The IX - New Beginnings

Over the past weeks I’ve been sharing my ideas with you, and revealing how various facets of The IX came to life. But those of you who are new to the series might be wondering…

How did you ever think of such a concept?

Ah, to answer that we have to go back several years. Basically, 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 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.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

What’s interesting is the fact that when I originally laid out the threads of this storyline, I originally devised The IX to be a one-off story.

So…how did it grow to become a series?

I’ll tell you next time J

Arden Worldbuilding - Part 5

For those of you who have read The IX, I'm sure you'll have all conjured images in your minds about the soul-sucking Horde. Fiendish ethereal ogres that can strip the life essence from all living things, and the potential from most energy-based weaponry and mechanisms.

But...
where did I get the inspiration for such adversaries?

Well, the first thing that ran through my head was based on this:

Yup a boring old vampire.

You'll be glad to know I never intended to stay on this topic. It was just a starting point for an adversary that was anti-life...and rightly so. Nowadays, vampires are portrayed as something sexy. Something people aspire to be if given half a chance, and I certainly didn't want my antithetical creations to be appealing in any way.

So, after a bit more thought, I added these components:

NOW we're starting to refine the idea a little.

I'm sure all you sci-fi buffs remember the Wraith from Stargate Alantis? They were a superb enemy, a vampiric/telepathic species that evolved when a nasty little life-form called a Iratus Bug fed on humans, absorbing their ability to heal themselves. Over time, they adopted aspects of their hosts' DNA, giving rise to the Wraith themselves.

Aggressive, remorseless hunters, the Wraith couldn't be trusted and viewed others as cattle. What's more, they were hard to kill. THAT was the kind of enemy I wanted our heroes to face...

with a little tinkering.

You see, I wanted something special. That's when I thought of jellyfish.

Insidious and hard to see, Jellyfish are a sneaky predators that inject neurotoxins into their quarry that often induces paralysis. I was drawn to the aspect of the Horde being able to overpower and hold their prey helpless, and as I played with that idea, the bioluminescent variety reminded me of something I'd seen on a number of occasions years ago.

Wait for it....

still waiting?

ta-dah!

Who remembers this incredible revelation of the enemy in Forbidden Planet? (One of the all-time best Science fiction movies ever - and made in 1956 no less!) A monster of the ID, revealed in all it's glory under an intense barrage that did nothing to dissuade its efforts.

NOW I was getting somewhere.

At last I had a template in my mind of an ethereal, mostly invisible creature that was able to draw sustenance from any artificial construct emitting energy, and from anything possessing the force of life itself.
I wanted a creature that would get bigger and stronger the more it feasted. More adept and cunning. A creature that could manifest its majesty in a truly horrific way in order to stun its prey and improve the flavor of its meal by inducing a tasty tang of terror.

And that, my friends, is how the Horde were born.

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Could you imagine something like that chasing you?
You might do again, real soon.

Until the next time...






Arden - Worldbuilding - part 4

 

 

Can you guess where this might be from the book?

 

This time round, I though I'd take a look at some of the sights that inspired various parts of Arden...You know, those places you've read about in the story and from which you might have conjured a word picture in your mind.

 

Here's a little snapshot of what I envisioned. Compare them to the scenes within each chapter, and you'll see why Arden would be a wonderful world if it were not for the Horde menace.

 

The Sengennon Strait

Welcome to the purple/mauve grasslands that surround the precincts of Rhomane for at least ten miles in every direction

 

 

Asterlan Lake

To the east of the city lies the vast inland sea - the Asterlan Lake. Its aquamarine waters are often stained a deep scarlet due to the reflections of the nearby Garnet Mountains along its northern shores.

 

 

Garnet Mountains

Lying to the northwest, this ruddy barrier catches the first rays of Soleíl (the Ardenese sun) and reflects its glory in a breath-taking way. Here's a close-up shot of the picture above.

 

 



The Grisson Gap

As you will know from the story, the Grisson Gap sits to the north of Rhomane at the border of the Garnet Mountains (northwest) and Erasan Mountains (northeast).

 

The Erasan Mountains

Home to the Targens (eaglelike creatures of Arden and the Boradan snowbeast) This impressive range lies to the north and west of the city.

 

Southern Grasslands

As you travel south of Rhomane, past the Starport and then slightly east, you hit these beautiful plains.

 

Tar'e-esh Forest

Far to the southeast lies a huge expanse of purple-green forests where a major part of the story takes place. Here's the inspiration behind that magical place.

 

As you can see, it would be a wonderful fantasyland to stroll through

 

 

Shilette Abyss

 

Of course, the Shilette Abyss is a vast edifice that can be seen from space. When I saw this picture - and others like it - it created an image in my mid of a huge scar, scores of miles wide - gouging its way across Arden's surface. A place that the colonists can turn to when the fight against the Horde takes a turn for the better.
*******

So there you go. These are the building blocks to how Arden and the land about Rhomane were born.

I don't know about you - but I'm hooked.





