THE MASTER OF MUSCIGNY
The Fifth Novel in the First Admiral Series
Copyright © 2015 by William J. Benning
Edited by Eliot Chavez
Cover Copyright © 2015 by Andrae Harrison
Published by Clockwork Quills
eISBN:978-1-62375-115-9
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Prologue
Project Geminus - Orbit of Planet Earth – Year 6 AD
“Tega, we are now ready to proceed,” the Senior Project Engineer announced from behind his console in the Control Room of Project Geminus.
Tega Reac Dellaz, the Project Director, turned from the long, low window of the Control Room’s Viewing Bay and nodded her acknowledgement to the Engineer.
Below the small, cramped and self-contained Control Room, the beautiful blue and green marble of Planet Terra hung in the vast emptiness of space. Taking her seat at the Director’s Console of the small Control Room, Reac Dellaz clipped the audio receiver behind her small, lobe-less left ear and pulled the communications microphone down to her thin, lip-less mouth. She then adjusted the small rectangular Secondary Viewer that stretched on a thin support from her earpiece, to a position in front of her left eye. With a bank of only six monitors on her console, Reac needed the additional input from the hundreds of scanners.
Breathing a long controlled sigh, Reac Dellaz prepared herself for the most important moments of Project Geminus.
Project Geminus had been born from a need identified by both the Garmaurian Military High Command and the Colonies Office. The latest round of colonial expansion was proving difficult to sustain without suitable life-bearing worlds in close proximity to either existing colonies, or the resources they were designed to exploit. The military were interested in being able to transport huge forces and installations to wherever they were needed. The benefits to Garmauria, if Reac Dellaz could pull off the transportation of a whole life-bearing planet, would be immense. As would the glory and rewards to Reac Dellaz personally as Project Director.
“Engineer, bring us up to full power on the satellites.”
“Initiating power build up, Tega, generator arms extending.”
On one of her console monitors, Reac could see one of the massive horseshoe-shaped Trion Generator towers slowly extending the huge telescopic arm tipped by the dark, glowing-red, conical Discharge Mechanism. Three of these huge satellites circled the planet, and, at the desired time, would generate the Trion Field around the intended target. When the planet had been entirely surrounded by the Trion Field, a massive injection of Lissian radiation would boost the signal and propel the planet into the Trionic Web. The physics and the Trion Theory were simple enough. The Garmaurians understood that the Trion, the fundamental particle of the universe, held the fabric of reality together in a Trionic Web. Every Trion in the universe was attached to every other Trion through Trionic Bonds. The Garmaurians also understood that Trions in a particular location resonated at different frequencies, and Trions that resonated at grossly different frequencies repelled each other. Conversely, Trions of a similar frequencies attracted each other. Thus, a whole technology had been developed whereby generating a Trion Field of a specific frequency could draw an object from one part of the universe to another in the blink of an eye. Universe-wide travel and communications were now possible; transporting life-bearing structures was, as yet, untried. Tega Reac Dellaz was just about to cross that new frontier.
“Target One, Target One, what is your status?” Reac asked the Assistant Director, who was stationed in the Secondary Control Room in a different galaxy.
“We’re ready to go. The natural satellite is holding stable orbit around the gravity generator, which is set at one hundred and fifty million kilometres from the yellow dwarf star.”
Everything was in place. Reac Dellaz smiled confidently. The correct environmental conditions were established. An artificial ‘moon’ at the new location would also, hopefully, minimise seismic disturbances on the newly-arrived planet. Looking around the Control Room, Reac Dellaz saw smiling faces. The team were confident; the computer simulations had shown that transporting a whole life-bearing planet was achievable. If, however, it did go wrong; then billons of living creatures on the planet would be snuffed out. But that was of no concern to Tega Reac Dellaz. There were other dump-planets, like Terra, to experiment on.
But that was something that was not going to happen, Reac Dellaz told herself, because today she would write her name in the scientific annals of Garmauria.
“Excellent, be ready to disengage the gravity generator when the planet enters the Trionic Web.”
“Understood, Tega, we have an automatic switch set to activate when your power build up is discharged.”
“Very well, I think we’re ready to go here. Stand-by everyone, power levels, Engineer?”
“We’re at a uniform eighty percent on all three Trion Generators, Tega.”
“Activate the Lissian Generators,” Reac ordered the Radiation Specialist.
“Yes, Tega.”
“Generator arms fully deployed,” the Engineer replied.
“Planetary conditions?” Reac asked the Environmental Monitor.
“Still nominal, Tega.”
“Trion generators at ninety percent,” the Engineer said.
“We have a warning light on the Lissian Generator on Trion Generator two!” the Radiation Specialist alerted.
