AAG - Chapter 64!
Added 2025-11-05 00:03:10 +0000 UTCThis chapter was hard to finish, but very fun to write. I hope you'll find it worth the wait. I want to say a whole lot more, but I also don't want to spoil anything, even inadvertently. You'll understand what I mean when you've finished the chapter.
As always, let's discuss in the comments! Enjoy! :-)
Comments
A question occurs to me. Can the GODS net protect a planet from the effects of a gamma-ray burst?
Mike
2026-02-01 02:06:05 +0000 UTCNope didn't give us anything.
BigZ87
2025-12-27 06:41:59 +0000 UTCI think Joe will give us a GREAT chapter as a Christmas present. Things are about to get interesting.
MSW
2025-12-19 17:45:25 +0000 UTCGlad you liked it, my friend! Thank you so much for your support from the very beginning! :-)
Joseph Orlando
2025-11-17 00:52:53 +0000 UTCHe does have far more data than he did before. His AI children got a long hard look at Dominion programming and the way their intrusion software works. That's valuable. His memories are of the broad strokes from the shows, but the "how" was entirely missing from DS9. Yes, how many others are there? That will weigh on Gothic and Section 31's mind quite a bit going forward. Gothic is going to need to make a decision as to just how much he should share with Section 31 given what is at stake. The more he shares the greater the danger to him from Section 31. Thanks for your support! :-)
Joseph Orlando
2025-11-17 00:49:09 +0000 UTCThat is the million bar of latinum question. I have it in my mind that he will tell Section 31, but I'm leaning towards not hiding the circumstances. Pressman infiltrated Gothic's ship, he straight up vaporized supposed crew without a word. Section 31 would understand Gothic capturing and interrogating Pressman to figure out just how deep Pressman's support went. Gothic may NEED Section 31 to run interference with any of Pressman's friends in Starfleet Command. Thank you for your support! :-)
Joseph Orlando
2025-11-17 00:37:23 +0000 UTCYou're welcome! Thank you for your support! :-)
Joseph Orlando
2025-11-17 00:34:15 +0000 UTCDavid, I'm so glad this chapter was a welcome surprise for you on your mom's heavenly birthday. I'm so glad you liked it. You're right, it won't end well for anyone. Thank you so much for your longtime support! :-)
Joseph Orlando
2025-11-17 00:33:48 +0000 UTCA great chapter Joe, crazy cliffhanger at the end of the chapter. How long was pressman replaced by the Changeling? I hoping nothing was stolen from Gothic’s computer system upcoming chapters? That sucked that Gothic got cock block by Changeling Pressman. I hope he finished up with president and ambassadors in the next chapter? Does Gothic have a protocol for dominion? I hope he investigates the slaves on Bajor? I hoping Gothic and B'Elanna Torres start the relationship on my way back to Bajor?
jeff027
2025-11-14 14:09:58 +0000 UTCI wonder how many Shields were actually up.Was the primary shield up or just the force field natasha put up
Durdens Wrath
2025-11-12 20:21:52 +0000 UTCYeah I hope that gothic prevented him from having that data spike. Either had it stored somewhere or destroyed it
Durdens Wrath
2025-11-12 20:21:18 +0000 UTCI'm guessing that Gothic will have to modify the Brig Cubes to include a limited transporter scrambler. Nothing huge, just enough to cover the brig or a holding cell in the future. Torres would flip if he told her about that tech, so it will likely have to be installed when the FT docks at the island.
RegularReplacement
2025-11-09 20:14:13 +0000 UTCOh that cliffhanger really hits hard. Wow! I kinda felt I knew what was going on when the targeted plans were found out, and the reaction from being captured. But their tech must be near or on par with Gothic's seeing this play out. Gothic got cock blocked in the worst way, this is going to distract him, but he also needs to maintain appearances. No telling how long until things go loud now with that infiltrator exposed. Hopefully he has enough time to make his "liason" with the president and ambassadors then go into Admiral mode Doom Slayer Style. Odo was the only good one in canon imo. The rest are too evil from drinking their own piss in that liquid echo chamber. Thank you for the story!
James Wise
2025-11-07 13:08:17 +0000 UTCBrilliant just Brilliant. Perfect twist i did not see coming. Evil cliff hamger
Elric
2025-11-07 07:39:32 +0000 UTCOne aspect of dominion tech has me worried. The dominion transporter beam went through the FT primary shield, secondary skin tight shield and a powerful forcefield erected by Natasha to get the founder changeling. The shields are based on husnock, minosion, and federation tech so cutting through it all was surprising. Looking forward to seeing how gothic will counter the alien tech.
