The Threshold Bookcast : Chapter 18 : Lightning Strikes

[Christopher Stewart]

Chapter 18 : Lightning Strikes

Richard Ramsay is the star of the eighteenth episode of The Threshold Series, the concluding chapter of « 2206 : Window Onto A New World. »

We find the veteran politician staring outwards from a window of the sky lounge of his private yacht, musing about the weather, while on a visit to Bahía Alegría.

« The former Chancellor had needed to take a short vacation from all the craziness, to let the dust settle after the spectacular collapse of the schemes of his party. But apparently, even right in the heart of the bay of joy, satisfaction didn't come easy for him. The ordinarily hot and sunny resort had been showered by storms ever since the luxury vessel had moored in the small inlet after which the popular holiday spot had been named. And so, instead of savouring a fun escape in the sunshine in the company of some of the people he truly appreciated, he had spent most of his time ruminating. He had voyaged all the way across the globe only to ponder the events of the recent years, and how they had ultimately culminated in his defeat in the Federal election. »

Forced to stay inside the boat, the retiring statesman passes the time talking with his sister Chloe and his assistant, Peter Conrad. The conversations will lead to surprising revelations.

Here's « Lightning Strikes, » the culminating instalment of the first season of the Threshold Bookcast. I wish you all a most enjoyable reading !

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Interestingly enough, this concluding chapter is being published on June 22, which is the date that has inspired the title of the novel. This wasn't something I planned when I decided to release the series. Rather, the move came as a response to the circumstances of the moment. I had been considering the possibility since the end of 2011, mostly because of my frustration that the book was not attracting readers as fast as I had expected. It was waiting patiently on virtual shelves, hoping to be discovered, and that seemed somewhat of a waste. So I improvised a first episode, and when I eventually organized the process for the following weekly instalments, as I entered the events in my calendar, I realized that the series would end today. I considered it a sign that I had made the right decision.

At this time, I have no idea of when I will publish the second volume, nor of if I will release it in a similar manner. However, I can safely announce that the tentative title of that novel is « 2207 : Mechanics Of Change, » and that I'm just about done with the first fourteen chapters. Contrary to 2206 which covers only the last quarter or so of the corresponding Ovelian year, the second tome will span all of 2207. If I follow the plan that I have mind mapped thus far, I still need to write about twelve or thirteen more chapters before the story is told. In other words, that means I'm about halfway through, and given that I've been working on it since mid-October 2011, I'm not sure whether or not I'll be able to complete it before the end of the year. That being said, I am sometimes tempted to begin the second season before I finish the book. My mind is not made up at the moment.

If you want to stay updated on how it all unfolds, I invite you to follow the Facebook and Google+ profiles of the series, which are linked at the end of each chapter, in the « About the Series » section. You can also subscribe to my Issuu channel, where the episodes are currently available.

And on this note ends the first season of the Threshold Bookcast. Thanks to all who have taken interest and enjoyed the story thus far ! Hopefully, I will be able to announce my plans during the summer, depending on how the writing and other projects develop. Farewell until then !

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On a background of environmental and financial crises, and religious influences intertwining with political manoeuvres to determine the fate of an overpopulated planet, The Threshold Series chronicles the saga of the Ovelian civilization, a society very similar to our own, as it heads towards one of the most dramatic chain of events of its history.

The first book, « 2206 : Window Onto A New World, » focuses on the end of the year 2206, which culminates on an important federal election that will be impacted by the discovery of an anomaly in the nearby outer space.

Each episode of The Threshold Bookcast consists in a complete chapter of the series, made available for free online reading.

For more details about the series and the bookcast, please see the introduction.

The previous chapters are available here :

• Chapter 1 : Homeworld
• Chapter 2 : Going For The One
• Chapter 3 : Togetherness
• Chapter 4 : Machine Messiah
• Chapter 5 : Space Oddity
• Chapter 6 : It Can Happen
• Chapter 7 : Giants Under The Sun
• Chapter 8 : Nous Sommes Du Soleil
• Chapter 9 : Careful With That Axe, Eugene
• Chapter 10 : South Side Of The Sky
• Chapter 11 : The Preacher The Teacher
• Chapter 12 : No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed
• Chapter 13 : Keys To Ascension
• Chapter 14 : Silent Talking
• Chapter 15 : Tempus Fugit
• Chapter 16 : The Solid Time Of Change
• Chapter 17 : Where Will You Be