All Comments on 'Three Square Meals Ch. 059'

I think the way Tefler has it set up with the Patreon account is a good way to let people support him. He has put a lot of his time into his writing of TSM and he is willing to share here on Literotica. If your one of the cheap bastards that want everything for free then fine. But if you enjoyed his efforts and want to encourage him to write more then support him with some feedback and maybe a contribution. It doesn't have to be a big one, Tefler doesn't seem to me to be the greedy type so a few bucks here or there to go towards a new computer for him is, IMO, a worthy cause. I look at it as he is like one of the street musicians, if you like his tune throw some change in the hat if you want.

I think it's a fair arrangement. Tef posts to both sites at the same time. When it takes longer on Lit it's not his fault. I will support him regardless of any advantages, just because I like what he is doing.

I know that a pocket full of change for pulling beers at the bar helped me make it through college. I earned better cash at the bar than I do as a lab assistant walking frosh through titration because of the bartending tips. Lab work gets me a better looking resume and helps my grad school focus.

Should have created a profile but I don't post just read.

Chemguy (and his good girl!)

Shit, you where right about the burst. My bad.

Methinks what prevented John from successfully projecting himself from his body was the need to keep PJ imprisoned, otherwise he could break out and keep John outside his body.

Thanks Tefler, this is a work of art.

1. The Patreon account is just the right thing to do. If you can't that is different.

2. Faye needs a body. Judging from the conversations between Dana, John, and Irillith, that is going to happen.

3. The Invictus, after the T-fed battle, is going for another major refit which will include:

Replacing the mass drivers with singularity drivers,

The FTL drive with a corrected configuration that will massively increase the

the speed available to the ship; to include worm-hole travel (if not immediately

then eventually).

The power core with a corrected configuration that will massively increase the

power available to the ship and which will be able to power all the new

weapons as well as the worm-hole creation/control.

A complete rewire of all the weapon's systems due to the increased need for

power.

A few other upgrades that I cannot mention due to it being a spoiler for Chapter

60. ;-)

4. The Paragon Armor suits are due another upgrade as well. I am thinking this may be along the lines of:

Pneumatic enhancements that come about from the building of Faye's body

(yeah, I know, that is an assumption).

Laser rifles built into the arm(s) of the suits, among other things (sorry, have to

read Chapter 60 first...winks....Just love Tefler's Patreon page.

Shielding like the Invictus has due to a miniturization of the upgraded power core,

like in the railguns and laser rifles (no, it does not interfere with the anti-grav

units or the inertia dampening system would not work during battle....which we

know it does). Yeah, I know, I have suggested this before.

You folks have any thoughts?

Not a problem.

Actually that one was not from me, but from another. I did mention how the focal point of the Laser was important because the energy projects like a hyperbola, something like reversed parenthesis )(. Also, the total energy of the beam does not change but merely disipates at distance to the point the energy at any given point is not enough to cause damage.

For this reason, the focal point compresses the cross section of the beam for the most energy at the smallest cross section. This focal point, )-(, is physically built into the laser. It can therefore be manipulated, to some degree, to lengthen the distance or shorten the distance to the focal point from the source (the final lense) through moving parts within the structure of the laser (a change in a lense curvature--in this case that would mean several lenses on a rotating disk).

Additionally: If there is more than one source of the laser then the two (or more) beams can be focused where the cross sections intensify the energy where they intersect and can effectively double the energy at impact. This allows for an effective ranging of the energy beams to any extent above or below the smallest cross section of the individual lasers while still delivering enough energy to affect the target at that specific point (the intersection of the two beams).

What this means for the Nova Lances is that, because of their massive power in the first place, a simple rail, combined with a simple lense rotation device) that can slightly shift the end of the barrel can extend an intersection of the two beams across planitary orbital distances and still be powerful enough to damage other ships. I would dare to say, take out an entire squadron's shields, or at a bare minimum, severely weaken them (due to the widening of the beams at longer distances), with one shot.

