C James

I'm really wondering what "My Elusive Drug" is about. I do know one thing though, it's the title of an EJ song. (I looked). I'm really going to miss SOOTB. I mean no slight to the main characters, but Cody and Tatyana just intrigue me on many levels, and I would love to see a sequel, especially one with them in it!!! Hmmm, speaking of sequels... Has LB ruled out that "My Elusive Drug" could be a SOOTB sequel?

All right, who told? Kitty Just kidding! Geez. ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hmmm... On a more serious thought, how do we know that there WILL be any answer to the Ben/Ryan question before SOOTB wraps up? What if that's not resolved in the last chapter?

Who is to say it's an either/or situation? Maybe it will be Connor, Ryan, AND Ben?

Yipes! I hope everything works out for you, and "awkward" sounds like the understatment of the century! I certainly am! It's one of my favorite stories, and I'll miss it tremendously. The person below me is trying to figure out the cause of the timeshifts in Rhawes16's story "Replay". (see my sig to have a look, and also to check out the speculation in his forum).

Wow! Especially being the first Radar officer and also founding the Junior Chamber of Commerce! I can't think of any questions off the top of my head, but I probably will soon. Thanks very much, Bob!

Not you, with 1350 posts? You put shy, quiet lurkers like me to shame! Hooray for 40,000!

Hi, Ben! Thanks for registering and joining us!! I think you will enjoy the forums!

IMHO, Jack, you did exactly the right thing. You offered feedback and constructive criticism, which I would think any author would appreciate, especially from another author!

Welcome, E2R! The FAQ Kitty mentioned is a great place to start, and I've sent you a PM (personal message) that might help, too. Thanks for joining us!!

Welcome to GA, both of you!!! If either of you, or anyone, has any questions on navigating GA, let me know and I'll do what I can to help.

Great question, Kevin! I hadn't thought about the "neither" option, though personally I hope that's not it. Kitty, you raise some good points! In life, things are very rarely fully resolved/explained. In this case, we still haven't heard Ryan's explanations to Connor, though we do have the fact that it was Ryan who helped Connor during the panic attack. I really don't see how LB can get this wrapped up in one chapter, and I'm wondering if he will end SOOTB on some sort of cliffhanger... Can't wait to find out! As for the "big question", I could see it going easily either way. Connor might have his relationship with Ryan become like his one with Toby, or, they could get back together. I'm thinking that SOOTB is centered on Connor's relationship with Ryan, though, so I'm guessing that the end of that relationship, and it's transition to something else, will be the end of the story.

I'm not a poetry reader (sorry) but I think it's a very important genre, and should have it's own special place here. Everyone, please go vote in this poll if you have not done so already: It's not just for Poets and poetry readers, but is for everyone at GA.

I can literally say that I'd never even heard of it before your post. I still have no idea what it is.

Hmmmm!! I knew I was going about this the wrong way! Bob, well said! Every word in the right place is indeed a great way of describing it, and I was thinking much the same thing during this last chapter. Don't get me wrong, I loved the other chapters, but Ch 7 was a step beyond IMHO. I'm going to be doing some re-reading myself. Good idea! Thanks for the "sneak peeks" idea, too. I'll give that a try soon. Anyone have any thoughts on what the repercussions of Garret's battle will be? I'm betting they won't all be good. For one thing, the pirates now know the capabilities of his ship.

