by SK Benton
"Hi sweetie! How are your classes coming along?" Jennie asked her pretty daughter, who seemed to be growing centimeters every day.
"Hello Mami, Papi, Tío. Classes are coming along fine, but I am glad we are to have lunch together," answered the little girl, while wearing a huge, beaming smile.
"Speaking of lunch, what's on the menu today?" asked Bagatelle.
"Choripan, simple and to the point," responded Max, who was actually glad to have that for lunch. It was he who introduced that particular type of sausage to the Rhönen Dominion nearly a year earlier.
"Oooh, I love chorizo sausage sandwiches, especially with sauerkraut!" squealed Liliana. "Should I inform Kyle of our most delicious meal selection, Mami? Perhaps he could join us for lunch!"
Jennie grew an awkward look on her face, knowing that her daughter had a huge crush on Kyle; she also knew that the boy wanted nothing to do with her daughter. It wasn't that she wasn't cute - quite the contrary - she was growing up to be quite pretty. It was just that Liliana was more of a force of nature than a mere young girl, and her magical abilities sometimes self-activated when she had emotional outbursts. On one such occasion Kyle found himself pinned up against a castle wall, completely covered in tar and goose feathers. His only crime was laughing at what he thought was a joke, while Liliana was being quite serious. In any case, he was moderately afraid of her, and would only be in her presence on Vera, where Draagh had placed a cap on her magical abilities.
"No, sweetie, we're in a hurry. I want to spend all the time I can with you before you run back to your classes," commented Jennie.
"Yeah, and I want to know what you're learning right now. I think it's great that you're learning to use computers, Lili," added her father, as the group all walked to the main dining hall.
Liliana then spent her lunch hour detailing her latest lessons in computer programming and operations. It was apparent that she was making incredible headway, especially given the fact that she had lived nearly her entire life in a technology-free society.
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"Mrs. Gunnarsson, she's a menace. I mean, I'm trying to help, but she is just … did you hear what she did to me? Pinned me up against a wall with this black glue stuff and bird feathers - and it was on accident! I'm trying to be nice, honest. She learns quickly, so hopefully she'll be able to move on to a different teacher soon," complained Kyle Reynolds to Clarisa Gunnarsson, Liliana's grandmother, as the two had a frank discussion in the base on Vera.
"Kyle, sweetie, we really appreciate everything you are doing, and we understand that you're basically stuck with us. Max will most certainly reward you for your efforts, so don't you worry there, hun. It is just that we're in the middle of a very important operation, and he simply wants his daughter to have as much knowledge as possible - in case she is separated from us."
"Yeah, I know, and I'll teach her as much as I can. You know, just between us, she's gonna be a knockout when she get a bit older. I just hope she gets ahold of her abilities, or I'll truly pity the guys who date her."
Clarisa got a half-grin on her face as she nodded her head in agreement with the young man. She had already determined that when things had calmed down she was going to personally take Liliana under her wing, with the intention of teaching her to be a proper young lady.
Leaving the computer room, she walked out to the main training area where a mixed group of dozens of soldiers were training. She found it marvelous that 43rd century lycans were training with 29th century naval officers who had recently had their recessive lycan genes activated. The younger (if you actually thought about it - by 14 centuries) lycans had spent their entire lives training and using modern weapons of war whithout enhanced abilities. Now these new naval officers were receiving a crash course in everything ancient. However, it would soon be their turn to be teachers, as they were to train Krynos' lycans in the use of technology - personal consoles, pistols, rifles, cannons and other devices of hi-tech warfare.
As Clarisa walked by, nearly every man and woman on the training floor stopped and stood at attention, totally out of respect for the mother of Captain Gunnarsson (and the suspected consort of the Taxiarch, though no one knew for certain). She was already used to this treatment, and although she found it a bit over the top she still popped off a cute salute to everyone, followed by a cheerful and courteous, "As you were!" Clarisa had long before served her minimum two years in the military, and although it was in a clerical fashion, she was still aware of protocols.
