Knightfall - Book 1 of The Chronicle of Benjamin Knight, page 1
Knightfall
The Chronicle of
Benjamin Knight
Book 1
Knightfall
Copyright R. Jackson-Lawrence 2013
The moral right of the author has been asserted.
All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any forms or by any means, without the prior permission in writing by the author.
All characters and events depicted in this
book are fictitious and any resemblance
to real persons, living or dead, is
purely coincidental.
Cover designed 2013 by Spiffing Covers (www.spiffingcovers.com)
Edited July 2013 by Hercules Editing and Consulting Services (www.bzhercules.com)
ISBN 978-1-909425-16-3
For Karen, Jessica and Jacob
You make everything worthwhile
And to Jake, Scott and Nyah
Thanks for the feedback
Chapter 1
I
The driver hit the curve far too fast, but the handling of the car was more than adequate to cope with it. He braked at the last minute and swung the car round the bend. Had anything been coming in the opposite direction, he would have hit it head on, but this time at least, they were lucky. Over the past four years, Ben had travelled along these winding mountain roads many times a day, going back and forth to the laboratory from the home he had in town.
His driver, Stefan, had been bringing him along this route for the last eighteen months, and as usual, they were late. It had become a running joke with the rest of the team. Weren't teenagers supposed to spend all day in bed, moaning and complaining when asked to get up and get washed? Though he was far from a typical teenager, Ben liked his bed and every morning was a struggle.
Had he always been that way? Sometimes he struggled to remember what he did yesterday, the days blurring together as his great project moved forwards. At other times, he could picture every detail in his mind, imagining that he could reach out and touch it. It had been almost three months since he had last seen his parents, but he could still picture every line on their faces, the slight limp his father now had when he walked, the tear in his mother's eye when he left for the departure gate at Heathrow.
Ben had first come to the attention of Excelsior Technologies at the age of five. They were responsible for pioneering new educational modules at his primary school, making everything computerised as part of a government pilot scheme. Whilst other children in his class were learning how to spell cat and dog, Ben somehow managed to hack and rewrite part of the code to allow him access to the internet. The techs thought it must have been some sort of fluke, until he did it again on request and explained where the errors in the code were.
By age six, he was solving complex equations and reading everything he could get his hands on about physics and mathematics. Soon afterwards, his parents were 'asked' to take him out of school, and that was when Excelsior stepped in with their fully funded private education package.
How exciting it had all seemed in the beginning, meeting professors and scientists, playing games that Ben later learned were detailed tests of his abilities. By age eight, he could solve problems faster than any supercomputer, and at nine, he had rewritten some of the foundations of quantum mechanics.
He was still living at home with his parents at that time. It seemed like he had met scientists and researchers from half the world, and words like “savant” or “prodigy” were often mentioned, though it meant little to him. He just liked the numbers; they made everything make sense. Then Excelsior had suggested that there was little more he could learn in England, but they had a shiny new research and development division being built in Europe. Ben jumped at the chance; he could finally bring the theories of his equations into reality. He hadn't realised at the time what the consequences would be.
At first, his parents were coming with him; of course, they were. On the day of the flight, everything was packed and he was raring to go. They were each allowed two cases and everything else would follow in the coming weeks. As long as he had his laptop and access to the internet, Ben needed little else. Then, something happened at the airport. Passport and visa problems, the official said. His dad was surprised, but said it would all be sorted in a day or two and he would follow on then. His mum would be there, so that was okay.
Two days after that, his aunt fell sick. His mother had to return home straight away, since the doctors didn't think that she would last the weekend. Sadly, it turned out that they were right. Then there had been the accident after the funeral, shattering his father's leg and putting his mother in intensive care for a week.
The suits from Excelsior were all very sorry. They put him on the first flight back to London, sending Andre along with him to take care of him. Andre had been his first driver.
First carer.
First jailer.
Andre had taken him straight to the hospital as soon as the plane had landed. His mother was still unconscious but his father was waiting for him, his leg in plaster with metal pins sticking out in all directions. He cried and hugged his father, swearing that he would never leave him or his mother again, his father insisting the same.
Then the nurse took him to see his mother and Andre stayed with his father. He wasn't allowed into the room, but he stood outside the window, staring at the lifeless body of his mother, which was surrounded by tubes and machines. He could still see it now, every detail with pinpoint accuracy. He felt like he had stood there for hours, but it was only minutes before the nurse returned him to his father.
His father was crying again, but he seemed different. He told Ben that they couldn't care for him whilst they were in hospital. He had to go with Andre, back to the airport, and the family would be together soon. Ben sobbed and held his father tightly until finally his father pushed him away whilst trying to hold back great heaving sobs of his own.
He had seen less and less of them since then. The last time had been for his fifteenth birthday. His mother looked so thin now and his father just looked lost, broken. He hadn't realised it for a long time but now he knew. He wasn't theirs anymore; he belonged to Excelsior.