“What kind of warning?”
She was so close to delivering the project, she couldn’t possibly fail or delay now.
“Unknown, running diagnostic.”
“Trion generators at ninety-five percent, Tega,” the Engineer emphasised the seriousness of the situation.
“Well!?”
“Non-specific error, Tega, Lissian generations spiked for a fraction of a second.”
“Do we abort, Tega?” the Engineer asked.
“No! We carry on.”
“But, we have...”
“A non-specific error! It could be a faulty sensor.”
“Or, it could be a problem with the...” the Radiation Specialist began.
“Or, it could be nothing at all!”
“Trion generators at one-hundred percent!” the Engineer annou
nced.
“Very well, discharge!”
Out in Terra’s orbit, the three Trion Generators burst into life, spraying the planet’s atmosphere with the first of the particles that would envelope the entire world. The great yellow streams of Trions snaked away from the conical Dischargers to begin their build up in Earth’s upper atmosphere. The Trions building up in the ionosphere were reflected back by the mesosphere, which protected the planet during the transportation process.
“Reading discharge from Trion Generators,” the Assistant Director said. “Disengaging gravity generator at Target One.”
“Acknowledged, Target One. Hang onto your hats!” Reac smiled as the flood of Trions from the three Generators swamped the Earth’s ionosphere.
“Planetary Environment?” Reac asked the E.M.
The snaking, yellow streams were starting to turn the Earth’s upper atmosphere a pale shade of green, which was beginning to mask the surface features.
“No change, still nominal, Tega.”
Down on the planet itself, there would be no discernible difference to the sky, gravity or seismic activity. The cloud-base would remain unaltered, and there would be no tidal fluctuations in the oceans. Even the animals and plants most attuned to environmental changes would sense nothing untoward.
“Upper atmosphere is close to saturation point!” the Engineer said, “Tega, it’s not too late…”
“Discharge the Lissian!”
“Discharging now!”
In each of the three Trion Generators, the small Lissian radiation generators were starting to push their short-duration high-intensity bursts into the Trion Dischargers. The snaking yellow streams now changed to a pulsing bright-white colour as the Trions picked up the additional Lissian enriched Trions.
“We’re starting to access the Trionic Web!” the Engineer called.
“Target One…” Reac called the Assistant Director, when suddenly an alarm began to blare in the Control Room.
“What is it!?” Reac asked.
“We have a power decrease on Trion Generator Three; Trion flow is being reduced,” the Engineer reported.
“Can we compensate from One and Two!?”
“Negative, it’s too late, Tega!” the Engineer shouted over the shrill wail of the alarm.
“Abort the Lissian generators!” a panicking Reac ordered the Radiation Specialist.
“They’re already shutting down, Tega! They’ve completed their cycle!”
“No!” Reac Dellaz yelled as she stared at the yellow-green shrouded planet.
The uneven flow of Trions from the Generators was causing the yellow-green casing around the planet to swirl and eddy.
“The Trion Field is becoming unstable!” the Engineer called out.
“Abort the Trion Generators!”
“We can’t! The Trion Field is beyond saturation point!”
“Abort!” Reac shouted in desperation to her Assistant Director. “Re-establish the gravity generator!”
But, as Reac shouted her final despairing order, the swirling yellow-green Trion Field began to flash white lightning bolts.
“She’s going, Tega!” the E.M. called out as Reac watched the flashes intensify in the planet’s upper atmosphere.
Then, the Control Room was flooded by a huge blinding flash of brilliant, white light. Reacting instinctively, Reac Dellaz shielded her eyes with her forearm as the flash of light swamped and obscured everything in the Control Room for that split second.
“She’s still there!?” the astonished E.M. called out.
Lowering her forearm, Reac was equally amazed to see that planet Earth was still exactly where it had been before. Planet Earth was still there, and the yellow-green Trion Field had gone.
“Control Room!? Control Room!?” the agitated Assistant Director yelled. “Confirm abort order! What’s going on Control Room!?”
“We’ve lost the Trion Field, Target One,” Reac replied, numbed by the shock of what she had just witnessed.
“That’s impossible Control Room!? The Trions must have gone somewhere!”
“Well, are they with you Target One? The planet is still here.”
“Negative Control Room. There was no exit from the Trionic Web here. Wait! Control Room, we have an anomaly here.”
“What kind of anomaly?”
“We have some kind of gravity source where the planet should be; it’s exerting exactly the same gravitational force as the planet would!”
“Confirm your data, Target One?”
“Stand by Control Room. Yes, we confirm, gravitational force same as planet, it’s holding the natural satellite in a stable orbit in the middle of...well… nothing. Tega?”
“Scan it, scan the area!”
