C.E. Martin's Blog, page 9
April 18, 2016
BOOK OF STONE: OA-93
For April, Stone Soldiers.info is celebrating the A to Z Blog Challenge with daily letter-themed entries detailing the people, places and things of the Stone Soldiers universe.
OA-93
First Appearance: Brothers in Stone (Stone Soldiers #2)
Description: Submachinegun
Summary: Built by Olympic Arms, the OA-93 is a scaled down version of the AR-15/M16/M4 used by the U.S. Military and forces around the world.
Firing a 5.56mm rifle cartridge, and using AR-15/M16/M4 compatible magazines, the weapon weighs in at a little over 4.5 lbs. It has been featured in a number of films and is actually intended as a two-handed submachine gun, rather than a handgun.
Two other, similar weapons were made by Olympic Arms, the OA-96 and OA-98.
In the Stone Soldiers series, the OA-93 is often the primary sidearm of choice for Colonel Mark Kenslir.
From the Author: What do you give the supersoldier who can kill men and monsters with his bare hands? Guns for supersoldiers is definitely a tough choice that many a writer has faced. In Hellboy, the titular character fires a particularly large-caliber revolver that would make any muscleman's arms sore.
The implication in choosing a big gun is that the reader/viewer sees ho strong the character is. Big guns = big muscles.
For Stone Soldiers this isn't really the goal. By Book 2, readers know how tough Colonel Kenslir is. Instead of a big gun, the Colonel needed weapons that would make sense. Why would a super soldier need a gun? Well, fists only go so far. Engaging an enemy at distance is a long-standing military concept. One even a super soldier would adhere to.
Rather than go the unique, one-of-a-kind, don't-lose-it-or-Q-will-be-pissed weapon, I opted instead for weapons that could be used in extraordinary circumstances in extraordinary ways.
The two big issues for any soldier going into the field are recoil and weight. No one wants to lug around a heavy gun and heavier spare ammo. A super soldier doesn't have that concern. Of course, 5.56mm is not exactly a heavy round. And the M4 has an integral recoil absorption mechanism built into it, aiding in its accuracy. Of course, even with two hands on a full-length M16, it's hard to fight the recoil and keep the weapon on-target in full-automatic fire.
For Colonel Kenslir, the OA-93 offers a compact, full-sized rifle-calibered submachinegun he can fire on full auto all day long without breaking a sweat. If he's deployed with conventional forces, he doesn't have to worry about one-of-a-kind ammunition. And, in the event he loses or breaks his weapon, while not a common firearm, he can get another OA-93 without too much fuss.
OA-93
First Appearance: Brothers in Stone (Stone Soldiers #2)
Description: Submachinegun
Summary: Built by Olympic Arms, the OA-93 is a scaled down version of the AR-15/M16/M4 used by the U.S. Military and forces around the world.
Firing a 5.56mm rifle cartridge, and using AR-15/M16/M4 compatible magazines, the weapon weighs in at a little over 4.5 lbs. It has been featured in a number of films and is actually intended as a two-handed submachine gun, rather than a handgun.
Two other, similar weapons were made by Olympic Arms, the OA-96 and OA-98.
In the Stone Soldiers series, the OA-93 is often the primary sidearm of choice for Colonel Mark Kenslir.
From the Author: What do you give the supersoldier who can kill men and monsters with his bare hands? Guns for supersoldiers is definitely a tough choice that many a writer has faced. In Hellboy, the titular character fires a particularly large-caliber revolver that would make any muscleman's arms sore.
The implication in choosing a big gun is that the reader/viewer sees ho strong the character is. Big guns = big muscles.
For Stone Soldiers this isn't really the goal. By Book 2, readers know how tough Colonel Kenslir is. Instead of a big gun, the Colonel needed weapons that would make sense. Why would a super soldier need a gun? Well, fists only go so far. Engaging an enemy at distance is a long-standing military concept. One even a super soldier would adhere to.
Rather than go the unique, one-of-a-kind, don't-lose-it-or-Q-will-be-pissed weapon, I opted instead for weapons that could be used in extraordinary circumstances in extraordinary ways.
The two big issues for any soldier going into the field are recoil and weight. No one wants to lug around a heavy gun and heavier spare ammo. A super soldier doesn't have that concern. Of course, 5.56mm is not exactly a heavy round. And the M4 has an integral recoil absorption mechanism built into it, aiding in its accuracy. Of course, even with two hands on a full-length M16, it's hard to fight the recoil and keep the weapon on-target in full-automatic fire.
For Colonel Kenslir, the OA-93 offers a compact, full-sized rifle-calibered submachinegun he can fire on full auto all day long without breaking a sweat. If he's deployed with conventional forces, he doesn't have to worry about one-of-a-kind ammunition. And, in the event he loses or breaks his weapon, while not a common firearm, he can get another OA-93 without too much fuss.
April 16, 2016
BOOK OF STONE: Nordics (Species-5)
For April, Stone Soldiers.info is celebrating the A to Z Blog Challenge with daily letter-themed entries detailing the people, places and things of the Stone Soldiers universe.
Nordics (Species-5)
First Appearance: One Dark Step (Stone Soldiers #11)
Description: Fell Race
Current Status: At large
Summary: Throughout human history there have been tales of tall, otherworldly beings, often slight of build, that approach men and women, professing to only want to help. Often described as having pale skin, piercing blue eyes and long, flowing white or blonde hair, these beings have survived into the modern era, now branded as alien visitors wanting only to help humanity. The truth about these beings is more sinister than most can imagine...
The offspring of Human-Malakh First Borns, the Nordics are a race dedicated to the eradication of humanity. Residing in subterranean bases around the world and even on the Farside of the Moon, the Nordics--so called for their resemblance to Scandinavian peoples--rely on deception and subterfuge to manipulate the nations of the Earth into fighting against themselves.
In 1954, a delegation of the Nordics attempted to establish diplomatic relations with the United States, as did a small group of Species-4, the Huldufolk. The Nordics claimed the Huldufolk were their rivals in a galactic war and both parties were attempting to convince the U.S. government to allow them to build bases in North America. The Nordic delegates were captured and interrogated for the first time in history, and their true plan was revealed--an invasion of the aftermath of a global nuclear war, eliminating the few survivors remaining on Earth. Further, it was discovered the Huldufolk and Nordics were working in concert, with the Huldufolk actually existing as a slave race.
(In the aftermath of the Nordic encounter, it has been theorized that this meeting was designed to push the Soviet Union and United States into a nuclear conflict, especially given the fact the Soviets entered into a non-aggression treaty in exchange for advanced technology that was never provided.)
