All Comments on 'Three Square Meals Ch. 108'

well worth the wait thank you Tefler. Between your writing, your editing process and your editors you have again produced a well paced action piece with well developed (and developing) characters obviously setting us up for the action of combat and discovery. It seems to be a habit of yours to leave us in anticipation with another cliff hanger type ending but I think you do it well - especially if we will all be moaning about getting a sequel. There are bits in here I need to think about some more - are these hints for future story arcs or nice ways of closing up current arcs?

Well done and thank you.

Well do my good man!!!

Bugs gunna get squushed!

Thanks Tefler! Thanks for sharing your story with us!

Battle where John is going full progen with his attack. It is going to be epic!

A mini soap opera before real show... You are killing me with anticipation

Can't you hyper jumped into fighting with progenitors....

The literary equivalent of Vincent van Gogh...

ok that may be going a bit far but true artistic merit as demonstrated in

Tefler's writing stands on its own

Really good story.

Especially knowing the fight is on for the next chapter.

Not sure how I feel about Buckingham's daughter being stalked, and her fiance worrying about her from afar. It's kind of distracting. Wherever Tefler's taking it, I kind of hope it is resolved next chapter, because the foreplay is getting old.

Ironically, I am looking forward to the reunion between the guy and gals in the tunnel, and Alyssa and Dana. Maybe I just like guys with harems who actually care about his women as more than just objects. I wonder if Rachel will regrow the amputated arm, seeing as how she's done it before. I guess it depends on if she's got any psychic gas left in the tank when they rescue them. I wonder if they are the only three survivors who weren't captured and implanted...

I was thinking, while the whole glowing Progenitor poetry jam was going on, since John did it for Alyssa, why can't he turn the others into Progenitors? I mean, he doesn't need to make them all into matriarchs, but imagine how much more powerful they would be if at least all the Terran and Maliri girls were promoted to Progenitors! John would need an army of thralls even less than he already does, to be able to stand up to Larn'kelnar.

Watching John go off into battle against a horde of bugs with just his sword is shortsighted. It's a melee weapon, useless at range, unless he expends massive amounts of their limited supply of psychic energy. He should have kept the Quantum Rifle, or maybe even a Reaper Cannon. Fuck appearances and other people's opinions! Who cares, if the only ones alive afterward are your side??? Conservation of resources should have been hammered into John over the twenty years or so he served as a soldier, especially as he knows from past battles how easy it is to run out of energy at the worst possible moment. Relying on psychic powers so much from the start, against an invasion force...epic fail, especially since he and the girls haven't discovered how to make Progenitor mana elixirs.

OK, time to forget sleeping at all tonight, I'll never wake up if I try to sleep for the last few hours before morning comes. Guess I'll just reread this chapter, of course, then go back to reading stuff on FanFiction until Ch. 109 goes live.

Thanks, Tefler. Keep up the excellent work!!!

Tefler, this is some of the best story telling I've encountered anywhere. Thank you, I for one are hungry for more.

Blow me down with a Tachyon Lance, wasn’t expecting chapter 108 to be posted so quickly, although I must admit Teffler spoilt us with 20 pages last month , I reached the end of this chapter then realised another cliffhanger was waiting ....

The storyline with the characters interactions have pulled the sub stories into aligning, can’t wait to see what is unleashed next month in chapter 109, no doubt a good bug squishing event, to be honest Mr Teffler i’m expecting bug splattering to turn my page green if you know what I mean. Hehe .

There seems to be an extremely outnumbered ,lopsided battle about to take place , I mean 5 fire teams , 3 with reaper cannons, an ominously green dragon about to squish bugs with her feet literally and a Proginator armed with merely a glowing sword? Their support ships are the Valkyrie , Raptor and the white hulled apocalypse ship manned by Faye, the bugs don’t don’t stand a chance.

Now if I could just fold time so chapter 109 appears tomorrow everything would be perfect. Keep up the good story Maestro . Until next month ..(20 pages is too short, just my humble opinion )

"Fuck appearances"

Jade doesn't care about what John looks like when he fights. Why would she encourage him to abandon a rifle and just use a sword instead?

"Conservation of resources should have been hammered into John over the twenty years or so he served as a soldier"

It was; he's normally very practical, with his mind firmly grounded in reality. But what's been John's problem with regard to psychic power usage in the past?

Chapter 109 is finished and up on Patreon, but I'm still editing it at the moment and a couple of my editors are busy this week. You can probably expect to see chapter 109 here on Literotica at the end of the month.

Tefler

to the showdown with the Kirrix. The continuing development of Alyssa and the other girls will be critical I think, in how the conflict with BPS plays out.

Nice to see the (shorter) side stories continue. I am very interested to see what happens next to Tony and the girls - I am a great fan of redemption stories.

As a side note, just wondering on the tachyon lance upgrade. Have the two existing Nova lances also been upgraded to this new tech? Otherwise will they now not be a bit rubbish by comparison?

Also really think those mobile weapon platforms (hover-bots with guns) would come in very handy right now...

Looking forward to the big fight!

I can't wait to see John fighting full out as a Progenitor. 109 is gonna be epic! Thanks for sharing this with us all. Is there a timeframe for ebook 4 yet?

Hey PLR keep it to yourself. shore1nut

Well nothing like a good teaser chapter. That rocked!

Well done!

Thank you O great writer...

We poor simpletons are eagerly waiting for the next dose.

