Starweb Read online

  Contents

  Ripping Logo

  Introduction

  Encyclopedia Omega

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty One

  Chapter Twenty Two

  Chapter Twenty Three

  Chapter Twenty Four

  Chapter Twenty Five

  Chapter Twenty Six

  Chapter Twenty Seven

  Epilogue

  Introduction 2021

  Ok, so Starweb took a bit longer to complete than expected... About twenty two years longer...

  What happened? Life happened.... Wife, three children and world events.

  The world we now exist in is very different from the world of 1999. We exist in a post-pandemic era, so how could it not be?

  There’s no doubt that my personal experiences of parenthood, and our shared experiences of the more recent pandemic and political upheavals, have had an effect on the storyline of Starweb.

  This, I think, is a good thing...

  Like us, the characters are faced with situations which are uncomfortably complex. How they react to these situations creates it’s own storyline.

  What has not changed, is the adventure and escapism that is core to these “Space Operatic” stories. Goodness knows we all need a bit of escapism these days!

  So please, enjoy....

  Note to younger self : Three kids sonny - not 2.2…. But you’re still flying - so not all bad… Lost your hair though…

  Introduction 1995

  As a kid I was fed a diet of pulp fiction, war comics, Star Trek and Biggles. They obviously had quite an effect on me because here I am in my thirtieth year and I'm still a pulp fiction addict. I also find it hard to come to terms with the idea that I should have a steady job, mortgage, 2.2 kids, wife and semi-detached. Don't get me wrong, I have absolutely nothing against any of these things. It's just that I'd rather be flying! I guess I'm a bit sad like that.

  Anyway, this book is nothing but pure adventure, a ‘Ripping Yarn'. All the technical stuff is loosely based on current scientific thinking, but then current scientific thinking seems to be based on the philosophy of ‘Yeah, well it could happen!’ So that doesn't mean much — I mean what with quantum physics and all … Sorry I'm rambling again.

  I hope you'll enjoy this book and will go on to read others in the series. I've got lots more adventures for Moss, Jenson, Myrddin and the gang, to come yet! I also hope you'll support what ‘Ripping' stands for — books for anyone who believes life's too short not to fill it to the brim with adventure!

  So put your feet up, grab a beer and enjoy a ‘Ripping' story!

  Cheers

  Warren James Palmer

  1995

  EXTRACTS FROM THE INTERACTIVE ENCYCLOPEDIA OMEGA 2153

  Version 5.02 UNITED NATIONS/WORLD DEFENCE FORCE

  By the year 2040 the United Nations World Defence Force was the single largest armed force on the planet Earth. The spread of multinational corporations and the removal of all trading barriers across the planet, had led to a period of economic and political stability. The wars of the 20th century, which were largely a result of disputes over political boundaries and the distribution of raw materials, were a thing of the past. This worldwide political stability was reinforced by the TDWF network of orbital laser defence platforms. These defence platforms were able to track and destroy tanks, aircraft and missiles anywhere on the planet, regardless of weather. It was this orbital defence network that finally put an end to territorial disputes. Unfortunately, the laser platforms were no defence to the Dyason invasion of March 15th 2045.

  IMPERIAL DYASON INVASION OF EARTH

  In a blitzkrieg attack the 'Dome' ships of the Imperial navy destroyed all the TDWF space platforms in the first few minutes of the war, along with all military communication and navigation satellites. Within a few short weeks the United Nations were forced to capitulate. Given complete control of the 'high ground’ that was space, the Dyason dropped asteroids on the cities of Earth, pulverizing them and killing millions. The United Nations leader lean Paul Ricard officially surrendered and ordered the disbandment of the TDWF on April 3rd 2045.

  However, as the Dyason occupation forces set about enslaving humanity, not all the members of the TDWF were happy to handover their weapons, and spend the rest of their lives in prison camps. Resistance units were formed across the planet and began hit and run operations against the Dyason occupation forces. One of these units was run by ex- TDWF pilot Paul Jenson. Together with his sidekick Han Sandpiper, Squadron Leader Jenson set about unifying the various factions of the resistance under one command. However, it wasn’t until nearly two years after the invasion that the resistance became an effective fighting force.

  IMPERIAL DOME CRUISERS

  Built from very heavy armoured plating, the vessels used in the invasion of Earth by the Imperial Navy, did not possess hyperspace-drive. They relied on the worm-hole in the space-time continuum, for passage from Dyason to Earth. The worm-hole that connected the two star-systems allowed passage between the Dyason home-world and Earth, in a reasonable period of time. When the worm-hole became unstable in 2047 the Imperial Navy attempted to use human telepaths to artificially open up new worm-holes. The results of these experiments were catastrophic. The Dome vessels were crude, but efficient in construction. Their method of propulsion was unique, if hazardous. Small pellets of radioactive material were released in thermonuclear explosions beneath the massive base plates of the cruisers, which resulted in gargantuan thrust.The Imperial fleet was largely destroyed in the final conflict with Excalibur, in the battle for liberation.

