Changing Lanes - Chapter 26

[MikeL]

Cliff James has released Chapter 26 of Changing Lanes. You may wish to read the Aesop (authorship uncertain) fable The Scorpion and the Frog as an introduction to this chapter. It is the story of the humble, trusting frog...always thinking of others before himself.

 

Classics Illustrated version

Edited February 10, 2009 by MikeL

[Drewbie]

Good chapter Cjames

 

Yay General got to his son, now hopefully they will make it alive, though the general might not. now what about the message to Felicia, what side will she choose?

 

Poor Eric didn't realize what happened with Jansen in the past, I think Keith is gonna talk to Eric.

[C James]

I just updated the posted chapter to add the bit below at the end:

 

Author's note: The Iranian base described above is real. So are the coordinates.

To see it in Google Earth, use this .KMZ file.

 

To see it in Google Maps, just click here.

 

CJ

[MikeL]

Try as he might, Eric has screwed up. He has managed to say just the wrong thing to Jansen. He has shown his lack of commitment to any relationship even before one started.

 

Meanwhile, back in Iran, the General is fulfilling his commitment to his son and the other prisoner. Here's hoping they escape both the Iranians and Scar's plan.

 

Oh, that fable is just that...a fable. No frog is so foolish as to believe a scorpion...or a goat.

Edited February 10, 2009 by MikeL

[Benji]

Yep, Eric definitely messed up, and he can't blame the tequila this time. But then again Jensen was acting on impulse himself, he is not blameless here. And Keith should have warned Eric, as he had a hint in what was going on.

 

I'm going to take a guess that the General plans to parachute out with his 'rescued party' somewhere close to an island where a certain wedding just took place, seeing that he knows the real mission doesn't include them to be safely released.

 

Now about the frog legs......errr! I mean the trusting frog, if the frog can trust a scorpion, why wouldn't he trust a goat, who is much more benign?

[TalonRider]

Try as he might, Eric has screwed up. He has managed to say just the wrong thing to Jansen. He has shown his lack of commitment to any relationship even before one started.

 

Meanwhile, back in Iran, the General is fulfilling his commitment to his son and the other prisoner. Here's hoping they escape both the Iranians and Scar's plan.

 

Oh, that fable is just that...a fable. No frog is so foolish as to believe a scorpion...or a goat.

Looks like we've got a couple of major cliffhangers going here as we have to wait to see the outcome.

 

Eric has screwed up BIG time. All I want to see right now is backside and elbows going after Jansen. They've both got some explaining to do to each other.

 

You know, the version of that story I know was a fox and not a frog. I'm guessing that since we don't have any foxes here, the goat chose a frog to pick on.

[hh5]

Hey I think Jensen wanted a romance etc etc rather than something to try and then see if goes any further

 

Eric new at this - barley a day's worth of BI - of course he's gonna experiment

Jen really made Eric sad

 

u wonder if Jon or Eric would ever get married or have mates.

Only little brother was smart and lives happily ever after so far - stuck on a volcanic island

[Conner]

Eric was a total dork.

 

Jansen is not one of his female groupies. And that's exactly the way he came across to Jansen. "let's f**k, I need to know if I like this."

 

Why didn't Eric talk to Chase or Brandon first?

 

I'm really pissed.

[Benji]

I disagree with your assessment here, Eric was exploring here, he didn't know the 'rules' per say. Yes your right about about Eric's past tryst, but he was fueled by Jansen's prompting and his urge. Eric is Eric, blunt but by no meaning to, he is simply reacting to what was given to him in the past. Maybe he should have taken that San Franciscan trip and explored his feelings with Cody. But, still you can't totally blame Eric in this one, Come on Jansen initiated the touch in the first place! Eric had no clue other then one night stands here, sigh, maybe the bi-kid will wake up, maybe not. Not everyone is gay, Me thinks Eric will confront Jansen and tell him it was just a lustful encounter, nothing more!

[wildone]

Great chapter Cj, and thanks

 

It seems like already their is two sides of whose fault it is between Eric and Jansen. I'm leaning a little bit more towards Jansen than Eric. Correct me if I'm wrong, but was anyones' first experience (note the word experience) from the result of a long term dating relationship? Or was it out of lust and the thrill of trying? I don't mean sex, but anything that could be considered sexually stimulating.

 

Jansen obviously was hurt by the former bf/gymnast and Keith did warn him about falling for Eric, but Jansen is so taken by Eric I don't think he'd settle for less than a full relationship. Keith I'm sure realized that there was no hope in hell of convincing Jansen of deterring from his plan to seduce and keep Eric, so he let him go fail even though he knows he will be picking up the pieces.

