Disconnected (Connected series Book 1)

by N. P. Francis

  DISCONNECTED

  By N.P. Francis

  Connected Series Vol I

  DiPacha Realms – Connected Worlds

  Copyright

  Copyright 2017 N. P. Francis

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system, without prior written permission from N.P. Francis except for the inclusion of quotations in a review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Acknowledgements

  Writing this book has been an adventure and a journey of discovery. To all of you who have helped me on this journey and put up with my obsessions, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

  Special thanks to: H – for not letting me get carried away; Anne – for unwavering encouragement; Lewis – for ideas, help and support; Steve – for the artwork and encouragement.

  Disconnected is the first of a series set in DiPacha Realms

  Books

  Disconnected

  Connecting… (Planned release 2018)

  DiPacha Lore: Short Stories Vol 1

  DiPacha Lore: Short Stories Vol 2… (Planned release 2018)

  DiPacha Lore – Short stories

  Available from www.npfrancis.com

  Lateef’s Story

  Aka’s Story

  TuyTuy Pacha

  Contents

  DiPacha Lore- Before

  1Recollection- Making a memory

  2Stonehenge- Storms and tent pegs

  3Shock and Awe- Part 1

  4Chosen- Memory recalled

  5Shock and Awe- Part 2

  6Pachamama- Long After before

  6.1- Without warning

  6.2- New Beginnings

  7Shock and Awe- Part 3

  8Chris- Unexpected freedom

  8.1- Back into the wild

  8.2- Christmas comes early

  8.3- Flights of fancy

  8.4- Shock to the senses

  9Shock and Awe- Part 4

  10Back in the day- HuñuyPacha

  10.1- Plans afoot

  10.2- Returning home

  11Shock and Awe- Deep breath

  12Agents- Looking back

  13Shocked and Awed

  14The Guild of the True Listeners - Enlightening

  15Destiny and Legacy - Keys to the Future

  15.1- The day that changed the future

  16Legacy- The day that followed

  16.1- New connection

  16.2- Behind the scenes

  17Back to Reality- Fruit of knowledge

  17.1- Product field test

  18Facing destiny- Familiar faces

  Book 2 - Connecting…

  ExertPuzzles and Riddles - Lightning strikes twice

  Characters

  DiPacha Lore - Before

  As they had for millennia the people of the sixteen DiPacha Realms passed through the Punku pathways that connected the Realms. Moving between worlds as we would travel from town to town. None thought twice about travelling between one realm and another via the Punku pathways. The paths had always been there connecting DiPacha Realms. The concept of planets and space was unknown to these people. Stars were just lights in the night sky.

  Each DiPacha Realm was unique, but all were harsh places save one, the Garden Realm of WaytaPata, the fabled home of humanity. A wondrous realm. A realm of abundant resources and beauty.

  Around each of the Punku settlements had grown. Hubs of humanity acting as trading posts and links between each Pacha Realm, with each realm developing distinct cultures and histories. But with one overriding philosophy that had been passed down from the first settlers, Share to benefit. Fifteen of the DiPacha realms held fast to this philosophy. Helping friends and neighbours, sharing the resources of the realms.

  One realm did not, the central realm of HuñuyPacha, which was the only Pacha Realm connected to all other realms. HuñuyPacha slowly developed into the central realm of DiPacha. A realm where all others met, shared and exchanged for mutual benefit. The central realm of HuñuyPacha harboured a dark ambition. An ambition to become powerful, not just the central trading post and meeting place. The leaders of HuñuyPacha knew that to control DiPacha they must control WaytaPata and the Punku to WaytaPata. Their greed lead to the loss of all Punku to WaytaPata. All paths to and from the Garden Realm gone. The beauty and abundant resources vanished. The legend of Chinkay WaytaPata, the Lost Garden, was born.

  Many generations later the neural-net was discovered and the history of the fifteen remaining DiPacha Realms has been recorded ever since.

  After many more generations the stories of WaytaPata are now all legend and song. Told only to inspire and nourish the people of DiPacha on cold dark nights. Legends that the Listener race shares from generation to generation, a race who are supposed to be descended from WaytaPata and who had been the guardians of the legendary Garden Realm. Legends such as the Puma Punku which tells of a majestic beast striding through the Punku from WaytaPata to DiPacha. It is said that many of the Punku on WaytaPata had temples built around them. Structures with carvings of a four legged animal emerging through the Punku with other animals and plants surrounding it or following on behind. Life being carried and shared through the pathways between the realms.

  No one in DiPacha knows for sure if WaytaPata had ever really existed anymore – everyone on Earth has forgotten completely.

  DiPacha: The Punku Pathways

  1Recollection - Making a memory

  (Earth Year 2041)

  I am recording this while sitting at an old wooden table on an ancient wooden bench wondering what the hell has happened to me.

  It has been several days, maybe even weeks since I arrived in DiPacha, a collection of worlds I’d never known existed, or could have imagined. It seems a lifetime away from my family and friends back home in Devon. A place very different to this Pacha world, or realm as you would call it.

  I have been asked to record my story, my memories of what has happened to me over the last few months; sorry, you don't use months. That's a term from my home world, I mean realm…

  “Adrii?” said Chris looking up from the trance like state he was in.

