The Sol 3 Agenda

by Brian Kitchen

“Medb? Who is she?”

  “The Ceannaire of the Aos Si Confederation Intelligence Service.”

  “So how do you know her?” John’s grandfather asked him, again the strange look coming onto his face.

  “I spoke to her whilst I was on the Sol 6 Base, by a communication link to the Aos Si home world.”

  “I see. And Catherine Penrose? How do you know her?” John’s grandfather gave John a searching look.

  “We visited her in Cornwall before coming to London.” John told his grandfather who nodded.

  “Neither of them knows that I’m alive and it must remain so for both our sakes,” John’s grandfather then said.

  “Why’s that?” John demanded to know. His grandfather didn’t answer however and instead looked at his wristwatch and then turned to Samuel.

  “Will we still get lunch at the club, Samuel?”

  “I’m sure if I ring Clarence that it can be arranged.”

  “Ring him then and we’ll all go there.”

  “Why doesn’t Medb know you are alive?” John asked, as Samuel dialled the number of the club on the antique phone on his desk. “

  “I’ll tell you why Medb doesn’t know at the appropriate time, which isn’t now,” John’s grandfather replied, a little sharply John thought and then his grandfather smiled. “My apologies John, it’s just seeing you again after all these years. You were only a very small child when I last saw you and it’s been quite a shock for me too,” he said and then turned to Samuel having seen that he’d just finished his telephone call. “Well Samuel, are we on for lunch at the club.” John’s grandfather asked him.

  “We are, John. Clarence will arrange a private room for us. I told him that it was a business meeting and that we’d have a lady guest with us. I’ll have Donald bring the car round.”

  Shortly afterwards they were on their way out of the building and saw the receptionist again.

  “This has come in the post, Mr Snodgrass,” the receptionist said, brushing closely past John to hand Samuel a large envelope.

  “I’ll deal with it later, Gayle,” Samuel replied. The receptionist walked back to her desk, brushing past John again.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~

  The club turned out to be a very exclusive gentlemen’s club, The Explorers and Adventurers Club, which was situated in a rather grand Georgian building in Mayfair. His grandfather must be a very wealthy man John thought, for they were driven there in his grandfather’s current model, stretched limousine, a Rolls-Royce Bentley Jankel. Arriving at the club, the man who’d been sitting at the front of the car with the driver, leapt out and opened the car door for them. He was a tall, well-built man in his mid to late twenties with short cropped brown hair and John wondered if he was ex-military. His grandfather led the way into the club, past the bemedaled doorman, who tipped his top hat to him and John saw that the other man was joining them too. In the hallway of the club, they were met by another tail coated man.

  “I’ve arranged your usual private room, Mr Trevaskis,” the man greeted John’s grandfather. “and we have some excellent filet mignon on the menu today and your favourite treacle tart.”

  “Excellent, Clarence. I’d like you to meet my grandson, also named John and his er friend, Morann. Clarence is the club steward,” His grandfather explained and introduced John and Morann. Clarence shook hands with them both.

  They were then ushered into a plush room with a table already set with five places. As soon as they were seated a waiter came and took their order. Morann had taken a seat at the table, but obviously declined to order any food. The waiter gave her a curious look.

  “I’m on a diet,” Morann told him, seeing his expression. The waiter raised his eyebrows slightly and nodded.

  When the waiter had left them, John’s grandfather looked across to him.

  “John, I want you to meet Terry,” he nodded to the man who had also joined them. “Terry is also from one of the families who have served us over the years, from just after the Norman Conquest in his family’s case. He’s ex-SAS and will be accompanying you on your mission.” John had heard of the SAS, the Special Air Service, the elite special forces unit of the British Army, but had never met a member of it, either past or present.

  “So, what all this about a mission? I was originally sent back to Earth and in fact a few years into the future, to take over the running of the VarTech Corporation. Obviously, that was on the presumption that you were dead. As you aren’t dead, that can’t now happen.” John said and looked questioningly at his grandfather.

  “So, you aren’t really 21 years old yet?” John’s grandfather in return questioned.

  “No, I’m eighteen.”

  “When did you leave Earth?” John’s grandfather asked him.

  “September 1969.”

  John noticed that his grandfather appeared to be relieved to hear that.

  “I see. Well fortunately the age of majority in the UK was lowered to 18 years of age in 1970, though obviously when I wrote you that letter it was 21. However, regardless of the fact that I am still alive, you will still be taking over the running of the VarTech Corporation. I have other tasks to occupy me now and I just haven’t the time to run the company any longer. Firstly however, I do have a mission for you to perform.”

  “Do I take it that as Terry is accompanying me the mission is dangerous?” John asked, noting that Terry was closely studying him.

  “It has shall we say some challenges, John, but it shouldn’t be dangerous,” his grandfather informed him. “You’ll be given a full mission briefing when we get to my home at Trevaskis House.”

  “Where would Trevaskis House be?”

  “It’s near St Buryan, in Cornwall,” John’s grandfather must have seen the look on his face, for he added. “You know about St Buryan I see.”

