The Braxiatel Collection
Note: This is the description of the Braxiatel Collection given in The Inside Story. While a brochure was eventually published in The Doomsday Manuscript, this version of the brochure was actually a false document made by Brax's creator to give other Benny writers more of an idea about what the Collection is like. This draft, therefore, is not the one that is given out by the Collection. As this is the more comprehensive draft, it's the one I typed up. I've made notes where there are changes.
Oh, and I kept all the punctuation. If there's a grammatical error, it's their fault, not mine.
Welcome to
The Braxiatel Collection
The Greatest Collection in the Known Universe
Please note that this is a working document and is not yet approved for public release. Since the Collection is still under construction, information is subject to change. Make sure you have the latest copy
Broderick Naismith (Chief Publicity Relations Officer)
Owned and managed by Irving Braxiatel himself, the Braxiatel Collection is arguably the finest and most extensive collection in the known universe. 'Collection of what?' is an invalid question. It is a collection of everything.
The various departments of the Braxiatel Collection house antique artefacts, literature, playscripts, recordings of events and people and performances, geological specimens, software and hardware of days gone by... Imagine the combined collections of every museum, gallery and archive you can think of and you have an idea of perhaps one tenth of the contents of the Braxiatel Collection.
It is rumoured that Braxiatel has a whole gallery devoted to Deauxob of Glanatanus; that Howard Carter's original note books from the Tutankhamen expedition have a small space on a long shelf in the Archaeology Archives. Somewhere in a dust-covered specimen cabinet, it is suggested that Braxiatel has a complete manuscript (some even say the original manuscript) of Stanoff Osterling's lost play The Good Soldier. These claims - and countless others - are of course outrageous. But once you have been privileged enough to visit the Collection, like those who have come before, you will find it easy to believe them all.
A permanent home for the Braxiatel Collection is currently under construction on a small planetoid formerly designated KS-159. The planetoid is now known as the Braxiatel Collection (or sometimes just 'Braxiatel'). Gravity, you will be pleased to note, is kept at 1.0 Earth Normal (1EN).
It is rumoured that Irving Braxiatel won the planetoid at cards on Vega Station. Like most rumours about Braxiatel himself, this is entirely true.
One rumour that has never been substantiated, however, is that the fabled Oracle of the Lost is situated on the planetoid. It is said that Braxiatel has preserved the excavated ruins of the Temple of the Lost within one of the outbuildings - possibly the Small Trianon (which is out of bounds to all visitors).
Visiting the Braxiatel Collection
Once the Collection's permanent home is complete, then it may be opened to the general public. But for the foreseeable future, visitors are accepted by personal (and privileged) invitation only. You are indeed one of an extremely privileged few to be allowed access to the Collection.
To qualify for a personal invitation to the Braxiatel Collection you will probably fall into one of the following categories:
→ Noted academic from a long-established institution of good repute
→ Someone who has been able to make a donation to the Collection in the past, or who has something to offer now
→ Someone substantially involved in one of the many research missions throughout space sponsored directly by the Braxiatel Collection. (Note that the only condition attached to such a grant should it be forthcoming is that the findings - both theories and raw data - be returned for storage at the Braxiatel Collection.)
Security
Your plasti-disc invitation is also your security pass for the Braxiatel Collection. Do not lose it.
The disc is a small round piece of pink plastic, about the size and weight of a ₤2 coin from old twenty-first century Britain. The disc is keyed to your personal bio-emissions so you cannot give it to someone else, and you can only use your own disc. If you have your disc in close proximity to your body (in a pocket or handbag, for example) it will use the energy from the electrical field of your body to determine that you are who you are supposed to be and signal doors to open as appropriate. Note that the disc also knows your security clearance level, so will not open doors to areas where you are not permitted access.
If you should lose your plasti-disc, you will need to apply to Ms Jones (Admin Facility) for a replacement.
Should you wish to know just how inconvenient it is to be without your disc, ask Professor Bernice Summerfield - who seems to mislay her plasti-disc with tiresome regularity.
When You Arrive
You will arrive at the Braxiatel Collection's Reception Area. Here your plasti-disc invitation will be checked (as it was before boarding one of the shuttles that service the Collection) by a Receptionist cum Security Officer. (Note: Ahh, so that's why I thought Brax would use 'cum' in the etymologically-correct way with a straight face.) You will then be directed to Local Transportation to the main Collection.
