According to the book description of Aetas Furor-The Time of Madness, “The year is 37 AD; a mysterious living severed head is delivered to Rome from the far reaches of the Eastern Empire. The head, and a lone Chinese monk arrive in the city of Capua, near Rome’s capitol. They have been captured by the Roman Governor of Syria and sent to Rome as holy gifts for the Emperor—the notorious tyrant, Caligula.

Before the head magistrate of Capua—a Roman named Pullus—can make the arrangements to speed the bizarre gift to the Emperor, the magically animated severed head bites the finger of a ferocious Centurion; and the real fun begins. The curse of the Dead spreads through Capua like a field of wheat set ablaze, but Rome does not care, all her Emperor cares for is the arrival of the head—now called the living head of Apollo—and the magic and power this will bring him.

Pullus struggles to combat the Dead and save his citizens, but as the numbers of Dead grow exponentially, he realizes he is fighting a losing battle—the Madness has taken hold. Convinced the head of Apollo is a powerful omen of his own divinity, Caligula demands the head be sent to him in a Triumphal Parade, and the Madness begins in Rome itself. Conflict is set between Pullus and Caligula—pragmatism vs. outlandish caprice, man vs. the will of the gods—but can anyone save Rome? Perhaps the narrator, young Atticus, and the lone Chinese monk he has befriended have the answer.”

According to the description of Paradigm Shift – Return of the Angels, it “tells the story of Humanity’s explosive confrontation with alien life, both familiar and frightening.  The story unfolds while following one man’s attack on faith, and carries through to the incredible aftermath of his success.  The backdrop is painted with global catastrophe and radical sociological collapse, while the powerful themes and rapid pace serve to change our perspective long enough to re-examine what we know about ourselves.  Before joining the Iconoclasts Hank  Foster couldn’t envision a life beyond his tragic past. His career as an elite Special Forces Operative was cut short with the loss of his leg. Anger and pain was all he owned. But now the Iconoclasts have brought his anger into focus. Now Hank’s anger will move mountains and destroy entire worlds.

Iconoclasts or ‘idol destroyers’ is the name loosely given to the clandestine organization dedicated to attacking religious institutions. Secretive and immensely powerful, the movement has laid plans to topple the one institution it holds responsible for the greater part of Man’s inhumanity… they have set out to destroy faith itself.  Hank Foster was targeted through his association with William Kemp, the shining example of a young Icon loyalist, and was recruited because of his talents as a Psychological Warrior and his comfort with covert operations. Initially reluctant and cynical, Hank’s attitude shifts and he finds the Iconoclast leadership moves too slow for his liking. He usurps the vast power of the Icon leadership and uses their influence to perpetrate an elaborate hoax. He hopes his hoax will be the catalyst for change, but he has no idea how far his deception will spread. With help from the Iconoclasts Hank stages a spectacular UFO sighting over San Francisco, and orchestrates the media frenzy which follows. Ultimately a single question moves lips around the world; what do we believe, and why?”

About the Santa Clara County Fire Department
The Santa Clara County Fire Department is a full service fire department which has evolved through fire consolidations and contracts. In 1947, two agencies - the Cottage Grove Fire District and the Oakmead Farms Fire District - were consolidated to form the Santa Clara County Central Fire Protection District (now known as Santa Clara County Fire Department). This consolidation was the result of the California Division of Forestry withdrawing from the valley floor when its contract with Santa Clara County was terminated in 1947.

In that same year an election was held which authorized the Department to provide fire suppression services to the unincorporated area stretching from Highway 9 east across the valley to Mount Hamilton and south to the Almaden area.  In 1970, the Department consolidated with the Burbank Fire District and the Alma Fire District, and contracted with the Town of Los Gatos for fire protection services.

Today, the Santa Clara Fire Department serves Santa Clara County and the communities of Campbell, Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill and Saratoga.  In 2006, the Santa Clara Fire Department handled 13, 449 incidents.

Source:

sccfd.org