THE VROL TRILOGY (150 page)

"Congratulations on your selection, Mr.
President," Donus entered courteously.

"Thank you, Donus. Everyone. I have a feeling
this will be interesting - being activated."

"Oh yes, it shall be quite interesting, good
sir," said Draagh, as Bierle turned to look at him, noticing the
Primulus was holding a massive syringe, roughly a half meter in
length, its needle protruding out twenty centimeters. Bierle's face
nearly went white as Draagh gave him an innocent smile. Everyone
managed to keep from laughing for about ten seconds, when the room
burst into hilarity. Even Jennie thought it was funny.

"I am so sorry, my good man," said Draagh,
appearing to wipe a tear from his eye. "Think of it as an
initiation gag. It was young Liliana's idea, you should know."

Jorgen regained some color in his face and
took the joke in stride. He was quite the jokester in his
university days on Azul, so he was no stranger to being pranked.
"Yes, she does seem to have a mischievous nature," he added.

"Who? Lili? Naahhhhhh!" they all cried out in
unison.

Krynos pulled a bottle of Glennfidich Scotch
whisky out of his desk and slammed some shot glasses onto the
smooth mahogany top, gaining a wry grin as he did so.

"Let us make a toast - to a new brother!"

"But, I haven't been inoculated yet," said
Bierle, feeling a very slight pinprick at the same time. "Oh, I
guess that means I can have my drink now?"

Draagh winked at the man while putting a
small syringe into his coat pocket, and nodded his head
courteously. "You shall soon begin to feel the effects of your
transition, my good man. Please, everyone - bottoms up!"

"I already feel a bit flushed. But what shall
I do when I have completed my transition?" he asked.

"I was thinking we take the President to
Hotel California. I need to check up on those guys, and it would be
a great opportunity for him to see some Vrol up close," said
Max.

"Great idea, sweetie. I'll see if Jess and
Pandy want to come along," added Jennie.

"You have captured Vrol? I will be able to
see them? These alien invaders?" asked Azul's leader.

"Captured? No. We're gonna hunt one -
together!" said Max while wearing a maniacal grin. Bierle nearly
started to panic when Krynos jumped in.

"My dear Jorgen, do not fret. We shall all be
together and you shall not be in any danger. After all, we could
not allow the leader of Azul System to be decapitated on his first
day as an activated lycan now, could we?"

"Mr. President, you'll be safe. You're one of
us now," said Jennie. That was enough to calm him down. He sat back
and smiled, looking forward to the rest of his time in the Rhönen
Dominion.

"Very well. Shall we give the good President
a briefing on territorial security and then retire to lunch?" asked
Krynos.

Max held the briefing, using infoscreens to
show activity all over Azul System. For the most part there was
complete peace. Riots had sporadically broken out in Portlandia,
caused by inactive ghouls that lived as squatters in abandoned
warehouses. However, none other than Gabriel easily quelled these
minor outbursts. He had been given permission to terminate any
genetic vampires with extreme prejudice, but cautioned to only kill
those who were attempting to do harm to persons or property.

Buenos Aires was secure, as was New Sydney.
Córdoba, a city with an unusually high percentage of inactive
lycans (2%), was the most orderly of all. If there were any
inactive vampires around (and there were) they were hidden and
staying out of trouble.

As Draagh had telecasted the joint session of
Congress to the entirety of Azul System (terminating it right
before the vampires were taken away), people were finally made
aware that there were different subspecies of humanity. Most
ignored the news and merely went about their business, but some
were curious and flocked to the local police stations for more
information. Fortunately, Bagatelle had created a handout pamphlet,
readily available for download on any personal console. It was
vague, and didn't say that Homo Sapiens Canis and Homo Sapiens
Mortuus were any more or any less than normal human beings - just
that they had ancient recessive, inactive genes. That was all. He
wanted the people of Azul System to work together, not look at each
other with suspicion.

However, Mankind had a storied history of
racism, which could easily translate into specieism.

"I'm sending a platoon to Portlandia, just to
make sure the hippies don't cause problems. They're easily led by
anarchists and the environment is ripe for trouble," said Max.