But spare a moment when you arrive to admire the view through the huge picture window opposite the Reception Desk. This gives a view out over the ornamental gardens towards the Mainsionhouse - the main building (and Irving Braxiatel's private residence). Note in particular the terraces stretching into the distance - the curvature of the planetoid is such that they seem to drop away ever steeper until they disappear from sight, the sculpted waterfalls spraying their last cascades out over the edge of the world.
The Mansionhouse and its grounds have been based on the ancient Terran (local ref: France) Palace of Versailles. But it is commonly acknowledged that if Louis XIV could have seen what Braxiatel has accomplished he would have sacked his architects and landscapers and started again.
Transportation
Depending on which Department you are visiting, or if you want to check into your accommodation in 'The Hamlet' at the edge of the gardens, you have a choice of transports.
The Braxiatel planetoid is not big. Its circumference is approximately ten miles, and so it is possible to walk to any location as it is only a maximum of five miles away. Some people enjoy the walk out of the back entrance to the Mansionhouse, round the entire planetoid in a straight line, and arriving back at the main entrance - a bit like Alice when she goes through the looking glass.
But for those who do not have the time or the inclination, there are horse and carriages available (for main route only), or you can ride in one of the state of the art Ormand-Seltec Flyers. You will spot them on their designated pads. Be careful to avoid the overhead rotors when boarding.
Departments
There are so many Departments at the Braxiatel Collection that it would take too much space to list them all. But here is a brief summary of the more 'mainstream' departments and where they can be found:
Mansionhouse
Archaeology, History/Historiography, Theatrology, Literature, Art and Art History, Administration
Grand Trianon
Biology and Genetics, Psychology and Psi-sciences, Communication
Great Stables
Forensic Science, Software, Technology Innovation
Small Stables
Physical Science, Vehicles, Social Sciences
You will find that the Archaeology Department is typical of most. It occupies one of the biggest areas in the Mansionhouse.
The main concourse is approximately 100 metres long and ten metres wide. It is modelled loosely on the Hall of Battles at Versailles. (Note: That would be this.) The polished floor seems to go on forever beneath a ceiling which curves up to a glass roof. The sunlight shines in bands between the leading and soaks one side of the concourse yellow. The sides of the concourse are lined from floor to ceiling with shelves. Each shelf is meticulously bar-coded and struggles to hold the weight of the documents, discs, optical spheres and other storage media jammed into it.
At intervals across the width of the room are pillared partitions with wooden desks against them. Here those researchers lucky enough to be granted access to the Collection may work in silence, lost deep in piles of paper and storage media or engross in the graphics and read-outs which play across the desktop terminals. There are holographic simulation suites off the main concourse, as well as secondary storage facilities, 'personal facilities' and a small room where the Archivist of duty may make tea.
Those Departments situated in the buildings other than the Mansionhouse tend to have less lavish surroundings, but the general facilities remain similar. Each department is tended by an Archivist who checks researchers have valid invitation discs and helps with retrieving materials on request.
But please be aware that while construction continues, staff may not always be on hand to help. Do keep your plasti-disc with you at all times as without it you cannot open the doors (see the section on Security above).
Note: At the bottom I gave information about some of the other departments in the Collection - like the Repository of the Improbable. There are some other details there which I picked up through reading and listening to the books and audios respectively, but this is my all-time favourite detail about the Braxiatel Collection: the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is etched in miniature on the urinals.
The Hamlet
The Hamlet is a small 'village' of accommodation situated on the banks of the Great Trianon lake, three miles North East (seven miles South East) of the Mansionhouse. This is where you will stay if your invitation extends overnight (there is a day/night cycle corresponding to Earth Normal). You will find that the Hamlet is a 'fairytale' collection of cottages. Most of these cottages are thatched and comprise two storeys. A notable exception is the Mill which has its own ornamental waterwheel (or rather, it will when it's finished and the teething problems with the gravimetric induction motor are sorted out).
Restaurant facilities are available in the Dairy and there is a wine bar called 'The Caretaker's Cottage' which offers an assortment of beers, wines, liquors, milk shakes and bar snacks.
Other facilities are under construction/repair.
Note: This is a picture I took (no scanner, woe) of the map of the Mansionhouse. It is three floors: ground floor, first floor, and attic. Brax is on the first floor. Benny lives on the ground floor. The rooms occasionally like to move around and sometimes decide to be bigger on the inside than on the outside. I made a typo: what I wrote as Anthropology is actually the Archaeology department, but I was too lazy to fix it.
The Mansionhouse
Some visitors are accommodated as personal guests of Irving Braxiatel within the Mansionhouse itself. But you won't be one of those.
