THE VROL TRILOGY (179 page)

"Jennie, you do realize you could use
Socrates to easily find your ghanlo," said the archangel.

"I know…
Commodore
, but I prefer
to do things the
old-fashioned
way
."

"Old-fashioned? This is new technology, my
dear, while Socrates has existed for eons."

"Well, old-fashioned for me," she said with a
small grin. "By the way, where is Jessica?"

"She is in Hollywood, visiting with her
friends."

Turning to face the forward view screen,
Jennie put a copper-colored hand on Pandy's shoulder and
continued," Ensign, execute the hook."

An enormous gash opened in the sky directly
above the Juggernaut Class vessel. As massive, spear-like machinery
pushed up and out of the ship's top and dipped into the rift, the
Reagan disappeared from sight and sensors.

EPILOGUE

Montmartre, Paris, France - 1976

To any passerby, the two middle-aged women
seated at the Café des Deux Moulins were perfectly ordinary. They
watched the crowds of locals and tourists while they sipped their
coffees, content as a light snow fluttered onto the classic berets
they wore.

However, the two were anything but normal; a
father and son were having a discussion of recent events, masked by
clever disguises.

"Are you now satisfied? Mankind has been
spared and shall one day reach biologic singularity, while bringing
your children along in evolutionary harmony."

"Quite
satisfied
, Father. By the way, might
I say your jacket is quite fetching? I do like that
color."

"Oh shush. I enjoy this
period. I find it quite relaxing, and like to pass my time painting
pictures of the landscape. Paris is one of my favorite cities
-
The City of Lights
- such an apt description. Speaking of identification, would
you tell me something? When you decide to reconstitute your
corporeal form, do you plan on keeping that wretched name,
Draagh
?"

"I am rather fond of it, Father. But a name
is merely a name. Nothing more - nothing less. It is a way of
identifying someone. You have had many. Which was your
favorite?"

"I like Adonai. It has such
a nice ring to it. But I wish you would use the name I bestowed
upon you,
Chronos
."

"It is indeed a fine moniker, but Draagh is
monosyllabic, so it is much easier for most to pronounce."

"Ah yes, but Chronos is proper for the Lord
of the Hub. Speaking of that, do you still feel it was necessary to
reset the universe five times? If you had requested another chance
to do things over I am afraid I would have had to deny you. I
really couldn't stand to watch the same things happen again, over
the course of billions of years."

Behind their disguises, Jah and his eldest
son smiled and nodded, with the younger of the two already
understanding it was indeed his last chance at setting things
right.

"I was aware I would have no further
opportunities, Father. As you know, Jennie immediately killed Max
in Machu Picchu on the fist two tries. Then Max killed her on the
third, during their little mock battle at Krynos' castle. I truly
believed on the fourth that we were to succeed, but I failed to
resurrect her when Samyaza set Krynos' blade to her throat.
Fortunately, this time we got it right, and found that she was the
key to Mankind's salvation all along."

"And you say they never once asked why they
could go to a future Earth, yet were never taken to their own world
of the future?"

"That is correct, Father.
Neither Max nor Jennie even questioned that fact. If they only knew
it was
she
who
had asked me to create that alternate Earth timeline in the first
place - to a future that has yet to happen."

"She is truly spectacular, even in her human
form," said Jah. "Shall you reveal her true nature to her one
day?"

"I have no plans. She requested I not do
so."

"Gaia's daughter
is
a very particular
woman."

"Indeed she is, Father. Indeed she is."

THE END

Glossary of Terms

3D Slip - method of instantaneous
transportation within a world. Required coordinates are Latitude,
Longitude and Elevation.

4D Slip - Like 3D Slip, but with
addition of Space/Time calculations. Can be used to travel to other
worlds, parallel dimensions. Extremely advanced and only accessible
by Prīmulī, Archangels and, in rare cases, their offspring.
Requires Kamiliak Equation for calculations and the Hub for
transit.

