The Light-Field Read online

  Dedication

  To

  Cheryl aka Chez

  Tricia aka Temmies

  Leeana aka Whirls

  and Christine,

  the lovely ladies

  who run my web-world —

  this one is for you, girls!

  In recognition of the

  great work you’ve done for me

  over many, many years …

  I owe much of my continuing success

  to your tireless efforts and enthusiasm

  Epigraph

  In the Ancient Future,

  there was An Echo in Time,

  when the Masters of Reality

  were called forth.

  To record the Chronicle of Ages,

  with the aid of

  the Tablet of Destinies,

  to serve the divine will

  of the Cosmic Logos.

  But in the battle to move

  the Being of the Field,

  back to the Universe Parallel,

  the greatest weapon, and risk,

  lay in …

  the LIGHT-FIELD

  CONTENTS

  Cover

  Dedication

  Epigraph

  AMIE Layout

  List of Characters

  Part 1: The Project

  Chapter 1 The Brothers Gervaise

  Chapter 2 Zeven Gudrun — Starman

  Chapter 3 Aurora DeCadie — Rory

  Chapter 4 The Sermetic Royal Lines — Anselm and Vidor

  Part 2: The Build

  Chapter 5 Taren Lennox — The Timekeeper

  Chapter 6 Dr Amie Nardone — The Impressionist

  Chapter 7 The Ronans

  Chapter 8 Khalid Mansur — The Shadow Master

  Chapter 9 Kalayna Zuri — The Thaumaturge

  Chapter 10 Thurayya Vidor — The Adaptor

  Part 3: The Launch

  Chapter 11 Ringbalin Malachi — The Emotional

  Sympathetic

  Chapter 12 Kassa Madri, Leal Polson and the Rest

  of the Crew — The Telepaths

  Chapter 13 The Qusay-Sabah Clarona and

  Jabez Anselm — The Queen and the President

  Chapter 14 Telmo Dacre — The Akashic Memory

  Chapter 15 Azazèl-mindos-coomra-dorchi — The Being of the Field

  Part 4: The Mission

  Chapter 16 Jahan — The last of the Chosen

  Chapter 17 Shi Zhou Bai Rèn

  Chapter 18 The Timekeepers

  Bibliography

  Planets of the United Star Systems

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Other Books by Traci Harding

  Copyright

  AMIE Layout

  LIST OF CHARACTERS

  Ship — AMIE — Astro-Marine Institute Explorer

  Head of AMIE — Prof. Lucian Gervaise

  Financial Director — Dr Taren Lennox

  Lucian’s Brother — Swithin Gervaise

  Lucian’s Assistant — Aurora (Rory) DeCadie

  Aurora’s Daughter — Thurraya

  AMIE Pilot — Zeven Gudren (Starman)

  Zeven’s Partner — Mythric Zeon

  Mythric’s Wife — Satomi (deceased)