She didn't look back as she passed the training soldiers, but if she did she would have seen nearly the entire contingent staring as she sauntered off. Clarisa's regenerated beauty rivaled that of her daughter-in-law, Jennie, and the younger of the two knew it. However, Jennie didn't see it as a form of competition - rather, she viewed it as a camaraderie between the two. They were the hot chicks wherever they went, and Jennie enjoyed frequent lunch dates with her suegra. They would discuss makeup and beauty tips, and the civilization process of Liliana, as well as crushing the dreams of approaching men while they flashed their wedding rings (Jennie wore Clarisa's ring, while the latter had somehow acquired a new one, Jennie believing it to be from Michael).
Heading over to the mess hall, she met up with her longtime assistant (and now best friend) Janice Wong. Janice, who had been Max's nanny during his youth, was a wily and smart woman of Asiatic ancestry - Chinese, to be precise, but more recently, her last ancestors on Old-Earth came from Peru, so the two women had South American blood as a bond, even though they were of different heritages in a manner of speaking (Clarisa was of Argentine extraction).
"Good afternoon, dear. What are we having for lunch?" asked Clarisa, as she casually took a seat next to her friend.
"Hi Clari - ham sandwiches, if you can believe. I almost feel like taking the slip back to the castle and having whatever it is they're eating over there."
"Well, why don't we ask?"
"Max, Max, are you there, sweetie?"
"Oh, hi Mama, what's up?"
"The usual sweetie. It seems the lunch selection here is rather… light. What are they serving in the castle today?"
"Choripan! And it's off the charts!"
"Excellent, then Janice and I will be right… oh my. Max, it is so disconcerting when you do that!"
Max had quickly slipped over and spirited his mother and former nanny to the main dining hall in Krynos' castle before Clarisa could even finish her sentence, causing everyone seated to snicker.
"Hi Abuelita! Please sit with me so I can tell you of my lessons while we enjoy our lunch!" pleaded the young lycan girl.
After giving everyone a kiss on the cheek (a customary dego greeting), Clarisa sat down next to her beloved granddaughter and listened to the little girl ramble on about computers and Kyle, and then a bit more about Kyle, followed by some more Kyle and how good he was on computers. Jennie had to keep her head turned to keep Liliana from seeing she was about to burst out laughing, and when she almost did Max grabbed her and pressed his lips up against hers, giving her a long, sensuous kiss - not quite appropriate at the dinner table, but well-timed in any case. Melting a bit at her husband's touch, it was enough to calm her down so she could prompt Liliana to finish her meal.
Janice merely sat, eating her sandwich while she watched everyone as if she were analyzing them, which was what she was usually doing anyway. She had a rather dry personality, but to know her was to love her, and it was a sure thing she was bellowing with laughter inside.
"Janice," began Clarisa, in an attempt to steer conversation away from Kyle, computers and more Kyle, "how is your training with Ohiro coming along?"
"Oh you know, the usual - a bit of this, and a bit of that. Well, we have actually been studying hiragana script lately. It is quite different from the Chinese script I was forced to learn as a child. When properly written out it is quite beautiful."
Max nodded his head in agreement. He had always maintained a fondness for the extinct Japanese culture, an
d thought it was great that at least someone was perpetuating its memory in a small manner.
"Mrs. Wong, you know, when we get all of this mess taken care of I think it would be great if you could maybe get Ohiro to assist in teaching Japanese culture - the language and history - at the university. It is definitely a rich part of our heritage as humans," said Max.
"Oh I don't know, sweetie. I would love to, but I am certainly not all that qualified to teach alone, and I have no idea if Ohiro would want to leave his home in the Dominion for something as silly as being a teacher in a university. And Max, my name is Janice. Not Mrs. Wong. You're making me feel older than I look now, young man."
Max blushed slightly, having always known then woman as his nanny, housekeeper, and simply as Mrs. Wong. But he was adjusting bit by bit. Then, the hybrid lycan/Primulus leader came up with a great idea.
