Chapter 23 - Episode Distraction Distracted  3/3

"So 'somebody' with a lot of influence is moving the CCS around to find some construct," Gene recapped as she dried her hair off, "And you think Drip is that construct?" She summed up. Eric nodded as he watched her pull on the spare clothes she'd had hidden in Eric's bathroom. She'd chosen casual wear, good for lounging around the house or getting something to eat at the nearby market; convenient.

"She's too well behaved for a wild slime." Eric held up a hand, and started ticking off the points on his fingers. "She's got no registration, but she isn't unstable like some knock off pet slime." He held up two fingers now, "And if we could compare Cornelia's complaints with the CCS's 'special request', I bet they'd correlate."

"I could check for you." Gene offered, smirking.

"Would that be illegal?" Eric asked. 

"Not if I get a warrant." She smiled. "And hey, who's getting coffee a block or so over?" She grinned wide and Eric sighed.

"Isn't that going to be a problem, though? Cornelia and you have a history, don't you?" Eric stood and stretched, freshly showered and freshly dressed. 

"If you want to call it that." She shrugged, and Eric frowned. It was like pulling teeth with Gene, sometimes.

"What happened?" Eric asked, but Gene shook her head.

"It's not fair for me to say without her there to give her side of it." She said, and Eric nodded, he could respect that. 

"Then let's fix that." Eric checked his phone. He'd sent a message to Cornelia, that he and Gene were cleaning up, but asked her to stay where she was, for the moment. "Could you check the security cameras for the lobby and in front of the building, for me?" He asked.

"What?" Gene blinked and looked at him.

"The security cameras?" He asked, "Don't you have them hacked or something?" He shrugged. "I mean, I figured that's how you knew I was coming back when I was." He looked at her and she blushed darkly. "Or don't you?"

"Of course I do." She pulled out her phone and tapped the screen twice to bring up an app. "Ugh, the bastards are still in Belle's office."

"Shit, and there 'car' is still out front?"

"Yeah, that overbuilt, overseas knock-off, piece of shit." 

"Wait, you can tell?"

"Yeah, its wireless network is coded different than domestic systems. They're not going to be able to stream porn in the back seat," Ha! Eric's voice laughed. "But, they're also not going to show up on any local networks, unless they have an adapter installed, and turned on." She was tapping away at your screen.

"But, you're already in." Eric didn't phrase it like a question.

"Duh. I told you it was a knock-off." She said. "Let's see. Bleh, all pronouns and no meat. BUT." She smiled and flicked her finger. "It looks like it's been in for repairs or tune ups more than a normal." She flicked her hands over her screen. 

"How much more?" Eric asked as he walked over to Drip's habitat and opened it up. Drip waited by the opening, even after Eric had opened it up, until he lowered his hand for her to climb up his arm. With a sort of dry smooch, Drip squished under Eric's sleeve and slipped up his arm before she slipped out around his collar and nestled on his shoulder. 

His shirt wasn't even damp.

"Twice in the past month." Gene said and Eric turned to look at her.

"GPS say where?" He asked, she held up the screen.

"Private address." She gave a clipped answer as she brought the screen back and starting tapping away again.

"Someone's got an in house mechanic, not bad. Are you going to search it?" Eric asked, and Gene shook her head once.

"Not until I'm at my rig." She held up a hand while her thumb swiped at the screen. "There's a chance someone would have a program to tell if there exact address was searched. I've got a few scam bots I could broad search the neighborhood, and come up with a name." She offered.

"OR we could check a directory book," Eric suggested. Sometimes things got too complicated.

"Wow, way to go Old World on me." Gene crossed her arms and Eric shrugged. "Well," She smiled, "There's some good news. I can tell you the engine is running hot. If they put that through a high speed chase; it'll bust, big time." She grinned and made an 'explosion' gesture with her hands.

"Good to know, can you do anything to get them out of there?" He asked, finally, reaching up to pet Drip.

Wurp! Drip cooed happily.

"Not without leaving tracks, though..." She looked back at her phone. "Looks like they're being called back. 'Problem with CCS bitch. At 8D34P Building. Tail and talk.' Wait do they mean-" She looked up at Eric. His eyes were narrowed as he looked out the glass.

"Agent Tarquin." Eric pulled out his phone and dialed the number the Agent had given to him. It rang once, "Agent Tarquin?"

