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I called it!
Just saying, I guessed Lindrell was Michelle's mother quite a while back. It explains so much about the way she has reacted oddly around Michelle from all the way back when he was Michael.
I will say it's a huge relief to see Michelle's father rising to the occasion of this invasion instead of just going into a full collapse.
Thank you for another chapter in this awesome story, Morpheus!
OMG
Lindrell was a guess and now we know why she knew that Michael could be saved.
This is going to be interesting to say the least.
Aside from the obvious
Lindrell should probably have anticipated that this could have happen since she is going back to her old stomping grounds and I suspect she has braced herself for that possibility. But, even so, this is a Bad time for this to happen as it is a distraction for the defenders which need to stay on task. Michelle is going to be too distracted though at this time and she is too inexperienced to not let that affect her.
BTW, I have yet to see mentioned of all the AR15s that have been squirreled away by the gun 'connoisseurs' who thought they would be taken away from them ^_^. I would think some of them converted to full-auto mode would help in this little survivalist battleground. I would think that classic survivalist paranoid one they saved from the Daemons would have one actually. So far the way it has been written, the defenders have mainly 'hunting' equipment.
And as for more support, you would think that someone had managed to sneak out and get help from outside the community by now. Loss of power should not affect landline service at least in the short run for plain old telephone service for at least a number of days I would think. Cell towers though are a hungry beast and use a lot of power and there are no on site generation or large battery backups I think so yes, cell service can be destroyed too easily.
There aren't as many fully
There aren't as many fully automatic weapons around as the anti-gun people would have you believe. They're just not very useful, except in full field conditions. (most of those AR15s you're talking about are only semi-automatic anyway)
The problem with any firearm is that of physics. Recoil dictates how often you can shoot, and how well you aim after the first shot. Even the -first- shot can be pretty buggered up if you don't hang onto the gun. With an automatic weapon, unless you have it bolted down, it's going to jump. (Notice photos of crew served weapons from Vietnam, etc. They tend to have bags of sand or dirt piled over the feet of the bi or tripod. ) 'Spray and Pray' is what fully automatic is called. Generally, those in the service never use fully automatic. They use single shot, and three round bursts.
Then we come to the real problem. Hand-held fully automatic weapons are low powered. They either use a very small projectile at a very high velocity (M16 rounds are not too much larger than a .22 LR, but have a huge amount of propellant), or they use a large projectile at low velocity (UZI -9mm, Thompson sub machine gun - .45). In this case, most of these demons need single shot, high velocity, high weight round. That is, 30-30, 30.06, 454 Casul, and .50 calibre Barrett or similar. The same stuff you'd use for wild boar, bear, or elephant/rhino.
.357 Magnum might work as a handgun round, but not against the big ones.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
Gun nut culture
I was always dissed by real men, but my X's relatives were certified gun freaks. Once news of this gets around, it will be surprising how many "altered" rounds will show up. I am not an auto enthusiast, believing that the first shot, properly placed with an effective round could do wonders. I've seen 10 Ga shotguns do an amazing amount of damage, and imagine that one with an exploding charge in it could raise billy hell.
10 or 12 gauge slugs, or 0
10 or 12 gauge slugs, or 0 shot, would probably do a lot of damage. I think they make shotshell grenades, but I'd have to research it, and I don't feel like doing so.
Anyway - national guard style weapons would make a difference. standard 'hunting' rifles would be so-so. anti-personnel weapons such as the M16 and AR series would probably just irritate the demons.
Hm. I wonder how napalm would work at home? There's nothing heavily mechanical about it. It's basically a chemical under pressure with an igniter. Greek fire throwing trebuchets, perhaps? That also brings up chemical weapons. Maybe not mustard gas, but tear gas, pepper spray/liquid rounds, painball guns with mixed rounds of HE and acid....
Pneumatic cannons, rather than driven by gunpowder? They'd require more pressure to push than the standard charge, but could you see, say, grapeshot ripping into the summoner and his bunch - in an area where they _knew_ they couldn't be reached?
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
Excellent points
Full auto is basically a waste of ammo. Semi-auto is what everyone I know uses. As far as knock down vis high velocity goes, I'd rather start killing at 300 meters than ten. So give me a long gun any day over a handgun. If I've got to use a hand cannon, I like the Barrett 96A. .40 cal vis 9mm with good velocity. Just my opinion.
Cheers
Zapper
Now thats an orse of a different colour.
I hadn't guessed about Lindrell but this is a nice surprise. No wonder dad became a drunk, what with all that grief over losing her. I do hope that somehow Lindrell and dad can be together again.
Gwen
I knew it!
I was positive that Lindrell was Michelle's mother, but what a way to break it into the story!
