Repairman Jack [08]-Crisscross by F. Paul Wilson

newsletters. I've stuck in a few comments here and there."
    Jack took the sheets and scanned them.

Cooper Blascoe—Prime Dormentalist (PD)
Luther Brady—Supreme Overseer (SO) and APD (Acting PD)
High Council (HC)
Grand Paladin (GP)
President of the Council of Continental Overseers (PCCO)
Continental Overseer (CO)
Regional Overseer (RO)
Temple Overseer (TO)
Temple Paladin (TP)
Fusion Aspirant (FA)
Fusion Initiate (Fl)
Reveille Candidate (RC)
Null (N)
NB: Cooper Blascoe was the first PD with Luther Brady as his SO.
When Blascoe went into suspended animation, Brady took over PD duties while retaining the SO position.
    Jack looked up. "Oh, yeah. I meant to ask about this suspended animation thing. What's up with that?"
    "He was in such close contact with his xelton that he's immortal, and put himself into a state of suspended animation to await the Great Fusion."
    "No, really."
    "You're a big boy: Read between the lines."
    Jack shrugged. "He's dead, right?"
    "He was on in years. You can't have the founder of an apocalyptic cult die before the apocalypse. So he doesn't die, he goes into suspended animation to wait for it."
    "In Tahiti?"
    "That was where he was living. Probably where he's buried."
    Jack sensed a lack of conviction on her part.
    "What's a paladin?"
    "Security." Grant jetted a stream of smoke from the corner of her mouth. "Think of them as the Dementedist KGB. The Grand Paladin's name is Jensen; he's their Beria."
    "Sounds ominous."
    "He is."
    Jack read on.

    Other Designations:
    Fusion Ladder (FL) —The progressive steps ascending toward FF.
    Fusion Aspirant (FA) —One who has passed through the FI stage and has started to ascend the FL.
    Full Fusion (FF) —One who has ascended the FL all the way to the top and achieved complete fusion of both xelton halves.
    Null (N)—A member of the unfortunate 7.5 percent of humanity who houses a xelton that cannot be awakened. A certain number of FAs do not learn until they are far along the FL that they are nulls and have been experiencing SF.
    Sham Fusion (SF) —When a null FA's desire for fusion is so great that they enter a state of denial, believing they are achieving levels of fusion when they are not. This is a tragic occurrence.
    Xelton Name (XN)— When the FA reaches the fifth level, his TO will be able to discern the name of his or her xelton. The name always contains a double-o.
    Lapsed Fusion Aspirant (LFA) (unofficially called a "lapser")—An FA who progresses well, then exhibits sudden LFP (see below) tendencies. A meeting with the local temple's Fusion Progress Review Board (FPRB) is mandatory; punishment must be accepted or the LFA will be designated DD.
    Low Fusion Potential (LFP) —This can be anyone deemed too skeptical, too questioning, not accepting enough. Although it's highly unlikely they'll ever achieve FF, they are allowed to take the courses but are closely monitored.
    Wall Drone (WD) —Most of humanity. They are content to allow things to remain as they are. They aspire to nothing better than their present circumstances. It is the Church's mission to win them over to Dormentalism so that they may proceed with the fusion of their xelton with its Hokano counterpart.
    Unwelcome Person (UP) —Anyone who unintentionally causes ripples in the tranquil pool of Dormentalism. These are often people with disruptive personalities incompatible with the Church's goals.
    Detached Dormentalist (DD) —LFAs who have become too frustrated or have lost their direction and refuse to accept their punishment from their FPRB. They are banned from all temples and no Dormentalist is allowed any contact whatsoever with them. The DD has a high potential of becoming a WA.
    Wall Addict (WA) —The greatest threat to Dormentalism: These are ruthless, disturbed persons who, for whatever reason, want the Home and Hokano worlds to remain separate. They infiltrate and attempt to interfere with, undermine, and sabotage the Church's mission to break down the