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*'**8113***' is a sci-fi novel that takes place in the year 8113 AD. It is a space opera that follows the embattled ex-soldier, Captain AK Rhodes, and his team, as he tries to preserve the life of a cloned child whose 6000-year-old DNA was extracted from a jar of honey unearthed from beneath a mysterious pyramid found on Earth.

The story takes place across the terrestrial planets, moons, and orbital stations of the Spectraverse. The main two factions that rule the inner Solar System are the Colonists, which occupy the Six Colonies in orbit closely around Earth, and the Houixen of Mars. Other "modules", made of temporary settlements, are established on the Moon, Venus, Ceres, and are controlled by the UFC. The Jovian Orbital Alliance occupy stations on the four largest moons of Jupiter (Io, Europa, Callisto, and Ganymede), and are made largely of refugees, outlaws, and deserters. A newly discovered Solar System is also prominently mentioned throughout, called K3.

The title of the story is based off the year that the world's oldest time capsule is set to be opened. The capsule is an air-locked vault built in the 1930's called the Crypt of Civilization, and the date of opening was based on the belief that the year 1936, when the capsule was conceived, was perhaps the central time-point in human history. Taking into account that the first human calendar was conceived by the ancient Egyptians 6177 years prior to then, its creator, Thornwell Jacobs, suggested the capsule should be opened exactly 6177 years in the future. The vault was known to contain edible foods and drinks in noble gas-sealed canisters.

In the fiction, Thornwell's 8-year-old daughter, Lucy, asked for a jar of her favorite homemade honey to be added to the vault. A strand of Lucy's hair wound up in the jar and it remained perfectly preserved for more than 6000 years. The locked vault was rediscovered after Earth was abandoned, but the message on its steel door was misinterpreted as foreboding, as if the year 8113 AD signaled the 'end of times' for the human race. This superstition began a cult-like conspiracy group, called Thornwell's Prophets, who are essentially doomsday-preppers. The Prophets believe something inside the vault, once opened, would reveal how to save humanity when their time was up. Coincidentally, in the year 8113 AD, mankind is facing an extinction-level crisis and is in need of some sort of miracle.

## Timeline & Calendars

In the year 8113 AD, three existing calendars replace the traditional Gregorian(AD) calendar to adapt to extra-terrestrial habitation and life on other planets or moons. The replacement calendars are:

**Orbital time (OT):** Used amongst the Six Colonies. OT = AD - 2115

**Universal Martian time (UMT):** Used on Mars. UMT = Martian time - 85

**Perpetual solar time (PST):** A Sun-based system commonly used to convert between the two or co-ordinate time on outer Modules or Jovian moons. It is based on 1 incredment per 24 hours, beginning 12:00:00 Jan 1, 4713 BC. PST = perpetual Julian day.

*See: Timeline of events* for plot-related timeline.

## Plot: In the year 8113...

More than 5000 years after abandoning a dying Earth, humans have adapted to live ultra-terrestrially. The discovery of the metal alloy called ore fueled the technology needed to create floating cities in space (colonies), and terraform Mars. Originally, Mercury was harvested for the precious metal, until over-mining by Vaux Refineries led to its implosion, and subsequently kickstarted the Seven Wars between Colonists and Martians. Currently, the Venusian supply of ore, while plentiful, is proving to be problematic, due to its more volatile geodynamic properties and its link to the epidemic of rust affecting geotomatons. The only safe ore left in the known Solar System is located deep inside Earth.

Within the Senate of the UFC, a major vote is underway to perhaps lift the embargo placed on Earth that currently prohibits ore mining. A debate between those who want to prevent rust from spreading and those who wish to preserve mankind's 'Motherland' leaves the federation divided. Civil unrest is also a concern, as a growing movement of violent extremists (Thornwell's Prophets) have made threats against Vaux's CEO and the Senate if Earth is damaged in any way.

