DARPA Working on Informateur?

A recent Newsweek headline: U.S. MILITARY PLANS CYBORG SOLDIERS WITH NEW DARPA PROJECT

DARPA announced its intentions of eventually building a chip no larger than one cubic centimeter, or two nickels stacked back to back, that can be implanted in the brain. The chip would act as a neural interface by converting electrochemical signals sent by neurons in the brain into the ones and zeros used in digital communications.

Sounds like the precursor to an Informateur to me. Be interesting to see where this goes.

What's an Informateur? Check out my webserial Perfect to find out.

Want more Perfect episodes? Let me know by leaving a comment below.

Perfect, Episode Forty ♦ Howling Wind

Part Two of Perfect draws to a close with publication of

Perfect, Episode Forty ♦ Howling Wind

I hope you've enjoyed reading Perfect. Part Three is planned for 2015 - please use the "Follow on" links to the right to be notified when the next episode is available.

It's also important to thank a few people for their help in bringing you Part Two. I'm indebted to my friendly librarian Judith and her friend Pam for assistance on the final section of Episode Forty. Don't know how I could have written it without Judith's advice and feedback. Writing may be a solitary endeavor, but creation stems from contact with others.

Critique partners from Westside Writers also provided wonderful, useful feedback as I was developing each episode in Part Two.

Thank you April, Gayle, Judith, Marilyn, Mike and Pat, Pam, Rebecca, Walt, Whitney, and Vanessa.

Perfect, Episode Thirty-nine ♦ Harvest Festival

Anita's been a bit moody, but now it's time for change.

Perfect, Episode Thirty-nine ♦ Harvest Festival

Perfect, Episode Thirty-eight ♦ Anita's Day

Has another fortnight gone by? Am I really publishing the thirty-eighth episode of Perfect, editing the thirty-ninth, and tweaking the first full draft of episode forty - the biggest cliff hanging, Part Two closing, season finishing, OMG ending for 2014? Yes. All around, the answer is yes. I'm a tiny bit overwhelmed by the enormity of it all, but pretty excited and pleased.

So this week George and Anita have settled into life in a future Red Cloud firmly rooted in an age long since passed into our own history. He followed her from a comfortable life in civilization to a new, unimagined, impossible life in the Great North American Wilderness Park. So what do they do all day? How's he dealing with the change? And exactly what does Anita think about it all? Find out in

Perfect, Episode Thirty-eight ♦ Anita's Day

Perfect, Episode Thirty-seven ♦ The Meeting

Published today

Perfect, Episode Thirty-seven ♦ The Meeting

Perfect, Episode Thirty-six ♦ Carl Marpole

Published the new episode of Perfect yesterday. Catch up on what's happening to George and Anita on their quest to find Red Cloud. Did Willem send them the clues? Is he in Red Cloud? Will they stay or hit the road again?

Enjoy the next episode today!

Perfect, Episode Thirty-six ♦ Carl Marpole

Only four episodes remain in Part Two of Perfect and I promise Episode Forty will be big - not longer, but something very important will happen. Are you ready for it?

Perfect, Episode Thirty-five ♦ Red Cloud

George and Anita are almost there!

After a rescue by some good folk from the town of Friorby, they've set off on the last leg of their journey. Across half the continent, they're in the middle of the Great North American Wilderness Park (GNAWP) - the depopulated area between the Mississippi River and the Sierra Nevadas & Cascades. But just as man is part of nature, there are people living in the wilderness much like people did in the early 1800s. Technically still a part of the Industrial Confederation, in the GNAWP there are no Informateurs and De Authoriteit does not exercise control.

As early as Episode Four ♦ Dreams, Avinashika (now known as Anita) dreamt of a red cloud. A recurrent image, in Episode Twenty-five ♦ Trade Beads Anita and George received their last clue: "My pioneers. West. Find me under a red cloud." It took the help of Clearie and a visit to Concordia to figure out where they needed to go.

Do George and Anita make it to Red Cloud? Find out in

Perfect, Episode Thirty-five ♦ Red Cloud

Perfect, Episode Thirty-four ♦ Black Miners

It's still Tuesday, 5 August in Alaska when I posted this, right?

Well then, here's the next episode of Perfect, ready for you to read online:

Perfect, Episode Thirty-four ♦ Black Miners

Or maybe you prefer to read this episode as a PDF file?

You may also download all episodes currently available in a single PDF.

Enjoy!

Perfect, Episode Thirty-three ♦ Well Water

I'm happy to announce that a new episode is available on my website.

