C James

Interesting! I'm willing to bet that was a fuel-injected car. If was a carburator, I think a significant amount of sugar would have built up in it over time, leading to the engine conking out. Or, maybe they used pure gasoline to add the sugar to. Sugar in that case will clog a fuel filter, because it does not dissolve in gasoline. It does, however, dissolve in ethanol. Sugar in the engine oil though, would cause issues with lubrication as well as clogging the filter up. Not a fast kill, but more of a slow problem. Water in the oil is bad too; the sludge it makes clogs the filter, plus causes other trouble. Even Trevor's grit in the engine oil took hours to cause failure. Engines aren't as easy to kill fast as most people think.

Chapter 148: False Hopes and The End of the World (Here's a link to google maps, centered on the areas in the chapter, which can be zoomed and moved around, because I know some of you are like me and love to follow along and see the areas on the story.) Note: on the map below, Cape Horn is on the island closest to the bottom. A distant mutter of thunder shook the Florida skies as Joel, at the wheel of his black Camaro, neared his home. “Two months from today, we’re getting married

False Hopes and the End of the World is up! (it may take a minute or so to appear). Happy December 52nd, 2012! It'll soon be 2013!! I almost named this chapter "potato salad" but I thought "False Hopes and the End of the World" worked better. Next week we have another relaxing chapter, "Countdown to Doomsday", after which we have 2 remaining chapters and an epilogue.

Ethanol is murder on engines not designed for it, and it can be trouble for ones that are designed for it, even at the 10% concentration normal at the pump these days. Aside from reducing vehicle's miles per gallon (it has a lower energy density than gasoline) it can play havoc with seals, and it also often introduces water into the fuel: Water and gasoline don't mix, but water and ethanol do, even when the ethanol is mixed with gasoline. This includes absorbing moisture out of the air. Sugar, if introduced to the engine oil, wound not be a good thing.

Oops. It's False Hopes and The End of the World

Ack, forgot to post the coming chapter title. It's The End of the World and False Hopes I hope that doesn't sound ominous, so just in case, in order to reassure everyone, I'll post the name of the following chapter too: Countdown to Doomsday

One problem; though the Chilieans would not take kindly to an Argentine incursion, they might also not take kindly to Atlantis charging into their waters. Just getting to Chilean waters might not be a good haven. Oh come on now; when have I ever claimed to not be an angel? As for Bridget, there can be no argument; we've seen her, time and again, do the very things she's claiming she didn't. As for me, we all know I'd never, ever use cliffhangers. I'm not just misunderstood by some in that, I'm downright persecuted and libeled! Argentine graft: I was struck by how widespread it is. On my trips there, I frequently ran into many attempted scams and rip-offs. To name just one, the counting scam. Say you owe a cab driver 50, and you hand him two twenties and a ten. He then skillfully palms one of the twenties, replaces it with a one, and tells you you miscounted. I had the majority of the cab drivers I encountered try that on me, plus even a hotel manager at a large resort. I found the majority of people to be honest and friendly (And for example, there's almost no crime in the far south, through it's endemic in the north), but a sizable minority were corrupt as hell. I've never encountered such a high rate of scams and attempted rip-offs anywhere else. The contrast between Chile and Argentina in this regard was drastic. Maybe they just want to make potato salad? Yep. The airport code was in the story, and I think it was explicitly named as well. That's where Fowler sent the encryption gadgets. That's a typo; it looks that way though, so sometimes it gets typed that way. It's Cabo des hornos. (the r and the n kind of look like an m). That's Cape Horn. Now now, there are no cliffhangers. And from Ushuaia, Chile is west, northwest, southwest, south, and southeast. Chasing after a single yacht that left port illegally, and plus they have orders from on high to stop her. How far would they go? This is the same Argentina that responded to a fishing boat fishing just inside what they claim is their exclusive economic zone by opening fire and sinking her, killing two aboard the Taiwanese ship. And that's just one incident. So, nothing to worry about for Trevor and Shane.

Bridget got lucky this time... the background voices let her figure it out. And now Xavier is on his way. Oh, it may be. Trevor did goof in forgetting the battery was out of the phone, but... under the circumstances, leaving it out is a good idea anyway. I'm going to miss it too. They do have a few minor conundrums at the moment, don't they? Don't worry though... in a week or two, we'll look back at this nice, relaxing chapter and smile. Did you ever try the pickled beef that's common in Argentina? I did while I was there, not to my tastes at all. The flame-cooked beef though... wow, that was awesome! I loved the emanadas too. As for cliffs... well, as we all know, there can't be any in Circumnavigation. The history lesson was less than a third of the chapter. Some people liked it, some didn't. Why not do what I do as a reader? I happen to dislike sex scenes in stories, so when reading I skip them. I received these sort of complaints during Let the Music Play too, due to going into detail on the inner workings of a nuclear warhead. However, many more liked that I included it. I did it there for the same reason I did it here; the plot called for it. Without the historical background, some coming events make no sense. They only work because of the history. I've said, many times, that the story ends in August 2007, story time. It's currently June 2007, and the sea passages (long runs at sea) tend to be covered in a few paragraphs. I do know where this is going and how it ends, I always have, and yes, it's ending. I drafted the final two chapters and epilogue three years ago. Has it taken a hell of a lot longer to get here than I thought? Absolutely yes. no arguments there. Is it too long? Yes. However, in spite of the speculation you raised in this post and your one other post, no, I'm not going to do a "book2" or any sort of sequel or ongoing version of this story. This story is ending. And yes, I did ask for feedback, good or bad, so I thank you for weighing in.