  GULAG

  The cloned son of the Emperor Nimue, Gulag was a mentally unstable psychopath. He was responsible for building the fortified wall around the city of London, and for the genocide within that city’s ghetto’s. Gulag was the only known example of a Dyason telepath, at that time. He was killed in a mental battle with Moss Pendragon, on board Excalibur, during the battle of liberation.

  MOSS PENDRAGON

  Born Moss Paterson in London in 2029, his family were killed during the occupation by Security Leader Gulag. Moss survived in the ghetto's of London by using his emerging paranormal talents, to steal food and supplies from the Dyason occupied West End of London. He became a member of the resistance, and was instrumental in resurrecting Excalibur from caverns buried deep below the ancient monument of Stonehenge. His actions during the occupation, and the battle of liberation made him a worldwide hero.

  EXCALIBUR

  Discovered in caverns below Stonehenge, the starship Excalibur was built by an unknown ancient race, several millennia before humans walked across the surface of the Earth. Excalibur was restored to space-worthiness by Moss, Sqn Ldr Jenson, Flt Lt Sandpiper, Myrddin and the Brabazon twins. The ship was then launched against the Imperial fleet during the battle for liberation. The data-banks on board Excalibur later allowed the TDWF to develop hyperspace drive, and immediately advanced human technology by several hundred years.

  DOMINATOR

  Sister ship to Excalibur, Dominator was discovered by the Dyason secret service on a moon around the Dyason homeworld. Crewed by mixture of Terran and D
yason personnel, and captained by Gulag, Dominator first encountered the Starweb at Extremity station; an ancient outpost created by the extinct Samarcian empire.

  VALVIA

  Sister ship to Excalibur and Dominator, the Valvia was discovered on the agricultural planet Heligsion, in the northern mountain range, in chambers below a religious monument. It was used as a lifeboat to evacuate a small number of the Heligsion people, including the seer Dauphne, after their world was devastated by the Starweb hordes.

  MYRDDIN

  Born several centuries before Christ, Myrddin has been known by many names during his lifetime. Merlin is the most common of these names. His little understood Paranormal powers stop him from ageing, and he has been instrumental in the development of many human civilisations. Moss Pendragon is believed to have been a direct-line descendant of Myrddin, although there is no proof of this. He was responsible for leading the young Moss to the caverns below Stonehenge.

  NIMUE

  The twin sister of Myrddin. Nimue was forced into another space-time continuum by Myrddin, after the battle that killed King Arthur in ancient England. She later emerged on the planet Dyason, and set about creating an empire under the puppet king Alorne. Nimue kept her identity secret from the people of Dyason. The Imperial invasion of Earth was her revenge for being expelled from her home-world by Myrddin. Given the title Envoy, Nimue created Gulag from an experimental cloning technique.

  LUKE AND JOSH BRABAZON

  Telepathic twins and scientists. Luke Brabazon was forced to work on the Dyason experiments into artificially creating worm-holes by telepathic means. Josh Brabazon was instrumental in making Excalibur space-worthy. Luke Brabazon was killed by Gulag during the battle of liberation.

  JENNIFER HAMlLTON-SMlTH

  Later to become the consort of Moss Pendragon, Jennifer was rescued by him from a slave-labour factory, building prototype Imperial space cruisers. A competent telepath, she fought with the resistance in the battle of liberation, and later joined the World Defence Force.

  INSPECTOR HILLMEAD

  A detective with the Caranak police force, Hillmead was recruited by Nimue to investigate subversion within the Imperial Forces. His subsequent investigations revealed an underground movement fighting to overthrow the emperor and bring about environmental changes.

  His discovery of documents which proved the Dyason atmosphere was failing after years of heavy pollution, helped bring the military junta down.

  Hillmead was part of the group which abducted the emperor and took him to the central Caranak television studio. After a battle between the citizens of Caranak and troops loyal to the envoy Nimue, Hillmead was elected leader of the Democratic Front.

  LIEUTENANT SHALOK

  The young lieutenant was assigned to observe Hillmead and his investigations, by Nimue. The attractive young woman was persuaded by the evidence the police inspector found, to transfer he loyalties to the embryonic Democratic Front.

  She later became Hillmead's lover and deputy leader of the democracy movement.

  COLMARRIE

  Leader of the mutant rebels, fighting from the Southern wastelands of Dyason. Tall and powerful, the amazonian woman was unusual for a native Dyason, in so far as, she was a competent operant.

  These skills and others, were attributed to her mutations, caused by the radioactive isotopes which polluted the deserts of Dyason.

  Colmarrie was lost on board Dominator, along with Gulag, Brabazon and the rest of the ship's crew.

  DAUPHNE

  Telepathic seer and leader of the Heligsion survivors who fled their planet onboard the Valvia, after Starweb crustaceans wiped out the agricultural people of the planet Heligsion.

  Blessed with natural telepathic ability and a heightened sense of Empathy, the Heligsion survivors are the antipathy of the Dyason race.

