Universe Eight (Book)

Universe Eight is the first novel in the "Tomes of Sagittarius" epic fantasy series by Christopher M. Dorsey Jr. It was first published in 2022 on Amazon.

## Plot Introduction:

Universe Eight, and the subsequent books, all take place on a fictionalized afterlife, where god (or gods) are dead, and humans have ruined heaven with their hubris. The majority of the story takes place on "Universe Eight," one of Nine preternatural bodies of land and water of unknown origin and location. The Nine Universes are ruled by King Gregoros, an apathetic ruler who allows rebellions, crime, and poverty to fester beneath his rule, despite his supposed ability to see "all". As dark forces descend on the land, Gregoros calls the "Chosen Five" to save the Afterlife from darkness, depravity, and itself. Though, the selection of chosen warriors is lackluster. There are no dynastic marriages, instead the system of governance relies on "apocolites" (mages with swords called "wisp blades," which are sharper than any known human material can resist, save for the elusive 'bluesteel'.) and "thanes" (elevated and more powerful apocolites who have honed their strange abilities), to rule the lands in Gregoros's name. Despite not being part of family lineages, apocolites and thanes call their karass (or group of ten sworn companions); brother, sister, mother, father, son, and daughter, as the lineage is passed down through the wisp magic in their blood, not the blood of their bodies. This does not come without its issues. Six universal cycles ago (an unknown length of time determining a year), an apocolite Child of Light named Zenzele Azikiwe murdered his apocolite brothers and sisters, as well as the ruling thane, Wynton Kellogg. Kellogg's love of workers unions, public order and welfare programs for the second-living prompted a rebellion on the continent of Thane's Isle. This rebellion took after the Afterlifian People's Republik, and became the Second Afterlifian People's Republik, wearing green in honor of its leaders. Their goal is to attempt a "socialist rebellion against god."

Years before that, an event known as the 'Moon Sea War' ravaged Universe Eight, fought between the forces of Thane's Isle, and the Sun Nation across a body of water known as The Moon Sea. It ended in a stalemate, and Gregoros did not provide assistance from his palace on Universe Nine. He supposedly only ordered the execution of Kellogg, and removed the thane's apocolites from their station, in place of a warmonger who would make Universe Eight wholly under Gregaronian rule. The result of this, is Thane's Isle is in a civil war, and the Sun Nation wants for revenge for the shameful and cowardly attacks by Thane's Isle soldiers. Gregoros still has not provided aid to his Universe Eight subjects, for reasons unknown to all.

The technological age of Universe Eight is set somewhere between the early 1900's, and 1960. It is said the Nine Universes are all "allowed" different technological advancements, with Universe Nine being the most advanced of them all. Though, even with machine guns present, the wisp blade and apocolites are still prized in war, and war has come again to Thane's Isle.

## Plot Summary

### Ben:

Ben Reynolds, a senior in high school, spends time with his grandfather before his band's last rehearsal, and last gig before they go off to college. Towards the end of Ben's senior year, it was decided that Eight Nites Out would disband when the bandmates went off to their various colleges. Ben, looking forward to being educated at Berklee, wanted Richard Fox and Brian Sanchez to go with him, but the two declined. Ben decided to make the most of what he had, and the group agreed to play one final show at Justin's Cigar Bar. The rehearsal went as the past few had, awkwardly, sloppily, and with disinterest by the band. Despite trying to hype up his fellow bandmates, Ben fails. When getting a glass of orange juice on a break, Ben finds his grandfather talking to a strange figure. The figure mentions ominous things regarding Ben's fate as some sort of hero of the afterlife, but Ben doesn't understand. The band loads their gear into the car, and leaves Ben's house for the last time.

Approaching Justin's Cigar Bar is a railroad crossing, long since abandoned by the New Haven Railroad, and later Penn Central. Ben noted there was a derailed boxcar beneath the highway overpass that had never been moved, and wanted to get a good look at it one last time. As Jeremiah Woodard's car approached the tracks, the engine died, and the doors locked. A blue orb appeared down the length of abandoned rail, and a German train pulled by two steam locomotives appeared from the light. Ben had no time to identify the train, and was frozen in fear. The train smashed the car, and when Ben died, his Earthly body and mind was bathed in the same blue light.

