BIRTH OF THE COSMIC SWAN: Flight into Eternity

By BILL COPELAND

Geologist Mark flies to the Himalayas to search for the cause of earthquakes growing in ferocity. While setting up equipment, he encounters a beautiful woman, Kusoom, the leader of a cult. Mark scoffs at her belief in a great being who will rise from Mt. Kailas and save her people. Curious about her and the giant creature, he stays to see it hat

• Language: English
• Publisher: TOPLINK PUBLISHING, LLC
• Release date: Jul 20, 2018
• ISBN: 9781949502145

BILL COPELAND

Since early childhood, Bill was fascinated with the stars. Through the clear skies of California he watched the planets and constellations march through the seasons. He studied at San Diego and San Jose state colleges. With a Bachelor's degree in Math and Master's degree in Cybernetic Systems, he worked for 40 years as a software engineer. He developed programs, proposals, and user instructions for control systems at Silicon Valley hi-tek leaders such as UNIVAC, Ampex, Daisy Systems, HP, and SAP. During his work on the Apollo project at NASA, he saw early pictures of the Earth rising over the Moon, looking like a blue marbled egg. Aha, Bill says, the Earth is the place we are born, our egg, and not our home forever. If we learn and obey the laws of science, study space, and treat each other and our planet very carefully, humanity will survive without end.

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Birth Of The Cosmic Swan

Flight into Eternity

Bill Copeland

Copyright © 2018 by Bill Copeland.

Paperback: 978-1-949502-13-8

eBook: 978-1-949502-14-5

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Cover art and interior chapter illustrations by Charles Pickens.

Ordering Information:

For orders and inquiries, please contact:

1-888-375-9818

www.toplinkpublishing.com

[e-mail]

Printed in the United States of America

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Birth of the

Cosmic Swan

INTRODUCTION

With a B.A. in Math and an M.S. in Cybernetic System, I worked for 40 years in Silicon Valley, first as a process control software engineer, then as an information development writer. Computer technology changed relentlessly over those years. Early projects with the U.S. Navy and NASA pioneered network communications culminating in the Ethernet. I was at Ampex when they developed mag tape and disk drives. Daisy Systems provided the first high res graphical VLSI design eliminating tons of paper. My favorite assignment was at the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center during the Apollo project. I saw the Earth rising over the limb of the Moon; it looked like a blue marbled egg. I thought the Earth is an egg — the place where humanity is born, but not destined to live there forever. I enjoyed developing books for both engineering professionals and regular end users. I found building a good book from scratch-notes to finished binding is very satisfying.

While working in these roles, I also was enthralled by extrapolations of science fiction to interstellar scope. Authors such as H.G. Wells, Frank Herbert, and Orson Scott Card expanded my mind into infinite future and space. Then came the movies, such as Space Odyssey, War of the Worlds, Star Wars, Star Trek, Independence Day, and Jurassic Park. I found out space is not only infinite, but more infinite than I could imagine.

Life in Silicon Valley and its branches are frantic. I had to learn to relax to save my mind and stomach. I learned to meditate with Zen Buddhists and Hindu teachers, visiting ashrams and holy sites in India at least 6 times.

I love the Cosmic Swan. This book is the first in the Cosmic Swan epic series. The Earth is the place where the interstellar bird is born and struggles to fly.

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Turbulent weather buffets an old turboprop plane as it claws its way over the jagged white peaks of the Himalayas. Leaving the smoky plains of India behind, it heads north toward the southern border of Tibet. Mark Joff is buckled into a jump seat in the cargo area and has to hold on tightly as the plane thrashes around. The small two-engine plane is piloted by Jagdish, a heavily bearded Indian with a 45 pistol strapped to his waist. Wearing an old Indian Air Force leather jacket he strolls back to the cargo area.

Jagdish puts his hand on the back of the jump seat and asks, Mr. Joff. Are you comfortable back here in the cargo section?

Surprised, Mark looks up. Hello, Captain. Well, comfortable is not how I describe this extreme economy class seat, but I’m thankful we’re still flying. Hey, captain. Glad I took the air-sickness pill. I wish I had a window back here. How’s the flight going at your end of the plane?"

Call me Jagdish. Flight is good. This old turboprop is in the best condition. I work on it myself.

That’s good to know, Jagdish. Please call me Mark, but excuse me, who is flying the plane?

Jagdish smiles confidently, Auto-pilot flies plane.

Can the autopilot see these jagged mountains?

Oh, yes, the pilot replies, autopilot has look-down radar."

OK. I guess you’ve done this before. From your well-worn jacket I guess you were in the Indian Air Force.

Yes sir. I left in 1964. Do you remember when the Chinese invaded India in 1962?

I don’t remember that.

"We trained in Migs. I was ready. I wanted to fight the Chinese, but we were told to stand