skyacer

Great chapter, but I was hoping for another paragraph or two to see what the outcome might be. Maybe the rude-dude's wife would show up and yank him by the ear back to the campsite? Maybe we'd find out that he has a couple of abused kids with him that could be taken away? Or, just maybe in a bit of poetic justice since it is a rodeo, he would be trampled and severely injured by a galloping herd of.... no, not horses, but those big Gray Kangaroos, you know, as they hop off into the sunset...Next chapter, please?

Well done! It's been said many times that 'when one door closes, another window opens,' and I see that happening here. Poignant. A bitter-sweet confection with a heart of gold (covered chocolate). Part way through, an Abba song comes to mind, "Take a Chance on Me.' That is also true. And just when it seems love may have missed our two Romeos, a Ralph McTell song then pops up (Streets of London), with the refrain, "...Let me take you by the hand and walk you through the streets of London, I'll show you something to make you change your mind." Very. well. written!

Very well done! The challenge and the test of an obvious path and one that could bring fulfullment and love.

What a great story. I just found it and read all 8 chapters in one go, stopping only to take our dog Kylo, out for his evening walk. Is this a continuation of a previous or additional saga? The character development is very good and Levi's angst comes through loud and clear. More, more, more!

"Keep that magic" and believe in magic, all of us. I'm expecting that there will be some war-time treasures brought out of some of the caves that hid people during World War II and the subsequent occupations by Russia and Ukraine. I wonder if it is possible that back in some of the most remote regions of Makarovia we keep reading about, there might be a family or two who have been living in their caves, subsistence farming and hunting ever since WWII. Cut off from the rest of Makarovia and content to be so. Great chapter.

So, really the dikes need 'dykes' not dicks to help plug those holes being drilled by the tiny water serpents. A few butch-engineering-type dykes and they could fix the dikes in New Orleans, Houston and The Netherlands.

But I like 'Uranus' just as I like all other parts, of this story anyway. Bring on the greedy assassins, syndicates, 'make-our-syndicate/federation/space agency-great-again' and other fear-mongers. One or two Vulcans thrown into the mix would really throw the isolationists into a frenzy. Although I'd pay $10.00 to watch the chaos. Great story, great build-up

Great build-up on this story. I'm waiting for some factions of the ISF who are of the 'make-their-faction-great-again' types to get greedy and try to muscle their way into control, or to try and place armaments on the moonbase. Of course they'll try to take over a shuttle to 'learn' the engineering technology and probably end up endangering and stranding the crew in space until rescue.

I can't wait to see what our Makarovians have had hidden in their attics and the famous caves where people hid themselves as well as possessions. Not to nit-pick, but Eric's proclamation for subject and verb to agree should be "I....decree..." unless he is talking in the 'Royal tense,' which would then be 'The Earl of Styria, future Prince Eric Romanov decrees'... This IS getting more and more exciting!

Some incredible and very sage advice: "Looks from you at the table no one else knows what’s going on in your mind! Those little things tell me you love me and I don’t ever want you to stop.”... I’m glad you let me in to get to know you." I will say that your strength as a storyteller has grown immeasureably since the first chapter of this saga. I look forward not just to every chapter, but to some of the insights into people's lives from the Nazi era that you've shared through the story of Milo and Bren. Thank you for putting yourself out there. I'm forever hooked.

Excellent story! Yes, I read the entire story with my heart in my throat. I think almost any 'resistance/under-ground' story should inspire and give hope and this one certainly did in spades! You are right that there are probably hundreds, if not thousands of these types of heroism that could be told worldwide. Citizens in local/disjointed and the more organized undergrounds, resistance fighters, who were fighting occupying and colonial powers, and who were also a large part of our history (USA), Mexico and all over South America. Pick a country and I'm sure this same story could be told.

In recent years, we've seen the rise of private/for-profit (in the long run) space corporations, because we've also seen that some of the larger countries and largest powers cannot put aside their own self-interests rather than looking for the benefit of all humankind on this planet. NASA is lucky that they are not at the point where they need to hold a bake sale to raise funds for their projects. They're so underfunded that they're forced to work with other space agencies to get anything done. I like the way this story is unfolding, but can imagine tensions and problems on Sahndrol as well as on Earth. Will the ruling family once back on Sahndrol be held hostage or deposed from power? Will the UK finally convince Cadbury's to put better grades of chocolate into their products? Sorry, that's just my own story line going off on a tangent.