 





 

Arden - World Building - Part 3

Welcome to Rhomane
Okay, I bet that surprised you and I'm sure none of you ever imagined Rhomane City would look anything like this. But - that's how the concept started...let me explain:

 

As some of you will know, I moved out to Greece from a small city in the southwest of England called Exeter. The map above is a medieval rendering of a more ancient Roman map of Exeter when it was under Roman rule. Although in those days they called it Isca.

Roman legions liked to protect things. Indeed, at the end of a day's march, they would build an entire fortification - walls, ramparts and ditch (an actual mini-city) in which to safely spend the night.
So that gave me an idea for where to base much of the action. A futuristic version of a well-defended city. But what elements to incorporate?
*********

Below, you'll find some examples I used to inspire me.
(And although I couldn't find out who the artists were - all credit to them)
*********

 

Above are the first pieces of artwork that started to fashion a landscape in my imagination.
I wanted something supershiny - sleek - and seamless to represent a civilisation more than twelve thousand millennia in advance of our own. BUT, I also wanted to include elements of decay and ruin. (After all - the setting would be hundreds of years after the original invasion).

*********

 

So I also included things like this:

 

Perhaps you can begin to visualize how beautiful Rhomane would be?
Fluted spires, graceful arches, baroque architecture with a slick - hi-tech slant.

A core structure that would be a city in itself surrounded by gardens and further facilities to provide a sound infrastructure to the centre of a grand civilization. Then, once you'd reached the limits of the main hub, there would be a distance of 5 miles to the outer barrier - an area that could incorporate vast parklands, fields and all manner of delights.

 

Sadly, I'm not a graphic artist, as I'd have loved to include some of the sketches I devised to weave these elements together. Just as well...Sometimes, its better to provide the foundations and materials for YOU to build the city yourself with your own imagination.

 

Enjoy

 

 

Arden - World Building - Part 2

I'm sure quite a few of you will remember this map from the inside cover of The IX, and I have the excellent talents of Roy Mauritsen to thank for it.

 

I think a picture paints a thousand words. But more than that, it helps me during the writing of the story itself as it helps to visualize what's where.

What you see above, started off on a much more amateurish scale. Take a peek at the maps I devised to help me navigate myself around Rhomane district....

 

My original Rhomane map

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My original Shilette Abyss map

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I know what you're thinking...Thank goodness for professional graphic artists like Roy. I know I did when I saw the futuristic version he produced to blend with the special tablet computers our heroes use.

But the important point that comes from this is that my incompetent attempts helped me map out a world and bring it to life. I had scale, I had distance, I had features jumping out and becoming part of the story. It's a pity I can't show you what I printed off and scribbled on. (Even more colors to show the extent of forests, and all sorts of other things that add depth to your narrative.

Any way - I produce them here for your enjoyment, and hopefully it might spur some of you on to greater detail in your own sories.

Enjoy...

 

 

Arden - World Building

 

 

Welcome to the setting of The IX

 

Arden, the homeworld where our story takes place is a planet on the far side of the galaxy, and is situated along the Scutum-Centaurus Arm of the Milky Way.

 

Here are a few facts to help you picture where she is in space a little more:

 

System Star: Soleíl - a K-Class Red Sub Giant

 

Planets in system: - 5. Issander - Arden - Danobe - Vesta - Ladesha

 

Planets within habitable zone: Arden - Danobe.

 

Arden's Satellite: Se'ochan - half again as big as Earth's moon.

 

 

Soleíl System showing Arden to the right.

 

So there you go - this is where The IX is set.

 

On the next blog, I'll tell you a little bit more about Arden itself and the environs of Rhomane.

 

 

The IX - Main Character Interview

 

 

 

Name

Alan McDonald – but only my mother calls me that. I’m Mac to everyone else.

Age

Thirty-five

Please tell us a little about yourself.

I was a lieutenant in the Royal Marines, and the officer commanding SBS 4 Troop, UK Special Forces Anti-Terrorist Wing. I’d been in the job, what? Longer than I care to remember, coming up through the ranks. And just as lady luck would have it, was due to be promoted to captain in the month following our little mishap.

It was a great life, at the cutting edge of the military and being able to play with all the latest toys. And we got to kill bad guys on a regular basis. What more could modern day assassin ask for?

As you’ll know by now, my troop specialized in anti-terrorism in just about any theatre you can imagine, rotating with two others on standby or training. It meant you didn’t get much of a social life, but you get used to that. Married to the job is what my lifestyle was all about.

Describe your appearance in 10 words or less.

A bit like Craig Daniel...just more handsome HA!

Would you die for those you love?

Like the others, we weren’t really sent a postcard about it. Our number came up, and we died doing the job we loved. I think when the brown stuff ended up hitting the fan, it was more a question of doing what we could to contain the matter and take as many b******s with us as possible. But we did alright there, eh?

What would you say are your strengths and weaknesses?