The Mansionhouse is modelled on the main Chateau of the Palace of Versailles. It contains several of the Collection's 'Departments' (see above). Aside from these Departments, the Mansionhouse is not generally accessible to visitors and includes the private accommodation of Irving Braxiatel and his personal staff. There are three storeys - ground, first floor and attic.
Just so you know what you are missing, some details of the interior not generally accessible are given here:
The Hall of Mirrors
Situated along the back of the first floor of the Mansionhouse, with its ceiling reaching into the attic storey, this is used as a dining room for Braxiatel's personal guests (for example, Professor Summerfield).
The view through each of the seventeen large arched windows is almost identical. They give out on to the ornamental gardens to the south of the Mansionhouse, and behind that a huge planet with magnificently brightly-coloured rings hands low over the horizon. The spectacular view is reflected in each of the seventeen mirrors that fill the arches which themselves mirror the windows.
The ceiling is covered with richly-covered old paintings in the Earth classical style to match the rest of the architecture. The polished wood of the floor reflects the clear bright light from the twenty crystal chandeliers that hang low from the vaulted ceiling. Stretching up as if to meet the chandeliers are a dozen women and a dozen children, fashioned from bronze and holding torches aloft. The ends of the torches become a tray of candles, the flames flickering and reflecting in the windows, the mirrors, the chandeliers and the polished forms of the lamp bearers themselves. The arches of the mirrored alcoves and the windows are ornamented with a round symbol, a disc filled with swirling embossed lines. This is a deviation from the original Hall of Mirrors at Versailles where the sun and lion skin emblem of Louis XIV was used.
Note: It has basically been confirmed that this IS the original Hall of Mirrors. And yes, he does have the salon de la guerre and the salon de la paix at either side.
Irving Braxiatel's Study
On the first floor, in the very middle of the Mansionhouse. The walls of Braxiatel's study are inlaid marble, the floor flagged with stone. The ceiling is covered with a perfect replica of The Supremacy of Venus - the goddess sitting amongst the clouds surrounded by cherubs and maidens. In the centre of the large room stands his mahogany writing desk, on it usually lies a heavy silver fountain pen. At the front of the desk is a small plaque which reads 'Custodian of the Library of St John the Beheaded.'
Along each wall are alcoves. In several stand statues of Leviathan Graffs in full ceremonial armour. Others are empty, the walls blank, awaiting paintings of parts of the grounds that have yet to be created. Once painted, these will be to make up for the lack of windows. The room is deep within the Mansionhouse - not overlooked, and it is of course completely shielded.
Note: By later parts of canon, the paintings are complete.
Against one wall is a plush leather sofa. A door beside the sofa leads into Braxiatel's living quarters.
The Main Staircase
The staircase itself is as impressive as the other parts of the building that are actually finished. It is constructed out of different coloured marble. Slabs, steps and balustrades are all marble. Red and white stone, veined through with white, black and blue lead down to the hallway below. With painted panels and false-perspective landscapes adorning the walls, it is an awe-inspiring sight.
The VIP Suite
Currently occupied by a permanent guest, Professor Bernice Summerfield. It comprises a bedroom, study, and kitchenette and bathroom facilities. It is on the ground floor of the Mansionhouse.
The study is more like a large lounge. The walls are lined with red silk and hung with portraits framed with heavy gilt and an ornate harastian wall mirror behind the desk. One wall is dominated by a huge marble fireplace, another almost entirely taken up with a bay window overlooking the main lawn as it slopes away from the Mansionhouse. The desk faces this window.
The deep rug runs almost to the sides of the room, the onyx floor visible as a margin round the edge. There is a huge, gilt chandelier.
The bedroom is dominated by a large four-poster bed. The floor is rumoured to be marble, but it has not been seen since it was completed as it is covered with personal belongings, discarded diaries, a rucksack and items of dirty laundry.
There is a Simularity Chamber off the study, though for some reason this is currently used to store crates of Craxatonian Chardonnay.
The Theatre
There is a large Theatre at the East edge of the Mansionhouse. It rises through all three storeys. There is a proscenium arch stage, and real enactments as well as simulated performances are given here. Attendance is strictly by invitation.
The Grand Trianon
The Grand Trianon is equidistant from the Mansionhouse both to the North and South. It is an impressive, largely rectangular building of stone and marble with a pillared frontage. The pillars are veined red marble.
The Small Trianon
Entry to the Small Trianon is strictly forbidden.