## Part One: The Ecumenoanthropologist

Senator Storn 'Gibbs' Gibson claims to have proof from an ecumenoanthropologist, Dr Sal Feldspar, that life still persists/has reemerged on Earth. With Dr Feldspar missing, Gibbs asks the scientist's young protege, Coselay Larimar, to help find him. Knowing Dr Feldspar's obsession with a dismantled government preservation program called Project De Novo, Gibbs believes it is possible that human life (some sort of primitive civilization) has reemerged somewhere on the abandoned planet, signaling its environmental and atmospheric return to stability. Coselay is tasked with finding an ex-soldier, AK Rhodes, who has been to Earth before and is good at protecting others. Coselay finds Rhodes, dying of rust, and despite his objections towards ever working for Gibbs again, he takes the job in order to fix his rusting ore. The two then seek out Coselay's twin brother, Tant 'Lari' Larimar, who helps them steal a smuggler's ship, the *Echinodermata.* They fly under the radar to Earth and land at Sal's greenhouses/campsite, where the find a spectacular pyramid that seemingly appeared out of nowhere, recently and man-made. They also find Sal's dead body. Amongst his notes, he appears to have been tracking Gregorian time and was waiting for something to happen inside the pyramid. They venture in and find a vault. It opens. Inside, they find many bizarre ancient artifacts, including a jar of honey, which Rhodes takes.

Meanwhile at Vaux Refineries, Pach Titan (an ex-Ranger with a love for fighting) prepares a mech to kill Rhodes' team on Earth. Apollyon Vaux has a meeting with a rival senator, Phasian Scorzal, about speeding up the vote and overthrowing Gibbs to allow Earth to be mined for ore. Scorzal promises him the literal world (revealed later: Apollyon promised Scorzal the presidency of the new world once they reached K3).

Before Lari can stock up on the vault's treasures, the team on Earth is attacked by a ship that followed them to Earth. Land mechs are deployed and Rhodes fights them off. Pach is angered by the loss. The *Echinodermata* is destroyed in the process. The mechs have a Vaux Refineries logo on them. It then begins to rain, and the three shelter in the ruins of Garden City while they try to signal Gibbs for help.

## Part Two: One Lonely Martian

Tum Gow Cheng is a Houixen geneticist living in Mars' capital, Mons, who works for the human limb-printing company, Limbix. His boredom and depression is noticed by his colleague and friend, Su Ran Ghan, as well as his company psychiatrist, Nith Ya Sinh. Su Ran suggests he illegally clones himself to help him experience more wild, risque hobbies so that he can be more satisfied and concentrate on work. Tum Gow does, using an old pod in storage within the company. He takes the clone home and gives it alcohol, drugs, and enjoys watching it run a-mock in the city. The clone is killed in a fight, so he makes another, and another, and uses them like rag-dolls to satisfy all his hidden desires. Tum Gow seems happier at work, but eventually comes home to find his clone has murdered a woman in his own apartment. The two dispose of the body, but when Tum Gow also tries to get rid of the clone, it runs. The standoff ends in Nith Ya's office, where she is forced to determine who is the clone. The twist being, the original Tum Gow had become murderous, and the clone was the innocent one. Nith Ya shoots the original Tum Gow, and makes a plan for the clone, number VII, to be shipped away from the city to live with his brother.

Tum Gow VII is sent to the rural area of Yoon Zila, where he is taken in by his older brother and former soldier, Li Shun Cheng, who is aware that he is a clone. Li Shun shows him his father's grave. Tum Gow is offered to live a simple life (void of all risky behavior that could permanently kill him) until his cloned body deteriorates, but is then met by a surprise when his brother claims a large package arrived for him: the cloning pod, along with many bag-o-bods, with regards from Su Ran.

