by Jaxon Reed
“The ova from the cryo-coffin were in good shape. It’s unfortunate half the sperm were lost to the bullet, but on the other hand we are fortunate to have received enough.”
“It only takes one,” she said softly.
He missed her sarcasm.
Instead, he said, “Here are the results.”
He pressed his palm against a reader, which turned green. A panel in the wall slid open, revealing three small, clear containers. They contained liquid, and something else floating within.
“These are our three best candidates.”
Renard read the labels beneath each container.
“Embryo Seventeen, male. Embryo Eighteen, girl. Embryo Nineteen, girl.”
“Behold,” the scientist said, pride creeping into his voice. “The new bloodline!”
The End
Historical Notes
Harpies originated in Greek mythology. Originally spirits representing the destructive nature of wind, they were portrayed as monstrous birds with human female faces. Zeus punished Phineus with harpies always snatched his food away, until Jason and the Argonauts showed up. Dante included them in his Inferno, where he portrayed them as part of the punishment those who commit suicide must endure in hell.
Sometime in the Middle Ages, particularly in parts of what is now Germany, harpies became somewhat popular for heraldic purposes. Representations of harpies really are in the coats of arms of certain European principalities, including Lichtenstein’s. At some point the term morphed into a pejorative for a particularly annoying woman. The term “harpy” is used as such in Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.
“Cunning folk” were considered real by Europeans in the Middle Ages. They were not considered necessarily evil or practicing witchcraft, but were ascribed special powers by those in the communities in which they lived. They have been known by various terms, including “wise women,” “folk healers,” “pellars,” etc. “Cunning folk” is a catchall term ascribed to these various groups.
Medieval witch trials, of course, did happen, and it is true that on rare occasion suspected witches were suddenly freed for no documented reason other than perhaps the occasional intervention of a nearby ruler.
Der Hexenhammer was a real book, one of the early products of the printing press. The Church hated it because it was filled with errors. The Vatican never seemed to be as interested in pursuing witches as some of those in local populations. The Church indeed banned use of the book by priests and inquisitors. However, the step-by-step procedures for witch trials kept the book in print for decades as secular authorities used it to conduct their own proceedings.
There are psychotropics that help control emotions, and lithium is regarded in medical circles as capable of evening out the “highs and lows” experienced by those diagnosed with manic-depression. However, the emotion-dampening Hexenhammer compound described in this book is fictional.
There really were certain American OSS agents operating in the European theater during World War II who completed miraculous missions behind enemy lines. The one mentioned in this book is fictional, but her history is similar to ones we have since learned about as US operations against Germany have been declassified over time. How some of these agents managed to fool the Nazis remains highly intriguing. Even if you are not into war history, their stories offer fascinating reading.
Hitler’s father was an illegitimate child, whose own father was not identified in birth records. This led to persistent rumors over the years that Hitler was one quarter Jewish because historians have identified three men as possibly being Hitler’s paternal grandfather, and one of them was Jewish. The idea was brought up during the Nuremburg Trials after the war. However, evidence remains scant for the Jewish candidate, and most historians presently discount the possibility.
The Texas State Capitol Building is indeed taller than the one in Washington D.C. Also it remains one of if not the largest state projects paid for by land barter. The resulting three million acre XIT Ranch ran alongside the border of Texas and New Mexico for about 200 miles, and officially ceased operation in 1912 as final portions were sold off by its mostly British investors. The owners wanted a cattle brand that could not be easily thwarted by rustlers, and “XIT” fit the bill, whether it really was intended to stand for the ten counties the ranch went through, or not.
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