  “Yes Chris…” replied Adrii.

  “I know you want us to record our memories onto the neural-net. I am finding it really hard to find the words, the expressions. I am unsure how telling an imaginary room in my mind can capture what has happened or how you and others can then see my memories?”

  “You don't have to tell your story. Just relax and remember it,” said Adrii smiling at Chris. “I cannot begin to imagine exactly what you and those before you have experienced. Being sucked from the only home you knew, the Garden Realm, into our…”

  “Those before us? There were others?” interrupted Chris.

  “Err, yes. We have not told you about the others. There have been other people from your world here before. Five of them; one was my grandmother.”

  “Pardon?!” Chris half yelled. He was shocked by the loudness of his reply. “Are you telling me people come and go between our worlds… I'm confused. You've said no one can know where we're from. As we wouldn't be safe.”

  Adrii came away from a stove in the corner of the kitchen where she’d been making her own hot drink. Sitting down opposite Chris she looked him directly in the eyes and said, “Sorry.” She paused and took a deep breath. “I have explained things badly. We're all still working
to understand everything ourselves.”

  “I'm not going anywhere…”

  Adrii laughed. “We’ll see about that. With all the changes you may be able to get home. One of my grandmother's friends, one of the others managed to.”

  “To use a phrase from home, ‘start talking’!” said Chris. “I need to know from the beginning, especially if it might mean a way home.”

  “To use another Earth phrase ‘let's kill two birds’.”

  Chris sat up with jolt. Hearing words from the young woman from this alien realm of Pachamama was almost as shocking as everything else he'd seen recently. Like finding a fish in a desert.

  “What do you mean?” Asked Chris perplexed.

  “You’ve taken well to your implant. Your temple is healing well where the stone implant was put into your head.”

  Chris involuntarily rubbed the rapidly receding scar.

  Adrii continued, “You're communicating well on telelink. You understand that the implant works in a similar way to what you call the internet and Wi-Fi. You seem to get that. Well, we can record information and memories for others to share using the implant. I was hoping to start with you recording your story. I thought it best to record it now before you begin to forget details. Now I think that showing you other memories and how we share information would be better. It will answer your questions in a much better way than I can explain. We'll start with Stonehenge.”

  That last word left Chris speechless, a look of bewilderment on his face as he stared at Adrii.

  Adrii continued, “Sit there and relax. Remember that in the neural-net there are rooms. Places where we store information. Finding a room is like finding a memory. Then in that memory are other memories and so on. Some of the memories are protected, what you might call invite only.”

  Chris slowly nodded unsure what else to do.

  “In the neural-net think of me and then think ‘Wayta 3’ and you’ll find a whole room of memories stored by my friends and me. Each memory has a kind of summary you can instantly see. If you find one that you want to review in depth just go into the memory as you would in your own head. The more relaxed you are the easier it is. Those of us that use this all the time often find we can enter a dreamlike trance almost instantly. The sooner you can learn to meditate or enter this trance the quicker you'll be able to access the information.”

  “OK,” said Chris, “let's go. I'm looking for a room called Wayta 3 and Stonehenge, yes?”

  Adrii smiled and nodded. Chris relaxed, closed his eyes and let his mind go…

  2Stonehenge - Storms and tent pegs

  (Earth Year 1971)

  “Jane, have you got the tent?” Asked Adam, his posh accent contrasting sharply with his hippy clothes and out of control dark thick shoulder length hair. Jane looked over at him and watched with a grin on her face as he struggled on the floor of their squat packing his knapsack getting ready for their party at Stonehenge. Adam had one system for packing, stuff it all in.

  “Yeah, I got the tent. You get the weed from Doug?” Asked Jane as she put on her favourite loose tie-dye clothes that hid her strong athletic body from head to floor.

  “Why do you hide under all those threads, Jane? You’re ace looking.”

  “You’re a piece of work, Adam,” said Jane half grinning to herself. “You know I don’t like drawing attention to my body. It’s my body. Plus the threads my mum used to make me wear were whack. If Mum could see me now she’d call me ‘scruffy’ and I like wearing threads Mum wouldn't like!” grinned Jane.

  “You always dress tight as far as I’m concerned,” said Adam sounding sincere. “I got two ounces and some trips for the party. Doug says it’s the best bud he’s grown in ages!” said Adam getting back to the point.

  “What, better than mine?” Asked Jane.

  “Yours was a trip all its own, Percy Thrower would’ve been proud of that bud! Do you know when the others’ll be here?” Asked Adam.

  “Na man, they’re pick’in up Art and ’is van. He’s off down to Totnes in Devon. He’s heard of a community down there he wants to visit. He’s goin’ to drop us off near the Henge and pick us up in two days. Do you think two ounces’ll be enough?”

  “That’s why I got the trips!” Adam grinned.

  About thirty minutes later Art arrived in his Ford Transit van, his much dented Ford that travelled everywhere in a blue haze. He had brought Tracey, Betts and Dan with him. The six of them piled their camping kit and party kit into Art’s van and headed for Stonehenge. It was August and the journey down the A1 and A303 from Cambridge was hot. There was a mattress in the back of the van to make it more comfortable, but as always Betts sat up front next to Art.