Ben wakes on the Afterlife as his body is rebuilt, and notes immediately the differences between this place, and Earth. The trees are red and purple, the grass being orange. His confusion as to where he is, is only mounted by a singular tree in the center of the field he awoke in, with an odd object protruding from its center. Ben instinctively grabs the object, and the tree is struck by lightning at once, revealing the object as a crystalline, blue katana. Ben questions why he was given a katana, as he had never held a sword in his life. A voice speaks to him then, and recites the Chosen Five Prophecy to him. Ben doesn't understand.

Ben wanders to the lakeside, and notes a massive goose eating a fox for lunch. Ben avoided the animals, and encounters two men hunting the goose; Joe and Henry Huxley. Ben was interrogated at gunpoint, but eventually, the farmers relax and explain to Ben where he was. They bring him on their super-goose hunt, and kill the goose. Ben was immensely frightened by the sound of the gunshot, and Joe and Henry made fun of him for his fear. Joe and Henry bring Ben back to their home, and feed him, explaining rudimentary information about the afterlife. Ben still finds himself unable to process the information and grief of the loss of his own life.

During dinner, soldiers arrive from the shadows, and Ben witnesses as odd demon-like presence form into the shape of a military truck outside. Andrey Ivanov and the Knights of the Northern Isles storm the house, and hurt Joe's leg in the process. They demand Ben come with them, and Ben has no choice but to go, as the sword will not defend him against these men. They inject Ben with a syringe, and Ben falls asleep.

Ben awakens on a submarine, and finds the heat unbearable. He's given a submariners self-cooling uniform, and puts it on, listening to the sailors and Knights of the Northern Isles argue. Eventually, he is escorted by Private Theodore Lawrence to the bridge, where Ivanov and Captain Man Lai Choi are continuing the feud between the Knights and the sailors. Choi storms off in a huff, and Ben finds Ivanov's pleasure in winning the argument repulsive. Ivanov has him look out the periscope, where ships can be seen on the horizon. Ben finds them beautiful, but Andrey tells him they must be destroyed.

During dinner on the ship, Ben is trapped when the argument from before boils over. Many sailors are killed when Ivanov starts shooting them, and the sailors fight back, injuring Boris Krupin, another soldier under Ivanov. Choi stabs Corporal Enrique Valdez, and retreats into the bowels of the vessel. Valdez gives chase, and Ben snaps, intending to go after him. Another soldier, Prahlad Krishnan tries to stop him, and shoots Ben, but the wisp katana twitches, and deflects the bullet back into Prahlad's neck. Ben is horrified that he accidentally killed a man, and goes into a panic attack. The surviving sailors try to calm him, but Ben is flung into a rage and chases after Valdez.

He finds Valdez in the engine room, near the body of a deceased Captain Choi. Ben refuses to look on the dead man's face, hearing his sword's wisdom in the voice of his father, telling him not to look. Ben threatens to kill Valdez, but the soldier dies on his own. Just then, more sailors arrive, and question Ben on his allegiance. Ben tells them he wants to take down the Butcher, and so they do. They arrest him, and throw him in a cell. The new Captain orders the torpedo's fired on the enemy vessels in the distance, and Ben can't help but feel like that decision was the wrong thing to do.

When the submarine is hit by depth charges, the captain steers it into the shallows, where the sinking sub is taller than the water it's in. The crew and remaining Knights of the Northern Isles disembark, and are bettered with gunfire from the Battlecruiser attacking them. Ben swims for his life, and is helped by Ivanov. They reach the shore, where Boris Krupin dies, and an artillery shell opens a hole in the hill, revealing an ancient fort. The survivors enter, and hunker down, but are quickly set upon by Sun Nation sailors, who kill Theodore Lawrence, and attempt to kill Ben. Though, a ceasefire is called when Ben and his grandfather spot each other, and the two sides nervously lower their guns. Peter and what's left of his crew are captured by the Butcher, where they are bound and gagged.

### Peter:

Benjamin's Grandfather, Peter Reynolds, passed away on Earth a deal of time after Ben died in his accident. Through machinations by Ben's mother, Peter quickly became a captain in the navy, while his family all became apocolites of varying degrees and powers. Peter is called by the Conductor, the man responsible for bringing Ben to the Afterlife, and is told 'the deal still stands.' The deal, being, Ben would be brought back to the Sun Nation to live his life there, but Peter doesn't understand what the Conductor gains from such a deal. The President of the Sun Nation, Caroline Ford, approves of the mission, and Peter is escorted to the docks with his family. His ship, the gallant battlecruiser *SNCV Abraham*, sets sail with a battlegroup consisting of mostly troop transport vessels. The *Abraham*, and the destroyers *Ugetsu* and *George Thiel*, are the transport's only escort.