"Can you just send them, and not go yourself?
Gabriel's over there keeping things under control," said
Jennie.

"That's what I'm afraid of, Jen. He has a
tendency to melt brains and ask questions later, but sure - I'll
send out some Haida troops. They have a calming effect on those
they meet," he responded.

That evening Krynos was to throw a
special party - his first hosting a head of state. Everyone from
Max's extended family was to be in attendance, as were certain Azul
senior officers and a certain Sarah Corning - House Speaker of the
new Azul Unified Government, who had a seat reserved at the high
table, along with President Bierle, Krynos, Donus and Draagh.
Before the festivities, Draagh had retrieved her and provided a
tour of 43
^rd
century Earth -
mostly in the former United States of America, from where her
ancestors originated.

Central Kansas, 4268

After seeing most of the ruins of ancient
buildings (almost all having surrendered everything save their
concrete and rebar to the fertile ground), Draagh took Sarah
Corning to the town where her ancestors lived before they embarked
on the journey to a new world.

"Wow. It's so… flat," she exclaimed.

"Yes, yes it is, my dear. Quite so,"
responded to ancient mage.

"There was actually a town here?"

"Hmmm, yes, approximately 2,000 years ago.
Yes, there was," he said as he lit his pipe, taking care to stay
downwind of the House Speaker.

"And you are sure this is where my ancestors
lived?"

"Yes, I am quite certain. Max… Captain
Gunnarsson did an extensive data search and provided me with this
information."

"Wow. It just seems so lifeless. Well, except
for those animals out on the field. What was the name of this town
again?"

"Oh, erm… Salina, my dear. Salina
Kansas."

"I wish I could have seen what it was
like here when my great-great-great-great
whatevers
lived here," she mused. It wasn't more
than a few seconds later that she found herself inside what
appeared to be some sort of 360-degree wrap-around vid
screen.

"Do not fret my dear. No one shall see you
nor hear you. I am going to merely open a window to an active
timeline so you may have your wish," said Draagh.

Sarah's jaw dropped in amazement as the vid
display leaped to life. Suddenly there were people walking all over
the place - mostly youths - humans in their late teens / early
twenties. Looking around she saw a fancy building with an
attractive fountain to its front. A large sign identified the
location as Kansas Wesleyan University.

"A college! How are you doing this? Is it
archived footage?"

"No, no my dear. This is quite live. Merely
at a different point in time," he responded.

"Oh dear lord! You mean we've traveled
through time - to the past?"

Draagh shook his head and smiled. "No, not
quite. But perhaps this evening, at the party, we shall have a
discussion on the realities of time and space."

"Oh," she smiled, "I would like that very
much."

###

Krynos' parties were so numerous that
Max had convinced the lycan king to allow him to construct a more
casual area up in the mezzanine, complete with cozy crash couches
and coffee tables. He was never very comfortable with being in the
spotlight, just like his father and uncle. Plus, Jennie liked
curling up in his lap, which she most certainly could not do while
seated at the high or mid tables. Add Liliana, who tended to pass
out halfway through the occasions and the modest Janice and Ohiro
and it was the perfect place for the
G
Clan
, as Liliana liked to call the group.

Max looked over the railing to watch the
festivities, which consisted of Lycan Jenga (with both Earth
politicians instinctively ducking their heads every couple of
minutes in order to avoid flying debris/people), numerous toasts
(featuring Max's own malbec wine, which he had magically helped on
its path to maturity) and the Rhönen line dance, which impressed
the hell out of the new Azulian President.

"This meat has a spectacular flavor, King
Krynos. I would like to farm it on Azul. You say it is a healthier
red meat?" asked Bierle.

"Elk - yes, and it is much better for the
constitution than the meat of the cow. Those lazy, farting
creatures, not even worth the hunt," the king grumbled.

"Yes, Mr. President. Elk is extremely lean -
low in fat and is easily processed by the human digestive system,"
added Draagh.

Bierle gave him an odd stare, and then asked,
"You say that as if you were not human."

