C James

Amazing, isn't it, when you consider that I'm a lurker? But there were only eight mentioning the brain-size issue. Shadowgod is evil, I tell ya... Especially those wicked cliffhangers he uses. BTW, to recap a few things; many questions have been raised over the chapters as to why the Sheriff and Thadious would be part of blackmailing teens, and also the cameras. I'd always planned to get this info "out", but I had to "wait" until Chris was in a position to learn it. And doesn't that Blackheart sound like a nasty piece of work? Pure evil, with a name to match. (Of course, it is entirely coincidental that I'm mentioning Blackheart in a reply to Shadowgod's post. )

ROFL!!! Let me guess -- he held the phone around the wrong way and took a great photo of himself! ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll be nice, and mention which word is (though some others might be) in Ch 26: "it's" I'll even go further and mention that it's in one of two places: the dialog, or the narration. Edit to add: regarding Bondwriter's point above regarding the profanity Eric uses; that's a good point, it does conflict with his goody-two-shoes personality.

Eric, poor misunderstood little guy, will do.... Playing the meddlesome snoop, well, as I mentioned a few posts eariler, I have done that due to police inaction, and it worked, so perhaps that influenced me. However, Chris sure went further than I would! I just eavesdropped from a ridgetop on public land, not in the darn building. I've had to do things like that a few times, it's no big deal. Betty was indeed a dumbass for aiding and abetting Chris' plan. But, as mentioned, she only went along because she knew he'd do something even dumber otherwise; go in his Jeep. However, she could have (and did mention) leaving him locked in the trunk and letting Steve sort him out. (Veronica would have been an even better choice.) Oops... I thought that Steve might remember his Mom's pregnancy, but you are right, he'd be way too young given their closeness in ages, and, I just said that Chris might not know all Steve knows. Please, spare me your spines... I don't wanna be a pincushion!! I'll try and behave... Not necessarily... You have a good point on the age difference. They are indeed close enough in age that Steve may not know, though it is covered in the text (sort of) that if Eric is, Steve doesn't know (Steve's of-stated concerns over being "like his brother".) And, of course, there is one key issue that I haven't mentioned yet I shall give a very small clue: "Get him, and teach him how to use a camera phone properly!" "There are many waves in the ocean" "I have an encyclopedia!" "Nuke 'em from orbit, it's the only way to be sure." At least one of the bolded words appears in Ch 26.

Thanks Graeme!!!! Nope, I wasn't misdirecting, that line by the Piedmont Sheriff, as we will learn over the next two chapters, is absolutely critical. Regarding Eric's relations, all I can say is that this story is told in a 1st person point of view, so the narrator is Chris, and the story is only what he knows at that point. He can't read minds, so we can't even be sure he knows what Steve knows, though regarding Eric and the Sheriff, Steve knows nothing. I will confirm that Eric isn't adopted.

Sitting back and "letting the cops do their job", has been, in my personal experience, often the least desirable course of action (in real life, let alone fiction). The sad fact is, often the job doesn't get done. My personal rule of thumb has been "If the investigation is active and proceeding well, leave it alone. If not, do it yourself". I've had to do this before so to me, this isn't a stretch at all. I was only dealing with car thefts and burglary, nothing too major, but had I not taken matters into my own hands (investigation-wise) nothing would have happened; the police had just moved on. So, I have some atypical views of that issue, but I don't feel it's incongruous at all for the rural west. (of course, what Chris did in going to Piedmont was just plain stupid!) For example, some friends of mine were building a house in a remote area. Their place was often left unguarded, and someone was stealing things, such as major construction supplies (windows, water tanks, skylights, timber, etc.). This was reported the the police, along with the tire-tracks of the offending vehicle being pointed out. The case went nowhere, so I did it myself; I examined the tire-tracks, noticing that the vehicle was a dualy, Four tires on the real axel. Some big pickups have that configuration, and contractors are fond of 'em. That narrowed down my suspect list, becuase I knew of one contractor in the area, and he had that kind of truck. And a contractor has use for that kind of material. Sooo, I found out where he lived (he had a spread nearby, a house and some outbuildings) so I borrowed some camera gear, and climbed a nearby ridge (which was on public land, overlooking his spread). I used a telescope to look around, and spotted the skylights stacked behind the barn, talking a few pictures. I then found out where he'd been working, and found that, low and behold, he'd sold some windows and a water tank (the latter having a serial number) to the homeowner. With evidence in hand, I turned it over to the police, and an arrest was made (he plead guilty.) Had I left it alone, nothing would have been done. And come to think of it, maybe this event influenced me regarding Chris going to piedmont. (though, I'd like to think I wouldn't do anything that crazy without a good reason). Yes indeed! Thanks, goat-buddy!!! I have indeed often said that I don't do cliffhangers. And, though I concede that this chapter ended in a slightly tense situation, we don't know for sure what the sheriff has in mind; his next words might very well be, "Let's be nice and teach that guy how to use a camera-phone, he obviously doesn't know how!" And yes, we do have a pool party coming up. What? Me, do a cliffhanger? Conner is right; I have often said that I don't do cliffhangers. Actually, as a practical matter, there wasn't anywhere I could really break the chapter once Chris went to Piedmont and not have it as a tense ending. Glad you liked Betty; she's a little crazy, and a little mean-acting, but has a heart.