Peter's orders are to land 1200 troops on the High Isle, (one of 27 Lightchild Islands that snake across the Moon Sea back to the Sun Nation). They would have docked on Oilton, but a tidal wave washed out most of the "Sunnese Side", preventing them from doing so. On their way, they encounter a seaplane made of hammered bluesteel, making the plane immune to all but the biggest of their guns. Peter orders it shot down, fearing a kamikaze attack. The fleet fires, and the plane is eventually brought down, but it was only a distraction. Peter's first watch, Naia Lore, calls "Fish in the water" seconds before a torpedo slams into the *Abraham's* side, and another into the side of the troop transport *SNCV K-26*. After a hasty evacuation, Peter lands his sailors on the High Isle in lifeboats, and encounters Ben in the tunnels.

### Leon:

Leon Broks, a Child of Ice serving under Zenzele, is performing his duties as a Thane's Guard in the King's Hill manor. He detests his position, detests the thane, and seems to detest his life, having been trained brutally to be a killer despite his more relaxed demeanor. He awaits the arrival of a business mogul coming to perform a trade deal with the thane, a menial task that Leon believes himself to be above. Jack Sharpe, and his two sons Jared and Jacob, arrive and banally force Leon to recite a 'safety script', to which Leon reluctantly obliges after making a mistake. Jack Sharpe is a bluesteel baron, who owns a monopoly over bluesteel production on Thane's Isle, making him as rich, if not richer, than the government itself. Sophia Miller, one of Leon's apocolite sisters (and paramour of the thane), seems to be *too* interested in Sharpe's machinations.

Leon guards the meeting, and witnesses Jack Sharpe goad Zenzele into giving up his charter for the West-North Railway, the largest railway network on Thane's Isle. Zenzele refuses over and over again, until Jack Sharpe challenges Zenzele to a trial by battle, which Zenzele as a former Zulu soldier, and former Thane's Isle soldier cannot refuse. Leon watches democracy vanish in a handshake, and Zenzele orders Leon to fight Jared in the upcoming tournament.

The tournament appears fun for the rabble, but uneventful to Leon, who is nervous and doesn't care about the games and prize fights that occur before his. He is ordered not to use his wisp blade, a weapon that would assure victory in a single stroke. Instead, he is asked to use a blunted iron tourney sword, provided by Master-at-arms Jesse Matherson. The fight begins, and Leon is winning decisively. Though, suddenly, Jared's combat style changes dramatically, as a dim red glow appears around his eyes. Jared crushes Leon's helmet, and Leon falls unconscious, bleeding from a skull fracture.

When Leon wakes, his vision in his right eye is bad. He receives glasses, though they don't do much to help. All agree he is lucky to be alive at all, perhaps save Leon himself, who fears Zenzele's wrath. He walks through the gardens, and encounters Desiree Forcier, an apocolite Child of Mystic who he has romantic feelings towards. They discuss the fight, and Leon makes an advance, but Desiree rebukes him, and Leon leaves her alone. He encounters the journalist and historian Stefan Florrey, who talks with Leon about apocolite arcana subjects Leon isn't even sure about. He thinks the journalist knows too much for his own good. Upon returning to Zenzele, Jack Sharpe gloats at his victory, enraging all of the government officials in the room. It is then that Zenzele recieves word that Fort Lightchild is under attack by the Sun Nation, and Sharpe offers his assistance of the 'Bluesteel Paragon' to help in the fight. They are his personal army, and Zenzele eventually concedes, and allows Sharpe's soldiers to test themselves. Instead of being sent to the front lines in the north, Leon is ordered to travel south with Zenzele, Sophia, Desiree, and the reenforcing army.