andrew regalado
2025-11-07 07:04:13 +0000 UTCAlways nice to read someone else's analysis on the chapter. My thoughts on Pressman... damn I just don't know. I mean acting like a rabid dog toward Gothic could have been all Pressman or an act. Now that I think about it, could have been replaced for a long time given the interest in Gothic's Island and how he constructed the FT so fast. Those two things alone would make the Dominion nervous. Now toss in the GODS net and the Dominion are gonna want to know everything, then steal/destroy the FT, kill Gothic and replace him. Too bad Gothic has so many safeguards on his stuff to prevent an infiltrator from doing that. The data that Founder went after makes some sense to me. As the Pressman infiltrator I would need the data on the FT and GODS net for Starfleet (doctored so it can't be reproduced, can't let solids have that stuff), I'd need the un-doctored data for the Dominion so we can have all the cool toys, and I'd want everything on Bajor as it's the beachhead to the Alpha Quadrant. Beyond the value that the Stealth Shuttle has, I think the real prize of this fuck up is the Data Spike. That thing needs a quarantine/air gaped/sandbox environment and then it needs to be pealed apart. Getting that analyzed would boost any cyber warfare suite that Gothic's AI have.
RegularReplacement
2025-11-06 21:59:39 +0000 UTCSeptember was the last one I think. So bi monthly? I do think the sub cost should change with the reduced output.
Durdens Wrath
2025-11-06 21:38:30 +0000 UTCI 100% agreed with S31 for that bio weapon. Gothic needs to use it.
Durdens Wrath
2025-11-06 21:36:07 +0000 UTCSo did the Admiral get all the data he was looking for, or did Gothic prevent that? And does Gothic have the shuttle or has it warped away? I hope we dont have to wait until 2026 to find out.
Durdens Wrath
2025-11-06 21:31:56 +0000 UTCHoly crap! That was worth the wait and I had absolutely no idea it was coming!
James Lector
2025-11-06 17:58:46 +0000 UTCEasily a Dominion Op, I am thinking, considering the info they were going after, but was Pressman just copied, or was the Pressman animosity manufactured because a Founder had killed and copied him? Will the 3 GODS nets be deployed before the deal is made with Risa and Betazed. That's what I would do, just have it cloaked, so it is there just in case, that will also put some pressure on the Dominion as they then don't know which planet has them, and Gothic can say he suspected a deal would be inked when the dominion war cooks off, for arse coverage, therefore Gothic is not wanting to take over or threaten the Federation. Also Gothic just got himself a free stealth shuttle. Is the cloak detection web only for close to the planet, or does the FT have its own sensors, that kind of stealth ability speaks to new tech not seen before.
Chris
2025-11-06 10:33:23 +0000 UTCNice chapter, I hope he didn't forget to take care of that shuttle. Wonder how long he has been a changeling. I can't tell if the Changeling was transported or if Gothic is hoping to kill it before it is transported. The Dominion just gave him his first examples of their technology and computer language. That was probably a mistake.
maddsloth II
2025-11-06 08:19:19 +0000 UTCI think she is dead dead. Keeping her around would be a huge liability after he found out what she knew.
maddsloth II
2025-11-06 08:01:50 +0000 UTCDamn great chapter. Damn 96 interviews, that's a fair bit lol. I gotta say I love Aannika as Gothic executive assistant role for his business side of things Yea while having clients fir the GODs net in the Federation both for profit and influence in the Federation is a good idea having clients outside the Federation as protection if the Federation turn on him, especially if Gothic gets clients in Iike the Klingon Empire as if the Federation/Starfleet try to size the system it would piss of alot of other worlds. Yea Lauren has come a very far way from what we saw in the show. Yea B'Elanna, its only a matter of time lol. Actually question before they leave Kessik IV, do you think you may have a small arc with B'Elanna as this was the planet she and her family lived together before her father walked out, as kinda surprised this didn't come up. Yea high quality shipping is a very profitable business in a galactic community, especially with Gothic setting his companies as an independent enterprise that while tied to bajor is mostly independent, especially with Gothic business partners he works with like Quark and Zeck. Damn that slave network is as big as a danger to Gothic as it is to the Tal Shiar as if the Tal Shiar even thinks its possible that Gothic knows the amount of assassins, mercenaries they would sens after him as that information would be catastrophic for them and the star empire. But knowledge is gonna weigh on Gothic, the knowledge that some of these slaves are in Bajor and even Federation member worlds, and even with V'Ren dead, the Tal Shiar will notice if the collars stop reporting in. Damn, well atleast Worf survived the blast. Even if Gothic himself won't make a lot of profit from selling Bajoran spring wine for awhile, it would still be a boon for those on Bajor that make spring wine as they will get more off world orders which would certainly help the Bajoran economy. NOOOO not the orgy block. Ok a few things here about the end which was awesome. Where did the team come from as they were human so are likey Starfleet but them being so willing to just kill anyone they come across makes me think that they may be some of the vocal to anti Augments but hard to say. Second that Pressman was replaced prior to viewing the tests makes sense with the hints as he was certainly more extreme in his opposition to Gothic. That the changling was able to get the collector armour for the team is an interesting question as that