The Origins of - The IX
I undertook the writing of The IX following a lively and opinionated discussion
during a veterans reunion dinner in the early part of 2013. Military history
has always been a hobby of mine, and several ex-Royal Marine colleagues started
a debate as to the fate of the legendary lost
9th Legion of Rome.
A
legion was a mighty edifice. More than five thousand strong, they were a
self-contained mini-civilization on the march, capable of building an entire
fortification at the end of every day’s journey in which to sleep soundly.
And
yet, they marched into the swirling mists of Northern Caledonia (Scotland) sometime
between AD100 – 120 (Estimates vary, which is a mystery in itself) and were
never seen again.
That
conversation stayed with me for several months until I happened to catch an old
movie on TV, entitled, Millennium. In
that film, time travelers visit the present day and steal passengers from
doomed aircraft with the intention of repopulating a barren world of the
future.
I
am an avid science fiction fan, and the conversation from the reunion dinner
immediately sprang to mind. Obviously, I began to imagine what if?
What
if they were taken? Not into our future...but somewhere and somewhen else entirely. What if their antagonists
were also snatched away with them? Obviously, it would create a cauldron of
fomenting tension, especially if these adversaries were thrown together in a
situation whereby they were forced to work with each other to survive an even
greater peril.
I
started to let that idea develop, and then came up with an even better twist. How
about including other groups of refugees from several other time periods, and
throw them into the same nightmare scenario?
It took a great deal of research and
preparation, but I chose a US cavalry unit from around the time of the
presidential elections of 1860, as that was a period of great interest to me.
Presidential
candidate Abraham Lincoln was juggling growing pressure between various state
governors and congress regarding the issue of the Native American peoples. So,
I simply invented a secret peace proposal between him and certain tribes from
the Plains Cree nations. Of course, this ‘treaty’ would also be compounded by
an ongoing internal conflict between the actual clans themselves, all of which would
add to the simmering uncertainty.
Into
the stew, I introduced a straightforward anti-terrorist Special Forces team
from the near future. That was easy, because of my military experience.
Overall,
it was a lot of work, but I was very pleased with the resulting outline, as it
provided a fresh approach to what many have felt has become a stagnating genre.
Each
unit brings their own particular strength to the story.
Roman
legions were renowned for their tenacity and adaptability. They worked and
operated under all sorts of conditions in all sorts of theaters around the
world. There simply wasn’t anything else like them in the world at the height
of their strength. As such, Marcus Brutus and his men bring that dogged
resilience to play. Their honor doesn’t allow them to give up. Which is just as
well, for they face an enemy that refuses to quit.
The
US Cavalry unit brings the gritty determination of temperaments forged at a
time of expansion and exploration. They had to be rugged and enduring to remain
effective over vast distances. They never knew what to expect. Just the thing
you need when death lurks at every turn.
The
Special Forces unit posses a unique perspective. Highly trained and motivated,
they are the epitome of controlled, lethal aggression. What they can’t attain
by strength, they achieve by guile. In battle, they will not stop until their
objective is secured. They prove brutal adversaries against an unstoppable foe.
Forged
in death, the Ninth Intake becomes the very instrument Arden needs to save her
people at their darkest hour.
*********
Sometimes, we face hurdles in life that seem overwhelming. Then something bigger and nastier comes along that makes you realize, wow, my problems seem so small. In the IX, former enemies who hated each other with a vengeance are thrown into a situation where their choice is really simple. Forget your former animosities, and pull together against a greater enemy…or you simply won’t survive. Being a military veteran who has seen action in a number of theaters around the world, it’s a premise I pondered on for quite a while. You know…what would I do in a situation like this? Remembering some of the people I’ve had to fight against, would I really be able to put aside my feelings and concentrate on staying alive, especially if it was against a relentless, remorseless nemesis who wanted all life extinguished?
The survivor in me answered the question quite easily…Hell Yes!
As the tagline of the IX says, Fight or Die!
As the tagline of the IX says, Fight or Die!
No comments:
Post a Comment