Edward Becerra wrote:

        Well, I got TWO, count 'em TWO, responses in less than an hour.
Wow. @.@

        So, here's another small teaser from "In Dangerous Ground" for you
to enjoy.

	Thank you, sir!

<Snip>

   He nodded. "Money. You need it, and you need it both aboveground and
below. Physical assaults on Genom can only go so far, unless you want to do
what I tried and destroy them with a full frontal attack, and damn the
casualties." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Do you remember what I said
to you after you gave me that paper with the locations of the beam-sats?"

	Am I safe in assuming that said sats are no longer opperational?
 
<Snip> 

   Ed's face grew somber. "Sylia, like it or not, the ecosphere on this
planet is dying. It's almost dead. If the ecosystem doesn't get some major
assistance, and soon, your quarrel with Genom will become a moot issue.
You'll _all_ be dead." He pulled out a fourth disk. "This is from a world
where biotechnology on a macro scale replaced standard, inorganic
technology. For example.. imagine a mangrove swamp where the mangrove trees
have been not just altered, but _re-designed_ from the DNA up to safely
filter heavy metals and toxic inorganics from the water. Mangroves that then
_store_ those toxins in a form that is easily and safely harvestable, and
can be handled with impunity."

	This biotech would happen to come from "The Forever Hero", would it?

<Snip> 

   "An interesting idea. How did you come up with it?"

   Ed blushed fiercely and mumbled something under his breath.

   "What was that?"

   "... I said I stole it."

   She looked at him for a long moment, astonishment written on her face.
"You _stole_ it?" Then she began to laugh softly.

   He let out a long, embarrassed sigh. "I was a fan fiction author before
all this happened to me, remember? I stole it. From a fellow author named
Charles `Chaz' Stitman." He looked at the walls, the floor, the ceiling,
anywhere but at Sylia. "You're familiar with the possibilities inherent in
transfictional interface?"

	I really like this, especially Legion's honesty.  Of course, with 
Sylia, being dishonest is rank stupidity.

	BTW: Does anyone know what happenned to mr. Stitman's story?
The last I heard he had posted rough copies of chapters 1-5 and 7 and
was putting the finish touches on all 10 parts before reposting the
completed tale, then nothing.

<Snip> 

   "And of course, Irene's rescue predisposed her to feel indebted towards
her rescuer who, I assume, immediately applied to become a Knight Saber?"

   Sylia's smile returned as her guest fell out of his chair laughing. "I
see you're familiar with the otaku phenomenon," he gasped between laughs.
"Although he didn't apply _immediately_. It took a whole day before he
asked."

	It's a weakness, what can I say?  Some do fight harder against 
this disease then others, thought :-S

I snipped a very good discussion on ethics because I really can't think
of any comments to put in.

Thank you for giving us a peak inside your developing story, sir.

Now if I can only hold out until it's released :)

Muttering to himself (as usual),

-- 
The Apprentice:

        Student of the Dark Side.  Keeper of the Vlad `Assassins are People
Too!' Taltos shrine.  Wage slave at the J-C Corporation.

Darkness is the true state of the Universe.  It existed before the Light
came.  It will exist after the Light is gone.