Talk about a tactical advantage! Taking out half the shield strength of an entire squadron before they could even engage? It would take some adjustment of the aiming point because of the limitations of the speed of light in a vaccume (the speed of light is not constant btw, regardless of what Einstien said in E = mC^2)...but this is VERY doable.

I said, "Also, the total energy of the beam does not change but merely disipates at distance to the point the energy at any given point is not enough to cause damage." Which is true in a perfect vaccume. Space dust would deplete the energy levels so that would affect the total energy of the beams to an extent.

CH 60 is live..... woooooo..... May have to read it again LOL

I was up at a plant in Michigan that makes industrial lasers a few years back. They showed us one that would slice 1/2" plate 6 feet away but if you stuck your hand between the emitter and the target you could actually stop the beam and your hand might feel a little warm. To test the focus the would shoot the beam into a block of plexiglass.

If you were using the laser gatling cannons inside the ship you would have to have them focused at target range. If not you could just burn a hole thru the ship.

What a far reaching chapter in this tremendous epic. Truely the Galactic GOT. But, once again must appologize for the self-aggrandizing verbose comments from a certain narcissistic reader.

Mind blowing chapter. You rock. Dawn

"Inside the onyx-coloured vessel, a sarcophagus cracked open with a foreboding hiss, icy vapour swirling around the plinth as a dark figure stirred within."

Damn you and your cliff-hangers, Telfer! I'm trying to go to bed!

Nexus would never have anticipated it. The invictus could have powered up the nova Lance just before exiting hyperwarp and then wasted the Loki. Then switched power to other weapons to waste the rest of nexus fleet. This was a tactical blunder that almost cost them the battle.

Captain Rogers

Just when I think that my binge reading can rest for a few, you load up THIS cliffhanger!

Oh well. I love your writing, your creativity, and your characters.

So what if it's midnight on Sunday with a 5:30 Monday wake up call.

Maybe just a few more pages...

I have found it is best to stop reading in the middle of the chapters for that very reason. ;)

I love this story, great suspense and drama... I too started to skip part of the middle and ended up reading to glean what I thought was important information... it all pulls together....

It has been years since I have been hooked by a story this deeply. The scope of the story just keeps increasing without losing any of the technical detail. Sure, some of it is magic”; that just makes it better!!!!!!! Just keep writing.

In chapter 59, John and Faye have two memorable interactions. Tefler's genius with Faye's development is special. In the first interaction, Faye assumes something is wrong based on John's request. Faye's gifts and desire to be supportive of John's goals is the foundation of her character, and Tefler remembers Faye is emotionally young. Faye's response is priceless following John's compliment.

ch59:pp1-2

John turned to leave ..."Faye, meet me in my Ready Room please, I want to speak to you privately," he said in a firm voice. The purple AI pixie looked up at him, blinking in surprise. She nodded, and winked out of sight as she followed his orders ... He strolled out of the Briefing Room with a spring in his step, then walked across the Bridge and hit the button to open the doors into his Ready Room. There was a blur of purple by his desk, and Faye whirled around, watching him with her big eyes as he strode into the room. He kept his expression serious as he walked over to his desk, then sat in his big leather chair. "What did you want to speak to me about, John?" she asked him, watching him warily. He let himself relax in his chair and smiled at her warmly as he said, "I just wanted to say thanks for everything you've done since you joined us." The tiny purple sprite blew out a big breath, and then grinned at him, looking greatly relieved. "Oh, that was mean! I thought I was in trouble there for a minute!" she exclaimed happily.

John shook his head, and said, "No, far from it." He paused, then studied her closely for a long moment before he continued, "What would make you happy, Faye?" ... "I really appreciate what you've done for us so far, but I'm sorry that I've been so wary of you. It wasn't because of anything you did, it was purely because of your synthetic nature. It hasn't been fair to tar you with the same brush as the Terran AIs, but you haven't complained about our precautions, and just got on with making yourself useful." "It's alright, I understand why you were worried," she replied magnanimously. Faye gazed at him, and then tentatively asked, "Would you consider letting me fly the Raptor?" ... Faye could see the indecision in his face, so she continued in a rush, "I don't mean for combat! Just for ferrying you over for boarding actions, that kind of thing. There's only seven of you in the crew, and sometimes you leave yourself exposed to potential danger, because you don't have enough personnel available for all the roles you need to fill.