My strengths? Attention to detail and – despite what happened – a never say die attitude. I know lots of people say all sorts of things about Special Forces. But as other operators will tell you, the regime you become part of keeps you fit, keeps you well trained, and it up to you to stay motivated enough to apply what you learn whilst looking out for the little telltale signs that can make all the difference between life and – well – life again on a planet far, far away. Damn – but I’ll miss Star Wars episode 13 now!

My weakness? Expecting the same standards from others. That and a cutting sense of humor that can hide the fact when I’m being serious.

Do you have any relationships you prize above others? Why
Personal relationships? No, I don’t really have the time, and when you think about it, what woman in her right mind would agree to get close to a guy like me? I’m in the thick of it too much to even contemplate putting someone I care for through that much stress.
Saying that, I have met someone special since I’ve been on Arden...but we’re keeping things low key. (Let’s just say, she’s kick-ass in more ways than one...sigh!)
As for closeness. I don’t think I’ll ever really be as close to anyone as I am with the guys on the troop. We rely on other for so much, it’s like we were forged in the same womb. Hoo-ha! J
Can you remember something from your childhood which influences your behavior? How do you think it influences you?

Yes. It was in the mid 2020’s when extremists gassed the center of Berlin’s main subway system. Although I was just a boy, I couldn’t understand why the police and other authorities didn’t do something about the bad guys who kept committing such atrocities. I mean, all I ever saw were politicians on the TV arguing about this or that – and human rights – but not doing much; while those responsible for terrible crimes just did whatever they wanted.

I vowed there and then that if I was ever in a position to stop such people, I would.
And look how perfectly that worked out!

And now? I think my attitude is influenced by our ethic in Special Forces. If in doubt, take it out. I know it might sound harsh, but if anyone threatens me and mine, or the people and nations I’ve sworn to protect, I’ll kill scum-bags without losing any sleep. I will not hesitate. Man, woman, child. If they represent danger, I will gladly take responsibility for their timely demise.

Do you have any phobias?

Spongers who’ve never worked a day in their life. Bring back compulsory military service – or similar for Law Enforcement/Fire and Rescue. Give people a sense of pride, and they’ll become the citizens we need them to be.

Please give us an interesting and unusual fact about yourself.

I love cats. What can I say? If I had a more stable homelife, you’d see dozens of them in my garden.

Tell Us About Your World

Please give us a little information about the world in which you live.

As the other guys have already mentioned, Arden is a breathtakingly beautiful. Its mix of forests, grasslands and mountains look like they’ve come right out of a picture book.
Once all the troubles are over, me and some of the guys plan to climb the Erasan Mountains...Followed by the Erasan Mountains. Evidently, one of the peaks there is half again as high as Everest back on Earth.
The whole place is surreal, because although certain things remind you of home, the colors...wow!  It’s like Final Fantasy come true.
And the moon - Se’ochan – it’s out all the time, even in the day.

Little reminders like this scream, hey! This isn’t Kansas anymore.

Do you travel in the course of your adventures? If so where?

Oh yes, we use Rhomane city’s hovercraft (skimmer and skidders) to go just about everywhere. Sadly, our job means we don’t get much time to admire the view, as we’re often on the way to or from a mission to bag a brace of Horde ogres.

Name and describe a food from your world.

Well, like every other person with a pulse, I adore rhobexi. Why God thought to restrict them to Arden when I’m sure the teeming billions of Earth would gladly put this gorgeous beast to the top of the barbecue list, I’ll never know. Low in fat, high in taste, it’s a culinary dream come true in handy rib-sized portions. Yuuuum. (I’ll need to put a bib on soon, just the thought of that succulent meat makes me salivate).

What form of politics is dominant in your world? (Democracy, Theocracy, Meritocracy, Monarchy, Kakistocracy etc.)

We don’t have politics here. Just as well. They’d all be talking about survival and the soul-suckers’ rights to life while they drain us all dry. No, most of us are from one form of military service or another, so we’ve kept to that format. Everyone’s alive. We’re hanging in there. Once everything’s over and we want to spoil paradise, then we’ll give politics a chance I’m sure.

What is the technology level for your world/place of residence? What item would you not be able to live without?

I come from the twenty-first century, so I suppose you could say mankind was on the verge of dipping their collective toes into the pond of the vast unknown. The first manned spaceflight to Mars was due the following year. New particles were being discovered that would radicalize propulsion. And some bright spark had just demonstrated the feasibility of a near-light speed engine design. Yes, mankind – if it got its act together – was on the verge of something great. As it was, that meant we had all sorts of special toys to play with, in the Special Forces. Chameleon shields with incorporated stealth fuzzers to help you sneak up on enemies. Rotating optical sensors to allow you to scan multiple frequencies. Ultra silent weapons with magnetized rounds to cut through just about any obstacle. Sigh – life was good.
Now? believe it or not I couldn’t do without my trusty combat knife. It’s been with me since the beginning of my career. And although you have to get up close and personal to use it, it never runs out of ammo. Hee hee J

 

 
If that’s it, I’ll take my leave? All that talk of rhobexi has given me a craving for meat...I can’t think why. You have a nice day now.

 

Bye for now,

Mac.