“Stand by Control Room, scanning now.”
“What happened, Tega?” the confused Engineer gave voice to the anxieties of everyone in the Control Room.
“I have no idea, but that Trion Field went somewhere. Trion Fields don’t disappear into nothing.”
“Control Room!” the Assistant Director returned. “Scanners indicate nothing unusual except a huge gravitational and magnetic field of exactly the same proportions as the planet. It’s like it’s here, except it’s not.”
“Keep scanning, everything you’ve got!” Reac ordered, and broke the connection to Target One.
“Any ideas here as to what just happened?” she opened the floor to theories.
Mouths would be tightly closed from this point onwards. Something had happened involving a Trion Field and the Trionic Web, but they didn’t know what. That would mean an investigation by the Military High Command, the Colonies Office and also the Government’s Scientific Council. There would be awkward questions, and everyone would be covering their own back. Tega Reac Dellaz would be in the thick of it; protecting her own position. Those shiny gold Admiral stars would now be just a dream for Reac Dellaz. If she was lucky, the Inquiry might let her stay in the Fleet, but she would never lead another major project again.
Her career was over.
“What have I done?” she muttered to herself, and slumped back into her chair with a sigh of despair.
Chapter 1
Planet Geminus - The Civita Castellana, the Papal States, January, the Year 1180
Pope Alexander the Third sat uncomfortably on the large throne in the spacious Reception Chamber.
The morning air was cold and refreshing; a prelude to the damp chill of the usual rainy afternoon. Under the patchy clouds, the sunlight streamed weakly into the Reception Chamber and sparkled onto the white floor, casting shadows of the window frames across the expanse of marble. Statues from antiquity adorned every niche and alcove, giving the Reception Chamber the air of a well-appointed museum. However, the heavy silence, shattered only by the trilling of captive songbirds, hung heavily around the shoulders of the balding, overweight pontiff.
Looking round at the opulent splendour of the Palace, Alexander considered that perhaps he should remain here rather than return to the Vatican. It had only been a few days since a usurper, calling himself Innocent the Third, had tried to seize the Papal Crown. And, it had only been with a large bribe that the traitorous Cardinal had been dethroned by his erstwhile supporters. Rome was still likely to be a dangerous place for Alexander, so an extended vacation might be in order, he considered.
“Holiness?” a familiar voice broke into Alexander’s contemplations, announcing the arrival of Antonio Milnari: his Chamberlain.
“What is it Antonio?” the placid Alexander asked.
“Holiness, the special Emissary from the Order of the Temple has arrived and seeks audience.”
With a deep sigh, Alexander was dragged reluctantly back into the real world of politics, plotting and scheming.
“Admit him,” Alexander said with little enthusiasm, and awaited the appearance of yet another brash and offensively loud Templar.
Sitting back on the throne, Alexander steeled himself for the coming ordeal. Another swaggerin
g Templar with a list of demands was not what Alexander required before his morning Contemplation and prayers. And, closing his eyes, Alexander prepared himself for the demands from the Templar as the heavy sound of footfalls disturbed the tranquillity of his Reception Chamber.
“Your Holiness,” a familiar voice, strong and confident, broke into Alexander’s darkness.
“You!?” Alexander gasped as he opened his eyes to see a familiar face wearing the chainmail armour and white surcoat bearing the red cross of the Order of the Temple kneeling on the steps that led up to the throne.
Holding up his hand, Alexander felt lips pressed to the ring he wore to acknowledge his power.
“Arnold,” the startled pontiff stammered, recognising the dark and shadowy features of Arnold of Torroja, wearing the seal of a Grand Commander of the Order at his neck.
“Holiness,” the dark figure smiled insincerely, “it is good to see you well,” the seasoned diplomat and political campaigner flattered.
“Arnold? How did you become a Grand Commander?”
“Let us say that Guy of Armienne suffered an incurable case of distressed stomach. ”
“But, how did you acquire the position?”
“In the absence of Grand Master Saint Armand, much influence can be acquired by those willing to make the necessary sacrifices and efforts in the name of Our Lord.”
With a nod, and a further insincere smile, Alexander again acknowledged the political reality of the situation.
Grand Master Odo de St Armand had been foolish enough to have gotten himself captured by the Saracens. The Grand Master of the Order; usually appointed for life, now languished in a Saracen jail with no hope of release. The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ, despite being one of the richest and most powerful Orders in Christendom, had a strict policy of not ransoming its members from captivity; no matter how senior they were.
“So, what demands have you come to present to us today?” Alexander got straight down to business.
“I have no demands, Holiness, I come to ask Your Holiness’ blessing.”
The Master of Muscigny (The First Admiral Series Book 5) Page 1
