Day of Rebellion
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Praise for the Jack Christie Adventures
History has never been so exciting… Fast-paced and full of action, this is a perfect read for the PlayStation generation.
tBkmag, Best New Books for Children
… a suspenseful and entertaining journey… Jack Christie is a very relatable hero… His latest adventure delivers on all counts!
teenreads.com
A thrilling war-time adventure that is a perfect mix of historical fact and fictional adventure… This debut novelist has created a real page-turner.
Julia Eccleshare, lovereading4kids.co.uk
Joy! We love Mr O’Brien! … What more could a boy want?
Parent review, Simply Books
In simplest terms, it is a hugely enjoyable adventure story. However, there is much more to this story than just another time-travel adventure. Johnny O’Brien has clearly researched the events… and manages to weave his story seamlessly in with the actual events and real-life personalities of the time.
bookzone4boys.blogspot.com
For Sally, Tom, Peter and Anna – J. O’B.
Contents
Praise
Title Page
Dedication
Jack’s Adventures So Far…
The Summer Palace
Contact
Memories of Heaven
Tantallon
Sub-sea
The Rock
2046
The Rig
A Chinese Riddle
Shanghai Surprise
Taiping Terror
Josiah
Into the Heavenly Kingdom
The Yangtze Princess
Shu-fei
The Sky Dragon
Hot Pursuit
Son of the Father
Sub-cloud
Heavy Weather
Refuge
The Wall
The Dragon’s Lair
Yi Concubine
The Wilting Poppy
Trinity
Harmwell Asylum
At the Feet of the Admiral
A Woman’s Touch
All in the Past
Some Notes on the Taurus and Time Travel
Day of Rebellion
Acknowledgements
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Copyright
THE YEAR: 1860
THE PLACE: CHINA, TAIPING REBELLION
THE MISSION: TO CORRECT A TIME-SPLIT
THAT THREATENS THE WORLD
Join Jack and Angus on their final explosive mission. Travelling back to 1860s China, they land in the midst of the Taiping Rebellion: a world of Chinese warlords, Empires and brave rebels.
But time has fractured, altering history and putting the future of the world in jeopardy. Can Jack and Angus discover the Point of Divergence in time to save the future as they know it?
Jack’s Adventures So Far…
It has been several months since Jack and his friend, Angus, discovered that their school in Soonhope in the Borders of Scotland, is a front for a secret team of scientists, called ‘VIGIL’, who control the most powerful technology ever conceived: the technology of time travel. At the heart of this technology is a machine called the Taurus, which controls ‘time phones’ used by time travellers to move from one historical period to another. Jack’s father, Professor Tom Christie, led the team that originally built the Taurus. However, having perfected the machine, Christie’s team had a fatal disagreement and Christie was forced into exile, leaving Jack and his mother, Carole, in Soonhope.
Professor Christie’s plan was to use time travel to make changes in the past that would alter the future for the better. He had big ideas – like going back in time to stop entire wars from starting in the first place. He attracted passionate supporters from the original Taurus team, including Dr Pendelshape, Jack’s old history teacher. Pendelshape, Christie and their small band of followers called themselves ‘Revisionists’. They used computer simulations to help plan the changes they wanted to make in the past in order to change or ‘revise’ the future. But others from Christie’s original Taurus team believed that changing events in the past, however well meant, was dangerous because it was impossible to fully predict the consequences. They formed a separate group – called ‘VIGIL’ – to ensure that the Taurus and the ability to time travel was kept a very closely guarded secret. They housed the Taurus machine in an underground complex beneath the school in Soonhope. Today the teachers have ordinary jobs at the school, which acts as a front for VIGIL, and second lives as VIGIL agents.
Jack and Angus became embroiled in the conflict between VIGIL and the Revisionists when, unknown to VIGIL, Tom Christie and the Revisionists secretly created a second Taurus. Using plans drawn up from their computer simulations, the Revisionists used their Taurus to go back in time to try and stop the First World War – saving millions of lives and changing the course of history. But VIGIL got wind of the plans and managed to stop them. Jack and Angus found themselves caught between VIGIL and the Revisionists, and Jack’s loyalties were torn. In the end, having witnessed the dangers of time travel and intervening in the past in order to change the future, Jack decided that the right thing to do was to side with VIGIL, even though this meant he was unlikely to see his father again.
Having failed in their first attempt to intervene in history and so change the future, the Revisionists made two further attempts to change the past. The first of these was in Elizabethan England and the second was in 1940 – during the early part of the Second World War. As a result of these events, Pendelshape, who by now had become leader of the Revisionists, was killed, and the Revisionists were finally defeated by VIGIL. Tom Christie survived, however, and a reconciliation is now underway between him and his old colleagues at VIGIL. Tom has seen how intervening in the past might have tragic consequences and also recognises how much his actions and those of Pendelshape and the other Revisionists have endangered his own family. However, relations have not yet thawed sufficiently for him to return to VIGIL, or to his family in Soonhope.