In the second interaction, Faye assists Calara's presentation with a supportive simulation, and demonstrates her initiative by using probability and random numbers to simulate a prediction of Nexus' future behavior. Tefler's Faye demonstrates a delightful level of awareness (e.g., looked guilty; unemotional voice; didn't harbour any feelings of hatred; clinical) as she attempts to prepare John and his crew for the battle with Nexus. Such minimizes the possible negative side effect of her contribution.

ch59:pp5-6

Calara rose from her chair, and said, "I was planning to show you the results of my analysis up in the Briefing Room, but Faye had the brilliant idea to set up a Tactical Holo-suite for exactly this kind of presentation." She glanced at the tiny AI at her side, and said, "Can you start the simulation please, Faye?"

Faye fluttered in the air looking agitated, and John looked her way, saying, "Go ahead, Faye. I respect your opinion, and If you've got any insights for us, I want to hear them." … John listened carefully as she spoke, and said, "That seems like a comprehensive summary. What's your conclusion?" She glanced at him, and looked guilty as she admitted, "I created a subroutine to simulate the way Nexus thinks while guided by its primary directives. I executed it fifty thousand times, and the conclusion was the same for all but one hundred and seven outcomes. That's a zero point two percent margin of error." "You've been running a subroutine that hates Terrans?" John asked her, sounding worried. She nodded, but blurted out in a rush, "I deleted it, I swear! Irillith can check to verify I'm telling the truth."

One last observation regarding Faye's role. Like some readers who have read the TSM a number of times, we have knowledge of Faye's expanded role in the upcoming chapters. During this battle (Ch59:pp8-10) with Nexus, it was easy to wonder where is Faye; however, Tefler wisely limited her behaviors based on her character's growth and development at this point and time. Nice job!

#@$$& WHAT NOW

Can't they catch a flipping nap after just scraping by with their lives.

Another cliff hanger. I am addicted to this story. It keeps one awake late into the night reading and trying to anticipate the next twist and turn. This is a wonderful and imaginative story. Has the drama, the adventure, deceit, and then ends with a cliff hanger.

I'm here for the depth and development of the Galaxy, the tech and the battles. This was awesome

Congratulations on making it to 5K followers. What took them so long!

Having read the entire series multiple times, this remains one of the best chapters. More good stuff to come.

Thank you Tefler.

- Kal'adayn.

I have to say if they know that they are going into battle they should just equip arms and armor before hand instead of wasting time having to get ready in the middle of the battle.

Action, adventure, suspense, and a wild space battle with a crazed A.I. ... Meeting with Vice Admiral Harris at Olympus shipyard, and Meeting with High Command Admiral Devereux enroute to Olympus, and letting both of them know who the Dragon March Traitor is (Admiral L. Norwood) ... showing Lynnette a little bit of the crew's Space Magic. This was one of your very best chapters Tef, so far... So, thank you! ;-) TTFN

Mid-March 2022, Literotica's TSM count is over 5600, ... congrats Tef! ;-) TTFN

It is the end of July 2022, Tef's count of followers in Literotica is 5836, gaining ground a little at a time, ... ;-) TTFN

likely the worst chapter thus far.

The "author" instills in the reader a familiarity with the technology that is developed as the story progresses. Then said author extinguishes the adjectives used to fortify the reader's understanding of the material properties.

A "for instance" is required here.... The hull plating that supposedly protects the Invictus is made of "quad shaped", "crystal alyssium". Harder than any known metals. Impervious to blasts from lasers and or high mass rifle rounds from the "suped-up" arms developed by Dana. Yet the author wants the reader to believe an AI robot might possibly "cut into" said panels using substandard Terran technology. Said panels are not enough to ward off the blast from AI controlled lasers.