Another 5. Except two areas of dev. of emily and nymphs + helen.

There development are surreputiously left out for next chapters we are eagerly waiting.

Great job as allways...

Tef, your are the man.

Great story and well paced. I'm left to wonder what surprises the Kirrix will have for our mighty crew. It won't be as easy as it seems, even with the new upgrades.

I have a favorite paperback series that releases a book every six months. After reading, I get a little needy for the next, then let it ride until the next release. When the battle with the Kirrix is over in Chapter 109 I think I'll let Tefler work his magic for a long while and build up several chapters. Ch. 106-108 totaled about 800 book pages. That's about as long as a Game of Thrones novel.

Something to look forward to on those cold winter nights in Dec.

Thanks again Tef.

babasluv

Tefler,. I am glad that you are back from vacation and that I hope your family is doing well. This was the master piece in how to leave a cliff hanger and I can't wait to sink my teeth into the next chapter. I hope that you continue to post here for a very long time.

Texanguy1

Or has anyone else noticed that John doesn't shave and cut his hair at all? Just wondering.

Whoa! the way you move each character into position for the coming fight, is awe inspiring. The story flows so smoothly that one could have thought you had been a very productive author for more than forty years, not the short time you actually have been. I absolutely love this chapter and are looking forwards to some serious Kirrix ass kicking.

One thing worries me though, Tefler. Your continuing description of Alyssas growing cruelty towards people she don't have an emotional connection to. And now she is a full Progenitor. I fear this is foreshadowing Alyssa some time in the future going dark progenitor. Forcing John and the others to fight her. She already has the tendency to think " Might make Right" The way she dealt with Weber, and her cruel refusal of any regret of her actions, in this chapter, is worrying indeed. And what is worse, she is starting to manipulate John into the same mindset. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. What started as her sometimes being a bit reckless in the protection of the others, now is turning to something far darker. Thankfully the process seems to go slow, so there stil is time to save her.

Anyway, Thanks again for yet another marvelous chapter, Tefler

@Frika

Hell yes it could, and most likely would be a one-sided ass kicking slaughter against the Kirrix, except that they have to wield those massively overpowered weapons like scalpels, or else all the humans they're trying to save will be killed as well.

Now, if they were any other enemy than an infesting bug race, they could just go wild, and wipe the floor with them before the fleet even gets there...ten bucks says they still have it mopped up by then, he he.

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@Tefler

Thanks for the response. I was sleep deprived when I wrote that. While I still believe in the conservation of resources, I guess I had forgotten that after his last altercation with Progenitor John, he had "freed up some more psychic space" or whatever, allowing him access to more Progenitor knowledge, but is now using much less power containing PJ, so he probably has much more to use in battle. I still think he should make use of "conventional" weapons. I would kill to see him running around with a Dana Special on one, or both shoulders, leaving his hands free for swordwork. Paragon War Machine FTW!!!!! Or Predator, if you're not an Iron Man fan. Maybe Dana could miniaturize a tachyon lance for him, and John can be blasting away at ranged targets, while simultaneously cleaving through hordes of enemies?

BTW...the Paragon armor hasn't gotten an update in quite a few chapters, what gives?

Love your work, please never stop. I want you writing when you're just a head in a jar, like in Futurama! lol

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@Fredant

The only upgrades I'm aware of beyond a Tachyon Lance right now to swap out for the Nova Lances, would be the Quantum Flux Cannon like the one the Ashanath recovered on Mael'nerak's ship that they renamed the Legacy after attempting to rebuild it, which Dana is still reverse engineering, or a Quantum Annihilator like the one that Nexus dug up on the Moon to destroy Earth. That thing was as big, or bigger, than the Invictus, though, if memory serves.

The QFC kind of got forgotten when the latest items were discovered in the visual library of the Vulkat tech archives by Faye at the very end of Ch. 106.

I concur with most of the comments here. Five stars, no doubt at all... I'd give you six if possible.

The way you build character, and don't just go from fight scene to fight scene is amazing. You build the characters, the plot, the scope and scale of the story amazingly well.

Don't let anyone sway you from the way you do this... (I know you won't, but I just wanted to support you on this) It is great just the way it is. You leave lots of hints, and leave us wondering whether these are clues for future chapters, or just tidbits within the story. Truly well done and written.

Thank you!!

A Major Battle in the beginning of a Major War against the Kirrix! I dont know how I'm going to hold out waiting for the next chapter!

So are Jade and John just assuming that there won't be another psychic-blocking device this time? He really shouldn't be relying solely on psychic powers like this (I'm assuming the runes would get blocked as well) after encountering that device for the first time. I have a hard time buying this notion that laser weaponry is obsoleted by psychic powers like that; it just makes John look like he hasn't learned anything from his fight with Baledranax.

He doesn’t shave or cut his hair because in order for hair to grow cells have to go through there life and we already know he is immortal so his cells are probably in a sort of stasis mode to keep them from aging thus making hair not grow.

I checked Patreon and he gets about 4k USD per chapter. Averaging about one chapter per month recently, is that enough to run a household in the UK? Especially considering that he quit his job to write... I don't know how well the books are doing on Amazon, but say they bring in at least 3 months of Patreon equivalent. Let's not also forget that Amazon and Patreon take a substantial cut of around 30% if I'm not wrong. I don't know if he has kids, and I don't know if his wife works.