Krynos laughed out loud - boisterously,
slapping the alien president on the back. "Of course he's not, good
sir! He's a god! Did you not know that?"

"A huh… a what? A god?"

"Now, now, old friend. I would not go calling
myself that. But I can say most certainly that I am not human."

Luigi Bagatelle relaxed on the couch with his
fiancé, Alicia, and she was seated next to Jennie, who had Max on
her other side. The two engaged in light conversation about child
rearing, with Alicia wondering how Jennie managed to keep Liliana
from maiming people on a daily basis.

"Oh, she's improved - really. Clarisa and
Draagh work with extensively," Jennie happily responded. She looked
down at the end of the massive couch where Liliana was sitting
upside-down, with her legs up in the air while she had a
conversation with Pandy.

"And once we've won - and don't say if. We're
gonna win. But what are you going to do then? Retire your
commission and stay here? Or are you returning to Azul?" asked
Alicia.

"Here? Hey, don't get me wrong. I love this
place, but we're going home. And Lili's going directly to a proper
school."

"Where will you live? Are you going to settle
in New Sydney or get based out of B.A.?"

"Not even," she laughed. "It'll be Córdoba,
without a doubt. Max wants Lili to go to his old school, St.
Mary's."

"But… the closest major base is three
hundred… oh. You have Max," responded Alicia, blushing upon her
realization that modern transportation wouldn't be necessary for
the Gunnarssons.

Jennie giggled and leaned into her future
sister-in-law, letting out a deep breath and saying, "Yeah, well he
won't always be around, but I have Pops and Dad and Tío, so it
should all be good. Still, there's something to be said about
traveling the normal way. Pulling G-forces can be fun - you know
that better than anyone."

Alicia nodded her head in agreement. Her
flying skills were so great that she was slated to be a Draeder
pilot, but instead chose to serve on a battleship in the command
center, mostly because she was in love with the ship's captain.
Still, she enjoyed taking the formidable fighters out for test
flights on occasion.

"Hey Max," said Jennie to her husband, "Check
Lili out. I think she's done for the night."

He looked over and saw her upside-down,
head lying back over the edge of the cushion, with her mouth wide
open and a bit of drool traveling up/down her face. Pandy just
shook her head and giggled, noticing the Captain's expression,
which was one of amusement, mixed with
aw
man I have to take her to her room now
.

"How can Liliana fall asleep with such a
racket going on?" asked Alicia, listening to the sounds of wooden
furniture being smashed below.

"She grew up around this noise, Alicia. She's
been acclimated since birth," said Max. "I'm taking her to her room
now - back in a flash."

Max stood up and went to pick up his
daughter, She started to wake up and looked around, slightly
disoriented, drool smeared over her face, and saying, "Umm, yeah.
Hunt cannibals… with flowers. Blender… database." She then lapsed
back into unconsciousness and started snoring.

"Be right back. Putting Miss Super-Drool 4268
to bed."

Max disappeared from sight, but was back on
the couch pulling Jennie onto his lap in less than ten seconds.

"Where did you put her, Max? In our bed?"

"Hell no! She's in her room, baby," he
responded, giving his beautiful wife a wink. The two looked over on
the other side of Bagatelle, watching as Michael and Clarisa were
uncharacteristically displaying some public affection, intertwining
fingers and giving each other light kisses.

"Hmm, it looks like Mom and Dad are an item
now, doesn't it?" Max asked rhetorically.

"I think they're absolutely adorable," said
Jennie.

"Not my choice of words, but yeah. They
fit."

Max turned his attention to his commanding
officer and brother-in-law, asking, "Hey G, do you want to go with
us to Hollywood tomorrow? We're going to give President Bierle a
crash course in Vrol elimination and lycan skills recognition and
utilization."

"That sounds pretty official, Max," laughed
Bagatelle. "I think I'm going to pass. Ali and I are going to
inspect the Revolution and take that Mannheim kid with us. We're
still looking to bypass the crap that Johnson stuck in the ships.
You've been working with him on that, right?"