A

Air Coupe: A vehicle designed for near surface transit. The craft will carry two people with room for extra gear. It is equipped with various types of sensors and has an on-board computer with keyboard interface. The air coupe is kept aloft by an antigravity mechanism, but it can rise no higher than six meters above ground level. In addition to the main drive thruster, the air coupe has several strategically placed maneuvering thrusters which enable the craft to turn and bank It is powered by a standard ion drive and has a maximum speed of 300 kph.

Antara: Capital city of the planet Vonda. Home of the Shallot Estate, Government Center, and Royal Palace.

Antigrav Tanks/Artillery: Armored fighting vehicles and heavy weapons using antigravity units and reaction thrusters for propulsion.

Assault Lander: Heavily armed and armored shuttle used to land and deploy troops under heavy fire conditions.

B

Behemoth: Large, reptilian predator native to Vonda that resembles a Terran horned toad and is the size of an elephant. They hunt mostly during the daylight hours.

Bishop: Leader of the Vondan™ church and presides over services in the Royal Cathedral.

C

Cargo Carrier: Shuttle designed to carry small cargoes for extended distances.

Crown of Vonda: Chain of five mountains in a ring formation in the Great Vondan Alp region of the Vondan continent of Sh'uss.

Courtyard, The: Central depression surface in the middle of the Crown-of-Vonda formation.

D

Data Card: Small black device about the size of a credit card used for data storage with Vondan computer systems.

Defensive Shields: Electromagnetic force fields used to protect a vehicle, vessel, or facility from physical or energy forms of attack.

Destroyer: Small combat vessel of the Vondan Royal Space Navy often used in combat, patrol, or other mission profiles.

E

Enforcer: A Vondan law enforcement officer, vehicle, or headquarters.

Experimental Jet: Scratch-built prototype craft built for high altitude and sub-orbital flight.

F

Faster-Than-Light/FTL: Applies to any device, vehicle, life form, or phenomena that can move past the light threshold into trans-light speed.

Fringe Bandit: Wandering nomadic primitive humanoids that encroach on the fringes of Vondan civilization. They are scavengers of technological and processed goods.

Fusion Generator: A generator using pelletized deuterium bombarded by lasers in a magnetic vacuum bottle. Used by Vondans to power everything from small buildings to major cities having developed the technology by copying a small generator found in Nas' ship.

G

Governmenta Unita: One world government in Earth's early 21st century that forced an autocracy on the people and was ultimately overthrown by revolutionaries.

Government Complex: Secured area in the city of Antara on Vonda that contains the Royal Senate, Royal Judiciary, Royal Palace, and Royal Cathedral.

Great Vondan Alps: Great mountain region on Vonda's northern continent of Sh'uss. Is where the Crown-of-Vonda is located.

Grid Projector: Device integral to the Sperry Grid network that emits "rays" in two directions opposite from each other. Anchored in bedrock, the units are spaced every 500 meters along the network.

H

Half-Rotation: Half a Vondan day--nine hours.

Heavy Cruiser: Ship-of-the-line of the Vondan Royal Space Navy. Often used in heavy combat, diplomatic, or other mission profiles.

Holoviewer: Standard viewing device used on Vonda and throughout the Borainian Sector. Uses a series of laser refractors to generate a three-dimensional image on the screen.

Hoverpallet: A platform using antigravs in transporting materials for loading and unloading.

I

Internal Affairs, Minister: Individual responsible for addressing internal domestic problems and issues in Vondan society.

M

Meson Destabilizer: Device that generates an energy field that breaks down the bonds of molecular cohesion and causes objects to disintegrate.

Mosaic 7 Firmware: Software package that Lisa Wilson was developing for Zyrix Corporation at the time of her disappearance.

N

New Galactic Order: Political movement on Vonda promising rapid reforms by implementing a new government system.

Night Raven: Large, black nocturnal bird-of-prey native to Vonda with a venomous bite. The venom is deadly to most humanoids.

O

On-Board: Slang for the on-board computer in a vehicle.

One: The second moon of Vonda. While uninhabitable, the moon is rich in mineral deposits and is the principal work site for the Solomon Mining Company under exclusive contract.

P

Palace Guard: The best of the Royal Guard handpicked to guard the Government Center facilities and the Royal Palace.

Planetary Security, Minister: Serves as Vonda's secretary of defense and the one responsible for carrying out Vondan military policy.

Plasma Pistol/Carbine: High-energy plasma hand weapons that use a particle beam as a delivery system.

Prime Minister: Official that carries out the administrative decisions of the ruling monarch.

Provider, The: Central figure of the Vondan belief system.

Pulse Grenade: Small explosive device that uses an ultrasonic pulse and a blinding flash of light to overload the neurons of its targets and render them unconscious without causing permanent injury or damaging equipment.