### Julia:

Julia Nixon is a recruit soldier at Fort Lightchild, having been stationed there as her first post after her enlistment. She is one of the top in her class, but has never seen combat, and yearns to test herself. Her friends are all lax, and lazy, and it rubs off on her. However, one of her friends, Tiger Diallo, is a traumatized veteran of the Battle of Hero's Folly. He was a flamethrower trooper in the Knights of the Maroon Flame, responsible for the deaths of civilians, and despite her attempts at friendship, Tiger claims she will never understand him. Julia vows to, one way or the other.

An alarm sounds in the base, and the voice of Andrey Ivanov alerts the fort that an attack is imminent. Tiger panics, and this causes Julia to panic as well, and she is scolded harshly for not being at her post by both Commander Ethne, and the harsh and cruel Commander MacManus. All the while, Julia is plagued by nightmares of an encroaching monster, one of which the world has never seen, or does not remember. Julia at first refuses the monster's call to "join us." The battle begins, and Julia tries to get Tiger away from the fighting, making her deployment late. When they reach the shore battery, a shell from the Abraham destroys her truck, kills one of her comrades (Tate), and throws Julia into a ditch where she is concussed. She begins to realize why Tiger is the way he is.

During her stay in the hospital, the monster visits her again while she is weak and unable to fight it. It begins to infect her mind, and she becomes more willing to learn the secrets and knowledge it holds. She insults Macmanus when she realizes Julian and Selena are there with her, but MacManus overhears and sends her to the wall, despite her injuries. An artillery shell comes down, and MacManus is killed by a piece of marble shrapnel that hits him in the head. She declares then and there, that she is a true soldier.

### The Battle of Fort Lightchild:

Ben attempts to speak with his grandfather (who is the only one of his crew not bound or gagged), and notices tension boiling between some of the crewmen. Some hurl insults at Ben, some at Peter. Ben tries to shrug it off, knowing the Knights are the far more dangerous threat. Eventually, a ferry comes, and takes them to the Thane's Isle mainland. They go to Fort Lightchild, where Ben is introduced to Commander Alphonse Artemon of the Knights of Fall. Artemon shows respect for Peter as a fellow combatant, and wishes the Sunnese no ill will, but cannot promise their safety. The Sunnese sailors are put in the fort jail, where Ben refuses to leave them.

Eventually, Ben goes to get them food. He is dissatisfied with his grandfather's non-answers to his queries, and meets Julia Nixon, Julian Ingolf, Selena Baudin-Sullivan, and Tyler Huxley while he is out. Ben remarks that he knows Tyler's dad and brother, and Tyler is happily surprised.

Ben returns with foot for the sailors, but he is ambushed and choked by Laura Skarpelis, who blames Ben for their misfortunes. She is stopped by Naia Lore, but the Butcher overhears the attack, and executes Skarpelis out behind the jail. The tensions boil over, and Casper Roald vows his revenge on Peter for allowing Laura to die for nothing. Ben finds the situation terrifying.

Eventually, Artemon realizes they cannot keep the Sunnese at the fort, and due to his respect for Peter's status as a captain, offers to ransom them to Manuel Jaco. Peter accepts. Ben is initially refused when he asks to come with them, but Peter later concedes. Ben is shocked when the soldiers at the camp in the woods bow to him, as he feels unworthy of their praise.

Julia attempts to stop Artemon's plan, at the behest of the monster, but fails to do so.

Andrey, who is with Ethne's group at the beach, is attacked by Tiger and a few other soldiers, who attempt to kill him in retribution for their mistreatment. Andrey's remaining Knights of the Northern Isles are killed, but the mutineers are defeated. Andrey puts Tiger out of his misery, and departs for the fort, leaving Ethne to clean up the mess.

The skirmish in the wood north of the fort ends in defeat for Thane's Isle. Artemon allows Peter, Naia, Armando, and Ben to escape out the back of his tent. Artemon is assumed killed in the fight, and Ben feels remorse for the man's sacrifice.

Leon, on his way with the army from the north, catches Sophia and Jack Sharpe having an affair. He decides not to say anything at the moment.

That night, the battle begins. Hundreds of Sunnese soldiers, including at least one tank, attack the fort with force. The Thane's Isle recruits are nearly all slain, but the arrival of Jake Sharpe with the Bluesteel Paragon saves them. The counterattack begins at dawn.

Julia, Leon, and Andrey cross the Strait of Africa to the High Isle, and fight their way through the tunnels. Julia clears the last defenders, when Jake Sharpe comes from behind her, along with the monster. The monster and Jake converse about consciousness, and then the monster attacks Julia, putting her to sleep and possibly killing her.

