Halma – 1895

Fires are burning in the distance. I can see the flames reach for the sky as I stand by my window sipping my wine. I make a silent toast. We have arrived at a critical juncture in this grand chess game. No one can stop me, not even that evil entity, Zed. I know what I want and I'm not afraid to stretch out my hand to take what is mine. So much civility has been lost over the years. I look forward to the day when graciousness and manners return and this game of Halma is at its end.

Ben Brush – 1896

The world has been quiet and peaceful, almost too much. Some have whispered that I'm paranoid, but I know the Vorak is plotting. It is only a matter of time before they strike. I have watched, listened – our benefactors have not given up. By all rights they should, but know the team's specific skills will be needed even though they are down one – down, not out. I must convince the delegates that demand truth: what I'm expecting are not ghosts, mirages, or phantoms – that I am not 'paranoid.' Our enemies will return and I must persuade them, like Ben Brush.

Typhoon II – 1897

We stand outside the door shaking our heads. Carefully, the bravest steps in first. "Are you kidding me?" he asks. "I'm afraid not," is the chuckled reply. "See! And you guys didn't believe me," I speak up with a new found confidence. She smiles at me, "I believed you." Of course she did. She has to live with this more than the rest of us. Inside the room are books, papers, CDs, and clothes strewn everywhere. Posters are tacked on the walls and the bed is a mess. If we didn't know any better, our teammate could be Typhoon II.

Plaudit – 1898

Failure. The word puts fear into one's heart. Some are scared of it while others avoid it at all costs. I do not have that luxury. Failure is a daily occurrence for my men and I. The irony is that we keep going; keep bashing our heads against the metaphorical wall. Perhaps we should stop, reconsider our position, and ponder our options. Surrender is out of the question. However, there are days the abuse is too much to bear. I want to crawl away and hide. Somehow, I gather my nerve and stand before the men to hear the Plaudit.

Manuel – 1899

There's something about clear skies and straight pavement. The revving of an engine in perfect tune and speeding along without a care in the world makes my heart race in a good way. My return has been bittersweet, but times like these remind me of the sweetness and help me focus on that rather than the bitter. I wish I could tell my teammates my secret, but the time isn't right. For that matter I don't know when the right time would be, maybe soon. All I know is at this moment, I love that my car is a Manuel.

Lieut. Gibson – 1900

Security is most paramount, especially in this facility. No strangers can be allowed to slip past us – we cannot afford it. Our guards endure one of the toughest courses and stringent training around. In the end, it's critical they be prepared for the very worst. They must think clearly during the most high-paced and unexpected situations. These guards are facing matters of life and death. When they graduate, they move onto their assignments. Only the brightest are allowed here, the cream of the crop. An example was one who stopped an infiltration presenting a grave threat. He is Lieut. Gibson.

His Eminence – 1901

Summoned, yet again. Oh, how I loathe these times. I obey It and walk toward the lighted room to spare my people Its wrath. It despises failure and abhors excuses. Unfortunately, I have nothing else to offer. I wish I had something to offer but deep down, I wish It would go away to bother another. I want It to demand a different being to do Its bidding. My most stringent hope is that It has not sensed my wish. The penalty for such disobedience is death. I stop at the door. An aide bows to me, "His Eminence awaits."

Alan-a-Dale – 1902

Justice and integrity seem to be concepts foreign to some people. They are about being honest – honest to yourself, honest with other people. It's also about fair play – taking care of what you have. It's not about seizing more than your fair share, destroying things as you go. This is more than about devastated homes and cities. It's about living in fear that at any second everything around you is going to explode into a million pieces. I've trained and worked too hard for that to keep happening! Enough is enough! This isn't Robin Hood and I'm certainly not Alan-a-Dale!

Judge Himes – 1903

Okay, so the night started off innocuously enough. I heard a crowd was gathering downtown. When I arrived, I realized everybody was ready to street race. I accepted a challenge and we were near the finish when the patrol car intercepted us! My rival hit the ditch and it took all the skill I had to stop! Once the smoke cleared, I knew I was in trouble. That was only the beginning. Now I have to face one of the scariest people around. He hates speeding above all else. I cringed when I heard I was going before Judge Himes.

Elwood – 1904

Vacations are rare for us. If we're not trying to beat Mallanox off Earth, we're training to meet that goal. Then the doctor gets this wild idea that we're due some time off. Where to go, though? The whole globe is in front of us and we can't come to a consensus. Weird, huh? What can I say? We're not used to going somewhere for fun. We wanted to travel to some place unique and that the same place offered a bit for everybody. That's when we pulled out the map of Australia. Our destination, you ask? Elwood, of course.