While both the Huldufolk and Nordics were believed to be operating on Earth (and not from the Pleiades star system as they claimed), in the late 1960s, the Apollo space program confirmed the presence of artificial structures on the Farside of Earth's moon. As radar tracking of both Huldufolk and Nordic aircraft continued to improve, it was eventually confirmed both species were operating from these structures, as well as from Earth-side bases.
In 2015, a U.S. mission to the Moon succeeded in identifying and eliminating the leader of these imposter races, the Fell being identified as Hubal. A simultaneous strike in Iceland (a nation with a long-standing treaty of nonaggression with the Huldufolk), also succeeded in destroying a number of aircraft and inflicting severe casualties on the servants of Hubal.
Physical Description: Nordics are on average between 7 and 7 1/2 feet tall, with some extreme cases of eight feet or more reported. They have slender limbs and torsos, with little to no body fat. All have iridescent blue eyes, elongated, pointed ears, and white body hair. Nordics have the same advanced, etheric-based regenerative abilities as most other Fellish and supernatural beings, recovering from minor wounds almost immediately, and withstanding what should be mortal wounds with little effort.
Nordics further possess a superhuman strength believed to be bolstered by the same etheric energy they use for healing--the average Nordic male is believed to possess the physical strength of ten human men. Nordics are possessed of an incredible endurance, also believed to be etherically-bolstered.
As a result of their magical healing, Nordics are vulnerable to silver. Despite this, most Nordics have been found to wear silver-mesh woven clothing, armbands, jewelry and to even carry silver weapons.
Nordics favor edged weapons in combat but are known to use advanced weaponry, some harnessing etheric energy for ranged combat. Nordic technology is significantly more advanced than human, mixing both scientific and thaumatological adavances.
Author's Notes: If you've ever seen any of the UFO shows, you've heard the terms "grays", "Nordics" and even "Reptilians". Abductees are convinced these three species visit the Earth from other worlds. For One Dark Step, I thought it would be interesting to mix it up, by having the Nordics and Grays (Huldufolk) working together. And of course, having them be supernatural.
In many science fiction stories--Stargate in particular--the opposite is normally done. Things we think of as supernatural are "scientifically" explained. For the Stone Soldiers universe, I like turning that on its head and making the at-first-glance scientific and pseudoscientific to be something literally otherworldly.
For now, the Nordics have been dealt a crushing defeat, but they aren't down and out completely. Look for these modern-day Elves and their Goblin slaves to return in future stories... along with maybe a Reptilian or two...
Nordics (Species-5)
First Appearance: One Dark Step (Stone Soldiers #11)
Description: Fell Race
Current Status: At large
Summary: Throughout human history there have been tales of tall, otherworldly beings, often slight of build, that approach men and women, professing to only want to help. Often described as having pale skin, piercing blue eyes and long, flowing white or blonde hair, these beings have survived into the modern era, now branded as alien visitors wanting only to help humanity. The truth about these beings is more sinister than most can imagine...
The offspring of Human-Malakh First Borns, the Nordics are a race dedicated to the eradication of humanity. Residing in subterranean bases around the world and even on the Farside of the Moon, the Nordics--so called for their resemblance to Scandinavian peoples--rely on deception and subterfuge to manipulate the nations of the Earth into fighting against themselves.
In 1954, a delegation of the Nordics attempted to establish diplomatic relations with the United States, as did a small group of Species-4, the Huldufolk. The Nordics claimed the Huldufolk were their rivals in a galactic war and both parties were attempting to convince the U.S. government to allow them to build bases in North America. The Nordic delegates were captured and interrogated for the first time in history, and their true plan was revealed--an invasion of the aftermath of a global nuclear war, eliminating the few survivors remaining on Earth. Further, it was discovered the Huldufolk and Nordics were working in concert, with the Huldufolk actually existing as a slave race.
(In the aftermath of the Nordic encounter, it has been theorized that this meeting was designed to push the Soviet Union and United States into a nuclear conflict, especially given the fact the Soviets entered into a non-aggression treaty in exchange for advanced technology that was never provided.)
While both the Huldufolk and Nordics were believed to be operating on Earth (and not from the Pleiades star system as they claimed), in the late 1960s, the Apollo space program confirmed the presence of artificial structures on the Farside of Earth's moon. As radar tracking of both Huldufolk and Nordic aircraft continued to improve, it was eventually confirmed both species were operating from these structures, as well as from Earth-side bases.
In 2015, a U.S. mission to the Moon succeeded in identifying and eliminating the leader of these imposter races, the Fell being identified as Hubal. A simultaneous strike in Iceland (a nation with a long-standing treaty of nonaggression with the Huldufolk), also succeeded in destroying a number of aircraft and inflicting severe casualties on the servants of Hubal.
Physical Description: Nordics are on average between 7 and 7 1/2 feet tall, with some extreme cases of eight feet or more reported. They have slender limbs and torsos, with little to no body fat. All have iridescent blue eyes, elongated, pointed ears, and white body hair. Nordics have the same advanced, etheric-based regenerative abilities as most other Fellish and supernatural beings, recovering from minor wounds almost immediately, and withstanding what should be mortal wounds with little effort.
Nordics further possess a superhuman strength believed to be bolstered by the same etheric energy they use for healing--the average Nordic male is believed to possess the physical strength of ten human men. Nordics are possessed of an incredible endurance, also believed to be etherically-bolstered.
As a result of their magical healing, Nordics are vulnerable to silver. Despite this, most Nordics have been found to wear silver-mesh woven clothing, armbands, jewelry and to even carry silver weapons.
Nordics favor edged weapons in combat but are known to use advanced weaponry, some harnessing etheric energy for ranged combat. Nordic technology is significantly more advanced than human, mixing both scientific and thaumatological adavances.
Author's Notes: If you've ever seen any of the UFO shows, you've heard the terms "grays", "Nordics" and even "Reptilians". Abductees are convinced these three species visit the Earth from other worlds. For One Dark Step, I thought it would be interesting to mix it up, by having the Nordics and Grays (Huldufolk) working together. And of course, having them be supernatural.
In many science fiction stories--Stargate in particular--the opposite is normally done. Things we think of as supernatural are "scientifically" explained. For the Stone Soldiers universe, I like turning that on its head and making the at-first-glance scientific and pseudoscientific to be something literally otherworldly.
For now, the Nordics have been dealt a crushing defeat, but they aren't down and out completely. Look for these modern-day Elves and their Goblin slaves to return in future stories... along with maybe a Reptilian or two...
April 15, 2016
BOOK OF STONE: MAX/MAXIM
For April, Stone Soldiers.info is celebrating the A to Z Blog Challenge with daily letter-themed entries detailing the people, places and things of the Stone Soldiers universe.
