ReaderPaul

One thing online versus traditional print publishing is -- Online, there is rarely a monetary contract requiring you to deliver x number of words by time-frame y. I have a friend who has published two print books and is working on a third, to be self-published, so as to retain total control. He has been stuck on chapter 4 of his novel for a long time. I am going to suggest to him that he use the technique of @Jason Rimbaud -- placeholder sentences for that chapter and go on to chapter 5, and 6, and possibly more. The references back to the missing chapter will start to fill it in. I don't agree what one must always outline in great detail. If I ever write to publish, it will probably be as a "plantser" -- someone who has a plan outlined, but with flexibility to add relevant bits to the story. (A combo of planner and pantser.) I have read stories by authors who planned in great detail, and others who started writing with no concrete plan. Both ways CAN produce a good story, but not always. I also think beta readers are important for many writers. But a beta reader (or an editor, for that matter), should not be a cheerleader. They must be willing to say to the author "Hey! What's going on here?" One friend insists on being edited ONLY by himself. This can make for boring stories at time. My opinions only. As a friend once said, "Opinions are like noses. Everybody has one, and few are the same."

I can think of a couple of possibilities, whether for this story or some future Charlie Boone story, @Geron Kees. 1. -- In "The Sky is a Mirror, Charlie Boone," Chapter 7, a series of statements made by Eseffa and Max as follows gives me some ideas -- "What about the Moth?" Durapar asked. "What happened to them?" Eseffa looked happy. "They left the surface, and Jorli used the resources of Engris to fling them rather far away into the Cooee. Only a moment ahead of Lyrgris doing so, I might add." "That was a neat trick, getting the Moth soldiers out of here," Max said, eyeing the Madracorn with a grin. "I thought you guys couldn't teleport?" "We cannot," Eseffa replied. "But our machines are rather good at it, I would say." Max nodded. "Let me guess. Your machines can't teleport people that are dead." "Exactly so. Being dead does have its drawbacks. Nor can these machines operate beyond the confines of this world. An unfortunate limitation that may need to be rectified...." Since Browbeat is a mind in a Madracorn machine-life-force-container, will the device enable Browbeat to teleport someday? 2. -- Charlie and his second presence was not able to penetrate the planetary defense in a direct way. Could he project his second presence either through the Block People universe or the alternate universe which Ilessa and Hendrick came from in "Elementary, My Dear Charlie Boone!" -- or the universe where Nicklus exists in "There's a Strange Partridge in My Pear Tree, Charlie Boone!" -- and then back into the regular Charlie Boone universe? Just asking. I hope your recovery is proceeding well, Geron. May you be back to full health soon.

I take most of the statements above about safety with a shaker of salt instead of a grain of salt, if they are uttered by corporations. Many corporations seem to want just enough safety to avoid lawsuits and fines but still keep expenses down.

Usually, but not always, boys are more willing to be nude in same sex situations than girls, based on my observations.

With authors such as these, it is hard to go wrong. Thank you again, @Myr.

So far, I have not run into that information in my research, but it would not surprise me.

Wow. That suspension bridge is even taller than the Capilano Suspension Bridge originally built in 1889. It has been rebuilt at least twice.

I thought I had already reviewed this very good story. But the way several seemingly disconnected items are woven together -- playing piano, same-sex friendship, plays, school, and football into one short story (I consider a total of less than 40 thousand words a short story) was masterfully done. For full effect, one has to read the story for oneself. Sensitive issues are carefully addressed here, yet the "feel" of the story is mostly casual. Very well worth reading.

@Mikiesboy -- you have elegant ways of expressing what many of us feel at times. Thank you.

Had I thought about Gorge and his previous statements more clearly, I would have realized Gorge will tell little to his fellow Pertwee, because he will want to maintain some advantage, just as he did when not revealing that he could speak the planet's human language.

I thought Bullwinkle said, "Watch me pull a hat out of a rabbit!"

Great chapter. Marc needed the rest.

@Al Norris -- both you and @Geron Kees make excellent points. I am reminded of the short novel by the late Hal Clement titled "Iceworld," in which a race of breathers of gaseous sulphur visit Earth. They have some problems with the planet being so cold that sulphur can exist in solid form, and water can exist as a liquid. Great story, even to the point of pointing out some dangers of nicotine addiction if aliens got hold of Earthly cigarettes. (Side note: Hal Clement was the pen name of Harry Clement Stubbs.)

I am reminded in the quote below of the "Slingshot Effect" described by Robert Anson Heinlein in "The Rolling Stones": A rocket fired at a 45-degree angle to spinward of the planet gains some small momentum from the rotational energy of the planet. A rocket launched at an angle will follow a parabola, as it's influenced by the gravitational acceleration of the planet below. If the amount of energy applied is insufficient, the parabola intersects the earth, and of course the object will impact elsewhere. Think ICBM. But if acceleration is simply maintained to escape velocity, the parabola doesn't intersect the earth, and the object will escape into space exactly as if it had been fired directly outward. The truth is, we fire rockets straight upwards now because it is the cheapest, most direct way to orbit or escape. It minimizes the time in atmosphere, which equates as drag, and only requires a short amount of time under a high expenditure of energy to attain, which is the way our propulsive technology operates today. When explaining the Slingshot Effect, Heinlein said that some complicated math explains how a rocket may be fired at the correct angle and direction to gain more momentum than seems obvious. Thankfully, Heinlein did not try to EXPLAIN the math. Excellent summary, @Geron Kees.

A sometimes wise sage, perhaps?