"Mister Wyre, good to hear from you, are you and the Good Captain coming back to the precinct today?" Tarquin's voice was coy, and he could hear the sounds of the precinct office behind her.

"Yes, but you've got incoming. People who are certainly not associated with the CCS who are going to 'tail and talk' you. Intercepted comms." He added as an explanation. Gene was texting furiously on her phone and mouthed 'telling Corny', Eric nodded. "Captain Rachel and Officer Woolrick are being apprised."

"Shit..." Abigail's voice lost the joviality it had held a second ago. "Thank you," She paused, "I just got a message from the Captain to stay put, and I'm not arguing."

"Good, sorry for dragging you into this." Eric's voice carried his sympathy. Abigail had started out the standoffish Agent Tarquin, but over the course of a conversation he'd fast understood her circumstances. Chain of command and politic heavyweights don't care who they crush.

"If they're threatening me for doing my job, fuck 'em." She growled, and Eric smiled a little.

"What, properly?" Eric laughed.

"No, brutally." Abigail grumbled, probably so the police officers around her couldn't hear her. "Make it so they can't walk in the morning," she said, and from the laughs Eric heard in the background, she'd not quite accomplished her desired discretion. "Yeah, laugh it up." She said to the crowd, and Eric could tell the tension between her and the police had dissolved. 

"Ouch. You sound like my old Tech Chief." Eric chuckled. Gene gave him a thumbs up, then pointed outside. "They just left our apartment building, if you've got anyone at your place to warn, or any pets," He added, "you might want to call them, or I guess a neighbor, just to be on the safe side."

"Right," Abigail said, and added, "Thank you, Eric." She said, softly.

"We're in this together, Abigail, don't worry." He heard her chuckle a little before she said good bye and hung up. Eric closed the phone app and looked at Gene who was smiling. "What?"

"You just can't stop, can you?" She asked as she walked past him, her thick thighs brushing against him as she did. Eric shuddered and watch her walk toward the door. No, not walk; bounce, each step was a bobbing bounce as her ass jiggled and shook in counter point to her steps. Eric grunted in acknowledgement as Drip smooched against his face. 

"Yeah, I know." He said.

The ride down to the lobby was less hurried than the one Eric had taken up, and when he arrived in the lobby, he saw Belle.

"Hoo-shit." He swore as his landlord and boss spun to face him. She was wearing some sharp stiletto heels and expensive looking stockings held to her legs. Powerhouse legs that disappeared up a skirt that ended just at her knees, to stay classy, but showed off some of her thigh in the cut. Her red blouse was buttoned up tight to those incredible breasts and her manicured hands were on her hips as she sized Eric up. Her cloud of tight curly hair was pulled back slightly with a bright patterned headband, out of her fierce looking eyes and her plush painted lips. 

He took four steps toward her and she narrowed her eyes at him, silently asking a question Eric really didn't want to say no to. "Unless someone's life is in danger," He began, an her glare softened rather than change to surprise, "We're still on for tonight." He smiled, and on his shoulder Drip cooed again.

Wuuuurp.

Belle was silent for a long moment, Eric counted out twenty of his own heartbeats, echoing in one ear thanks to Drip, before she spoke.

"Be careful, Eric." She said, softly, and before he could reply, she kissed him softly on the lips. It was a gentle, tender, touch, just her lips brushing against his. But Eric felt his heart rate jump, and before she'd broken the kiss, ten more heartbeats had thundered in his ears. She pulled back and smiled, a little smug at her handiwork. "Look after him, Gene." She said to the short stacked hacker chuckling next to Eric.

"Aye aye!" Gene snapped to a salute and Eric was surprised at how clear her posture was. Is she, was she, a Navy SIGNIT Operator? Dangerous work with what's beneath the waves these days. Belle stepped back and as Eric started moving again, she gave Drip a gentle pat. 

Wurp! Drip happily wriggled on Eric's shoulder. As Eric and Gene walked past the front office, Eric could see Donna inside, lighting what looked like scented candles and spraying air freshener. "Jackasses must leave a stink?" Gene wondered aloud.

"If they've been trudging around in Sewers and the other facilities," Eric teased out the thought, and let it hang as Gene nodded, understanding. They turned the corner and started off toward the market where Cornelia and Rachel were waiting for them. Eric couldn't help but smile to himself. Here he was, half a world away from OZ, but these blocks of flats could just have easily been the base city in Darwin. 

