Anton_Cloche

To paraphrase "Those who can't do, teach.", this seems to be VERY apropos: 'Those who can't do, become POTUS'. Of course only in Fiction world. Happy 🌎🌍🌏 Day. 22 April 2025.

Only on Sundays. 😄 (needed bad pun relief).

I did as well, so either it was a franchise in the 90's or a lot of 'old farts' from hippee (?) daze "exhaled" and had a thought about nostalgia restaurants. The 'All you can eat Salad Bar" description was great @Bill W, except for the lima beans (aka 'fart starters' 😳). Glad to see Devin and Mac really enjoying vacation with the parents. And being so physically tired all they need is to cuddle. 💕 🥄🥄.

Hmm, curiouser and curiouser. And some things just aren't adding up. @drsawzall points out many of the concerns I have regarding both Dr. Allen of MCL and the spread of S-43b. Not so good Dr. Allen seems to be lying through his teeth about CDC already being aware of this pathogen; something that Dr. Ben will soon uncover as more search results on social media come in. Online search results will also reveal more about geographic areas affected, and still to be affected. @Lee Wilson indicated that the Appalachian mountain range served as a physical block to the "Death Cloud" spreading, and that only low-lying areas east or south of the mountain range encounter the "Cloud". But then he talks about other areas where prevailing winds carried the "plague": "... nobody west of the Appalachian Mountains was affected, other than south of where the mountain range ended. Southern Georgia and Alabama were decimated. Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana were hit almost as hard. Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick in Canada were nearly wiped out as well. Further north and west from there seemed to be mostly unaffected. George didn’t know the mountains well enough to know that Knoxville was to the west of them". But George's father lives in Knoxville (with his new wife), and George called and initially spoke with his Dad in Chapter one. But later, when George tried to call him again: "It still went to voice mail. It was 9:19 AM. The death cloud had apparently reached Tennessee". Was George's father just away from phone? Had he unknowingly driven into the killing zone? Geography as well as prevailing winds and rain could hasten the spread to other low-lying areas like the Caribbean, Texas, coastal parts of Mexico and possibly even Europe, But weather should serve to dissipate the Death Cloud? ML saving little Larry and bringing him to the others was a brief moment of empathy. DC and almost all politicians, including POTUS, get canned. However some Pols escape by being in their "home" districts (west of the Mississippi), so there's likely some Cabinet member still kicking and up for promotion. 😖

Short chapters are sometimes a bridge to what's coming next. (and better than cliff hangers for no good reason). Let's see what the next chapter holds. Where can one find stories you've written? About life in OZ? Perth or WA centered? IOTA? Always looking for stories from Down Under. 🦘

Hmm. Parsing your words carefully, with "... not technically a virus". Since mention of the deceased do not include graphic descriptions of effects (bleeding from eyes, ears, noses etc), "they just died" or like Lionel's younger brother Jimmy who, "won't wake up" it's not a hemorrhagic infection like ebola. Airborne illnesses with high and rapid mortality are frequently bacterial or viruses that are most commonly transmitted through small respiratory droplets. These often microscopic droplets are both inhaled and expelled when someone with the airborne illness breathes, sneezes, coughs, laughs, or otherwise exhales in some way. Since no one (apparently) died after being in direct contact with, (touching), the deceased it's not necessarily a contagion. 🕵️ 🕵️‍♂️🔬 ⏳

ML may be useful. If Dr. Ben is able to find both initial drug being tested in the lab (still in or near sink so the marked 'test tube / vial' will give them batch info) and stored 'antidote', they need to test that on someone, assuming the 4-legged lab rats not alive ... 😳 ML.

Group including Doctor-in-Training Benjamin Fitzgerald heading to Clinton and Mission Critical Labs to see what they can figure out is potentially heading straight into danger. Dr. Ben will have some (3 years?) medical training to know about using PPE - masks, gloves, gowns, re-breathers etc - to minimally protect those who approach / enter the Lab, which usually have dedicated bio-hazard protective equipment. If power is still up and running, group can clear blocked doors (sorry Terrell) and allow sealing the lab. Ben can use computer to see what was being tested and where the antidote is stored (normal procedure is to prepare 'drug' and 'antidote' in parallel). Hopefully they can test out Ryan and Dr. Ben's hypothesis. More batteries, and chargers (including solar) for cellphones and other equipment is imperative. Target And Staples is a good start along with Wal*Mart and other large stores. But while they are where 'landlines' still work, they should be seeing if they can reach anyone, like CDC (is Atlanta far enough south to not be affected? If not, those working in their 'sealed' Labs should have been safe); FEMA; Army; etc. The clock is ticking. Is it 2 minutes to Midnight? 🕛

FYI @Lee Wilson, well-written stories (theme, content, style, details, engagement etc.) tend to trigger an Editor's brain and elicit lengthy, constructive comments for some strange reason 🤔. And no, (for readers remembering the saying), it's not "Those who can't do, teach" (or edit) 😳. 😉 .