I would like to see Horace ask Minerva where hernacki would be on the order scale. I am guessing about eighth order or more. @Geron Kees, concentrate on becoming well, please. If you need to write future chapters in shorter form, and more chapters than you originally planned, we will be "patiently impatient" as they come out. Patient, because your health is paramount; impatient, because we love your stories. I am glad to see Adrian exercising more leadership in this story. Grim is a tremendous addition to the "friends of Charlie and company." I also predict that these experiences greatly enhance the leadership skills of Rorna will be greatly enlarged during and after this adventure.

Can all modern laptops have a second screen?

Recommend desktop for the bigger screen.

Wow, what a selection of good authors.

Hernacki can override almost anything. And the guys forgot Pacha taught Max even more than he already knew, and Max taught Keerby.

How well @Geron Kees has presented the various possibilities involving matrix theory, vector analysis, advanced algebra, quantum telepathy, and multiple dimensional slippage! And Robin even threw in fractals! (I only have a barebones theory of fractals, but loved vector analysis and matrix theory and some algebra.) Browbeat indeed is showing his wonderful world of worth. As to how they could get out, Horace was in the meld with Blinken and Keerby and Rick (see: "Elementary, my Dear Charlie Boone!") so with his affinity for immaterial beings, might be able to ask help from Blinken. Blinken and Esmerelda are obviously, as hernacki, above fifth-order and fourth-order beings. And that is just ONE way they might get out. I think @drpaladin and @Ivor Slipper and @chris191070 and @Flip-Flop are right to be cautious. Further, we don't know how much Rick, in his capacity as magic mechanic, has learned from the various encounters and side dimensional trips. He and Charlie have figured things out before. Or, Charlie and Horace could meld together and call Keerby, Max, or Nicholaas. Lots of options, and I predict Geron has several I have not even thought about!

@Josh Aterovis -- the theory behind the math is somewhat simple. The actual math is, at this point, beyond my ability.

This reminds me of the refraction problem faced by Jamie and company in "The Case of the Short, Short Prince," but they need to approach the problem from a different angle. This might be a super-hypersphere with two or more extra linear dimensions, and one or more extra time axes. I am glad Robin, Horace, and Amy now share the mind-touch with Charlie, Ricky, Kippy, Adrian, and Browbeat. To see if this is a hypersphere or a super-hypersphere, they might be able to use the help of Ripley Shannon. We also do not know how long Browbeat was in the lower level before the Madracorn gave him his bio-mechanism body. As an information merchant of the lower level, plus whatever he already knew from his life on his homeworld, has given him some extra mental connections of intuitiveness. Well done, @Geron Kees. Loved the reaction of Horace when he was told to fill in for Keerby or Max on understanding the fifth-order energy beings.

Quoting from this chapter: Chi Baradee leaned closer over the first captain's shoulder. "You're power users. You . . . you teleported here." Charlie nodded. "Yes." The old women gave a tiny shake of her head. "That should not be possible. Teleporters that I know of cannot go where they have yet to set foot, themselves." Kippy smiled faintly. "Perhaps we are not the sort of teleporters you know. Charlie chuckled inwardly, happy that his boyfriend was getting into the game. "I don't want to lie too much," he sent to Kip. "I do want them to continue to view us as most mysterious, though." That got me to thinking about the types of teleportation mentioned in the stories of @Geron Kees so far. In the Charlie Boone series, there is teleportation by using the elf manual of teleportation; there is teleportation to places one has been so far; there is bilocation, used by the Beltracians to send the whirling creatures down to the auction at Roorapynta; there is teleportation using the telzee route, also from Chapter 3 of "Light My Roamin' Candle, Charlie Boone! where Pacha'ka was still learning teleportation from Max; (and I am glad after that incident that interplanetary and interstellar locations were added to the elf manual); and getting the location via Charlie's second presence, as in this story; plus the type where you can see your location physically but have not been there. (And those do not count the four types of translocation/teleportation in "The Case of the Short, Short Prince" -- a regular translocation spell, for when someone has been to a place before; imaged translocation, where Jamie or someone else with the ability to peer into the mind of another and see where they have been; machine translocation, and ghost mode translocation.) And who knows what our favorite @Geron Kees will invent next? Edit -- and I forgot one. Pacha is able to teleport to places located by Kift communicator, such as when he teleports into Kip's room in (Is That a Monster in the Closet, Charlie Boone?) and when Pacha teleports down to the town of the witches in Chapter 10 of "There's a Devil in the Dark, Charlie Boone!"

Remember, when Robin was first encountered by Charlie and company, plus Pacha and company, Pacha said that Robin Hood was more powerful than Max, but not as powerful as Nicholaas. Considering that Robin has great control of skwish forces, including the ability to sit on his skwish emissions -- an ability shared by Reudi -- and one Robin taught Kippy, as recorded in "Stealing Christmas Wishes, Charlie Boone!" He is also able to latch on and follow a teleport, do trans-dimensional equations, create side worlds in the way of Nicholaas, and trace almost untraceable corporations. Perhaps with his mental powers, he could stimulate this sensors to be more sensitive, since he was wearing them. And who knows what he has learned from linking with Keerby and Blinken, and Nicholaas, Max, Auggie, and Esmerelda (see also "Strange Partridge, Charlie Boone!") Also, we already knew that Charlie and Ricky can contact each other via telepathy without the mind-touch. (See "Elementary, My Dear Charlie Boone!") Kippy and Adrian can can tag along with that, if they are touching either Charlie or Rick. But the mind-touch adds an extra layer to communication.