## Part Three: The Forgotten Ranger

Rhodes dreams about his former life as a Ranger, when he was a personal bodyguard for a noble ambassador, Io Bloodstone. He fell in love with her, and protected her from the bombings during the Burning of Garden City. One night, Io showed him a secret passage that led to a locked vault door, where she whispered to him a secret about a 'golden key' that was going to save humanity sometime in the near future. When he wakes, his attention turns back to the honey, being the only thing 'golden' they found inside the pyramid. Under light, he notices a strand of hair. He and Coselay ponder whether it is human. A geneticist could perhaps tell.

On Venus, Pach shows Apollyon the file of AK Rhodes, responsible for single-handedly bringing down their mech. She tells him the dark history of this soldier, particularly the battle on Ceres that resulted in the loss of his entire team, an the time he spent in a Martian gulag.

In his office, Gibbs is worried for his team. His radars can no longer detect the pyramid on Earth, and reaching the team by radio has failed. He is visited by his colleague, Myrianda Powell, about political tension, with growing suspicion that she may be a Prophet or be hiding ulterior motives. A riot occurs in Nomad; the starving people are tearing each other apart to survive.

As Lari attempts to repair the ship Coselay spends time examining the ancient ruins and failed greenhouses around her mentor's campsite. The two argue over whether it's worth trying to come back here; humans would likely mess up the planet in the same way they did last time. Coselay is also worried about her brother's criminal activity, knowing he owes a lot of money to a lot of mean people, but Lari claims he can take care of himself. Rhodes is off searching the ruins of Garden City, where he struggles to recall a lot of memories. A rainstorm then begins, and the team spends time admiring the strange phenomenon, until it becomes problematic to their ore batteries. They quickly assemble back at the *Echinodermata* and manage to take flight into the thunderstorm, finally breaching the atmosphere and returning to the safety of space. However, UFC gunships are awaiting their arrival, and the three are promptly forced to surrender. They're arrested and taken to Stormport, and interrogated. Luckily, Gibbs arrives and vouches for them, showing a flight permit that he simply "forgot" to register. When Gibbs and Rhodes meet again, Rhodes is angry and bitter. They bicker over this being another one of Gibbs' wild ploys that will likely end in bloodshed. Gibbs bails the team out. Rhodes is asked as he leaves if he needs help with his ore, but denies anything is wrong.

Gibbs steps onto the *Echinodermata* to be briefed about Dr Sal and Earth. They tell him about the pyramid, the mechs, and show him the honey jar with the human hair inside. Coselay suggests cloning the human, to use as evidence before the Senate in place of Dr Feldspar's testimony. Gibbs reminds them the practice is illegal, and they only have enough DNA for one attempt. Lari knows of an obscure collector he used to work for on Gaia, who claims to have an underground zoo of live animals cloned from rare specimens. They fly to a large mansion and meet the very eccentric Quetzal and his bodyguard, Mr Slate, who shows the team his vast collection of strange cloned zoo animals (and hybrids). When Quetzal is given the honey jar to examine, he is shocked by the rarity of the DNA specimen inside. He tries to buy it off them, even offering to wipe Lari's debt with Smokey Jet (which is appealing), but Coselay only wants to know where he gets his clones from. Quetzal gives them the name of his manufacturer at Limbix, in exchange for Coselay's necklace (containing a seed). She is not happy parting with it. Rhodes is not keen to go to Mars, but the deadline for the Senate vote is fast approaching; this is their only shot.

Vaux, frustrated by news that his mechs on Earth were destroyed (and a ship full of Colonists managed to escape alive), returns to a torture chamber under Module-1 where a captured Prophet is tied to a chair. Vaux, who knows the pyramid was a hoax designed by the Prophets, demands to know what was inside the vault that seems so important to everyone. He uses a magnetic-extracting mechanical arm-like device to begin tugging at the victim's open chest cavity, where his ore battery is slowly being ripped from the many tiny cords inside his organs. In pain, the victim declares that all the secrets of the vault's contents died with the Olgethorpe and her lover. Vaux pauses and asks about this *lover*.