It's just that, how much financial sense does it make for him long term? Is he ruining his future to write?

It's just that the numbers on the Patreon page got me thinking about all this. I'm sorry if it's rude and too personal.

I repeat myself deliberately in the comment title, this is a very engaging and entertaining tale!

Another great chapter!!.. when is the graphic novel coming out? Would love to see some art to go with the awesome story line!!

Um....Jade suggested to John as he was reaching for his rifle that he should use his sword and John then set runes on the thing.

So: I am REALLY confused how my mention that this will be the first major battle that John will be using his Progen powers, given the information in the last scene, is a spoiler.

Would you be so kind as to explain that to me? Because I really try hard NOT to give spoilers....what I said was actually patently obvious in my opinion.

This is all publicly available information so I don't mind clarifying it since an anon poster mentioned it.

Patreon takes a bit over 5 percent of collected fees. That means Tefler is making about $7,400 per month with two chapters a month...which is his average production on Patreon.

A quantum rifle will be useless when John finally fights Laen'kenar. He should use this fight as a live fire practice session for bigger and more important battles to come. If there is a jamming device he can probably dooge for long enough for the girls to came and kick ass, then one of them can give him their sidearm. His armour is tough enough to take a few bits as well.

If the Invictus has replaced all its turreted guns with Laser weapons again how will.it fight the Black Ship, which everyone believes is immune to laser fire. That was why the built the Heavy and Gauss cannons in the first place. I think they have been seduced by bigger firepower and now have tunnel vision. That being said with 4 or 5 Tachyon Lance's the Valkirye alone probably outgunns the entire Terrain fleet.

Tefler has a skill in introducing a time mechanic or an item to defend to prevent the space battles from getting boring. The start of the Battle of Kanglon had the Invictus using Nova Lance's and Singularity Drivers to outrange and destroy Drone carriers at will. If their is nothing forcing another brawling space battle fluke that then the Invictus can probably take them all out without scratching the paint.

Can't wait to see what Tefler brings next.

I will confess that I literally had goosebumps as I finished the last page.

Tefler you have created an amazing story. I wish I was John Blake...

Thank you sir.

FDD

Did I see a comment there is a FanFic site for Tefler's universe????

Just asking...

@ FuddyDuddyDude

I mentioned that I switch to reading FanFiction.net stories while waiting for Tefler's latest chapter, but I have been binging Stargate Atlantis and other Stargate franchise crossovers, not TSM FanFic, mainly ones that pick up after Atlantis was cancelled at the end of Season 5. Too many things got rushed to give it a semblance of an ending, for the fans, once word came down that they had been cancelled.

I'm dipping my toe in the water, working out plot lines, story and character arcs, and basically, my wish list of things I would have loved to have seen, but realistically know even the illustrated and novel followups to the series won't do. In the FanFics I've read so far, there have been parts I've loved, and others I hated. I think my frustration over the parts I disagree on are what are driving me to try this out.

As for Three Square Meals FanFiction, I looked and couldn't find any. I think anyone who wanted to would need to get Tefler's written permission to post them, first, or the site would pull them.

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@ Anon

I truly don't think Tefler could ever have one of John's women turn dark side, especially Alyssa. One, she's mentally linked to him as his matriarch, so if she did overstep, she's hardwired to channel power to him, so he could just absorb any power she tries to use, and she would be left at John's mercy for a "stern talking to", or the Progenitor equivalent. Second, as much as he would hate it, he could, as a last resort, reset her like Edraele. It would kill him, but I still believe it would never happen.

What I think you are seeing is just an 18 year old girl, who went from a powerless victim of anyone's whim on Karron, to one of the most powerful beings in the universe, almost overnight. Add to that, almost from the day she met John, she has gone from one battle to the next kill or be killed situation, starting with pirates who love to rape and murder. She is just desensitized to killing where she deems it necessary. True, she is getting a little too comfortable with it, but I think if it gets worse, John will have one of his talks with her, the kind she says where he always knows the exact right thing to say to a girl.

I truly think this is just Alyssa growing accustomed to her power, and will take some time to adjust and settle into it. After all, it's not like she's just "kill 'em all" all the time. She said what she meant, believed it was the right thing to do in the end, and the next thing she does is give the object of her threats his first glimpse of absolution in decades. Is that the action of a burgeoning, power mad, dark side villain?

I loved this chapter Tefler very well written

William

Great point about the QFC ... completely forgot about them (facepalm!)

Also agree with you regarding Alyssa. A bit like when she started to ignore John and started going off solo and setting a bad example encouraging some of the other girls to do the same, John eventually spoke to her and brought her back in line.

I do think that, considering all she has experienced in her life, some blunt reaction to "bad guys" is not unexpected, but her fundamental nature has always been presented as kind and caring so I don't expect any drastic measures will be required by John.

in reality I am always reminded that exoskeleton lifeforms are physically incapable of growing to any appreciable size. Even lightweight chitinous exoskeletons become cumbersome under gravitational acceleration. At a certain point, the size and weight of the exoskeleton grows beyond the capability of the musculature to support and maneuver the exoskeleton to any degree. A zero g insectoid race might be able to attain a much larger size, but again their agility will be hindered due to the force to mass ratio. I can think of at least four other extremely popular sci-fi/sci-fantasy stories where large bugs are the theme: Lord of the Rings, Starship Troopers, Ender's Game, and a myriad of DnD related stories.

