Bilton - Working Title

Back Stories; Possible Flashbacks

Protagonist Background Story: "The Boar"

Author's Note ▼

Written For: Oct. 09: - CONTEST ROUND - October Novel Prep Challenge - "October Novel Prep Challenge"  - Word Count= 1450

“It just isn’t fair!” Isabelle was the very image of her Mother, even making the same exaggerated pouty face her Mother often used on their father.

Malcolm rolled his eyes. “Not this old song again, Isa.”

“Well, it isn’t. Continuing her complaint. “You get to become a Duke, running the company and serving in the government”

“Not until Father dies.” Malcolm shook his head ruefully.

Isabelle wrinkled her nose in displeasure at the thought of Father dying. “Let’s not hurry that day along. It will come in time, I suppose, but at least you’ll have a purpose. And Hy, he gets to have adventures in space.”

“An honor I would indeed trade with you, Isa,” Hiram answered without even looking up from the text he studied. “I would much prefer a career helping people as a priest than traveling through a black, cold void searching for people to kill — or waiting for someone to find and kill me.”

“That’s just it.” Making the pouty face once more, Isabelle continued, “ever since the Edicts declared women unfit for the Priesthood, we’re condemned to spend our lives in convents, serving no one.”

With another eye roll, Malcolm said, “you’ll be serving God and our Empire, just as Hiram and I will. And your duty Hiram is to serve the Empire as an officer in its navy. None of us have a choice.” Impatiently adding. “Now, let’s finish breakfast in peace for a change.”

As mercurial as her Mother, a mischievous look formed in Isabelle’s dark eyes. “It’s almost time for school to restart; we should have an adventure —”

That snapped Hiram’s attention from his Engineering text. “An adventure?”

“Oh no,” muttered Malcolm.

“Yes.” Isabelle was excited now. “A hike in the forest, we could have Mary pack our lunches and make a day of it.”

Hiram weighed losing a day’s study over a pleasant day hike with the sister he adored. He factored in sharing that day with the irascible Malcolm. Reaching his conclusion, “okay, I’m game for a hike; let’s do it.”

“I have far too much to do tod—”

“You are an old fuddy-duddy Malcolm. You’re outvoted, we’re going for a hike, and that’s that!” Mirroring another of her Mother’s traits, she gave them their marching orders. “Malcolm, since it takes you so long to get ready, straight upstairs and get dressed for a hike. Hy, you find our canteens and clean and fill them, grab a day pack also. I’ll speak with Mary about our lunches.”

Malcolm felt a bit put off by not having a job. “Shouldn’t I be getting our supplies? I am the oldest.”

“No!” Isa and Hy answered at once. Isa finished. “We want to take this hike today, not at some well-planned date in the future.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The fastest way to the estate’s deep forest was through the formal gardens. The perfume of late summer flowers filled the air as they passed through it, a riot of colors reflecting the bright sunshine. Isa and Hy were chattering while Malcolm grumbled about “only fools would hike in this infernal heat.

As they passed the gardener, they could hear him cursing, that is until he saw them. “Ahh, pardon me, Miss Isabelle, I didn’t see you comin’ this way.”

“That’s quite alright, Thomas; I’ve heard far worse at school. We girls do have foul mouths when we gather.”

Anxious to change the subject, Thomas asked. “And where are you three headed this fine, sunny morn?”

Isabelle answered brightly. “A day hike in the cool forest!” Frowning at the still grumbling Malcolm.

Thomas nodded. “A good day for a hike, it is, woods’ll be alive with wildflowers, and the birds’ll be feasting on berries.”

As Thomas went back to repairing the damage caused by some animal rooting in the garden the three adventurers headed off into the glade, passed the garden gate. He looked up to warn them about the animal, but they were already out of earshot.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The woods were cool, dark, and filled with the earthy smells of plants and trees. Sunlight filtered through the tall oaks, and maples dappled the ground in a mosaic of dancing light. Isabelle chose a circular path that she knew would lead them, meandering, eventually back to the garden gate.

They settled into a comfortable silence, enjoying the songs of birds, the gentle whisper of the breeze in the trees, and the occasional mysterious grunts and snufflings in the distant brush to either side of the path.

A small gurgling stream provided the perfect place to stop for lunch, and they watched as the trout made a feast of the nymphs hatching into flies as they ate. The peace and tranquility of the forest settled even Malcolm into a better mood.

After lunch, their hike resumed. The looping path was now leading the trio back out of the woods. Hy and Isa were walking side by side, still not talking, both enjoying this last touch of freedom. Isabelle, having finished school, would enter the convent to begin her religious studies. Hiram, always the overachiever, would be entering Imperial College, starting his engineering studies. Malcolm, of course, would continue his business studies, ready to step into his father’s footsteps.

None of them noticed the snuffling grunts getting closer. The sudden appearance of a squeaker, on the path, startled then delighted them. Isabelle rushed forward, dropping to one knee to pet the wild boar pup.