Thanks Steve!!! Fear not for Chris; been as this is a 1st person narrative, he can't be killed while the story is ongoing, unless I want to have the final chapters recounted by his ghost. Heh, As for not expecting a flash, that's the one thing in this chapter that was no streach; if you had never seen a camera-phone before, would you know that they had a light for taking pics? The reason I'm so sure on this is that I'd never seen one, and had no idea that they did that until I did some googling, plus checked with my anonymous beta reader, Shadowgod. It did occur to me that it might have a flash of some kind, but only after researching the things. LoL And BTW, it's Veronica who does the bleaching. Val drives a mustang in Living in Surreality (Our anonymous beta reader's story). The reason I mention this is I often confuse names that begin with the same letter, so on occasion I've typed "Valerie" when i meant "veronica". I had the same problems with typing "Chase" when i meant "Chad" in FTL. Hi Jack! The genre is action/adventure, so I do indeed take liberties with plausibility. I know there are quite a few stretches, but the one thing I'll defend is their penchant for doing things themselves rather than sitting back and letting the "authorities" handle things. Rural folk in this area are far more self-reliant than seems to be the norm nationwide. When I need something done, I do it myself. That means, for example, if I have an intruder, I take ';em down myself, not call the police and hope they get here in time. Same with a fire; I fight it myself, or get the hell out of the way if it's too big. It also means that if I have a legal issue requiring an investigation, I am very inclined to follow the old maxim "If you want something done right, do it yourself", and, in fact, I have done so (though not to the level of danger Chris and Steve are in). That said, granted, it was incredibly stupid for Chris to go to Piedmont. However, Teens sometimes to rash, impetuous things (which is why they have such a high mortality rate).

Posting Schedule Change: Due to an intermittent computer problem, that appears to be a hardware failure, I could not be sure I'd have a computer operational by midnight, so I decided to play it safe and post FTL 25 early. FTL 25, "Thicker Than Water", is up!

Now, now, Frosty, don't be a size queen.

A clemantine orange is as good as any, I suppose... :wacko: And as for you lacking a heart, believe me, we all know that...

I'll have you know that a goat's brain is about the size or an orange. :2hands: This compares favorably with, say, (chosen entirely at random) the brain of an Echidna, which is indeed about the size of a walnut. This of course is no comparison at all to Frost, which, as we all know, lacks even a central nervous system, let alone a brain. I think I shall be needed the horn-sharpener soon...

Uhoh! Ahhh, well, ummmm, that's true, Chris is now blond (though only slightly, so far) and the Charger has been stolen. (Or, perhaps, borrowed, because Eric is surely far to nice to actually steal a car).... But, do you really expect a goat to remember the details of what he writes?

ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is a good point! LoL! 'course, we do have a blond and a brunette being chased around the country roads in a Charger, by a corrupt sheriff...

Welcome to GA, Fishwings!

Hi Emoe! Actually, this title is a clue (once the chapter is posted) and I'll explain it here in the thread after posting. I will give a hint: Look for the title in the chapter body. Hi Ethan! The Data stick plays a large role very soon, due to the guys having just figured out the key to unlocking it (hence the chapter name, "finding the Key"). We will all know, soon enough, what is on that Data Stick.