Perfect, Episode Thirty-three ♦ Well Water

Perfect, Episode Thirty-two ♦ The Fork

Now available

Perfect, Episode Thirty-two ♦ The Fork

Please let me know if you enjoy Perfect. Leave a comment below or visit Perfect's Facebook page.

Perfect, Episode Thirty-one ♦ Another View

Now available

Perfect, Episode Thirty-one ♦ Another View

Sorry for the delay, but it just wasn't ready for publication yesterday as planned.

Thanks for your continued support.

Perfect Episode Thirty ♦ The Ferryman

Now available

Perfect, Episode Thirty ♦ The Ferryman

Perfect, Episode Twenty-nine ♦ Saint Jo

George and Anita are spending some time with their new friend Clearie in Saint Jo near the Missouri River. Both Anita and George are trying to figure out what to do next. They could stay in Saint Jo, but there is always the final outstanding clue ‘My pioneers. West. Find me under a red cloud.’

Now available

Perfect, Episode Twenty-nine ♦ Saint Jo

Perfect, Episode Twenty-eight ♦ Failed Test

Last time George was introduced to his new best friend: a twelve gauge, double barrel coach gun. Kent and Eetu headed north for supplies leaving George on guard duty. Long past their promised return, George heard someone approaching from the west.

Now available:

Perfect, Episode Twenty-eight ♦ Failed Test

Perfect, Episode Twenty-seven now online.

Perfect, Episode Twenty-seven ♦ Twelve Gauge

Out on the plains, George meets a new, best friend. Can he use it when he needs to?

Curious about the hardware? Don’t know what a coach gun is or how it differs from a shotgun? Check out the Stoeger Coach Gun Supreme (good photo, just copyright protected), Cowboy Action Shooting or there is ALWAYS Wikipedia! (the above photo taken by “Commander Zulu" and used there). Such images were inspiration when writing this episode.

Perfect, Episode Twenty-six

George and Anita are leaving Hannibal. Find out where they are going next and how they will get there in

Perfect, Episode Twenty-six ♦ Night Riders

Perfect, Episode Twenty-five

Finally! It's ready and available online.

My apologies for the delay - had some personal issues that put me behind a couple of days. Friday postings didn't seem to attract many readers. I'm looking to see how posting on a Wednesday pans out. After today, I'm planning to post every other Tuesday starting on 15 April 2014.

BTW, learn about the necklace in the photo here.

So, let's catch up with George and Anita Winston (fka Luis Antas & Avinashika Joshi) in Hannibal on the Mississippi. It's a couple hundred years or so in the future (from the time you read this): they live in the Perfect Age, a time without paper, a time with instantaneous access to information via a chip implanted in the skull, a time when three governments control the planet - and jostle for control.

But George and Anita are leaving that all behind. Hannibal on the Mississippi is a way station as they hunt for their guide west. Into the Great North American Wilderness Park - an uncivilized land stretching from the Mississippi to the Sierras and Cascades.

Last time, Mary said, "I am told trade beads are always useful." She curtsied and left George and Anita to figure out what to do next. They are also trying to solve a clue: "Be cautious. In Hannibal. Like Tabeau wrote of York."

Find out what happens next in:

Perfect, Episode Twenty-five ♦ Trade Beads

Perfect, Episode 25

I'm holding Episode 25 back for a couple days. Didn't think publishing on Fridays was working as well as I hoped. Look for it instead on 1 or 2 April. Thanks for the interest!

Perfect, Episode Twenty-four

Now that George and Anita are settling into a new life in Hannibal, it's time to make some sense out of the clues, "Beware of hucksters. Find Sid & Mary after church. Where Samuel played." and "Be cautious. In Hannibal. Like Tabeau wrote of York."


It's more fun in the future historic town - or is that historic future town? - of Hannibal on the Mississippi. With guest cameos from beloved Twain characters. Will your favorite be there? Find out what advice Mary has in...

Perfect, Episode Twenty-four ♦ Mary's Advice

Perfect Episode Twenty-three

Last time George and Anita were stumbling around in the dark outside Hannibal until found by Jane Canary - you know who she was, right? She guides them towards town, but first they meet a very famous American writer and his wife and find out just what they'll be doing in the not-quite-right town of Hannibal in the Great North American Wilderness Park.

This week with special guests Mark Twain and his wife Olivia (hmmm, I thought she was married to Samuel Clemens) and of course Calamity Jane! Meet them all in...


Perfect, Episode Twenty-three ♦ Finding Hannibal