  “Yes. My mum said that she’d lived there as a child and that my dad was evacuated to there from London during the Second World War.” John didn’t mention that he’d been on his way there when he’d been abducted by Morann.

  “That’s correct John. We’ll be going to St Buryan later this afternoon, so you’ll see Trevaskis House for yourself.”

  The first course arrived, and everyone tucked in. It was some of the best steak that John had ever tasted and there was a very nice wine to go with it. John’s grandfather and Samuel got talking about John Senior’s business interests, which appeared to be very diverse. As well as the iron & steel foundry in Trentbury, it appeared that he had others throughout the country, as well companies specializing in electronics and telecommunications. There was even a computer manufacturing company that VarTech owned and it seemed from what his grandfather was saying to Samuel, that it was thought that it would be one day be the most important of all.

  “One day John, everyone will have a personal computer in their home and that day won’t be too long in coming” his grandfather told him. “My team of computer programmers are working on a new computer operating system which will revolutionise computing. It will make the computing division of my enterprises, the most important company in the VarTech Corporation in the very near future.”

  This all meant nothing to John, who knew nothing whatsoever about computers, other than they operated some of the systems on the Deltoids. He’d once seen a photo of an IBM computer that was the size of a room and wondered how it would be possible for every home to have one.

  “So, have you had any military training?” John realised that Terry was addressing him and turned to face him.

  “Yes, I’ve had some training in weapons and training in martial arts and unarmed combat. I was also taught how to fly a Deltoid.”

  “As you probably know, I can’t fly a Deltoid as only those with the Aos Si genes are able to,” Terry wistfully advised him.

  John had been aware of the built-in safety feature, which restricted the use of Deltoids to Aos Si or their descendants. Then Terry grinned. “I can fly a light plane and a helicopter though. John Senior arranged for me to ge
t my pilots licences in both. That was after my rehabilitation, when I had to leave the army. I’m eternally grateful to him for that and especially for the rehabilitation.”

  “What happened?”

  “I was serving on a mission in Northern Ireland and was ambushed by the IRA. I was badly wounded in the chest and right leg. I thought that they’d have to amputate the leg and that I’d never walk again, but John Trevaskis Senior arranged for me to be sent to a specialised medical facility and they were able to save the leg and put me back together again.”

  “When did all of this happen?”

  “1971.”

  “You were young to be in the SAS, weren’t you?”

  “I was born in 1944.”

  “Right, of course.”

  “I was treated with stem cells, whatever they are and also given the medical nanobots too,” Terry continued. John then realised that was why Terry looked a lot younger than he really was. “Apparently they delay the ageing process.” Terry grinned again. “Great eh?” John nodded.

  “Have you any idea what this mission is?” John asked, changing the subject. Terry shook his head.

  “No, your grandfather keeps his cards very close to his chest.”

  “I heard that, young man,” John Senior said, having finished his conversation with Samuel.

  The plates from the first course were cleared away and the next course served. Treacle tart and custard was also one of John’s favourite desserts and he wasn’t disappointed.

  “So how are we getting to St Buryan?” John asked at the end of the meal. “By train or car?”

  “Neither John, we’re flying there by helicopter.”

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Cornwall, April 1973

  A Bell 206L Longranger helicopter took John, his grandfather, Morann and Terry to Cornwall. Samuel stayed behind in London where he was based overseeing all the legal and banking side of John Senior’s businesses. It took just under two hours to fly to Cornwall.

  “That’s Trevaskis House, John, we’ll be landing there very shortly.” John’s grandfather said, pointing out of the window.

  Looking down John saw what appeared to be a country estate, with a large stone-built house surrounded by formal gardens. Slowly the helicopter descended, landing on a helipad at the back of the main house. As soon as they’d landed, they all got out of the helicopter and led by his grandfather, walked off towards the house.

  “Well, this is the ancestral home, John, what do you think of it?” His grandfather asked him.

  “It’s huge,” John replied, gazing at the main house which appeared to be very old and then at the range of outbuildings around it. Some of them would have been stables in the old days, but there was also a modern building which appeared to be a workshop, or even a laboratory of some sort, although no-one appeared to be working in it. His grandfather must have seen him looking at them.

  “It’s my workshop, John,” his grandfather said. “I like to tinker with things.” It seemed to be more than a workshop, but John didn’t say anything.

  Entering the house, they were met by an elderly man dressed as John would expect a butler to be dressed.

  “This is John Junior, Jenkins. John, this is Jenkins my butler,” John’s grandfather introduced him. “We’ll eat as soon as it can be arranged.”

  “I’ll see to the arrangements now, sir,” Jenkins gave a slight bow and went off.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~

  After a very nice meal, John’s grandfather took John to what was apparently the library.

  “I first need to show you something, John,” John’s grandfather told him and walked over to one of the book shelves and took down a large leather-bound book. John Senior then took the book over to a reading lectern and opened the book. “Come and see John.” John walked over to the lectern and looked at the page that John Senior had opened. It appeared to be an illustration of a very old map. “This is a map of Antarctica, but as you can see it shows the continent free of ice. It’s an illustration of the Piri Reis map.”

  “I’ve heard of that,” John told his grandfather.