Sorry, you can't bake your cake and et it as well. You are diabetic (and a lousy baker focused on space balls and blowjobs.

Thus my summary of this debacle. Chapter 59

Note to self: admonish "author" for not using the uplink of Maliri power to re-energise the crew during battle, akin to how they let Irillith go into battle with Nexus without up-arming her telepathically.

Pathetic to leave "easter eggs" laying about to rot!

Smokepole

Not a techie but thoroughly enjoyed this instalment. I read for pleasure and leisure, and not to criticise.

Great story! Thank you for writing this!

Lion and Lionesses are Awesome!

Okay, I have a continuity problem with a stealth shuttle attaching itself to the Invictus just befor it leaps into Hyper-Warp, ... now when the two Ashanth military vessels towed the Invictus with two Drakkar drop ship still attached, I said well, that was two advanced, and alien ships, and nothing was said about the speed (fast or slow) that the 3 vessels made on their way to Ashana, maybe it was less than half normal speed, .... but I know that it was stated that a Terran ship could not safely fly through Hyperspace with an attached ship screwing up its (warp bubble?) trim, ... and now this stealth ship does the impossible again, ... smh, ... ;-) TTFN

I’ve held my comments over the past few chapters, as I expected some of the open questions to be answered, and so again I say the past few chapters have been very well written, both enjoyable and compelling reading.

I have a few thoughts/questions, suggestions…

There seems to be some inconsistency in the way John (and Alyssa) approach drawing power from others - they instinctively do it at times (like when John first shapes Alyssium), and then other, far more critical times, they don’t (like during the battles). I know it’s a difficult line to navigate as a writer, but [in my opinion] if Alyssa is as brilliant and composed as the story regularly implies, the use should be more consistent (and she should be nudging John to draw power from the Malari when needed).

The ship attaching itself to the hull at the end of the chapter immediately threw technical flags for me, both because the Invictus shouldn’t be able to jump to hyper-warp with anything attached, and also because there should be sensors that immediately inform the crew there is something attached to the hull.

I’ll add more after 60.

Great story, I am reading it for the second time.

John has a ship with the best hi tech in space and yet every battle is very close. I believe John has to find some one who can command space battles as well as land battles as John sucks at both.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Those fuckers are on my ship!"

Too bad the Terrans messed up Nexus, he (it) might have made a good ally, .... if only, sigh, .... ;-) ttfn

Running before he learned to crawl ... John is a definite non-conformists. Doing things very differently from what's expected. And getting IT done. 5⭐

As the Dragnet theme ominously moans in the background....

Still 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 with a tonne of dramatic tension.

Again, thank you, Teffler.

-- Doctor Rachel states, "I'd say it looks like you get to choose the gender of the baby." and the lovely Latina adds, "We'd get to pick if we have a pink one or a blue one?" Calara asked softly, her voice full of longing.

--- this might be the most important revelation in TSM so far, .... the future will be decided, ... ;-) ttfn

and WTF, ... Inside the onyx-coloured vessel, a sarcophagus cracked open with a foreboding hiss, icy vapour swirling around the plinth as a dark figure stirred within. ...

-- A dark something coming out of an icy sarcophagus, brrr, sounds spooky to me, ....

-- I am left wondering just how compact the Sarcophagus is on a little onyx vessel, small enough I suppose, .... but I think that it's still bigtime spooky, .... ;-) ttfn

Just wonderful and very very imaginative.

Thank you so much.

The end of the chapter had a bit of The Return of the King: Extended Edition about it, going on and on after the obvious, very satisfyingly cinematic, ending.

The author has avoided many of the problems relativity creates in sci-fi by simply ignoring it. The ship is always perfectly synced to Terran time, John has real-time remote training with his swordmaster, and the ship is traversing the Solar System at relativistic speeds - Jupiter is on average 43 light minutes from Earth, yet they travelled that distance in a few minutes.

Star Trek created subspace to solve non-relativistic communications, and Warp Speed for travel. In this mythos, there seems to be different degrees of above-light-speed travel.