Over a decade has passed since the resolution of the M case. What happens to the members of the QED Club after? Is their bond as strong as when they were still in high school? Or did they start to grow apart?
FUTURE OF THE QED CLUB is a special volu...
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Hi there!
I'd like to start by thanking all of you for reading Future of the QED Club and still supporting the adventures of the QED 4 even though the main story ended in December 2020! To be honest, if I want to, I can go on and write more stories about our beloved detectives. The end of the M case opens doors to many quests!
Paano ba nagsimula ang Future? Bakit ko naisipan 'to? I think it all started when someone on the QED Club's Discord server (yes, we're on Discord too!) asked me kung ano ang career ng QED 4 at ng ibang characters. I gave it a serious thought and came up with what you read in this story.
Noong papalapit na ang 6th anniversary ng Project LOKI sa November 25, 2021, nag-isip ako ng pwedeng surprise para sa inyo. Yeah, Project LOKI Webtoon was launched on that day, but I really wanted to spoil you with another surprise! Kaso hindi nag-materialize dahil sa dami ng iniisip ko noon.
November went by and it's time for Christmas! Nag-isip ako kung ano ang pwedeng iregalo sa inyo. Then I remembered 'yong naudlot kong plan last November. Dito ko na naisipang ituloy 'yon at gawing gift sa inyo. I had doubts noong una kung matatapos ko ba kasi mahilig akong mambitin sa mga ongoing ko (Sorry!). But I told myself that Future was going to be a short one—a novella—so finishing it as soon as possible shouldn't be a problem.
To be honest, this was an entirely different experience from when I was writing Project LOKI. Maliban sa rotating POV chapters ng ating apat na bida, hindi na gaya ng set-up noon ang way para ma-solve ang isang case. Dati kasi, they just had to stay in the crime scene and try to figure out who the murderer was on the same day. In Future, that would no longer work. They're adults and professionals now, and they're bound by some rules.
One of the challenges I faced was how to make each of the four relevant in this case. Initially, it's supposed to be Loki working in forensics, Alistair defending a client and Lorelei covering the trial. I got to squeeze Jamie in by making the theater a crime scene and her friend the accused. I went further by making her a character witness in the trial. She's just supposed to be an spectator, but that would be unfair to her. In the end, I managed to involve them equally and provide perspective from their sides.
Since I made Luthor the prosecutor (a stepping stone to his political career), I began to ponder the possibility of him facing off with Alistair in the courtroom. The idea got me so excited! I couldn't recall a moment where they had a clash in Project LOKI, so it's interesting to see them fight here.
I have a confession to make: Right from the start, Luthor was supposed to win this trial. He's my favorite male character, there's no way I'd let him lose. The verdict was supposed to be "guilty beyond reasonable doubt" because the defense failed to satisfy the first element of self-defense justification. But I considered the consequences and impact of that decision on the characters: Alistair would lose, his client would go to prison, and his friends would be sad about it. For a novella that was only supposed to run for 10 chapters, I didn't want it to end on a depressing note. I also wouldn't be able to explore that area where Alistair's disillusionment with the justice system starts.
So I decided to play safe! After writing Chapter 11, I tried to think of a way where Luthor wouldn't lose and Alistair wouldn't get sad. Enter the contrived plot twist: the victim's prints on another wooden trophy! I wouldn't lie: Even I as the writer found it an asspull way to resolve the problem.
But I wasn't really after the case featured in this story. I didn't give it too much thought, that's why it's so simple. It's just a means to an end. What I wanted to show you was how much the QED 4 have grown since Project LOKI. 'Yon talaga ang point ng story na 'to: Ipakita sa inyo kung nasaan na sila ngayon at ikumpara sa noon.
Oh, about the "ships," I admit that my bias is showing. You should know by now which ship I'm rooting for. "But author, you proud sinker of ships," I hear you say, "ang sabi mo walang lalayag!" Yes, I did say that... in Project LOKI. But this isn't Project LOKI anymore. Kayo nang bahalang mag-isip kung ano'ng ibig sabihin no'n at mag-fill in the blanks. If you still want more, may AU writers sa Twitter na nagpo-post ng short stories na pwede n'yong basahin to satisfy your cravings.
This isn't the conclusion to the QED Club's adventures. But this isn't exactly the beginning of another adventure. This is just a teaser showing everyone where the story could go after their high school years. I can write a police procedural or legal thriller with them as characters. But I don't want to entertain that idea for now. This was too much work! The amount of reseach that I had to put in wasn't a joke.
Someone asked me if I'd publish this story. For those who are wondering, the answer is "not very soon." I still have to release the remaining two parts of Project LOKI, the long planned bookset, QED University 2, and other stories. Maybe in 2023 or 2024? Let's see!
Again, thank you so much for supporting this story! I appreciate every comment, favorite, tweet and meme. You guys and gals made this short journey enjoyable for me, kaya nagawa ko siyang tapusin in just three weeks, from December 24, 2021 to January 14, 2022!
Well then, see you in the QED Club's next great adventure!
From the bottom of the sea where your ships sank, RHEIN
