Speculative HEA: Resolving a Paradox

I was perfectly content with the end of Book 4. Truly. It was as close to a “happy ending” as the plot, the physics, and the uncooperative technology would allow.

And then my big, fat, overclocked brain started chewing on it.

Because here’s the problem: the ending wasn’t just a problem for the MCs. It was a problem for everyone. And I’m supposed to just… leave them there? After everything I put them through?

Absolutely not.

I left a little aside in Book 4 — a blink‑and‑you‑miss‑it “oh no, did we do that?” moment — that, for once, didn’t threaten to unravel reality. Turns out that tiny thread is exactly what I needed. Lucky for all of us, as much as I love building things, demolition has always been one of my favorite pastimes.

So here’s what’s coming:

This August:  Live Studio audio for Books 1 and 2, a re‑release of Books 1–4 with added character art, plus the publication of Book 5 (a co‑prequel to Book 1 + extension of Johnathan's experiences) and Book 6 (the prequel/bridge to Shattered Continuum).

Later this year:   Shattered Continuum — a three‑book series that asks: What happens when a Singularity nine billion years in the future is hungry and has nothing left to consume but time? What happens when it finally reaches the characters in Shattered Hollows — specifically Johnathan?

Because Shattered Hollows asks:

What does the path we’re on look like when taken to its extremes, stripped of political branding and modern slogans?

And Shattered Continuum asks:

What layers of identity actually matter?  

What do we lose when we integrate what we know with what we learn?  

Who is the real culprit behind personality — us, or the environment that shapes us?

All of that wrapped in a plot full of assassins, timeline disasters, identity crises, and romantic arcs that are, frankly, as chaotic as the observations of the six‑year‑old who inspired half of them.

And yes — before you ask — there is still cursing, gore, sex, and ludicrous politics. Because this has never been escapism.

It has always been, and will continue to be, an artistically presented “fuck you” to Occam’s Razor.

Dear Reader,

               My work is not accurate. It is fiction. However – this could happen. Not 6,000 years in the future, I made that the setting so I could write from a post-religious framework. I pushed it out as far as I could, so you won’t look at my words as a commentary on current events and politics, but as physical inevitability. Without aliens to slow us down via long-term warfare: you can logically reduce this timeline to ~500 years from now (2026).

               The technology in this series is probabilistic. It adheres to science and projects the extremes. It wrestles with what it is to be intelligent vs. self-aware. It thinks about decoherence as a tool, expectation as evil, and humanity as an exquisitely chaotic and open system.

               Whether provided by aliens, or imparted by human entities: technology is developed at the whims of human curiosity and applied in terms of social control – all tech will eventually bind the people it serves. The hand that wields the control might be attached to a face you like, or a caricature of evil. It doesn’t matter. It will be applied either way, and our children won’t notice it if we don’t tell them.

               The themes I’ve built are meant to provide you—us—with real and honest hope for the spirit of Humanity. This is meant to remind you that as a species, we have faced near eradication by nature, and our own hand many times. We will continue to face these events. We will continue to change ourselves to meet the future and survive it. Tradition is our history and preserving it means understanding it and altering it for survival and quality of life, not blindly practicing it.

               We will survive horrors our history warned us about. We will continue to fight our own nature—our need to be a hero before human, our need to be correct before learning, our need to be alright before resolving what that even looks like. And through all of it, while we might become something more: we will still be beautifully imperfect, tragically mortal, and authentically Human.

Good Luck.

-Wall

Banshee Snakes

If it looks like a ferret, don't be deceived! The Banshee Snake is a different beast altogether: reclusive, not attracted to shiny items, and less likely to stink things up or they'd have a harder time hiding.

Image created in Copilot: This rendition does not reflect the overall length a Banshee Snake can reach (~1.7 m), nor the plethora of coloring that can be found in this species, with populations mostly appearing black with reflective yellow eyes, which helps them hide in dark spaces.

The Banshee Snake was first discovered in the early 3000's in mainland Afikaa. While genetic testing shows it is more closely related to the Platypus (which shows itself in their similarities as egg-laying mammals), the Banshee Snake is not venomous -- however it is poisonous when consumed by non-upgraded humans, and has proven deadly to even the hardiest of people.

Banshee Snakes tend to make their homes underground, favoring underground cities for their protection from radiation belts, along with easy access to the foods they prefer (algae and fungi, which are key resources for larger cities that rely on Organic Matter processing farms to provide sustenance).

Why are they called Banshee Snakes? These hapless creatures have no real protections aside from remaining hidden and being incredibly hard to hold as they use vestigial limbs to propel themselves under silky smooth (and water-repellent) fur. However, when confronted with a threat, they emit an ear-drum shattering scream that has been measured at well over 120 decibels, with a maximum recording of 218 decibels (louder than current-day rockets heading to space).

Banshee Snakes have unpredictable breeding cycles and a high mortality rate in their first three months of life. Some females lay clutches of eggs every month, while others have been documented to go decades without laying a single clutch, even with an abundance of males to use as fertilizer. Scientists postulate that the females will lay clutches "when they damn well please and not a moment sooner...or later", hypothesizing that these creatures mentally decide when and where to breed. It was learned in the late 4000's that Banshee Snakes also produce multiple offspring types to increase survival of at least one pup per clutch, with most females reserving at least a third of her clutch for clones of herself -- she survived, which gives her offspring a higher chance of survival as well. She is able to determine how many eggs are fertilized by each male she mates with. Banshee Snakes are communal creatures, however gathering places (outside of the occasional mating ball) have never been identified.

Banshee Snakes are popular pets among Juggernauts, often used in planting infiltration devices and even explosives. The y can be loving, but several Juggernaut handlers are deaf by the time their second Banshee Snakes are procured.

Banshee Snakes enjoy an uneven lifespan of ~50 years for females and ~5 years for males (although males with more stable chromosomes have been shown to live up to 20 years longer).