen feet apart. The pool view is what you see from inside. )

 

Forget the bird cage, but this is what I was trying to describem sort of. Eric's is more spanish style, and less cluttered, but the concept is the same: a large area, with about a third of it roofed over and the rest open to the sky, with pools and a view.

BTW, these pics are not from La Palma, but from a hilltop hotel in Jamaica. I remembered thinking, while I was there, "what a great place for a party!" and so, I used it.

 

 

Now, for the Volcano pics.

Here's a pic of a minor steam and ash venting from the lava dome of Mt. St. Helens, in early September.

 

Here's St Hellens itself, same day. To put the sheer power in perspective; that crater is a mile wide, and St Hellens is an enormous mountain; it also used to be a heck of a lot taller; it was once known as the Mt. Fuji of the Cascades.

When I took this, I was standing on a ridgeline (Johnsot Ridge) over a thousand feet above the valley floor. When St Hellens erupted, the landslide and supersonic blast scoured the ridge down to bedrock, and it's five miles away.

 

Now, here's a pick taken looking the other way, north. The flattened trees (the are literally shattered, the stumps are splintered) don't stop there. Trees were flattened like that for thirty miles. I had to knock the REs way back due to bandwidth issues,

but if you look close, you can see the remains of fallen trees.

[Drewbie]

Nice pictures,

 

I think the scar might use it against the general, he must be thinking of revenge.

 

Sorry whenever you use the angel emot, something evil always comes up.

[W_L]

By the way, plot alert: I noticed this on my second read.