I can't wait to see how Michelle reacts to the news that Lindrell is her mother. I also can't wait to see how Lindrell handles the relationship, and whether or not Michelle's origin comes up. One has to wonder just how big a bombshell all of this is going to be - this is quite a revelation to drop into the midst of all of those survivors.
A truly wonderful story and I am already counting the hours until the next chapter is posted.
Dallas
D. Eden
“Hier stehe ich; ich kann nicht anders. Gott helfe mir.”
Dum Vivimus, Vivamus
Daemons and Fathers and Cops, Oh My!
Wow. Almost a two week wait for that chapter, but it was worth it.
I knew Michelle was related to SOMEONE, but had no idea who. Now she's together with her father AND mother. It'll be another big surprise for her father, though...
I wonder how close Michelle and Lindrell look in appearance. I'm assuming Michelle looks like how she'd look if she'd been born female, but with extra height and muscles from being Val Kyr now.
Lisa
(Sorry about the message subject. I couldn't resist...)
Doh!
Doh, I didn't even think of it... surprise for Michelle's father? This will be an even bigger surprise for Michelle. And a source of anger and resentment, at finding out Lindrell is Mom. "Okay, you left Dad and I to fight demons... I can understand that, I guess. But once I became Val Kyr, why didn't you TELL me? And why were you such a bitch to me back in school?" Etc, etc. :)
Lisa
I sense Freya's hand
We know Lindrell received some form of undisclosed punishment for converting Michelle. I think her silence is it. Hopefully Freya intended to allow Lindrell to come clean at some point, but being forced to remain silent about her relationship to Michelle would certainly drive home the lesson about defying the chain of command, even for good reasons.
As for being horrible to Michael back in school, after seeing the typical Val Kyr attitude toward training, it makes sense that she'd be rough on him if he was slacking in class. Unlike her other students who were slacking, she actually had a reason to care about Michael personally, and that motivated her to kick his butt so he'd learn.
Subject
Well sure, but at the time, Mike thought it was because he and Julie were an item, and that Lindrell didn't like him. And he certainly didn't know then about the harsh training methods the Val Kyr use. So I can see Michelle having a moment of "Ohmigod, you were my mother, and you still treated me like that?" before figuring out why in her head.
But I think she'll be more upset that Lindrell didn't tell her who she really was... and I suspect you're right that it was her punishment for converting Michelle, even though, as a mother, how could she do otherwise? Still, Freya knows rules have to be followed.
Lisa
In a way this is a pointless discussion
In that your final point, says it all. It is highly unlikely that even if the penalty was death would Lindrell not at least had tried. I am surprised she even asked for permission from Mike to save him. Water under the bridge of course, one wonders what she would have done if Mike had said 'no'.
I think she would have respected his choice
The Val Kyr are warriors of the old school, and Michael's courage defending Julie against a monster would have earned him respect. At least enough respect that she would have felt obligated to honor his wishes, regardless of being his mother.
Note that she didn't offer any inconvenient details that might have dissuaded him, though. Just a promise that she could save his life and a very vague warning that it would change him forever. She would have respected his choice, but she wasn't going to do anything that might have prompted him to make a choice she didn't want to respect.
A Family Reunion at a Bad Time
Welcome back.
I can now appreciate the time it took to bring the chapter to release. with mother and father getting reacquainted.
I can't help but wonder if Estrid planned this incursion or if it was a chance thing. I am leaning in favor of the former, but we will need to wait and see.
I hope that the next chapter follows soon, although I realize quality takes time. Post it when you are ready.
I knew it!
I had figured that Lindrell had to be Michelle's mother right right from the first chapter. The clues were how she kept looking at Mike in the class room and how she kept grilling him as if testing him to see if he might be worthy or something. Then when the deamon fatally wounded Mike when he sacrificed himself in a selfless act to protect Julie, Lindrell didn't hesitate to offer mike his one chance of keeping alive. Another clue was Lindrell's gift of the lovingly made wooden wardrobe and the other furnishings she provided the newly minted Michelle for her room. Although why Lindrell didn't reveal herself as Mike/Michelle's mother is a bit of a mystery. My best guess is that Freya may have ordered her not to and that this was done in an effort to protect protect Lindrell from being accused of showing favoritism to Michelle so that she could be placed in Lindrell's triad. Maybe we will find out in the next chapter. Thanks Morpheus for a great chapter. I eagerly await the next chapter.
Hugs,
Tamara Jeanne
Finally!
So glad we finally got the next chapter and it was worth waiting for!
"The pen is mightier than the sword ... if the sword is very short, and the pen is very sharp"
OK, I didn't really see that one coming.
But keep the story coming, by all means. :)
shocker!
wow!
Well, that is a shocker, at
Well, that is a shocker, at least for Michelle. Now will Dad be made aware of who Michelle is? To me he should be as he has probably wondered just where his son went. How will Lindrell explain to the survivors who the women are? Getting more interesting each chapter.