In their last adventure in 1940, Jack and Angus were forced to leave a VIGIL time phone in 1940s London on top of Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square. VIGIL agents are now planning to recover it, in case it falls into the wrong hands…
The Summer Palace
BEIJING, CHINA, 1860
Jack was speechless. Stretching before him was an astonishing fairytale world of gardens, lakes, fountains and pavilions. There were hundreds of structures – all of them extraordinarily beautiful. But the peace was temporary. Jack felt a tremor in the earth like a rumbling earthquake. He glanced round. A whole posse of Imperial cavalry had spotted the two of them and were hurtling towards them through the gardens.
“Come on!” Angus screamed.
He led them off the main path and into a narrow, hedged passageway. Beyond, there was a wide, grass bank, which rose gently in front of the most astonishing building they had yet seen – a miniature palace. But there was no time to stand and admire it. They climbed up the marble steps and through the lavish entrance, dashed inside and into a long, vast hallway. Lining one side were a series of huge jade vases. They were twice Jack’s height and yet so delicate and thin the light shone straight through them.
They paused for breath halfway along the hall.
“What now?” Jack said, his chest heaving.
For the first time, Angus did not seem to know what to do or where to go.
Suddenly, there was a loud crash behind them. They wheeled round. A huge cavalryman sat astride a muscular black horse at the end of the great hall. He had ridden up the steps and into the pavilion. His steel helmet glimmered and its long, feathered plume quivered. The h
orse bucked, and the cavalryman balanced his lance in his right hand, digging his heels hard into the flanks of his horse. It reared… and then it charged. The horseman skilfully manoeuvred the lance, angling it towards Jack and Angus. Jack dived for cover, but Angus was too slow. Crying out in horror as the lance pierced his friend’s chest, Jack raced to where Angus lay slumped on the floor and cradled his head in his hands. It lolled back uselessly, his eyes staring up to the gilded rafters above. Fired up with rage, Jack leaped up, reaching for the sword at his belt. But the lancer was already well into his second charge. The horse snorted as it thundered at him and all Jack could do was stare down the shaft of the lance as its cold steel tip entered his chest, just below his heart.
Contact
“That Lancer Boss is impossible to get past” Angus threw his controller away in disgust.
“I know… but what do you think?” Jack glanced away from the screen with its frozen image of Jack and Angus prostrate on the marble floor of the Yuan Ming Yuan Haiyan. It was one of the most extraordinary buildings ever constructed and the makers of Point-of-Departure – Day of Rebellion, China 1860 had lovingly brought it to life as accurately as they could.
Angus inspected the plastic games case.
“It’s good. Multiplayer is awesome. Those big battle scenes with the Chinese Imperials against the Taiping rebels…”
“Bit different to the other POD games. And the alternative history scenarios, I’ve got to say, they’re brilliant.” Jack smiled. “You know why that is, don’t you?”
Angus scooped up a huge handful of popcorn and stuffed it into his mouth, “No – why?” He spat half of the popcorn back out of his mouth as he spoke.
“That’s nice.” Jack tried to ignore it. “I found out something very interesting yesterday. I was called into VIGIL – they wanted me to go through the whole Second World War thing with them again…”
Angus rolled his eyes, “What? We’ve been through it, like, a billion times already.”
Jack shrugged. “You know what they’re like. They’re worried about the time phone…”
“What – the one you left up on top of Nelson’s Column.”
“Yes.”
“Well, it was a pretty stupid thing to do… I mean leaving a working time phone back in 1940… unlike you to mess up like that, Jack. You must feel pretty bad – putting the whole of the human race at risk…” Angus shook his head.
“Thanks for that. You might remember, we were under a bit of pressure at the time, and anyway I don’t recall you being much use – you just jumped off.”
“I’m winding you up,” Angus narrowed his eyes as he relived his BASE jumping experience from the top of Nelson’s Column “But you’ve got to admit, it was pure adrenaline. And the look on your face as you hit the ground… priceless!”
“Hilarious,” Jack deadpanned. “Anyway, VIGIL is still going on about it. I think they’re going to send an agent to get the time phone. As you say, it’s not ideal for it to just sit there…”
“Must be a bit rusty by now too. Who will they send to get it?”
Jack shrugged, “Tony… Gordon – one of the happy couple probably.”
“Good luck to them. Anyway, you were going to tell me something.”
“Oh yeah, you won’t believe this, but guess who’s really behind Point-of-Departure?”
Angus flipped the games case over in his hand, “Dunno. Some evil global corporation?”
Jack cleared his throat. “Nope – the world famous POD series – biggest game series of all time, with huge global sales and its first film coming out next year, belongs to VIGIL.”
“What?”
“It’s VIGIL. VIGIL is behind POD!”
