Holy crap, it’s done.

After almost 15 years, Book I of Mobius VII has been completed and published to the world. As I’m writing this from my loyal and dedicated streaming rig in my basement/home office, I still can’t believe that this has happened. That’s actually the first thing I want to thank: the machines that have carried me so far in my journey.

I started writing this story on a chunky HP laptop running a Pentium 4 processor. That hefty machine helped me write the first original 18 or so chapters until I upgraded to a slimmer and more powerful laptop. I wrote the next five on that one before I scrapped the original draft and started the rewrite. When that laptop crapped out on me, I switched to a ultra-portable 2-in-1 hybrid laptop. It was severely underpowered, but was light enough to carry around and write with. It’s the computer that I built Games with Coffee on.

A year or two after that, the laptop’s keyboard became unresponsive and I had to purchase workarounds to keep up with writing. I eventually bought a refurbished laptop who’s screen broke about two years ago. That’s when my cousin, Lee, came in and offered his assistance. He recently upgraded his PC and offered to build a rig of my own using the old spare parts that he would have thrown away otherwise. I graciously accepted his offer and so I have to thank him and my beloved rig. Without his help and without this powerhouse of a computer, I would probably still be working on this first book at this very moment.

I also want to extend thanks to my younger brother, Shane. He was my original beta reader from day one. He listened to my crazy ideas and understood my passion towards this project. Though he oftentimes mentioned that I drove him nuts, he nevertheless was my sounding board and confidant during the early years of the story. Eventually, he stopped being my beta, because he told me (in his own words), “This thing is too damn long.”

Thanks also goes to my other two beta readers: The Mail Order Ninja aka Daniel Flatt and Winst0lf aka Bizzaro aka Craig Rathbone. Those two guys were both instrumental in making sure that Book I looked and sounded its best and my biggest hype men for spreading the word about it. You guys are amazing and I cannot thank you both enough for all your efforts, both big and small.

I also want to thank Moses Norton and Chris Durston, authors of “The Last Stitch Goes Through The Nose” and “Each Little Universe” and personal friends in the games writing sphere. You both really inspired me to get this thing finished once and for all.

Thanks goes to Alfonso aka Infernal on Discord, who has told me that this was his very first fanfiction and that he greatly enjoyed it. Thank you for putting in such a great word about the story man, it really boosted my confidence. Thanks also to Jeffery aka Virtua Neptune, a fellow writer and a fun guy to hang out with. I always appreciate our talks.

To my dear, recurrent readers, thank you, thank you, thank you. I’m so glad that I was able to deliver a story that kept you coming back for more. More than that, I’m glad you enjoyed it!

I want to send a special shout out to DirtySciFiBuddah aka Kent Wayne, who has never failed to like each chapter of the story. Much love to you, my man. I have to check out your work sometime as well.

To my family members who have read this story, thank you for doing so. Yes, this was ambitious and maybe a little out there for some of you guys, but I still appreciate the support!

Also, thank you mom and dad. Dad for teaching me the love of reading at a young age, and mom for always pushing me, even if we argued constantly because of it.

Thank you to the creators of Sonic the Hedgehog and Final Fantasy VII. Without those two, I’d never be who I am today.

There are two other very important people that I need to thank and those are my wife, Usha and my son, Arjun. Ush is my planner babe and quite possibly the biggest reason I write. She inspires and pushes me creatively and though I doubt I can ever reach the heights she’s rapidly ascending to, at least she’s pulling me up alongside her for the ride.

As for Arjun… Son, I did it. Though you may be reading this years and years from now (Hopefully the site stays up for that long!), know that you’ve been a big part as to why I got this first book finished. Here, I’ve proven that I can finish what I start, even if it took way longer than it should have. I hope I made you proud, boy.

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So, what’s next?

Well, good news is, Book II is definitely happening. I’ve started something that I can’t just abandon now. As the saying goes, there ain’t no gettin’ offa this train. So, Book II will be coming. I have a base layout of what this next installment will span. Know that as of Chapter 42, things will progress similarly to the original game, but differently at the same time. There will be familiar events as well as new scenarios that bring to light some of the events that unfolded prior to the beginning of the story. These include the war on Mobotropolis, for instance.

The plan is to start the layout fairly soon; say around summer or so. From there, I’m hoping to start the first draft in the winter and have the whole thing ready to edit and beta by the end of 2022. So, there’s gonna be a bit of a wait, unfortunately. However, I’m not leaving you all hanging! In between now and then, I want to share with you the process, the inspirations and some of the secrets within the story through a podcast! I’m laying out the groundwork as I speak, but I’m so excited to share with all of you how this whole thing came to existence!

On top of that, I’ll be porting the story to other fanfiction sites, such as Fanfiction.net, Wattpad and AO3. Call this moment the expiration of the “timed exclusivity” period. The original will still reside on Games with Coffee, along with all the extras, such as Character Bios and the World Archives. Those will be updated more frequently from this point on.

It’s late now as I finish writing this up and I feel a mixture of pride and sadness. Pride because it’s done. Sadness also because it’s done. But though every journey has an end, the beginnings of the next one are just around the corner. Here’s hoping that all of you will join me when it begins. For now, I’ll sign off by saying three simple things:

Live with no regrets.

Believe in yourself.

And Chase the Impossible.

See ya next time.

~Ryan