ReaderPaul

@Geron Kees -- another question in addition to what is immediately above. Of Charlie, Kip, Rick and Adrian, who is tallest and who is shortest? I don't recall you ever saying, but I have the impression that Ricky and Charlie are the tallest, and Adrian slightly shorter, and Kip perhaps an inch shorter than Adrian. Please correct the order if I am wrong. Also, when will we be allowed to know the names of Ricky's younger sister and his even younger brother? For that matter, what is the name of Kiernan's sister? Does Durapar have any relatives living on Engris?

I have really enjoyed this series, and look forward to more, @P. E. Knapp. I do hope Lt. Astray gets at least a mention somewhere in one or more of the future books. I also agree with @centexhairysub -- Janek will always be one of my favorites. I am guessing ice mining is profitable because, as the human population expands, water is needed for drinking, agricultural purposes, and industrial purposes. Also, some of the water would be lost during various processes, in spite of excellent recycling of the future. Possibly other mining materials are sought, as well -- various metals, possibly organic compounds, minerals. You have mentioned almost no planets so far in this series. Do most persons live in space? What about non-human intelligences? Are they going to appear in this set of stories? You might put some of the answers to these questions in your discussion forum as well as answering some of them here. Thanks, from Paul.

No problem on the delay. I am not writing stories -- yet -- for lack of time, taking care of a very disabled spouse, and juggling various other responsibilities. I would really like to be writing. Perhaps Robin and Ragal and Ronja and Uncle Bob Travers could work with Ricky on his teleportation. Robin is an accomplished teleporter, and very adaptable, as we have seen before. Ragal has expert adaptation skills, and has helped many with various things. Uncle Bob has a bit of Ricky's magic mechanic skill, being able to understand and reproduce Ragal's ability with the inky blackness, AND Uncle Robert (Bob) Travers is an accomplished teleporter. Ronja's skwish talent of reconciliation would pair well with Ragal's adaptation to help Bob and Robin boost the speed of Ricky learning to teleport. The four Rs -- Robin Ragal, Ronja, and Robert (Bob) should be able to work with the fifth R (Ricky) on this -- at least in theory. And what could the K-team (Kip, Keerby, Kontus, and Kiernan) achieve together? Or the M-team (Max, Mrs. P [Max's wife], Max2 from the alternate earth visited when Robin investigated the money trail, and Maxine, the shop supervisor for Nicklus) arrive at together? Not to mention the A-team of Adrian, Auggie, and Amy. And the AI team -- Illia, Murcha, Onglet, and Irving -- in another Pacha'ka adventure, with Big Irv serving as Earth liaison with the guys? As always, @Geron Kees -- you are freely given these ideas, should you ever decide to use one or more of them.

Raymond is a proverbial stuffed shirt type who thinks his version of things is the only one that can possibly be right.

Is there such a thing as a three-person kayak?

Fascinating. This could be bad, or this could be good. The trouble is, as Benjamin Franklin once said in 'Poor Richard's Almanack', "Three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead." This will, eventually, get out. Never the less, the next three days will be quite interesting for Peter and for the NHC.

Wow. Wow. Not what I was expecting. I didn't know what to expect, but that wasn't it. But it is a good chapter. Looking forward to reading about the honeymoon cruise.

So, @wildone and those on the Prompt Team -- Then does the prompt "Why is your underwear around your ankle at the office" coming out -- and Steve, you said you could tall a few stories about that. Please! START WRITING! Change the names and locations to protect the guilty -- er, and innocent bystanders -- but let us hear some of the stories! I am sure @Valkyrie -- @chris191070 -- @lawfulneutralmage -- @Gary L -- and several others would like to see those stories, and I certainly would like to see them.

An unusual but very enjoyable story. Questions are quickly raised in the story, and the answers are fascinating. I do hope more chapters arrive in the future.