(Note: Under the Small Trianon is the Temple of the Lost, which Tears of the Oracle describes as follows:
It was classical in design - Gredo-Roman in appearance. The original building had been a mass of pillars, not unlike the Acropolis, Benny thought. And it was enormous.
Now there was an outline of the original structure, defined by the pillars that were still standing in their entirety - holding up what remained of the roof. The rest of the pillars, and the remains of the roof and fallen walls, were tumbled and strewn across the barren top shelf of rock on which the temple was built.
[...]
The temple stonework had fared less well, Benny could see as they approached. It was once carved with inscriptions and bas-reliefs. It had once been festooned (if that was the right word) with statuary and shone brilliant white like ivory. There were hints of that still, but now the stonework was cracked, the colour faded, the carvings worn smooth by time and the relentless, inexorable attention of the elements.
The Oracle is at the back of the temple, Brax reaches about up to her knee. The Oracle, made of gold, robed in white, and seated on stone, is described as such:
Apart from her size, she was incredibly lifelike. The contours of her face, the way the simple white dress was sculpted over her golden form, the slightly amused twist to the mouth, the arm uplifted as if in greeting and the cloth of the sleeve that hung down from it, all were sculpted to beautiful perfection. Even the strands of her golden hair falling over her bare shoulders seemed individually exact. Her beauty seemed to have withstood the ravages of time and stood firm against the elements which had ruined the temple and toppled its ornate pillars. She was unblemished, flawless.
When she speaks, it is like this:
The eyes seemed to acquire a sheen, a glow almost, as the huge head angled slightly, looking down at them. A few strands of golden hair fell forward off the shoulders. Her voice was almost musical, loud yet soft.
.)
The Great Stables and the Small Stables
Details to follow... See above for a list of Departments within these areas.
The Grounds and Gardens
This map below is included as a rough guide to the Braxiatel Collection. Since it is still under construction, please be aware that details may be inaccurate or may change without warning.
Note: I couldn't get a full picture of the main map of the Collection that gave much detail. These are the two best pictures, who have a major amount of overlap. I've also typed up the legend.
Legend:
1. Mansionhouse
2.Grand Trianon
3.Great Stables
4.Small Stables
5.Spaceport
6. Hamlet
7.Grand Trianon Lake
8.Small Trianon
9.Garden of Whispers
10.Summer House
11. Avenue of Fountains
12.Library
13.Mill
14.Dairy
15.Aina Gallery
16. Department of Acquisitional Ethics
17.'The Caretaker's Cottage'
18.The Chateau
The design of the smaller buildings in the grounds (such as the Summer House in the Garden of Whispers) is by the famous Dupok, who created holographic models of all the buildings for the construction teams to work from.
It is obviously impractical to describe the entire grounds and gardens, especially as much is still being landscaped. But among the complete areas that you should consider visiting are:
Garden of Whispers
This is one of the most impressive areas of the grounds. It is situated on the north east of the Grand Trianon (between it and the Small Trianon). The centrepiece is a small lake over which willows weep and oak trees tower. A perfect lawn stretches beyond the trees, bounded by the central driveway to one side and high hedges backing on the parterres of the Small Trianon on the other.
There are statues - humanoid figures - positioned throughout the garden. Several line up along the hedge, facing back towards the Mansionhouse, the roof of which is just visible gleaming above the foreshortened horizon.
At the far side of the lake, raised on a vantage point is the Summer House. Three shallow steps lead up into the Summer House. Stone caryatids that rise to a domed roof serve as the only walls. Inside the Summer House can be seen another figure posed and immobile, as if some of the statuary that hides amongst the trees has crept inside to admire the view. This is Mandrine (pronounced Man-dry-nee), the Archalite goddess of plenty (it says so on the plinth).
Every single statue is actually visible from the Summer House. There are forty-seven in all. The Summer House is also the best place to hear the whispers. The 'whispers' is actually the wind picking its way through the willow trees and playing on the lake's surface (not real wind, of course).
The Avenue of Fountains
The Avenue of Fountains runs from the Mansionhouse down towards the Great Trianon. It is a wide avenue, named for the fountains that line either side. At regular intervals there are small pools within which stands the base of a fountain.
Each of the fountains in the avenue looks the same from any point in the avenue. But when you get close enough to see through the curtain of water that cascades down around the central column, you find that each is different from the last and no two designs are repeated. Each fountain has a unique name.
