Wayne Gray

Thank you for reading and your great comment, Chris. The men of Cairn Seventy-One set out to change the EDF and then the world. They've succeeded with the EDF. The epilogue will reveal the extent of the changes. How much they affect those who chose the worm. I'm glad you liked this chapter, Chris. Thanks again.

It is true that empathy is contagious. It really is. When it is the standard, anyone not displaying it is anomalous. They become the outliers, and their behavior undesired. The more that there is, the more that springs from it. It builds on itself and it spreads. So it can happen without the intervention of a weird, parasitic worm. I gave the worm tremendous gifts. The single trade for health, a youthful body, a high sex drive, and even slightly exaggerated sex organs was empathy. It would make people feel stuff. Each other. And that was too high of a price for a society built on rapaciousness. I wanted to show how much that mindset rots the people with it. They have to be made to see. Unfortunately, it won't be something they can be infected with. It'll have to be something they're shown. Over and over and over. Until they get it. Or until they're excluded by those around them for refusing to learn. Thanks for the comment and for reading. See you on Sunday.

Did I tell you why I started this? I mean, I was inspired by Plague Inc, the game I'd mentioned earlier by the makers of Pandemic. But the real motivation was hearing a right-wing politician say with utter seriousness: "The problems in this country are because of empathy. There's too much of it. People need to toughen up." And I sort of cocked my head and squinted at the screen. So here we are. Writing and reading a story where those in power have to be infected to feel empathy. Where they fight it. Where they jail and try to kill it. But like so many regimes built on control and fear, things aren't working out for them. Keep the faith, Dave. The wheel will roll back around. Thanks for reading and commenting. I hope to see you Sunday.

Thank you! I spent a lot of time editing and refining this one. Pass after pass after pass. I've probably read through this chapter more than any other in this story. I think it was worth the work, though. It feels good to me. The epilogue will drop on Sunday, and we'll wrap this one up. I've liked this story a lot. I'm glad you're enjoying it.

Thank you, kbois. It's a hard thing to do, at least for me. To wrap words around a feeling that's almost beyond imagining. And my imagination probably doesn't do it justice. This kind of connection to others would feel so deep and profound, I don't know if there's a way to actually describe it. But this is as close as I can get. I'm glad you felt what I was trying to do. Yes. The epilogue. That one will wait until Sunday. I've got a bit more work to do on it, too. It's close, but I don't want to rush it. But that'll be here before we know it.

The Bond They had left the officer's lounge and now waited in their room. The guest wing was quiet. The lights were dimmed to half-strength, a concession to off-duty hours. A few doors down, muffled conversation and the buzz of a movie played behind someone’s wall. But in Atticus and John’s quarters, silence reigned. The room was sharp and spare. Military elegance. A couch. A small table. Two chairs. The bed was made with crisp corners—untouched. The lights were low, casting shad

That gif is hilarious! Lol I’m glad you liked it!

The messed up part is a buddy of mine dropped off a "fun" brownie a few minutes ago. And I have tomorrow off. 😐

Okay. That one genuinely made me laugh. LOL

You know what? If I WAS going to post tomorrow, now I WOULDN'T, out of SPITE! LOL

They're definitely making the rounds, aren't they? And the watercooler talk is flying about the loose ways of the Cairn Seventy-One commanders. Since the general knows just about everything that happens at Central, you'd better believe he has heard it. So far, things are going their way. But they're making a very ballsy play with the general. It could end up going sideways on them if they're not careful. I suppose we'll see how it goes. And I'm looking forward to that! Thanks for reading and commenting, Chris. And I'm glad you survived a mob of hungry children.

LOL. Nice visual. Thank you for that. Remember, he didn't drink at the bar. Did he have some water before? Maybe. But maybe Atticus and John are wily enough not to need it. Two handsome, confident, young professionals? That'd be hard to resist for a man who hasn't been touched in literally years. But he's also extremely disciplined. So we'll just have to see. And that's part of the fun, isn't it? Thanks for the comment and for reading. More coming soon!

