THE VROL TRILOGY (125 page)

"Um, guys, we have some potatoes I think.
Krynos isn't into the green stuff, really. Plus, there are some
dietary requirements we have in this world. I'll explain it all to
you as we go along," said Max, while the group headed up to the
main hall.

Josh and Becky sat at the massive table that
the Gunnarsson family had basically owned since they made the
Rhönen their home over a year prior. No one else ever sat there,
such was the respect that the castle residents had for Max, Jennie,
Draagh and the rest. Josh was looking around with a great amount of
interest, taking everything in, from the archaic flames that dimly
lit the interior of the dining hall, to the heavy oak doors that
went off to parts unknown. He had a great interest in ancient Earth
history, just like Max had, but his went further, and into a
particular genre of holo-vid games, in most of which he was a
grandmaster champion.

"So Max, tell me, you really did see my name
on the request list for the SSCC department?" asked Josh, as he
nibbled away at a hastily made salad of purple potatoes and some
dandelion greens.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I knew of your
qualifications, but wasn't allowed to select you due to your
medical condition."

Josh nodded, but gave Max a slight look of
incredulity, prompting Jennie to add, "Josh, it's true. When I
first met Max I asked him about you --"

"Yeah baby, right after you tried to shoot me
in the face…"

"Max, don't go there, please. That was a long
time ago." Jennie retorted.

"Yeah Jennie, why don't you tell us how you
guys met and all. I mean, this is all pretty amazing. I want the
whole story. You know, all the salacious details and such," said
Becky, who had a nose for drama and gossip. Jennie then began with
her version of how she and Max had met; starting with the moment
she left the apartment she shared with Becky over a year
before.

"So, now you're a werewolf and you fight with
swords? And Max is all that, plus he has wings and can do magic?
That sounds pretty incredible," responded Becky, after Jennie had
recounted nearly their entire tale, this time without the
assistance of Krynos and his exaggerated claims of wanton, sub
dimensional DNA and timeline-altering violence against Ryder
Johnson.

"It is, but I believe Max and I were destined
to be with each other," replied Jennie, causing Liliana to burst
out, "I am also a part of that destiny. Is that not correct,
Grandfather?"

Draagh, immortal Primulus and grandfather to
Max, merely grinned and nodded to his beloved great-granddaughter
and pupil in the ways of magic.

Ruffling her hair up, Max smiled at his
precious child and said, "Sweetie, it was written in the stars that
we were to be a family."

"Josh and I want to have kids one day. But
things are so messed up on Azul I don't know when that will
happen." Becky appeared to be a bit more somber by this time, but
her face carried a slightly worried sincerity to it.

"Becky, this part of the reason we brought
you here. We will need your help on Azul, and I would like to
extend an invitation to Josh to be part of my personal technology
team. What do you say, Lieutenant?" invited Max.

"Wow, would I ever. But, we're fugitives now,
right? I mean, you spirited us away and we're M.I.A in a manner of
speaking."

"Don't worry about that. We're all going to
be fine. In fact, the first thing we're going to do is set things
right with the government. We already secretly command over half
the space fleet, and nearly all ocean-going vessels," loudly stated
Admiral Bagatelle, as he casually walked up to the family table to
greet everyone. Josh's face turned pale as he looked at the
highest-ranking officer he had ever seen up close in his life.

Jumping to his feet, he stood at attention
and smartly saluted the admiral. "Sir, it is an honor, sir!
And….wow, you look a lot younger than I would have….wow…"

Bagatelle chuckled and patted the young man
on the shoulder, slightly pushing/guiding him back down to his
seat, and taking one beside the junior officer.

"We are not so formal here inside the castle,
Lieutenant. Outside yes, but here let's enjoy our meal. I have
heard your story and am personally glad you are with us." Bagatelle
lifted a hand and called to a servant for his meal - a steaming
plate of roasted elk and cabbage.

"Sir, I'm Lieutenant Becky Branson, and it's
an honor to meet you also. So, you're really Jennie's big brother?
That is so amazing."

Becky had done her duty to properly greet the
admiral, and then promptly tried to steer the conversation to the
drama-laden tale of how Jennie found out her commanding officer was
secretly her brother for so many years before he revealed their
relationship.

"Yes, Becky. I already told you all about
that," moaned Jennie.

"So, Josh, yes, to sum it all up, I knew
about you, and when I found we could do something about your
condition we decided to basically kidnap you two. And we have other
things to offer you as well," said Max, while wearing a mischievous
smirk.

"Um, what would that be?" asked Josh, gaining
a wry smile.

"How would you two like to be lycans… like
us?" asked Jennie.

"You mean enhanced strength, and all of the
other sensory input that comes with it?" queried Josh.

"Jennie," whispered Becky as she leaned
over to her best friend, "
does it make
sex… better?
"

"
You have no
idea, Becks, no idea
," sighed Jennie, while giggling
with an impish grin on her face.

"I'm in!" exclaimed Becky, raising her hand.
"I mean, I can still be vegan, right?"

"I'm in too, and please tell me that
we
can't
be vegan because,
baby, I love you so much, but if I have to eat another spinach
salad I'm going to start chewing my own arm off," affirmed
Josh.

"But… but, I thought you liked being vegan,
honey!"

Josh shot his hand up in the air and waved a
servant over. "Please, bring me a plate of whatever it is the
Admiral is eating." Then, turning to his wife he happily said, "I
already feel like a lycan!" prompting everyone at the table to
laugh, with Becky even joining in, as she watched her husband
devour his meal with a ferocity that made her look forward to when
they would be alone later in the evening.

The group finished their mealtime sharing
stories of past and current efforts, while Josh and Becky gave
details from a scientific perspective on the current state of the
military. After finishing their dinner they all went with Draagh to
start the next phase of Josh and Becky's soon-to-be very long
lives.