  Marine Biologist — Dr Amie Nardone

  Ship’s Doctor — Kassa Madri

  Botanist/Horticulturalist — Ringbalin Malachi

  Marine Botanist — Ayliscia Portus

  Physicist/Design Engineer — Eleazar Kestler

  Co-Pilot/Navigator — Leal Polson

  Maladaan’s President — Woodford Tallak

  Head of Maladaan Secret Service — Zelimir Ronan

  Ronan’s Attaché — Phendi Norward

  Ronan’s Son — Yaspar Ronan

  Yaspar’s Wife — Jazmay Cardea

  Yaspar’s Son — Fari Ronan

  President of Sermetica — Jabez Anselm

  Anselm’s Viceroy — Khalid Mansur

  President’s Home Staff — Tyra, Rebi and Rada

  President’s Secretary — Doltrice

  Dowager Duchess — Maiara Vidor

  Ruler of Frujia — Chief Matan-tu-hoo

  Pod-link Instructor — Hoku Lani

  Pod-link Trainee — Kalayna Zuri

  Kalayna’s Father — Trayan Zuri

  Pod-link Bully — Jadik

  Last Phemorian Prince — Chironjivi

  Last Phemorian Queen — Thurraya

  Phemorian Queen — Qusay-Sabah Clarona

  Phemorian Viceroy — Jalila Lamus

  Queen’s Guard — The Valoureans

  The Grigori — Azazèl, Armaros and Sammael

  Governor of Kila — Rhun Gwynedd

  Historical Advisor, Kila — Noah Purcell — En Noah

  Orion Leader — Yahweh Shyamal

  Kila Environmental Protection Agency Operative — Jahan

  Taren’s Wu Incarnation — Shanyu Jiang Hudan

  Lord of Zhou — Ji Dan

  The Being of the Field — Azazèl-mindos-coomra-dorchi

  PART 1

  THE PROJECT

  1

  THE BROTHERS GERVAISE

  This was it, the day they had been prepping for all year.

  The Astro-Marine Institute Explorer prospectus was printed and bound, with Lucian’s vision for a mobile interstellar vessel laid out in great detail within. There were other mobile research vessels in existence that specialised in land, sea or space research, but none that had been ambitious enough to combine them all.

  Private funding was Lucian’s very best hope of seeing his vision realised without too much interference. Government backing was not as desirable, as it brought with it more restraints, guidelines, red tape and leaks in information than it was worth. Lucian had seen the projects of his colleagues and peers stifled by government involvement, and he wanted to avoid that at all costs. Still, getting the project off the ground was paramount, so he could not discount the possibility completely. The greatest technological minds at the University of Esponisa on Maladaan — where AMIE had taken up temporary offices — had shown a great interest in the project. They had already applied for extra funding from the Government, so that Maladaan might secure the project and have first access to any of AMIE’s discoveries. The university’s interest had been of a growing concern to Lucian but, as his brother Swithin kept reminding him, they had paid everyone involved thus far and were beholden to no one.

  Maladaan was certainly not Lucian’s first choice for the location of AMIE’s ground-based operations; there was no wilderness left on the overpopulated planet, so appropriate test sites for their vessel would be limited. One of the reasons Maladaan was so eager to get on board the AMIE project was the prospect of discovering new virgin planets with natural resources to exploit. It made Lucian shudder to think of being part of a discovery project that would only amount to destruction.

  Ideally, the tropical regions on the planet Frujia would be a far more idyllic place to live, work and test their vessel. Lucian was something of a dreamer, and he knew that this aspiration was a little out of step with reality. It was near impossible to gain a visa to visit the tropical paradise and insanely expensive to build there. Not to mention the political nightmare to get approval from the native ruler of the planet, Chief Matan-tu-hoo, who took pride in keeping his planet as pristine as possible.

  ‘Lucian!’

  The professor looked up from inspecting the printed prospectus on his desk to find that Swithin, his older brother, and business partner, had entered his office and was waving his communicator around in the air.

  ‘I have good news.’ Swithin gave a laugh to release some of his excitement. Lucian was intrigued, as Swithin was always so sceptical. ‘President Anselm of Sermetica, the Chairman of
the United Star Systems, has graciously accepted our invitation to consider our project.’

  ‘What!’ Lucian was on his feet. ‘Anselm is the most influential man alive!’

  ‘I know.’ Swithin grinned.

  ‘Anselm is coming to our fundraiser, is that what you’re telling me?’ This was beyond Lucian’s wildest expectation.

  ‘Well, not the man himself, obviously.’ Swithin brought Lucian crashing back down to earth. ‘The president said in his message,’ Swithin brought up the written acceptance on his communicator screen, ‘that although his planet is not interested in funding such a project at this time, that he would like to consider AMIE for his own private investment, and he is sending along his personal science-slash-investment advisor, Dr Lennox.’

  In the end Lucian could only be stunned by the news. ‘Wow! We couldn’t have hoped for a better shot at private funding, because if Anselm gets involved —’

  ‘Everyone is going to want a piece of us,’ Swithin concluded, amused by his brother’s awestruck expression. ‘I told you I could stir up the right kind of interest.’ He raised both brows to beg a little praise.

