BEYOND THE PALE
( The Outlander )
by
Senan Gil Senan
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Text copyright ©2014 by Senan Gilsenan. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the express written permission of the publisher.
Published by Senan Gilsenan ([email protected])
This book is dedicated to my sister Helen McNerney who was a contributing editor and helped shape this story into a better book. It is also dedicated to my wife Suzanne who gave me her full support, and my good friend Mik Hartshawn for his help with the cover art.
Preface
The Pale (An Pháil Sasanach), was the part of Ireland that was directly under the control of the English government in the late middle ages. By the 15th century it had been reduced to an area about twenty miles radius of the garrisoned city of Dublin. Beyond the pale suggested that anything outside the authority's jurisdiction was uncivilized.
In truth, it was a matter of perception, the area beyond the pale was the rest of Ireland which had a well developed culture that predated the civilization of England. The problem lay in the fact that it remained outside of the control of England.
The pale in this scenario is the walled citadel of New Denver, but in a broader sense it refers to the control and transhumanist influences of the post apocalyptic society that numbers less than 500 million who are now confined to live within the bounds of the 250 metropolis worldwide. The areas outside are purposely depopulated and left to nature. However many residual outlanders refuse to live in the new citadels.
Society is at the dawn of a transhumanist transformation which is using technology to master nature. However some outlanders that remain beyond the pale feel that they are at the dawn of a transformation through transcendence. There is a dichotomy in their conflicting beliefs.
At senangilsenan.wordpress.com, you’ll find extras that might be helpful or interesting to have when reading Beyond the Pale. Photos of places featured in the novel, explanations of concepts and ideas referred to in the storyline, and other background information.
CHAPTER INDEX
CH01- The fall
CH02- Two brothers
CH03 –Recuperation
CH04 –The Colonel
CH05- Citizen River
CH06- Meet the Carlsons
CH07- Avana
CH08- Dr. Khan
CH09- Isa & Hassun
CH10- Chaperones
CH11- College
CH12- Gold Shields
CH13- Ride along
CH14- Outside
CH15- Return to New Denver
CH16- CPS HQ
CH17- Days of freedom
CH18- Bad date
CH19- Cold Shoulder
CH20- Citizen Naighal
CH21- Office of City Planning
CH22- Internal Security search
CH23- Wrath of Valerie
CH24- Evicted
CH25- Accusations
CH26- East Filton
CH27- The clinic
CH28- Anton saves Avana
CH29- The intruder
CH30- Shondran the employer
CH31- Tiberius
CH32- Gun range
CH33- Father & Son
CH34- Eli’s congregation
CH35- The search for River
CH36- ISA and the tunnels
CH37- Port arrivals
CH38- Shondran’s weekend
CH39- The Nagus
CH40- Stakeout
CH41- Surveillance
CH42- Escape
CH43- The Tunnels
CH44- Anniversary
POSCRIPT
“Only those who return to the values of the old ways will be able to find peace of mind. For in the Earth we shall find relief from the madness that will be all around us. It will be a very hard time for women with children for they will be shunned, and many of the children in these times will be unnatural. Some being from the Stars, some from past worlds, some will even be created by man in an unnatural manner and will be soulless. Many of people in this time will be empty in Spirit they will have Sampacu. No life force in their eyes.”
The Book of the Hopi by Frank Waters 1963
“The technetronic era involves the gradual appearance of a more controlled society. Such a society would be dominated by an elite, unrestrained by traditional values. Soon it will be possible to assert almost continuous surveillance over every citizen and maintain up-to-date complete files containing even the most personal information about the citizen. These files will be subject to instantaneous retrieval by the authorities.”
Zbigniew Brzezinski (1970) [former U.S. national security advisor]
Chapter One
Today was a sports activity day for Major Nathan Carlson. That was what he liked to call it. He was in a recreational period which had another 36 hours to run before he began a new duty shift. His preference on such days was to take a Rough Rider utility vehicle out to a region about 85 miles from the citadel's perimeter. His destination was substantially off road but the Rough Rider’s batteries were good for distance and as backup he had a hydrogen power cell to rely upon.
He liked to adjust the magnetic repel to a setting which would keep the vehicle high enough off the ground to prevent damage to it, but close enough to feel every contour of the rough terrain. He pulled the restraint down to anchor himself to his seat. The vehicle could easily roll if it bounced off a boulder or something else in its path. Some said that you weren’t really riding a Rough Rider unless you rolled it a few times.
He eased back the throttle and the magnetic catalyst drive fired a single pulse into the ground. This in turn, focussed a magnetic pulse from the earth which released an equal and opposite charge to initiate motion. The Rough Rider lurched forward in accelerated bursts. The top speed was not great but the acceleration was awesome.
Carlson felt a familiar thrill as he raced across the plain heading for a distant rocky outcrop that he knew well. Despite his harness restraint, he was still being thrown all over the place. As he weaved along dodging obstacles in his path his attention was divided equally between what he saw through the windscreen, and the translucent 3D graphics that overlaid it.