My age will show with this comment, but the Kintark, the Kirrix, and the Bolon remind me of the Thrynn, the Velox, and the Spemin. The cyborg pirates slightly remind me of the Mechans, but none of the Mechans were evil, whereas all of the cyborgs so far have been evil.

I agree with the other comments about not taking any kind of back up weapon. At minimum, he should instinctively grab a Reaper pistol. It has been my experience that most military officers will carry a pistol, depending upon the unit MTOE (Modified Table of Organization and Equipment).

I remember seeing a documentary about the infeasibility of massive exo-skeletons, and the rather sad conclusion that giant spiders, giant ants, and various other gigantic insects were impossible. Likewise, giant robots and mechs are also completely impractical; that amount of weight on the relatively small surface area of mechanical feet would make them sink into the ground.

But where's the fun in that? :-)

Tefler

For those who aren't too worried about plausibility in their fiction, sorry for the boring wall of text...

A lot of the material showing that "mechs can't work" originated with simplifications and misunderstandings that got baked into a certain popular tabletop mech warfare game.

Real modern armor weighs much less per unit of protection (but takes up much greater volume) than simple WW2 "slab-of-alloy" armor. As such, a mech would be much lighter per volume (and per unit of protection) than is commonly estimated; getting enough surface area to support that lighter weight in a mech's foot is relatively unchallenging compared to a tank's treads, which have to be long, narrow, and able to bend. Modern MBTs regularly achieve ground pressures in the 5-15 PSI range while weighing 50-90 tons. A realistic mech could easily achieve better ground pressure without sacrificing survivability.

In practice, the simple mechanics of mechs can be engineering-plausible, even with current technology. The real issue isn't the engineering(ground pressure, joint strength, etc). It's tactical: whether the setting's sensor/weapon/countermeasures triangle allows the mech to be tactically useful compared to a more traditional armored vehicle.

If it's easy to lock and fire a guided or homing weapon that can defeat armor, both the tank and the mech are vulnerable, and the mech's additional mobility and tactical unpredictability makes it overall more useful. Conversely, if there are a lot of beam or hypervelocity-projectile weapons, a tank might be easier to hide thus less vulnerable to "see it/kill it".

...and, if there's a sensor-and-weapons platform in orbit, mechs and tanks might end up equally screwed. It's all up to the author and the setting :)

First of all as always you're one of the best writers out there.

Now to comment on the larger insects with exoskeletons. The only thing holding their size back is actually oxygen content. Back in the days of massive forests the insects were much larger but as oxygen levels decreased so to did insect sizes. As they don't have an active circulation system they need more oxygen in the air. If an alien insect species had an active circulation system they could grow to mansized or larger after all they would be an alien species not an Earth species.

Ed Parachini

Going into battle without testing new regulators, shields, or weapons when even Dana wasn't sure about their capabilities. I always enjoyed when the new capabilities were tested and measured against previous capabilities and useless space targets. Will the Lance's fire continuously at ranges beyond the Nova Lance's and Singularity weapons in battle? Who knows? Looking forward in finding out. Thanks for the story. Great fun.

Love the story, but noticed one thing. Is Tony the same guy Alyssa attacked forcing her to flee on John's ship at the beginning?

Thanks,

Mich

Thks for your continued great read. I again can't wait to see what's going to happen next,. (tomorrow???).. seriously though the sub stories are adding some nice extra to the story, eg Tony and the girl's but my twisted thoughts now see a potential issue with Calara's father and brother involved in a separate battle and getting injured or killed. That would really cause problems for Calara in the upcoming battles. Still I'm sure they'll be ok, maybe.....

"I left here 6 weeks ago, because Georgio tried to rape me and I stuck him with a knife!" - Alyssa, Chapter 10, Page 2

No, it wasn't Fat Tony (although Sparks actually does mention him shortly before this line, which is pretty impressive continuity imo).

I checked for you and the would be rapist was named Gerogio. Here's what Alyssa said in chapter ten: "I left here 6 weeks ago, because Georgio tried to rape me and I stuck him with a knife!"

You rat bastard and your cliffhangers.

Dammit! Dammmit!

Sigh..... great chapter, I especially found it poignant about the Karron girl wanting to see the sun.

Fat Tony is not Alyssa's would be rapist, a gang member named Georgio was. Alyssa says this in chapter ten: "I left here 6 weeks ago, because Georgio tried to rape me and I stuck him with a knife!"

According to the Patreon site chapter 110 is now live for revision/comments by the patrons, so maybe Tefler will be ready for the release of 109 here in the coming days, as his schedule/situation leaves him time.

I'm not getting withdrawal symptoms because I am reading a lot of stories, which come out somehow regularly here and on SOL, so I'm just hibernating... i a sort of ways.

Thanks Tefler for the story.

I waited as long as I could before reading 108 to shorten the time to 109 but found myself glimpsing at the page numbers seeing I'm getting to the end and was sad that I reached the end. Very nice build up to the big fight.

I know we give you a lot of criticism and bug you endless to produce faster but I also know that you realize you've got the best story ever on here and we're just addicted.

So looking forward to 109 now.

TK

110 is up on Patreon. Will we see 109 here soon? I'm looking forward to the Kirrix slaughter.

I hope we don't have to wait too long for the next ch tefler

Hope you post it soon

Like today or tomorrow would be great

I haven't finished the edits on chapter 109 yet, so it'll probably be a little while.

