THE VROL TRILOGY (147 page)

"But how can you call the Chairman a traitor
when he went through proper legal channels to accomplish his
objectives? Mind you, I am not of his party, but still, we acted in
a parliamentary fashion and all governmental modifications were
done legally, and with the best of intentions," reported Sarah
Corning, who then received a glare of disbelief from the formerly
deposed military officer.

"Madam Speaker, you have heard our demands.
Perform these tasks or the military will simply take over, imprison
you all, and then reconstitute the government without your help.
Cooperate and this way you can at least keep your job," added Max,
speaking for the first time. The woman gave him an alarmed glare
and sat back, appearing to take a deep breath.

"Madam Speaker," offered Bagatelle, "the next
part of our little discussion involves educating this body with
some facts that are unknown to you. As you are not military, you
only received partial information on Earth, side space and my
activities - and only that which Johnson wanted you to hear."

"Information, such as?" she inquired.

Bagatelle looked at Draagh, who then created
large infoscreens that mimicked vid displays. Every angle was
viewable in the Great Hall, and the original video that Max had
seen in Los Angeles started to play. Bagatelle then expertly
narrated the events for the chamber.

"Roughly six decades after our descendants
had fled Earth, and were taking their long, frozen journey to these
new worlds, a fleet of insectoid alien invaders, called the Vrol,
attacked and decimated the planet. Their purpose was to eradicate
Mankind - nothing more, nothing less. Please note the alien craft
in the displays. They are techno-organic in nature. Alive and
self-repairing, they transported two kinds of their species to the
ground - the ground bugs and the centipedes. Another species, the
fliers, merely shot out into the sky and started attacking Earth's
aircraft. These massive techno-organic craft then linked together,
like an insanely complicated jigsaw puzzle, and surrounded the
planet, preventing any escape. But man fought on, and soon started
getting the upper hand. Once the invaders had determined that they
might not win, they rained a virulent flesh-eating amoebic strain
into the atmosphere. It dissolved any fauna it touched, eliminating
entire species, and nearly wiping humanity from the face of the
planet. Captain Gunnarsson presented me with evidence of this
perversion, and I brought it back and reported my findings to the
Security Council. Then-Councilman Len Johnson accused me of
fabricating this data, even going so far as to coerce an enlisted
technician to lie and swear under oath that I had forced him to
create a fake vid and falsify the amoeba fossils."

"You expect us to believe that, you pig?
You're a liar, Bagatelle, and have always been!" shouted a rep from
his seat. This was enough for the Admiral, who was preparing to
move to his next bit of schooling for Congress.

"
Troops please
use your eyepieces and identify all ghouls. I want two soldiers on
each vamp
.
Also, Alicia,
please bring in Kyle and Olson
," Bagatelle thought out
over the comm.

Soldiers started moving into the crowd,
causing some gasps and a number of screams, but no one was harmed.
Once approximately thirty percent of the senators and reps were
accompanied, Bagatelle continued.

"In ancient times, up until approximately the
year 600 C.E., Mankind had a number of enhanced subspecies.
However, we were watched by superior beings who had determined we
were not progressing in a proper fashion, so they decided to
deactivate some of the amazing abilities we used to possess. I have
soldiers posted to the sides of members of this body who carry the
activated genes of one of these ancient subspecies."

While Bagatelle paused for a moment, the
guarded ghouls looked at each other and actually smirked, figuring
it was no coincidence they were all allies. Max, Gabriel and
Michael moved into the mass of seats and started touching inactive
lycans on the right shoulder, while Bagatelle said, "I would like
for those of you being touched on the shoulder by Captain
Gunnarsson, Michael or Gabriel to please stand up."

The genetic lycans stood up, but none showed
fear. They knew they were just in their cause, and watched the
Admiral with great interest.