"Hey, I just thought of something. I'm going to check out the Japanese Islands. How's that for an afternoon project?"
"That sounds quite cool, Papi," said Liliana, "and I would accompany you on such an important mission but I must return to my computer classes. I am sure Kyle is waiting for me."
Max stood up, and swooping his wife up in his arms, said, "Hold the fort while I'm gone, love. I have an idea, and if I'm right, we could have a whole slew of awesome ground forces at our command."
Max waved goodbye to everyone and went to the Quartermaster's chambers, where he intended on having a discussion with Ohiro.
Chapter 5 - Frozen
"So, Mr. Draagh, you're going to make it so our wristbands work on Azul too? That's going to be so helpful," exclaimed Pandy, as she sat on the ancient Primulus' massive oak table, her legs swinging back and forth.
"Pandy and I have always worked as a team, assisting Dons whenever there were fights, so we're kinda out of our element a bit here, if you know what I mean," added Jessica, who had been recently wondering how she was going to fit into the whole battle scheme. She knew she could take on Vrol ground troops one-on-one, but she and her virtual sister were an excellent team and she really felt they would serve a better purpose doing what they did best, which was fighter support.
"Oh, do not worry, my dear girls, no, please do not worry at all," mused Draagh, as he tinkered with the small, almost unnoticeable bracelets the girls wore. "All will be revealed soon enough, and you will both not only serve an excellent purpose in defending this world, but also be quite safe. That reminds me, you both claimed that you had never before tasted gelato, am I not correct?"
Both girls shook their heads, which then prompted Draagh to get a mischievous look on his face.
"Everyone is training now, or sleeping, or eating. That much is certain. I believe that you two deserve a field trip for some delicious gelato."
"But where can we get it, sir?" asked Pandy.
Jessica and Pandy found themselves in Draagh's apartment in the Hub for just a moment, where he grabbed something out of a drawer in a desk, and then were standing in an alleyway in a city during daylight hours. It was an ancient city, compared to Azul, with buildings made of brick and covered in plaster. Looking at their mentor they noticed that he had modified his appearance. His hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, and his beard appeared to be closely trimmed. Most striking of all, he was wearing a slightly shiny, dark blue suit consisting of a jacket, matching slacks, a black collared shirt and a silver necktie.
"Girls, this is my guido look, so as to not attract so much attention," stated the grinning immortal mage. "Please come with me. We are in what was called Venezia - Venice in your language."
"And we speak English, right?" asked Pandy
"Yes, that is correct my dear girl. Anyway, it is here where I have encountered the most delicious gelato, and the atmosphere is perfect for an afternoon break."
Pandy couldn't be blamed for rhetorically asking if English was her native tongue. In her world no one even knew there were any other languages, so spread out was Mankind. Although she maintained a bit of clueless innocence, she was a quite bright.
She and Jessica both noticed something - Draagh's choice of attire seemed to be having the opposite effect that he had claimed it would have - everyone was staring at him. Looking around, they noticed there was no one else dressed like him, and anyone would know that the best camouflage for blending into a crowd was to dress like everyone else. He failed at this in epic fashion.
"Ummm, Draagh, everyone's checking you out," said Jessica.
"Well, I think he looks very dignified and handsome," chimed Pandy, as she hooked her arm around his, eager to try the much-vaunted gelato of which he had spoken on so many occasions in the past.
After making their selections at a frozen dessert counter, the three sat at their little cafe table, Draagh barely fitting into his seat, as they slowly savored the delicious, Italian ice cream. Jessica selected chocolate, Draagh had coconut and Pandy chose spumoni, which had nuts and fruits in it.
"Girls, did you know that the word gelato comes from the Latin gelātus, which is also used as a verbal cantus for freezing objects? Yes, it is quite interesting. And this view - quite lovely, it is." He paused and looked out over the Grand Canal, with its myriad of boats and gondolas transporting tourists down the waterways of the slowly sinking city.