Looking around, Hiram called out. “Isa no, don’t go near —

The brush around them erupted in chaos as a full-grown sow crashed through it. Hiram pulled Isa to her feet, out of the way of the charging boar. The sow seemed intent on getting to its pup, ignoring the human invaders until Malcolm yelled. “Run!” He headed into the thicket, despite the brush clawing at his face and arms.

“Malcolm, no, don’t run.” Hiram’s plea was in vain. The sow seeing what she thought was an attack, began chasing Malcolm. Hiram pushed Isabelle down the path towards home. “Go, walk slowly.”

“But, Malcolm, that beast is after —”

“I’ll get Malcolm, and you get to safety.” She was surprised at his tone; he had never spoken to her like this before, a command. “Now go!” Pushing her harder towards home. “Go!”

Hiram ran into the brush after the boar and Malcolm, pushing branches and brambles out of his way as he ran. He could hear the two crashing ahead of him. He yelled for Malcolm, “climb a tree, get up a tree; the beast can’t climb, a tree Malcolm!

Hiram caught sight of them just as Malcolm tripped over a tangle of vines, falling headfirst to the forest floor. The fall knocked the wind out of him; he lolled about, tangling his feet deeper in the vines. The sow closed in, almost ready to pounce on her target.

Hiram began to yell, trying to get the boar’s attention; he succeeded too well. The beast turned towards its new enemy and charged, a headlong rush that caught Hiram square in his legs, knocking him to the ground, carrying the sow past him. But not before its teeth had opened a long gash in his leg. The brambles hampered the sow’s turn, giving Hiram a chance to stand, grasping a large rock as he rose. Charging again, the boar veered away as he brought the rock down on its skull, drawing blood from the sow in return. The boar gathered itself for another charge, aiming to kill its attacker.

A loud explosion and an acrid puff of smoke stopped the boar in mid-charge. A second shot rang out, sending the confused animal off into the deeper forest. Isabelle stood in the bramble, holding a large pistol over her head, smoke still rising from its freshly fired barrel.

“You brought a gun Isa?” Looking at her quizzically.

“Seems we needed one little brother.” A look of concern filled her face. “You’re bleeding!”

“Umm, yes, it seems to the boar took a bit of a bite —”

Just then, Malcolm called out. “Could we please get me untangled from these vines before that dreaded pig comes back?”

As they moved towards Malcolm to untangle him, Isabelle said softly to Hiram, “that was a courageous thing you did, making the pig attack you, saving Malcolm.

“Well, I can’t very well let a pig eat the Earl of Lymington, can I.”

She laughed. “No, I suppose not, and because you the hero here, I’ll be as gentle as I can when I clean and dress that wound. From the looks of it, you’ll have a glorious scar. I don’t think we should tell Mother about the scar — or the gun.”

Antagonist Background Story: Jealousy

Author's Note ▼

Written For: Oct. 16: - CONTEST ROUND: - October Novel Prep Challenge - "October Novel Prep Challenge"  - Word Count= 328

The madder Malcolm got, the less he limped. The indignity from his injury when he ran from the sow fueled growing anger at his sister and brother. They walked ahead of him, Isabelle supporting Hiram, still bleeding from the wound the same boar had caused when he deflected its charge.

It was often like this. The two of them excluded him, acting as if he wasn’t there. Isabelle and Hiram were close, much more so to each other than to him. Even their pet names for each other, Isa and Hy twisted his stomach — there was no pet name for him. "No, in their world, I’m little more than a third wheel, unwanted, merely tolerated."

Isabelle angered him for all she was that Malcolm wasn’t. Fiesty and independent, she voiced her opinion freely, and she challenged authority and balked at society’s expectations. She chaffed at being forced into the role demanded of her, openly protesting her coming entrance to the convent. Malcolm was a conformist, the perfect politician, pleasing everyone while hiding his goals and aspirations deep within.

"And Hiram!" Shaking his head in frustration. “I knew what Hiram’s goals are." Of course, Hiram doesn’t want to join the Empire’s military, it has nothing at all to do with his supposed selfless desire to be a help to his fellows. It was about the Duchy, and Hiram wanted to steal that from him. Why would he study engineering like Father? Why would he study so hard that he’d graduate early from school and enter the Imperial College so young? He was purposely following Father’s footsteps.

Isabelle’s laugh at some nonsense from Hiram snapped Malcolm’s thoughts back to the now. They both walked ahead of him, confident and happy. Sure of themselves. Despite Hiram’s wound and Isabelle’s need to support him, their movements belied their athletic grace, yet again they eclipsed Malcolm. He stumbled over a small stone, the Earl of Lymington, heir to the Duchy of Hampshire cursed his lot in life.

Plot Background Story - HMS Endeavour

Author's Note ▼

Written For: Oct. 30: - CONTEST ROUND: Plot Background Story
- October Novel Prep Challenge - "October Novel Prep Challenge"  - Word Count= 1046

She laughed as she read the next entry in the journal, a recording of Blackman’s bet with a contemporary theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking. A running joke in her world was that Hawking had never made a bet he wasn’t sure he would lose. Finding one noted in Blackman’s papers was a plus worth noting. She recorded it, assigned it a number for future reference, and moved on. There were reams of paper to catalog, and Blackman’s estate had waited almost two hundred years to release his documents. Though a relative lightweight, he was an associate of the greats, like Hawkings, so connections found needed to be documented for further study.