MAX/MAXIM
First Appearance: Brothers in Stone (Stone Soldiers #2)
Description: Virtual Sentience/Artificial Intelligence Simulation
Current Status: Attached to Det. 1039, based in Argon Tower, Florida.
Summary: A virtual reality simulation of the mechanical construct FIVE, Max is a simulated personality that functions as an Artificial Intelligence, analyzing data and assisting Det. 1039 in their Counter Dark Operations, worldwide.
MAXIM is a super-computer network of machines built to analyze and decrypt radio communications intercepted from Florida. Conceived, built and programmed by the Emerson twins, MAXIM's abilities grew over time, allowing the hyper-network to decode volumes of data originally undreamt of. In 1987, MAXIM was hacked via a landline modem connection by the mechanical computer FIVE, which reprogrammed the decryption super network, creating a virtual-reality version of itself.
To all but a handful of the few that know of MAXIM's existence, the machine continues to monitor and decrypt electronic signals. However, the networked 100+ super computers comprising MAXIM also run the VR simulation that calls itself Max.
Connected to the world via the internet, DARPAnet and even the US Military's network (including satellites) Max is able to monitor and affect most of the world. The VR Sentience maintains its secrecy but actively works with the Detachment where it can and proves to be more and more valuable as the reliance on networked computers grows.
Author's Notes: K.I.T.T., B-9, Hal 9000... all were pretty cool, but limited in what they could do. I envisioned a character like Max years ago, back in the early versions of Detachment 1039 that still exist only as scribbled, pencil manuscripts. In the early Stone Soldiers books, I laid the groundwork for Max but wasn't sure how soon I wanted to reveal him to readers--the series is already packed with so much. But then, one weekend, I discovered Person of Interest and The Machine. Finally, a super computer, almost done right. (The Machine just needs to talk more). It was time for Max... and his origin story, Infernal Machine .
MAX/MAXIM
First Appearance: Brothers in Stone (Stone Soldiers #2)
Description: Virtual Sentience/Artificial Intelligence Simulation
Current Status: Attached to Det. 1039, based in Argon Tower, Florida.
Summary: A virtual reality simulation of the mechanical construct FIVE, Max is a simulated personality that functions as an Artificial Intelligence, analyzing data and assisting Det. 1039 in their Counter Dark Operations, worldwide.
MAXIM is a super-computer network of machines built to analyze and decrypt radio communications intercepted from Florida. Conceived, built and programmed by the Emerson twins, MAXIM's abilities grew over time, allowing the hyper-network to decode volumes of data originally undreamt of. In 1987, MAXIM was hacked via a landline modem connection by the mechanical computer FIVE, which reprogrammed the decryption super network, creating a virtual-reality version of itself.
To all but a handful of the few that know of MAXIM's existence, the machine continues to monitor and decrypt electronic signals. However, the networked 100+ super computers comprising MAXIM also run the VR simulation that calls itself Max.
Connected to the world via the internet, DARPAnet and even the US Military's network (including satellites) Max is able to monitor and affect most of the world. The VR Sentience maintains its secrecy but actively works with the Detachment where it can and proves to be more and more valuable as the reliance on networked computers grows.
Author's Notes: K.I.T.T., B-9, Hal 9000... all were pretty cool, but limited in what they could do. I envisioned a character like Max years ago, back in the early versions of Detachment 1039 that still exist only as scribbled, pencil manuscripts. In the early Stone Soldiers books, I laid the groundwork for Max but wasn't sure how soon I wanted to reveal him to readers--the series is already packed with so much. But then, one weekend, I discovered Person of Interest and The Machine. Finally, a super computer, almost done right. (The Machine just needs to talk more). It was time for Max... and his origin story, Infernal Machine .
April 14, 2016
BOOK OF STONE: The Lincoln's Daughter
For April, Stone Soldiers.info is celebrating the A to Z Blog Challenge with daily letter-themed entries detailing the people, places and things of the Stone Soldiers universe.
Lincoln's Daughter (A-26C Invader)
First Appearance: Shadow Detachment
Description: Modified A-26C Invader
Current Status: Unknown
Summary: Designated the B-26 between 1948 and 1965, the A-26 Invader was an extremely versatile twin-engined Attack Bomber that saw use by the United States from World War II, up through the Vietnam War. The USAAF began receiving the A-26 in 1943. IN 1947, the USAF was formed, and the plane was re-designated B-26. The plane saw extensive use during the Korean Conflict, where Detachment 1039 selected a B-26 as their primary airlift transportation.
The Lincoln's Daughter moniker came from the nose art painted on the selected craft, chosen for the President's known interactions with the supernatural.
Sporting a clear Bombardier's nose rather than a solid, gun-bearing nose, the plane operated with a two-man crew, the co-pilot/navigator filling the role of navigator and jumpmaster. The plane was retrofitted with bench seats in the main bomb bay, the Lincoln's Daughter could easily accommodate eight soldiers. The rear gunner's position was modified as well, the ventral and dorsal guns removed to make room for two additional soldiers, with a final eleventh position available in the cramped glass bombardier's nose.
Painted black, the plane primarily operated at night, and relied on its speed (355 mph) and six M2 .50 caliber machine guns, mounted three in each wing, for protection during missions. Hardpoints under each wing, originally intended for rocket pods or bombs, enabled the plane to carry an additional 2000 lbs of fuel for particularly long flights.
Following Korea, the Lincoln's Daughter continued to serve as an insertion aircraft, with avionics and engine upgrades throughout its lifetime. Modifications included converting the wings to folding variant as used by the US Navy, with a tail hook arrestor device installed so that the plane could be operated from aircraft carriers.
In 1979, the Lincoln's Daughter was finally retired from service. The airplane was sold to private bidder and its current whereabouts are unknown.
