THE VROL TRILOGY (134 page)

"Could we have a sleepover here sometime,
Lili?" asked Janie, thinking it would be cool to stay overnight in
the small, elevated room.

"Oh yes! I plan on that. We can have a movie
night too."

"You have a theater? Wow!" exclaimed
Tommy.

"Oh no, Tommy, We do not need a
theater. Here, look at this," said Liliana. Waving her hand, she
caused cabinetry on the opposing wall to slide on tracks and
separate to either side, creating a blank, white space. She then
stood up and manually opened two small doors on the wall to her
back, revealing an ancient film projector that had been given to
her by her great-grandfather, Draagh. He had an affection for
archaic, yet functional objects, and had manually rebuilt the
projector, albeit with some
enhancements
.

"Did the theater in Ketchikan have a
projector like this?" she asked.

"Pretty much, but it was a lot bigger,"
responded Tommy.

Liliana moved a switch, causing the projector
to turn on and start to spin, immediately showing a movie on the
opposite wall. Theoretically this shouldn't have even been possible
in the Rhönen Dominion, as electrical components, for the most
part, would never work - the electricity they required conflicted
with magic particles. But this projector was magical, and was
powered by electromagnetic particles and a simple cantus developed
by Liliana's ancient Primulus great-grandfather.

The children sat, wide-eyed and
smiling, as they watched a movie called
The Bad News Bears.
After about fifteen minutes
Liliana bolted up, startled.

"My classes! I cannot be late!"

Janie and Tommy looked at each other, amazed
and a bit bewildered. Just seconds before, they had been sitting on
the floor in Liliana's tree house. Now they were standing outside
their new living quarters, duffle bags in hand. Just like that.

"She's fast," said Tommy.

"Yup. You know this is gonna be a lot of fun,
right?" asked his twin.

"Oh yeah. I can't wait to play with a
crossbow!"

###

"My Lord, you called for me?"

Prime Commander Donus walked into Krynos'
offices, due to the king having earlier requested his presence for
an undisclosed meeting.

"Yes Donus, my good man. Please, come have a
seat," said the king, as he graciously stood and motioned towards
the chair to the front of his massive mahogany desk. The
highest-ranking military officer in the Rhönen Dominion took a seat
on the large, ornate wooden chair.

"To what do I owe this pleasure, my
liege?"

"Donus. We have need to discuss… succession.
As you know, we are not immortal, and although our lives are long,
we can die in battle. So, I wished to discuss with you the--"

"Max," interrupted Donus. "Max Gunnarsson is
the logical successor to the throne, my liege.

Krynos shot Donus a look of confusion, not
understanding why his top military commander would not accept the
honor for himself.

"Donus, Max has only been with us a short
while, and he has his own world for which to care. I know not why
you suggest his name."

The prime commander sighed and lowered his
head. He had long known that one day he would need to have this
conversation with his king. The Rhönen leader had no children, no
heirs, so per the law he was to select his successor. Donus had
long hoped it would not be him, so throwing Max into the
conversation was merely a stall tactic.

"King Krynos. I must apologize. I merely
suggest the Captain as he is the most powerful person here. Well,
aside from his father, his uncle and his grandfather, but they are
on a completely different level, are they not?"

"Yes, I believe they are, but do not
underestimate the lad. He is formidable. That being said - no. He
will not be the heir to the throne. He has no right, as he is not
of this land. You are to be my successor."

"But my king, why me? Why not someone else?
Perhaps a youth whom you could groom to rule properly?" Donus was
grasping for straws by this time, knowing he had no more
options.

"Donus, my boy, you have served me, and our
kingdom well. Your father also served me, may he rest in peace. But
the kingdom has need for a leader in the event I am killed or
incapacitated. That leader must be strong, intelligent, fair and
wise. You are that leader. I have been alive for over one thousand
years, and while I may live for another thousand, I may also meet
my end tomorrow morning while sitting in a toilet stall. These are
the unknown details of life, and we must make preparations. In
fact, I believe I have been quite irresponsible for not having
dedicated myself to accomplishing this particularly vexing task for
the past few centuries."