What does he know?
Does Michelle's Dad know what Lindrell is? Or did she marry him and carefully not let the cat out of the bag until now?
There's going to be a lot of questions asked, and yes, this will distract everyone from the main problem.
Penny
Dogs have owners; cats have staff. Grand-daughters have minions.
Another Morpheus Twist to his tales
What I expected and what I read are two different things. In every engagement with the demons the fight is the main theme of the chapter. Here it was a tag line kinda like. "Look more demons. Anyone know what time it is? Darn I broke a nail." It demonstrates the strength and wisdom of sending enough warriors to not only take care of the problem but to overwhelm the problem. IE "Do you think you need this many guns? No. If I thought I needed this many I would have brought more."
Morpheus breaks out from the norm in his stories so they don't feel like I've read them a hundred times before from different authors. In other words, my dress isn't like Susy Q's dress only in a different color. It's a totally different style. The "comfortable" in reading Morpheus' stories is you know you're gonna get whapped every time you think you have his story line figured out.
Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl
Just when you thought you had it figured...
Mass carnage, half eaten bodies everywhere, blood filling the streets, sinister laughter, Morph makes a left turn at Albuquerque.
The mark of a very good Author!
Just don't kill off dear old dad.
So much to read, so little time and only one of me :)
The English Teacher
Huh...
Huh...I'm kinda surprised at the number of folks that were surprised at Lindrell's revelation. I tumbled to that way back when she went all Mama-bear-protective over Mike before he got eviscerated in the 2nd (?) chapter. It was pretty heavily foreshadowed.
Anyway, I'm enjoying the story a lot. Morpheus is an excellent writer, but thus far this is one of his better efforts. The only critique I really have thus far is that Jass is, at times, coming off as one of Morpheus' standard delusional bigot characters, ala Marcus Tambright and a few others.
Moar, please!
Does Dad have Val?
Does Dad have Val?
For me, that is the important question. If he does then his part of the story gets one resolution, if not it gets another. Both are satisfying and in Morpheus style and range. My guess is that he doesn't, but that is little more then a guess.
al
Another message from Hissy the Snake.
honey, you got some splainan
honey, you got some splainan to do.
wheee!!!
I did NOT see that coming! Cool twist!!!
Peace!
Cindilee
Skill...
I've used Full auto weapons before, I was a .50 machine gunner in the military, with the right training and setup, Full auto weapons are devastating. I was able to hit vehicle sized targets at 1200 meters with a spotter and the proper tripod. heavy machine guns are used from fixed positions or vehicles, and would be of limited use in this situation, unless you had the strength of a Val Kyr... if I recall, my weapon without tripod weighed in at around 75 pounds. the impact of a 750 grain bullet moving at 2700 feet per second is not to be underestimated
Using more man portable weapons such as a M240 (belt fed machine gun that fires from a bipod using 7.62mm ammunition) you could tear most Demons apart.
I would be very surprised if a organization such as the Val Kyr didn't have access to at least some modern military weaponry.
Most civilian hunting rifles are more powerful than calibers used by the military. a Scoped "deer rifle" in the hands of a skilled marksmen should be very effective, with much greater range and power than any bow. even a massive bow used by a Val Kyr is going to be fairly ineffective outside 100 meters, Air resistance rapidly degrades the velocity of arrows.
Modern military weaponry
The problem with modern military weaponry is, as has been stated early on in the story, it either doesn't work in Valhalla or the results are unpredictable.
Yes, they could have some, but storage, testing and training would have to be on a range on Earth (or some other "real" realm) and that leaves them open to discovery and attack.
Penny
Dogs have owners; cats have staff. Grand-daughters have minions.
Val Kyr and weaponry
Right. They don't exactly explain... is it the machinery that works inconsistantly or not at all in Val Halla or is it chemical reactions not being the same (so gun powder doesn't work)? But either way, some Val Kyr will use modern weaponry, probably especially the newer ones, who are more familiar with them from their pre-Val Kyr days. I get the feeling that when daemon uprisings aren't occurring, many Val Kyr take "sabbaticals" and take time off on Earth for a few years, doing things that interest them or updating their schooling or marrying and having one or more kids, or whatever. They could also learn/practice firing modern weapons during that time. But since they can't train in them back at Val Halla, they use them as supplemental weapons, and rely more on their tried and true "ancient" weapons. (Mind you, I'd love it if Michelle eventually makes or buys a Klingon Bat'leth for herself and figures out or learns how to handle it effectively. That would be SO fitting for a geek Val Kyr to use.)
Lisa
This is a Classic!
This is Morpheus's greatest work, and Chapter 27 is the best of all. The shock at the end of this chapter is awesome!