One thing I intentionally put in was in an early chapter, when they first chased Eric (right after the backmail plot) and had a flat tire with a busted jack. I've seen that happen a lot, and it happened to me once. Their method for getting the wheel off the ground (Driving up onto rocks, while stacking rocks in the vehicle to alter the center of gravity so the wheel hangs in mid-air) was what I came up with and used. Another thing to remember is that you can drive a vehicle with one or more flat tires for quite a few miles. There was a case a few years ago where some tourists got a flat on a dirt road, and either didn't know how to change a tire or didn't try, they just sat there until their bodies were found. They could have driven out on the rim, but they never tried, I guess they just assumed you can't drive on a flat tire or bare rim. No problem on not noticing, because I haven't been making a point of it; I just wanted to convey a "feel" for a different environment. In my case it's on one hand easy, because I live in a similar environment (compared to me, Chris and Steve live in a big city) and so a precaution such as a tool kit and keeping the gas tank topped up, and carrying five gallsons of water plus emergency food and a blanket, etc, are just everyday items. On the other hand, I sometimes forget to add them because they ARE everyday items; it's sort of like mentiong that the car has wheels; it's just something obvious to me. One other thing I used in the plot because I know it works, and people have died from not knowing it, is what to do if you are stuck without shoes in the desert. I was dumb enough to take an offroad shortcut barefoot while in college, and I was barefoot, and I managed to get stuck. Duct-tape is one of the most usefull things for a variety of emergency situations, and it that case strips of cloth plus duct tape made me improvised shoes for the hike out. (and driving in the desert without shoes in the vehicle is STUPID). Other things, such as placing matches under a rock (preferably in plastic) to protect them, are handy to know. Starting a fire without matches or a lighter is hard; I've only done it once as an experiment, and it's nowhere near as easy as shown in the movies. But I very rarely post... I think the Platypus was one heck of a shock... A mammal that has a duck's bill, lays eggs, and to top it off is venomous! The number one lurker? It often comes to a shock to people like me when we see cars that don't have emergency water and other survival gear in the trunk. It's just one of the things you do out here, or you are risking your life. But Eric *is* in custody... Of Piedmont. Speaking of unhappy endings, I'll share a little twist I added when my anonymous Beta reader, Shadowgod, was reading the stake-out chapter. Right after Chris lost consciousness, I added two words; "The End" followed by a big blank space. BTW, the title of the next chapter is "Thicker than Water".

Congratulations on making the top 20! Hi Jack!! They did take water, both in the jeep and to the campsite, but Eric was kind enough to take it (he was probably just making sure that no one littered. ) I've mentioned their vehicle water supplies a few times in passing in the text and you are right, anyone out here who doesn't carry water is crazy. And you have it right on finding shade; that is critical. You wait until evening to hike out, or you likely won't make it in the summer heat. I usually carry a 9mm or .45 handgun in the backcountry, as that's a lot less to haul than a rifle. However, no polar bears to worry about, or I would cary a rifle, and not a .22, either! The handgun comes in handy on occasion, as I live in the high country and we do get mountain lion and black bear. I've fired at (near miss, not trying to hit) an overly pushy bear and a stalking mountain lion before, to scare them off. And thanks for noticing the "desert tips", I've added a few in intentionally. Thanks Jack! Hi Blondwriter! (you did say you wouldn't mind... ) No denial here! I'm not blaming Graeme, just acknowledging the undisputed fact that he's a postaholic. :ranger: And speaking of denial, I note that you know your posts-per-day. I don't know mine! And no slippery slope here, as I assure you that I'm not trying to pass anyone in posts. I had no idea that Echidnas laid eggs...

ACK! Now, now, Bondwriter, numbers can be deceiving! I know that number couldm to some ill-informed eyes, make it appear that I post often, but in reality, I, of course, post not. For, as we all know, I am a lurker. The Echidna. on the other hand, is a devout postaholic. But, speaking of INFORMATION, I note something very interesting; Bondwriter's avatar. Specifically, the hair color. So, the question simply must be asked: Did Bondwriter, perchance, omit, for whatever nefarious purpose, an "l" as the second letter of his nom de plume?

