Mona settled her stomach and cleared her mind, but before she could logically proceed to her next plan of action, lightning flashed through her optic nerve and the familiar odor overwhelmed her other senses. What she saw next was a vision more disturbing than any since that night hiking in the wilderness. The image that was assaulting her was the sight of a mushroom cloud rising over an otherwise peaceful tropical lagoon. Then she saw one of the near-Earth habitats being destroyed!
Mona training to approach asteroids in near earth orbit
Mona is an exceptional pilot and her ability to rendezvous with
space objects is amazing. Her love of space is obvious and her superiors are anxious
to get her behind the controls of the next highly anticipated technical marvel.
The WAMS Leviathan is the next prize available. It is the first ship to have a quantum
computer fully integrated into its operation and cybernetic connectivity
available to allow simultaneous and instantaneous communication with the human
captain. Coincidentally, the computer
for Leviathan was designed and
constructed by Mona’s parents Doctors Ben and Peggy Lisa.
Excerpt from the Book
As Mona was ending her voice transmission with Dr. Sue Grammar, another communication appeared on Mona’s console. This one was from World Space Alliance Headquarters. There were data and image files attached. Still stunned by her conversation with Sue, she hesitated to open the new transmission, fearful of what she might find.
The transmission header
stated, “Official orders for Captain Mona Ann Lisa of the World Alliance Mother Ship Leviathan.” Mona was
shocked because the apprentice designation was missing. Is
this what I think it is? raced through her mind.
Her hands shook as she
pressed the icon that opened the transmission. The first file to open was the
mission designation: the initial launch and shakedown cruise of the WAMS Leviathan. The
mission statement and destination was next: “Launch from Orbital Habitat Six
Deep Space Center within two months from today, resupply mission to Ceres fuel
depot. Pick up existing mineral cargo, and crew due for rotation back to Earth.
All other mission requirements will be communicated after launch.”
When Mona saw the
encrypted images, she almost lost her breakfast. The first image was expected;
it was the landmark on Ceres normally used to establish alignment and orbital
synchrony with the massive asteroid. However, the second image shocked Mona. It
appeared to be a target grid laid over the central plain of a well-known crater
on the far side of the moon. There was also another overlay in blue on a
feature; she could only guess at its purpose. Mona immediately wondered if her
parents might know something about this image.
Nevertheless, Mona had
to be on cloud nine; not since the Gold Medal ceremony at the World Games had
she approached such heights of accomplished recognition. At barely over two
hundred years of age, Mona had just become the youngest official captain of an
off-world ship of any size or mission. If only she felt happy about her
phenomenal accomplishments; however, all she could feel was nauseating
apprehension.
Mona as a Space Vessel Captain’s Apprentice spent several years in near earth orbit doing maneuvers with simulated and real asteroids. Her training was to allow her to assume the control of the largest two-mile-long asteroid mining machine. It will be the fastest, and most advanced Mother Ship in the Earth’s fleet. There are thirteen other such ships in operation. They were assembled in low earth orbit at one of the human habitats circling the Earth. These habitats are six in number and took one thousand years to build and is home for five hundred thousand souls. These structures are visual reminders of man’s advanced culture and cooperation. They hang in the sky above the horizon and seem to have always been there. Two can be seen from SpaceJump City, the place Mona lives when not in space.
It was the Black
Magicians who had decided the long absence of war was not desirable. To them
the human race had ceased to progress when, in fact, it was at its peak both
physically and mentally, supporting amazing diversity and cultural freedoms.
Because of the
weaknesses caused by any lack of struggle, the Atlantis Alliance could easily
take over and enforce their version of a master race. They abhorred diversity
and wanted one racial and ethnic group. This group they named the Aryans. Aryans
would rule Earth as was their right; all other groups and races would be
eliminated, enslaved, or worse.
Their studies and
research regarding antiquities were censored and hidden to prove that only the pre-Aryan
peoples were advanced and civilized. It became painfully obvious to the
non-Aryan people of Earth that eight thousand years of peace was quickly coming
to an end.
The World Alliance
appeared weak and ineffective to the AA, but some had been concerned for years about
the changes in the Atlantis Alliance. A small study group within the WA had run
many computer models predicting the inevitable confrontation with the AA. This
was later confirmed and validated by Captain Lisa and her parents. This tiny group
was the genesis of the planning and resolve that allowed the World Alliance to
fight to the bitter end.
Dr. Sue Grammar reported
her findings to the appropriate authorities, and an analysis was done by the
Doctors Lisa at the Moon Research Center with the powerful and most advanced semisentient
AI entity in the alliance: Leviathan’s twin sister—or, maybe more appropriately, her older
sister. Moonbeam, as she was affectionately called, confirmed the correlation
with the four other ancient technology sites.
The alliance was now in
business. They might, in one distinctly planned discovery, catch up to the AA
and, just as important, do so without the AA’s knowledge.
In the months prior to Leviathan’s
launch, Moonbeam was busy downloading the entirety of her history files and
analysis algorithms to her sister Leviathan. It was wonderful having a partner to exchange
thoughts with, and she felt happy at the prospect.
Moombeam as she saw herself if she were human
Moonbeam thought, Soon Leviathan will have a consciousness
not unlike mine. We can have a relationship like the
one I have with the Doctors Lisa. We can both serve the advancement of
science and the protection of our creators. I am pleased.”
Silver is the human concubine of Prometheus and is to become one of the most important characters in the saga
Silver’s name has nothing to do with her red hair. She has used her beauty, intellect and skill with weapons to survive for over 100,000 years. She is the closest thing to a Scientist that the Guardianship has. She is the brains behind the kidnapping of all the sentient resources needed to fulfill the prophecy foretold by the seers of the pre-humans and the ancient human race. She is the one personality that brings the whole saga together, allowing Mona to fulfill her destiny.
