The Noah Satellite Read online

  First on the list was a quick dash over to the computer accounting and financing acquisitions bungalow to approve an extended budget for Presha Bhat in India. Although it was spring time on the Black Sea, the morning air on the estate was brisk and windy. As she approached the garden, because of the breeze, the tall tulips nodded their greeting at her approach. There was only time for a quick pleasurable inhale of aroma and a “good morning” to Romero, the gardener. He was busy pulling a few weeds that dared invalid his garden. He turned just in time to wave a greeting as she approached the computer cottage door.

  Although security around the thousand acre estate was impenetrable, something Santo and Kirk Waller made sure of, there was still the secondary security procedures within the compound to contend with. Each bungalow had personalized entry codes as did the Lady of the Manor. Those who thought it to be an overly protected system were the newer and naïve scientists who did not understand the enemies of the House.

  At the door, Marie softly blew into a sensor where her undeniable DNA code was analyzed and accepted as hers. A click was heard and the door automatically opened. Watching her enter the computer cottage, Romero crossed himself, smiled and continued tending to a perfect garden.

  Inside the cottage were five desks filled with computer technicians, operators and coding engineers. All were busy coding and decoding information from the world wide matrix establishing the power of the House. Off to the side was another desk, the one reserved for the head of accounting and financial acquisitions department, Ming-Lo Ching. Ming-Lo was a survivor of the destruction and still in command of the House financing. Maria wanted to see her because she was also a specialist and systems engineer in international banking and criminal accounts.

  She was 65 but still looked 30. Surprisingly, a streak of black hair peeking out of long gray straight hair was displayed with pride. Looking up she saw Maria approach. Always ready with a smile, Ming-Lo stopped whatever she was doing and indicated for Maria to have a seat. Having lots to do, Maria declined the offer, stood by the desk and said,

  “Good morning Ming-Lo and no thank you. I have a busy schedule today.”

  Ming-Lo, although born in China but raised in Russia, despite spending most of her life in the service of the House of the Nazarene still proudly spoke with a heavy Chinese accent.

  “What Ming-Lo do for the boss lady today?”

  Never used to what Maria considered an amusing accent, she tried her best to stifle a smirk. She explained her situation in India and the need for an extended budget. Ming-Lo asked,

  “How much money that funny lady need now?”

  Maria had not thought that far ahead and was slightly stymied by the question. Quick estimates rolled through her head and finally a tentative estimate presented itself.

  “She has a staff of five, that and government bribes, I suppose three million should do it.”

  Completely misinterpreting the reason for Ming-Lo’s sudden frown, Maria asked,

  “What? Will that be a problem?”

  As if it were a mundane request, certainly not worthy of her genius, Ming-Lo sneered and said,

  “No. Five hundred million be a problem, not nickels and dimes. I access Russian black budget accounts and transfer it to our various banks now. You consider it done already.”

  She thanked Ming-Lo for her valuable time and turned to leave when hearing,

  “You don’t go away too fast. Another request for a budget extension come in last night.”

  Stopped short, confused she asked,

  “By who?”

  “The one we call the Sandman, Mario Amato. You know, the specialist on alien archeology. He digging in Sahara sand looking for alien secrets.”

  Yes, she knew Mario and his project well enough. Her expression communicated, ‘now what?’

  Turning back to the desk, she said,

  “Let me talk to him.”

  The computer glass on the desk shone bright and a 3-D beam flashed above the pane and the face of Mario Amato came into focus. A headscarf was wrapped low over his forehead keeping windblown sand out of jet black hair. With olive skin there was no mistaking his Italian heritage. He had been with the house since the destruction of Ile de Celeste and a trusted specialist and historian on alien archeology. He hated the word ‘fat’ referring to himself as ‘stout’ and laced here and there with muscle. She hoped it would be a short conversation.

  For the past few years she knew that Amato had been excavating an ancient city in the Sahara Desert. Although currently covered with sand, at one time that section of the desert was a green and teeming land with herds and people. However, what he was excavating was not a human habitation. What was once an alien community had suffered the ravages of climate change and eventually became buried almost a kilometer under sand. Amato was the lead archeologist recovering many secrets of that alien culture. He smiled and said,

  “Your computer room said to keep this short, that you had a busy day in front of you. Although this project is very successful, this is not a progress report. I will keep it brief.”

  Although it was only a three dimension image across the voids, Amato’s eyes pierced deep into Maria’s. As he spoke, she felt his intensity.

  “As it turned out, this is not a small alien community but rather a large and multi-tiered city. The more sand we clear away the more we discover. Ground penetration radar indicates the expanse of the community is actually close to five miles across and we have only cleared just over two miles of it. We have not even gotten down to the streets yet.”

