by Brandt Legg
“No, I’ve seen enough,” Nelson replied. “I’ve read the Justar Journal enough times that I’m dizzy from the change, the possibilities, the great purpose of it all.”
Pointing to a uniformed AOI agent, Grandyn said, “That still makes me nervous.”
“My nephew, Osc, runs the friendly, gentle AOI now, but I get nervous too. I suppose we need them during these changing times. There are still those afraid of a world without fear.”
“And then there’s Blaise,” Grandyn said.
“Yes, he’s more famous than ever, building CHRUDEs to do all the hard cleanup. But no more Imps, not when the List Keepers are showing everyone how to reach those levels of intelligence and spiritual insight without having a machine wired into their body.”
“What would my parents think of all this?” Grandyn asked.
“Your mother was a lot like Chelle, only smarter. Not to take anything away from Chelle, she was a hell of a strategist. But your mother . . . ” He paused and allowed himself a moment to drift back to a happy time that had once been stolen. “Harper was brilliant. And she was a fiery revolutionary. She wanted the truth so badly that each day was a lifelong quest to find it.”
He looked at Grandyn with complete adoration.
“She would have been so proud of all that you did. Grandyn Happerman, brave and true. And if you want to know what your dad would think, just listen to my speech.”
Nelson stood as a woman behind the podium finished introducing him, and he walked up onto the stage.
“Thank you for being here today at the dedication of the Runit Happerman Memorial Library. My name is Nelson Wright. I appreciate your applause, but contrary to the reputation bestowed upon me, I’m not really a hero of the revolution. I am simply an author. But I knew real heroes.
“The first was Runit Happerman, the man we honor here today. His acts of courage are well known, as are those of his wife, Harper, and his son, Grandyn. Grandyn’s losses, like his contributions, were extraordinary. I hope you’ve all read about him in my latest book. That book, as well as all the so-called ‘controversial’ books we saved, are available in this library, and thanks to the generosity of Deuce Lipton, there will be printed versions of all these books at seven more libraries around the world. For, as we’ve learned, digital is convenient and easy, but sometimes we need to hold something tangible. It is easier to protect something we can touch. Runit taught us that. He would be so happy to see that we will not only continue to learn from these books, but that we have survived because of them.
“I know some of you still flinch at the sight of the AOI agents, but they are different now, and the initials were kept in tribute to the great irony. It is ironic, of course, because in the end the dark force we fought against turned out to contain the thing that saved us.
“You’ve heard of BLAXERs and PAWN, Creatives and Rejectionists, TreeRunners and List Keepers, even Trapciers, but we would not be standing here today without those within the AOI who risked everything to turn on their evil masters. There were too many to mention, but tens of thousands of AOI agents, who knew the crimes of that agency better than most, decided the time had come to say, ‘No more!’ and saved us from complete destruction. So, it would not be right to honor Runit without also paying tribute to Polis Drast, who also saved the books and helped save us all. The AOI, his legacy, renamed the Allies of Information.”
END OF BOOK THREE
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About the Author
Brandt Legg is a former child prodigy who turned a hobby into a multi-million dollar empire. At eight, Legg's father died suddenly, plunging his family into poverty. Two years later, while suffering from crippling migraines, he started in business. National media dubbed him the "Teen Tycoon," but by the time he reached his twenties, the high-flying Legg became ensnarled in the financial whirlwind of the junk bond eighties, lost his entire fortune... and ended up serving time in federal prison for financial improprieties. Legg emerged, chastened and wiser, one year later and began anew in retail and real estate. In the more than two decades since, his life adventures have led him through magazine publishing, a newspaper column, photography, FM radio, CD production and concert promotion. His books have excited hundreds of thousands of readers around the world (see below for a list of titles available). For more information, or to contact him, please visit his website. He loves to hear from readers and always responds!