  Swithin, in his younger days, had been involved in the interstellar black market and had been running and trading everything from drugs, to weapons, technologies and even people! In the end it was only Lucian’s exceptional reputation as a scientist and vow before a court of law to see his brother gainfully employed that had kept Swithin out of prison. At that time Lucian had asked Swithin what he really wanted to do with this life, to which Swithin had replied, ‘Who the hell knows what they want to do for the next several hundred years?’

  ‘I do,’ Lucian had bantered, and after outlining his dream of building the Astro-Marine Institute Explorer, Swithin proposed doing something about the grand vision.

  ‘You design it and I’ll raise the cash to build it.’

  Naturally, considering Swithin’s criminal past, Lucian was dubious — hence Swithin’s comment just now about the right kind of interest.

  ‘You’ve done exceptionally well,’ Lucian granted, daring to hope he had seen the last of his brother’s criminal tendencies.

  Swithin did seem to relish his new-found respectable position in society, and Lucian felt he had no desire to revisit his dangerous past. He even looked respectable these days, with his long hair cut short and slicked back, and his taste in clothes improving on par with his increase in income. His deep husky voice did make Swithin sound far more sinister than he actually was, and he kept his lanky form fitter than the next guy. The only people Swithin really feared were those with any of ‘the Powers’. For it had been psychics recruited by the Maladaan Secret Service who had aided the authorities to bust Swithin and his black market buddies. Lucian would have thought that his brother would have been thanking those same psychics now, for turning his life around? But no, Swithin — like a majority of people in the United Star Systems — felt that those with the Powers were the greatest threat to mankind that the universe had ever spat forth. Psychics were seen to have an advantage over normal folk, and so were rounded up, registered and restrained, or better yet, incarcerated or executed. Thanks to Swithin’s personal experience, the brothers knew that some of these psychics also worked with the secret service agencies. Yet another splendid reason to avoid government funds, lest they discover something the secret services might want to exploit.

  ‘Have you heard of this Dr Lennox in your travels?’ Swithin wondered what kind of a person they might be dealing with. ‘Apparently the doctor was awarded the degree by the University of Heavensgate on Sermetica, for an outstanding contribution in the areas of biophysics and quantum field theory.’

  ‘Impressive.’ Lucian frowned, as he’d lectured at just about every major university in the United Star Systems during his seventy-year career in astrophysics and he’d never heard of a Dr Lennox before. ‘Anselm is fond of hiring young, fresh minds.’ Lucian raised both brows and shrugged. ‘All shall be revealed tonight, no doubt.’ He placed the prospectus that he’d been proofing back in the box with the others, preparing to depart and get ready for the big event. Swithin loitered. ‘Was there something else?’

  ‘There is, actually,’ Swithin piped up. ‘I’ve invited someone to come tonight that I really think you should meet.’

  Lucian was delighted. ‘A woman?’

  ‘It’s not like that,’ Swithin suppressed a smile, ‘she’s a marine biologist —’

  ‘A marine biologist!’ Lucian gasped back an urge to laugh.

  ‘I know that’s a little out of my league,’ Swithin conceded, ‘which is why this is just business. We need a marine biologist, right?’

  ‘Yes, we do,’ Lucian conceded with a smile.

  ‘So that position may as well be filled by a good-looking woman, who is a resident of Frujia and has strong links with the universities there?’ Swithin proposed.

  Lucian nodded in agreement. ‘Sure … I’d be more than happy to meet her. Does your business associate have a name?’

  ‘Dr Amie Nardone —’ Swithin advised as Lucian noted the time and was startled into action.

  ‘Well, we had better get a move on.’ Lucian wanted to shower and change before heading to the venue, and so he steered his brother toward the door. ‘I would like to be there to greet our potential investors as they arrive.’

