So, you've made it this far, have you? It takes dedication to find this page hidden deep within the Tagonist Knights Website.
Congratulations!
As a reward, I present to you five new ways to immerse yourself within this novel. Some of it is insightful, other aspects of it is meant to make you laugh and smile. Hopefully, by the time you're done, you'll be eager to explore the book if you haven't already, or take a moment to read through it once again knowing what you do now.
“You must go back to the beginning if you are to understand why this is going to be the end of your journey.” - Counciler Sirtis
Say Hello - The Cast of Liam's Legend
“Even if death came for me, I plan to make certain that it has a fight on its hands so fierce that it’ll regret ever making the attempt.”
Lexia
Human Captain
“I second that, Captain. Don’t die. That would be an unpleasant experience for not only myself, but the entire crew.”
Brent
Android Zenobiologist
“I thought humans were smart. You waste so much time always talking and not getting things done.”
Ter
Cat Thief
“Ah’wa ta’iv. Ah’wa ll’ma fa’ly ta’iv. Ah’op ba’in. Ll’ma fa’ly ‘iv.”
Tedorn
Gerbil Engineer
“Individuals like you are like a beacon of light in an empty abyss.”
Gold
Knowledgeable Counciler
“I have faith that the Universe is in safe hands when Lexiavolk Ivalia Gerna Hita Temer is there to protect it.”
Jamahe
Puppet Master
“Anger, hatred, and a yearning to destroy rather than create leaves an individual hallow inside.” - Gold
Relevant Memes/Artwork
“I would rather not have my sex life be recorded for the ages by a race of beings who may use that information as reference for the mating habits of humans.” - Lexia
Origin Story:
Exhausting...
There was a series of scenes in the first 100 pages involving a homage to the first five Star Trek series, the original through Voyager. Due to length of the book and how little they added to the main storyline, I took them out to focus on the main cast of characters.
There was also a series of scenes involving Parallax in a cabin. She meets a group of four individuals. Each begin vanishing. One goes off into the never ending snowstorm, another floats up into the air. The other goes into her room and suddenly her room is empty. Same thing with the fourth . Each representing one of the four Oria. That led to the introduction of Eve. Again, it was cut to streamline an already complicated story with a massive cast and already a lot going on.
The last major change was that Zoon was a part of the story until the end, including the final fight. I had him stay behind allowing for Hallie to emerge as a new part of the expanding crew and give him a good way to exit earlier.
Eve worried me when writing about her. Her scenes were re-written several times. At one point, she was aware of me, the author. Often looking up and talking to me. The final version was the end result of dozens of attempts to get it just right without her breaking the fourth wall. It's incredible that I finished this book. This novel had more re-writes per scene, having to change it, fix it, throw out the original idea and start all over than any other book I've written since there was just so much to address and resolve to conclude this massive four book story arc.
“The hardest choice we make in life is to allow ourselves to be vulnerable. It is only then that we can be loved and to return such devotion of spirit.” - Gold
Easter Eggs and Inspiration
Little Blue Sphere
Sol Gamma: Gamma being the third letter in the Greek alphabet. Third planet of the "Sol" system. Earth.
Tinker's Orgins
How Tinker became a cyborg is explained on page 19. He was altered by the Oria.
Favorite Android
Brent is named after Brent Spiner who played Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Ideal Society
The Cosmic Union is inspired by the Federation from Star Trek.
What is in a Name?
Glen is named after the creator of Battlestar Galactica, Glen Larson.
First in Space
The Vostok is named after the first manned space exploration vehicle in human history.
Android Community
The race of androids that Brent belongs to is called the Erocatad. It is the words Data Core spelled backwards.
Second Android
Hallie is named after Hallie Todd who played Lal in Star Trek: TNG.
Time Travel?
Lexia traveling through time mentoined on page 24 occured in the novel: Tinker's Treasure.
Leap of Faith
On page 26, "...striving to put right what once went wrong.” refers to Quantum Leap.
Transcendence
Page 37 refers to the episode "Transfigurations" from Star Trek: The Next Generation.
The Multiverse
"Dreams are the gateways to other realities" on page 38 speaks of the events in the novel: Dryad's Dream.
One of Five
"A mere avatar of my true self." on page 39 reveals that Avatar from Lexia's Legacy was an Oria.
Living Ship #1
Ayomutmog spelled backwards refers to two living ships. The first is Moya from the TV series: Farscape.
Living Ship #2
The second living ship is Gomtuu from the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Tin Man".
Near Death
What happened to Glen on page 45 is a homage to what happened to Anakin Skylwalker from Star Wars.
Everything Gone
Page 50, a colony vanishing with only a hole in the ground refers to Star Trek: TNG episode: "The Neutral Zone".
On the Road
The song mentioned on page 60 is "Life is a Highway" by Tom Cochrane.
Jedi Powers
Page 76, "stretch out with your feelings" was advice of Kebobi to Luke to tap into the force in the movie: Star Wars.
Two of Five
The emotional Oria that tortured Parallax in Dryad's Dream was one of the original five, killed by her during the events of that book.
Dating Experience
Page 97, Brent's dating experiences is a homage to Star Trek: TNG episode "In Theory" where Data attempts to date a woman.
Guardian and Guide
"Protector of the Cosmos" on page 97 refers to Dryad becoming the Tagonist Knight of the Cosmos after replacing Paradox.
Time Travel
Page 110, "...next leap forward, would be my leap home." is a reference to Quantum Leap.
In the Beginning
Page 112, "crew of misfits, refugees, and lost souls" refers to the 'teaser' text on the back of the novel: Lexia's Legacy.
DC Heroes
Page 113, Zoon makes references to Superman and then twice for Batman.