"So, all we need is an injection to
become lycan?" asked Josh, from where he stood in Draagh's study
with his wife, Jenny, Max, Bagatelle and Liliana, the latter
wearing an expression of disappointment at not being able to
turn
the newly-arrived Azulian
couple.

"Yes, my boy, that is quite correct. This
inoculation will provide all of the elements your body requires in
order to make a gentle transformation," said Draagh, as he conjured
two sterile syringes.

"You said gentle, so that means we won't feel
any pain or discomfort, right?" asked Becky.

"Yes my dear, that is quite correct,"
responded the old mage, momentarily considering conjuring a vid
display of Pandy's feigned rejection to her own inoculation not
long prior. He looked at Liliana and noted from her expression that
her little brain was ticking, and whenever that happened, chaos
usually ensued.

"Liliana, my dear, would you be so kind as to
administer the inoculations?"

Draagh handed her the syringes, with her
little face lighting up and morphing into a menacing grin.

"Oh, of course, Grandfather! Ok, hold really
still. Otherwise you'll turn into a vampire!" she squealed as she
jabbed a needle into Josh's arm.

"Oh my god, are you serious? No!" screamed
Becky, causing Jennie to jump to her friend's side.

"Lili! Don't do that! They're new here,"
scolded Jennie, while putting her arm around Becky's shoulder.
"Becks, she's fibbing. She just likes getting people worked up,"
she added, as she glared at Liliana, who was still maintaining a
gleeful look of victory on her little face. Then, looking over at
Draagh, Jennie saw he was trying desperately to stifle his own
laughter.

"I'll take that, young lady," said Max, who
then administered Becky's shot in a much more gentle fashion than
Liliana had done to Josh.

"
Pops, that
was totally mean."

"I thought it was rather comical, my boy.
Your daughter has an edginess that will aid in her survival over
the millennia."

The Mannheims sat down on a bench and stared
awkwardly into space, holding hands and waiting for something to
happen. Then, after a few minutes, they both started to feel their
body temperatures rise a bit. This led to them look at each other
and start to nuzzle noses, followed by them kissing. Everyone in
the room knew what was happening, and the comfort level was
dropping, especially with Liliana in attendance.

"Hey guys, I'm going to get them to their
quarters, like right now," said Max, as he walked over and slipped
the couple out of Draagh's study. Returning mere moments later,
Max's face was blushed out entirely red, an obvious sign that he
was embarrassed by something.

"Um, are they in their quarters now, love?"
asked Jennie.

"Oh yeah. We'll leave them alone for a
while," responded the lycan captain.

"That looked like Ali's reaction when we
inoculated her. I don't pity them. It's a great feeling," added
Bagatelle.

Max stepped over to Liliana and plucked
her comm from her shirt, denying her the ability to listen in as he
said, "
They were nearly naked by the time
we slipped to their room. It was almost as disturbing as it was
fascinating. They were that fast
."

"
Well the
inoculation was taken well by both. That is indeed a good
sign!"
Draagh thought back.

"Hey, that is totally unfair, Papi! I cannot
hear what is being said," complained Liliana.

"Oh, I'm sorry sweetie. No, nothing's being
said. I just need to check the cantuses on your comm." Max lied to
his daughter, and she knew it, but grew a wide and knowing smile
anyway. Even she realized that some things were not meant for
tender, young ears.

###

Len Johnson opened his eyes, having no idea
how long he had been unconscious, nor where he was. Barely able to
move his head, he strained to look downwards, noting that his body
was immobilized up against a wall by what appeared to be some sort
of coagulated slime or mucous. He also saw that there were a number
of organic-looking cables attached to his body, though he couldn't
feel them. In fact, he could feel nothing. Everything was black in
color, so it was difficult to get a bead on location, distance or
even if he was upside-down or not. His depth perception was
completely gone. Then suddenly, he heard a cacophony of voices in
his head - it was chaotic, and confusing. Concentrating, as it felt
like a natural thing to do, he tried to gather in the voices and
tune them together. It only took a few minutes and he was listening
to the Vrol hive mind communicate among itself. Then a most amazing
thing happened - it addressed him individually.

"
You are now
conscious. Why did you come?
"

"
I needed to
speak with you, and you stopped responding,
" thought
Johnson.

"
Vrol need
sleep. We were sleeping and you awoke us. Now you are with
Vrol
."

"
No, I do not
believe so. I retain my individuality
," Johnson
thought back defiantly.

"
You are
attached to us. You ship is now one with us. It will take us to you
world more quickly. We shall feed
."

Len Johnson, planetary dictator, murderer and
traitor to the human race, was now slaved to the hive mind of the
most virulent alien species in the galaxy. He closed his eyes and
attempted to see through his psionic connection, and managing to
get a glimpse of the outside of his small ship, watched as
thousands of organic drones worked at integrating his ship with the
fleet.

"
Oh sharga,
they're going to piggyback on my ship to Azul
," he
thought.

"
That is
correct. We convey gratitude.
"

Chapter
4 - Conversion

Deep within the bowels of the moon base on
Vera, Michael and his younger brother, Gabriel, sat with two
high-ranking Azul naval officers. They had been individually
analyzing various senior officers in Azul military over the past
few days. It had been more than a few weeks since Len Johnson had
disappeared, and Max was getting anxious about the reacquisition of
Azul naval forces, so the archangels were doing their best to
assist.

The two officers had been involuntarily
spirited off their respective vessels, and now found themselves
awkwardly staring at two winged archangels - something they had
never even imagined in their entire lives. The two, both
maintaining the rank of captain, were Topper Stanton and Logan
Stor. Despite their rank, neither had a command of their own, but
both were second in command of the vessels on which they
served.