Leon fights his way into the basement, where he finds a strange door, out of place with the rest of the structure around them. Inside, he finds his old mentor (the Master at Arms before Matherson), Samuel Bradshaw, who wears Republik greens, and immediately demands Leon surrender. Leon refuses, and the two emotionally duel, before Leon is forced to kill his own mentor. Jack Sharpe, Sophia, and Jacob arrive, and Leon is ambushed, and mortally wounded. Sophia allows him to live, and only knocks him out, for a reason yet unknown.

The journey through the woods takes a toll on all but Ben, who is sprite with his apocolite abilities, able to drink salt water from the river and stay hydrated while the others can't. Eventually, they come across the Thane's Isle reinforcements, and are arrested by Leon Broks. He brings them to Sophia Miller first, but she leaves quickly to go get the thane. Zenzele arrives, and questions them all. He decides he cannot let the Sunnese stay, nor can he let them go. Ben pleads with him, and Zenzele concedes to let two travel with him as far as King's Hill, but one must be questioned at Retirement Row. Armando is selected for questioning, and Naia yells at Peter, frightening Ben.

The group boards a truck, and they make a stop at the Huxley Homestead, where Joe is surprised to both see Ben again, and be hosting the Thane of Universe Eight under his roof. Ben and Zenzele get into an argument, and Ben is enraged when Zenzele starts to call him the 'r-slur.' Ben draws his sword, and swings it, but Zenzele catches it in his hand, using his powers as a Child of Light to prevent the wisp blade from cutting him.

Eventually, the motorcade arrives, and they leave the Huxleys with haste. Ben is offered liquor and cocaine. Ben accepts the liquor only, not recognizing what the cocaine is. They reach the city of Great Bridge, and Ben and Peter share a tearful goodbye with each other. Ben is worried he will never see his grandfather again, but Peter promises one day they will reunite. After their goodbyes, Ben boards the King's Hill Limited, and admires the amazing architecture of the Cathedral on the Hill, before they enter the tunnel beneath Zenzele's manor. They disembark, and Ben is overwhelmed by the applause when he enters the Great Hall. It is here that he is reunited with his bandmates. Though, his joy is overwhelmed by the sense of time slowing to a crawl. Sal and Brian flicker between seats at the table, and Ben is confused when his friends describe meeting his grandfather, despite arriving on the Afterlife before Ben did. Everything freezes, but Ben doesn't seem aware that anything is frozen at all.

In the epilogue, the Conductor confronts the King. The King is displeased by his choice in the 'Chosen Five', but the Conductor insists nothing can be done. The king reveals the Lumieri are returning, and that he did not call the Chosen Five for nothing. The boys need to be prepared for what is to come, and it is the Conductor's responsibility to fix the problem.

## Viewpoint Characters:

Ben Reynolds, chosen apocolite, grandson/adopted son of Peter Reynolds

Peter Reynolds, former Earthen judge, former US Navy captain, current Sunnese Navy captain, grandfather of Ben Reynolds

Leon Broks, apocolite of Zenzele's Karass, Child of Ice, member of Thane's Guard Honor Two.

Julia Nixon, Fort Lightchild recruit, former security guard at Blue Armour Corp.

Andrey Ivanov, Butcher of Hero's Folly, former Thane's Guard, Commander in the Knight of the Northern Isles

The Conductor, Thane of Universe Nine (epilogue only)

## Trivia:

1. The original draft of Universe Eight followed closely to the plot of the first film, but the writing was quickly abandoned for being too poor. The second draft involved organized crime, which later would be incorporated into ideas for the books taking place on the Sun Nation (intended to be books 8-9.) The current draft of the novel was not conceived until 2016, and wasn't finished until 2017. The book was published in August, 2022.
2. Certain characters are minor allusions to real people in the author's life, such as Peter Reynolds, who is inspired loosely on the author's grandfather.
3. The footnotes featured in Book 1 that tell about certain details in the land, would later be omitted in future books.
4. Universe Eight is the only book where the first edition did not feature a world map. The second edition, and future books in the series all feature a map of Thane's Isle and Oilton.
5. There may be a third edition of Universe Eight released, done after an extensive rewrite, though this plan is not solidified.