 

Eric, who has had women at his disposal and probably needed to utter more than one or two words to get into bed with them is suddenly challenged with having to communicate with his bed mate and I'm sure like anyone else, severely misread what he had to say.

 

The whole scorpion and frog thing makes me think that the General was letting his son know that you never trust anyone, even ones that you would figure you can trust the most. I'm gong to give a little different view here. Private Johnson was yelling Farsi when the General's attack team entered the cells. Private Johnson has not suffered any torture as of yet. Could Private Johnson actually be the Scorpion? He may actually be working for the Iranians.

 

It is now obvious what Felicia's teams are seeking. With Geiger counters and going into secured underground bunkers it seems that The Scar is now nearly back in the nuclear bomb making business .

 

I wonder what the General has up his sleeve to "blow her out of the sky" that Felicia knows that he can do?

 

Anyways, just my first initial opinion .

 

Should be interesting to see what happens next.....

 

BTW, multiple cliffs in this chapter no matter what the goat says.

 

Steve

[C James]

One thing to keep in mind about Eric... He's never dated. He's had loads of one-night-stands, but he's never dated anyone.

 

Wildone pegged a few things. (Way to go Wildone!)

 

The Scar mentioned in a previous chapter, that he loved the irony of the General unwittingly being the insturment of restoring what the general had taken from him. There was also the fact that The Scar was supplying Iran with magnetic bearings. Those have one principal use; in high-speed centerfuges, and Iran's nuclear program is centerfuge-based (much akin to gasseous diffusion, it takes advantage of the slight weight differential between differing isotopes of uranium, while in a gassious form (Uranium hexaflouride). Changing Lanes is set in the very near future, and the Iranian nuclear program is, according the International Institute for Strategic Studies, expected to have sufficient enriched U-235 to make a bomb, this year.

 

Oh, and I should mention, I've made no secret of the nuclear plotline in Changing Lanes; Every single chapter announcement has had the :nuke: emote in it.

 

I can't comment on most of what has been asked in this thread (It is in coming chapters) but I can say this, Wildone was quite wrong on one thing: when he said there were cliffhangers in this chapter!

 

However, if Jansen's words to Eric, at the very end of the chapter, count as a cliffhanger.. I can only give credit where credit is due, and give full credit to Emoe for that. It was his idea to move that scene to the end of the chapter.

[TalonRider]

However, if Jansen's words to Eric, at the very end of the chapter, count as a cliffhanger.. I can only give credit where credit is due, and give full credit to Emoe for that. It was his idea to move that scene to the end of the chapter.

So, you're saying it was a team effort.

[Drewbie]

Great chapter Cj, and thanks

 

It seems like already their is two sides of whose fault it is between Eric and Jansen. I'm leaning a little bit more towards Jansen than Eric. Correct me if I'm wrong, but was anyones' first experience (note the word experience) from the result of a long term dating relationship? Or was it out of lust and the thrill of trying? I don't mean sex, but anything that could be considered sexually stimulating.

 

Jansen obviously was hurt by the former bf/gymnast and Keith did warn him about falling for Eric, but Jansen is so taken by Eric I don't think he'd settle for less than a full relationship. Keith I'm sure realized that there was no hope in hell of convincing Jansen of deterring from his plan to seduce and keep Eric, so he let him go fail even though he knows he will be picking up the pieces.

 

Steve

 

 

Edited February 11, 2009 by Drewbie

[TalonRider]

It could be that Johnson may have picked up on some of the language spoken. And if the guards don't speak english, how else could he talk to them at this time.

[Conner]

Eric messed up, plain and simple. Why "mother" him? All I'm hearing are excuses for his behaviour. Excuses speak to "sentencing", not to innocence or guilt.

 

Eric clearly knew that Jansen had feelings for him. Eric's state of mind was "I need to know." On top of all that, given the agreed upon buisness relationship, Eric was in a position of trust, if not in fact a position of authority vis-a-vis Jansen's dancing career.

[Puppster]

Eric messed up, plain and simple. Why "mother" him? All I'm hearing are excuses for his behaviour. Excuses speak to "sentencing", not to innocence or guilt.

 

Eric clearly knew that Jansen had feelings for him. Eric's state of mind was "I need to know." On top of all that, given the agreed upon buisness relationship, Eric was in a position of trust, if not in fact a position of authority vis-a-vis Jansen's dancing career.

 

I think maybe Eric needs a long talk with Keither and Jensen with (scary i know) Jon. Who else knows the other side better then those two

 

Am I the only one other then the mercenaries touched by the Father Son reunion with the General and his son ? I know their in for a tough way to come, but still, I'm happy that the General got to see his son again.

[Rad]

I"m worried about the group. With 3 out of 4 band members are gay...that can't be good for their image.