NASA developed the inflatable concept, but when congress killed it, they sold the idea to Bigelow. As was pointed out above. the inflatable concept is more resistant to puncture than current modules (a small fragment hitting the outer skin at thousands of miles per hour tends to vaporize and so won't hole the inner ones. In a solid wall structure, it can hole it via impact shock.). We'll soon see how the inflatables work; they've announced a contract for SpaceX to carry an inflatable module to ISS in 2015, where it will be installed and then inflated. My best guess is they'll use air for inflation of the modual walls; using other gasses poses a risk of leaking into station air. It's multi-walled, My guess is that inflatables will prove much cheaper per cubic foot, but they can't be used for everything; solid moduals will still be needed for pre-installed lab equipment, life support, and other types of station support equipment. Inflatables on the other hand should make ideal crew quarters, galleys, general research rooms, storage, etc.

Chapter 147: Echos of War (Here's a link to google maps, centered on the areas in the chapter, which can be zoomed and moved around, because I know some of you are like me and love to follow along and see the areas on the story.) Trevor froze, his blood running cold as he recognized Bridget’s distinctive voice and diction; he’d spoken to her in person, as well as by phone while in the Mediterranean. He had no doubt as to who was on the other end of the line. His eyes widening in shock

Echos of War is up! (it may take a minute or so to appear). Happy December 45th, 2012! To those awaiting e-mail, forum, and PM replies, I'm catching up. Sorry for the delay. Finally, for this chapter, I strongly advise following the Google maps link at the top of the chapter and having a look. You can move it around, zoom in, etc. It may be hard to follow the situation without it (that area is quite complex, geographically, and so is the overlying situation). Potato salad, anyone?

There is indeed a serous risk that their lunch has been ruined. If so, that's horrible; Argentine food is awesome.

We saw her get the phone number (strongly hinted at, anyway) in "Now it's Personal", and it's explained in the about to be posted chapter, "Echos of War". It was only due to having been to the area than I new enough to write about it in detail, so it's handy.

Echos of War will be up tonight - within the hour, internet permitting. Don't worry so much about the phone call. Maybe Bridget is just calling Trevor to congratulate him on arriving in Ushuaia in winter? They are both about evenly matched, though in somewhat different ways. However, both are skilled when to comes to the sea - and Bridget has vastly more resources. The storm as easy, I've been in storms at sea before, though never on a yacht. In fact, I was in a storm at sea (and looking out at it) when I wrote much of that. Also, a huge factor is I have expert advice on yachting from RedA. . Wildone!!! Just because your battery quit does not make this a cliffhanger!!! And, we don't know why Bridget called (and we do know how though) so it's not a cliffhanger.

