Rebel Born (Secondborn #3)(108)

phantom orb. A small, silver, ball-shaped device that provides resistance to infrared scanners and pings from Virtue-class stingers. It cools a person’s body temperature to camouflage the individual from detection.

Platinum Forest Base. A Sword-Fated military Base consisting of treelike structures that air-barrack ships dock upon. It’s located in the Fate of Stones.

remote-viewing. The process of accessing and viewing a subject’s memories at will, with or without their knowledge or permission.

Rose Garden Society. A secret club dedicated to the preservation and welfare of Roselle St. Sismode. They have a vested interest in seeing her become The Sword (Clarity of the Fate of Swords). One of the most influential members is Clifton Salloway (firstborn Sword aristocracy), an arms dealer who owns Salloway Munitions Conglomerate. Members are called Rose Gardeners.

Rose Gardener. A member of the Rose Garden Society.

Roselyn. Tyburn’s lover, known for wearing roses in her hair. Her statue is part of the Tyburn Fountain, located in Westerbane Heath. She points to the secret door that leads inside the secret passage to Tyburn’s Temple on the grounds of the Sword Palace.

RW1 Device. Short for “Ransom Winterstrom One.” A biotechnology device created by Ransom Winterstrom and implanted into Roselle St. Sismode.

Salloway Munitions Conglomerate. A Sword-Fated weapons manufacturer owned by Clifton Salloway. Headquarters is in Forge, the capital city of the Fate of Swords.

seraphinian. A poison.

Sozo One. An underwater vessel. The Greek word sozo means “save” or “saved.”

stingers. Sharp-nosed security drones that catalogue and ping monikers. They scan for unauthorized personnel and for soldiers that are in the wrong areas for their service level access. They are weaponized.

Stone Forest Base. A Sword-Fated military Base consisting of treelike structures that air-barrack ships dock upon. It’s located in the city of Iron in Fate of Swords near the border of the Fate of Virtues and the Fate of Atoms.

strike port. A part of an energy-powered sword such as a fusionblade or a hydroblade. The access point or source from which a fusionblade glows with golden energy. On a sword, it is located at the end of a hilt.

Transition Day. Historically, a day in early autumn that happens annually, when eighteen-year-old secondborns are required to report to a processing base set up by the Fates of the Republic government in order to be indoctrinated into governmental service. Sword-Fated secondborns report to the nearest “Golden Circle” just outside of each Forest Base for processing on this day. Their families, for a multitude of reasons, bring their Sword-Fated secondborns to these Bases years too early, as young as ten years old. One reason is that parents fear their secondborn will harm their firstborn in order to gain power and position in their society. Some parents don’t want to grow attached to their secondborn, because they know they will have to be given up later.

Tree. A tree-shaped military building used by Sword-Fated personnel. Firstborn officers and high-ranking secondborn officers reside in apartments or air-barracks in glass Trees, while subordinate soldiers reside in apartments or air-barracks in concrete and steel Trees.

Trial Village. The name of the area in the one-mile circle at the center of the secondborn training camps. It’s an exclusive area for aristocratic firstborns to socialize and find food and entertainment within the Secondborn Trials atmosphere.

Tyburn. A demigod known as the Warrior of the West Wind. He defeated Hyperion, the God of Water, and gave water to his people.

Tyburn Fountain. A fountain in Westerbane Heath. The fountain depicts the God of the West Wind, Tyburn, defeating Hyperion, the God of Water. The fountain contains a secret passage that leads to Tyburn’s Temple on the grounds of the Sword Palace. The statue of Tyburn’s lover Roselyn, part of the fountain, points the way to the hidden door.

Tyburn’s Temple. The domed, gray stone building located on the grounds of the Sword Palace in the Fate of Swords.

VPMD (Virtual Perception Manipulation Device). A system of automated and biochemical devices implanted in the brain that can alter reality, including enabling mind control, hallucinations, and false memories. In elite cases, it can stimulate biochemical reactions that enhance one’s senses and physical makeup.

VPM Agent or VPMA (Virtual Perception Manipulation Agent). A Census agent who manipulates a VPMP (Virtual Perception Manipulation Participant).

VPMP (Virtual Perception Manipulation Participant). An individual who is implanted with a VPMD (Virtual Perception Manipulation Device) and is subjected to mind control or other applications of the device. See also Black-O.

Westerbane Heath. The public park on the west side of the Sword Palace in Forge, the capital city of the Fate of Swords. The park contains the Tyburn Fountain, an ancient monument to the warrior-god, Tyburn.

Whetstone. One of the main thoroughfares in Forge, the capital city of the Fate of Swords. It passes through Old Towne.

whisper orb. A ball, usually metallic, that, when activated by touch, produces an iridescent sphere of light capable of containing sound frequencies. They can come in several different sizes.

Zero Fates (also Zero-Fated). Individuals who have Black-O monikers.

zeroborn. A person manufactured in a laboratory and implanted with mind-control technology. The person isn’t “born” in the traditional sense. Noncombat zeroborns have red monikers. Black-Os have black monikers.

zeroborn mode. The state of being mind-controlled.