Mother Earth and The Four Planets: The Sequel to the Crystals

By Peter Buckle

After saving humanity from near-extinction at the hands of both humans and a technologically advanced alien race, Benjamin Franklin had finally found peace on two planets. But one fateful day, while he was dozing off in his favorite armchair, he heard a cry for help - from Maria. He searched everywhere, but she was nowhere to be found.

This was just the beginning of a new threat that would put the human population in danger once again. This time, however, the source was unknown. The population was rapidly decreasing, and despite his best efforts, Ben could not find any trace of a virus or disease causing the deaths. As time ticked away, he and those closest to him were attacked by a mysterious entity. Ben knew he had to act quickly before the majority of humanity disappeared forever.

In this gripping sci-fi thriller, follow Ben as he races against time to uncover the source of this new threat and save humanity once again. As the death toll rises and the world descends into chaos, he must use all his knowledge and experience to unravel the mystery before it’s too late.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Jul 21, 2023
• ISBN: 9781398495852

Peter Buckle

Peter Buckle was born into World War II, in Monpelier Gardens EastHam, he and his sister Jean were evacuated twice. The first time he went to Stoke with his mother. In 1942, he moved to Cottesmore Avenue, in Barkingside Ilford Essex. He and his sister were evacuated again, this time to a farm in Bridgend, Yorkshire. It was there he went to school for the first time. His father was an Electrical Engineer for West Ham Electricity Board. In 1946, his father formed his own company as an Electrical Contractor. After finishing school Peter joined his father and did a five-year apprenticeship. Peter eventually started his own business and at the age of 60 went into teaching electricians. On retiring, he and his wife moved to Spain where they lived for 11 years. Finally, they returned and now live in an annex with their daughter Gemma and her husband Martin.

Book preview

About the Author

Peter Buckle was born into World War II, in Monpelier Gardens EastHam, he and his sister Jean were evacuated twice. The first time he went to Stoke with his mother. In 1942, he moved to Cottesmore Avenue, in Barkingside Ilford Essex. He and his sister were evacuated again, this time to a farm in Bridgend, Yorkshire. It was there he went to school for the first time. His father was an Electrical Engineer for West Ham Electricity Board. In 1946, his father formed his own company as an Electrical Contractor. After finishing school Peter joined his father and did a five-year apprenticeship. Peter eventually started his own business and at the age of 60 went into teaching electricians. On retiring, he and his wife moved to Spain where they lived for 11 years. Finally, they returned and now live in an annex with their daughter Gemma and her husband Martin.

Dedication

The one person who inspired me to write was Sir David Attenborough, he has told us what we are doing, yet still we ignore his warnings, like him I think time is running out for us humans and sadly all the other creatures that live alongside us in our contaminated world.

Copyright Information ©

Peter Buckle 2023

The right of Peter Buckle to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781398495845 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781398495852 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2023

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

Acknowledgement

I have to Acknowledge my publisher Austin Macauley. They put the book out worldwide online and to the majority of outlets in the various countries and also offer generous royalties. I have been informed that they offer many manuscripts to television and cinema.

Prologue

The six women fled from the castle. They went through to the depths, where the old count and housekeeper were in the dungeons in a disused wing of the castle. Ignoring their pleas to be released, they went down a staircase and then through the secret tunnel, which led to the garages. The six consisted of the sister of the Master and his lover; the four other women were cloned, the wretched souls whose minds were lost when their loved ones died in the catastrophe when Umbria was pulled from its orbit. Initially, four were put into hibernation on life support, and after several hundred years, they were woken to serve the brother of the Grand Master. The four had tiny microchips inserted in their brains, which stabilised their minds, enabling them to function under voice command. Their brain inserts were altered, and now they were servants of the two women, Illiska, the master’s sister, and Zenita, his lover.

* * * *

The two women were in shock, having just witnessed the assassination of the Master. They had stood in the room when he went out with his clone. They heard the clone warn him, and then the impossible happened. The Master and his clone were both slain. The two women realised they had to escape quickly, but before they made it, plans for the future had to be made. Taking all they could think of for their future existence in this new and dangerous world. The two women gathered up all their jewellery and a few clothes. The keys to the vehicle! Illiska shouted. Where are they?

