NOVEL NEXT 302: Nashville-Bound Airship
"Wimpy, it's been way too long! We should travel more," Paddy complained.
"Where next, love? Nashville, then what?" he asked indulgently.
"Well, if it isn't too cold yet, I bet Wyoming would be nice."
Rhoda nodded, "September is the perfect time to go. You'll miss the summer crowds, so you can tour the Parks and see plenty of wildlife. Moose, bison, and maybe a grizzly."
"Can you imagine that, Wimpy?"
"You know, I think I can," HC agreed with his wife.
"But, you'll want to do some shopping. You need pants, and a jacket at the very least, and another layer like a sweater. Summer there is still colder than your coolest day in Miami," I warned them.
"This is sounding like a plan, Paddy, not a joke," HC mused.
"Well, why not? We even have built-in tour guides."
"Hey!" Rhoda complained. "I've got a son to get home to, and a skin-care business that needs my attention. I can't cart you two all over the state showing you how empty it is!"
We all laughed and settled into our seats on the Nashville-bound airship. It was a quick flight; only 45 minutes, but we intended to use that time to our advantage.
"So, the oddity in Discord you've noticed so far is that in #SpecialStreaksGeneral, you haven't found parroted content from other servers?" I asked my friends.
Rhoda nodded, "I've been lurking there for two days, trying to see if I find repeating ideas. So far, nothing stands out."
As she recounted her recent exploits, I gazed out the windows at Miami below us. I was sad to say goodbye to the ocean, and made a wish that I'd be back soon. I'd been too busy writing Discordant to log in to Discord recently, so Rhoda had used her free time while I was working on my book to observe the chats.
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Turning back to Rhoda, I asked, "So, nothing new cropped up?"
"I know there's got to be more, but I'm still getting a feel for it. I think we need to join more servers, but honestly, how does anyone keep up with all of that chatter and run a business? I've got my work at Wyoming Wild to keep up with!"
"I don't think anyone actually does," HC grimaced. "I think a lot of it's bullshitters popping in and out, unless every single user besides me and Sam are bots. Which I highly doubt. They've gotta be copying actual humans to keep the ruse going. Making it sound like real people having odd, funny, off-the-wall conversations."
I nodded. "Then we just need to join more servers; compare more text. Come on, HC, you must know more books on Purple Road we can use."
Bong! A new message from HC linked to the book Tara and Leilani by Spumoni. I followed it and skimmed three chapters. It was actually a great story. Full of action, but also intimately emotional. Like the character was a friend, not a stranger you'd just met on a page.
At the bottom of the third chapter was the Discord invite, so I tapped it and voila! Spumoni's server was before me.
It was similar to everything else in Discord, but not as chatty as #SpecialStreams. "How much have you investigated this one, HC?"
"Not much, yet. That's what I'm doing this trip."
"Perfect. I'm gonna go look at this other server real fast," I told him. "Rhoda, you and Paddy should search for key phrases like 'Only on Tuesday. Needs a defragg. Wipe your brain. AAAAAAAAASS. I'M ASLEEP!' Look for them in every server we've subscribed to and see if it leads to more."
Rhoda nodded and tapped her screen.
I scrolled through the last server i'd been on: AnnieTheTiny's #MenudoGeneral. They'd had a whole discussion about milk versus dark chocolate.
I started to get excited. I mean, this seemed like normal Discord trash talk about fave foods, but Rakshasas didn't wanna answer because they felt like it was a trap. If there was entrapment going on, maybe NPCs were gonna throw down.
It'd been three days, but no one had been in chat all that time. I decided to get the convo going again.
Ayela: afs. fun vacay at the beach. how's everyone?
AnnieTheTiny: Hey! New person! @Ayela! Cheer up Rakshasas. They're down in the dumps.
Ooooo kaaaay. Put me on the spot, why don't you, AnnieTheTiny?!?!?
Ayela: hey! I should probably read the #rules before I jump in here, right?
MistleToe: rules schmools, @Ayela
Ayela: lol. what's going on, @Rakshasas? Bad day?
Rakshasas: 😥 my cat is sick, and I can't write. I'm all worried and grouchy, and nothing is good
Ayela: I'm really sorry, Rakshasas. That sounds like the worst kind of day. Have you tried journaling about your cat? Not anything you'll publish. Just your feelings? Get them out? Sometimes that helps me.
Rakshasas: 😭
Ayela: 🫂
Dear god, can I sympathetic cry over DISCORD? With someone who might not even be a PERSON?!?!? What kind of emo WAS I?!?!? No. No I was not going to cry over Rahskasas' maybe-non-existent cat. A bathroom break was called for, so I abandoned the pad.
That same screen was still waiting for me when I got back, of course. And even better, it led to some real clues.