John Schettler - Nexus Point

The characters in the story draw the obvious parallels to modern figures like Osama bin Ladin. Even the English word “Assassin” comes from this group, and one derivative touches on the Arab word for “foundation.” This immediately brought Al Qaeda (the base or the foundation) to mind. In this book the machinations of Sinan and his lieutenants are all documented in the history. Sinan did indeed have a kind of clairvoyance, answering unopened letters in a Johnny Carson Karnak like fashion, and seeming to know the course of events as if he was privy to secret information about the future. Was he?

As for the Sami’s devious little plots, the scene where he inducts initiates and then later uses the trick of the severed head to convince them to do his bidding is all documented in the Ismaili research from this time. (Note: today the Ismailis have nothing whatsoever to do with their forefathers, and the Aga Khan Foundation is renowned for its philanthropic contributions to education and other social causes in the world—just as certain Christian groups like the Templars evolved into contemporary church affiliated social and fraternal organizations.)

Yet, the notion that future time warriors are venturing back into history to set up operations at crucial nodes on the Meridian is a fascinating one. One of the key elements required to prosecute such a war would be a safe and certain record of the history. Otherwise, how would you know if your changes were successful? In Nexus Point , the computer chops and insight of Kelly Ramer create a kind of living memory bank that is always on to store the existing record of history. Then, as soon as his screensaver Golems detect any variation as they troll the amazing body of knowledge on the Internet, they activate the Arch to protect the data in a Nexus Point and alert the research team.

As clever as it is, the system is fraught with potential vulnerabilities. Keeping the RAM bank alive and running is a chore of its own—especially in the earthquake prone Berkeley Hills region. While it is said many times in the book that nothing is written, and history is not chiseled in stone… in one sense a low tech solution to the RAM bank presents itself. The scroll Nordhausen finds in Rasil’s pack is a clue that leads directly to the next book in the series entitled Touchstone.

It will begin with another of the Professor’s secret little capers, a trip to old London about the time of the Sherlock Holmes milieu to follow his hunch about Rasil’s scroll and check on some old Egyptian carvings. When he visits the British Museum to see the now famous “Rosetta Stone,” he discovers that the stone has been chipped and damaged! The portion of the vast black basalt that once held the Egyptian hieroglyphics is gone! As a consequence, no one ever made the connection this touchstone is famous for, and the Egyptian hieroglyphs remain a mystery… except to Nordhausen. He returns to the present at Berkeley Labs and discovers that he, and he alone, can read and understand the cryptic Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Beset with remorse, Nordhausen confesses his caper to Paul. He is afraid that he’s done something to change the Time Meridian, but cannot imagine what. When someone tampers with the memorial site protecting Kelly’s place in this Meridian, however, Paul becomes suspicious. Remembering the phone call Nordhausen makes to Kelly on Rasil’ s phone, he believes that their adversaries are trying to foil the work of the project team by striking at their one weak link—Kelly. Yet Time is a steadfast ally. Kelly is in a strange coma, but sustained by some means in the current Meridian, protected in something Nordhausen calls a Schroedinger’s Box. In the words of Nordhausen’s favorite literary sleuth Sherlock Holmes, “something is afoot!” Now the professor, Paul and the other team members must labor to discover who has tampered with the time line, and why.

Lots of fun ahead for Meridian fans!

Please visit www.dharma6.comor www.writingshop.wsfor information on the sequels to this novel, and other work by the author.

Thanks to the poets, thinkers, historical figures and writers for their pointed words of wisdom used in the quotations that lead the major sections of this story. Their words are all properly attributed in the references or in the narrative if spoken by any of the characters in the novel for added emphasis.

(1) Text quoted by Maeve in the narrative on page 292 is a reference from information on the Assassin cults found at: http://www.outremer.co.uk/assassins.html

Thanks also to Richard Gylgayton for his tireless editorial wisdom, and Mark (aka Nordhausen) Prost. Both are always “first readers” for my novels, and friends of the highest order. And to dear Candace, Richard’s wife, a hearty thank you for inspiring the creation of my intrepid Maeve Lindford.

CLARITY – Clear or good understanding of a temporal locus, pattern, event, Outcome or Consequence .

CONSEQUENCE – An undesired result achieved by a temporal Transformation – Usually referring to the negative (ie) Sometimes certain Consequences must be accepted in order to achieve a desired Outcome .

CONVOLUTION – The relative difficulty or complexity of a given temporal event or condition.

DEEP NEXUS – Sometimes called a “Void” – A crucial, significant Nexus Point where radical alteration of the time line is possible.

DENSITY – A relative term describing factor counts in temporal events.

FACTOR – An element contributing to convolution in temporal events.

FINALITY – A catastrophic Grand Imperative (like the Cuthulu asteroid strike that led to the eradication of the dinosaurs and other life.)

FREE RADICAL – A dangerous, erratic variable in the course of temporal events – usually only existing within a Deep Nexus.

GREAT VOID – An interminable shadow or Penumbra cast by a Grand Imperative .

HAZE – Obscurity in the understanding of a temporal situation or event.

IMPERATIVE – An event in time which must happen – Usually a natural event. A Grand Imperative is a natural event of special significance. Some Grand Imperatives can become a Finality .

INEVITABILITY – A progression of events that is inexorable and unalterable.

INITIATOR – A person directly responsible for a new time Meridian (Like Mohammed, or Christ). A Prime Mover of great significance.

LEVER – A secondary contributor to movement in a series of events.

MERIDIAN – An established line of temporal events on the continuum.

NEXUS POINT – A point of connection, intersection or branching of one or more Meridians in the time continuum.

NODE – A specific point on a time Meridian.

OUTCOME – A desired result achieved by a temporal Transformation – Usually referring to the positive.

PARADOX – Time’s way of correcting errors in the time continuum. Paradox is a real force, and quite dangerous. It kills or erases people and objects from the time line when unaccountable complications arise from their actions. A Paradox is NOT simply a thorny problem, it is a real effect and force of annihilation. A kind of “Anti-Time”

PENUMBRA – The shadow of influence on future events cast by an Imperative .