  “Another road trip comes to an end, eh Betts,” said Art as they approached Stonehenge about eight hours later. They were all very hot and sweaty the day had been heavy with the threat of thunderstorms. Getting out of the van was a relief to all although the air outside was only slightly cooler, but much fresher than the cramped confines of the van.

  “Yeah, but you're ditching me here. I wish you'd stay and party. I miss you when you're not around… My big bro’s not there to look after me,” chided Betts only half joking.

  Art laughed. “Look, little sis you're a big lass now you're nineteen and you've picked a thing or two up over the past two years. Ya may be the babe o’ the group but ya smart. Anyway, I'll see y'all in two days.”

  Betts leaned over and kissed him gently on the cheek as she got out of the van. She was hungry for a new adventure and was really excited to see Stonehenge for the first time and to party really there topped it off. She had a hunger for life, experiencing life as if she had been bottled up until the day she'd joined the group. She had a sweet innocent schoolgirl look and smile that was emphasised by her brown hair which she liked to keep in a bun or pigtails and clothes Jane would describe as drab.

  Betts walked around the front of Art’s van into the lay-by blowing him a kiss as she did so. Tracey and Dan were already picking up bags and were facing away from her. She could never tell them apart when she could not see their faces. They were siblings, but not twins, who looked almost identical and had the same dress sense; lose and tie die. They always had each other’s backs, although Dan came and went as a bit of a free spirit. He loved hitching around Cornwall to the best surf spots but had come back for a chance to party at the Henge with some of his best buds.

  It was 6pm as Art drove off towards Devon leaving the five friends in a lay-by near the Henge where they now stood surrounded by farm fields filled with pigs. Although the heat was out of the hot summer day the humidity hung in the air like a hot and heavy blanket. The five were aware of the storms that had raged across the south of England the day before and the radio in the van had said that the rain had only stopped around mid-day in this area. Right now the beautiful August sunshine that had dried up the grass and heated the tarmac almost to its melting point was beginning to wane and it promised to be a hot humid evening. Art was in for a long hot and lonely drive to Devon. The five wished him well.

  “Here’s to Art.” Said Dan, as he sparked up a spliff and took a long drag before passing it on to Tracey. About twenty seconds later he exhaled wheezing “and here’s to a great party and the Henge!”

  They were about five hundred yards to the south of the massive stone circle. None of them had visited it before and it looked magical with the shadows across the grassy chalk downs beginning to lengthen in the kearly evening light as the sun began its arc to the west. There was a majestic beauty and the stones almost glowed as the earlier rain evaporated off the grass and the humid air was lit by the light of the sun.

  The occasional pig run could be seen and the five hoped that these animals would be their only company. Picking up their gear they began the walk from the lay-by to Stonehenge. Sharing the spliff as they walked.

  “Those poor condemned animals.” Said Tracey to Adam as they walked along.

  “If no one ate their meat these anim
als wouldn’t be there in the first place.” Retorted Betts. That didn’t encourage Tracey or Adam to entertain the idea of trying a bacon sandwich but did provoke a lively argument. Dan calmed it down by rolling another spliff as they arrived at the centre of the stone circle. No one else was there.

  It was around 7.30pm by the time they had their two tents set up. One small one for the boys and a larger one for the three girls. With no one else around they, pitched the tents in the gap of the inner circle so they could see the sun set through the stones. Dan got out his guitar and began to play. Tracey took up builder’s duty and produced a spliff each to start the party.

  The five had dreamt all summer long of coming to Stonehenge to see the sun set and to party, they were excited to finally be there. The weather could not be better; they had food, water, wine and a good supply of weed. Nothing could spoil their mood.

  Betts went to her tent and emerged with a packet of Smiths crisps and some cakes she’d baked. They were a little worse for wear after the journey but no one minded. Their dream of a sunset over the Henge was happening. Dan sang on.

  At about 9.30pm Colin, a local pig farmer, was finishing his rounds in the final light of the evening. He had some sows out in the nursery fields near the Henge. As he approached the final field he could hear laughter and music coming from the stone circle. Long ago he had troubled himself with what the hippies and druids did in the circle. Why they found it so fascinating to go up there and lose their minds he had no idea. He disapproved but it was beyond his power to do anything about it so he now just let bygones be bygones. He smiled to himself as he knew David, the local bobby, would be along at some point to check on them and move them on if they were able to move.

  As he approached the ark in which he knew one of his pregnant sows would be he saw that she had made a nest of straw on the left side and was lying in it. She was not looking comfortable. Not the discomfort of a normal labour. To his eye she looked to be in breach. He needed to act now. The singing was lost to his mind. His focus was on the sow. He left at a steady run back to his Land Rover. He needed his kit and a torch. It was getting on for ten when he reached the ark again. The sow looked back at him but did not attempt to move. Colin recognised the signs. She was close to the edge and he had no time to get help, he needed to get up to his elbows and help the old girl out though. For the next two hours that is exactly what he did, oblivious to the noise that was not more than two hundred yards from where he was.