The master gave them to the clone to park the car, Zenita answered. And running out to the balcony, keeping low in case she might be shot at, she went to where he lay. Thankfully, the keys were still in his pocket; she extracted them and went to where Illiska was, having dragged her brother off the balcony. IIliska was removing the wallet from his inside pocket. It was blood-stained, and one corner had a hole through it where the bullet had pierced it. She pulled the money and cards from it; fortunately, they were not damaged or stained. Emerging from the tunnel and beckoning the four clones to follow, they ran through the garage doors. Using the remote attached to the keyring to open them and the vehicle, they then threw all their cases into the boot and clambered in, opening the outer doors of the garage, and once again with the remote, they were out and racing the vehicle along the drive that led to the road and freedom. As they sped away, they both vowed they would destroy the human race, and they had the means to do so!

Part 1

Chapter 1

The two women made plans as they drove away from the castle.

Although still traumatised, they realised they had to head east away from where the danger lays, namely the west, where the family lived with their strange powers.

Illiska still found it hard to believe how her brother was slain.

He was invincible; he was partly an entity. Just a week ago there was a party in the castle, when she asked her brother the reason for the celebration, he told her he had slain the head of the family opposing him and was sure in a very short time the remainder would also be dead, but now instead he was killed.

Whoever had shot him dead must have had greater powers than he. Illiska had no intention of opposing them. There are other ways and I have a perfect way, she thought, smiling to herself.

On and on they drove, through the night towards Ukraine, not stopping until they were clear of the Polish border, the four clones huddled together on the rear seats.

They looked for and found cheap lodgings, having very little money, which they found in the Grand Master’s wallet. The following morning, they drove to the nearest bank.

Illiska the Master’s sister, using his bank details, from the cards that she had extracted from his wallet withdrew all of his money from his various accounts.

It was a huge amount and normally would have been denied, but by using her Umbrian powers of thought to achieve her objective, she was able to do so, erasing the memory of the account from the bank official’s mind.

She had the money transferred to a bank in Switzerland, this was a joint account she had had with her brother, but now on her brother’s death was hers alone.

The amount on the deposit was enormous, over five hundred million sterling.

Then, opening an account with a bank in Kiev, with the money safely hidden she transferred two million from the Swiss bank to her own account for their immediate future.

With the money now safely in her own account, she left and they continued with their flight to the Ukraine capital, Kiev. With the huge amount of money at her disposal, she had several options open to her.

She could have hidden herself and the others away and lived in luxury, but she was now on a mission, determined that she, the sister of the Grand Master, was going to decimate the human race, such was her hatred of them for killing her younger brother.

In Kiev, she sought out and found a beautiful house on the outskirts of the city to rent, where the six settled while she plotted.

Her dear friend Zenita helped her in any way she could, having seen her lover slain before her eyes, her need for revenge was as great.

She and Zenita swotted up on the Ukrainian language and used the teacher diode plugged into earphones, to teach the clones the language while they slept. Both women were hospital consultants, having a vast knowledge of both Umbrian and Human bodies.

They applied and successfully achieved positions with Kiev’s main hospital.

The hospital accepted the appointment also of the four clones, who were trained nurses.

With the contamination and the subsequent illnesses everyone was exposed to outside of the hospital, the addition of two surgeons and four nurses, with their exceptional knowledge of cures for life-threatening diseases and their skill in surgery, were of great benefit to the patients and the hard-pressed nursing and medical staff, they seemed tireless, often working twelve to fourteen hours a day was achieved by the team of six, which was what they became known as.

Illiska was in great demand from other hospitals and medical establishments apart from Kiev, and around the country, they craved her knowledge and ability.

She went whenever and wherever to the other hospitals and medical centres when asked, teaching and solving many of their questions and requests when giving lectures.

She performed many operations on patients who it was thought were too ill and close to death to be operated on. The gratitude was received with a smile, little did these humans know, she thought smiling to herself.

