The Noah Satellite Read online

  Upon first inspection Belle was impressed with the large room but true to a pretended indifference, she only flashed a casual expression. She understood this was not an ordinary library with ordinary books. This was a Royal Library filled with family secrets and a silent history of an ancient kingdom. She was excited and couldn’t wait to discover what dad had asked her to look for, why did the Vatican really invade this kingdom so many years ago?

  All Robert saw was row after row of dusty old books that he had to glean boring history from. As they marched across the tiled floor, he casually looked at the strange designs embedded in them. It seemed to be a mixed arrangement of lions on their hind feet seemingly dancing in some sort of strange ritual. Because there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to the design, it appeared to be just a montage of lions and leafy tree branches. He didn’t understand the cryptic purpose or recognize the reason for the seemingly random placement of crowns on some lions.

  As they followed the stern Librarian across the floor, she halted in the middle of the well-lit room at what Belle reasoned was the research table. For the first time they heard her sharp demands,

  “These books are old and valuable. They are for reference only and not to be taken from this room. Each book has a chip inserted and will sound an alarm if passed through my door. Your backpacks will be searched when leaving. The books are in various languages, Persian, Latin, Greek and the more recent Old Church Slavic. When handling the books, at all times you will wear the white cotton gloves.”

  Upon turning and leaving, in a snide and condescending manner she snapped,

  “This library has existed for hundreds and hundreds of years. Good luck learning anything from them.”

  Belle, not liking to be spoken down to asked,

  “Were you the original librarian?”

  Missing the insult, either that or liking it, the old woman continued her stoic march out of the room.

  And so it went for the first day. Belle researched and made copious notes and Robert, knowing he could simply copy hers brought out his small video game. Much to his chagrin, for a reason he did not understand, although there was an internet connection that showed to be strong, the video game screen danced, scrolled and blurred out of focus. He showed it to the studious Belle and said,

  “Here, look at this.”

  She saw the scrambled video, shook her head and commented,

  “Maybe they are scrambling the signals. I guess they are making sure no material can be smuggled out through the matrix.”

  Although it was sad news for one addicted to his games, it was good news for her. The fact that everything was protected by high tech implied there were secrets here to discover. It also came to her that dad must have realized streaming the information out to the Nazarene computers was not going to work and that’s why all the data was to be saved by the Nano-chip in the diamond.

  At the end of the session, when it was time to close the books and leave, Belle had discovered nothing that would make her dad happy. However, she thought she might have discovered why the original mansion was called ‘Witch of the Manor’ and it was something her mother might not like. Only once did she record a strange picture in an ancient book looking much like the design of dancing lions on the floor. While Robert was busy copying her history notes, she said,

  “Come on, pack it up. The helicopter will be here in a few minutes.”

  True to the threat, the old woman searched the bags but found nothing. She looked disappointed and with a wave of a stern hand sent them on their way.

  Chapter 11

  Back in India, in the picturesque village of Desuya the old man guarding the entrance to the secret satellite tracing room floated between nodding off and guarding the steps into the basement with only one tired eye. There was never a sense of alertness about him. The only reason to slightly move was to look for a more comfortable position on the rickety wooden chair. It needed a cushion.

  In the basement, still filled with the sound of clicking keyboards and noses pressed to monitors, one of the technicians suddenly perked alert. Before calling Presha Bhat over, he paused to make sure it was not just a glitch. Glitches and ghost images had plagued the search for years and caused innumerable lost hours. After confirming the figures, the fear of an anomaly or hiccup in the program was cast aide. He was sure that he had a positive hit. After entering an ‘alert code’ to Presha, she ran over and eagerly asked,

  What is it this time Ajeet, another ghost hit of the Black Knight?”

  Ajeet was quick to defend his discovery.

  “No. It passed through the Nazarene laser net twice now. Volume, speed and orbit path confirm it’s really the Black Knight.”

  Suspicious of the near impossible ‘hit’ she asked,

  “Did you check other country’s satellites? Are you sure it is not one of theirs?”

  “Yes, I ran a check on those countries already. Even in secret military or spy orbits, there is nobody on that polar path.”

  She put great faith in the power of the Nazarene computers and their ability to track and spy on those satellites. She patted his shoulder and said.

  “Good work Ajeet.”

  She then went back to her desk and contacted the House of the Nazarene.

  Chapter 12

  That evening after dinner and as the table was cleared, Belle made a surprising announcement to mom and dad. She tried her best to insert authority into the request but all it got was a sly smirk from mom and a frown from dad.

  “I’m going to need to talk to both of you in the family room right away if you don’t mind.”

  As Maria thought, her little girl was already learning to take command and would one day make a fine leader of the House. Santo, the consummate soldier saw it differently. He saw his daughter rising in rank and could maybe one day be Head of Security.