  “Have you now. Well as you can see, it doesn’t show the whole of the continent, but only a part of it. The map that I want you to find and bring back to me, shows all the continent. It’s very important.”

  “I see. So why this map very important?”

  “I can’t tell you at present, but I’ll tell you when you’ve found it.”

  John wasn’t very happy with the answer his grandfather gave him but decided to say no more for the time being.

  “Where is this map?” John then asked.

  “It’s somewhere in the library of this house but was last seen in 1970. I need you to go back to that year and retrieve it for me. I can’t travel back to 1970, as I have already lived in that time.”

  “All right, so where will I find that map?”

  “It may be in the safe, let me show you where it is,” John Senior walked over to one of the bookshelves. “Right, do you see this book?” He pointed to a book which John saw was titled ‘To Galaxies Unknown’ by J. A. Trevaskis’. “Take it out John, grasp it by the spine.”

  John did that, but the book only came part way out from the bookshelf and then wouldn’t come out any further. Then John heard a slight hissing sound and slowly the bookshelf started to slide to the right-hand side. John let go of the book and watched it slowly slide away to reveal a safe. On the door of the safe was a hand sized impression, very much like the one on the standing stone that John had touched and set in motion his incredible adventure. John looked around at his grandfather.

  “Put your right hand on it John,” his grandfather instructed him.

  John did so, and the door opened. Looking in John saw that the safe was empty. He heard a slight gasp from his grandfather.

  “Was it supposed to be empty?” John enquired.

  “Yes, of course. I don’t keep anything in it,” John Senior quickly replied. For some reason however, John didn’t believe him. He was sure that his grandfather had expected there to be something inside the safe.

  “So, that’s all I have to do then?”

  “Yes.”

  “What if it’s not in the safe?”

  “Then you will have to search the whole of the house, in case it’s been taken away somewhere else.”

  “Why does Terry need to come with me. Surely, it’s a job that I and Morann can do on our own,” John enquired. He didn’t particularly dislike Terry, but there was something about him that made John feel uneasy. What it was he really couldn’t say.

  “Ah, there’s a slight problem John, there may be some hostile forces at the house.”

  “What do you mean? Hostile forces?”

  “Some Imperials made a raid on the house around that time. They were attempting to assassinate me,” John’s grandfather told him. “I gave the map to someone for safe keeping and then had to go on the run.”

  “Well, couldn’t you just ask who you gave the map to, where it was?”

  “I’m afraid not, John. Unfortunately, they died in the attack.”

  “I see. So, when do I need to go and try and find this map?”

  “As soon as possible John.”

  Chapter 10

  Cornwall, April 1973

  John felt that he needed to speak to Morann alone after he’d met with his grandfather, as he felt uneasy about what he’d been asked to do. He didn’t know where Morann had gone, but by chance he bumped into Jenkins and decided to ask him if he knew where she was.

  “She’s in the garden, John Junior,” Jenkins told him. “She said she’d like to go for a walk, and I suggested that she visited the walled garden.”

  John left the house and followed the directions that Jenkins had given him, walking down the path which ran by the side of the formal gardens at the rear of the house. He soon found the walled garden and saw that Morann was sitting on a bench which faced a large statue of what looked like a unicorn.

  “These o
nce roamed the Aos Si home world Tír na nÓg, you know John.”

  “What unicorns? You’re kidding me, aren’t you, Morann?”

  “No, John, I’m telling you the truth,” Morann said, shaking her head.

  “I thought they were just mythological beasts.” John said and then saw that Morann was struggling not to laugh.

  “You are joking aren’t you Morann?”

  “Yes John, I am. You looked very concerned about something and so I decided to lighten your mood. So, didn’t your meeting with your grandfather go very well?”

  “No, Morann,” John replied taking his jacket off as it was unusually warm for a spring day. He laid it down on the bench beside him, before sitting down next to Morann. “Something is bothering me about it. My grandfather took me to the library and showed me a large leather-bound book with lots of illustrations of old maps. There was one of the Piri Reis map which shows Antarctica ice free and he said that he wanted me to go back to 1970 and find another map of Antarctica, which apparently shows all of the continent ice free. He said that I might find it in the safe and showed me where it was located on one of the bookshelves. I was told to take a book off the shelf, but when I attempted to do that, the bookshelf slid to one side to reveal a safe. There was a hand sized impression on the safe door, like the one on the Menhir that I touched before you came and abducted me.”

  “I did not abduct you John; I prefer to say extracted you.”

  “Well whatever you want to call it Morann, it felt like abduction at the time.”

  “I’m sorry about that John, I did not mean to frighten you.”

  “It’s ok Morann, I’m over the shock now.”

  “So, what happened? Did you open the safe?”

  “Yes, I put my hand on the impression and the safe opened,” John paused. “Morann, I’m certain that my grandfather thought that there’d be something inside the safe, but it was empty. When I asked him if it should be empty, he said he didn’t keep anything in it, but I don’t think that he was telling the truth. He also wouldn’t t tell me why the map he wants me to find is so important and he also wants Terry to go with us, which also bothers me.”