## Part Four: The 6000-year-old Child

Rhodes manages to radio Gibbs to update him on the mission (with Myrianda also present in the room). He informs the senators that Dr Feldspar is dead and that the pyramid was a hoax, likely designed by Thornwell's Prophets to help pretend that Project De Novo was a success. The fault of Dr Feldspar's death is therefore both the Prophets and Vaux. Gibbs and Myrianda are disheartened, but Rhodes says he still has evidence that the Senate will want to see. He and his team need papers, however, to travel to Mars and complete their task. While confused, Gibbs grants their wish, and electronically sends them each passports and seals that will allow them to enter through Houix's terminals. Only Lari is unable to go, since his many arrest warrants would likely raise alarm. He stays with the ship while others fashion disguises and backstories to get themselves through Martin customs (with a moment of comedy strung between scenes). Rhodes is worried a spectrometer will pick up his rare impurity and mark him as an ex-soldier, but no alarms go off.

The team meets in Mons, the capital, where they have to pretend to be tourists/businessmen. While on their way to Limbix, they pass a park where five giant stone statues are erected in a circle, each one of the five Paragons in Martian mythology. Coselay amuses herself by stepping onto the central stage and watching five digital lines connect to her feet, which direct her where to stand (moving closer or further from each statue), until her Paragon number out of 500 is determined. Valentine is also amused by the gimmick, while Rhodes stands to the side. When the others finally move on, he tries out the game and is directed by he lines to step closer and closer to the lion statue, until he is face-to-face with it. A terrifying vision/flashback occurs, which pulls him away.

When they secretly meet Su Ran at the back of Limbix, he informs them that he can no longer provide his services because he gave his equipment away to a friend who needed it. At gunpoint, he reluctantly gives up Tum Gow's location. The team take a magnet train across the planet to Yoon Zila, but are attacked by Vaux's goons. An action-packed fight takes place throughout and along the roof of the train, where each Rangers member gets a chance to show off their skills (while Coselay mostly hides). The team have strategically split up the honey sample into multiple vials, causing confusion amongst the goons, until they are all left with empty jars.

The team finally meet Tum Gow VII and his brother, whom Rhodes recognizes from the war days. They argue/fight, until Rhodes is shown the grave of the father, whom Rhodes has been chasing his whole career. After calming down, Tum Gow VII reveals the DNA strand to be 6000 years old, belonging to a girl no older than 8 or 9. Cloning her would cause controversy, but Coselay explains the future of mankind/Earth depends on it. They give Tum Gow VII a few days to complete the task, while rest reside in the small Martian village and contemplate the ongoing hatred between Colonists and Martians. Coselay also gets time to talk to Tum Gow VII about being a clone, mortality, death, etc.

Eventually, the child is born, and naturally, she is terrified. Rhodes is the first one to interact with her, but Coselay keeps him from talking to her too much knowing anything he says will likely cause so much confusion that she'd fall into mental psychosis. To help come up with logical answers to the girl's may questions (they name her Honey for now), Coselay pulls out a piece of old technology: the AAA.

## Part Five: Adam, Aegir, and Alta

Cut to a virtual world in which three gun-ho boys are battling each other in virtual reality. They are crude, rash, and comically idiotic. They boast to each other about their wins, with Adam having the lowest score. Adam is then distracted by a *blip* on his screen that he clams hasn't shown up in 6000 years. When he returns to his station (in a dark room surrounded by computers, towers, fans, and cables), he informs the others of the blip, but the others shrug it off as a glitch. Suddenly, there's an incoming call. Confusing. They reluctantly answer.

Coselay is on call with the AAA, and is asking for advice. The trio remind her that they are an encapsulated system, and only contain pre-Exodus information. Coselay tells them of their situation, and suddenly it's all hands on deck! The three rush to their stations, ready to *finally* be of use to someone. Coselay then starts chatting to the AAA about how to explain 'the future' to an 8-year-old from the 20th Century. They describe to her how she's been 'asleep' for a long time, and that the people around her in the room are 'doctors, scientists, and soldiers'. Honey starts to feel more relaxed.

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