  Once in the family room, the parents sat on the sofa while Belle sat at what she perceived to be the head of the table, dad’s favorite lounger. With baited anticipation, both waited for Belle to begin. She sat poised, opened her notebook and began.

  “First of all, there were far too many books to research in just one visit. I will need a few extra days to go through everything. I was only able to glean a little information on my cover story about researching Bulgarian history. I did however learn that the origin of the name Bulgaria came from the Bulgar tribes of that area way back around the time of Christ. Some of the names I’ll be looking into are, Son of Khan Kubrat, ruler of Old Great Bulgaria. After his victory at the Battle of Ongal in 680 he formed the country of Bulgaria. He died in 701 in a battle against the Khazars. In 680 AD a peace treaty with the Byzantium people was the start of the first Bulgarian Empire. Eventually many other empires conquered the land, the Persians, Alexander the Great and the Romans. Later on in 1018 Bulgaria became part of the Byzantine Empire. Then, in the 14th century the Ottoman Turks were a rising power in the region and in 1393 they captured Turnovo. All Bulgarian resistance to the Turks ended in 1396 and they ruled for nearly 500 years.

  For a strange reason, Belle took great pleasure in her parent’s joint look of boredom. It took on the pleasure of punishing them for tricking her into doing all this research. Thank goodness for both parents she got on to a more interesting subject.

  “I don’t know why the Vatican raided the Rhymen kingdom but I don’t think it was for the treasury. As you said dad, there were lots of richer kingdoms and easier treasuries to loot. I have my suspicions and it leads to why they called our mansion the Witch of the Manor.”

  Suddenly Maria sat up and paid attention.

  “Right from the 5th century, there have been legends and myths through all the Bulgar kingdoms about demons flying through the air on shields, flaming arrows and even some fire breathing dragons. In the last 500 years those folklores slowly switched to become witches with a strange ability to fly on brooms. It stated in one book that they flew out of a cloud from the underworld.”

  She then looked up at her
parents and added,

  “I guess the term underworld has many interpretations huh?”

  Maria understood the rudiments of legends. In her research of aliens and their influence on mythology she had discovered how humans throughout history interpreted in current knowledge what they did not understand or didn’t have the ability to properly describe. In many Asian legends it was told that great leaders of men flew through the air on fire breathing dragons. Some great leaders in Indian flew through the country on magic carpets or chariots of fire. Angels and the so-called giants of mankind were all part of a humans inability to properly identify what they really were.

  Belle turned a hand written page and related more research and speculation regarding her mom’s question about the old name of the Manor.

  “It was in the days of Kingdoms and Barons that witches entered their folklore. In those early years there were many vague references to witches flying to them and sitting on the right hand of a king as advisors and councillors. Again and for a reason goodness only knows why, they flew about the country on brooms.”

  Suddenly Maria remembered that she also once flew on something that could have been interpreted as a broom by the locals who saw them. With the destruction of Ile de Celeste, many D-wings were destroyed. However, the Swiss laboratory was able to save some anti-gravity technology and convert them to a mobile one-man transport referred to by their appearance, ‘Pogo Sticks’. She wondered if the villagers in Turkey who saw her flying on one might now refer to her as a witch flying on a broom.

  Belle continued,

  “In one of the books there was an ambiguous reference to one of the ancient kings marrying one of those witches.”

  It did not please Maria that maybe a witch had once occupied their home. However, she also understood that perhaps ‘witch’ might also have been a reference to a female alien. Regardless of any such reference, she shuddered at the possibility. Maria was the first to voice confusion. Letting it go that there might have been broom flying witches in the old country, getting back on track, she voiced a concern for what Belle had nonchalantly mentioned.

  “A cloud leading to the Underworld? That’s a strange reference isn’t it?”

  Santo said,

  “In regards to Zak Zander’s Viking funeral, I guess if anybody saw a Viking dragon boat coming out of a cloud they might think exactly the same thing, a boat coming out of the gates of hell.”

  Maria nodded and Belle defended her research.

  “Like I said, there was too much to learn in just one sitting. Robert and I need to go back and reference more of those secret books.”

  Maria voiced a concern.

  “I don’t like you going back and meddling into Bulgarian secret history. It sounds too dangerous.”

  But the research bug had bitten Belle hard. She defended her desire to go back into the library, saying,

  “It’s just a library room mom, what bad stuff could possibly happen in a room full of books?”

  Maria cast a questioning glance to Santo who lightly nodded his approval and Maria conceded to being outvoted.

  The next morning, Helga and Maria again watched an eager Belle almost run to the waiting chopper. It was clear that Robert did not share Belle’s enthusiasm about spending another day in a dusty library. His slow walk lagged far behind Belle. By the time she had climbed into the helicopter and flopped into the white leather seat she still had to wait for the slow Robert to approach and crawl in. He looked like a man sentenced to life in a dungeon.

