2041 Sanctuary (Let There Be Light)

by Robert Storey

  Mesoamerica – A region in Central America in which pre-Columbian cultures thrived between approx. 10,000 B.C. and 1700 A.D. Modern day countries contained (partly or fully) within the Mesoamerican area include: Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Belize, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. The most well known civilisations/tribes in Mesoamerica include: Inca, Aztecs, Maya, Olmecs, Mixtecs and Zapotecs.

  Ooyah – SFSD commandos’ affirmation / battle cry.

  The Deep Web – Term for the part of the World Wide Web not appearing on regular search engines. Unindexed content not seen by regular Internet users who frequent the Surface Web. This content can take many forms; some is benign while other content can be more sinister in origin and use, resulting from illegal activity by individuals, criminal gangs, corrupt organisations, companies and sovereign nations, although the latter may argue this is just offensive national defence conducted in their country’s best interests. Also known as: Deep Net, Dark Net, Dark Web, Invisible Web, Under Web, Under Net, Hidden Web etc.

  Scheiße – Vulgar German word for shit, faeces or something rubbish / worthless (alternative: Scheisse).

  The Father of His Country – Phrase used to describe the first U.S. President of the United States of America, George Washington.

  CPR – Cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

  KIA – Killed in action.

  MIA – Missing in action.

  River Styx – The boundary between the underworld (the land of the dead) and Earth (the land of the living) in Greek mythology, which takes the form of a river.

  Brine Pool – A high salinity body of water found on the seabed of deep oceans which give the impression of an underwater lake or pool.

  Intercept missions – Planned missions by the GMRC’s Space Programme to prevent four of six approaching asteroids from impacting planet Earth.

  Caste – Word used by The Committee to distinguish between the hierarchical ranks of its members. There are thirteen castes within The Committee, and only nine people can hold the top, and thirteenth, caste.

  DMV – Department of Motor Vehicles in the United States.

  MACH – The Mach number, denoted by M or Ma, is a variable value commonly referred to as the local speed of sound.

  PIT manoeuvre – Precision immobilization technique. Utilised by a moving vehicle, usually law enforcement, when trying to turn a fleeing vehicle sideways in order to stop its forward motion.

  EVA – Extra vehicular activity is a term used by astronauts and cosmonauts when they operate outside of their spacecraft in a pressurised suit when in the vacuum of space or other unpressurised environments.

  Navy SEAL – Sea, Air and Land, S.E.A.L., the term used by the United States Navy for their special operations force.

  Der Apfel fällt nicht weit vom Stamm – A German phrase also used in English which translates as: The apple does not fall far from the tree. An alternative can be, ‘like father, like son’, or ‘like mother, like daughter’, or, in Brett and Samson’s case, ‘like father, like daughter’.

  Obsidian – Is a volcanic glass which has a shiny black appearance and naturally occurs in nature.

  Southern Quechua language – Native language spoken by the indigenous Quechua people of Peru and a handful of other South American countries. There are approx. seven million speakers.

  Great Flood –There are many tales of great floods throughout history and in all corners of the world. However, a more recent theory suggests the flood mentioned in the Bible may have roots in a far older event which some theorise destroyed an ancient civilisation that spanned the globe.

  Das Gespenst – The name used by the computer hacker, Eric Wolf, which translates from German as: ‘The Ghost’.

  Da Muss Ich – One of many names used by, and assigned to, the cyber terrorist, B.I.C., which translates from German as: ‘Because I Must’. Although, the acronym B.I.C. stands for the better known name of: ‘Because I Can’.

  APPENDIX L

  LOCATIONS, BUILDINGS & MONUMENTS

  Sanctuary Proper – Ancient underground structure built by an extinct species of Hominid, Homo giganthropsis. Located beneath the deserts and mountains of central and northern Mexico.

  Dulce – Small town located in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States.

  Ruins of Copán – ancient Mayan city located in the Copán Department of western Honduras.

  Teotihuacan – Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican city located near Mexico City, Mexico.

  Pyramid of the Sun – Biggest structure in Teotihuacan, Mexico.

  Sterkfontein Caves – Also known as the Cradle of Humanity. Located near Johannesburg, South Africa.

  FBI Field Office, Los Angeles, California, USA – Located on Wilshire Boulevard.

  City of New York, State of New York, USA – Most populous and arguably the most iconic city in the United States.

  Smithsonian Vaults – Secure facilities used to store ancient Anakim artefacts and remains. The vaults are located inside USSB Sanctuary and beneath the Smithsonian Institution’s sprawling Museum of Sanctuary.

  Military Vaults – As above but with extra security and limited access.

  U.S.S.B. SANCTUARY United States Military Scientific Laboratory Complex – High security facility run by the U.S. Army. Utilised by NASA and the GMRC’S R&D Division, the complex contains projects and research based on artefacts of Anakim origin.