Good Bye
Lexia and Zoon say "Good Journey" as they did in the movie, Masters of the Universe.
Movie Opening
Page 124, "A long time ago in a galaxy far away" refers to the movie: Star Wars.
Earthworm Slim
Slim is inspired by a video game character, Earthworm Jim.
Ancient Lizard
Rua'So'Nid is the word Dinosaur spelled backwards and broken down into syllables.
Nameless People
Page 130 makes light humor of "extras" on TV or in a movie to make a place feel more crowded.
Suspicions
Page 133, sigma zero one epsilon one nine refers to Season 1, Episode 19 of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Conspiracy
Page 136, sigma zero one epsilon two five refers to Season 1, Episode 25 of Star TNG that concludes the storyline that began in Episode 19.
Intelligent Gerbil
Tedorn is the letters in "rodent" rearranged and his species, the Nimrev is "vermin" spelled backwards.
Sunfire Legacy
Page 147, these events are explained in the novel: Tinker's Treasure
Former Captain
The Oria turned human was one of the former captains that appeared in Tinker's Treasure in the Temporal Nexus.
American Woman
Sally Whitson is named after Sally Ride, the first American female astronaut in space.
Space Elf
Sally Whitson is named after Peggy Whitson, the first woman to command the International Space Station.
First Astronaut
The Starship Valentina is named after Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space.
Chest Burster
Page 156, something bursting out of someone's chest is what the aliens did in the movie: Aliens.
Sing a Song
Page 164, "Good morning Starshine" is a song by William Oliver Swofford
City of Gnomes
Page 171, Dryad quotes a gnome from the novel, Knowing Gnowing, a world she visited.
Computer Clue
Central Processing Union refers to the Central Processing Unit that is the "brain" of a computer.
Blast from the Past
The Gorlcks first appeared in the opening of the novel: Tinker's Treasure.
Covetous Aliens
The Nalmor were a threat in a flashback in Lexia's Legacy.
Deadly Threat
Grakk, the one responsible for attacking the Parallax, sending Lexia as a child into exile was a member of the Onjonic race.
Greedy Bunch
Trivilians are inspired by the Ferengi from Star Trek, caring about money and wealth.
Final Fate
The fate of the last of the four Oria revealed in their journals was inspired by the story, Zima Blue.
Hidden Clue
The holographic image code named Pratt one nine four nnne alludes to the clue of Pratt 1949.
Mostly Dead
Page 195, the Miracle Wizard refers to Miracle Max from the movie: Princess Bride.
Similarties
The Cosmic Union has 155 planets, the same number as the Federation in Star Trek.
Make it So
Captain Stewart is named after Patrick Stewart who played Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: TNG.
Doomed!
Page 209, "it's a trap" is a line from Admiral Ackbar from Star Sars.
The Question
Page 211, Life, the Universe, and Everything refers to a line from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
The Answer
In the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, it took 7 1/2 million years to find an answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything.
Human Home
Earth is called Sol Gamma in that it is in the Solar System and Gamma is the third in the Greek alphabet.
Repeated Day
Soil Boar Cycle refers to the movie: Ground Hog's Day, where a man repeats the same day.
We Can Do It
Page 214, "rebuild you" "have the technology" refers to a line from the Six Million Dollar Man TV series.
Brain in a Jar
Edward Rodman and all events related to him are detailed in the novel: Tinker's Treasure.
Specific Reality
Page 234, Earth 616 is the reality in which the Marvel Universe takes place.
Writer's Name
Page 234, René Echevarria wrote the episode "Transfigurations" for Star Trek: TNG, which the civilization Eve mentions mimics the evolution of.
Storyteller Quote
Page 238, the quote Eve speaks in Lexia's voice is found at the end of the novel: Lexia's Legacy.
Letters Rearranged
Page 242, previous books in the Sunfire Chronicles. Cayelg = Legacy. Raseertu = Treasure. Raxodap = Paradox. Merad = Dream
Familiar Faces
The command crew of the Vostok mimics the crew of the Enterprise in Star Trek: TNG and are named after the actors.
Scifi Creators
Page 250, Gene Douglas Lucas is named after science fiction authors: Gene Rodenberry, Ray Douglas Bradbury, and George Lucas.
Memories
Page 258-259, quotes are from Neal Armstrong, Carl Sagan, and Stephen Hawking
Former Crew
Anthony, Nizo, and Vera were members of Parallax's crew on board the Sunfire in the novel: Rua'So'Nid's Return.
Elementary Watson
Eleriont is a combination of the word "element" and "periodic" table of elements.
Firangi Ensign
Ensign Eisenberg is named after Aron Eisenberg who played Nog on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
To Boldly Go...
End of page 290 refers to the opening monologue of Star Trek original and TNG series.
Scum and Villainy
The cantina on a desert planet refers to a scene in the original Star Wars movie.
Blast from the Past
Menyuk is named after Eric Menyuk who played "The Traveler" in Star Trek: TNG.
Book Collection
Page 297-299, each italic paragraph refers to a title of a book in the Sunfire Chronicles in order of publication.
And now... My Favorite.
The series of one page scenes at the end was inspired by the song, Astronauts by Rachel Platten. It revisits characters from throughout the series, some only appearing in a single book such has Frea and Ferno. I wanted closure to what happened to Suzie. I needed to reassure the audience who loved Wakka that he was still alive by some miracle. I wanted the audience to know that Edward found a home and that Avatar was still visiting our reality. I wanted to give closure and a sense of completion to the lives of all who were a part of the Sunfire Chronicles.
“It is within the shadows of the soul, surrounded by darkness, that light shines the brightest.”
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