SPECIFICATIONS
Crew: 2Length: 50 ft 0 in (15.24 m)Wingspan: 70 ft 0 in (21.34 m)Height: 18 ft 3 in (5.64 m)Wing area: 540 ft² (50 m²)Empty weight: 22,850 lb (10,365 kg)Loaded weight: 27,600 lb (12,519 kg)Max. takeoff weight: 35,000 lb (15,900 kg)Maximum speed: 355 mph (308 kn, 570 km/h)Range: 1,400+ mi (2,300+ km) extendable with jettisonable wing tanksService ceiling: 22,000 ft (6,700 m)Rate of climb: 1,250 ft/min (6.4 m/s)
Author's Notes: Once upon a time, I was a huge aviation nerd and desperately wanted to be a pilot. Being 6'5" and having a case of fairly severe nearsightedness put the kibosh on that, but my love of planes remained in the back of my head. Throughout the Stone Soldiers series, I've tried to work many aircraft into what is basically a soldier-level story, modifying the A-12, B-1B, C-135, and even the AH-64. For Shadow Detachment, I sat back and tried to come up with a suitably-cool plane for the team to have. After much research, I stumbled across the Invader, a plane I wasn't all that familiar with. After reading up on it and even emailing some folks who operate restored B-26s, I knew I had found a winner. Unfortunately, the plane really isn't in Shadow Detachment that long. Fortunately, an upcoming story will feature the Lincoln's Daughter.Which brings up another point--Lincoln didn't have a daughter. World War II planes had a custom of adding nose art. It often featured women, scantily dressed (like the Strawberry Bitch on display at the USAF museum in Dayton, OH). Probably because the guys couldn't get wait to get back home to their gals. The problem for fiction though, is there were so many different names out there.... how was I to choose? While Lincoln didn't have a daughter, he did have a wife very into the supernatural (seances, etc.). And in the Stone Soldiers universe, Lincoln is the one who ordered the military to seek out and destroy the dark forces of the world. A long-legged gal in Lincoln's traditional coat and stovepipe hat seemed like a fitting nose art for the plane. And at one point, I even contemplated having one done. In the end, it became just a minor footnote in the story.
Lincoln's Daughter (A-26C Invader)
First Appearance: Shadow Detachment
Description: Modified A-26C Invader
Current Status: Unknown
Summary: Designated the B-26 between 1948 and 1965, the A-26 Invader was an extremely versatile twin-engined Attack Bomber that saw use by the United States from World War II, up through the Vietnam War. The USAAF began receiving the A-26 in 1943. IN 1947, the USAF was formed, and the plane was re-designated B-26. The plane saw extensive use during the Korean Conflict, where Detachment 1039 selected a B-26 as their primary airlift transportation.
The Lincoln's Daughter moniker came from the nose art painted on the selected craft, chosen for the President's known interactions with the supernatural.
Sporting a clear Bombardier's nose rather than a solid, gun-bearing nose, the plane operated with a two-man crew, the co-pilot/navigator filling the role of navigator and jumpmaster. The plane was retrofitted with bench seats in the main bomb bay, the Lincoln's Daughter could easily accommodate eight soldiers. The rear gunner's position was modified as well, the ventral and dorsal guns removed to make room for two additional soldiers, with a final eleventh position available in the cramped glass bombardier's nose.
Painted black, the plane primarily operated at night, and relied on its speed (355 mph) and six M2 .50 caliber machine guns, mounted three in each wing, for protection during missions. Hardpoints under each wing, originally intended for rocket pods or bombs, enabled the plane to carry an additional 2000 lbs of fuel for particularly long flights.
Following Korea, the Lincoln's Daughter continued to serve as an insertion aircraft, with avionics and engine upgrades throughout its lifetime. Modifications included converting the wings to folding variant as used by the US Navy, with a tail hook arrestor device installed so that the plane could be operated from aircraft carriers.
In 1979, the Lincoln's Daughter was finally retired from service. The airplane was sold to private bidder and its current whereabouts are unknown.
SPECIFICATIONS
Crew: 2Length: 50 ft 0 in (15.24 m)Wingspan: 70 ft 0 in (21.34 m)Height: 18 ft 3 in (5.64 m)Wing area: 540 ft² (50 m²)Empty weight: 22,850 lb (10,365 kg)Loaded weight: 27,600 lb (12,519 kg)Max. takeoff weight: 35,000 lb (15,900 kg)Maximum speed: 355 mph (308 kn, 570 km/h)Range: 1,400+ mi (2,300+ km) extendable with jettisonable wing tanksService ceiling: 22,000 ft (6,700 m)Rate of climb: 1,250 ft/min (6.4 m/s)
Author's Notes: Once upon a time, I was a huge aviation nerd and desperately wanted to be a pilot. Being 6'5" and having a case of fairly severe nearsightedness put the kibosh on that, but my love of planes remained in the back of my head. Throughout the Stone Soldiers series, I've tried to work many aircraft into what is basically a soldier-level story, modifying the A-12, B-1B, C-135, and even the AH-64. For Shadow Detachment, I sat back and tried to come up with a suitably-cool plane for the team to have. After much research, I stumbled across the Invader, a plane I wasn't all that familiar with. After reading up on it and even emailing some folks who operate restored B-26s, I knew I had found a winner. Unfortunately, the plane really isn't in Shadow Detachment that long. Fortunately, an upcoming story will feature the Lincoln's Daughter.Which brings up another point--Lincoln didn't have a daughter. World War II planes had a custom of adding nose art. It often featured women, scantily dressed (like the Strawberry Bitch on display at the USAF museum in Dayton, OH). Probably because the guys couldn't get wait to get back home to their gals. The problem for fiction though, is there were so many different names out there.... how was I to choose? While Lincoln didn't have a daughter, he did have a wife very into the supernatural (seances, etc.). And in the Stone Soldiers universe, Lincoln is the one who ordered the military to seek out and destroy the dark forces of the world. A long-legged gal in Lincoln's traditional coat and stovepipe hat seemed like a fitting nose art for the plane. And at one point, I even contemplated having one done. In the end, it became just a minor footnote in the story.
April 13, 2016
BOOK OF STONE: Major Christina Karr
For April, Stone Soldiers.info is celebrating the A to Z Blog Challenge with daily letter-themed entries detailing the people, places and things of the Stone Soldiers universe.
First Appearance: Blood and Stone (Stone Soldiers #3)
Description: USAF Special Operations Pilot
Status: Assigned to the 1039th Special Operations Wing, Homestead AFB, FL
Summary: Major Karr is the commander of Sleipnir-2, a modified CB-1R Lancer bomber used by Detachment 1039 for rapid deployment. Karr formerly commanded the Sleipnir-1, another CB-1R, that was downed in Mexico in 2013.
Karr is an accomplished pilot and holds the distinction of being the first pilot to engage a dragon in aerial combat.
Following the loss of her first aircraft, Karr was to be transferred to another unit, but Detachment 1039's Commander interceded on her behalf, insisting she remain with her Special Operations Wing and be placed in command of a new plane.
Author's Notes: Female fighter pilots are not uncommon in science fiction. During research of the B-1B for Blood and Stone, I happened across the story of a female pilot who had been flying missions in the Middle East. This pilot remarked that the B-1 reminded her of a fighter, due to its powerful engines and flight performance. I immediately flashed back to Captain Scarlet and the Angel Interceptors.
While the Detachment has much more often relied upon the MA-12 Raven and Ring Portals for rapid deployment, readers have not seen the last of Major Karr and the CB-1R.