  Shuttle bay – Area inside the S.E.D. from where air-shuttles are launched.

  Departure lounge – Nickname given to the staging area in the S.E.D. used by teams prior to launch.

  S.E.D. Control Station – Area inside the S.E.D. Command Centre that controls the launch and return of air-shuttles into Sanctuary Proper.

  S.E.D. Command Centre – Area inside the S.E.D. complex that houses the Control Station (see above), shuttle bay and the offices for high ranking S.E.D. personnel.

  Tower central – Is an ancient Anakim tower located at the heart of U.S.S.B. Sanctuary. At three miles high the spectacular structure was built to last and it was decided – for reasons both structural and aesthetic – to construct the human subterranean base around it.

  Dome Level – The topmost level of U.S.S.B. Sanctuary and the most exclusive, due to the health benefits (both mental and physical) of living, and/or working, in a more open and natural environment.

  New Park District – Located on the Dome level (see above), the New Park District is as the name suggests, an area within U.S.S.B. Sanctuary that is filled with various picturesque parks and forests; it also contains within its borders the subterranean base’s museum complex

  GMRC Command Complex – A large office complex with a central skyscraper (or domescraper) located on the Dome level of U.S.S.B. Sanctuary

  Brecon Beacons National park – An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) located in the country of Wales, which itself is a part of the United Kingdom. There are three other countries in the union: England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

  Supreme Court of California – The highest court in the state of California, USA.

  Pelican Bay State Prison – A supermax correctional facility located in Crescent City, California, USA.

  Mission Control Center (NASA) – Located in the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, USA, the Control Center acts as the hub of operations conducted by NASA.

  The Auditorium – The largest space module ever built, prefabricated on the surface in the year 2032, and assembled in space a year later, it acts as the central node of the International Space Station (ISS). It has multiple uses including: a mission centre, conference room and viewing gallery.

  ALMA – The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array in Chile, South America. The array consists of sixty-six radio telescopes which have two sizes of dish, twelve and seven metres in diameter. ALMA has many uses, once of which is the study of comets.

  TSKA – The Two Square Kilometre Array. Built in the year 2025 in Peru. An array of radio telescopes spread out over two square kilom
etres.

  Redwood Highway – Is a road that straddles two U.S. states, California and Oregon. The northern part of the highway consists of Route 199, while the southern portion connects with Route 101.

  Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park – A preservation area for old-growth redwood trees. Designated as a Californian state park, it surrounds part of the Redwood Highway (see above /overleaf).

  Anakim Sphinx – An ancient monument located beneath the surface of a deep lake inside Sanctuary Proper. Date of construction: unknown.

  Anakim Arch – A massive crystalline structure located in Sanctuary Proper.

  Arc de Triomphe – An iconic French monument located in Paris, France. It is the largest triumphal arch in the world (excluding Anakim structures as above).

  The Parthenon – A spectacular building located in Athens, Greece. Constructed in the fifth century B.C., the Parthenon was used as a temple in an ancient citadel called the Acropolis of Athens.

  Elgin Marbles – A wonderful collection of marble relief sculptures that once adorned the Parthenon in Greece (see above). Also called the Parthenon Marbles, and displayed in the British Museum in London since 1817, there is still dispute as to which country should have ownership of these precious works.

  APPENDIX M

  TECHNOLOGY, ARTEFACTS & OBJECTS

  Thermal Density Reduction (T.D.R.) – Excavation technology utilised in the creation of large scale subterranean chambers.

  Netcube – A storage device for computers using a state-of-the-art fluid drive instead of the cumbersome hard disc drives which preceded them. Used to store massive amounts of data, a Netcube is capable of storing the majority of mainstream data held on the World Wide Web. (Also known as a ‘webinabox’.)

  RV – Acronym used by the military for a rendezvous point. Also used as an acronym for a ‘remote vehicle’.

  Thermal sword – Darklight personal weapon.

  SABRE – Synergetic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine, an engine that operates in both air-breathing and rocket modes. Developed by Reaction Engines / www.reactionengines.co.uk.

  DPD – Digital Parchment Paper.

  Stelae – Carved stone monuments, singular stela.

  T.I.I. – Thermal Image Intensifier.

  Air-shuttle – A specially designed vehicle which travels on rails and through a large transparent tunnel / tube. An air-shuttle is the fastest way out of the USSB and into Sanctuary Proper (and vice versa). Propulsion is in the form of gravitational pull, staged rocket burns and strategically placed air-jets (assisted by a low-resistance cushion of air).

  Computer phone – Advanced mobile phone with the processing power to run advanced software packages. Acts as a personal computer as well as a smart phone. Computer phones are able to connect to wallscreens and monitors via induction ports.

  United States Credits (USC) – Currency used in United States subterranean bases. One USC is equivalent to one U.S. dollar.

