C James

I'd prefer not to find out... Hey now! I've seen no such literature... Emoe, Heeeelp!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you, Conner!!! ACk!!!!!! No, no, I, um, misspoke... I really don't want to be sacrificed to placate an angry server... BTW, I have a question... Does anyone think it odd that Eric hasn't been heard from at all since the Piedmont incident? Could he have mended his ways? And where is he staying? And does he have a broken nose?

Ummm, Sheep? I hope you will be nice to my cousins... But, great news that you will be in the Anthology! And Congrats to Rich, too!

Happy Birthday to a fellow Goat!

I love this list!!! Thanks Graeme!!! I;ll add a few options... #8... The Piedmont Sheriff decided "all is forgiven" and throws a party for the guys. #9... Hmmm, I better not say, or I'll get a lively dose of Echidna spines! Thanks Goat-buddy!!! Oddly enough, I was never a "McGyver" fan, although I have a love of gadgetry and innovative solutions. I thoguht up Dex's solutions as I wrote, and had fun doing it. I did try to make sure they were actually workable, too. Glad you enjoyed the look at Dex. Thanks! ROFL!!! Thanks Jack!!! And it sounds like you know Phoenix; Van Buren is kinda seedy, and near the airport. Thanks Ieshwar!! I haven't quite got the knack of writing technical stuff and making it clear. I'm working on it though. As for the next chapter... I can't say what will happen, but, I can mention the title... Aloha Maui. Of course, in Hawiian, "Aloha" means both hello and goodbye. Thanks LC!!! Sorry to hear about the 13 hours, and especially the unpaid bits! Ouch!!! Hrmmmm... Interesting theory about Blackheart... He could be an AI... As for working in a server... I'm firmly convinced that servers require animal sacrifices and various incantations. :wacko: Thanks Emoe!!! ROFL!!! Hi Bondwriter!!! Yep, there is a lot of stuff in there... but I thought Emoe was a rea Hi Ieshwar! I'll post some links to the actual hardware he uses if anyone is interested?? The Mini GPS tracker Here is the boroscope. If anyone would like links to any of the other gadgets, let me know and I'll post 'em. :-) Thanks everyone!! CJ

Thanks Graeme!! I did try and balance the tech stuff, and only divulge what was needed. As for the big climax (the dramatic conclusion type, Conner... ) all I can say is; the genre is action-adventure. My best guess at the moment is that the final chapter (posted along with the epilogue) will be 39. Of course, I'm the same goat who said that FTL would have 25 chapters...

I should probably post an answer to this somewhere other than here, but I'll do that later, lol... That is the anthology work forum. What we do for the anthology is create the first posts of the threads so that we can link the HTML story pages to them. Then, when the anthology goes online, we move the threads into place. We mainly need a place to store the threads, so that's what that's for. Also any review notes, etc, plus if the reviewer wants to add his posts to the threads while in that forum, he can. So, no, we goats don't conspire there. We do that elsewhere. But, but, but... I'm nice! And sorta intelugent? I'm a nice, quiet, shy forum lurker... To whom? LoL. ROFL! Well, It stands to reason... If there's a back sheep of the family, there's gotta be a white one... I saw it! BTW, Chapter 31, Six Feet Under, is up.

Just wanted to chime in and add: One thing that is banned here in the story content, for obvious reasons, is adult-minor sexual relationships. CJ