  Maria knew what Amato was going to say next.

  “This has turned out to be a massive project. If it is to be completed in my lifetime, indeed yours, I will need more men, equipment and financing.”

  It was an easy decision. If her new mandate for the House of the Nazarene was to be fulfilled, she needed this sand covered alien settlement to be shown to the world. She was determined to prove the real ancient history of the planet and its alien occupation. Thanks to Zak Zander’s translations of such history and showing this lost city to the world, it would be a giant step in that direction. What had yet to be learned was why the aliens left and turned the planet over to the human occupation. Along with the so-called Black Knight orbiting the planet, Maria wanted answers.

  Amato, not aware of the importance of his excavation, thinking it was just another small exposure of the true history of the world. He eagerly waited for her response. His eyes lit up when hearing,

  “Very well Amato. Send me your projected costs and manpower to complete the excavation. More than likely I will approve it.”

  Although ecstatic, he wanted to lay it on the table saying,

  “It will run into the millions.”

  “I’m more concerned about the manpower than the money. This is still a secret archaeological site and I want to keep it that way. The more eyes there are, the greater the danger of loose lips.”

  “Not to worry Professor. You leave that to me. Good money seals lips.”

  When the 3-D projection returned to a mere pane of glass, Maria looked to Ming-Lo and said,

  “Whatever his numbers are, I’ll approve them. You go ahead and tap into the Russian secret black budget accounts again.”

  Ming-Lo pursed her skinny lips, pointed and said,

  “Not a good idea for two withdrawals close together. Maybe better idea get funds from another source this time.”

  Not aware of the danger, Maria decided to leave the procurement of the funds up to the expert. She asked,

  “What do you have in mind?”

  “A few Asian drug lords have formed a cooperative banking system laundering their profits together. I take a few million from them.”

  A concerned Maria asked,

  “Will missing funds not start dissention and mistrust between them?

  Ming-Lo smiled and said,

  “Yeah, that why I do it.”

  Chapter 8

  A week had now passed. Running
the affairs of the House of the Nazarene had greatly cut into her genetic research time in the lab, something she regretted and longed to get back to. Her biggest achievement so far was in solving the Anunnaki scheme to genetically alter human DNA into their likeness and recolonize this planet in their image. It was a diabolical plot referred to as passive genetic recolonization. It was something other alien species throughout the universe had done before on other habitable planets. Now thanks to her, the human DNA code is safe and secure to evolve untampered in the divinely intended way.

  Maria was also an alien DNA imaging genius. With the help of Nazarene super computers, she was able to digitize alien DNA and computer compile the strands into an alien image. Thanks to her, she now knew what many of the aliens who had colonized Earth in the past looked like. Through that ability she was also able to identify which alien species colonized what part of the planet. Her dilemma and great disappointment was that she had only managed to profile Great Grays, Anunnaki and Sky People. Yet she knew that many other species had once colonized other parts of the planet. She was determined to discover and get those elusive alien DNA samples to see what they looked like.

  Santo also had a mystery he wanted solved. He wanted to know why the ancient Vatican raided King Rhymen’s old kingdom and stole its treasury. It didn’t make sense to him that the Vatican only wanted the treasury of one kingdom. He suspected that the answer lay in the Royal Library of Bulgarian History. The dilemma was how to access that library without casting suspicion, the real reason he wanted to get in there. Maria also wanted to know the reason for originally calling their mansion, Witch of the Manor.

  A solution to both questions came when devious parents duped their daughter into a way of doing her school assignment. Because deceit was needed to get Belle into the Royal Library, Santo used his influence with King Rhymen, convincing him that it was a personal favour. After all, it was by the help of the House of the Nazarene that the king was able to regain his crown and treasury from the Vatican. A plan was set into motion.

  Santo had spent the last few evenings with Belle getting her ready for her so-called spy mission. She was given a special ring looking nothing more than a small diamond encased in silver claws. Santo explained,

  “The ring is constantly recording. When you find something of interest, simply scan it over the material and the Nano-tech in the diamond will automatically save everything for downloading when you get back.”

  It seemed simple enough but she had one question.

  “Why can’t I just write down the information you are looking for?”

  “Because you will be in a secure part of the library and all the notes you make about their history will be inspected. If you try to leave with notes infringing on a secret Vatican invasion and looting of their treasury, they will be confiscated and your assignment terminated. This way, you can compile their general history as notes and the ring will record everything else you find for me.”

  Although she easily accepted the explanation, her casual nod did not hide great excitement. This was thrilling and she couldn’t wait to get into the library. Santo saw her giddiness and was quick to supress it. He said,

  “Don’t forget that your cover is that of a disgruntled schoolgirl not happy with the boring assignment. I don’t want you casting suspicion by happily prancing in there.”