That's very true; even once a sector is over-written, the "old" data can sometimes be restored, at least partially, due to the memory effect of the magnetic substrate, called "data remnance" if I recall, and can be recovered by what is often termed "forensic software" . If you over-write enough, the data will be unrecoverable, but the number of times varies depending on the types and designs of the drives. If I recall, the DoD still requires degausing (which often destroys the drive itself) for classified data. But, Chris and Steve were basically bluffing Rob and Joe to make them delete the files, so they only needed to make them unrecoverable by Rob and Joe. Good memory, Graeme! Yes, the site was hosted in Hawaii. I didn't mean to imply that the FBI would be working with Piedmont, BTW. The issue was why the LV sheriff would still be involved, and I should have specified LV. The ISP, however, was in Piedmont, and so too was the stake-out. I can't really say more as this is in the next couple of chapters, but there are reasons that will be apparent as the case unfolds, and there is a scene with the LV Sheriff in the first half of Ch 28 that should be of particular interest. And yes indeed, the LV sheriff would be most unlikely to recommend Piedmont. :nuke: BTW, you bought up one possibility; What if the Piedmont Sheriff decides that "dead men tell no tales"... Eric might be in very great danger in Piedmont. Isn't anyone worried about poor, innocent, misperceived Eric?

Well, we know your avatar is a picture of you (though, you can't see your face well enough to ID, thus protecting your anonymity) and the only question is, is it a self-portrait, or did you you have it taken? As for me, my self-pic in my avatar will have to suffice.

This much is definitly no surprise me to. Online, he comes across as a real class act and a great guy, and I'm glad to see that indeed he really is.

Wow, Thanks Jack! I find that if I try and stick to a firm outline, the story doesn't flow well, plus is boring to write. I've always wondered how round-robins handled the details, thanks! I actually do have a detailed outline, but I end up deviating from it so much that I barely look at it anymore. LoL. Hi Bob! Well, actually, I saw your post, and I figure it's Tuesday in part of the world already, so it's up. :ranger: I am, however, having formatting problems. This has caused an extra space between paragraphs in the first half, and I've tried to edit them out manually twice, no luck. I'll probably try a new upload later tonight. Chapter 24 is up.

Okay, this is strange! You almost sound like you are in an alternate universe; First, you mention all kinds of weird-sounding stores, And then SECURITY at a movie theater? And unless I am reading you wrong, PAGERS at a restaurant? In other words, they have waits so often they have to give the customers pagers!?!?! Yipes! And, umm, what the heck is a Jamba Juice? I've heard of Orange Julius, if that's similar. (I've even had those on occasion). A Brewhouse Pizza place? That sounds different. I'm guessing a bew-pub that does Pizza? I've been in all of one of those, but that was in Germany. It was great though, they made the pizza dough with beer. Grrrr, you just made me hungry! The pirate in the mall sounds normal by comparison to some of the other stuff. OK, Seriously though, it sounds like you both have a great time! CJ

Jack, thanks!! I'm still new to this writing game, so I tend to worry when I go "off the reservation" and toss the outline. I tend to use a weak ouline anyway, just a plot overview, and a list of things that need to be addressed in each chapter. Sometimes, I go WAY off the reservation. The most glaring example was the "Race with the Devil" chapter; the jeep chase. I needed to intro the fact that the Piedmont Sheriff was on the warpath and that normal legal procedures don't apply in his case and also I needed some hard evidence against him. Then there was a line in a prior chapter, unplanned by me, where Veronica said "Don't xxxx it up this time, blondie". I never intended to write "this time," I just did, and by the time I'd finished the sentence I had both the idea for the old note and the whole jeep-chase scenario. I had no idea how the chase would work, I just sat down and wrote it. Oddly enough, that was the fastest and easiest chapter I've ever written. What I'm trying to do with FTL is kind of strange; I'm trying to write two separate genres; a mystery, where the reader can figure things out in advance based on clues in the text, and an action/adventure where the reader can just "go along for the ride". I wanted a story that could be read either way.

I suspect there is a reason that you recall it being 30 chapters; it's because I did indeed say that at one point. Certain things just occur to me while I write, so I'm not good at sticking to the outline. FTL is currently outlined to end with Ch 35, BUT, given my past penchant for additions, my best guess is 38, with a two page epilogue (that would sort of count as 39) I'm currently writing Ch 29, so I'm getting a better "feel" for what remains. Isn't it one of the extreme ironies of writing that someone like me (A quiet and shy lurker, the antithesis of long-winded) could end up with a story that keeps adding chapters?