The hand-made sign, by Ryan Becker and with the current date; left at the road junction directing whoever sees it to travel: "611 South to 1 South. Best Western Concordville. Lobby, 6:00 PM Thursday, May 9. Ryan Becker, 100 York Apartments," means he survived at least 24 hours after the original leak and "death cloud". That many mean any number of things: the dispersal slowed; wind changed direction; toxicity disapated a bit; or Ryan has health issues that has protected him so far. Also that he is older than George and Lionel. As for ML, she may have become "unhinged" as a result of initial incident. Or she's just a bitchy, hormonal teen who's scared shitless. I'm sure other "guests" at the B&B left a car bebind for ML to take and follow the boys again. The reality of decomposing bodies, (touched on in my previous chapter comment about George taking care of burying his and Lionel's moms and Lionel's younger brother Jimmy), will quickly become an issue (and a trigger?) for the boys. As for power grid? Anyone who has lived through the Icestorm of 1998/99 knows the domino effect. Generally, automated power systems and grids, (hydro-electric, nuclear, solar and wind-generation) will run until fuel source runs out, but more likely "go down'" as a result of damage (car hits hydro pole, wires down, cascading shorting out of transformers and circuits start tripping off to "save" grid). Otherwise the boys could get 2 to 3 weeks. Longer if FEMA still exists and hasn't been crippled by staffing cuts or outright denial of aid by government. However the water supply and 'safe' water becomes an issue quickly. As long as the boys have access to stores there's certainly bottled water, batteries, inhalers (get a many as they can carry). Hopefully @Lee Wilson manages to stay on track with this story, and not try juggling chainsaws.

Ah Deirdre, who still Can't Understand Normal Thinking. 🤣

Dinner in the nude, or is that "Manger en trois?" 😋 🐻🐻🐻 🍑🍑🍌🍆🍇

Being back home the boys will sadly realise they need to bury dead family members. Like their Moms and Lionel's little brother Jimmy. George might have been to a funeral at some point in his young life, but that's even more trauma. 😢

One would hope that this undetectable gas rendered Patrick unconcious in that first 3 seconds and he did not suffer for a long as it took to him to die. And this held true for all the others. Otherwise this tale is dark, even for @Lee Wilson. ( Not a criticism, "Just the Facts", which is an uncommon rarity, along with common cents, and GF empathy). Not like HHS or CDC will rush experts or a 🐛-free brainy scientist to find a solution.

Maybe just 'self-publishing' "enough" printed copies (I'm absolutely certain there are a number of accomplished illustrators to do 'Comp' COVER artwork of Devin and Mac - perhaps with a pueblo in background, in return for a dozen hardcopies), to be accepted into the Library of Congress' records. (Before some not-so-smart arse shuts that down too). Once 'recorded' into the Library of Congress, you are in there for posterity; for generations yet to come and to pass down. Like the Oral History of our Indigenous and First Nations. Something Gramps and Pops can definitely tell Devin and Mac about. And your 'works' will live on @Bill W, rather than fade into the mists of time. BTW 'self publishing' of say a few dozen books of each Title in the series, that you sell on Amazon, ebay etc, costs much less than you think for the price of admission to immortality. * Can I get my book into the Library of Congress? When your book is published, you must mail it in to the Library of Congress, and if your book is selected by staff, the PCN becomes the LCCN. Again, unless you're a self-published author, your publisher will do what's required to get an LCCN for your book. (Aug 15, 2024) * * https://danieljtortora.com/blog/library-of-congress-control-number#:~:text=When your book is published,an LCCN for your book.

Thank You for your service 😇 (no pun) Chris. Keeping young children fed helps them to learn. For far too many children, especially now, and especially those in Primary School (Kindergarden through Grade 5, and ages 5 to 11) , the meals you provide may be (sadly) the only meal of the day for these vulnerable children. I know some school systems also provide "take home / bag meals" for children at risk (often done on the DL so a not to embarrass those children). 🥺 🙏 for 🧒👦

I think it can accurately be called "generational wealth". 💰💰💰

@chris191070 I am curious to know about the 270 children you cook for. Is this a school position? A "soup kitchen" or something else really deserving of recognition? 😇