Archangels - Prīmulī, born to interact with
sapient beings and watch over them.

Notable archangels - Michael, Gabriel,
Raphael, Samyaza (Grigori), Gadreel (former Grigori),
Anaita

Azul - Planet in Cetus constellation. New
home of Mankind after emigrants traveled for 300 years in suspended
animation. Pinnacle of human society built over a period of 400
years. Azul has magic particles, but non-inoculated enhanced
species cannot access them due to vibrational frequency
incompatibility. Humans with recessive lycan and vampire genes have
some characteristics of their active brethren, such as enhanced
strength in times of stress. Archangels regularly look over the
enhanced and will interfere with medical testing to keep their
genetics unknown to the population at large.

Boludo(a) - Stupid, dumbass, hard-headed,
stubborn.

Cannibal - Infected normal
(human) with desire to eat human brains. Nearly complete loss of
sapience. Body is in constant state of cooking itself from over
amped metabolism. Runs and attacks until it suffers complete
burnout and system failure. No cure available, except by
Prīmulī.


Traits:
Mindless, brain-eating marathon runners.
Cannot reproduce. Infection only occurs when both blood and
saliva enter into victim's body.

Cantus - Verbal or mental command used
to manipulate magic particles. Can be simple, such as a levitation
cantus, or extremely complex, such as a combination of individual
healing and DNA altering cantuses, enabling regeneration of missing
limbs, organs. Minor-mages must verbalize, while Prīmulī and
Archangels (and their offspring) can use mental commands. Beings
with no genetic predisposition to magic can use cantuses on a
limited scale as long as they have a magically-enabled object, such
as a wand or other special piece of equipment. Alternately: (verb)
to cantus a spell.

Castilian - Spanish
language. Used on Azul in conjunction with English and
Swiss-German. English is predominant on Azul, but many idioms and
slang terms on Azul are in the Castilian language.



Examples

Bacho(a) - Slang term used to describe a
Caucasian - gender-specific

Boludo(a) - idiot, jerk

Chino(a) - Slang term used to describe anyone
of Old-Earth Asiatic lineage - gender-specific

Cojones - Balls, testicular fortitude,
bravery

Dego(a) - Slang used to
describe one of Old-Earth South American lineage who has dark skin
and eyes - gender-specific



Desa - short for desayuno -
breakfast



Fritas - French-fried
potatoes



Manada - herd, flock

Poto - Buttocks, derrière,
a person's butt



Rey de Roma! - Speaking of the devil…
(Idiomatic phrase)

Enhanced Species - Lycans,
Vampires, Nekos, Minor-Mages. Deactivated on Earth in the
6
^th
century CE.

Evolution - The change in heritable
traits of biological populations over successive generations.
Mankind did not evolve through evolution from Homo Habilis. Rather,
he was the result of speciation, instigated by the Prīmulī. Homo
Sapiens was the final attempt by the Prīmulī to create an
evolution-capable, sentient species on Earth (all other previous
attempts had failed), but was so close to their creators' genome
that many of the Prīmulī rebelled and were cast from the Hub (See
Grigori). Homo Sapiens is capable of evolving, where the Prīmulī
are not. Once they reach biological singularity with the Prīmulī
the two species will join and go on to the next phase in
advancement. This singularity is called The Provectus.

Exodus - Secret fleet of
spacecraft that left Earth for Azul in mid 22
^nd
century,
funded by a corporate consortium. Journey took almost 300 years to
arrive at destination. Emigrants travelled in state of suspended
animation.

Gauntlet - Magic-enabled object that is
basically a spiked, metal glove through which cantuses can be
channeled.

Grigori - Prīmulī who had rebelled
against Jah when Homo Sapiens was created, approximately 0.3
millions years ago. They were cast from the Hub for all eternity,
and were responsible for creating the Vrol in order to destroy
Mankind.