Well, It is true that it takes more than a swish of my tail for me to fly... Though, this goat can indeed fly. (Private pilot, in fact...) And what? Me? Evil!??!? Well, I'll plead that while the chapter was being written, those rules were in effect. LoL. ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oddly enough, I've flown a plane almost identical to the one in your link. I love tail-draggers, though they are a PITA to land if you aren't careful. What can I say... I'm the black, erm, goat of the family!!! EMoe, I remembered reading somewhere that a writer should try and make his editor feel like part of the story... And BTW, Eric's name really is a coincidence: I had no idea what Emoe's name was when I wrote the first few chapters: this was long before I knew Emoe. However... Is it really a coincidence... Or is he really... Umnmm, I better not say... BTW, there are at least four villains in the story; we mustn't forget Blackheart, the eeevil hacker. I guess a lot of people guessed Eric's parentage, because he was being called a "bastard" here in the thread long before the chapter where that was revealed. BTW, a quick note on scheduling and chapters. FTL 31 should be online as soon as I get it back from Bondwriter, our zeta-reader (who catches any post-edit goofs that I make). After that, though, we might be looking at some delays. FTL 32 only went to Shadowgod (our anonymous beta-reader) yesterday, and FTL 33 is barely half-done. I wasn't able to do any writing while on vacation, and that, plus real life (preparing for the vacation regarding my work) chopped into my writing time. So, my "buffer" of ready-to-post chapters is gone. Another reason for the delays is that I've been working on my next serial (Let the Music Play) a bit so I'll be able to post its first chapters alongside the final ones for FTL, and I also spend some time working on something that was just approved today for the anthology: Category 5. This will be my third time in an anthology here at GA, and I'm very excited about that. I'll do what I can to minimize any FTL posting interruptions, but I just wanted to give everyone a heads-up as to the reasons. Thanks!!!

Thanks BSK! At least for a while, I'm not the only glasses-wearer around here.

:king: :king: Happy Birthday!!!!!! :king: :king: I hope you have a GREAT and special day!!!

My sincere condolences, Jan... My best wishes to you and yours. CJ

Beware of the the shadowy one, who is also our anonymous beta reader, is sneaky, always coming up with odd theories... You are quite right; Chris would probably feel naked without a nearby Piedmont offering an unsafe haven. But, I have an excuse: Chris and Steve don't have passports, and at that time (when that chapter was written) you needed a passport to fly to Canada. (Though, not go by land...) Sorry for the double-post: I'd exceeded my quote limit for a single post and had to split it.

I've only been there a few times, and that side of Oahu is indeed crowded. A beautiful area though, and Honolulu international airport is my favorite out of all the ones I've seen. I drove up the coast to the north shore and spent most of my time on Oahu there; some great places up north. So my eyes are a little red at times... Maybe I just need eyedrops? Just an observation here, NOT a spoiler (so , please, no spines!! ) but Chris didn't note an exception for swim meets and water polo games, he noted one for being stuck in a front yard: This I shall argue furiously, as I believe, sir, that your argument is intentional obfuscation, aimed squarely at hiding the antipodean conspiracy! While Antipodean is most commonly used to refer to Australia and NZ, it does mean opposite. Now, if you will look at a globe, you will see that Maritous is almost exactly on the opposite side of the globe from Arizona, thereby fittening near perfectly the other definition of "antipodean". Hrmmmm... Could a contributing cause be that we just naturally assume that anyone named Steve is evil? As an interesting side-note: When I was writing the first pool-party, I WAS worried that one of the guys would come across as taking it to far, even bullying a bit; Chris, for "drowning" Steve in the pool, via physical force. Speculation is always welcomed! I love it, it keeps me on my toes. Thank you VERY much for the background on Hawaii, the smallness aspect is a very good point. Ah yes, Blackheart... One never knows when he's skulking about... We do know he travels around; Eric mentioned him being away at a concert in Vegas at one point... I'm amazed that no one has expressed concern for Eric's safety: he was last seen at the explosion of the Sheriff's house, possibly with a broken nose. Poor Eric.

Happy Birthday, Michael!!!!! MAy you have a great day, and a great year!! CJ

It's an Antipodean Conspiracy! (Isehwar is from south of the equator, too). That pic was hilarious.... Oh, BTW, I'll announce the title of the next chapter of FTL: Six Feet Under

Fortunately for me, I almost never post, so that wasn't an issue.

