Stellar

Let me say that it is also a frustrating thing for me to have chapters taking this long to produce. Veil of Shadow has been particularly horrible in its second half, taking months to create the fiction that should have been produced in one quarter the time. Your review is quite enough of a review! I aim for both traditional and innovative. I am glad you find new things on rereads, and that you reread it, period. There is definitely more to come, and hopefully soon.

Since I totally forgot about this last time -- Chapter 13 is now available, and Chapter 12 has been up for some time if you missed it.

"Librae Arctis?" Ayize stared at me, uncomprehending, and then there was a flicker of memory. "Oh, wait! Isn't this the place Albans told you to go when you left Lucere?" "It is. The gate to Earth was disabled, and he wanted me to to use the military's gate-link to jump here and then back to any colonial world that was safe." "Hmm. Well, first, let's see what we already know about this solar system." He reached for the control interface and input a quick command. A moment later, an info-file p

I miss you, Cassie. You know where to find me if you ever need me.

Happy birthday James!

Happy birthday Mann!

happy birthday!

Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes! Sssh. It's, um, happening already. You're not too late!

Ah! I didn't realise I had not responded to your question! Sorry about that, but here we go. The answer is simple: they are not related. Marcus and Beth Andersen did not live all that long into the pandemic. Over 90% of Lucere's population was either dead or mutated after the first year of infection; the likelihood of them surviving longer than that to have another child was infinitesimal -- and that's exactly why they didn't. It's not a pretty topic to talk about, because I am not-that-ambiguously stating here that their fate was no walk in the park. Ultimately it was probably for the best that Shay never learned their fate. It would do nothing for his peace of mind nor for his sanity. Esteban's resemblance to Shay was a combination of luck and genetics. It's not due to any sharing of ancestral DNA.

I can only assume you refer to what must take place after the story is done. The answer is: no. Not only are they *not* married, but Shay would never claim they were because he's legally a minor on Earth, and all that matters is Earth's law at this point. Early Veil of Shadow chapters establish that all three are considered refugees, as this more accurately describes their situation than 'immigrants'. Shay's real identity is (initially) kept hidden, because it is inexplicable to say he is from Earth without having to reveal the rest of his backstory. Thank you! I'm glad you did.

'Shay will end up on Lucere.' Hmm. Will he? Why's that? And THREE versions of Mira?! What universe are you a part of? I want to live there! The arbiters are searching for their old enemy, from the ancient conflict that once happened. They seem to believe they are getting closer to finding them and that it is inevitable. Hmmm!

Well, it would be more like: a bunch of clerics deal with the problem of cleansing the world of demons, so they decide to tie some demons up and torture them for a while to see if any of them will convert to the teachings of Christ. Needless to say, it didn't go very well for anyone involved.

For some time, Mira did not move at all. How they were lying, Shay's posture, was a simple fulfillment, a restful pleasure, and his heart was at ease. Content, his front was fully flush with his beloved's back, his arms around the stomach, legs on legs; all a delight of the barest flesh. The Other's breathing was soft, asleep in his embrace, the aftermath of their play, but now, he would not join in. No, Mira wished to stay awake. To feel this intimacy. To remember each and every time it happ

congratulations! I haven't read this story, but it definitely seems worth a gander.

I know I keep saying 'soon' and I know it sounds like excuses, but this is all I can offer until the next chapter is done. These last few months have been frustrating for me with regard to writing Veil of Shadow and all I can do here is apologise for the time taken. While aqumi has a number of intrinsic failsafes that can limit the likelihood of megalomania, the original inhabitants of Lucere did not design it with the intention of it being used by humans. Dagen was (possibly) the one who could know how Shay might treat such power versus a Mishith wielding the same, simply because he had the farseeing ability himself. Perhaps I should clarify with a statement as an example: the Mishith do not have a criminal justice system in the traditional sense because they do not steal from nor kill one another. This is due to their species being naturally gregarious and outgoing; not in the sense of being 'extremely social' but more like a wish to understand others and explore. They tend not to impose their wishes upon others and see things like murder as repulsive and theft as pointless, because this damages the easy communal cohesion of their species and is basically pointless. This is not to say violence never occurs and that the Mishith cannot fight. They just do not resolve conflict between one another with it. Now, contrast that with humanity. If aqumi was meant as a tool for the older species, then how might Dagen act knowing that the younger would use it differently, and aware of the likely way this knowledge would let the future proceed? The answer should suggest itself: nothing about aqumi was changed in Dagen's time to stop whatever Dagen saw -- or alternately, perhaps Dagen saw a different future and instead aqumi *was* altered in order to integrate itself differently with humans and allow Shay godlike power so he could do what the Mishith are incapable of. Foresight complicates thing a lot, because you get a metric tonne of possibilities!