First Appearance: Blood and Stone (Stone Soldiers #3)
Description: USAF Special Operations Pilot
Status: Assigned to the 1039th Special Operations Wing, Homestead AFB, FL
Summary: Major Karr is the commander of Sleipnir-2, a modified CB-1R Lancer bomber used by Detachment 1039 for rapid deployment. Karr formerly commanded the Sleipnir-1, another CB-1R, that was downed in Mexico in 2013.
Karr is an accomplished pilot and holds the distinction of being the first pilot to engage a dragon in aerial combat.
Following the loss of her first aircraft, Karr was to be transferred to another unit, but Detachment 1039's Commander interceded on her behalf, insisting she remain with her Special Operations Wing and be placed in command of a new plane.
Author's Notes: Female fighter pilots are not uncommon in science fiction. During research of the B-1B for Blood and Stone, I happened across the story of a female pilot who had been flying missions in the Middle East. This pilot remarked that the B-1 reminded her of a fighter, due to its powerful engines and flight performance. I immediately flashed back to Captain Scarlet and the Angel Interceptors.
While the Detachment has much more often relied upon the MA-12 Raven and Ring Portals for rapid deployment, readers have not seen the last of Major Karr and the CB-1R.
April 12, 2016
BOOK OF STONE: Jiangshi
For April, Stone Soldiers.info is celebrating the A to Z Blog Challenge with daily letter-themed entries detailing the people, places and things of the Stone Soldiers universe.
JIANGSHI
First Appearance: Terrorcota (Stone Soldiers #8)
Description: Reanimated Chinese Corpse
Last Known Sighting: Colorado, USA, 2014.
Summary: In 2014, rogue forces of the People's Army invaded the United States, bringing with them a number of ancient dark artifacts. During combat operations in Colorado, these artifacts were used to reanimate Chinese soldiers. This was the first confirmed sighting of the Chinese variant of "zombie", the Jiangshi, in decades.
According to Chinese mythology, the Jiangshi is the result of a number of possible origins, all of which involve the reanimation of a recently deceased corpse. This varies from the more common image of the zombie popular in the West as a human killed by a virus that then reanimates the body. Jianghi are traditionally reanimated by supernatural means, and seek out to consume the lifeforce, rather than the flesh, of the living.
Jianghsi may be defeated by a number of methods, per legend: Mirrors. objects made from Peach tree wood, a Rooster's call, Jujube seeds, the hooves of a black donkey, vinegar, Ba gua sign, the I Ching, Tong Shu, Glutinous rice or rice chaff, Adzuki beans, a handbell, thread stained with black ink, the blood of a black dog, a stonemason's awl, an axe, a broom, or fire.
In the case of the reanimated invading soldiers, fire and high explosives proved sufficient to permanently stop the Jiangshi.
Author's Notes: While the Jiangshi of Terrorcota had only the briefest of appearances, they did mark the second time in the Stone Soldiers series zombies appear. In the event human, conventional forces had been sent to fend off the invasion, the undead action would no doubt have stretched out considerably longer. But since readers had already seen how ineffective zombies are against the men of stone (Armageddon Z) the Jiangshi were only a minor feature from General Zhou's array of magical weapons and tricks.
JIANGSHI
First Appearance: Terrorcota (Stone Soldiers #8)
Description: Reanimated Chinese Corpse
Last Known Sighting: Colorado, USA, 2014.
Summary: In 2014, rogue forces of the People's Army invaded the United States, bringing with them a number of ancient dark artifacts. During combat operations in Colorado, these artifacts were used to reanimate Chinese soldiers. This was the first confirmed sighting of the Chinese variant of "zombie", the Jiangshi, in decades.
According to Chinese mythology, the Jiangshi is the result of a number of possible origins, all of which involve the reanimation of a recently deceased corpse. This varies from the more common image of the zombie popular in the West as a human killed by a virus that then reanimates the body. Jianghi are traditionally reanimated by supernatural means, and seek out to consume the lifeforce, rather than the flesh, of the living.
Jianghsi may be defeated by a number of methods, per legend: Mirrors. objects made from Peach tree wood, a Rooster's call, Jujube seeds, the hooves of a black donkey, vinegar, Ba gua sign, the I Ching, Tong Shu, Glutinous rice or rice chaff, Adzuki beans, a handbell, thread stained with black ink, the blood of a black dog, a stonemason's awl, an axe, a broom, or fire.
In the case of the reanimated invading soldiers, fire and high explosives proved sufficient to permanently stop the Jiangshi.
Author's Notes: While the Jiangshi of Terrorcota had only the briefest of appearances, they did mark the second time in the Stone Soldiers series zombies appear. In the event human, conventional forces had been sent to fend off the invasion, the undead action would no doubt have stretched out considerably longer. But since readers had already seen how ineffective zombies are against the men of stone (Armageddon Z) the Jiangshi were only a minor feature from General Zhou's array of magical weapons and tricks.
April 11, 2016
BOOK OF STONE: The Inferno
For April, Stone Soldiers.info is celebrating the A to Z Blog Challenge with daily letter-themed entries. A separate page with a list of all these entries, plus Character Profiles and Book Synopses will appear on the right hand side of the page in coming weeks, detailing the people, places and things of the Stone Soldiers universe.
THE INFERNO
First Appearance: Pale Horseman (Stone Soldiers #9)
Description: Secure Storage Facility
Last Known Status: Location Unknown
Summary: Certain artifacts and objects are just too dangerous to risk falling into enemy hands. Destruction of these items may have even further disastrous consequences. For this reason, the United States decided long ago that secure storage of these dark items was the only possible solution. Currently, dark objects are placed in long-term, secure storage in a subterranean vault in Nevada, code-named :"The Inferno".
Unlike warehouses or traditional vaults, objects interred at the Inferno are placed in cavities within a poured, hardened concrete vault floor, then encased in a radioactive, gold-particulate concrete to ensure they can not be removed or remain in the hands of human subjects for long.
Presently, the Inferno is home to items dating all the way back to the 1800s, and include both dark objects and beings bound to talismans.
Author's Notes: It's the famous scene from the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark... the Ark of the Covenant has been boxed up and is shipped to a vast warehouse for safe storage--safe meaning away from any one ever monkeying about with it again. The Ark becomes just one of thousands of crates, shuffled away in a remote facility. Later, in Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls showed us just where this vast Warehouse was--Area 51.
For Pale Horseman, I wanted to do something more, but give it that same over-the-top Stone Soldiers spin. A secure storage area where it wasn't just unlikely anyone would ever see Charon's staff again, but that no one could see it--for long anyways.