Hahaha. I suppose they have. They're fucking something up by fucking things. 😛 I'm so eager to show off the next chapter. I'm trying to be disciplined about it and wait until it's very polished. I keep making passes through it, and it does get better every time, so by Friday, I think it'll be good to go. Also ... I couldn't stop at five chapters. I wrote an epilogue for it that ended up being just as long as a chapter. So there will actually be six parts to this. The epilogue may have ended up being my favorite. But you'll have to wait a bit to see that one. Thanks for writing and reading. More to come!

Thank you, tim! Personally, I read it and think "okay. I don't know what got into me, but it can stay." LOL I've got three other stories in process; I just need to pick them back up. And after this, I plan to focus on Engineer Benson and finish that one off. Send our zombie survivors off in style. Then see which one speaks to me. It does feel good to be writing again.

Damn those children! *shakes fist* Soon, Chris. Soon. :)

In all of that, there's not one mention of a "worm." I have to say, I'm a bit disappointed! LOL But you're right - the General is the big fish. They are working the guy too. They know he hasn't been touched by anyone in years, and they do exude confidence, poise, and pheromones, too. So he is drawn to them. He may not fully understand why, but he is. Let's see if that'll be enough. Thanks for commenting and reading. More is coming.

LOL. Nice job. molly would be proud of you. There's more coming. When? Who knows, but it'll be somewhat soon. I'm shooting for Friday, but we'll see. Thanks for commenting and reading!

Yes, they've set their sights VERY high, haven't they? But the general has seemed to take an interest in them without them doing anything but following their plan. They are doing things right. Their cairn is one of the most stable in the EDF, and that's due to their leadership, not the worm. So he's right to wonder what it is that they're doing. Simply - they're listening to their men when they hurt, and they try to lessen the load. Oh. And their doctor regularly gives handjobs to soldiers, but that's probably not a datapoint on their presentation. LOL Thanks for reading and commenting. There's more to come. Stick with me and we'll see what happens with the general next chapter!

LOL. You're a bad pup. Aren't you? Thanks for the comment and for reading too. Let's see how things develop with the general next chapter.

A man like Taggart has had to be restrained, composed, and in utter command of himself for a decade. A man who rarely drinks. Who obeyed Order 412 to the letter (he's the example), and much more. So he has been denied a lot for a long time. And our duo seemed to zero on this. We'll have to see if they leverage his chaste existence as a weapon or if they overstep their bounds. Either is possible at this point. Ah, I'm glad you like this one, Tony. It does feel good to me. Alive. I can imagine the world they're in and see the scenes in my mind. Kind of a wild one for me, but I'm enjoying the hell out of it. See you next chapter.

A lot can go right when you have time to plan. And John, in particular, has had that. Plus, they're intimately familiar with the EDF. Take their knowledge, motivation, planning, and natural intelligence into account, and ... well, they'd be hard to stop. And you're very sure that they'll crack Taggart. Let's find out if you're right. Thanks for the comment and for reading!

LOL. Brat! But yes - they've planned, and they're following through on it. Well, think about it. Order 412 has only just been rescinded for a few weeks. Having condoms would imply you're planning to engage in intercourse, when 412 forbade TOUCHING each other. It'd have been an admission of guilt. As well, did you see the security to get into the place??? They know everyone is tested prior to entry, so they've got no reason to suspect anything. And every man I know hates condoms. HATE HATE HATE. They can be necessary, but if they're not? Nope. So. No, you won't find condoms at Central. Lucky for us, eh? LOL Thanks for the comment. There's more to come. Err. Well, you know what I meant.

Hehe. Yes. They're on a hell of a mission, aren't they? Deep in the belly of the beast, and now flirting with the man holding the chain of that same beast. Playing a very dangerous game. Let's see how it turns out for them, eh? Thanks for reading and for the comment!

Infecting the Root They waited two weeks. Atticus hovered beside John as his lover gazed into the cairn’s microscope. The soft smile that flickered across John’s face told him the answer before he could speak. “Ova,” John murmured. He looked up, voice colored with quiet certainty. “You’re shedding ova now.” Atticus had already known. The worm had been active for days. His drive had spiked—he and John paired up twice a day, sometimes more. It was release, yes, but also so

It's a risk they may not want to take. They've already tried shackling it once, and that didn't turn out well for them. Risking their desire for world dominance may not be worth a long (maybe eternal) life, health, peace, and connection. I mean, it would be for me. But I am not starting out as a power-hungry megalomaniac. To those people, losing that would be worse than death.