Book Three : The Dualist

Produced 2003.05.23 - 2009.12.04, 366 pages as of 2009.12.04

Spring, 2002. Five years after the events of Dead City Radio, the vast galactic conspiracy arrives in earth orbit- sieging psychological defenses, awakening Thad and initiating a massive magical convergence that splits souls and ultimately defies physics. The Dualist is a story of cause and effect - a study of the results of a single decision made at the climax of Dead City Radio, and the effect that decision has across several distinct groups of individuals. The butterfly effect causes paths to intersect, tangle, and ultimately tie together - with unpredictable, unpalatable consequences for all parties involved.

The depicted scenes are the result of a chain of events set in motion over the course of chapters 3-5 of Dead City Radio. While The Dualist can be read and enjoyed without reading DCR first, the reader will be approaching the work without context, jumping into the story five years after.... what, exactly? DCR, once completed, will provide a solid contextual foundation for several arcs of The Dualist - a story that despite being first in production, reads like the third in sequence that it is.

Part One : Incursion

Produced 2008.11.19 - 2008.12.02, 12 pages (10 actual)

Deep space, 1997 - The Hemera disappears.

Deep space, 2002 - The Sabrosa arrives on a routine stop during what the crew has been told is a training mission. General Grij, commander of the Addicaine group, receives his mission orders - follow up on the discovery made by the crew of the Hemera.

Chapter One : Signal

Produced 2004.12.26 - 2005.04.26, originally 46 pages (44 actual).

Reproduced 2008.12.05 - 2008.12.27, 43 pages (42 actual).

The Sabrosa arrives in Earth orbit. A boulder in the pond, the Templar garrison prepares for the worst. The presence of Alias - one of the Chosen - prompts a severe mental breakdown in Thad. The Sabrosa and the Templar pick up the HRV spike and begin to plan accordingly. Thad casts out his "demon," which takes up residence in Annathena Val, a cognitive empath.

Chapter Two : Convergence

Produced 2003.05.23 - 2003.07.31 and 2005.05 -2005.06, originally 37 pages (36 actual).

Reproduced 2008.12.18 - 2009.02.27, 41 pages (40 actual).

Raven and Tantek, taking advantage of a 1969 bureaucratic loophole, arrive in an alternate Australia to recruit the ex-Templar John West. Val's astral form encounters Thad's astral form, and the two halves converge under toxic conditions.

Chapter Three : Reentry

Produced 2003.10.07 - 2004.03.27 and 2005.05 -2005.06, originally 43 pages (42 actual).

Reproduced 2009.03.09 - 2009.05.02, 43 pages (42 actual).

Astral and physical violence illustrate the fact that while you may be able to escape your past, you cannot escape your self.

Chapter Four : Clarity

Produced 2004.06.19 - 2004.12.06, originally 49 pages (48 actual).

Reproduced 2009.05.15 - 2009.07.04, 53 pages (52 actual).

Uncomfortable with the status quo, many of the involved parties investigate, discuss, or invoke their options.

Part Two : Expulsion

Produced 2009.10.29 - 2009.11.26, 9 pages (8 actual).

Beyond the Goldfish Nebula, the Starship Aeon. The ship's AI and the sole crewman - Michael Yang, nearly dead and trapped in a form of suspended animation since 1968 - become aware of the events unfolding on Earth.

Chapter Five : Motion

Produced 2005.07.24 - 2006.03.10, originally 49 pages (48 actual).

Reproduced 2009.08.02 - 2009.11.26, 49 pages (48 actual).

The Daedalus sets down long enough for a crew exchange, Grij brings James up to speed, and Greymalkin and Ornix experience moments of clarity. Thad commits to his only viable course of action.

Chapter Six : Descent

Produced 2006.04.19 - 2006.06.21, originally 23 pages (22 actual).

Reproduced 2009.08.10 - 2009.11.27, 23 pages (22 actual).

Thad, Ornix and the Sabrosa set course for Bedlam.

Chapter Seven : Impact

Produced 2006.08.17 - 2007.03.11, originally 47 pages (46 actual).

Reproduced 2009.08.19 - 2009.12.04, 49 pages (48 actual).

All threads - and threats - converge. For one shining moment, Bethlehem Medical Centre is the center of the universe. Then Raven fucks it up for everyone.

Chapter Eight : Subversion

2007.04.23 - 2007.07.19, originally 39 pages (38 actual).

Reproduced 2009.08.14 - 2009.12.04, 39 pages (38 actual).

Greymalkin shows the remaining Terrans why he's the boss. Hard decisions are made in an instant, shit blows up, people die, and the Waking God Protocols are, at long last, fulfilled.

Interstitial

Produced 2007.08.21 - 2007.09.14, originally 4 pages.

Reproduced 2009.08.10 - 2009.12.04, 5 pages (4 actual).

Four pages depicting events on Earth and two of its annexed realities in the wake of the departure of the Daedalus.