Angus looked stunned, “But…”
“Inchquin told me yesterday when I was up at VIGIL HQ,” Jack explained. “He thought it was funny that we’ve played all the different games, and we never knew. It makes sense though, doesn’t it? All the historical stuff – super accurate with all the alternative histories caused by different things you could do in the past… only VIGIL would have the knowledge to design a game like that.”
Angus was agog. “Wow! I never thought… but… why would they do that?”
“Easy. They can make money out of it. Loads of money. It can’t be cheap keeping VIGIL going, so they’ve built up a nice little sideline in software and gaming.”
Angus shook his head and stared at the screen. “You’re right – all this – it’s a bit like the stuff we’ve seen in the Timeline Simulator. Yeah, it makes sense.”
“And, believe it or not, Inchquin said that Dad wrote some of the original software years ago, when he was at CERN with Mum. The algorithms used in VIGIL’s Timeline Simulator are apparently quite similar to the ones they’ve used in the POD games – you know, for the alternative histories. They were way ahead of their time.”
“Must have been nice for them, coding together, the happy nerds,” Angus grinned.
“Anyway, do you want to have another shot – see if we can get past that cavalry guy?”
But as Jack picked up the controller and turned his attention back to the screen, something odd happened.
The frozen image of Jack and Angus dead on the floor of the Chinese palace disappeared and the screen went completely black.
“Uh-oh…” Jack got up to approach the console, but then stopped in his tracks.
The black screen flickered and then, from the top left, a message appeared.
Msg from timetraveller01: Hope you guys are enjoying the new game. Sorry to disturb you. I have made some decisions. They affect us all. For now I don’t want VIGIL involved. Small steps first. Short notice, I know, but would like to meet at the Edinburgh Museum at 2 p.m. this afternoon. Just you two. I will explain everything when we meet. Nothing to worry about, but make sure you come alone.
There was another flicker of the screen as the mysterious message signed off, with one final word:
Memories of Heaven
“What does it mean?” Jack stared at the screen.
“Your dad wants to see us. Sounds like he’s been doing some thinking. Cool way to get in touch, eh? Through the game.”
“But…”
“Come on.” Angus looked at his watch. “It’s half twelve. I’ve got a spare helmet. We can be there in less than an hour.”
“I don’t know what he wants…”
“And if you don’t go you never will.”
“What about Mum?”
“She’s out – right?”
“Yeah – she was going on about making sure we shut the door and locked up if we went anywhere.”
“Well, she doesn’t need to know, and that’s how your dad wants it.” Angus was already climbing back up the stairs from Jack’s cellar. He stopped halfway up and turned back to Jack who was still staring dumbfounded at the screen.
“Come on. It’ll be fine. In fact, this could be it – your dad’s plan to finally end the fight with VIGIL… Maybe he’s going to come home.”
Jack followed Angus up the stairs. His mind was so preoccupied that he forgot to turn off the console and the message from ‘timetraveller01’ lingered on the screen behind them.
Jack clambered onto the back of the bike – Angus had ‘borrowed’ his dad’s KTM – and they powered up the old drive from Cairnfield. It was a fine summer’s day and soon they were racing their way through the countryside towards Edinburgh, with Jack still trying to make meaning of his dad’s strange message. He was nervous, but exhilarated. It was less than a month since Jack and Angus had travelled back from 1940. With his dad’s help they had prevented a Revisionist attempt to intervene in World War Two from going disastrously wrong. They had also saved VIGIL from defeat by the Revisionists. It had been a close-run thing. Jack should have felt elated at the result, but actually he was in a state of limbo. Things which should have been sorted out still weren’t. Pendelshape was dead and they believed that the Revisionists had been destroyed; for a moment it
had seemed that his dad would be reconciled with his old colleagues, Inchquin, the Rector and the rest of VIGIL. Jack had witnessed a moment of tenderness between his mum and dad and had fleetingly hoped they might get back together. But then, at the final moment, his dad had decided that it was all too much, too soon, and he couldn’t come back… yet. It had been back to square one.
But now this strange message had arrived, only a few weeks later. So maybe Angus was right and his father had finally made up his mind. The Revisionists’ attempts to intervene in history to control the future had failed, but more than that, they had almost wiped themselves out in the process. With Pendelshape dead and many, maybe all, of the other Revisionists either dead or captured by VIGIL, perhaps his dad had finally decided enough was enough; and it was time to come in from the cold.
*
Two giant warriors stood either side of the entrance to the museum. The models were very lifelike. One was dressed in a red jacket, blue trousers and boots. He wore light leather and metal armour on his top half. His helmet had leather chin straps and he was carrying a huge black banner. Jack read a small plaque beside the figure:
TAIPING REBELLIONWOMEN’S INFANTRY – 1855
He did a double take as he realised that the figure was not a man but a replica figure of a female warrior. Opposite, there was an equally ferocious Chinese soldier carrying a green flag. His plaque read:
IMPERIAL (QING DYNASTY) INFANTRY – 1855
Ahead, above the information desk to the museum, there was a large banner:
MEMORIES OF HEAVEN