Tefler

I agree with an earlier post about no testing of the new weapons. No matter how much they trust Dana, no-one with combat experience would go into battle without at least knowing a weapons capabilities. How hard does it hit, range, over heating, all are need to know before the weapon is used the first time.

I can only assume Tefler will have them test fire on the way to the battle.

Thank you for the excellemt work!

Can't wait to see where this goes!

End of the month then ????

Keep up the good work, Tefler. Your writing is amazing.

I hope you right a hundred more chapters love this story

Starting to get antsy..., must be soon.

It's been 11 days since you said you're waiting for your editors to send back editing for 109. I can't believe it's still not done since you're already busy with 111 on your patreon page. Is our timeline on Lit really been moved to one chapter a month?

Disappointed but still hoping you're not going to drop us on Lit.

ps. If you're not Tefler don't comment as I don't talk to the idiots who's trying to read Tefler's mind on what he wants to say, I think he's man enough to answer us himself.

TK

109 will get here when it gets here. I realize that most millennial mushrooms just gotta have everything when they want it; to hell with anything besides what they want.

I'm looking forward to 109 as much as anyone. 108 was awesome. What it portends for 109 and 110 and 111....OH YEAH!!

so trekky1, just chill.

stonegray

Excellent chapter @tef. It was a superb buildup before the battle, it was like placing all the pieces in position before the party begins.

In previous chapter I had commented that it would be better if you put side character stories in different chapters in small parts rather than one whole chapter for them. Now I know I was wrong, after reading this one I feel previous chapter was really necessary. I take my words back man. You write whatever you feel is good, in the end it always turns up as nothing less than awesome.

Desperately waiting for Faye to truly join crew. And someone to start 'jumping' especially Faye.

Regards

Mg

pretty sure we'll get 109 whenever the patreon gets 111. Being 2 chapters behind seems to be the new normal. It's a shame, when I started reading this story lit got each chapter a week after they went up for the patreon. Can't hate on the guy for pushing traffic to the patreon, it's his work and income, but it still sucks for those of us with empty wallets. I just hope the delay doesnt go to 3 chapters behind, or four....

I don't know why I get so antsy..., my other favorite authors can take anywhere from 3 months to a year + to get there next chapters out. I guess it is because this story is so good. Thanks Tefler for sharing and I know the moderators take time to ensure all stories a complient.

You've ruined most of the rest of the stories on this site for me! In the last 5-6 weeks I've read through the entire series twice. Now that I'm waiting, I'm reading other authors again and they just can't compare.

I can't believe the depth and breadth of the world you've created. It is consistent in a way that many mainstream, published authors seem to struggle with. I love that your characters are so well developed and unique. The few times I had a problem with how someone acted all turned out to be perfect foreshadowing. This was especially noticeable on the second read-through.

I've read hundreds if not thousands of sci-fi and fantasy books, and yours is the first I've ever read again immediately after finishing. I'm looking forward to seeing your vision through to the end. Well done.

Agree with realusmctazman. This is a great story which has a new chapter at least monthly. That's pretty good. As the time approaches for a new chapter to be release we become like junkies desperately needing a fix. It's tough to go through, but I have a good laugh seeing others feeling the same way I do as we deal with the cold sweats of TSM withdrawal.

That being said, a good portion of Tefler's income is based on the paetron customer. They put skin in the game and should be awarded accordingly. I kind of felt getting the story 1-2 weeks before it comes on here was short changing these generous folks who believe in Tefler to the point of parting with their money. Since I am one of those readers who freely choses to read his work with no cost to me, I'm fine with the added wait. I'll take as a win-win where Tefler keeps his paying supporters happy while still making it gratis for the rest of us albeit delayed a little.

One of my editors was away, but I've got his edits now, so I'll go through them today.

Tefler

I know Teffler said maybe the end of the month for chapter 109 but I’m not counting the days... like I’m not checking several times s day in case it’s suddenly been published on here.. not me, no sir. But when it’s published here no doubt we all shall be sleep deprived again , twice in once month, if only we were so lucky . Keep up the fine standards you have set so far Marstro Teffler, when it’s here I’ll gladly sacrifice an hour or so for a good cause .

Lynette's relationship with the crew and Charles bothers me a little. I mean she marries his mentor , has children with him , and when he dies she flies into the sunset with the dude ? The fuck ? Is he John like a weird fall back option or something ?? Are they going to offer the same thing to Maria too ? Or is that a relationship we are going to respect because jack is calara's father , but Charles , who's a father figure and a mentor to John doesn't count ? It's okay for some people to grow old and die. Let them r.i p.

John promising Lynette a life with him later was the only way he could get her to fully commit to living without him (brief as that would be for an immortal). While Lynette was being fed, she was becoming increasingly more obsessed with John... which I tried to show in the chapters covering her "rejuvenation".

He also knew she desperately wanted to be Fleet Admiral, which would have meant her being lonely for at least 10 years when he retired to Maliri Space. Why leave her alone and unhappy when she could have a great life with Charles?

At the same time, she is almost guaranteed to outlive Charles, with her body restored to that of a twenty year old. Rachel's health checkup rolled back the years for him, but only a decade or so. That means she'll probably end up living as a widow for at least 20-30 years after Charles' death...

Alternatively, Lynette could have tried to start a relationship with someone the same physical age as her new body, but she has the mentality of a 52 year-old Admiral... to say that she's in a different place mentally to a 20 year-old guy would be putting it lightly.