On the east side, for example, the first fountain is 'Cherubs,' the next 'Angels'. The carved shape of the columns reflects the names. 'Neptune' is the first fountain on the west side - entirely in his element hid within the cascading water.
The final fountain on the west side is an uncarved pillar. The stone has been left exactly as it was when it was positioned, waiting forever for the sculptor's chisel. One day, perhaps, it will be a statue like the others - bird, beast, man, creature... but for the moment it is unformed; potential; the real statue still hidden within. This fountain is called 'Future.'
Staff (and others) you may meet
Irving Braxiatel
He is tall and thin, normally dressed immaculately in a light grey suit. His hair is short and dark and his features slightly angular. His eyes are alive with an intensity that is exaggerated by the way they forever flicker to and fro. He has a sarcastic sense of humour, and understates things for effect ('Does this give you a problem?' he might ask when suggesting someone fling themselves into certain death). He does not suffer fools gladly. Actually, he does not suffer fools at all.
Fabulously rich, Braxiatel is a Renaissance Man for the new era. He is well-read, extremely learned an expert in almost everything though in some matters he lacks practical experience.
He is a strategist, and can formulate a plan to deal with anything - however dangerous, ill-advised and convoluted the situation, Braxiatel's plan will put it to shame.
He does have a tendency to miss the details while looking at the big picture - details like how people actually feel about things, for example.
He has built up his collection over the years - probably over the centuries. But how old he really is, whether or not he actually ever ages, is not something that is polite to discuss.
He hugely respects Benny and would die rather than let her come to harm. But there is no way he will ever let her know that.
Benny
Professor Bernice Summerfield is a guest of Irving Braxiatel. Their actual relationship is as ambiguous as that of Steed and Mrs Peel. Certainly there is never any sign of impropriety. But one is left with the impression that things may be different 'back-stage.'
She is currently working (still) on the sequel to her best-selling coffee-table archaeology book Down Among the Dead Men (published originally in 2466, which is never really explained given it is now 2600).
Much has already been written about Benny Summerfield, and there is little point in reproducing it here...
Wolsey
Wolsey is Benny's tabby tomcat. He is putting on a bit of weight now and slowing down. In fact, he's getting a bit lame in his back left leg.
He wears a plasti-disc security tag with his name inscribed on his collar which opens doors for him. It is not uncommon for people new to the Collection to follow Wolsey through a door into a restricted area believing it opens automatically... Only to have it slam in their face. You see, the tag has a mass-detector built in, so carrying Wolsey does not allow people access to any area their own discs won't let them into.
Joseph
Note: I included a picture because Joseph is just that adorable.
Joseph is Benny's personal digital assistant (named 'Joseph' for historical and sentimental reasons). He is a wrist-worn AI computer system linked to the Braxiatel Collection's main scheduling systems. His main task is to act as Benny's calendar/diary, and he is singularly unable to cope with requests that fall outside his AI-limits. He reinterprets everything to fall within that and answers accordingly. So if Benny asks him: 'Want to guess what's for dinner?' he can consult the menu of the day and tell her what she can get from the Braxiatel kitchens and cross-reference this to what she has chosen from similar menus in the past to make a recommendation... Even if she is actually on the other side of the cosmos and making a sarcastic comment about the size of the teeth of the monster that is rapidly approaching through the marsh.
Personality-wise, (and again for historical/sentimental reasons) Joseph has been programmed to be 'dry' and literal. Not surprisingly, he spends most of his time switched off.
Mister Crofton
Mister Crofton is in charge of the grounds and gardens. He is a short, stocky man usually in his shirtsleeves and with a wheelbarrow close by. Think of Roy Kinnear, but with steel grey hair and a bald spot.
He is normally of a humorous and helpful disposition. But omit the 'Mister' ahead of his name and he immediately becomes surly and uncooperative. Ms Jones always calls him 'Crofton.'
He tells Benny she may call him Crofton. But in fact she always calls him Mister Crofton. Nobody knows his Christian name, assuming he has one.
Ms Jones
Ms Jones (not Miss or Mrs, note) is in charge of Administration. This includes the construction work and tending the gardens and grounds.
She is a lady of uncertain age and unspecified background. If it seems she has something to hide, it is probably because she does. She is six feet tall and seems almost as wide with grey hair done up in a bun and a reedy voice. She wears horn-rimmed glasses on a chain around her neck and woe-betide you if she has cause to put them on... Think of Maureen Lipman as Beattie but aged a little more and with 'attitude.'
