The building of tension but then the soft landing, you paint so well it’s like watching a movie that elicits physical reaction of stress and then a sigh of relief in a safe space. Bravo master wordsmith.
Every choice here feels like a risk, like stepping onto ground that might hold or might give way beneath them. The surveillance isn’t just in the air—it’s in their bodies, in the way they move, in how they measure their own words before they even leave their mouths. I feel the weight of the state pressing in, not through brute force but through the quiet, insidious ways it seeps into everything. The Office of Cultural Integrity, the compliance checks, the way even a handshake holds an unspoken calculation. Trust isn’t just rare—it’s dangerous.
Reeves walks in with an answer, but answers in this world are double-edged. Vivian knows that, Riley knows that. They don’t have the luxury of belief, only the necessity of strategy. Every interaction is a test, but not in the way most people think. It isn’t about proving loyalty or intelligence. It’s about reading the air, about understanding what isn’t being said.
And yet, even here, even under this crushing weight, something else is happening. The moment by the window—Vivian’s exhaustion, Riley’s quiet insistence—it cuts through the machinery of the state, through the constant calculations. Trust, in a world like this, isn’t a feeling. It’s an act of resistance. A refusal to let the state dictate who they can care for, who they can risk for.
You write this with such precision. The dread isn’t loud, it isn’t exaggerated. It’s in the way people hesitate before they speak, in the way bureaucracy and brutality hold hands. In the way hope has to be disguised as something else. This isn’t just about the network or the mission—it’s about what remains human when the world is designed to strip that away.
Here is to you holding up shared humanity and the promise of something sensual, even erotic in all this craziness we live in.
Thank you for gifting us with your immeasurable talent of being a weaver of words with layers upon layers of meaning and double speak. It is masterful.
The story is so compelling, the characters rich, there is a sense of dread but also hope that there is good and it will prevail - all done with an elegant lightness of touch. Such a good read.
The building of tension but then the soft landing, you paint so well it’s like watching a movie that elicits physical reaction of stress and then a sigh of relief in a safe space. Bravo master wordsmith.
I think I’ve swallowed the hook. lol
I hope you have because I have fallen totally in love with my own characters! LOL
Yesss they are so wonderful! Thank you for creating them!
It’s my pleasure.
Really excellent, Gloria. You've got me totally hooked into the story now.
Thanks. It is very interesting to research and write.
The mystery, the intrigue, and tension building. The anticipation for what comes next … whew!
It's been a journey learning how to write long fiction and it's also addicting.
My second time reading this and still just as exiting Love this thank you Gloria
Thanks again for reading it for me.
I’m loving the intensity and the depth of the characters!
This story has become a portal into the craft of writing for me. Who knew it could be so much FUN.
It’s truly captivating
Thank you 🙏
Awesome
Thank you, Bob.
Heavens Gloria it is so well written.
No wonder you are addicted to your characters ...
I can now understand how writers lose track of time.
Excellante ...
I devoured the ten chapters upon discovery! I'll be right there beside you when you paint your masterpiece....
Oh yeah, it's a really good to see you and see you are shinny like brand new!
#Whosyourfarmer.
All my love!!!
HEB3
Thank you. 🙏
Thank you! When I stand with a plan you, I would classify you as a damn fine writer. Blows me away that you've only gotten better. I love it!
Say hello to the one who doesn't weaponize words....
.;)
Peace
Was. This page 4 or 5? I’ve read 1,2, and 3. Thank you!!
Marc, these are the story titles and links:
https://gloriahortonyoung.substack.com/p/the-art-of-quiet-resistance?r=a4vn The Art of Quiet Resistance
https://gloriahortonyoung.substack.com/p/the-art-of-quiet-resistance-chapter?r=a4vn The First Test
https://gloriahortonyoung.substack.com/p/invisible-movements?r=a4vn Invisible Movements
https://gloriahortonyoung.substack.com/p/how-to-fight-the-monsters-under-our?r=a4vn How to Fight the Monsters Under Our Beds
https://gloriahortonyoung.substack.com/p/the-best-disguise-is-no-disguise?r=a4vn The Best Disguise is No Disguise
https://gloriahortonyoung.substack.com/p/silk-and-steel?r=a4vn Midnight and Blue
https://gloriahortonyoung.substack.com/p/the-stage-is-set-a-coup-in-three?r=a4vn The Stage Is Set: A Coup in Three Acts
https://gloriahortonyoung.substack.com/p/scripts-and-subterfuge?r=a4vn Scripts and Subterfuge
https://gloriahortonyoung.substack.com/p/the-secret-code-of-us?r=a4vn The Secret Code of Us
https://gloriahortonyoung.substack.com/p/the-language-of-risk?r=a4vn The Language of Risk
Gloria,
Every choice here feels like a risk, like stepping onto ground that might hold or might give way beneath them. The surveillance isn’t just in the air—it’s in their bodies, in the way they move, in how they measure their own words before they even leave their mouths. I feel the weight of the state pressing in, not through brute force but through the quiet, insidious ways it seeps into everything. The Office of Cultural Integrity, the compliance checks, the way even a handshake holds an unspoken calculation. Trust isn’t just rare—it’s dangerous.
Reeves walks in with an answer, but answers in this world are double-edged. Vivian knows that, Riley knows that. They don’t have the luxury of belief, only the necessity of strategy. Every interaction is a test, but not in the way most people think. It isn’t about proving loyalty or intelligence. It’s about reading the air, about understanding what isn’t being said.
And yet, even here, even under this crushing weight, something else is happening. The moment by the window—Vivian’s exhaustion, Riley’s quiet insistence—it cuts through the machinery of the state, through the constant calculations. Trust, in a world like this, isn’t a feeling. It’s an act of resistance. A refusal to let the state dictate who they can care for, who they can risk for.
You write this with such precision. The dread isn’t loud, it isn’t exaggerated. It’s in the way people hesitate before they speak, in the way bureaucracy and brutality hold hands. In the way hope has to be disguised as something else. This isn’t just about the network or the mission—it’s about what remains human when the world is designed to strip that away.
Here is to you holding up shared humanity and the promise of something sensual, even erotic in all this craziness we live in.
Thank you for gifting us with your immeasurable talent of being a weaver of words with layers upon layers of meaning and double speak. It is masterful.
Breathtakingly brilliant! Bravissima ancora!
The story is so compelling, the characters rich, there is a sense of dread but also hope that there is good and it will prevail - all done with an elegant lightness of touch. Such a good read.
A wonderful ebb and flow of tension and tenderness. Also, fabulous history lesson at the end!
Such a wonderful poignant story. I love this so much.