I mean their image towards the screaming teeny boppers. I would like to see how CJ handles this

[Bondwriter]

I"m worried about the group. With 3 out of 4 band members are gay...that can't be good for their image.

I mean their image towards the screaming teeny boppers. I would like to see how CJ handles this

Well, they will get some (even) stupid(er)messages under their YouTube videos . Other than this, it can be handled by Helen. Over the years, they will attract to a different crowd. True fans will care for the music, and a gay metal band can be somehow cool.

[wildone]

Well, they will get some (even) stupid(er)messages under their YouTube videos . Other than this, it can be handled by Helen. Over the years, they will attract to a different crowd. True fans will care for the music, and a gay metal band can be somehow cool.

 

 

Actually that is a great point BW .

 

I wonder if Queen ever had a decline in their album (yep, CD's were just coming out back then ) when it came out about some of their sexual preferences. Although I wouldn't call them a metal band. I now wonder if when CJ mentioned that he envisions Instinct as a Rock Band, not a boy band, not a metal band, if Queen maybe has some merit on the influence .

 

I know I'm probably going to hear from the goat as he doesn't really want to stereotype the band from whatever image we have of them. Personally I see Brandon as much more hotter than Freddie Mercury though .

 

Steve

 

BTW, is it just rumour that they were gay, or is it considered fact now? Just curious. (Queen)

[Tiger]

So, you're saying it was a team effort.

More like an EVIL conspiracy!

 

Okay, I apologize for not commenting on many of the earlier chapters. I've just gotten caught up with the story. So I'll comment on all of them. I really like this blooming relationship between Eric and Jansen. However, the latest episode has left things in a bad place, and I will agree that it is an evil cliffhanger and a good one at that. I believe that we're getting closer to the end now, part of my reason for waiting to read some of the chapters. I will say this. There have been several arguable cliffhangers so far. As is no big surprise, the author seems to deny such claims.

 

General Bradson is a smart man. Ironically, he has not figured out The Scar's evil plan to kill him. He is basically dancing with the devil, and I hope that he and his son somehow survive. However, knowing the evil goat, survival is not guaranteed for either of them.

[TalonRider]

Speaking of cliffhangers, there is now only 2 days left to vote for the King of Evil Cliffhangers. So if you haven't voted yet, what are you waiting for?

[Tiger]

Speaking of cliffhangers, there is now only 2 days left to vote for the King of Evil Cliffhangers. So if you haven't voted yet, what are you waiting for?

I voted. I even voted for King of Evil Cliffhangers. I cannot name my choice though.

[C James]

Eric messed up, plain and simple. Why "mother" him? All I'm hearing are excuses for his behaviour. Excuses speak to "sentencing", not to innocence or guilt.

 

Eric clearly knew that Jansen had feelings for him. Eric's state of mind was "I need to know." On top of all that, given the agreed upon buisness relationship, Eric was in a position of trust, if not in fact a position of authority vis-a-vis Jansen's dancing career.

 

I can't comment on any of the above, but I do want to say, you pegged a subtle issue; Eric is indeed in a position of authority thanks to the business deal. Keith knows that, Jansen might, but Eric does not seem to realize it.

 

I think maybe Eric needs a long talk with Keither and Jensen with (scary i know) Jon. Who else knows the other side better then those two

 

Am I the only one other then the mercenaries touched by the Father Son reunion with the General and his son ? I know their in for a tough way to come, but still, I'm happy that the General got to see his son again.

 

Getting in was the easy part.

Poor Brian, he wasn't sure it was real.

 

I"m worried about the group. With 3 out of 4 band members are gay...that can't be good for their image.

I mean their image towards the screaming teeny boppers. I would like to see how CJ handles this

 

GREAT point!

 

I can't comment on the future, but I can post a quote from chapter 9.

A single, subtle nod was Brandon

[EMoe57]

However, if Jansen's words to Eric, at the very end of the chapter, count as a cliffhanger.. I can only give credit where credit is due, and give full credit to Emoe for that. It was his idea to move that scene to the end of the chapter.

 

So, you're saying it was a team effort.

 

More like an EVIL conspiracy!

I did not conspire to create a cliffie! I merely suggest that there was a natural break in the scene and putting something into that break made sense to me... Besides, it is not a cliffie: Jansen is pissed and Eric is Eric - see? no cliffie

[wildone]

I did not conspire to create a cliffie! I merely suggest that there was a natural break in the scene and putting something into that break made sense to me... Besides, it is not a cliffie: Jansen is pissed and Eric is Eric - see? no cliffie

 

Oh my gosh. If I didn't know better, I'd say CJ broke into your account and posted that. It sounded so.....CJ