The display was showing a predictive contour map of the surrounding area. The data came from satellite scans of the region which were continuously updated by radar and sonar readings from the vehicles sensors. A woman's voice spoke quietly providing warnings of approaching obstacles and often urging caution. These were backed up by flashing graphics in the 3D overlay indicating the nature of the obstacle in his path. Though the voice could be turned off, Major Carlson did not feel distracted by it or by any of his interactive technology. He was used to holding face to face conversations in the field whilst colleagues also spoke to him through a transmitter in his ear. He had long since trained his mind to handle more than one conversation at once as well as to be able to process multi sensory inputs simultaneously. The contact lenses he wore gave similar information overlays. They could be activated by means of rapid upward eye movements. He didn’t have them enabled today as the vehicles own 3D overlay would create interference with the overlay in his lenses.
About a mile from the rocky ridge, he slowed the Rough Rider to a halt. He wanted to run this last distance in order to ground himself, so that he would be physically and mentally in balance and ready for the
next challenge. Stepping out of the vehicle, Carlson stretched his limbs whilst taking in the view. The area in front of him was in striking contrast to the mountains in the west and the sweeping plains to the east. The backdrop being a gentle downhill gradient of pine and pasture interrupted by intermittent stretches of red soil and boulder clay. Massive ancient sedimentary beds of deep red, pink, and white limestone had been pushed up vertically, toppled, overturned and slanted. There were rocks of every conceivable shape and size, all bright red, with a strange look of having been frozen in time amidst some ongoing geological catastrophe. Carlson eyed up the long line of the rocky ridges. In particular he examined the longest and largest one which had a crest suitable for his purposes. He had seen it before but not climbed it. It was called the North Gateway Rock, and this row of hogback ridges was known as the Garden of the Gods.
Checking the vehicle one last time to make sure that the batteries were set to recharge in the bright mid day Sun, he set off at a steady running pace rolling his eyes to activate his visual interface. The output from each lens was slightly offset and produced an almost holographic effect when overlapped one with the other. The feed came from a processor and microcomputer that was embedded into the prosthetic in his leg. More usually it would be inserted inside an item of clothing transmitting wirelessly to the visual readout on the lenses.
Carlson had three prosthetic limbs; in his legs and left arm. These he acquired in the line of duty as the result of an IED explosion. His left arm and lower part of his left leg were artificially fabricated limbs. The right leg had implants augmenting or replacing bone and muscle tissue. Far from being a disability, these prosthetic limbs were an asset and enhancement to physical performance. Whilst running they had the effect of hydraulically magnifying the spring in his step and the power in his stride.
Reaching the foot of the cliff he scanned the area to assess his best route. As he had not brought specialist climbing or safety gear, he looked for and identified the easiest path up and began his ascent. His artificial left arm had bionic implants which boosted his strength when supporting his weight. The grip however was not reliable so he used his right hand primarily to maintain a firm grasp. Carlson was an experienced climber and free runner. Once he had found his stride, he moved with confidence and poise swinging from ledge to ledge, one hand grip to the next. In this continuous motion he felt truly alive and present in the moment. The incline of the rock which had been steadily increasing, now eased off giving way to a narrow gully. He took it to be the hollow of a mountain spring that was currently dry and decided to follow it all the way to the summit.
The views from the top were stunning. Feeling exhilarated he squatted for a moment to consider his route along the crest of this ridge. He had barely broken a sweat so far and was eager to pick up the pace. His vision enhanced overlay identified feasible jumps and graded them in difficulty from one to five; wind speed and predicted momentum at take off were factored into the equation. The art of free running was the ability to harmonise motion through momentum, grip, balance and strength. The speed applied at takeoff had a bearing on the breadth of the jump possible. Targeting surfaces to bounce off was another way to extend its scope.
Carlson powered forward driving one leap into the next. His momentum held him airborne for much of the time allowing him to span crevasses in the ridge of up to 10 feet. Landing briefly on narrow ledges he pulled himself up with practised speed and strength. Using the upward momentum to grind his feet into the rock he launched himself on to the next slim foothold. Balance was crucial of course but speed and momentum compensated.
His next jump spanned a large divide between two peaks. Fixing his gaze on the far one he launched himself into the air. Just for a second something below seemed to catch his eye. He couldn’t say what exactly; it was more a sense of something moving at the base of the cliff. Maintaining his continuous motion was paramount however and he quickly refocused on the route ahead. He was approaching the end of the North Gateway rock but he could see the next peak on a completely separate outcrop which was about 40 foot away. This was too far to jump, but using his visionary interface he considered possible alternative routes.
If he dropped down by about 30 feet, there was a lower ledge which extended much closer to the rock face on the other side. From here he calculated, he could make the next jump in three sections with some initial takeoff speed. Making two jumps, he dropped to the lower ledge. Here he paused briefly to meditate on what he was about to do. The first contact point was a 45 degree angled rock face. He would have to use motion to defy gravity. It could be done however if he ran in a diagonal path towards a thin ledge. From there he would make the second leap across for a grip contact on a fault line in the cliff face. Pulling himself up to a foothold position would be relatively easy from there and would allow him to launch his final leap across the divide.