Her job as a graduate assistant was to make a searchable database out of the papers, noting shared work with the major players, as well as Blackman’s limited work. It was dry, time-consuming grunt work. None of the files were digital, and she had to read every note and jotted thought carefully. Trying to guess at what someone else would deem important.

The bet called her back, and she reread the passage, now on her tablet;

From the November 2009 Journal of Fredric Blackman;

Hawking has postulated that black holes create natural wormholes or corridors in the folds of space-time. I have, in turn, proposed that these corridors could provide a means of travel through long distances in space without encountering the problems of time dilation. Because all travel would be at sublight speeds, Einstein’s time dilation theories would be held abeyance.

Hawking has bet me that I am wrong. I don’t think either of us will live to know who won.

She read it twice more before she bolted down the hall, almost knocking over an elderly English Professor in her haste. She stopped to steady him before running across the college courtyard to her Professor’s office.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One Hundred Or More Years Later ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was perhaps the biggest secret project since America had developed the atom bomb. But, unlike America at that time, the United Kingdom didn’t choose to share the development with any other nation.

The Fourth World War had been devastating for the world, not that the UK had any part in it. Barely recovered from the Third war, her leaders walked a tightrope of strict neutrality. Husbanding their meager resources, pushing the project forward even as the superpowers, America, China, and Russia pounded themselves once more to the brink of extinction, almost taking the world with them.

The discovery made more than a hundred years, was about to bear fruit. HMS Endeavour, some wanted to call her HSS Endeavour, but security and the fear of espionage prompted a safer bet. Endeavour was an unmanned explorer. Though she could carry a small crew, this first exploratory voyage would be computer governed. If the vessel, named for Cook’s exploratory ship, survived her first ten experimental voyages, she might one day carry a crew. She was disguised as an asteroid mining ship, one of many that all nations used. Earth’s resources were almost exhausted, and humankind was reaching into space to feed its war machines

At first, the scientists and the military personal running the test thought they had failed. A blimp in the system, and the Endeavour appeared not to have moved from its position in the asteroid belt. The ships onboard computers, though disagreed, they indicated that the ship had traveled several hundred light-years. The next test was programmed to include a thirty-second delay, well within a possible sensor glitch if anybody noticed.

The countdown finished, and for thirty seconds, HMS Endeavour disappeared from the screens of Mission Control at the Imperial College. Reappearing, this time slightly out of place and with significant damage, exactly thirty seconds later. After repairs and several more repairs, the length of time on station was shown to bear a direct relationship to the positional displacement and damage suffered by the Endeavour.

It was Winston Bilton, an engineer on the project who proposed that the black hole’s normal orbital period affected the entrance and egress of the wormhole. Further tests proved the theory and Winston wrote a program to compensate for the drift, gaining a Knighthood in the process.

After more tests, using the Drift Navigation Protocol (DNP), HMS Endeavour was ready for its most important voyage. Manned by a small crew of ten volunteers, still controlled by her onboard computer. She went back through the wormhole once more, and this time she stayed for twenty tense minutes when she returned with her crew intact, undamaged. Truly ready to live up to her name as one of Britain’s most extraordinary vessels of exploration.

Winston made yet another significant contribution to the UK’s space program. The Ion Pulse Engine, fueled by a fusion reactor, enabled much greater speeds than the standard fuel reactive rockets. Ships could now be sent to other detectable Transition Points. Bilton was awarded a Duchy for his work.

The wormhole entrance and exits were slowly mapped. The distances were still massive; voyages took weeks and months. Larger ships were built, gaining the rest of Earth’s attention. The superpowers demanded access to the technology, the UK resisted. Missiles destroyed a returning UK ship in an atomic fireball.

Retaliation was fast and devastating. Asteroids dropped from space arced gracefully across the Russian skyline. Exploding miles above the Earth, they destroyed Moscow and Leningrad. China and America rattled their sabers, but after being treated to a pebble light show they backed away. Without further destruction, the UK emerged as the dominant power on Earth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One Hundred Or More Years Later ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Man’s greatest fear is the unknown. Each transit through a newly discovered wormhole was a gamble. What is on the other side? Is it worth going there? When is enough territory enough.

The colonies are far-flung; governance, where there is a government, is in the hands of Military or Colonial Governors. The newly risen Monarchy maintains a shaky grasp, depending on force, fear, and intimidation to control the Empire.

Vast portions of space are ungoverned frontiers, refuge to criminals, pirates, smugglers, and the dregs of society.

Add to that the unknown quantity of possible non-terrestrial life, and the puzzle grows into a nightmare.

And yet, man’s quest to explore, exploit and conquer pushes him further still into the unknowable.