"Those of you standing are of the lycan
genome - Homo Sapiens Canis. Captain Gunnarsson, Commander
Escalante de Gunnarson and I are of this subspecies also, as is our
friend King Krynos of Earth. Our ancestors had immense strength,
and were created to protect Mankind. While small in numbers, only
comprising one percent of the population, we are noble, even though
we were long ago denied our innate skills. All of you - you shall
keep your places in this body. Now those of you with escorts at
either side - your ancestors were Homo Sapiens Mortuus. When
enhanced species were deactivated centuries ago you actually
benefitted more than the lycans, who lost their skills. You
received a normal lifespan and became the attractive, yet
manipulative people you see every morning in the mirror. Your
ancestors lived an average of 35 years, and were in a constant
state of decomposition. They used to eat garbage and carrion. In
short, they were planetary shit-eaters. And although they had
enhanced strength and night vision, they could not tolerate
sunlight and subsisted on drinking human blood. You were called
vampires."

The entire chamber erupted into laughter,
causing Bagatelle to get a perplexed look on his face. Max knew the
only way to get the message through was to provide a little show
and tell, so he sucked it up and changed to his phase 2.5. Those up
close to the Captain watched in horror as his body convulsed, bones
broke and fluids discharged from orifices. Jennie stood by his side
unaffected, and knelt down, while running her fingers along his
lush, brown mane.

"You okay, baby?" she whispered.

"Yesh. Fun."

A near-full werewolf named Max Gunnarsson
stood up and threw his head back, letting out a blood-curdling
howl, which coincidentally caused screams in the Great Hall.
Soldiers quickly mobilized and made everyone stay in their seats,
but the inactive lycans in Congress merely stood their ground, all
growing smiles. They finally understood their dreams, their odd
habit of biting their lips, as well as their intense desire to
protect and serve. Some looked at his clawed hands and grinned,
their eyes growing large, and more than a few wished they could do
what Max had just done.

"When Captain Gunnarsson went to Earth he was
able to recapture the abilities of his ancestors," said Jennie.
"The Admiral and I were able to do the same. There are four phases
a lycan can adopt. Phase 1 is how you see me - we call it Day Form.
Then there is Phase 2, which we call Battle Form. Admiral, if you
would please?"

Bagatelle snickered and shook his head,
pointing out to the masses of soldiers in the large room. Each one
had transitioned to Phase 2. This caused gasps from the audience,
mostly normals. The escorted gen-vamps hissed - more of an
instinctive reaction on their part.

"Captain Gunnarsson has transitioned to what
we call Phase 2.5, or Assassin Form. The only other form we can
maintain is involuntary, and it only happens on a full moon. In the
case of Azul it is a two-day full moon. We call that Death Form,
and it is indeed deadly. We shall need all inactive, genetic lycans
to go through a gentle, painless process of activation in order to
fight to save this world," she continued.

"My dear, to save this world from what?"
asked Sarah Corning.

"The ones you call the Artusians - they're
actually the Vrol, the same species that nearly wiped out Earth -
and they're coming here to do the same thing."

Chapter 21 - Revelations

"Lies! All lies! We have seen imagery of the
visitors. They're angels!" cried out one of the normal
congresswomen, causing Michael to look down slightly while shaking
his head. Max reverted back to his Day Form, using a cantus to
clean up his uniform.

"
Dad, I know
you have your rules, but we need to wrap this up. I can only see
one way
," thought out Max.

The usually stoic Michael became
affected in an emotional sense, with Max having directly addressed
him as
Dad
for the first time
ever. Michael looked at his younger brother, who nodded his head in
agreement.

"
Very well,
Son. Shall we meet with Miss Corning, and perhaps a few others in
private
?"

Before Max could respond, Commander Alicia
Vasquez entered into the Great Hall with both Tech Olson and her
nephew, Kyle Reynolds, in tow.

"Admiral, I have accompanied the two
individuals you requested and they are ready to address Congress at
your convenience," said the attractive dega commander.

Bagatelle turned and gave his fiancé a
courteous nod, holding his arm out and beckoning the two to
approach the podium. Kyle had absolutely no difficulty walking
towards his future uncle, but Tech Olson, timid in the first place,
was terrified. Johnson had truly put the poor man through the
ringer. But by looking at Bagatelle's face he detected no malice
from the Admiral. Steeling himself, he walked up first, looked at
the Admiral briefly and then at the Speaker.