Books by Brandt Legg
Outview (Inner Movement, book 1)
Outin (Inner Movement, book 2)
Outmove (Inner Movement, book 3)
The complete Inner Movement trilogy
Cosega Search (Cosega Sequence, book 1)
Cosega Storm (Cosega Sequence, book 2)
Cosega Shift (Cosega Sequence, book 3)
The complete Cosega Sequence
The Last Librarian (The Justar Journal, book 1)
The Lost TreeRunner (The Justar Journal, book 2)
The List Keepers (The Justar Journal, book 3)
The complete Justar Journal
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Phil, Maureen, Lance, Jenni, Cathy, Laura, Christa, Amy, Jen-Jen, Anne-Marie, Eric, Scott, Bart, Wendy, Greg, Carol, Jason, Eliz, Chris, Linda, Rick, Karen, Geoff, Anne, Lisa, Kelly, Kristy, Kristi, Mary, Julie, Leo, Anita, Steve, Dave, Ginny, Mike, Angel, Ron, Angie, Michelle, Gail, Craig, June, Curt, Jenny, Terri, Jennifer, Leslie, Claire, Dan, Brian, Rick, Jill, Megan, Alex, Doug, Jeff, Kimball, Sean, Sue, Carrie, Stacey, Tim, Christine, Jim, John, Tom, Glenn, Cindy, Clint and all the rest people I grew up with in Vienna, Oakton and Fairfax. Time of our lives! Many of you have crossed the decades to help get the word out about my books, and that has amazed me and filled me with gratitude. Forgive me if I forgot to name you.
Love and appreciation to Bonnie Brown Koeln, for keeping it consistent; to Roanne Legg, the one who influences so much more than the story. And to my mother, Barbara Blair, for believing I’m better than I am. And finally to Teakki, who patiently waited for little army-men battles, or any number of other great adventures, until I finished writing each day.
Glossary
A-Council – Secretive group that controls the economy and decides who will be elected.
ACE – Aylantik Commission on the Environment.
ADAM – Atom-Displacing-Adjusted-Molecule technology – Reduces the weight of objects.
AirSlider – Jet-propelled scooter, equipped with laser munitions.
AOI – Aylantik Office of Intelligence.
AOI Chief – Top AOI official.
Aylantik Government – Group running the world since the end of the Banoff War.
Aylantik Records Circle (ARC) – Manages ID chips.
Aylantik region – One of twenty-four regions governed by the Aylantik.
Bacs – Privately made cigarettes.
Banoff Pandemic – Plague which wiped out more than half the world’s population in 2025.
Banoff War – War which followed the plague. In which the Aylantik coalition secured power.
Bearing rights – Rights to have one child could be sold for up to 20,000 digis after age eighteen.
BLAXERs – Deuce Lipton’s private “security” army.
Breeze-Blowers - Dust-sized computers, equipped with video transmitters, that blow in the breeze.
CAAP – Corporate Assets Acquisition Parity Board.
Chamber-slot – Plan to
breach all AOI prisons at once.
Chiantik region – One of twenty-four regions governed by the Aylantik.
Chicago85 – Company that sells spy, intelligence, and surveillance technologies to the government.
CHRUDEs - Cloned Human Replacement Unit DesTIn Enabled – Human-like robots.
Collins-HG3 – Autonomous flying weapon.
Com – Universal language that has replaced all other languages, including English.
Courier – People who personally deliver confidential messages or small parcels.
Creatives – Writers, artists, musicians, etc., who tend to have liberal views and prefer total freedom.
Cyborg – Cybernetic Organism constructed from organic and biomechatronic parts.
DACAR – Data Arts Correction And Revisions Project.
DesTIn - Artificial Intelligence systems.
Digi-link – World Central Bank.
Digis – Form of digital currency.
Digital-drapes – Where people download books, movies, music, or whatever data they desire.
Doneharvest – AOI martial law style crackdown.
Earth Parks – Replaced National parks and protected lands.
ELS – Equidistant Letter Sequence – Type of code for hiding messages in text.
Exchange – Code word for the second start of the revolution.
Eysen – Leading type of INU.
FA – False Audio equipped micro-whistler-FAs.
Field – What the Internet evolved into – Everything is connected.
Field-View – Secure videoconference.
Flash – Equivalent to email/text/instant message.
Flo-wing – Super-fast vertical takeoff mini aircraft‒ The evolution of helicopters.