  The seer Dauphne now represents their people as they rebuilt their civilisation after the eradication of the Starweb from their homeworld.

  AQUILINE

  Rescued as a child from Starweb cloning tanks on the planet Heligsion, by Moss Pendragon; Aquiline has a special affinity with the artificial intelligence which is the heart and soul of Excalibur.

  Her time in the Starweb cloning tanks has given her the ability to connect with artificial intelligence in a manner which is beyond the ability of most of the human species. Whilst her natural telepathic ability, and heightened sense of empathy, enables her to bridge the gap between humanity and artificial sentience.

  HELIGSION

  The home planet of the Heligsion people. An agricultural planet that was largely destroyed when the Starweb invaded. The Starweb was defeat in a battle which involved the three ancient starships, ‘Excalibur’, ‘Dominator’ and ‘Valvia’. The few Heligsion survivors are now rebuilding their shattered world.

  THE STARWEB

  A sentient network of artificial quantum computers created by the ancient civilisation of Samarcia. The Starweb see humanoids as vermin who must be exterminated. Calling themselves the ‘Guardians of God’ the quantum network extents throughout much of the galaxy.

  The Starweb have but one purpose to their existence; the eradication of all humanoid forms of life.

  PROLOGUE

  Zero Point power planet number one.

  Miyako, Japan, Earth. May 11th 2057

  The brand new glass and concrete buildings nestled in the valley between the hills, only yards from the coastline itself. Designed with flair and boldness, the power station represented the growing confidence of not just the Japanese nation, but the whole of Pacifica. It was a symbol of the brave new world.

  Sitting in a guardhouse sited at the edge of the compound, Takeishi considered himself a product of the new age. Twenty-five years old, he had fought as a young teenager against the occupying Dyason forces. With his entire family killed in those vicious years, he became a war orphan at the end of hostilities and was brought up in a state hostel that sometimes lacked even the most basic of amenities. At the age of seventeen, he joined a labour gang, as did much of his generation, then toiled to clear and rebuild the devastated cities, towns and villages of his homeland.

  It was fair to say his life to date had been nothing but pain and toil, but now at last, matters were improving. There was a new optimism in the world and here in Japan, the Miyako power plant represented that optimism. Generating virtually limitless amounts of environmentally safe power, it was a symbol of new and better times for all.

  With a secure job as a security guard, a new apartment and a loving bride, Takeishi had never had it so good. Which was why, as the sun glinted off the ocean and blossom floated on the breeze, he was filled with a sense of well being. So, it was with some reluctance that he roused himself from his inner thoughts to examine the strange little man approaching the perimeter fence.

  The bald head and loose fitting robes easily identified the small, lightly built man as a Buddhist monk. He wore a pair of open sandals on his feet and carried a small sack over his shoulder. It was difficult to determine the monk's age, but Takeishi would put it at somewhere between forty and fifty.

  At first, he thought the monk was merely showing a passing interest in the new plant, but there was something odd about the intensity of the gaze. In Takeishi's experience of the many Buddhists who roamed through Japan on some religious quest, all shared the same stance, the same…body language. All except for this guy that is; there was something definitely strange about this Buddhist.

  Clipboard in hand, Takeishi stepped out of the guardhouse. 'Can I help you?' he asked the monk who was now staring intently through the wire fence. The diminutive man ignored him and continued to gaze at the distant buildings, a far-away look in his eyes. The monk gripped the wire with such intensity Takeishi could see the whites of his knuckles and it looked as if he were about to scale the four-metre high perimeter fence.

  'I'm sorry, but you can't go any further. You'll have to go back the way you came my friend…' Takeishi tried again, taking a step
toward the monk, but not bothering to unclip the holster of his handgun. After all, surely he had nothing to fear from one of the prophet’s followers?

  'Please step away from the fence,' he demanded more firmly reaching out a hand and placing it on the monk's bare shoulder. The Buddhist's skin was cold, clammy, and Takeishi could feel that the shoulder muscles were tightly knotted. 'This is a restricted area. I cannot allow you to remain here…please move on!'

  The small man released his grip on the wire fence and for a moment looked as if he were going to comply with Takeishi's request. The young security guard could feel the muscles under his restraining hand relax, the tension draining away, but when the monk turned and looked him in the eye Takeishi realised he'd made a dreadful mistake.

  Eyes blazing with an intense hatred the Buddhist whipped a small blade from the folds of his robe and plunged it into the chest of the security guard. Takeishi stared down at the knife buried up to the hilt between two ribs and gurgled, as blood rose up his throat and filled his mouth. Unable to believe what had happened, he fell onto his knees, then collapsed face first into the dirt. His last thought was how unfair it was to have survived so much, only to die in such a way.

  The monk didn't give Takeishi a second glance, instead he whirled around and began to scale the perimeter fence. Designed to keep the inquisitive at bay rather than foil any real intrusion, it was easy to climb. Without barbed wire at the top, it was a simple matter to roll over the other side, despite the hindrance of his robes.