"Ma'am, my name is Tech Arvin Olson. It was
my testimony that caused Admiral Bagatelle's house arrest last
year."

Sarah Corning gave him a stern gaze and
nodded for him to continue speaking.

"I come to tell you ma'am, of my own free
will and volition, that I bore false witness to the good Admiral.
In fact, I never even saw the data and evidence Admiral Bagatelle
brought back from Earth. Mr. Johnson told me that if I did not say
exactly what he wanted then something terrible would happen to my
family." Olson's eyes started to water as he stared straight
forward.

"We found him in a prison cell, ma'am," said
Alicia, "nearly starving to death.

"Mr. Olson, where is your family? Have you
seen them?" asked Corning, maintaining a bit of compassion in her
voice. But that was all it took to push the man over the edge.
Dropping to his knees, he began to sob uncontrollably.

"He-h-h-he killed t-t-them! Johnson had them
m-murdered and th-then threw me in j-jail for n-n-nothing. He
sh-sh-showed me a v-vid of them d-dead and laughed!"

"Oh my god," gasped Jennie, who quickly moved
over and helped Alicia to lift the poor soul, taking him to a
nearby bench where he sat, slumped over and still sobbing.

Kyle walked right up to the podium and gave
Corning a serious gaze, not even bothering to look at Vann, knowing
the man was an inactive vampire.

"Ma'am, my name is Kyle Reynolds. My father
worked in Johnson's secret base, where he was retrofitting Exodus
barges with side space hook drive technology. I don't believe he
was aware of the Vrol, and merely thought we were going to start a
new life on the old world of our ancestors. I wasn't supposed to
know any of these things, but I have certain… abilities."

"What sort of abilities, young man?" Corning
asked curiously.

"He's a bit of a hacker and snoop. His skills
have come in quite handy for the underground," added Alicia,
growing a proud grin.

"Anyway, Dad asked Johnson for a promise we
would be on the new exodus, and that same night, after I had snuck
out to go to a party, my house exploded."

"That doesn't mean the good Chairman had
anything to do with a tragic accident!" interjected Vann, having
previously been released from Draagh's cantus of silence.

Kyle gave him a glare that was meant to melt
faces. The boy never liked, nor trusted big government, and since
his time in the Rhönen he had learned to despise vampires with an
equal intensity.

"That means nothing to me, coming from a
genetic ghoul in league with a dictator. The truth is, we were
erased. All records of our entire family were taken off the data
net. That only happens when the tyrants want you gone without a
trace."

Vann got an annoyed look on his face and
said, "Take care with how you describe your leaders, young
whelp."

"Oh," Kyle responded with a face of
innocence, "so you then admit to being that very same government
that murders citizens for its own pleasure?"

"A deeper search brought them up - school
records and all. They were murdered," added Alicia.

Vann looked like he was going to say
something, but again found himself mute, this time the gift of
silence coming from Max. Corning looked as if she were thinking
deeply, but then turned to Bagatelle.

"Admiral, do you have any other facts to
bring before this body before we vote?"

"I would leave that to Captain Gunnarsson,"
he said, "Max, is there anything else you'd like to add?"

"Thanks, Admiral, I would. Madam Speaker,
ladies and gentlemen of Congress, I invented the side space hook
drive. I know there are some of you who believe that Johnson's son
Ryder invented it, but let's be real - he only had an undergrad
degree in political science, while I have three Master degrees in
engineering and a PhD. Hell, my doctoral thesis postulated the
existence of side space. If anyone was able to create the machinery
to enable travel through the void, it was me, and that's exactly
what I did. This is also why I was pursued. Len Johnson wanted to
command side space technology for his own purposes - to return to
Earth and start a new world where he would be the de facto leader.
There is simply way too much evidence and too many witnesses to
deny facts. It is true that I am… different. But so are many other
people, and there is nothing wrong with that. Mankind has great
promise, but if we don't band together immediately we shall perish.
We now know Johnson left in a side space-enabled craft to meet with
the Vrol. We have proof of this. Please look at the screen."