They dressed it up with empty promises and extravagant luxury. He lived in a big house with a heated pool and massive television. Every games console and game that was available. The best food. The constant presence of Andre. He had managed to get away from the house twice, but they found him within hours. There was woodland surrounding the house for as far as the eye could see, but both times, he found the helicopter hovering over him, blowing dirt and leaves in his face.
After the second time, Andre had just disappeared, replaced with the straight-backed, stern-faced Stefan. The rest, as they say, is history.
The car turned off the road, onto a dirt track leading further into the mountain, throwing up a cloud of dust and loose stones behind it. As it braked in front of the concealed doors to the research laboratory, the cloud of dust seemed to catch up with the car, engulfing it in a murky greyness, and then slowly dissipating to coat the vehicle in a fine layer of dust, dimming the once bright shine of the car’s paintwork.
As he watched, a large section of the mountain moved slowly into the ground in front of the car, destroying the almost perfect illusion of natural rock. The pager all employees carried triggered the doorway, and Stefan's was currently attached to his belt.
The rock face was designed to move when a pager was within five metres of the doorway on either side and close when out of range. Much to his disappointment, Ben wasn't allowed a pager of his own.
Stefan pulled the car into its allocated parking space at the far end of the cavern, and as they approached the lift, activated the car alarm with a beep.
The holding area was the uppermost portion of the laboratory, a natural cavern sixty metres at its highest, and the starting point for the remainder of the excavation. It had been reinforced with beams and panels of titanium steel designed to withstand a direct nuclear assault. In case of an emergency, two helicopters and an armoured all-terrain vehicle dwarfed the expensive cars belonging to the lab’s employees.
A solitary lift shaft led down to the next level of the lab, where security ensured that there would be no unwelcome visitors, and from there the rest of the lab could be reached. A central stairwell gave access to the habitat and laboratory levels, with the self-sustaining nuclear reactor a distance below them. The stores held enough food and supplies to keep the lab’s occupants alive for twenty years or more, without them ever having to leave the complex, while the reactor could continue to provide power and purified water for as long as anyone required it.
Ben stopped in front of the elevator and waited. Above the elevator was the next part of the laboratory's security system, after the hidden door. The camera had a wide view of the entire cavern, equipped with an infrared filter to compensate for the low light levels in much of the cavern. Whirring as it moved to focus on the much closer targets, the camera looked Ben and Stefan up and down before opening the elevator doors and allowing them access. Like the rest of the cavern, the elevator was designed to withstand a colossal explosion and still not permit access to the lower levels. With no panel with which to call the lift, the only way to gain entry was if the lift was sent to you by someone from down b
As the camera finished its downward sweep over Ben's body, he heard the hydraulic hiss as the elevator doors opened in front of him. The rear wall of the elevator bore the logo of the Excelsior group. The symbol was a sword crossed by a lightning bolt. This was the first indication as to who owned the laboratory, though on the lower levels, the emblem was found almost everywhere.
Ben turned to face the doors as they closed, and went again through the mental checklist in his head. Today was to be the day when he would get the chance to test all of his radical theories, but as the lift descended, Ben thought more about the security systems and construction of the laboratory. Were they merely just to protect the lab from the outside world, or did the outside world need some protection? If he was right in his theories, Ben's work would no doubt change the world forever, but if it went wrong?
Brushing his hair through with his hands, Ben stepped through the lift door as it opened into the shiny metallic corridor beyond. About two metres away, a table obstructed half of the corridor, behind which sat Adam Lucas. He lowered his firearm and moved his hand away from the alarm switch as Ben smiled at him. Stefan glared as usual.
Adam was the stereotypical military type. Broad shoulders, square chin, and a short shaved hair cut. He was also one of the nicest men Ben had ever met. Always quick to smile and offer a friendly greeting, Ben wondered how much he and the rest of team knew about the people they worked for. Adam’s granite face melted into a smile as Ben approached and picked up his security card to pin to his shirt.
“Morning, Ben,” Adam said as he handed Stefan his pass, “I hear today’s the big day? Everyone's been talking about it all morning, and here's you, late as usual.”
“I bet if I got here on time, you'd think I was an imposter and lock the place down tight,” Ben said with a laugh.
“You may have a point there,” Adam replied. “There was another email last week about corporate espionage. You sure you aren't James Bond in disguise?”
“That's me, shaken not stirred.” Ben chuckled.
Stefan urged him forward as Adam flicked the switch for the lift door to close, not noticing as Stefan attached a small metal cylinder to the side of the desk. As Ben made his way around the security table, he saw his car on the monitor screen, half-hidden in shadow. The infrared image showed his car positively glowing compared to the rest of the vehicles. Exactly how long had some of his team been waiting for him?
“Good luck,” Adam called from behind him as they turned the corner.