  The Centipede – Remote operated all-terrain supply vehicle. Multiple wheels, low ground clearance and an articulated chassis enable the machine to scale near vertical climbs and all manner of obstacles.

  Quantum processor – Super powerful computer processor based on a qubits (quantum bits) rather than bits. These processors can carry out a far greater number of computations than computer architecture utilised in the first two decades of the twenty-first century.

  UAV – Unmanned aerial vehicle, also known as a drone.

  Wallscreen – Large, interactive monitor attached to a wall, usually taking up the entire surface.

  HUD – Head-up display, or heads-up display. Data projection onto a transparent screen / visor / window allowing a user to continue looking in the desired direction while being kept apprised of real-time information.

  Deep Space Detection Array (D.S.D.A.) – NASA and U.S. military satellite in high Earth orbit. Categorised as an unacknowledged Special Access Programme / black project. Capabilities: satellite disruption technology and deep space surveillance imager.

  OLED – Organic light-emitting diode. Utilised in monitors, televisions and other visual displays.

  Monotube – Public metro transportation system in USSB Sanctuary. Utilising a high-speed mono-rail configuration, the train navigates the subterranean base via a network of transport channels and tunnels.

  MX4 assault rifle – Advanced projectile weapon used by the U.S. military and Darklight security firm.

  Beam rifle – Sophisticated non-projectile weapon capable of unleashing high-powered energy in the form of a beam.

  Vacuum Lift – Super fast mechanism used to transport people up or down within a structure / facility.

  Deep Reach helmet – High-tech headwear worn by S.E.D. Deep Reach personnel.

  Multifunction card (M.F. card) – Given to permanent USSB residents, the MF card acts as a door key, sector pass, credit / debit card, data storage device and identity badge.

  Mayan map – Dated at over a thousand years old, the dense metallic tablet was unearthed by Sarah Morgan in 2040 at the Ruins of Copán in Honduras. Consisting of Mayan hieroglyphs around a single line, the simple inscriptions portray a map linking together the ancient Mayan cities.

  Anakim parchments – Collected by Sarah, Trish and Jason from a number of sources, these ancient scrolls are made from an unknown material which fails to degrade over time. They also have the capability to store large amounts of data and act like a digital display when activated using Sarah’s pentagonal pendant.

  Anakim orbs – Ancient relics unearthed in Sanctuary Proper by an S.E.D. archaeology team.

  Anakim pendants – two metallic pentagonal pendants found by Sarah Morgan during previous archaeological digs. The larger of the two, measuring two and a half inches in diameter, enables the wearer to activate Anakim technology, although its use is limited by the operator’s physical size.

  Pentagon – Five-sided polygon.

  Pentagram – A five-pointed star contained within a circle.

  Anakim monolith / prism – Massive fifty foot high artefact removed from a 900,000 year old building. Unearthed and recovered by SFSD soldiers under the command of General Stevens. The monolith contains a single chamber full of a viscous liquid which is protected by a transparent material.

  Anakim shield – Another ancient relic unearthed in Sanctuary Proper by S.E.D. personnel. Found in the same hoard as the orb (see above) and stored in the military vaults beneath the Museum of Sanctuary.

  APPENDIX N

  EMBLEMS, BADGES & LOGOS

  Emblems & logos can be found at the website www.sancturian.com or in the 2041: Sanctuary (Let There Be Light) paperback book. To go directly to the appropriate webpage please click this link.

  APPENDIX O

  MAPS, DIAGRAMS & REFERENCE

  GMRC SUBTERRANEAN PROGRAMME

  Country / State of Origin

  Suffix

  Number of Subterranean Bases

  UNITED STATES

  SUBTERRANEAN BASE

  USSB

  10

  EUROPEAN UNION

  SUBTERRANEAN BASE

  EUSB

  10

  PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA SUBTERRANEAN BASE

  PRCSB

  9

  RUSSIAN FEDERATION

  SUBTERRANEAN BASE

  RFSB

  5

  SUBTERRANEAN BASE BRAZIL

  SBB

  4

  SUBTERRANEAN BASE

  (Independents)

  SB

  3

  JAPAN SUBTERRANEAN BASE

  JSB

  2

  SUBTERRANEAN BASE INDIA

  SBI

  2

  Maps and diagrams can be found at the website www.sancturian.com or in the 2041: Sanctuary (Let There Be Light) paperback book. To go directly to the appropriate webpage please click this link.

  TERMINOLOGY / MAP

  USSB – United States Subterranean Base

  GMRC – Global Meteor Response Council
>
  Darklight – World’s largest private security contractor

  SFSD – Special Forces Subterranean Detachment (Terra Force)

  SED – Sanctuary Exploration Division

  Deep Reach – Special survey team working within the SED

  S.I.L.V.E.R. – An elite military unit available to the highest bidder

  Sanctuary Proper – Ancient underground structure built by an extinct species of Hominid, Homo giganthropsis (the Anakim)