FRIDG – Facial Recognition Identification Grid.
Grunges – Slang for AOI agents.
Health-Circle – Or AHC ‒ Aylantik government agency responsible for health care.
Hops – State run health and fitness facilities.
ID chip - Secured into every Aylantik citizen. Details all personal data.
Implant – AI computer brain interface implanted in humans resulting in super intelligence.
Imps – Slang for people who have computer implants.
INU – Information Navigation Units – Powerful marble-sized computer/communications device.
InvisiLine – Secret bank and currency control.
ISBN – International Standard Book Number – Unique book identifier system.
KEL – AOI camera network.
Lasershod – Advanced handgun.
Laserstiks – Advanced, highly accurate, long-range weapon.
LEVs– Levitating Electro Vehicles‒ Solar-propelled floating vehicles.
Micro-whistler-FAs – Device that fits into mouth‒ Blocks conversations, broadcasts a false audio.
Micro-drones – Bug-sized drones, used individually or in swarms.
Media no-list – Topics not allowed to be covered by the media – PAWN, Rejectionists, etc.
Medical Sensor – Small coin-sized patch worn to monitor all health data.
Monitoring-mimic-drones – Bird-sized, sophisticated drones. Almost impossible to detect.
Nano-camo – Tarps that automatically change to the surrounding landscape like a chameleon.
Nano-tracers – KEL-defeating microscopic decals applied to the face.
Neuro-cap – Erases data and memory from both human, cyborg, CHRUDE, and Imp brains.
Neuron-mites – Mind reading nano-sized INUs.
Nusun – Single nation utopian Earth.
Over-hold – Instantly contouring chair/gliding sofa, which applies massage and aromatherapy.
P-Force – Lance Miner’s private “security” army.
Pacyfik region – One of twenty-four regions governed by the Aylantik.
PAWN – People Against World Nation – Leading revolutionary group.
Phantom-Shield Nano-device ‒ Sends holographic image into the same path and trajectory.
PharmaForce – World’s largest pharmaceutical company, controlled by Lance Miner.
Plantik – The naturally derived plantik that replaced plastic.
POPs – PAWN Operational Pods – Underground PAWN facilities.
Proof – A-Council’s name for the generation that survived the Banoff.
Pulse-rods – Communication-disrupting weapon.
Q-lifts – Ultra fast elevator that uses atom-displacing-adjusted-molecule technology.
Red-1953 – Chemical used to burn books.
Rejectionists – People who rejected Aylantik rules and modern society.
Retina-synch - Allows wearer to access data through what amounts to a micro-contact lens.
Said-scans - Postmortem brain scans.
Sat-grids – Satellite monitoring system.
Scram Network – Emergency, secret communications system that operated apart from the Field.
Shockers – A hand-held laser-powered pulse bomb about the size of a hand grenade.
Slide – Thumb drive-like data carrying device for INUs.
Sonic-bomb – Vibration frequency device that can shatter everything within a specified radius.
Sophisticated-GPS – Tracking program able to predict where an object is heading or came from.
StarFly – Largest company in the world’s fourth biggest industry: Space. Owned by Deuce Lipton.
Swarm-Drones– Bug-sized drones, equipped with cameras‒ Can go anywhere a flying insect can.
Tech-tracing – Can track the fingerprint of any electronic device from the web of satellites.
Tekfabrik – Multipurpose nano-fabric capable of changing color, size, and texture. Self-cleaning.
Thread – High capacity memory stick about the size of a short piece of angel hair pasta.
Torgon – Curse word similar to f-word. Also used as torg, torged, or torging.
Traditionals – Name used to describe ordinary humans without implants, etc.
Trapicers – Mysterious revolutionary group.
Tru-chair – Chair that conforms to the sitter’s anatomy and delivers acupressure. Uses energy by harvesting body heat.
VM – Virtual monitors.
Wavesuits – Tekfabrik suits equipped with tracking-blocking capabilities.
Whistler – Tiny device and app that blocks AOI monitoring of INUs.
World Premier – Elected leader of the United Earth and head of the Aylantik government.
Zoom – Similar to a phone call with video.