Q

Quarter-Rotation: One-quarter of a Vondan day equivalent to four and one-half hours.

R

Remote Unit: Portable sensing device and direction finder. Can tie-in to an on-board vehicle computer.

Revolution: The time it takes the planet Vonda to orbit it's sun. Used to describe the Vondan year.

Robo-Hauler: Automated freight hauling vehicle with a low profile.

Rotation: The time it takes Vonda to rotate on its axis. Used to describe the Vondan day (18 hours).

Royal Army: Branch of the Vondan Royal Armed Forces. Usually deploys ground troops, garrison troops, and ground vehicles.

Royal Cathedral: Church attended by Vondan Royalty and government officials.

Royal Escort Squadron: Squadron of fighters detached from the Royal Guard to serve as escorts for the Royal Transport.

Royal Guard: Branch of the Vondan Royal Armed Forces. Made up of the best troops, weapons, vehicles, and ships from all the other branches. Often used as an elite reserve, or security for the Royalty.

Royal Marines: Branch of the Vondan Royal Armed Forces. Usually deploys troops and vehicles for foreign soil operations and for Royal Space Naval vessels.

Royal Palace: Where the Royal Family resides and conducts business of the Royal Court. Is one of the most opulent and beautiful buildings on Vonda.

Royal Space Navy: Branch of the Vondan Royal Armed Forces. Maintains fleets of military spacecraft for various combat and other operations.

Royal Transport: Spacecraft used exclusively by the Royal Family for official business requiring travel offworld.

S

Seambrii: Vondan native alphabet used interchangeably with standard Earth English characters.

Sectoral Assembly: Governing body of the High Confederation of Planets made up of representatives from throughout the Borainian Sector.

Senate Building: Building in the Government Complex where members of the Royal Senate meet and conduct business.

Sensor Monitor: Individual responsible for observing sensor readouts on a military vessel or base.

Servo-Drone: Automaton designed for multiple general labor tasks. Drones vary in design and specialty functions.

Sh'uss: Northern continent on Vonda. The most prominent feature is the Vondan Great Alps.

Skimmer: A small, one-man antigrav sled-like vehicle propelled by maneuvering thrusters.

Slither Snake: An ophidian life form found on Vonda. There are several species-- some of which are venomous.

Spatial-Temporal Anomaly: A compound interfacing warp in the space-time continuum when space-time at one location is somehow linked to space-time elsewhere, translating things from one to the other.

Sperry Grid: A magnetically suspended structure composed of parallel light beams. The beams or "rays" are emitted by grid projectors. Air coupes travel on the rays, drawing power and automatic guidance from them.

Splevos: The largest of the three moons of Vonda, which has been made habitable through artificial atmospheric generation. Home of the Royal Palace in the capital city of Spanwaa near the Sea of Splevos. This is the seat of government for the offworld colonies and satellites of Vondan Space.

Sterilizer: A household appliance that automatically cleans and sterilizes dinnerware and eating utensils with sonic scrubbers.

Stun Pistol/Stunner: A weapon using a electrostatic charge carried along by a particle beam to its target. On it's standard setting, it is non-lethal and is a favorite among enforcers, security guards, and those feeling the need for personal protection.

T

Tartberries: A berry native to Vonda known for it sour taste. They are high in Vitamin C and are a recommended part of the Vondan diet.

Troop Carrier: A large, military shuttle designed for rapid deployment of troops in combat situations. Accommodates 30-50 men.

Trans-light Drive: A Faster-Than-Light drive system that causes an interdimensional rift around a starship in normal space allowing it to surpass the speed of light for interstellar travel.

Two: The third and smallest moon of Vonda. Essentially nothing more than a small asteroid.

V

Vond: The sun of the planet Vonda; A G5 spectral type star.

Vonda: A planet in the Borainian Sector inhabited by humans who have adopted the "Way of the Provider." Conditions on Vonda approximate Earth norms with the exception of a green sky, slightly heavier gravity, a shorter daily cycle, and a smaller circumference.

Vondan Citizen's Medal of Freedom: Honor awarded to civilians who have performed an extraordinary service in the cause of freedom.

Vondan Emergency Powers Act: Legal precedent granting the Royal Senate the power to nominate a new prime minister in the event of an emergency where the former prime minister is deceased or incapacitated. If the Royalty is also nonexistent, the new prime minister then becomes the supreme chancellor with broad discretionary powers to invoke martial law to deal with the emergency.

Vondan Order of Valor: Highest military honor to be awarded on Vonda regardless of branch.

X

Xenon Arc Light: A very powerful, hand held spotlight.

Z

Zyrix Corporation: A computer software and hardware development company on Earth where Lisa Wilson was employed before she vanished from Earth.

™ Return to Database