  Chapter 13

  As the chopper disappeared over the tree tops, Helga looked to Maria and asked,

  “So, what’s on your busy schedule today?”

  It was clear that she was eager for something to do, either go to the village for a morning coffee or, as Maria saw it, anything at all. Although never having the luxury of experiencing it, Maria understood the heavy burden of boredom. Helga was a trusted member of the House of the Nazarene and yet her most important duty was the organization of tutors and making sure all the children of the House of the Nazarene were taught to their interests and abilities. Now, with school out for a month, Helga was bored.

  With a knowing smile and a wink, Maria said,

  “I have to slip over to our secret laboratory in Milan and check on the progress of an alien ship they are adapting for space travel. Do you feel like coming along?”

  Although that was all the enticement Helga needed, Maria added one more.

  “After, we can do lunch at one of my favorite espresso bars and maybe do little shopping.”

  As far as Helga was concerned, it could have been an invitation to a pig fight in a pool of mud. She was anxious to do anything that would get her away from the estate.

  Walking toward the hangar, as there was no official House of the Nazarene uniform, both wore slacks and casual blazers. Besides, when walking through the streets of Milan, discreet was the order of the day. Minutes later they are facing Henrik Anderson, flight controller for the House. He stood taller and more secure in his job than when Maria first hired the young man a few years ago. Head of the House of the Nazarene or not, Maria was duty bound to fill out what she thought was boring pre-flight paper work. As it was a flight to Milan in a D-wing and not a conventional jet, there was no need for him to acquire and request flight path approvals from various international air lanes.

  With the paperwork complete, Maria tuned to Helga and said,

  “I entered your name as the pilot. Jump in and let’s get going.”

  Although Helga had completed her D-wing flight training many years ago, it was rare for her to be in control of one. On holidays or simply traveling with Waldorf to the many labs he had developed around the world, she was always the passenger. It was for this reason, with a skip and a jump she eagerly plopped herself into the pilot seat.

  While zipping over the Adriatic Sea, Maria explained to Helga the purpose of the mission.

  “Our D-wings are designed to function at optimal safety as high as the stratosphere, which is only 30 miles or so above Earth. Because they depend on gravity wave control, anything higher is dysfunctional and dangerous to their operation. I need something that will reach a mysterious satellite orbiting twice as high as our safety limit.”

  Helga understood, nodded and said,

  “We are going to the Milan laboratory to see that Anunnaki ship discovered in Turkey, right?”

  “Yes, it’s a deep space qualified craft. I’m having it adapted with human controls and capability.

  High up in the stratosphere, Helga was again mesmerized by the true scope of the solar system and its uncountable stars. Since it was a secret Nazarene supported laboratory on the outskirts of Milan, it was protected by a series of approach codes. If there was an unauthorized approach either by land or air, the guilty party would quickly suffer mechanical malfunctions and be forced to either turn around or crash.

  When the computerized flight controls started its descent, Helga got busy punching in the approved approach codes. From this height the laboratory looked inconspicuous, just one of many large buildings on the side of the northerly mountains. Like many of their other labs throughout the world, secrecy and protection came from bribes and various government approvals. With radar avoidance and stealth tech mode programs active, like an experienced pilot, Helga gently landed the D-wing on the helicopter pad. When walking away, with remote in hand, she activated the ‘wait mode’ program and the D-wing shot five miles straight up to await a return command.

  Knowing that they were coming, the Director of the lab was waiting for them in the receiving lounge. By age, Doctor Riccardo Cavetto was an old man but by personality and appearance he was a young man at heart. His only character weakness was that an inflated ego would not accept gray hair, better to be completely bald as he was. Everything about him smiled, his eyes and mouth all glowed friendliness. After a friendly greeting and casual chit chat, as the laboratory was underground, both ladies were marched through a long
series of halls to an elevator.

  The lower laboratory was the size and appearance of a clinically clean airport hangar. The twenty scientists working there were busy adapting a docking mechanism to the Anunnaki space craft. This was the first time Helga had seen this laboratory and so had difficulty controlling a spinning head. With an adapted technology recovered from the craft she watched one private jet practically disappear. She understood that they were attempting to apply alien stealth knowledge to a conventional air craft. When seeing Maria and Doctor Cavetto standing off to the side looking at the Anunnaki craft, her eyes widened.

  Although now adapted to Nazarene computers, there were no wires connected to it. Everything was conducted through a private Nazarene universal computer matrix system. As Maria watched the scientists with computers and instruments in hand swarm the craft like drones attentive to the queen bee, she asked the Doctor,

  “Is it almost ready?”

  He seemed proud to say,

  “Yes. Give me one more day to install the seats and some conventional hardware and as you commanded, she is ready to go.”