She wondered what the reaction would be if they knew the truth that all the time she was fulfilling her plan of decimating the human population. She met fellow Umbrians and amongst those she associated with, she also found a few who were still loyal to her elder brother the GrandMaster. She sought and found an Umbrian who was bringing and returning messages to her brother’s spaceship, which was out in deep space, such was her need to find out what plans he had and to convey her plans to him.

The pod in which her Umbrian associate was landing and returning was on an island in the Black Sea because she needed to go there frequently, yet another idea was needed.

She informed the hospital that because so many of her patients were unable to recover due to the contaminated air they were breathing; she planned to build a small health centre on an island away from all the contaminated air.

The hospital and the city council, realising she was using her own money were extremely helpful and the plans and the building were rushed through in a fraction of the normal time.

The island on which the centre was to be built was far away from the mainland but with help from the hospital and the government, builders and all other tradesmen and women needed to complete the build were dispatched.

Temporary accommodation was found for them all and the foundations were laid for the medical centre plus recovery home, all the medical and surgical equipment was then transported to the island very quickly.

The island was owned by an Umbrian, which made the wormhole travel possible and with no detection.

Leaving Zenita in the hospital, she informed the hospital and government officials she would be on the island for the next two years, to organise and train the new staff and nurses, although surprised at the length of time, this was accepted.

Illiska arrived at the centre and spent a day talking to her Umbrian friend who owned the island. It was he who was organising everything concerning the centre, as Illiska would be travelling.

The following day, she entered a pod, then having been put into a suspended life state she was strapped in by a robot which would be with her for the journey.

The building which housed the pod shook as the massive Cyclops machine created the wormhole.

It took six months to travel to his spaceship and for that length of time; she was in a state of suspended life.

With the pod approaching, she was slowly brought out of her hibernation, a day later it landed on her brother’s massive ship, recovered and disembarked and went into the spaceship’s stateroom where the Grand Master was waiting to receive her.

They spoke of the future and both were of one mind. The human race would have to be eliminated before it destroyed the Earth where the Umbrians hoped to start their new life.

As she listened to her brother’s plans, she realised that he was quite insane; the loss of their brother and the fact he was slain by a human had turned his mind.

His plans, which he divulged to her, were crazy and would more likely destroy Earth completely. As she listened, she decided to not reveal her plans concerning the people of Earth.

She made her farewells using the excuse of possible discovery, the reason for her quick departure.

Another six months of hibernation, she thought with a shudder, as she re-entered the pod and slipped into unconsciousness and the state of suspended life.

Back on Earth, she took a day to recover from the time in her hibernated state, in that time she hid herself away. Then, making plans she ordered the additional equipment needed along with all furnishings.

Next on the agenda was the staff.

It was not easy but she managed to employ Umbrians for the majority of posts, the humans that were employed were kept well away and out of view and sound of where the space travel took place.

With the small health centre and aftercare hospital, having been built and were now up and running she returned to Kiev and promptly handed in her notice, saying how sad she was to leave but she wanted to train other consultants and would be taking up a teaching post within the government so she could travel to other hospitals around the country.

Which the hospital knew would save many lives in the future.

Being aware of her brilliance and new ideas but loath to see her go, the hospital offered her a huge increase in her salary, but she was adamant and left her post highly recommended and with promotion to a surgeon general consultant.

She and her sister and the four nurses left to start in a hospital far away on the other side of the country, two months later they left. Leaving Ukraine they travelled south into Crimea.

Once again, they headed for a city with a large hospital, then applying and succeeding in getting employment for themselves and the nurses, they rented a house on a monthly basis.

Again they moved from one hospital to another, now though it was just for a period of two months.

Every time they moved they rented, which helped with their anonymity and the little time. Before moving on, they taught themselves and the four nurses the basic language of the next country they were planning to move to.

Each hospital, having looked at their CVs and glowing letters of recommendation, welcomed the two consultants and the nurses who accompanied them and the management was delighted.

