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One of my favorite surprises while writing my space opera is when I realize that I can use an experience out of my own life, put it on steroids, and insert it into the story. Happens over and over.

I plugged those four sentences into Google for the hell of it. I got porn.

NJC, I recognize a 9-volt Energizer battery in your pictures. If I put that on my tongue it hurts. Besides that, is there anything else I need to know for tomorrow's exam? :-)

Dirk

Thanks, Amy. I have a better understanding, but far from perfect. I find it very complex, even without the concept of the matrix. Why did you go with something so hard to understand? For example, mages draw power from the ground with their staffs into their reserve in order to cast spells. Yet, new mages have to ground in order to keep their overloaded reserve from blowing them up. These seem contradictory to me. The first case draws power, while the other sends it back, both by grounding.

I doubt you can simplify it at this point without a major rewrite of the books, but I look forward to reading the first book, which I accidentally skipped, to see how much I understand your explanation there.

Thanks.
Dirk

You're talking to a guy who's knowledge of electricity is limited to getting zapped by a handmixer and melting a screwdriver. That's probably true of your target audience, too. I had to read your explanation several times just to figure out what questions to ask:

So casting always comes from the reserve? You're not simply routing power from the ground directly at the target (which would be a much easier explanation, BTW)? You have to absorb it into your reserve first? Yes?

If any of that is correct (doubtful), why then do new mages need to learn how to ground quickly to avoid blowing up? If their reserve is limited, why doesn't that simply limit the amount of power they can wield? I'm missing something. I thought the ground (earth) is where the power comes from.

Aside from that, is matrix the same as reserve?

How should I visualize the matrix? When you say reserve, by default, I visualize a star-like place in the chest or mind that glows brighter/hotter (for those who can see it) as the reserve builds. Or power that makes their entire bodies glow brighter/hotter (again, for those who can see it) as the reserve builds.

I'm going to pass on the explanation about Alina and Katerin. She's now a mage, the same as exeryone else, which I understand. Let's leave it at that. :-)

Thanks, NJC. I appreciate the time you took for this.

I couldn't follow all of it, so let me try with a simple example. A good old-fashioned Shoddy-brand hand mixer plugged into an old-fashioned NON-grounded outlet. Those were fun! Based on what I remember, the mixer is tapping into the electrical circuit that flows through the house, fed from the utility lines outside. If a part of the insulated wiring inside the mixer becomes exposed/worn, the current can flow/leak out from the wiring into other parts of the mixer (e.g.,  the spinning metal egg beaters or the on/off switch), leading to a potentially painful zap, if touched. Good so far?

When it zaps me, does that have anything to do with me standing on the Earth, or would it jolt me even if I were floating with some of Amy's magic?

Now, let's extend that to grounded outlets. Once again, the wiring inside the mixer is worn. I assume some or all of the leaking current flows through the ground wire into the outlet and down to the Earth. Yes? Is it just some of the leaking current that's diverted? So I can still get zapped, just less so?

If my basic assumptions here are wrong, then I'm a hopeless case.

Thanks.
Dirk

P.S. Amy, don't go far. When/if I understand this, you're next.

When I go to respond to an inline review on my (big) desktop, the response field is only 1 inch x 2 inches in size. Naturally, it's quite difficult to write coherent thoughts in such a small space.

When I go back in to view my given response, the field is the size it should be.

Thanks.
Dirk

I would think all of these different kinds of training would have been done many times. The days before launch would simply be their last run-through of everything. Of course, two shuttle missions in back-to-back chapters is just as problematic as two sims. Do you need the second shuttle run to be detailed? Can you make the first shuttle run be your detailed shuttle chapter, followed by a simple statement for the 2nd shuttle run that they travelled to the ship via shuttle.

And/or have you thought any more about creating a further (minor?) disaster on Earth as a way to creat more tension/urgency to the mission? Of course, then you'll have to change friendly banter to a more serious conversation (a good thing, IMO). Perhaps you can find some way to slip in Reese's concerns for Delana in there.

I'm sure you'll think of something.

Tom/Karen, I didn't read through each of the plans in detail, so you may already have this covered, but the idea of a chapel just popped into my head, like the one on M.A.S.H. 4077.

No delay. Janet, are you talking about delays between inline comments?

I had a problem (gone, I think), where the site would hang at various times for a minute, but that wasn't specific to comments.

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