It would be a test for his skills he knew, but he felt confident and ready for the challenge. He powered forward like a sprinter out of the blocks. His footwork was near perfect as he launched himself into the air towards the angled rock on which he would land. The buzz he was feeling was only heightened by the 120 feet drop below. He looked down briefly for a second as he flew across the void. This time there was no mistaking what he saw; two figures were clearly visible below. This was not good. One of his duties as a police officer was to detain Outlanders, and to call the citadel’s rangers to collect and process them.
Carlson hit the rock face running, but his footing was heavy and awkward. He had been distracted by his thoughts of duty, and had made poor contact with his artificial foot first. His pace carried him forward in a free running style but he had lost his momentum, and was now lurching sideways more than running. He tried to correct, but each mistake seemed to compound the next. He knew he was not going to reach the ledge at all now as he was sliding down the slope at the wrong angle. Bouncing on his back he thrust his arms wide to grab hold of anything that might break his fall. Smooth rock face was all that was offered up to him. Cresting cleanly over the edge of the narrow ledge, he was now in free fall.
He braced himself for impact as he glimpsed the start of the talus fifty feet below near the point where the cliff face became a sloping mass of rocky fragments which had built up over time at the base of the cliff. He felt his leg break first and then his shoulder dislocate as he bounced off the rock and was propelled forward. Dazed by the impact he continued to slide and tumble down the incline out of control. Beneath him at ground level the craggy terrain waited expectantly. He was heading towards an expanse of boulder clay. He felt multiple impacts and the last thing he could see was a shower of large stones tumbling with him in synchronised momentum. Major Nathan Carlson slipped into unconsciousness.
Chapter Two
The two young men had been running with the ease and grace of those at home in their own skin and at the peak of their physical fitness. Staying close to the rock wall they moved with agility over and around the boulders and loose rock strewn liberally in their path. Their motion and step was synchronised and almost silent; their pace even and steady. The red rocks of this Ridge were on the outskirts of their territory and were once venerated by their people.
Notwithstanding a certain degree of difference to their respective physical statures, an undeniable resemblance was evident to their facial features attesting to the fact that they brothers. If this was not to be seen in the proud set of the eyes and brow, an echo of this kinship could be further glimpsed in the strong profile they shared.
They had been journeying several days since setting off from their settlement to “Run the Bounds”. It was once considered to be a sacred duty and therefore bestowed as an honour to those who performed it each year. For the last six years, River; now in his twenty third year, had been the recipient of this proud honour, and had been accompanied for the last four, by his brother Isa; two years his junior. It was always performed in the month of May when the Pleiades; known to the Hopi as Chuhuko
n, rose in the east with the Sun. The Hopi blood ran in their veins and as such they knew themselves to be the descendants of the Star People of the Seven Sisters.
Running the Bounds was an endurance feat which could involve up to two weeks of constant running and jogging. The activity was guided by the sacred spirit of the Antelope; whose nature, starting out in trembling and fear from unspecified attackers, in time comes to appreciate its own agility and speed. As it glides over obstacles with hide glistening and muscles rippling in its flanks, the fear it started out with abates and falls away. The animal now free, runs instead with a joyful exuberance and an understanding of life and power over nature. It was this continual striving over one’s lower nature; to hold in check one’s fears and conquer desires that marked the true nature and spirit of the culture they shared.
As well as being a ritual that honoured this spirit, ‘Running the Bounds’ also served to maintain a close knowledge of all movement in the outlying borders of their settlement. The concept of land ownership was alien to their culture and River and Isa grew up in the knowledge that every part of the soil is sacred. Protecting and monitoring the land was a means of honouring the mother whose nature was to carry everyone and all they might need.
Foregoing their breech cloths; which were worn for daily duties, the brothers ran in loose skirted garments of soft suede cut from antelope hide. Spanning waist to knee, the hides were cut with deep vents at the sides to allow for a free range of movements. A broad leather band belted at the waist, secured carrying pouches and also anchored shoulder straps that were reinforced with thick leather protection to the shoulders and forearms. Leather chaps protected the shins and these were bound to the soft leather skin of their deerskin moccasins.
Following a route some feet from the base of the Ridge where the going was good, River thought of his father and fleetingly wondered what he might be doing at this precise moment. His idle reflections were unexpectedly disturbed by a swiftly passing shadow cast from above. Isa had also registered it and was already gazing up at the summit to see the dark silhouette of a man making a series of daring leaps across wide gaps in the ridge. Instinctively, Isa made a move to conceal himself in the shadow of the rock. Reluctant to surrender his own vantage point, River gazed up with obvious admiration. The powerful leaps he was witnessing seemed to be launched from ledges scarcely wider than a man’s foot. He was heading in the direction of the rock face carvings.
BEYOND THE PALE: ( The Outlander ) Page 1