Shay?! Supreme Commander? I don't think they make uniforms for teenage boys

I would hesitate to describe Shay's power as omnipotence. He could (will?! ) reach that point, but for now there are issues surrounding this. Having a superheroic ability sits in a similar psychological vein as being a dictator: you are a single being wielding influence disproportionate to your actual physical size. The whims of personality and impulse are exaggerated because of the impact on everyone around you, and because of expectation and reality. A benign entity might be able to accomplish a world of good, though if the worst flaw should manifest, the situation could turn hellish with no warning.

Ah! I've been a bit slack replying to reviews. I knew I had forgotten to comment on some, so please forgive the tardiness. That there is an 'oracle' definitely is Mira's understanding, though it isn't necessarily wrong. Yugan is not the same as the humans, not merely because of species but also because the Mishith relationship with aqumi is not *quite* the same too! More to come on that in later chapters. Regarding genetics and what's possible: the missing puzzle piece is that I have never described anything surrounding sharpeling genetic selection and reproduction. Also relevant is the way in which aqumi bonds to an individual, and the precise reasons the activator sequences function the way they do. There is a bit more to come on this as well, in the future. Watch this space. Rashid is no fool; he knows there are valid reasons for the situation, but equally, there is an undeniable amount of mysticism apparent to the more spiritual eye. However, as Clarke stated: 'any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.' Shay might appear an angel to Rashid, just as the technological wonders of the 21st century would appear truly astonishing to Victorian England, or even to the modern world 50 years ago, perhaps. Lastly, I didn't go into detail because I didn't want to give a detailed account of them losing their virginity (which occurred in the final chapter of Hidden Sunlight.) I wanted that to remain private, and yes, Mira was on the bottom! It's no secret he's a big boy, and he didn't want to hurt Shay on their first time, so it was him that chose this. There was a long debate in my mind about whether to include the fact at all, considering it something that Shay might never want to share with other people, but he got angry enough at Rashid to talk about it. You are quite right: Mira *does* have a preference but that preference is a distant second to simply being with the boy he loves. Whatever is most desirable for Shay is what he would do.

While it's great to be getting reviews and 'likes' from posting new material, I'd caution against putting too much emphasis on the importance of popularity. Not simply because individual viewings of the story page and chapter pages are not unique in your tally of page views (i.e. the same person viewing the same page on a return visit to the site can count as an additional viewing) but also because reputation can be gained from other places too. You could be a social butterfly and never have written a single word as an author, yet have hundreds or thousands of rep points from nothing more than interaction on forums, blogs and similar. Please don't take my comments as discouragement though! It is meant as the exact opposite, just with a caveat. There is nothing wrong with wanting, nor enjoying, popularity. On the contrary, positive feedback is great, be it reviews or 'upvotes.' However, if your story is something you are enjoying writing and others reading -- and it seems you are off to a good start -- then my advice is this: focus on making it the best piece of fiction you can. Forget the rep number and just let the creativity flow and your brain go to work. Captivate the minds and hearts of your audience, and the rest will follow.

Aww .. stop that! I am no kind of Shakespeare. A perfectionist, definitely, but that's all. Keep doing what you are doing; you can't reach any goals if you don't try. So, you think you know where it's going? Is Elia about to fight her way free in an amazing feat of heroism? Or is Nyx? Hmm, there are a lot of possibilities. As for Shay, his sexuality is still something that is indefinite. It was a person he fell in love with, not a gender; in another reality he might have a girlfriend. Therefore not as unlikely as you may think, though the connection between them wouldn't default to 'romantic attraction.' Then we have 'the seer.' This one has quite the journey of his own, and there is no small amount of importance attached to that. Shay's apparent godhood, also, is more closely related to him than might be first thought. On the story goes! Glad you're enjoying it.

Bio ships, bio ships everywhere! Yes, he does get a little playful sometimes

good theorising! Sound assumptions on most of it, though I'm not going to comment further xD

well, he does!

beauty is relative. I think they are beautiful to each other; but the outside observer is as always welcome to their own opinion.

Thank you! I'm glad you think that way. It was a very sudden reaction; not like a premeditated murder in cold blood.