So there were no really obvious solutions to the problem. In the end, John did what he always does... tried to make Lynette as happy as he could.

But I feel it destroys the sanctity of what Charles and Lynette have. Imagine how a man is supposed to feel when his wife simply thinks of him as a placeholder. Yeah , I love you and all, but after you're dead , I'm gonna go be with my immortal superhuman boyfriend , who by the way , is also like your son and spend an actual eternity with him. Thiso means that john's and Charles's children from Lynette would be half-siblibgs ( which is also a whole lot of weird). Charles at least deserves to know what the plan is after he passes away.

I don't know ,man , maybe I read john's character wrong , but I felt that he had more honour than that.

Not to mention how come John feels nothing about another man impregnating a woman that is bonded to his matriarch and who he has fed more than three ( which was the threshold) times ? Isn't he genetically wired to protect his women and knock them up ?

"Imagine how a man is supposed to feel when his wife simply thinks of him as a placeholder."

If they told him, Charles wouldn't care in the slightest. Think about it from his perspective for a moment: Charles is early fifties, with a rejuvenated body ten years younger. He's getting a second chance to have a family life with a brilliant woman he respects, loves, and who shares a lot of his interests... She's also got the body of an incredibly fit twenty-year-old and is the most beautiful woman he's ever seen. For the rest of his life, she'll be completely dedicated and faithful to him (and she's offered to wake him every morning with a blowjob!). Lynette is his idea of a perfect wife!

Would Charles really want Lynette pining away for him for 30+ years after he dies of old age? If he genuinely cared for her, surely he'd want her to be happy, rather than dying alone?

"I felt that he (John) had more honour than that"

John wouldn't dream of doing anything with Lynette while she's with Charles. He specifically avoided any sexual contact with her while she was on the ship with him so that she could make a life for herself as Fleet Admiral without him. They only kissed the one time at her request.

"Isn't he genetically wired to protect his women"

Progenitors don't give a shit about their Thralls. John is very different as he cares about the girls because he loves them, it's definitely not because of genetic programming. Remember that all the subtle indoctrination effects only work one way... on the Thralls (responding to praise, visions of children, etc). Lynette might be psychically connected to Alyssa, but John simply views her as a close friend, not a lover.

So:

1) Charles gets a loving, faithful, gorgeous younger wife for the rest of his life.

2) Lynette gets to fulfill her dream of being Fleet Admiral and having a loving husband and family while doing so.

3) John gets to see both of his friends happy. When Charles passes away, Lynette can retire with him and the rest of the girls in Maliri space.

I'm really not seeing any losers in this scenario, they all get what they want. If John was single and was only going to live a normal human lifespan, then him being so selfless with Lynette would be a huge sacrifice. But he's got a harem of 20+ women! He's also immortal, so what's 30 or 40 years when Progenitors track their lifespans in millennia?

Any update on 109 tefler ????

I hope you post it soon

Maybe I'm injecting my own sense of morality in this discussion, but I've always felt that love is deeper than just sex and temporary companionship and and that a relationship where one partner knows all along , that they would be spending an *eternity* with somebody else while claiming to be *in love* with the person that they are with at the moment somewhat cheapens it, that it seems more convenience than love, and it seems jarring in a story about such deep bonds of love between characters. I know that if I died , I would want my partner to move on, of course, but I'm not sure how I'd feel about the relationship,, about our bond , if my replacement is all lined up , before I even began a relationship with them. But i get it, it's just me imposing my cultural values and understanding about love and companionship onto these characters. But it is , of course , a little strange , that all these characters have the exact same morals, some conflict would have been fun.

Regardless , thank you for replying , I'm glad that I at least made you think. Now please get back to editing/posting 109. I need my fix !!!

"that a relationship where one partner knows all along , that they would be spending an *eternity* with somebody else"

Do you often ponder the ramifications of being in love with an immortal? ;-)

It's easy to talk about being together for "eternity" when you and your spouse are going to die before you reach 100. But what happens if your girlfriend was actually going to live forever?

If you met your perfect dream woman and she said she'd be faithfully yours for your whole life, what more could you ask of her? Does it matter that she'd choose to be with other immortals after you were dead and gone? Would her love for you be cheapened because she doesn't die at the same time you do? It's not her fault that she'll live forever, while you eventually succumb to old age.

It's like an elf and a human having a relationship in fantasy settings. Elves invariably outlive humans by centuries, so an elvish partner would stay youthful and their appearance wouldn't really change, while you aged and died.

I gave it some thought when I was writing this plot line and it was interesting to think about. One of the fun aspects of being a writer is you get to seriously consider things like this... and it's your job to do so! :-)

Tefler

Lynette is *not* an immortal. She's a 20 something woman in love with a 40 something man ( Charles too had his clock turned back by 10 years) so she would be in her 50s or 60s when he passes away. So it is possible that she could choose not to gain immortality when he dies. Because she will gain immortality after he dies If she chooses to be with john, so it's not a question of 30 or so years after he dies but for 10s of thousands of years. Now, there been plenty of people who've lost their spouse in their 50s who chosen to stay single for the rest of their lives AND there've been plenty works of fiction where actual immortals have given up their immortality to be with their mortal lovers. True love makes you do crazy stuff.