Thanks!!!! But, maybe Bridget is just being nice, and is calling to congratulate Trevor and Shane? Perhaps on their arrival in Ushuaia? Thanks! I've been through the area twice, though on much larger ships and not in winter. It's spectacular, especially the northern arm of the Beage that Atlantis sailed through. It's called "Glacier Alley" The scenery is much like the fjords of Norway and Alaska's inside passage; absolutely awesome. But, it is a relaxing interlude. Honest. Trust me on this; a chapter or two from now, you'll look back at this and think it was relaxing. Hrmmm!!! If I axed any dating or sexuality, Trevor and Shane could just be close friends. That's feasible, but then I'd have a problem explaining Trevor's run from Florida (the gay misunderstanding with his father). Great idea, and I'll see what I can come up with, but I'd have to rewrite huge amounts to make this free of sex or sexuality. I'm not familiar with the genera at all, so I'm wondering if I'd need to cut a lot of the violence, too? Interesting idea though, I'll think in it. Thanks! Same here. I'd love to sail a yacht around the world, a big one like Atlantis. The closest I've come to a circumnavigation by sea is two half circumnavigations, Australia to the UK, one eastbound, one westbound, by cruise ship. I've been out on yachts though (but not for long distances) so I'd love to give it a go. Thanks! BTW, I wrote much of the storm-at-sea part while in a storm at sea, while crossing the North Atlantic a few weeks ago. It wasn't as bad a storm though, and the other little difference was I was on a thousand foot long ship, not a 60 foot long yacht. Still, it was fun sitting and watching the sea while writing that. Bridget likes others to do her dirty work for her. Huh??!?! What?!!?!? But it's not a cliffy!!! You know I'd never, ever use a cliffy. And, thanks to Talonrider's post, we can look and see proof it's nto a cliffy: we know how Bridget got the number, we see her doing it in the last chapter: checking Julie's caller ID. See? Mystery solved, so not a cliffy. Atlantis does have internal heat, both ducted engine waste heat (same principal as the heat in your car) and also a propane heater. It's warm inside, but probably not all that warm; maybe in the 60's. They wouldn't want it hotter even if they could; it makes going in and out too rough. Good thing Ned put some insulation in the salon ceiling. Julie's phone. In the last chapter. And, seeing as we saw her do it, that means this cannot be a cliffy. Thanks!!! I'm going to miss this story when it's done. It's been a huge part of my life for three years now. Wow... I never thought it would take this long. There is a risk here, one no one has mentioned; Trevor and Shane's Emanadas might get cold if they chat with Bridget for long, and Empanadas don't taste too good cold. They are awesome warm though. Maybe Bridget is just being nice, and calling to say "hi"? As we see, that's how she got it, and also, this highlights something else; there's a lot of smiling and good cheer going on. Bridget smiles several times, Trevor is happy and chipper when he answers the phone, Bridget is cheerful too. Kinda gives you a warm fuzzy feeling, doesn't it? ? BTW, I usually release the chapter title about now, so I will. It's a nice, cheerful, happy title: Echos of War. Well, um, okay, so the title isn't all that cheerful, but titles can be misleading.

Happy Birthday!!!!!! Bridget is a pretty good tactician, and believes in having more than one iron in the fire. But, will she overreach? She hasn't yet. But but but... everybody on the call was chipper and cheerful. What could possibly be sinister about that?

Awesome pics! Yep, those can be some very rough waters. Not all the time though; the first time I was off Cape Horn, it was dead calm, barely even any base swell, and the surface was glassy. However, that was in December (summer) and I was told it was very rare even so. It's possible it's just you, but I must admit, sometimes she isn't the nicest of people. However, she was very cheerful when we last heard her in this chapter, and smiling when we last saw her, so maybe she's not all bad?

Chapter 146: White Hell (Here's a link to google maps, centered on the areas in the chapter, which can be zoomed and moved around, because I know some of you are like me and love to follow along and see the areas on the story.) Officer Gonzalez knew that he had to warn Trevor about Frank Tittle’s guess: if Bridget now knew – as seemed likely – that Trevor had the tape, he and Shane were in even more danger than before. He also knew that he needed a copy of the tape – at least its audio trac

White Hell is up! (it may take a minute or so to appear). Happy December 38th, 2012! Sorry I've been so slow. I'm hoping we are now back to weekly posts, and I have some news; the story is now complete as a draft. Lots of work remains, but reaching this point means I can say for sure: 3 chapters and an epilogue remain. To those awaiting e-mail, forum, and PM replies, I'm catching up. Sorry for the delay. Finally, for this chapter, I strongly advise following the Google maps link at the top of the chapter and having a look. You can move it around, zoom in, etc. It may be hard to follow the route without it (that are is quite complex, geographically). CJ

??????? Nah, it's just that goats use a different calendar. We're sort of like Australians in that way; Australians (and other denizens of the southern hemisphere) insist on having Christmas in summer, etc, due to their inverted seasons calendar, so I'm simply exercising the same prerogative and using my calender to make sure we get this story posted by the end of 2012. Speaking of posting... 5 minutes.

Trevor has had quite a bit of good luck... but so has Bridget.

Oh, there's an alternative. "White Hell" will be posting in a few minutes.

Thanks! Unfortunately I came back sick.

I'll post as soon as it's ready, I won't wait until Tuesday. I have no idea when it will be though. I do apologize for the delay. @MikeL; about the number of chapters and the word count; it's not 146 chapter - you're forgetting about Australian maths. As for the word count approaching one million, it's indeed approaching it. After all, you can approach something from either side, right? So we're approaching it from the far side, in reverse. I'm working hard prepping the following chapter, almost done. I've reached the join point for the ending drafted long ago, so I can say with certainty now: three chapters remain. So, we'll finish before the end of December, 2012, just as promised.

Hi! Just a quick note for now; I'm still alive and basically over the cold (it did get rather bad for a few days). I had a ton of work to catch up on, and to top it off, my internet connection has been going haywire; I was offline for days, and even now it's erratic as heck. While I was sick I just couldn't get my head into working on the chapters; they were largely written while I was at sea, but still needed work, research, redrafting, etc. The next chapter, "White Hell", will be going out to some of our team today (Wednesday, Dec 33rd). I do apologize for the delay and the lack of warning; I had hoped to have the chapter to the team before Xmas, and posted yesterday. It's a very relaxing, stress-free chapter. I'll be back online later today.