"But why did you not make a selection
earlier, my liege?"

Krynos gave Donus a kind gaze. Standing up,
the king walked around his massive desk and put a large hand on the
commander's shoulder.

"There was no selection to make, my son. You
are the closest to kin I have in this world, so you are next in
line for the throne of The Rhönen Dominion."

Donus looked up at his king, knowing he could
not refuse. He understood that Krynos would only bequeath the
kingdom to the one he trusted most.

"Very well, my liege. I shall not fail you.
But at the same time, I expect to wait many centuries before taking
on this great responsibility."

"Let us hope, my son. Let us hope,
indeed."

Chapter 11 - Agreement

"My dear, I just want to make sure that your
friendship with Liliana is conducive to her proper behavior and
upbringing. I understand you have the best of intentions, but you
are both from different, yet similar worlds."

Clarisa Gunnarsson was in her quarters having
a frank discussion with Pandy Vendetta, regarding the younger
woman's friendship with her granddaughter. She was concerned, and
for good reason, that the age gap and their mutual lack of
sophistication could lead to disastrous consequences.

"Mrs. Gunnarsson, please, I understand you
care for Lili, but you need to know I would never do anything to
harm her. But can I ask, what do you mean when you say we are from
different, yet similar worlds?"

"Sweetie, I know you mean no harm. And what I
meant was that you both come from - forgive me if I sound demeaning
- you both come from savage backgrounds. Savage in comparison to
where Max, Jennie, Janice and I are from. And if you think about it
and are honest with yourself, where you come from is even worse
than here in the Dominion."

Pandy sat and thought for a moment, and
couldn't find any reason to argue. The woman was correct. Things
had changed in the past few months for the young woman from
Post-Apocalyptic Hollywood.

"So, do you suggest that I no longer be
friends with Lili? How do you think she'll take that? We do fun
things together like sew and draw pictures, and she actually
teaches me things."

Clarisa, the former university professor,
looked upon Pandy with a kind gaze, knowing the woman had only the
most innocent of intentions. She also realized the girl's best
friend and virtual sister, Jessica, had taken a different course
and now spent most of her free time with Gabriel. That in itself
had to be devastating for Pandy, as Jessica was not only her
fighting partner, but also her best friend.

"Pandy, what I am going to recommend is that
you go to school."

"School? Like a kid?"

"Basically, yes, but a modified version. I
have had this discussion with Michael and he said you can attend a
virtual school from the comfort of the Hub, in Max's apartment.
There you will learn scholastic basics - mathematics, English,
Español, science, economics and other subjects. I will assist you -
be your tutor."

"Ok, but why do I need these things if I'm in
the military… or will I be… in the military?"

"My dear, have you given any thought to
where you would like to live once we have secured Azul and her
moons? Would you like to stay here, in the
43
^rd
century? Would you like
to go to Azul with us in the 29
^th
century, or would you like to return to your home in
Hollywood?"

"Oh god, that's easy. I want to go to Azul,
of course!"

"Very well then. Successful life on Azul
requires education. You are intelligent, but you need to fill that
fertile mind of yours with knowledge - information. In a few years
the disparity in age between yourself and Liliana shall wane, and I
am sure you will both be the best of friends, but in the meantime,
she is learning, as must you. If you think about it, in our group
you are the second-youngest person after Liliana."

"Oh wow, you're right! You know, you’re so
pretty and young looking I never really think about it. And
Jessica's like seventy-five years old and looks my age, the same as
you."

Clarisa tried not to blush, but was
unsuccessful. And even though Pandy's compliment was made with the
purest of intent, it did seem a bit manipulative. Clarisa was in
her early 60's, but thanks to her lycan genealogy and relocation to
the 43
^rd
century Rhönen
Dominion, where magic was reactivated, she had basically been
restored to what a lycan female of her age should look like, which
was the same as a normal female in her prime.