  The university ballroom had been outfitted with several huge screens that were displaying 3-D animations of how the AMIE spacecraft would eventually look, inside and out. The caterers had decorated the room tastefully, and the food they were bringing in smelt wonderful. With the prospectuses laid out on the tables around the room, the brothers Gervaise felt confident to open the doors to their much anticipated future.

  The room filled quickly and although they suspected that many of their guests had attended just out of curiosity, it was nice to know that they would have an audience to pitch to.

  When Swithin’s business associate arrived, it was fairly clear to Lucian why he was so eager to have her on board the project.

  Dr Nardone was a tall, slender, tanned brunette, who looked like she belonged more on the catwalk than in a submersible. Her simple black dress and heels gave the impression of effortless elegance, as Swithin led the woman toward Lucian.

  ‘This is the marine biologist I was telling you about.’ Swithin did the honours. ‘Dr Amie Nardone, please meet my brother, Professor Lucian Gervaise.’

  Although only Lucian could have detected it, Swithin certainly did fancy this woman. His brother was just that little bit more accommodating around women he liked.

  ‘It’s a pleasure to meet you, Professor Gervaise.’ The doctor spoke up first. ‘Your vision is truly inspiring.’ Her eyes wandered to the huge screen close by and then back to Lucian. ‘I hear you might be looking for some inspiring minds to consult on the marine contingent of this enterprise?’

  She certainly wasn’t backward in coming forward. ‘We will be, if all goes well today,’ he confirmed, and before she could pursue the topic, Lucian looked to his brother to change it. ‘Any sign of the mysterious Dr Lennox?’

  ‘He hasn’t made himself known to me, no.’ Swithin downplayed his concern.

  ‘I should really think about giving the presentation soon, before our audience starts to wander.’ Lucian noted they were an hour into their three-hour function, but it was Anselm’s envoy’s attention that Lucian wanted most.

  ‘Look, there are quite a few faces here I don’t recognise,’ Swithin pointed out. ‘He might already be here and will make himself known to us after he sees the pitch. Do you want me to check with the doorman?’

  Lucian shook his head, determined to go ahead in any case. He was far more nervous than he usually was before a public speaking event, which was usually just work, but today his entire future was on the line. ‘If the doctor is not here, then we’ll just have to bring him up to speed later,’ Lucian murmured to Swithin, and then looked to their lovely company to excuse himself. ‘It was a plea
sure, Dr Nardone. I look forward to speaking with you again.’

  ‘Likewise,’ she assured, raising her glass to wish him luck before Lucian headed for the speaking platform.

  Once the professor was behind the speaker’s box, his talent for engaging an audience with his oratory came naturally. The pitch was going rather smoothly, until Lucian noted a late arrival descending the stairs of the ballroom.

  The woman was dressed in white from the top of her platinum blonde head of long straight hair, to the tips of her knee-high flat-heeled boots. Her white suit was very chic and she radiated an air of serenity and purity.

  Lucian, in all his ninety years of life, had remained a bachelor. Science had always come first, and women didn’t seem to like coming second. He’d never believed in true love and he’d certainly never sought it out, but the woman who now held his gaze was like a thunderbolt. Time stood still as the paragon in white smiled warmly in his direction and nodded in encouragement, as if to remind Lucian that he was doing something before she had entered his line of sight.

  When the professor snapped out of his trance, he had no idea how long his fixation had lasted — it felt like an age! He looked back to his notes, quickly found his place and finished up his spiel — all the while marking where the mysterious woman was located in the room. After taking questions, Lucian left the stage to a solid round of applause from the audience, but for some inexplicable reason the future of his project suddenly paled in comparison to his urgency to meet the woman in white. Lucian had no idea what he was going to say to her, and now that she was within arm’s reach, he slowed down to observe her.

  She was gazing up at one of the huge screens, smiling broadly as she watched the animation depicting a walk through the interior of his dream vessel. Her quiet beauty made his heart skip a beat. It felt like someone had plucked the most shining star in the heavens from the sky, embodied it in a woman and placed her in the room for all to marvel at. And there were many people, men and women, whose attention she had drawn, although she seemed blissfully unaware of her allure.