stuff would be under lock and key for study. Also that apparently the gods net didn't detect the shuttle on its approch. Was it the shuttle that the changling transported to or another ship as if that shuttle is still there thats a problem. Also its curious the information the changling was after as instead of information about Gothic's ship, his business operations or anything about him it went for information on DS9, Bajor, the wormhole, the prophets and their orbs, sector defense protocols and contingency plans. As while Gothic would certainly have alot of useful information there are easier ways to get it, heck DS9 isn't would have alot of information as for example Ro who had taken over while Gothic was gone would certainly have access to intel on DS9 and sector defense plans. As for orbs, maybe I mean there are orbs on Bajor but okay. Regardless keep up the great work
War sage
2025-11-06 00:40:28 +0000 UTCWow, this is a lot to unpack and go over. First, I love how the Tal Shiar was dealt with. Got a lot of intel, got some good leverage, and got to close out her file without directly connecting S31 and Gothic to the catch. Even got a huge lever against the Romulans and the Tal Shiar. Nice, brutal, but nice. It even leaves room for one off missions like Gothic had early on in the story that lasted a few paragraphs or half a chapter. Second, Pressman....damn that is a can of worms. S31 is going to have to be told for certain and maybe SI (even with the Pressman/Gothic baggage). But telling SI can have a huge backlash as some other fans pointed out. There are still several corpses on the FT that need to be identified so that might help to get SI off Gothic's back "Here are your goons, can you tell me why they broke into my ship and killed several of my crew?", but that only works if Pressman is not identified as an infiltrator. Lots of ways this can go. Third, the Dominion. I had this whole thought about the Founder on the FT having come from a Hurk Stealth Shuttle and having Hurk weapons and then I remembered that damn World ship back in the Sol system. So it was an SI operation with Hurk assets. Now I am less worried about it. Fourth, the Stealth shuttle...damn that is a problem. Even if the thing was salvaged from the Hurk World ship by SI the problem is that Shuttles don't have that kind of range or speed. So it was either dropped off by another ship or the damn thing was near by and re-tasked to strike the FT. Finally, Gothic got cock blocked again by Fate. Captain Hook would agree,"That's just bad form".
RegularReplacement
2025-11-05 22:38:46 +0000 UTCWelp. Time to start blood testing everyone, raise the alarm with S31 and maybe Picard. Worst comes to worst Gothic has Odo so he can possibly create the changling bio-weapon S31 made in DS9.
TwoJacksAndAnAce
2025-11-05 16:06:39 +0000 UTCNice chapter and with a suprising Twist. For clarification is V'Ren noch dead because from the toughts Gothic had dringend the conversation it feals like she is alive but on the Otter hand it also stunde like she is real dead, could you or someone Else clarifie or Tell me theire opinion?
Shadow6409
2025-11-05 11:16:05 +0000 UTCdamn what a really great chapter!! i love it and i really can't wait to read what might happen in the next chapter whenever it comes out :-)
maben00
2025-11-05 09:47:26 +0000 UTCWay to Cliffhanger Joe!!! Now I am pissed, because I gotta wait a month or more for chapter 65. The question is, did the Dominion get away with the data?? Transporter's do not only transport puddles!!
Chris
2025-11-05 08:34:19 +0000 UTCOhhh thats a nasty little twist, but now he has alot of data on them. Also, which other founders are pulling strings in other places, because like forest fires. There can never just be only one.
Big ToFu
2025-11-05 07:07:08 +0000 UTCSo that happened! I started to suspect close to the end there, when the inconsistencies stacked up. How long has he been a changeling is the real question. Gonna need to re-read the story, I can't remember what the situation is with the Dominion here. Surprised that a Dominion transporter could punch through what the Flighty Temptress has for shields and security fields. Sure, it cut through DS9's crappy Cardassian shields in that episode, but the Temptress has much more impressive stuff. Also sensor dampening so even getting a lock would be difficult. I suppose having a captured changeling would be too much for the plot to handle :P
Curtis Templeton
2025-11-05 03:25:36 +0000 UTCSo what is the update schedule? Once every month or every 3 months? Great chapter btw
Captain-General Kittonius
2025-11-05 02:27:25 +0000 UTCCrap Pressman was a changeling? All this time or just recently. Gothic has to tell Section 31 about the infiltrator in a way that doesn't implicate the abduction and replacement being his fault. Well that will be a stretch as he really hates the Admiral.
Shane Cawley
2025-11-05 00:54:17 +0000 UTCLove it thanks for the chap
Austin
2025-11-05 00:25:51 +0000 UTCThe funniest thing - I was on your page not even 5 minutes ago, just wondering how things were going. I re-read the previous spoiler, and I thought it meant that you'd be updating at the end of this week, so this comes as a most welcome suprise. It's been a tough day for me; this would have been my mother's 74th Birthday...it's been almost 3 years now, but its still hard on days like this. This chapter, even from just the teaser, looks to be a good one, and I look forward to reading it. Thanks again for your hard work, Joe. And I was right...it was excellent. Nice twist at the end there too...so the Founders are making moves already. Yeah, that can only end well for all sides...
David Maddern
2025-11-05 00:13:23 +0000 UTCAs always, even before I read the chapter, thanks for the story and entertainment.
RegularReplacement
2025-11-05 00:08:16 +0000 UTC