  However, Santo’s careful planning practically blew up when he explained everything to Maria. Although a minor and safe assignment, she was not happy about it. At best, she wanted somebody else in the library with her.

  Chapter 9

  That evening, the parents of Belle and Robert are sitting in the large family room at the base of the grand staircase leading up to the two apartments. The large fireplace was ablaze although not for heat so much as for ambiance. Maria, as well as Helga thought it greatly added to the cosiness of the room. With huge Bulgarian Oak timber beams and arches above them as well as the shadows cast be the fire, at least to Maria it projected an atmosphere of five hundred years ago, the way things were before the clutter and hurried pace of technology. She would have been happy to see a Knight in glistening white armour come prancing into the Livingroom on a great steed. Alas, those were the days.

  If time allowed, this was where both parents came together, not to discuss House of the Nazarene matters but generally family matters. Because Kirk was still on maternity leave along with Jessika, Waldorf had helped Santo by taking over some of his security duties. As they sat holding glasses of wine, except Santo who never touched alcohol, the conversation was about the trials and tribulations of Jessika and Kirk raising three children born so close together. While cuddled up to Santo, Maria voiced a concern that made everybody cringe.

  “What if those children grow up be even half as adventurous and mischievous as Belle and Robert?”

  There was nothing else to do but toast to the good luck of those poor parents.

  While sitting comfortably in soft sofas and facing each other, the conversation eventually came to Belle’s tedious school assignment of researching Bulgarian history. When Maria voiced her concern about going into the library alone, Waldorf voiced what he thought might be a solution.

  “Robert has the same assignment, why not get both involved?”

  Maria quickly slammed the door on that ill thought out suggestion.

  “Because of the trouble they always seem to get into.”

  Helga nodded her agreement and Santo countered with,

  “Oh for goodness sake, it’s a library assignment, what harm could they possibly get into?”

  The mothers were not happy but agreed that Robert could join in the assignment with the understanding that he was not to know what Belle was secretly doing. Santo added,

  “Good, then its settled. I have already spoken to the king’s security people and although hesitant, they agreed to open the library to them.”

  Chapter 10

  The next morning, Maria and Helga are standing at the entrance of the mansion watching two children running toward a helicopter waiting for them on the lawn at edge of the garden. It was an overcast day with dark rainclouds looming and Maria hoped that it was not an omen of things to come. She couldn’t shake the intuitive motherly feeling that it was going to be a bad day. Helga smiled and waved goodbye.

  Belle won the race to the chopper, was the first to throw in her backpack and jump in. Only a few feet behind, Robert did the same. While watching the chopper disappear over the trees and in the direction of the castle, Maria turned to Helga and said,

  “I still have a bad feeling about those two going together.”

  Helga understood that Maria was not blaming Robert for all the trouble they had previously gotten into. As evidence and proof had shown, Belle was responsible for more than half. Helga turned into the mansion and said,

  “I’m gonna get a coffee.”

  King Rhymen’s Palace was a majestic scene of glistening marble turrets and white walls set on a field of green lawns dotted with magnificent manicured gardens. After the helicopter gently set down on the landing pad, two children exited and walked across the lawn toward the palace. In some cases, a ride in a helicopter would be an exciting adventure for most children but not for Belle and Robert. They were House of the Nazarene children and travelled the world in D-wings. Still not knowing Belle’s secret mission, thinking he was sentenced only to researching a boring history of Bulgaria, Robert sulked across the lawn. He did not understand Belle’s enthusiasm and eagerness to get to the library. But then again, nothing new there, she was always an eager learner.

  At the private entrance to the palace, the security gate stopped all who did not have royal access passes. After their tags were scanned, a stern skinny man stood menacingly in front of them dressed in what Belle understood was a Palace Security uniform. When he snapped around and marched away, there was no need to say, ‘follow me’, they just did. They were silently marched through tall grand halls with walls displaying paintings from the Masters
. It was a march meant to impress visitors with the wealth and prestige of the Royal Family. It did not work with Belle and Robert. They had seen grander opulence in secret collections. Robert wanted to pick his nose but thought better of it.

  At the end of the hall was a large oak door. Parked in front like a police roadblock was a desk occupied by a stern looking older woman. At least to Belle, just by appearance alone there was no need to introduce her as the Librarian. As the woman looked up and stabbed both with a sharp scowl, each presented their passes to an outstretched demanding hand. Although the scan confirmed their authorization, it was clear that by Royal Permission or not, she was not pleased allowing what she obviously thought to be common pedestrians into her majestic domain. Regardless, she pushed a button and the massive door opened.