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The emerging science fiction futuristic story, 200 odd years from now, of life based on the trajectory of the current madness.
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Rule of Twelve, Double Take - Ch14 (Passage 1/5)

Chapter 14 - Troubleshooting

With the score one a piece, the excitement going into the evening watch was the match between Bazzer and Luna. Annee and Mentor said they were going to watch the replay later, because sleep was their priority.
Marr requested with Dukk that they base themselves in the crew mess initially so they could enjoy the banter with Luna and Bazzer as they got ready.
Bazzer was the first to appear following some short downtime at the end of watch. Marr was alone in the crew mess as Dukk was on a walk around.
“I am ready!” exclaimed Bazzer as he exited his cabin.
Marr turned around and nearly fell off the console seat.
“Holy cow! Are you for real?” she laughed.
Bazzer was wearing bright green, skin tight shorts and a bright orange, skin tight singlet that barely covered his overly muscular upper body.
“I figure, against Luna’s youth and fitness, using humour will be my only chance!”
“Well, you have definitely got me laughing.”
Bazzer grinned back sheepishly.
“Oh shit! I forgot my sunglasses,” Luna laughed as she appeared at the door of her cabin. She mimicked covering her eyes as she looked at Bazzer.
“You can hardly talk!” Marr added as she laughed even harder.
Luna was wearing a very small, hot pink bikini that barely gave any cover and look to offer very little support.
“What the F!” exclaimed Bazzer, and continued, “How in the world will I concentrate on the ball with you bouncing around the airlock like that!”
“That is the idea,” Luna laughed.
“This will be a battle of wills, not skill,” offered Marr.
They all laughed.
“What is so funny,” Dukk said casually as he entered the crew mess via the ladder shaft door.
“What the hell! What did you two do, ransack Kimince and Terence’s lockers?” he added.
“Stand over there together, I have to get a photo,” Marr requested.

The photo was nearly impossible to take. The sight of Bazzer’s outfit against his pale skin tones, next to Luna in the hot pink bikini against her brown skin, was too comical for anyone to keep a straight face.
The attempt at getting a photo, set the tone for the match. It was a shemozzle. Luna and Bazzer spent most of the time falling over each over laughing.
In the end it was abandoned and declared a draw.

“I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time,” Marr said as she flicked off the video feed of the airlock.
“Me neither. I guess we’ll have to start over and play again?” replied Dukk as he stepped back from the console.
They looked at each other.
“It does. You up to it?”
“Absolutely,” Dukk said in an overly enthusiastic tone. He blushed and turned away quickly.
Marr smiled.
“Will we move the conn upstairs,” she offered to reset the mood.
“Yes, good idea. I’ll go up directly. It’s your turn for a walk around. See you up there.”

(to be continued...)

[Rule of Twelve, Double Take, Chapter 14 - Troubleshooting (Passage 1 of 5)]

All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 2021 BJ Allen

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Rule of Twelve books to be narrated with the help of A.I.

I am investing in A.I. driven narration to bring the Rule of Twelve books to life.

It will be more than just narration in the traditional audio book sense. The A.I. will enable me to bring dialogue to life with character specific voices. This will create a rich and engaging narration.

Over the coming months I will be in catch-up mode, building the narration for already published material. Eventually, the aim will be to concurrently release chapters in both written and rich narrative form.

The narration will eventually make it to audiobook form for platforms like Audible and Spotify. However, to get it sooner, you will need a Locals subscription. The Locals App works just like your favourite audiobook app. So, you can listen on the go. Becoming a subscriber also helps keep this whole show on the road.

I look forward to sharing the journey with you.

Bradley.

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Psychological Safety is a trojan horse

Marr nodded with a wink as she put her hands on the back of Luna’s chair and started to speak.

   “Emeelie, what if I have a room with a single door and I put you in it. The door isn’t locked, and you can leave at any time. The room represents a life experience. Now what if I dropped a lion into the room. What would happen?”

   “All things being equal, eventually the lion would get hungry and want to eat me.”

   “What are your options?”

   “Obviously I would leave via the door, immediately,” Emeelie answered.

   The others laughed.

   “Sure, and every other time a lion is dropped into the room you are in, you’d leave too?”

   “Yes,” Emeelie said with a hint of hesitation.

    “What if there was a possibility that a lion might be dropped into every room, from that moment on. How would your experience of life pan out?”

   “Dreadful. Limited. I wouldn’t be able to stay or even enter any room.”

   “Right. You’d spend your time running out of every room and miss every potential experience.”

   “Ok.”

   “What if I put a chain on the lion and anchor it to the wall?”

   “That would work. I would be able to enter the room again.”

   “Right. So, the lion would need to be chained down for every room you may enter.”

   “Great.”

   “This is the trojan horse.”

   “How?”

   “If I am controlling the lion with chains, I am controlling you.”

   “What! How?”

   “I can choose to use chains or not. I can determine which room you can enter and which you cannot. Your potential for life experiences is controlled by me. You allow yourself to be the victim.”

   “Of the lion’s hunger?”

   “No, my will. You are allowing me to depower you.”

   “Oh.”

   “Yes, oh. Your safety becomes dependent on me or somebody else putting chains on every lion.”

   “Not good.”

   “No. What else could you do that leaves you empowered, but not eaten.”

   “I could learn to defend myself against the lion.”

   “Yes, or even tame it. Put chains on it yourself, so to speak. That way you could go into any room you like, regardless of whether there is a lion in there or not. You’d be safe without anyone else’s intervention. You’d stay empowered. You would experience life to its fullest.”

   “So psychological safety is a trojan horse. It puts my safety in the hands of a third party. It depowers. It turns people into victims.”

    Marr nodded and smiled.

 

-------

Excerpt from Rule of Twelve, Book 3 - Regeneration, Chapter 17

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Dukk opened his eyes. It was dark.

   “A dream. It must have been a dream,” he muttered as he tried to fathom where he was. He tried to digest the pre-dawn excursion with Craig.

   He swung himself out of bed. Marr was gone.

   He checked the time. Mid-afternoon.

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“What in the world is going on?” Craig demanded as the doors to the south banqueting hall, closed behind them.

   Dukk, Marr and Emeelie stood before him. Beyond was the atrium bathed in orange light from the setting sun.

   On the opposite side of the atrium the doors to the north banqueting hall were open. Music and chatter could be heard from within.

   The noise from the others disguised the deathly silence that engulfed the four.

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