He felt the same tension in the air now, the same anticipation. Eric licked his lips and grinned wide, bearing his teeth a little.

This is turning into a whole new battlefield.





===== End of Chapter Author Notes to follow, given the state of HF's current difficulties=====

Author notes: First off thanks to Aeronator for his editor work. 

Wow! So many favs! I promised I'd give a few words, and here they are. First off: No I'm not stopping, or going on Hiatus. That's not what this is about. This is about me trying to go full time with writing, and maybe not just writing 'erotic' fiction. 

It's not just seeing a three digit favorite counter. Aeronator and Skiratas getting so into they help with editing; the compliments from Shadowy Attendant, Inkompetent,and Pancor; and the unlurkering of Punchfacenstein (PunchfacenSTEEN); all these things have really kept me going.

Now just recently Talonsen said something that Fionntain had as well, something I admitted didn't take seriously at first: making a profit off my work.

So. I'm writing this here, and will make a copy in the comment section (once HF stops pitching a fit) But here's my options as I see them.

Paypal Tipjar.

This... I dunno HOW I would go about this? I mean, this is my LEAST favorite option because it makes sense for aritsts who are being commissioned by one person for a piece/set/etc. but if people just keep sending me money as 'gifts' or the like... I feel like that's gonna bit me come tax season. Sure it's just click and pay and one and done but 'eh'. Is my major reaction to this. But it does exist as an option.

E-books. 

Now this I see as being a rather slow form of distribution, but there's potential there. In sites like Lulu.com I could see charging a fiver for each .pdf of every group of chapters or so? I don't see it working with my 'release by chapter' style. But it might be something to look into 'later' with works once they've been completed and polished.

Patreon.

Yeah, that big bastard bandwagon that EVERY porny artist and their alter ego is riding right now. I'm not knocking it, apparently it's working. I'm just concerned with HOW it would go about.

Because honestly. If EVERYONE who faved me right now offered to give me a buck a MONTH on the pretense that I release say, no less than 20'k words of edited content.  That's enough that I can start saving up to get out of the financial doldrums I'm in right now. 

(I'm not in danger or anything, I'm just not in a position to go anywhere or take any risks.)

And If all those people gave me $5 a month? I'd be even better. I'd still work my day job, of course, but I'd be able to really start planning a 'full time future'. I could even start considering investing in comissions of characters, or commit to plan NLoLM.

Now this isn't to say I want to get hooked on Patreon, because once you're in it, you're committed, and I admittedly clicked only so far looking into Patreon.

I'm still in the very early thought stages of this. But since I've got over a hundred favs on this story, I'd like to hear your thoughts. 


===========
Another thing I have to hash out and I'm dropping this bombshell now: 

I am ENDING DISCORDANT SPACE.

Yeah. That's a big bomb.

The reasons are really summed up in three:
1) I was copying off of Daruak's idea of a big CYOA. 
2) I escalted things too quickly, and introduced characters and elements I shouldn't have so early in the game. 
3) It was a real spur of the moment thing I started and just kept running with it, but to be totally honest: I HAD NO PLAN.

But that's where the good news comes in. 

I am going to be, on the back burner, building out a proper CYOA adventure web for Discordant Space 'Returns'. 

(Damn I cancelled it and announced the reboot in the same paragraph, classy.) 

This way I'll have a clear idea of how thing should progress, character builds, items, plot, etc. etc. etc.

But it needs to be stopped now before I drag it out any further in its current state. Some writers, Game Masters, etc, could steer it back and recover but I've gone to far. I know my limits, and I need to know them before I can push them, but I need a PLAN before I push them or I'll just burn myself out.

And that is no bueno. 

But one last bit of Hopeful News before I leave you for the day. "Plan NLoLM?" It stands for: 'Plan New Lease on Life Manga'
IF I get enough regular income from writing, or I dunno I win the lottery; and IF I can find an artist/team who are willing to work with me, and IF there's enough call for it (probably through patreon feedback or something else); I would COMMISSION and artist to draw visual version of New Lease in its entirety. (With potential for the side stories like "Violators will be Prostituted") 

But that's my situation right now. Below is a link to a strawpoll. Please click the ideas you think have the best chance of working out for me, that you would be comfortable in supported.

I'm asking you, my readers, for your input on this. I want to, and WILL, keep writing about these characters. This is me responding to your feedback about supporting myself with my work. I want to see what my readers can do.

http://www.strawpoll.me/13426324