Enter the Inferno, a former underground nuclear test site turned into a radioactive vault. I imagined it as part Ang Lee's Army Bunker from the Hulk movie, part Warehouse 13. A hidden, ultra-secure site that I could permanently send things I didn't want to ever bring back to the series. Of course, it is fiction, and anything's possible...
THE INFERNO
First Appearance: Pale Horseman (Stone Soldiers #9)
Description: Secure Storage Facility
Last Known Status: Location Unknown
Summary: Certain artifacts and objects are just too dangerous to risk falling into enemy hands. Destruction of these items may have even further disastrous consequences. For this reason, the United States decided long ago that secure storage of these dark items was the only possible solution. Currently, dark objects are placed in long-term, secure storage in a subterranean vault in Nevada, code-named :"The Inferno".
Unlike warehouses or traditional vaults, objects interred at the Inferno are placed in cavities within a poured, hardened concrete vault floor, then encased in a radioactive, gold-particulate concrete to ensure they can not be removed or remain in the hands of human subjects for long.
Presently, the Inferno is home to items dating all the way back to the 1800s, and include both dark objects and beings bound to talismans.
Author's Notes: It's the famous scene from the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark... the Ark of the Covenant has been boxed up and is shipped to a vast warehouse for safe storage--safe meaning away from any one ever monkeying about with it again. The Ark becomes just one of thousands of crates, shuffled away in a remote facility. Later, in Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls showed us just where this vast Warehouse was--Area 51.
For Pale Horseman, I wanted to do something more, but give it that same over-the-top Stone Soldiers spin. A secure storage area where it wasn't just unlikely anyone would ever see Charon's staff again, but that no one could see it--for long anyways.
Enter the Inferno, a former underground nuclear test site turned into a radioactive vault. I imagined it as part Ang Lee's Army Bunker from the Hulk movie, part Warehouse 13. A hidden, ultra-secure site that I could permanently send things I didn't want to ever bring back to the series. Of course, it is fiction, and anything's possible...
April 9, 2016
BOOK OF STONE: Huldufolk
For April, Stone Soldiers.info is celebrating the A to Z Blog Challenge with daily letter-themed entries. A separate page with a list of all these entries, plus Character Profiles and Book Synopses will appear on the right hand side of the page in coming weeks, detailing the people, places and things of the Stone Soldiers universe.
HULDUFOLK
First Appearance: One Dark Step (Stone Soldiers #11)
Description: Mutated Human
Last Known Status: Living abroad on Earth and the Farside of the Moon.
Summary:Taken from the Icelandic language and meaning literally "hidden people", the Huldufolk have existed in mythology for centuries. Referred to as Elves, Goblins and Gnomes, these beings have long been associated with Europe and terrorizing humans. In the Middle Ages, Huldufolk were often accused of abducting humans.
In the modern era, the country of Iceland still claims that Huldufolk exist, and laws exist to protect geologic sites believed to be their homes.
Beginning with the Betty and Barney Hill abduction in 1961, a breed of supposed-extraterrestrial beings called "Grays" crept into the American consciousness. These small-statured, bulbous-headed beings soon became synonymous with the UFO phenomenon.
What the general population is not aware of is that these beings are one and the same. The so-called "Gray Alien" is in actually one of the Huldufolk, wearing disguises in a campaign of disinformation to hide their true nature as they continue their ages old terrorizing of humanity.
The origin of these supernatural beings is far more unsettling than the fact they have been on Earth for centuries. Following the capture of several Huldufolk in 1954, testing soon revealed that the creatures were in fact humans, transformed by the implantation of dark artifacts. Abducted and bred as slaves, the Huldufolk serve Species Five, known as the Nordics--a dark, Fell race residing in subterranean cities around the Earth and on the far side of the Moon.
Behind the Scenes:Huldufolk begin life as humans. Each is implanted with a crystaline construct comprised of a synthesized Silver and methyst material that connects the host to an Etheric energy source, granting enhanced regeneration and eliminating the need for normal sustenance.
Over time, the implanted host slowly transforms, shrinking in height, their bones increasing in density and their internal organs withering from lack of use.
Huldufolk are anticipated to be capable of living for centuries, although no specimen has survived for more than a few hours in captivity.
Huldufolk cities exist around the globe but many have been eliminated by human armed forces over the past one-hundred years. Huldufolk thrive in Iceland, a country which has a covert treaty with the creatures--a mutual promise of non-interference.
Huldufolk serve the Nordic Fell, classified as Species Five by the U.S. Military. Huldufolk themselves were originally classified as Species Three, until testing in the 20th century confirmed their human origins.
In 2015, a U.S. Military strike force assaulted Site 219-A on the far side of the moon. There it was discovered that the Huldufolk and Nordics were in fact ruled by a Fellish Entity calling itself Hubal. This entity was killed in combat. The strike force further severely damaged the Huldufolk city and destroyed a number of their aircraft and killed a majority of their Nordic ruling class. The Huldufolk and their surviving Nordic masters are presumed to still be alive on the Moon.
Author's Notes:Gray aliens are a mainstay in science fiction and UFOlogy circles. One of the more interesting theories I stumbled across on the internet was that the alleged abductions by modern grays shared an eery resemblance to accounts of goblin, elf and faerie abductions in the middle ages. The idea for a subservient slave race for the Fell was born...
HULDUFOLK
First Appearance: One Dark Step (Stone Soldiers #11)
Description: Mutated Human
Last Known Status: Living abroad on Earth and the Farside of the Moon.
Summary:Taken from the Icelandic language and meaning literally "hidden people", the Huldufolk have existed in mythology for centuries. Referred to as Elves, Goblins and Gnomes, these beings have long been associated with Europe and terrorizing humans. In the Middle Ages, Huldufolk were often accused of abducting humans.
In the modern era, the country of Iceland still claims that Huldufolk exist, and laws exist to protect geologic sites believed to be their homes.
Beginning with the Betty and Barney Hill abduction in 1961, a breed of supposed-extraterrestrial beings called "Grays" crept into the American consciousness. These small-statured, bulbous-headed beings soon became synonymous with the UFO phenomenon.
What the general population is not aware of is that these beings are one and the same. The so-called "Gray Alien" is in actually one of the Huldufolk, wearing disguises in a campaign of disinformation to hide their true nature as they continue their ages old terrorizing of humanity.
The origin of these supernatural beings is far more unsettling than the fact they have been on Earth for centuries. Following the capture of several Huldufolk in 1954, testing soon revealed that the creatures were in fact humans, transformed by the implantation of dark artifacts. Abducted and bred as slaves, the Huldufolk serve Species Five, known as the Nordics--a dark, Fell race residing in subterranean cities around the Earth and on the far side of the Moon.