And here I was being impressed with a Ukrainian conversation going on and arguments about translations. I then realized that translations do not always involve context and the rest of a sentence structure. However, in addition to the Comments, this was a very intense chapter that I loved!

'Merry Everything and Happy Always' everyone

The hard words are necessary and need to be spoken, often and loudly. There are too many who deny the Holocaust and who continue to deny large and small genocides that are occurring, not just those aimed at LGBTQ people. The rats continue to breed and spread their lies, but as long as we shine our collective lights into their nests of hate, we can make a difference. Supporting groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center, Rainbow World Fund and others is but one way.

And so, the plot thickens with "...but,there is something...not right." Great chapter.

Great chapter. Very smoothly written. Not to nitpick, but when flying from London to the US, the flights approach 8 hours and we gain time going from East to West, so leaving at 11:00 AM, one would arrive around 1:30-2:30 PM, since there are 5 timezones being crossed. Windows, particularly in bedrooms are prone to papparazzi (sp) and their cameras, even on the 2nd or 3rd floors. I'd also worry about how secure a safe room can be that has windows.

Well done, sir! The actions by customs in Honolulu were very tempered. I'm surprised that the US authorities did not have a military presence to take the URJ representatives into custody. The idiots trying to claim that their 'passports were not valid,' should have known that safe passage was being guaranteed by the NZ gov't. I'm also surprised that their route to NYC was not confirmed with a guarantee that there would be no incidents to mar the trip. These events foreshadow some other not-so-nice events to come. Maybe instead of meeting at a place on earth, the URJ can invite the UN members into space for a truly 'out-of-this-world' experience?

And then after the Drols land and walk out the door of their space ship or landing craft, they'll start laughing and remove their lizard costume outfits. Then, after the dignitaries have all recovered and the media have finished pissing themselves into a frenzy, they'll all walk into a pub and have a few pints on me, well, if I had been invited perhaps they might. It will still be interesting to see if any external forces will try to attack NZ to capture the 'aliens' to find out if there were any lizard men underneath the human skins. Will there be a shield over the entire base to prevent bombardments or attacks from occurring? What will happen when they try to take off from Earth? I need more popcorn and beer to watch for the next episode.

Great chapter. But is everyone on Earth as welcoming as NZ? I can imagine some US and Global corporations/oligarchs that would not like any reduction or change in their status quo and particularly of their status. Right off the top, America, China and Russia have been slighted by the location of the embassies of the URJ. Those three I'm sure would want all the mineral wealth of those moons for themselves. Maybe they'll colonize Mars and the larger asteroids? Does the Sahndrol technology have planetary defenses to ward off the stray meteorites hitting the moons? Without much atmosphere, there's nothing to slow down a fast moving meteor, or other well-aimed piece of space debris. More, more, more!!! please?

Great chapter and a good glimpse into Makarovian's future, if it is controlled and measured, smart, but-as-green-as-possible, growth. Underground shopping malls are a reality in Montreal and Toronto, where temperatures can and have been -20 F. They're also connected to their subways/metro systems as well. In NYC, you can travel underground, come up inside a 'mall' shopping district and go back down to take the train home. Minneapolis has miles of interconnected and enclosed pedestrian bridges and tunnels connecting major parts of their downtown. I'm sure other cities worldwide have equally innovative solutions to dealing with winter. I love the idea of heated streets to deal with the ice/snow issues.

Excellent chapter and writing. Fedir's right you know. 'Mourn for those who did not make it,' and be happy for those who did make it and were able to have good lives together. I had to reread this chapter, because it is perhaps the most important chapter so far and presages what is to come. I am in awe of your storytelling, R.Eric. This is important groundwork for the future.

Great chapter. I'm thinking that with Mason we'll see one of those who will be left behind in the 'old century,' as a new world, new thinking and new and more tolerant people come into positions of power, or just positions of not wanting to deal with Neanderthals like him any more. Welcome to the present and to the future, Mason.

Whew! And they all damn well better live happily ever after, well after that 33 chapter series of adventure(s), of course.

Very interesting chapter. Anton's waiting won't come to any good end. I'm sure his bank accounts have been frozen and it may turn out that his family and shipmates who depended on him have either gone their own ways or have fallen onto hard times of their own (home foreclosures, depression, kids failing in school, etc.). I think a real shit storm is about to happen. Let me go buy some popcorn and pee first, 'cause I can't wait to see the fireworks that ensue.