First, I am mindful that it is still before Noon on April 1st (aka Aoril Fools Day) and ALL manners of 'Jokes, Trickery and Foolishness' are supposed to cease at Noon, as per tradition. I am also very mindful that almost everyone lacking in respect for 'tradition' and/or lacking in "Common Sense", Taste, Decorum and Decency doesn't know when to stop. @Bill W Thank You for this wonderful series of books about Mac and Devin along with their families. As they make their ways through life, discovering more than they ever imagined. (and taking us "along for the ride 😀). And now you are about to bring us the 3rd installment of the "boys" continuing story (with more to come 🤞?) Which brings me to "your" title of: Secrets 3: The Road to the Future, and a conundrum. You see, although you promised the 3rd installment coming in a few weeks (and YES you are well deserving of a break or hiatus), my enquiring 'Editor's Mind' decided to Google your title to see if perhaps a sneak peek could be found elsewhere. And what should appear but this: "Secrets 3: The Road to the Future" is a pamphlet by Bill W. (Wilson), co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), that details the emergence and development of essential principles central to AA's unity and survival, including the "Twelve Points to Assure Our Future". No joke. Now I know that "Literary License"* is clearly in play here, and given that the "AA" Bill W. died 54 years ago in January 1971, you are not he. However, even given the great latitudes of "Literary License", your Book 3 title does seem a little too ... ? Regardless of what your 3rd installment/ Book is called @Bill W, I know it will be outstanding and well worth reading a few times. I only wish printed versions were available as, IMHO, it deserves to be in libraries. Ps. * For those unfamiliar with "Literary License", here is a brief description I borrowed: "... a tool that allows a writer or author not to follow some rules of grammar, punctuation, spelling mistakes, in order to achieve a rhetorical effect. Also known as dramatic license, narrative license, historic license and poetic license, it defines the freedom that an artist or writer needs, particularly in the event of better art, to alter information, to misinterpret or disregard the norms of his art".

@Bill W writes a wonderful tale of Dev and Mac, their families, lives and adventures. Like much of fiction, Literary License is used to greater or lesser affect to achieve a desired effect. (Damn, the sounds of readers scrambling for dictionaries or fingers searching online is deafening 😮 ). Get out your umbrella. Not to rain on anyone's parade, but Dev and Mac are going to learn something that Pops and Gramp, based on whether they were alive during the Civil War, or learned over the years; there was (SPOILER ALERT) no CSA (Confederate States of America) equivalent of a Fort Knox repository of Bullion. Not Gold or Silver. Rumors of $5 to $16 Million of gold and silver bullion claimed missing by Confederate bankers, was never proven. (covering their "looted" ASSets?). Confederate President Jefferson Davis fled Richmond VA by train with just a little over $500,000 in gold, but had none with him when apprehended. Of the CS individually (in the order they seceded: SC, MS, FL, AL, GA, LA, TX, VA, AR, TN and NC), NONE minted any significant amounts of Gold or Silver coins. Dies for CS $20 Gold Double Eagle and $5 Single Eagle were cast, but hidden buried in Baltimore until after the war ended. A handful of 1/2 dollar silver coins were struck before the dies broke. What CS DID create was Million$ in printed paper currency in denominations up to $5,000. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CSA-T1-%241000-1861.jpg While "Payable to the Bearer on demand", banknotes are worth the paper they are printed on. With no Gold Reserves to back up the 'bills', after the war they were (and are) virtually worthless, other than what a 'Collector' will pay. However, there IS something in those 'secure' sacks that the belt 'CS' belt buckles indicates somebody died protecting. 💰

Some rides, like jobs, are often by "word of mouth". 😉 😊 😋

Interesting going down on I-95 and Driver Tim was a Christmas present for Alec and Rick (and vice versa). Good thing Alec and Rick didn't hook up with John and Ken. Who knows what they might have left them with. 😳 Now comes thumbing 👍 their way through (could be dangerous or risky) Georgia. St. Augustine 🍊 can't arrive quick enough.

Unfortunately emboldened by Alt Right BAC (B****** A*** UNChristians) who've forgotten parables the "good book" actually says like "treat others as you'd treat yourself" by a loving Lord and not a vengeful one. 😥. Hope and 🙏 Rick and Alec find a safe and welcoming haven in Florida, versus vengeful righteous and sanctimonious.

Well five and a half years on, I suspect that shoulder problem flew away like a 'Lonesome Dove'. But 'Speech to Text' Apps are much improved and as an editor I often recommend them to authors who are physically challenged with writing, typing etc. A wonderful @Headstall story from 'the old west', told (IMHO) in a style similar to that of Louis L'Amour (aka Rex Burns, Jim Mayo) in his poetry, 250 short stories, and 100 novels. You've re-piqued my interest in this genre. Thankfully you have many stories for me to read. Gary

Sounds like another Cap'n Jack, but one that made people walk the plank. Getting chucked out of a jet at altitude without a chute? Not even a sparrow would survive that. 😅 As for Devin's continuing issues? Following the fallen tree limb, the subsequent surgery and titanium 'connectors' implanted and affixed to help bones heal, he continues to harbour impatience, stubbornness and anger, taking all of that out on Mac. Devin needs both a reality check and a session or three with the Shaman, perhaps telling Devin that he has to accept that there are reasons behind what happened to him are are part of his 'path'. Otherwise his life and his relationship with Mac may be in danger. Of ?