Behind the Scenes:Huldufolk begin life as humans. Each is implanted with a crystaline construct comprised of a synthesized Silver and methyst material that connects the host to an Etheric energy source, granting enhanced regeneration and eliminating the need for normal sustenance.
Over time, the implanted host slowly transforms, shrinking in height, their bones increasing in density and their internal organs withering from lack of use.
Huldufolk are anticipated to be capable of living for centuries, although no specimen has survived for more than a few hours in captivity.
Huldufolk cities exist around the globe but many have been eliminated by human armed forces over the past one-hundred years. Huldufolk thrive in Iceland, a country which has a covert treaty with the creatures--a mutual promise of non-interference.
Huldufolk serve the Nordic Fell, classified as Species Five by the U.S. Military. Huldufolk themselves were originally classified as Species Three, until testing in the 20th century confirmed their human origins.
In 2015, a U.S. Military strike force assaulted Site 219-A on the far side of the moon. There it was discovered that the Huldufolk and Nordics were in fact ruled by a Fellish Entity calling itself Hubal. This entity was killed in combat. The strike force further severely damaged the Huldufolk city and destroyed a number of their aircraft and killed a majority of their Nordic ruling class. The Huldufolk and their surviving Nordic masters are presumed to still be alive on the Moon.
Author's Notes:Gray aliens are a mainstay in science fiction and UFOlogy circles. One of the more interesting theories I stumbled across on the internet was that the alleged abductions by modern grays shared an eery resemblance to accounts of goblin, elf and faerie abductions in the middle ages. The idea for a subservient slave race for the Fell was born...
April 8, 2016
BOOK OF STONE: GRISSOM Moon Lander
For April, Stone Soldiers.info is celebrating the A to Z Blog Challenge with daily letter-themed entries. A separate page with a list of all these entries, plus Character Profiles and Book Synopses will appear on the right hand side of the page in coming weeks, detailing the people, places and things of the Stone Soldiers universe.
GRISSOM
First Appearance: One Dark Step (Stone Soldiers #11)
Description: Apollo Lunar Excursion Module
Last Known Status: Abandoned on the Far Side of the Moon.
Summary:Built to land on the Moon as part of the Apollo space program, LEMs weremeant to ferry two astronauts from orbit to the surface. Six LEMs successfully landed on the Moon, while a seventh, from Apollo 13, instead served as an emergency source of life support to enable the astronauts to return to Earth safely.
While Apollo 17 was the last mission to travel to the Moon, originally twenty missions were planned and fifteen LEMs constructed. Of the three remaining LEMs, LM 15 and 16 were transferred to museums, while LM 17 was reportedly scrapped.
In 2015, Project Flare completed construction of the Sprocket, an immense Gateway Portal capable of transporting troops and equipment off-world. As the US Military had quietly been watching the Huldufolk bases on the far side of the Moon, a plan was quickly formulated to land the Stone Soldiers of Detachment 1039 on the satellite. Rather than risk opening a portal to Earth, it was decided that the Sprocket would create a portal in Lunar orbit and landing craft would then be dropped from Groom Lake to the surface of the Moon, safely transporting strike teams.
As it turned out, LM 17 had not been scrapped but was actually in storage at Groom Lake's Advanced Aircraft Design and Development facilities. LM 15 and 16 were quietly replaced with modern mockups, and the surviving three LEMs were quickly retrofitted for portal deployment.
As the Apollo program had started a tradition of naming the LEMs, Project Flare also decided on names, rather than numerical designations and the names Grissom, Chaffee, and White were chosen in honor of the three man crew of Apollo 1 that perished on the launchpad in 1967.
LM 15, the Grissom, successfully deployed the first strike team of Stone Soldiers to Site 219-A on the far side of the Moon. A short time later, the Chaffee successfully deployed a rescue team to the same area.
Both Landers were left on the Moon at mission's completion, the teams traversing back to Earth through portals opened directly on the Lunar surface.
Author's Notes:Aliens on the Moon--the Syfy special really grabbed my attention and my imagination. I was already a big fan of aliens on the Moon movies: Moon Trap and Apollo 18. And I'd seen all sorts of websites proposing the idea that aliens were in fact demonic beings carrying on the same abductions they had in the middle ages, trading in their Goblin personas for Little Gray Men. One Dark Step was born.
GRISSOM
First Appearance: One Dark Step (Stone Soldiers #11)
Description: Apollo Lunar Excursion Module
Last Known Status: Abandoned on the Far Side of the Moon.
Summary:Built to land on the Moon as part of the Apollo space program, LEMs weremeant to ferry two astronauts from orbit to the surface. Six LEMs successfully landed on the Moon, while a seventh, from Apollo 13, instead served as an emergency source of life support to enable the astronauts to return to Earth safely.
While Apollo 17 was the last mission to travel to the Moon, originally twenty missions were planned and fifteen LEMs constructed. Of the three remaining LEMs, LM 15 and 16 were transferred to museums, while LM 17 was reportedly scrapped.
In 2015, Project Flare completed construction of the Sprocket, an immense Gateway Portal capable of transporting troops and equipment off-world. As the US Military had quietly been watching the Huldufolk bases on the far side of the Moon, a plan was quickly formulated to land the Stone Soldiers of Detachment 1039 on the satellite. Rather than risk opening a portal to Earth, it was decided that the Sprocket would create a portal in Lunar orbit and landing craft would then be dropped from Groom Lake to the surface of the Moon, safely transporting strike teams.
As it turned out, LM 17 had not been scrapped but was actually in storage at Groom Lake's Advanced Aircraft Design and Development facilities. LM 15 and 16 were quietly replaced with modern mockups, and the surviving three LEMs were quickly retrofitted for portal deployment.
As the Apollo program had started a tradition of naming the LEMs, Project Flare also decided on names, rather than numerical designations and the names Grissom, Chaffee, and White were chosen in honor of the three man crew of Apollo 1 that perished on the launchpad in 1967.
LM 15, the Grissom, successfully deployed the first strike team of Stone Soldiers to Site 219-A on the far side of the Moon. A short time later, the Chaffee successfully deployed a rescue team to the same area.
Both Landers were left on the Moon at mission's completion, the teams traversing back to Earth through portals opened directly on the Lunar surface.
Author's Notes:Aliens on the Moon--the Syfy special really grabbed my attention and my imagination. I was already a big fan of aliens on the Moon movies: Moon Trap and Apollo 18. And I'd seen all sorts of websites proposing the idea that aliens were in fact demonic beings carrying on the same abductions they had in the middle ages, trading in their Goblin personas for Little Gray Men. One Dark Step was born.