The fluorescent-lit corridor led to the stairwell, from which every other level of the complex could be reached. This was his domain and nothing Stefan could say or do could take away what he was about to achieve. Taking the steps two at a time, he soon passed the habitat level and was opening the door to the laboratory. The balcony on which he stood gave an overhead view of the banks of computers and the output of the particle accelerator beyond. The lab was a hive of activity, with people sitting at computers, flicking switches and checking readouts while intermittently scratching their heads. Ben hurried down the last few stairs to his team below.
“About time. Have you any idea how long most of us have been waiting?” Klaus muttered as Ben took his place beside the main console. Klaus was the oldest of the team, a German professor of physics who was insanely jealous of Ben's position as head of the project. It was his work that had so intrigued Ben at age seven when he was soaking up every book and paper about physics that he could find. Klaus would always see it as his project, and he resented having a child coming in and telling him what to do.
“We had to stop for breakfast; you couldn't expect me to do this on an empty stomach could you?” Ben replied. Klaus grunted and turned to look back at the nearest row of computer screens.
“Ignore him; we're only just about ready to start anyway,” Susan said. “I've in-putted the refined equations and checked the seals on the coils. Are you sure about this? I mean, really sure?”
Susan pulled him over to one of the monitors so that he could check that all the equations were up and running correctly. She was the only other Brit on the team and keen to prove herself to Excelsior. She had a daughter two years younger than Ben and often seemed to mother him in front of the rest of the team.
“I've done everything I can think of. The only way we're ever going to know if this works is to try it,” Ben replied. He chewed on his lower lip as he compared the equations on the screen to those in his head.
“I know,” Susan muttered. “It's just that playing with the laws of physics, well, kinda scares me.”
There was a cough from the back of the room as someone called for silence. Susan squeezed Ben's hand before standing up straight herself.
“Ah, Benjamin, so good of you to join us,” Ezekiel Mustaine said as he stepped into the centre of the room. As usual, he was flanked by advisors and personal assistants wearing suits that cost more than most people’s cars. Founder of Excelsior, advisor to governments, and third richest man on the planet, Ben always wondered how much he knew about the actual running of the company. He was always friendly and keen to hear about progress, and he made a point of asking after his parents. Was it all a ruse or was someone else really pulling the strings?
“Ah, sorry, Mr Mustaine, I think Stefan must have taken a wrong turn or something,” Ben replied, avoiding Stefan's glare.
“Well, no matter, no matter,” he continued. “Are we on schedule?”
Ben glanced over the equations again. “Yes, I mean, I think so, Mr Mustaine,” Ben reassured him. “This screen monitors the flow of gravitons as they distort a localised area of space-time and tap into the energy of a pocket-universe.”
“Good, good,” he replied, nodding at the running equations as though they were pound signs. “I believe that you are going to make Excelsior an awful lot of money today, my boy. Limitless free energy. We really will change the world!”
There was a half-hearted applause from the team before Ezekiel Mustaine turned and climbed the stairs to the observation room, his entourage in tow. Ben and Susan struggled to stifle a giggle.
Ben turned to look over the lab one more time, conscious that every eye in the room was on him. “Okay, people, what are we waiting for?” he announced with a smile. “We should have got this started hours ago!”
People moved to monitors and consoles, pressing buttons and flicking switches as LEDs lit up and screens flickered to life. He could hear the faint pulsating hum as the particle accelerator warmed up and started firing the matter through the two-mile long magnetised piping that surrounded the mountain.
“Magnetic couplings check out, particle speed ten to the seven and rising,” Susan said to his right. Ben looked over to a monitor that depicted the eddy currents surrounding the particle accelerator. The hum increased in pitch as the speed of the particles increased. “Okay, Ben,” she continued. “We're at optimum speed and everything checks out, ready to go when you are."
“Safety measures in place?” Ben asked.
“Check,” Susan replied.
“Right then, people, here we go,” Ben said, crossing his fingers behind his back. “Start the hydrogen infusion.”
The pulse grew faster and the hum pitched even higher as the hydrogen was injected into the portion of the accelerator visible in the laboratory.
“Hydrogen at peak concentration, Ben,” Klaus told him. “Time to combine?”
“Just give me a second,” Ben said as he took one last look at Susan's monitor to reassure himself that everything was going to plan.
Taking a deep breath, he addressed the room as one. “Okay, combine it now.” The pulse reached maximum intensity as the particles were combined and the first subatomic particles were released. “Right, initiate the containment field,” Ben ordered.
It started with a speck of light and then the faintest blue swirls became visible beside the particle accelerator, winding around themselves to form the faintest outline of a sphere. Ben stepped around the consoles and approached it, being careful to stay within the safety zone. Slowly, the rest of the room came to stand at his side, watching open mouthed as the sphere grew, first to the size of a tennis ball, and then to the size of a football, still growing.
