@[BobbyBlobfish](/user/show/700733) Sorry for the reaallllllyyy late reply 😓 Admittedly, the execution could’ve been better but I tanked it a bit. I was in a slump and wanted to let off some steam with some comedy… that’s probably why it reads a bit jumbled. For the most part, I wanted to write some lore (and by extension have an excuse to world build and poke fun at myself). I wasn’t sure if I would continue with this one so I did story beats out of order. Thinking back on it, it would’ve been best to start with the usual introduction then get some steam going. I’m on a writing break as of now but that may change closer towards Halloween. I have drafts for another story I’d written before my break that relates to this one (plus another story that I’ve already written) so I’ll have to see if I can get the motivation to finish this before then. Also, thanks for the constructive criticism! If/when I write a part 2, it’ll hopefully clear some stuff up.

@[Frznsl566](/user/show/962533) You'll definitely see Conner's new confidence in the next couple of chapters.

@[nerdysuitedbaby](/user/show/164769) I am very excited to read your next chapter

@[MonsterMash62](/user/show/3332) Glad you liked it.

@[BlackMaple](/user/show/180252) Wow! Okay ... both you and Tofu83 are really asking great questions. But I can't answer them because I'm afraid it'll spoil the upcoming chapters. Only after editing this story was I reminded why I chose the title "The Zone". And I also realized that I probably didn't do the best job in tying the title to the story. I do know that when talking to Scott, Hawk mentioned the Zone. But the title definitely plays a big part. So please remind me, once Chapter 9 is posted, the importance of the title. And in that vein, Tofu83 mentioned: "The protagonist’s name remains Scott instead of changing to the recruit’s number X-88. Does it imply that his minds have not been completely reprogrammed and he is still attached to things outside of the program? Does the program want them to keep these?" Again, as with the title, there's a definite reason for this. But I'm afraid that answering this question here would spoil the story. So I'm hoping to be reminded of this question as well. Okay ... YES!!! Piggybacking!!! I always envisioned that it would be the ability for our brain to process multiple perspectives simultaneously. So in a sex scene, you could experience fucking a guy, and at the same time, be the guy that's getting fucked. How awesome would that be?!!! That your brain could process multiple sensory inputs at the same time. And if your brain could process two, could it do three? Four? How many perspectives could one person handle? I found this important because ... when you think about it ... you're basically building towards a hive mind. A man's ability to let go of its "original" identity, and assume or allow another's identity in ... that would be fundamental in having a hive mind ... and in becoming a drone. I think in modern society, we've been indoctrinated to think of me me me. I'm not sure whether it's society, or perhaps just human nature ... but we're just selfish creatures. That's why in the military, during basic training, boot camp is designed to break down a soldier's independent identity, or transition them towards a more team way of thinking. I think it was my intention, when writing this story, that I was trying to do something similar. That recruits have to be broken down, tested and evaluated whether they could become a drone. Piggybacking is definitely a way to test that.

@[rubbrsome](/user/show/13662) Yeah, the Hive Mind is the essence of drones, and you do a great job of narrating its implementation in various ways. Apparently, you have a lot of thoughts on this, I hope we'll have more opportunities to hear more in the future. I'm also glad to know that I'm not the only one who considers it as an essential aspect. :kissing_heart: My interest in this idea maybe began with playing StarCraft, and I'm sure Star Terk has also reinforced this fascination. "Piggybacking" immediately reminds me of it. StarCraft itself is a good example of this (both Zerg and Protoss, and even Terrans has some kind of concept like this), and the military is always trying to achieve similar effect to enhance the power of soldiers. Even if soldiers can only sense each other, this connection provides a significant boost. Indeed, in a way, the military is on the path to becoming drones, also, this idea is quite natural somehow. Organizations like the military would undoubtedly benefit greatly from it. Just imagine how powerful selfless drone squads could be! I always get excited thinking about this, and that would be a big upgrade for humans.