Overwhelmed with patients suffering from the effects of the contaminated atmosphere, injuries by both humans and Umbrians from the damage to their planet.

Accommodation was found and the six moved in, the clones crammed into the second room. The two consultants planned their objectives for the limited time they meant to stay before moving on to the next hospital.

Two months later, they moved on having worked 14 hours a day as they always had and often 6 or 7 days a week. They always left with a glowing commendation and from each of their employers they were offered the earth to stay.

They repeated their movements and timing for the following years and finally.

Seven years and some forty-odd hospitals later, having virtually circumvented the planet they travelled to Spain.

Chapter 2

They moved to the Crystal that was built first. Illiska, the sister, turned to her companion. Zenita we cannot stay here, she added, the man who slew my brother is in this Crystal.

I know my brother was close to your heart and also your great love and like myself your need for revenge is great, you have my deepest sympathy. But if we stay here, we will surely be discovered.

They moved to the Crystal Dome in Madrid and there with the four nurses dedicated themselves to looking after the thousands of patients that passed through. At first, the prefabricated clinic and then the modern hospital, which was finally completed with the most advanced equipment and operating theatre.

They continued to work there for several years.

Then the Grand Master attacked Earth, millions died and although Spain’s population was nearly all living inside the Crystal Domes and thus protected. Most who died did so as they chose not to live in the confines of the Domes and were exposed to the great Winter of the whole world, it lasted for ten years and only those near the equator had the best chance of survival.

There were still many thousands killed in Spain and even more injured, all hospitals were overwhelmed with patients being tended to in the corridors, even having to wait in the ambulances that stood outside.

Having gradually got back to normal, there were again many casualties as the planet approached, but the hospitals coped when Umbria moved into orbit and still were able to manage a few years later when even more injured were hospitalised as the Aqua Masif was pulled into orbit around the planet.

Many thousands were sent to Earth and a hundred or more ended up at the Madrid hospital. Illiska and Zenita left Earth.

They knew with the arrival of the Agua Masif they would be exposed. They even thought of slaying their four nurses but decided against doing so while they were on Earth, so they travelled to Umbria, leaving the four nurses behind.

Lunes, the lead nurse, was troubled.

Like the other three were clones, having lost their families in the catastrophe at the start of Umbria’s epic journey they were put into a state of suspended life to stop them from terminating themselves as many Umbrians did.

Living to such a great age and losing their loved ones the Umbrians found it unbearable. Helena and her companions, being nurses, had after several hundred years been revived and had microchips placed in their brains and thus became clones.

Now there were many survivors arriving and looking for their families.

Lunes had had news of relatives from one of the injured and with Illiska and Zenita gone and not controlling her mind, her brain was beginning to revive, the same was happening to her companions.

Some twenty-five years had passed since the building of the first Crystal Dome and now after the Winter of the World, Mother Earth was nearly back to her normal self.

The weather was settled and warm, but the greatest benefit was the lack of pollution and contamination of the earth’s atmosphere. The one good result of Irexl’s attack and the subsequence of the ten-year winter.

Ben was busy on his computer, with the Earth’s communications virtually back to normal and with the new satellites that were in orbit now he was catching up with his many interests around the world.

The door opened and he was confronted by a very distraught Lucy and Mars.

Problem? he asked fearing something really bad had happened as he looked at their drawn faces.

Such was their consternation they both started to talk at once. Ben held up his hands. Whoa, he said smiling, one at a time.

Mars spoke, It’s really bad, Dad. You know we did a survey on fatalities of the four billion people not in the domes?

Those were, giving a rough estimate, amounted to one hundred and seventy million, which was terrible but considering the conditions the four billion humans were living under for 10 years, it could have been a lot worse.

It was a miracle, Ben interjected.

Mars’ head dropped. There are now less than 2 billion outside of the domes now – He clenched his hands and went on – and of the three billion under the protection of the domes, now there are less than 2.5 billion.

Ben, who had stood to greet his son and Lucy, sank, weak at the knees, back into his chair. That is virtually half the human race.

How? he asked, he thought for a moment.

"There are only the normal deaths and births