"Pandy, my dear, we are all so
fortunate, and you
are
a
lovely girl. I only wish the very best for you. So, would you like
to study in the manner prescribed?"

"Yeah, I really would. Thank you. But can I
ask, just to know, what if I would have said that I don't want to
study. Would that have affected my friendship with Lili?"

"Oh, my dear," said Clarisa with a kind
smile, "your friendship with Liliana would have come to a
screeching halt. I only want what's best for my granddaughter, and
as I am the consort of the Taxiarch, you can bet your sweet ass
that whatever I say goes.
¿Entendés?
"

Pandy gave Clarisa a panic-stricken look,
never having heard the woman speak in that manner before. But the
woman's smile remained the same. She meant business.

"Y-y-yeah. I understand. Thanks, Mrs.
Gunnarsson."

"Oh please, call me Clarisa."

###

"Where are the troops on this fine day,
brother?" asked King Krynos, who seemed uncharacteristically perky.
This usually meant that he wanted to get out of the castle and was
itching for some adventure.

"Ah, good afternoon! Come, have you had any
lunch yet? Let us eat and discuss the day's possibilities,"
responded Draagh, seated at his usual spot at the family table in
the commissary. It was unusual for the King to eat in the
commissary, but not unheard of, especially while in the company of
his best friend.

"Today Max, his father and uncle, as well as
Jessica are going to start bringing over some of the Samurai lycans
- first to here for orientation and inoculations, and then over to
the moon base on Vera. They are starting with a group of a dozen,
to keep it simple. Apparently there is some concern that there may
be some incompatibility between the Tokyo lycans and those of
Rhönen and Azul."

"I can most assuredly guarantee my soldiers
shall behave in a manner most befitting of the Dominion!" exclaimed
Krynos, quite loudly too, as a plate of roasted ham and eggs was
set before him.

"Oh, I am sure that they will desire to
behave, quite sure, yes," stated Draagh, in his usual redundant
manner. "However, it is not so much a matter of social graces as it
is of hormones and nature. We shall see what happens, in any case.
That being said, would you care to accompany me on a little trip
today?"

"Yes!" bellowed Krynos, slamming his fist on
the massive oak table. "I desire some fresh air and adventure. What
have you in mind for the day's activities?"

"I intend to visit Luna and Sienna, the two
moons that orbit Azul. Then, perhaps we could have an early dinner
at… In-n-Out?"

"The doubling? Yes! Excellent idea, brother.
I have been long craving the delicious hand-held meals."

The two finished their meals and set off for
their first destination, Luna. Of the two Azulian moons, Luna was
larger, and a bit more desert-like than its counterpart, which was
almost tropical, with its lush forests and green foliage. In fact,
Sienna was where the first settlements were built hundreds of years
before when Mankind first arrived. The only downside to Sienna was
the quantity of poisonous indigenous creatures, of which there were
many species. However, modern medical technology easily created
vaccines that made all inhabitants immune to the various creatures'
toxins, and later on gen mods made the need for inoculations
unnecessary.

Krynos wore a huge smile as he looked around
at the plaza de armas in the city center of Santiago, Luna. Even
though each planetary body had representation from each of the
autonomous countries (with the exception of Vera, which was shared
by a composite government - not federal, but of the autonomous
states), nearly the entire moon was part of the country of Andina,
selected by its Peruvian and Chilean ancestors for its similarities
to their countries on Earth - desert coastlines, arid mountains,
lush interior jungles and lots of oceans. Their seawater wasn't as
beautiful as that of Azul, and more resembled the Pacific Ocean of
Earth - dark and murky. However, Luna did have some famous surfing
locations - mostly big wave surfing, with up to thirty-meter
faces.