Chapter 3

The Vatican had not seen this much activity since the Templar's had been purged in that unfortunate incident several centuries ago involving a relic they never should have found.

Today though, the activity was of a much different kind. The papal envoys had been dispatched to notify the nine immediately after the meeting with the Pope and Cardinals. Once the astronomers had confirmed that the tricondris was present at the coordinates things began moving very quickly. It started before dawn; the trucks rolled into the Viale Vaticano entrance at the Vatican museum and began loading almost immediately. By the time the sun had begun to illuminate the red granite of the obelisk in St. Peter's Square a convoy of 30 trucks and two bus loads of nun's, priests and scholars was headed out of Rome towards the airport, their destination the Citadel of St. Michael.

Chosen in the 5th century, the Citadel site was seen as a perfect sanctuary for the Called Ones.

It boasted a commanding view of the three surrounding valleys with a large easily defensible northern plane that lead straight to the sea 2 miles away. In the beginning the only way up was via a primitive elevator system which, considering the location and logistics of moving building materials at the time, meant that initial construction would take over 100 years.

The Holy See understood that it would be millennia or more before the location would be needed, however, laying the foundations now would also provide a safe haven for the relics in the event that something threatened the Vatican archives.

The citadel became a monastery, with an order not written about in any Vatican journals, not mentioned in any papal writs, not whispered about by anyone. It was, in effect the Area 51 of the ancient world. Any relics, talismans, magical tomes, etc ... that were... 'secured' by the Collectors of St. Michael or received as tributes from the various crusades, holy wars and purifications found their way into the dry stone vaults of the Citadel.

The monks had two charges, keep a chronicle of the items stored in the Citadel, and be willing to give their lives to protect them.

Over the next 15 centuries the citadel was modified many times and the collection grew vast in size and scope. Every 100 years the entire site was retrofitted with the most technologically advanced features the times had to offer. The last full retrofit was completed in the year 2000. Upgrades included: Cray super computer, Satellite uplink facilities for ultra-broadband connectivity, hypersonic anti-personnel fencing and the extension of the existing runway facilities to over 1 mile providing the ability to accommodate the largest heavy lift aircraft. Today, access was only by air, the ancient ladders and elevators had been removed as soon as viable airplanes and helicopters had become available.

The Citadel was a fortress, built to provide the support the Called Ones would require to give them the best chance of surviving the great battle and the shift to follow.

Only the pope and the head of the Grand Council of Cardinals new what was to come, down through the centuries these two individuals had stewarded a faith shared by billions of the devoted around the globe, often times at the expense of ones who, when the time came, would be the keys to completing the great task.

Cardinal Aldous was riding in the Mercedes limousine to RIA, beginning to understand that all he had worked for, everything that he had tried to prepare for was upon him, and that the future hung on shoulders of nine young individuals.

The lists of the chosen was updated every day, it took the efforts of over 100 scholars to keep the lists current, as with all such lists of the best and brightest in any field there was always someone new showing up with new ideas, a deeper understanding or powerful inherent gifts to keep the top tier of the 'best' constantly fluid.

At least that was true until 6 months ago.

The number one spot had stabilized on each of the six lists for one week, the longest period ever recorded. As the weeks passed and the 6 lists remained constant everyone acknowledged that something had changed, either the time was close or the lists had been tampered with.

For six weeks Aldous met with monks from the citadel, giving them access to all of the sources used to compile the lists, in the end the monks agreed with the scholars, the lists had become static, these were the nine.