Thanks!!! Are you by any chance on Maui? Hawaii is beautiful; I've been there a few times, and love it. And no hot gay guys?!?!? Given the spectacular eye candy I've seen in Hawaii (though I have no clue if any were gay or not) You must be kidding? LoL ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hey now, no candid pictures of me on the internet! Steve played that prank at the first pool party, long before the webcam incident. He also played it on Chad (mentioned at the first pool party) before Chris was around, so he's an equal opportunity prankster. Thanks Ieshwar!! I'm glad the issue of Steve and the "wrongness" came up, because it is something I was unaware of. I probably shouldn't say this, but there is, as of an hour ago, a new scene in Ch 32 that I hope both fixes the problem and explains it in a way I hope is agreeable. It's not a plot change, it just explains something that I have failed to be clear on. Basically, what I think happened here is that I haven't been showing clearly what Chris is thinking. That's bad at any time, but especially so in first-person. I'll be more careful of that in future, and also more mindful of how different people might interpret words or actions. The issue of the puzzle picture and the photographs taken by Rob and Joe are NOT part of the changes; they will play out (also in 32) as written (and those bits were indeed intended by me to be a bit incongruous or objectionable, for a minor reason that will become apparent in 32). Eric isn't busted quite yet... He's presently on the run, hiding out somewhere. However, I hope it's not too much of a spoiler to say that Eric will be in the story again.

LoL! Well, I have big news! It's been 24 hours and I'm still here! Surprising? You might think so after I share the following story. Last year, on the day I became a moderator, I was trying to learn the new controls. I needed to experiment, and I didn't want to risk harming anyone else's account, so I did some experiments on my own (An overwhelmingly bad idea). Long story short, I managed to put myself on moderation, effectively banning myself from the forums for a day. Yup, I done moderated myself. :wacko:

Ahhh! Finally someone who acknowledges my true nature: A shy and retiring forum lurker! Seriously, thanks everyone, and remember, I'm here to help, so let me know if you need any help with anything. Thanks! CJ

LoL! Well, I think Hawaii is better than the jail option? ROFL! Thanks! Don't worry, the airport journey won't be a whole chapter. LoL. ROFL!! Heya goat-buddy! Well, let's see; Graeme's speculation on the meth lab was largly confirmed. I'm starting to think that Echidna's read minds; the only real clue I intentionally put in the explosion scene was the size and violence of the explosion and the color of the flames. He was right on the smells, but I didn't think anyone would catch that at all. Oh, and Eric is funding their trip... Poor Eric. Hi Graeme!! I'm italics-deprived! You raise some very interesting points there; Some of these issues are intentional on my part and shall be resolved in 31 and 32, others, frankly, aren't intentional on my part and I need to think about them, and what to do. I'll add more lower down. Connor, you pegged one aspect, it was Chris who initiated the strip-tease, and it was also Chris who first had plans for Steve in the pool (the night they ended up in the back seat). Chris doesn't seem to mind much, as he has changed to a large degree. You also pegged Veronica's maternalist role; which I think comes through well in the following quote;

Awww, but I don't wanna become lunch! Yes, Graeme does, doesn't he? Hmmm, he also drives upside-down, too...

Happy 29th Ver. 2.0! Happy Birthday, Viv!!! :king: :king: :king: :king: :king: :king:

Because I time it carefully to accomplish just that? But Graeme, here is is already past lunchtime. It's not my fault that you insist in operating on that strange Australian time.

Wow, Thanks, everyone! I just want to do a good job here; this wonderful site means a very great deal to me. Myr and Joe have created something truly wonderful, and it's truly an honor to be able to help out in any capacity. Thanks guys!!

Thanks Ieshwar! Goats behind the bricked-up wall? hmmm, you never know. Thanks Graeme!! I can't answer #1, (though, as a minor spoiler, I could say what isn't behind there? There isn't an aircraft carrier behind there...) #2... When Chris turns eighteen, (forgive me for the spoiler, oh spiney one) he will no longer be 17. Thanks!! And Welcome, L0st Cause! Michael pegged it, (Congratulations, Michael!!!) However, a certain Echidna has pegged it on numerous things, including something in the current chapter. This goat was on the lamb from a bear, does that count? BTW, Chapter 30 is up! Also, I need to apologize for the formatting; I can't figure out how to upload and preserve the formatting with the new eFic software, so until I do, there are no italics in Ch 30: Words that were in italics for emphasis mo longer are. Sorry.