"Speaking of that, where, I mean, when are we, Mr. Draagh?" asked Pandy.
"Oh my dear, we are in the year 2006, roughly 800 years prior to your timeline."
"I like this place. It's hectic, busy, and yet friendly. I can feel the friendliness. Oooh, I take that back. There's a vampire. He gives off super-bad vibes," said Jessica.
Looking over, the three saw a pale, skinny man arguing with a local merchant over a product. It was obvious that the two weren't getting along, and the pale man, correctly identified as carrying the recessive vampire gene, was beginning to get out of line with the lone merchant. Suddenly, the vampire knocked over three racks of postcards in anger and stormed off.
Sighing, Draagh turned around to look at the girls, but noticed they were already up and over helping the merchant to pick up his cards. He watched the two, smiling, as he was yet again reminded of the beauty of humanity. The girls were unable to communicate with the merchant, but once they had assisted getting his stand in order they each gave him a hug and ran off, this time alarming Draagh.
"Girls, do not interfere - we are in the core timeline and you cannot do anything that would affect future events."
However, the girls ignored him and caught up with the unpleasant person.
Trapped on a small bridge crossing a canal, the pale man snarled at the two seemingly innocent girls blocking his way.
"Ragazze stupide, che cosa volete [Stupid girls, what do you want]?"
"Don't know what you're saying, Vlad, but you blew it big time messing with that poor merchant back there," growled Pandy.
"Americana? Ah yes, always put your nose in where no belong. You wanna piece of me, then you come now!" screeched the defiant Italian gen-vamp.
"Silence!" commanded Draagh, suddenly appearing and causing all time and space to remain still. Birds were frozen in the air, water droplets didn't move, boats stopped in place, and the only the things that even had any sort of motion were he and his two companions.
"Ladies! I took you here for relaxation and to observe, not touch, another point in time. You were about to make a tragic error - one that could have seriously jeopardized our entire mission, or at least changed it completely."
"Oh, sorry, Draagh, What were we going to do, besides giving this smelly-ass vamp a beat-down?" responded Jessica.
Draagh sighed and looked kindly at his lovely companions. "This man will have 7 children, one of whom will grow up to be quite a nice person - quite unusual for an inactive vampire. And one of his descendants will give a job to a person who will then get to board the Exodus fleet for Azul - that person, being Max's direct ancestor. If you were to kill this man, or alter his destiny, you would create an alternate timeline - one th
at is not properly connected to the Hub. It could have serious repercussions."
He felt badly for having fibbed to the girls, as their actions wouldn't have actually changed Max's timeline, but in reality would have created an alternate reality. It was something no Primulus wanted to see happen, as randomly-instantiated alternate timelines turned into schisms, which then offset the balance of space/time. But Draagh always had a reason for everything he ever did.
"Oh wow, that's heavy," responded Jessica.
"Over my head, but I'm with ya. Sorry, pops!" said Pandy, with a bit of apology to her tone.
"Come here and stand next to me, girls. You will be able to witness something that only I can do. I am going to rewind time."
The two excitedly jumped to Draagh's side as he conjured his infoscreen, and splaying his four fingers and thumb out onto a circular dial-like graphic on his semi-transparent device, started to slowly rotate his hand counter-clockwise. As he did so, they girls saw ghostly imagery of themselves going in reverse motion, until they were just finished helping the merchant clean up his postcards. Stopping there, they found themselves standing in those very places, wearing stupid grins, with a smirking Draagh still seated at their tiny café table.
"Now my girls, would you care to finish your delicious gelatos before we go back home?"
Pandy and Jessica, now with a new and profound knowledge that while in another timeline they could not interfere under any circumstances, went back to their desserts, scarcely noticing as Draagh walked over to the merchant for a small conversation.
"Che era vicino, mio signore [That was close, my lord]."
"Sì, questo è vero [Yes, that much is true]. Avete visto tutti i segni del Grigori [Have you seen any sign of the Grigori]?"
