(Winner of longest nonsequitor linking quote of all time, right there.)
Okay, so this update carries with it a LOT of tweaks and some new scenes.
I’ve been worried this chapter is inconsistent in tone and theme. I had some narrative gimmicks which I dropped later, Cass’s voice wasn’t completely consistent, etc. I’ve done an editing pass to tweak word choice here and there. There’s a changelog at the top of the page which links you to specific critically important changes.
Oh, and new scenes.
This story’s been a bit rough to develop because it changed drastically in the middle of writing it. Originally it was just “Hipster taxi driver with odd dreams has to switch to country trucking and experiences culture clash.” Which was boring, so I added in an uberplot supporting subplot with teddy bears. But I can’t dump the culture clash angle because it’s also thematic, and… agh. It’s a bit of a mess. Hopefully I’m overstating the mess. I’ve never been a good evaluator of my own work, after all.
Your feedback is welcome. We’re nearing the end — Cass has a delivery run to make and then there’s a bit of a crisis, and some revelations. Hang on tight, folks.