Also. It's one thing to get into a relationship with someone immortal, knowing that *will* outlive you , and gladly telling them to move on when you die versus getting into a relationship with someone who can *choose* to turn immortal after you die, and who already has a guy in mind she's going to be spending eternity with. Are her feelings even genuine ? Why is she going to turn immortal after he dies anyway ? Is she already in love with John right now ? Or is it selfishness , a desire to experience power ? Or simply a strong pull because of progenitor genes ? Fear of death ?

This seems important , especially how this story is so obviously steeped in love as it's thematic background -john's psychic powers basically increasing with love etc.

"So it is possible that she could choose not to gain immortality when he dies"

1) And live alone for ~thirty years, then die (because if you're objecting to her being with John, then obviously the same applies to anyone else).

2) Or, she could go and live with John and the girls in Maliri space.

Considering she is already psychically connected to Alyssa and John, it's not really much of a spoiler to tell you option one wouldn't even get a look in.

"versus getting into a relationship with someone who can *choose* to turn immortal after you die"

Charles enjoys her company, respects her professionally, and admires her many good qualities such as intelligence, kindness etc. Physically Lynette is an 11/10, there's no way he will ever date a more beautiful woman. Do you honestly think he will give the slightest crap if she moves on after he dies of old age? He would be far more concerned that she was well taken care of when he eventually leaves her.

"who already has a guy in mind she's going to be spending eternity with"

Why does it matter what Lynette does after Charles is long dead? From his point of view, she will be his faithful loving wife until he dies and will mourn him when he's gone. What more could he possibly ask from any woman?

Tefler

Something that's also being left out of this discussion is context: sure, Lynette could have chosen to join John and the Lionesses immediately, but she didn't- she chose Charles. Whatever she may or may not do afterward, she specifically declined to join a crew of what are apparently the most accomplished, intelligent, badass, and sexually desirable beings in the galaxy to spend a lifetime with Charles. In this scenario, Charles is her first pick, not some waystation on the way to grander things; the crew of the Invictus is her consolation prize.

As always, Tefler, thank you for sharing an amazing story.

Choosing to live alone after you're in your 50s isn't such a major anomaly, plenty of people in may/December romances choose to live alone after their spouse dies, especially if you've had kids.

Also. Keeping the option of moving on after your partner dies with some random individual is completely different from having already decided who you're going to move on with. The latter sullies your current relationship , yes. Especially when , in the latter case , you are going to become an immortal. Think about it dude , your wife , before getting married to you tells you she's going to move on after you die with your best friend and that she's going to be an immortal. Ok.cool. your first reaction is why get into a relationship at all, am I just a pit stop ? A convenience ? How honest were your declarations of love ? This a very human reaction. People do crave more than just a hot body in a relationship , you know.Now. Go back to the last chapter. Charles was worried that she had become one of john's lionesses and then Lynette tells Alyssa that he was relieved that she had not slept with him. Note, not that she wasn't involved with him, but that she hadn't slept with him. I would say that Charles is over-awed by John's powers and it made him feel insecure , how am I going to measure up to that ? That is the reason, why it's logical that his feelings about Lynette having already decided to go be one of john's women after he dies would be negative.

Think about it this way - John is already interested in Maria. But he won't make the same offer to her , will he ? That when jack dies , I'll turn you into an immortal and you can come be with us , us including your daughter.

Which brings me back to my last point. What even is love ? Is the love that Lynette is going to have for John going to be as strong as the other girls have for him ? Will he draw the same energy from her too ?

I think this whole sub plot , for me , muddles the concept of love in the context of this story, makes it more utilitarian and practical where it needs to be idealistic.

She didn't choose him *over* John and the crew though. She didn't immediately join them , not because of Charles , but because - a)becoming a fleet admiral is something that she had wanted ever since she was a child, b) John wouldn't let her , because he thinks she only wants to be with him because of progenitor DNA magic ( but after Charles is dead I guess that conflict just vanishes ?). To her, John and the crew aren't a consolation prize , they are the end goal. Keep in mind that she has already decided that she is going to end up with them , even before she began her relationship with Charles , and she's going to be bonded to Alyssa and John the *entire* time that she is going to be married to charles, even after bsp is killed without Charles even knowing about that, as it seems to be till now. Just a weird situation.

I think your story is awesome can't wait to see whats going to happen 😁

Any update on. 109 tefler ?????

When can we read it on literotica

I hope you post it soon

Curious why ch 108 is not appearing my "Latest Activity" pane here on lit, when I follow Tefler. 107 and previous chapters are all listed, but 108 is conspicuously absent! What's the story there...?

Some idle speculation while we await the next chapter...

One of Alyssa's first psychic feats was to create a kilometer wide "null zone" in the Ashanath shopping mall. This does seem to have had a similar effect to that of Baledranax's psychic dampener that nearly caused John and the girls grief during the Battle for Terra.

Now that Alyssa is an accomplished Progenitor with powers orders of magnitude greater than she had then, she could probably project a psychic null zone to cover a whole planet, or maybe even a whole system.

The Kirrix appear to be a hive-mind, communicating psychically, and we've seen how if their hive queen is killed, the "workers" are incapacitated. So surely all Alyssa has to do is project a null-zone over the invaded planet, and all the Kirrix troops would drop like, er, flies. Or at least like a load of puppets with their strings suddenly cut.

I haven't seen 109 yet, so I'm still looking forward to see if they think of that.