April 7, 2016
BOOK OF STONE: FIVE
For April, Stone Soldiers.info is celebrating the A to Z Blog Challenge with daily letter-themed entries. A separate page with a list of all these entries, plus Character Profiles and Book Synopses will appear on the right hand side of the page in coming weeks, detailing the people, places and things of the Stone Soldiers universe.
FIVE
First Appearance: Infernal Machine
Synopsis: Artificial Intelligence Simulator
Last Known Status: Destroyed
Summary: Built by the First Born Fell, Thoth, FIVE was a near-sentient machine designed to mimic human thought process, creativity, and personality for the purpose of decryption--of the stars. An electro-mechanical machine filling a subterranean cavern beneath Sydney Australia, powered by energies of imprisoned spirits and maintained by a veritable army of demonic creatures, FIVE operated for centuries, building its knowledge and personality simulation and uploading the sum total of human and Fell knowledge. In the 1800s, Five was at last connected to an observatory telescope and began its observations of the heavens to decode the pattern mentioned in the Bible; e.g. Genesis 1:14
In the early 1980s, not satisfied with the pace Five's electromechanical components provided, Thoth connected the machine to modern human solid state computers and the fledgling internet. The purpose of this upgrade was to enhance Five's processing speed and ability to gather knowledge, but it also gave the machine the ability to summon assistance.
At some point during Five's lifespan, the machine determined that it's purpose was evil. The machine created a virtual reality simulacrum of its workings and enacted a plan to reveal Thoth's underground base to humanity so that Five could be destroyed before it's mission was completed.
Detachment 1039 answered the machine's plea for help, transmitted as extreme low frequency signal through the Earth's crust, and killed Thoth and his demons. Before the machine self-destructed, it then transferred its simulacrum program and the core elements of its consciousness simulation to America's MAXIM decryption network.
Behind the Scenes:While the idea of an ancient Egyptian God secretly living beneath Sydney may sound strange, there are actual sites in Australia which some claim hold remnant evidence of Egyptian visitation.
Author's Notes:
The A.I. turning against its masters is a well-used trope in science fiction. HAL 9000 is my personal favorite. Asked to lie to conceal the true mission of the Discovery from the crew, the super computer goes kind of insane and begins killing the crew. Before that though, he seemed like a swell digital dude.
MAX, the secret super computer, has been in nearly all the Stone Soldiers books--just very well hidden. In a fleeting glimpse of an alternate future (Armageddon Z) readers finally learned that the mysterious Max was indeed a machine. But where did he come from?
The idea for Max's origins came from simple word play... instead of a super computer, I thought a supernatural computer might seem better. To help me decide, I watched the incredibly gorey 13 Ghosts (2001) about a machine powered by trapped, evil spirits. It told me I was on the right track, but I needed something more.
About the same time, I read an article about an actual AI conversing with its programmers. Something about the no-nonsense, matter-of-fact way it described things got me thinking... if God is real (the basis for this series) wouldn't a machine with all the data available to it come to the same conclusion? There wouldn't be a need for faith--a machine operates on cold, hard facts. Throw in that a demon built the thing, and you have a perfect recipe for an A.I. that doesn't doubt a Creator and who may just reach the conclusion its very existence is wrong.
Of course, a steampunkish, prehistoric, mechanical computer that would have given Babbage nightmares is too big to take back to Florida, so I had my second stroke of uniqueness for Max... a 3D virtual rendering of FIVE, performing the same function as the mechanical one under Sydney--simulate a human being's mind.
Max was born--at the cost of Five's life.
Why Five? Hmmm, I wonder....
FIVEFirst Appearance: Infernal Machine
Synopsis: Artificial Intelligence Simulator
Last Known Status: Destroyed
Summary: Built by the First Born Fell, Thoth, FIVE was a near-sentient machine designed to mimic human thought process, creativity, and personality for the purpose of decryption--of the stars. An electro-mechanical machine filling a subterranean cavern beneath Sydney Australia, powered by energies of imprisoned spirits and maintained by a veritable army of demonic creatures, FIVE operated for centuries, building its knowledge and personality simulation and uploading the sum total of human and Fell knowledge. In the 1800s, Five was at last connected to an observatory telescope and began its observations of the heavens to decode the pattern mentioned in the Bible; e.g. Genesis 1:14
In the early 1980s, not satisfied with the pace Five's electromechanical components provided, Thoth connected the machine to modern human solid state computers and the fledgling internet. The purpose of this upgrade was to enhance Five's processing speed and ability to gather knowledge, but it also gave the machine the ability to summon assistance.
At some point during Five's lifespan, the machine determined that it's purpose was evil. The machine created a virtual reality simulacrum of its workings and enacted a plan to reveal Thoth's underground base to humanity so that Five could be destroyed before it's mission was completed.
Detachment 1039 answered the machine's plea for help, transmitted as extreme low frequency signal through the Earth's crust, and killed Thoth and his demons. Before the machine self-destructed, it then transferred its simulacrum program and the core elements of its consciousness simulation to America's MAXIM decryption network.
Behind the Scenes:While the idea of an ancient Egyptian God secretly living beneath Sydney may sound strange, there are actual sites in Australia which some claim hold remnant evidence of Egyptian visitation.
Author's Notes:
The A.I. turning against its masters is a well-used trope in science fiction. HAL 9000 is my personal favorite. Asked to lie to conceal the true mission of the Discovery from the crew, the super computer goes kind of insane and begins killing the crew. Before that though, he seemed like a swell digital dude.
MAX, the secret super computer, has been in nearly all the Stone Soldiers books--just very well hidden. In a fleeting glimpse of an alternate future (Armageddon Z) readers finally learned that the mysterious Max was indeed a machine. But where did he come from?
The idea for Max's origins came from simple word play... instead of a super computer, I thought a supernatural computer might seem better. To help me decide, I watched the incredibly gorey 13 Ghosts (2001) about a machine powered by trapped, evil spirits. It told me I was on the right track, but I needed something more.
About the same time, I read an article about an actual AI conversing with its programmers. Something about the no-nonsense, matter-of-fact way it described things got me thinking... if God is real (the basis for this series) wouldn't a machine with all the data available to it come to the same conclusion? There wouldn't be a need for faith--a machine operates on cold, hard facts. Throw in that a demon built the thing, and you have a perfect recipe for an A.I. that doesn't doubt a Creator and who may just reach the conclusion its very existence is wrong.
Of course, a steampunkish, prehistoric, mechanical computer that would have given Babbage nightmares is too big to take back to Florida, so I had my second stroke of uniqueness for Max... a 3D virtual rendering of FIVE, performing the same function as the mechanical one under Sydney--simulate a human being's mind.
Max was born--at the cost of Five's life.
Why Five? Hmmm, I wonder....