The Hub - Place outside the realm of
Time/Space where Prīmulī usually reside.

Hybrid - Born of lycan
mother and an Archangel. Has most abilities of a Primulus plus all
lycan abilities. Is immune to platinum metal-family
intoxication.
Only known hybrids - Max
Gunnarsson, Jennifer Escalante de Gunnarsson (resurrected by the
Primulus Draagh, which is equivalent)

Infoscreen - Semitransparent, tangible,
holographic computer used by Prīmulī, Archangels and their
offspring.

Jah - God, Adonai, Dios.

Kamiliak Equation -
Mathematical calculations required for 4D slip.


Created by the Primulus named
Kamiliak when the universe expanded and travel outside the Hub was
required.

Katana - a single-edged sword of Japanese
origin, known for its extremely strong metal and sharp cutting
surface.

Lycan - Homo Sapiens Canis.

Enhanced humans with
recessive or active canine genes.



On a magic-enabled world they have enhanced
healing, speed, strength and senses.

Traits: Moral, noble.

Susceptible to intoxication
from any metal in the platinum family



Three transformation modes:

Day Mode (phase 1) -
appearance is human, but they retain enhanced senses and strength
is roughly 150% of normal human of equivalent size and build -
platinum causes mild stinging sensation.



Battle Mode (phase 2) -
appearance is slightly canid, with elongated teeth and limbs,
slightly hairy, double lycan's normal strength - platinum causes
3
^rd
degree burns on exposed area, extreme weakening,
rhodium is deadly if introduced to the bloodstream.

Assassin Mode (phase 2.5) - near-werewolf,
but retains sapience. All lycans fighting for Azul are given an
inoculation, based on a protein inhibitor in Max Gunnarsson's
blood, and are not only able to achieve phase 2.5 at will, but also
have a dramatically increased chance of maintaining sapience when
in phase 3 on the full moon. This is found to be advantageous as
Azul has two moons which reach full phase within a day of each
other - in essence, a two-day full moon. Max can generate his wings
while in this phase, but they more resemble the wings of a bat.
Platinum poisoning the same as phase 2.

Death Mode (phase 3) - full
werewolf. Most lose sapience in this mode. Look like giant wolves
with semi-dexterous paws. 250% over battle form strength - platinum
causes 3
^rd
degree burns on exposed area plus causes
unconsciousness if exposed to blood. Rhodium can be deadly if
introduced to the bloodstream.



Lycans can reproduce. Can also turn normals
by introducing lycan virus into subject's system via blood exchange
or simple innoculation.

Notable Lycans: Krynos, Donus, Jennie
Gunnarsson (hybrid), Luigi Bagatelle, Max Gunnarsson (hybrid),
Alea, Liliana Gunnarsson (lycan/mezzo angel), Jorgen Bierle, Josh
Mannheim, Becky Branson-Mannheim.

Mage - Broad term used to describe one
who can naturally manipulate magic. Minor-mages can perform basic
skills while the immortal Prīmulī can affect worlds.

Magic - Term used to describe
organo-technical sub-atomic particles (also called magic particles)
that naturally occur in all living things, or the manipulation of
said particles (to perform magic). Under extreme magnification they
appear to be mechanical spheres with numerous appendages. Operate
on vibrational frequencies that enable attuned enhanced beings to
avail themselves of extra-normal abilities such as strength,
healing, vision, etc. Mages can manipulate these particles using
cantuses.

Meter/Readout/HUD - an organic display in the
peripheral vision (and also inner left arm) of lycans and vampires.
Has three lines - red for health, green for strength and blue for
stamina. Max Gunnarsson also has yellow line for magic timeout.
Enables a being to monitor their system resources and adjust
accordingly. Archangels have a much more advanced readout, and are
able to visually analyze mitochondrial DNA and trace a subject's
lineage, as well as visually identify subspecies (i.e. pick out a
vampire in a crowd of normals).