Northerner

Wowza. Our boy Shawn needs to get a grip fast - work with, not against his AI, and learn never to rock the boat until you have a nautical chart showing the waters you’re in. That said, now he knows much more about the situation and the players close to him. Doing that it would behoove him to retrench and strategize. And, get laid some.

Sociopaths run lots if things in this world, why would the world Shawn’s in be any different? Plus ça change… I’m just worried that Shawn’s brash actions has painted a bigger target on his back.

Aww, to be so young and not wise to how sex drive works! Resistance is, as they say, futile. I bet that Efraim has a wild hookup thing going on, and innocent Göran can only speculate. I wonder how long that charade will last for? Still, image being full of sin close to Fagersta! That little town where The Hives hail from. I’m going to give it some side eye next time I’ll drive past, or getting a K-Freeze at the gas station on the outskirts 😅

This happened close to where I grew up. Lovely, these settings, albeit historical, feel so familiar. I’m curious to read where this is going - will it be a Bildungsroman, or a tale of a libertine growing up? Thank you for a promising start!

The pudding tastes better when eaten slowly. Travis and Kendo remain in a smoldering holding pattern, whilst Will is channeling his inner hussy.

The sage Will is acting his age sometimes. It’s like a chink in the plot armor. Cotton Eye Joe as recorded by Rednex. That takes me back to a time and a place lost in the mists of youth 😅 I love how those random details seep in, the worldbuilding is really good and the attention to the craft really shows. I wonder what’s next for JJ and Chris, there has to be some drama there, the question is if the juice is worth the squeeze?

Now drop in the memory believes before knowing remembers from Light in August, by Faulkner. It would fit gAI somehow 😀 I’m just happy to see that’s the art of quoting and paraphrasing is alive and well.

Extra credit for the Herbert quote. Know then that it's the year 10191. In this time, the most precious substance in the Universe is the oatmeal. The oatmeal extends life. The oatmeal expands consciousness. The oatmeal is vital to space travel.

Nature is healing! Slowly Shawn is make progress - he still got a long ways to go, but things are coming together again. I could be dreaming, but gAI is starting to make itself a little useful again. It’s welcome news. Fingers crossed for a breakthrough.

Good choice! Therapy is personal, as well as tedious for outsiders. There’s a lot to unpack, plus it happens at an uneven pace. That said, very happy to see Shawn finally getting some help and looking forward to read how he’s coping. It’s also cute that gAI isn’t very forthcoming or helping in this crisis - it definitely shows its limitations. Guess the old adage that people are better than machines still holds up in this alternate world.

Eff the pain away unfortunately doesn’t work. It just cheapens everything and resolves little. That said, our boy Shawn needs help.

I can see Travis is going to mess up, not go through with it, and then - fireworks. However, that would be trop facile. It’s all a big will they or won’t they as we enter 2026. Outside there’s fresh snow. Keeps the trouble confined to CAP, and this reader is off skiing.

Wow, there’s no coming back to normalcy for Shawn after this. Dude’s gotta learn never to be lone in exposed settings, plus level up fast. Poor Zane! Fingers crossed for some needed retribution.

Climb the ladder, find the snakes in the grass. It’s funny, but that base mechanic sounds an awful lot like some old Nintendo Game & Watch game 😹 Then again, sometimes reducing what’s going on makes you appreciate the absurdity. I like where this is going - I wish Shawn had some people besides gAI that he’d know always have his back. His school mates will do in a pinch.

My spider senses tell me that whatever nefarious business is going on, it didn’t involve just Dir. Green and Sebastien. Someone, or something, is playing them.

Thank you for this gift if yet another chapter in the storied life of Granger. It’s funny how George got wistful, thinking about his old postings and what came of those ships. It’s like when you sometimes think of the old cars you’ve gone through.

@methodwriter85Class act there to suggest the perennial Only You by Yazoo. I’m happy that my Alfa prediction came true in some form! It warms my little blackened heart in these Yuletides. Is it too early to start a betting pool for a helicopter accident? Cynical, moi? On a much lighter note - thanks for this breezy chapter. As has been noted we can expect choppy waters ahead, but the ride there is sweet. Very much looking forward to read how Travis navigates the on set drama and would be suitor. Also, the unrelenting business world of Stef and Brad is sure to produce some contingency, plus Dr Crampton and Claire will find some way to throw a curveball. I can hardly contain myself, he wrote unsarcastically. ‎Thnak you and merry Christmas to y’all!

This reader enjoys GA from his iPad, and dark mode is a very welcome addition. Demons? Give me Science Fiction, Fantasy and engaging stories for days! No complaints though, there’s so much good stuff to read already. Thanks to all the writers out there, and thanks for what you do to keep this going!

Lamont library Lothario and the Italian stallion. It sounds like an incredibly cheap paperback romance, but leave it to the esteemed author to make it both classy and tantalizing. I wonder where this will go, while Travis is wrapped up in LA TV production and its vices? Thanks @Mark Arbour for spicing this up! Are we to expect Will to drive an Alfa Spyder around lake Como in the sunset?

I smell something afoul in what was handed over. This isn’t going to be as easy as ichi ni san. That said, good on Brad for figuring out what Petrovich wants. Big’s rescue won’t be as tidy as this.

Interesting, of course he’s being watched! I wonder if his gAI is smart enough to make sure he doesn’t stand out too much in his classes. Camouflage is always good, and it’s looking like it will be needed.

Welcome back, and thanks for continuing! Love this story, it’s intriguing to see where it goes.

Haha, again Will is thrust in the role of Harvard Square Lothario. He does it so well! I wonder what’s bugging our Serbian mafia don? Say it isn’t bad Slivovitz? Or, gasp, a poorly made pljeskavica? Would be a shame cause a good pljesca is tasty. Anyway, nice to see that Claire is doing better. I was hopeful for a piece of Stef wisdom, we’ll see what role he has to fill. Excited to read what comes, thank you for keeping us second guessing!

Drama and solace. Jack left a spotted, but overall fond farewell. Granted, he had a tough crowd to please. Did Brad do him dirty? Jack’s behavior was erratic before the end; Brad can’t undo things, so now he has to live with the consequences. I sometimes wonder how JP lives with all the drama and histrionics of his close family? Tough for him, being a stoic, but entertaining for us who get to peek in.

Futurism on campus - spend most your time people watching. Plus ça change… nice that the future/alternate timeline is what itä’s supposed to be.