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The Circle: Intervention

by Stefano Prina

675 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #03-0915; ISBN 1-4120-0546-9; US$41.39, C$47.60, EUR34.00, £23.80

He was financially independent, healthy, blessed with a loving family, and quietly loving the magic of life. Then she appeared, changing life and the destiny of the human race forever.

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About the Book      About the Author      Excerpts      Catalogue Information

About the Book

The first book of The Circle trilogy, Intervention, covers the beginning of a long journey. A journey which intertwines the destiny and development of a single, very normal human being with that of his whole race ... and others.

He did not ask to be the chosen one ... she chose him. But he finds her decision to be beyond his capability to refuse.

The path he has to follow and the choices he has to make go beyond what any human being in history has ever been asked to contemplate, let alone decide upon and carry out ... but the future of his race is at stake, and there is a deadline.

Either the human race is judged fit to join the Galactic Community and become, eventually, a valid contributor or it will be seen as a potentially very dangerous intelligence... and that would definitely not be good news for humans, not good news at all.

He has 300 years to get the human race to pass the entry exam; if Earth will get the green light by then, they believe that in three thousand years earthlings will be ready to join the Community. He is not worried about three thousand years, but very, very nervous about the three hundred years deadline. He is not alone in the struggle. The Muirians are ready and willing to help. Generosity from a superior race? Or is there an hidden agenda?

All he knows at this point is that in the unfathomable immensity of the known Universe, Earth and humanity have been discovered by others. It could be the beginning of an unimaginably bright future for human beings or the acceleration towards their doom. Intervention covers the very first few years of this unbelievable journey, and the birth of a relationship which humans did not seek... but now cannot avoid. And he has to make sure that the first steps do not foster the seeds of disaster.

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About the Author

Now 55 years old, Stef lives in Switzerland with his wife and younger daughter, while his older one is a happy UK citizen, soon to be married there.

Stef is Italian but has lived most of his life outside Italy, has travelled extensively around the globe and, with his family, has lived in a number of countries.

These are the only common points with the principal character of Intervention. Presently involved in creating his own company, the author has definitely not been outside the planet... at least not yet.

A compulsive reader, one book average per week and, often, three or four going at the same time, his preferred modern fiction writers are Arthur C. Clarke, Stephen King, Tad Williams and Ian M. Banks.

Intervention is his first book and he is already working on the second volume of the trilogy, Struggle and Growth.

A strong believer in the great potential of the human race, he is also convinced that we do not have a monopoly on intelligence and that we are definitely not alone in this universe.

One day he asked himself "what if " and The Circle was born.

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Excerpts

Elders Convergence 27385XE_aj26xy.
Plenarium.

We all know why we have convened. Do we all agree to proceed with the proposed action?

An imperceptible moment later.

Very well. Do we all understand that we have barely 3000 earth-years to complete this project? Do we all understand the consequences of failure?

A slightly longer delay.

Yes, an extremely brief interval. But that is why we have no option. The speed of evolution of this new branch has surprised us also.

Corrective actions are still possible. They are being implemented. Parameters may need some revision, possibly even some adjustments.

Plenarium is now dissolved.

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He opened his eyes slowly, very slowly. He felt as if he was emerging from a deep, dreamless sleep, a type of sleep he had not known before. His consciousness was surfacing at what felt like controlled pace.

The greyness he was waking up to was gradually receding, and that is all he was aware of at first.

As he was surfacing from that embracing nothingness, little by little he was beginning to become conscious of his surroundings and the first thing his brain told him was that he was not lying on anything.

He was in mid-air, or so it seemed to him in those first few moments of wakefulness. Yet he did not feel that he was falling anywhere, in fact he sensed that every inch of his body was fully supported.

The second thing he became conscious of was a pale blur hovering just over him. Gradually the blur became a woman's face. He could not see it clearly but he knew it was a woman's face.

The blur disappeared and oblivion surrounded him again.

Then, from far away, a sound penetrated the nothingness. He had no idea what it was nor for how long that sound had tried to penetrate the vacuum embracing him. Something switched and suddenly the sound became a voice, and he knew what the voice was saying. He opened his eyes; the greyness was gone too! "Richard?" The woman's voice still sounded somewhat far off.

She sounds worried. What is she worried about?, he wondered, not knowing why.

He heard the voice again. "Richard? Can you hear me?"

Again, it sounded coming from a distance. But her face was now clear, in focus. And something clicked in his brain. He thought he had actually heard the click, as if it had been a physical thing.

I know this face! And a name connected itself to the face. Celestia.

"Celestia ...?" he queried, feebly.

The face lit up!

He was now fully awake ... and immediately confused.

He knew her, he definitely knew her and he was convinced he had called her by her name. Yet he had heard a stranger's voice, not his own. That voice had sounded deeper, in fact quite a bit deeper than normal. Am I coming down with a cold?

Richard's eyes were now fully open and while still looking at the face ... Celestia, he reminded himself ... hovering over him, a flash of ... something ... intruded itself into his memory. Two brilliant conglomerations of light ... and somehow he knew they were galaxies, and he had been in the middle of them ... then ... a moment later he was ... here, wherever here was!

His eyes were open, but his mind was still hazy, sluggish, completely confused yet not apprehensive, not apprehensive at all. He had no idea why but he knew he was safe.

He could not make out too many details of what was around him, so he looked back into the woman's face and eyes. That was familiar and that he could relate to!

He started to smile, but ... even that felt strange. His lips somehow seemed to move of their own accord and he was conscious of them! He actually felt the mouth muscles moving, muscles he was not used to!

He started to move and tried to get up.

He felt the woman putting a restraining hand on his shoulder, pushing him gently back into ... empty air, yet empty air which was supporting him!

"Schh, Richard. Not yet! You need to rest a little longer!" The voice was very gentle, very soft. Am I sick?

He knew he wanted to say something, but then his will seemed to give up on him, and he felt relapsing into a gloriously restful, welcoming emptiness. He gave in to it, without a fight.

After what he thought to have been a moment, his eyes opened up again.

The woman was still by him where he vaguely remembered her being a moment earlier. This time he knew immediately who she was though. In fact he felt completely awake ... and her radiant smile, he would say later, was the first thing he consciously remembered coming to. It was like waking up to warm sunshine he would say. And that's exactly what it felt like right then.

She touched his face gently.

"Hi! How are you?" she asked in a low voice.

Richard eyes opened wide.

Her touch had felt like a minor electric shock! But one he knew he would not mind feeling often! It was as if every single cell of the skin she had touched had a degree of sensitivity new to him! And those same cells seemed, for that brief moment, to resonate with those of her hand. The touch had been very brief, yet it felt to Richard like the most intimate connection he had ever experienced!

Celestia looked alarmed. "What's the matter Richard, are you ok?"

He did not answer. He was confused and not a little lost. Finally he spoke, tentatively, quietly.

"Hi! What's going on Celestia? Where are we? Why do I feel so ... different, why does even my voice sound different?"

Celestia looked at him quietly, and her hand was on his shoulder. This time not restraining, but connecting. I am here, Richard, I am with you!

And, right then, as her hand touched his shoulder, it came to him ... he remembered.

The transfer had taken place.

"Oh, my God!"

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Catalogue Information

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