Taking a longer view, I agree with Faye that we should feel sorry for the Kirrix. They seen to be painted as very 1-D evil bug-eyed monsters, but I can't see how any race could progress enough to be an advanced space-faring civilisation without some good points or redeeming qualities. Why do they lay their eggs in other sentient species' bodies? There must be some reason, and maybe they could be persuaded to change their habits? Perhaps if John or Alyssa could link in to their psychic hive-mind and give them a change of heart, they could be transformed from evil enemies into powerful psychic allies?

Just some thoughts,

AL

The kirrix are parasites. You don't try to understand fleas and ticks, do you?

I also have the issue where chapter 108 has not shown up on my activity feed. I can't find a solution but glad to see I am not the only one. None of the other authors I follow have posted something to see if this is a one off situation.

First time I've commented on this story as that would take time away from reading it.

Best I've read on this site and I've read a lot. Keep it coming Teller. Well done.

You have a true gift, thank you for sharing with us

Any news on 109?

Hopefully only only 2 more weeks for lit readers before we get 109 maybe another week to start to stretch it to a month and a half in the near future.

At this pace I will have to reread 108 but I won't vote again as I have also stopped the extra voting whenever I can.

I am starting to loose and forget the storyline which might be a good thing as I unfortunately cannot join on patreon and it really seems like TSM will disappear from Lit soon. I hope it's not the case but the writing is on the wall dear readers.

Again. anyone other than Tefler who tries and defend him will be ignored, he is man enough to speak for himself and answer me if he thinks I'm worth answering.

TK

Still no update on 109 tefler ?????

There is no need to defend Tefler. You read here for free. He post here as a courtesy to readers who enjoy his story. After reading comments by you when you don't get the post at the speed you want I can understand why his patrons have suggested to him not to post here anymore. Most readers here are happy to have a story of this quality to read even if it comes out once a month.

You can pledge as low as $1 per chapter. At the most, it would cost you $2 to $3 per month. That is less than a cup of coffee a month! Seriously?

I had the same bug where 108 didn't show up in my favorites feed. No idea why that happened. Anyway, I'll just check back daily for 109, just in case it gets glitched, too.

Dude 111 aint even done for the patreon yet. Chill out. I don't expect 109 to show up here until 111 is up for the patrons.

IF tefler decides to stop posting here, which I really don't think he'll do since this is basically the advertising to drive traffic to the patreon in the first place, it'll be because of people like you.

Look everyone is getting ticked off for no good reason. Yes I enjoy this story a lot too but there are others out there just as good if not better. Read some of them. As to how some of us can not afford to join Patreon? In my case I am older and on disability and I bet others are in the same boat. If he stops posting here I will miss the story, but it is not the end of the world. His delay in posting just lets me find other writers I like as well.

Whether that really was him or not, it changes nothing. He owes us absolutely nothing because we arent paying customers. He can post whenever he damned well pleases and I'll be happy about it because I get to read a great story for free. If he really does decide to stop posting it for free that's his choice, one that people who complain will have pushed him to. So instead of pushing him towards that choice, certain spoiled entitled asshats should try thanking him for including us.

As they say, you catch more flies with honey...

Putting time to good use while waiting for chapter 109 of TSM, putting words on a page for a submission to a Sunburnt Country contest , in November . It’s not as good as Maestro Teffler TSM epic story, but patiently resigned to TSM 109 eventually being delivered here soon. Maybe this is motivation to stop procrastinating and finally do it, 6 drafts of stories and only one has been published here so far . RL doesn’t give much time to write but I’ll use motivation from Mr Teffler to finally put electronic pen to paper ... thank you Sir , you officially have muse status 👍

I love your story. Have read it two times now from start to finish. It is that good!!! I have found things I missed before and things made more since.I know you will post when it is ready to post and not before. That is who you are. THANK YOU ZEKE7474

1. Take your time Sir , post when your ready, you’ve written an almighty epic story in TSM and I applaud your commiting to write full time,alas my life is not so easy to write and read prodigiously for a living but I have thoroughly enjoyed every chapter of TSM you’ve written so far. If anybody thinks it’s easy to write and publish a story so easily think about this. Teffler has been churning out a chapter at least every month, on occasions two a month. The level of commitment this shows as well as the fact this is his livelihood now earns even more respect from me , I’ve merely dipped my toe in the water so to speak over the years, never having the balls to commit to it being my income as Teffler has done. Respect the man. When he is ready he will post the next chapter.

2. As for whining about when the next chapter comes out? Try writing a story of this calibre for yourself and see how long it takes you to get a polished edition without it sounding like a monotone sack of shite that loses your attention in the first paragraph. TSM from the start had had a storyline that bridged from the humble beginnings of TSM to where it is today..The next person who wants to complain about 109 not being published yet, here’s a challenge for you, try writing something something yourself and don’t hide behind a anon post.

Stepping off my soap box and kicking it into the nearest tachyon lance barrel where it should spon com ( spontaneously combust) in chapter 109 of TSM . You rock Teffler, keep up the good work.

I’m not Teffler,but have had stories published in the past on another site years ago,if your really bored try clicking on peoples names in comments, you might find something to fill in your time to read there. Or get a dog, take it for walks. Whatever floats your boat..,

And no ... I’m not Teffler, just for the record.

Try etaski, ltpc, swirling jedi, kingdom halves, jazz cullen when u r waiting for 109. Some of the best i have read.