Pickup or Delivery is actually a spinoff of another story I started. (titled 'You Knew What I Was When You Picked Me Up') I decided that since the action in PoD takes place first I might as well write it first.
Johnny's name is, as many of you noticed a homage to 'Starship Troopers'. I also gave him half the ancestry of his namesake, and borrowed Carmen's name from the same book. His regiment was designated 'Mobile Infantry' because the planetary Governor has read the book. none of the plot character traits etc are intended to resemble anything from RAH's work in more than a general and passing way.
Johnny will appear in several other stories.
Speaking of, the responses are in 6-2 in favor of me posting 'Thirty Minutes or Less' even though I don't have it finished. A little pressure might give me the incentive needed to finish it, but if i wind up falling behind I think I'll have to complete stories before posting.
The responses are in