The electoral college isn't really concerned with the state of origin of the President, though there is a clause in the constitution prohibiting the President and Vice President being residents of the same state (often circumvented by having the VP declare a house in a different state "home".). The concept of the electoral college is mainly to minimize the power of the larger states, regardless of where a Presidential candidate hails from. Also, as I mentioned, I don't see how it could ever be changed, as I can't see the smaller states who benefit from it ever being willing, in sufficient numbers, to give it up. (when it comes to ratifying a constitutional amendment, each state, regardless of size or population, has an equal vote). The concept of computerized (or worse, Internet) voting scares the heck out of me. It has enormous risks for vote fraud on enormous scales. The only electronic method I could ever favor is one where the voter marks a paper ballot, which is then scanned and retained as a paper record (for recount purposes if nothing else). Positive identification also needs to be required. HEck, I'm over 30 and can't buy a beer or drive a car without positive ID, so why should I be able to vote without one? For a really scary scenario, think of this: The day after a presidential election, it is discovered that the electronic records have been altered (or corrupted) during the balloting, and thus no actual reliable tally exists. That would make for a doozy of a constitutional crisis. This is part of why the move away from original hard-copy paper records scares the heck out of me, and the idea of Internet voting gives me nightmares. I was personally appalled when Jimmy Carter (former US President) certified the election of Chavez in spite of ongoing challenges and disputes. I always suspected that election was heavily tainted.

But both countries DIDN'T have the "no first use" policy. The US specifically avoided committing to that, and for good reason. The Soviets also had many scenarios where they would initiate nuclear use. As for the US and USSR in direct combat, it has happened. In the Korean war, the Soviets provided planes and pilots, so they were Soviet in everything but markings, to the North Koreans (but under Soviet command). In at least two instances, Soviet aircraft out of Vladivostok directly engaged (were the aggressors) against US Navy aircraft in international waters. There have been smaller incidents over the years, as well. Such as the Soviets intentionally shooting down US Recon aircraft over international waters. Given that the three travelers had info that was a direct clear and present danger, not just to the US but to every human being on earth, either reason for killing them would be plenty IMHO. I can also so no real reason not to kill them, under the circumstances. Wow, a fellow chat-hater! I thought I was the only one! OK, I'll e-mail you within a couple of hours. Thanks! ROFL! Yes, that certainly describes me, especially the bit about speaking too much! I got a laugh out of your habit of mixing the files! I do the same thing for the several fields I work in. I thrive on variety, but repetition kills me. I'd love to hear more of your past!

Even shy, quiet lurkers like me have been to your site, Luc! I love it! I especially liked the description of the stories next to the names. I've been meaning to start on "interlude" for a while now, but this has reminded me to do so!

The whole "it's a dry heat" thing is a running joke in Phoenix. It was thought up by the chamber of commerce for a tourism campaign, but considering the fact that it's usually humid after around July 4th (so, for the majority of the summer) it's misleading at best, and downright cruel at worst. And to me, anything over 100 feel hot, especially when out in the sun. That's why I moved to the high country, to get away from the heat. Off topic? That's hardly unusual in a GA thread.

Just one more chapter!?!?!? I'm really going to miss this story when it's gone!! Great chapter, LB! I loved the Maggie/Connor chat. I also liked the way you mixed humor and poignancy together (Connor's reaction at the pool). The visual imagery was great! Cody in white speedos! And Toby's reaction to Ryan swiping his shorts: ROFL! Funny, hot, and very much in character. Xiao_Chun, I think you are onto something there! If Ryan and Connor get back together, then Ben and Dominic could make a great couple. If Ryan and Connor don't, then there is the possibility of Ryan and Dominic. But, that's one of the fun things about stories: if it doesn't happen by the end of the story, the reader can always imagine it happening after!

I think you are right! I do read a lot of sci-fi (hard sci-fi) and this was exceptionally well done. Often, a third-person perspective gets very confusing, due to the author trying to be "everywhere at once". DK's technique of segmenting things, and looking at one aspect at a time really worked well IMHO. Anything else would have gotten confusing fast with this complex a scene. I hope to give writing sci-fi a try soon, so I'm studying DK's techniques and methods. I often think "how would I have written that" and in most cases the answer has been "not well". I very much doubt I'd have thought of DK's presentation method, and would have written (had I been writing this chapter) an extremely confusing scene. BTW, you were first again! And long before the announcement went up! Wow! I think I'll watch for your posts rather then the announcement board.

That's what it was! Unlike many third-person scenes, this one kept your focus on the bridge, seeing all from that point of view! I think that's what made it so clear. I wonder if that's what DK was alluding to when Garret resisted the temptation to see the AI's perspective view?