I certainly agree with @drsawzall that some tech should not be shared -- yet. And evidently the android bodies have the ability to project images into the air, whether two-dimensional (2D), or holographic three-dimensional (3D). In addition, I think Joel need to consider that some of the military types of Ark III might have been those who sabotaged the pods of the non-military types on Ark III. @R. Eric - are any of the ORIGINAL persons who took off from Earth still alive on Elysia? And I agree with Hank and Joel, that getting the outside atmosphere human-friendly should be a priority.

I think Joel and Hank should post FTL (Faster Than Light) sentries for Elysia as they have for Gaia. I don't remember if they have several in the Elysia system or just one or two for communication purposes. They also need to warn those of Elysia about the possibility of disease-carrying probes from Earth.

Good chapter. Progress is being made. Looking forward to the next chapter.

I am wondering what Marc will do with the data he has discovered.

I sometimes have trouble messaging on my phone. Much easier on laptop or desktop computer. Perhaps some GA person who does most GA stuff on a phone may have suggestions?

I also regard Heinlein as one of the greats, but some of his books struck me as "blah." Most I thought quite good. I regard Anne McCaffrey as one of my authors considered great, but there was one of her books I did not read large sections of. Later I read it again, and was at a point in my life where I could appreciate it. Where in our life, and what else is requiring our time in our life, affect how we feel about reading something.

Are you attempting to message on a mobile phone, or a desktop or laptop computer?

You know, @Geron Kees, in thinking about the beginning of this first chapter, Rick has been able to follow Charlie's second presence since about the beginning. In the story where Charlie and company first met Ricky's cousin Annie (Every Boy Should Face His Demons, Charlie Boone!), Rick was able to follow Charlie even to another dimension to guide him back to Annie's house, when Kippy and Adrian and Horace were unable to sense him. So quite possibly Rick assisted Charlie in helping Adrian, Kip, and Max to be able to follow Charlie's second presence. (Almost certainly Ragal could also have done that, as well, with his powers of adaptation.) In addition we know that Robin Hood can "latch on" to a teleport OR to Charlie's second presence and follow it. Possibly Robin might have had input, as well. So when is Charlie going to learn that his second presence can go forward in time, or backward in time, and visit more alternate earths and future events?

An unexpected addition to the relationship of Orion and Quinn, but seems to be going well. Looking forward to more chapters.

Science fiction and fantasy author Andre Norton started writing when she was a children's librarian in Cleveland, Ohio. She legally changed her name from Alice Mary Norton to Andre Alice Norton when she started writing science fiction and fantasy, because the primary market was for boys at that time. Her publishers normally referred to her as "Andre Norton" or Norton when referring to her books, so sales would not drop off if her female gender were revealed. She also wrote under pen names Andrew North and Allen Weston. I usually finish books that I start. But once in a while I do not. If I have too many interruptions when trying to get a good ways into a book, I sometimes lose interest for days, weeks, or even years. I will prioritize favorite online authors over a physical book at times, because it is easier to read short chapters (under twenty-five thousand words) at times than to plow through a physical or Kindle or Nook book.

Fascinating. Is/are Orion and/or Quinn and/or Tanner distant ancestor(s) of Marc Alexander? Glad Orion is recovering so well.

Sometimes it is a good thing to end up where one is not intending. And sometimes, it is best that you are doing your job in a different location than normal. Several sets of circumstances combine to cause some people to meet that might not have met otherwise. This happens more than one in this story, and ultimately, it works out for the best. An entertaining story, well worth reading.

Why are Marc's parents against him using Shuttle Corporation as much as he is? Are they a rival company?

So you have decided to write a story about Peter's mother as well? Great! Very good start to this.

@Biff Spork, good story. Thanks for writing it. Sometimes friendship can develop into more.

Sasha seems to be having some adjustment trouble. I am wondering if boyfriends and/or girlfriends have dumped him before because of the thickness of his male organ, mentioned in a previous chapter as the thickest Marc had ever received. On the other hand, there have been improvements noted by several. Marc's ships and mining expansions seem to be going quite well. So far he had good instincts and is getting good advice from other members of the family.