The only person who is not intimated by Ms Jones is Benny. And, perhaps because of this, the two of them get along famously. Braxiatel, by contrast, is terrified of her and has as little contact as possible. One reason why Ms Jones is so important to the running of the Braxiatel Collection is that Braxiatel has never dared to say 'no' when she suggests acquiring influence in some new area.
Ms Jones is very much of the opinion that Braxiatel and his set-up are extremely lucky to have her services, and she wastes no opportunity to let people know this.
Adrian Wall
Adrian Wall is the construction manager. He is in charge of all the ongoing work at Braxiatel and reports to Ms Jones. Like most of his workforce, Wall is a Killoran - a seven foot tall cross between an ape and an upright wolf complete with huge fangs, hairy snout and claws. They can't half shift bricks.
The Killoran language consists mainly of snarls and grunts, so for ease they all take a human-pronounceable name when they learn to communicate with other races. In keeping with their aristocratic and macho nature, they tend to go for famous warrior figures from the past. Emperors and generals are a favourite, and Wall has a Julius Seezer and an Alexander Thegrate working for him. Wall took his own name early in his studies from the Roman Emperor he believes was responsible for the defensive measures established between England and Scotland. Neither Benny nor Braxiatel have the heart to explain the truth to Adrian Wall.
As you would expect, he too is terrified of Ms Jones.
Broderick Naismith
Broderick Naismith is the Braxiatel Collection's Chief Publicity Relations Officer. He is responsible for marketing materials, advertising, promotion, guide books and materials and all the notices. While Braxiatel is often detained at a meeting with Naismith, or has to leave to attend one, nobody else ever meets him. Who knows, one day perhaps he will appear as a character (or a computer, or an excuse of Braxiatel's...)
Extra Stuff These are miscellaneous details I picked up in my reading.
After the Fifth Axis Invasion, Cafe Vosta was added to the Hamlet.
Brax has a very nice multifaith chapel which comes in useful for various ceremonies held there. He has the Great Library, which is freaking huge, and a film library. The film library is also huge, which a massive main room filled completely wish shelves. The shelves are pretty swish; you hit a button and the shelf you need will come down to you. The ceiling of the film library is hard to see from the floor and it's also difficult to see down to the end of the hall. The Observatory is a clear dome, diameter of a kilometre. The Repository of the Improbable is ruled by R.F. Wilburton, associate curator. (R.F. Wilburton got caught in a Markov chain, poor guy. This means that while he isn't invisible, no one can manage to directly look at him. The universe conspires to keep it from happening.) The Repository of the Improbable is designed to look like the home of an eighteenth century Royal Society. It may or may not actually be exactly that, picked up and dropped off the Collection for Brax's personal aesthetic tastes. The Repository of the Improbable holds various objects that are possibly hoaxes, but they may actually be real archaeological finds, so Brax keeps them.
Brax has the Pyrite Chambers, the Topological Vivaria, and the Skin Arboretum, whatever that means. He has a gallery devoted to the Deauxob of Glanatanus. In all of the guest rooms, there are Rembrandt originals on the walls, and the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is etched in miniature on the urinals. There are several other departments and buildings, most of which house some parts of Brax's Collection. They're all very big, very nicely designed, and very well-secured.
Curiously enough, there is a great disparity between the size of the planetoid, which is not that big, and the size of the Collection itself, which is gigantic. One may suspect that some of the buildings are dimensionally transcendental.
Oh, and I kept all the punctuation. If there's a grammatical error, it's their fault, not mine.
Welcome to
The Braxiatel Collection
The Greatest Collection in the Known Universe
Please note that this is a working document and is not yet approved for public release. Since the Collection is still under construction, information is subject to change. Make sure you have the latest copy
Broderick Naismith (Chief Publicity Relations Officer)
Owned and managed by Irving Braxiatel himself, the Braxiatel Collection is arguably the finest and most extensive collection in the known universe. 'Collection of what?' is an invalid question. It is a collection of everything.
The various departments of the Braxiatel Collection house antique artefacts, literature, playscripts, recordings of events and people and performances, geological specimens, software and hardware of days gone by... Imagine the combined collections of every museum, gallery and archive you can think of and you have an idea of perhaps one tenth of the contents of the Braxiatel Collection.
It is rumoured that Braxiatel has a whole gallery devoted to Deauxob of Glanatanus; that Howard Carter's original note books from the Tutankhamen expedition have a small space on a long shelf in the Archaeology Archives. Somewhere in a dust-covered specimen cabinet, it is suggested that Braxiatel has a complete manuscript (some even say the original manuscript) of Stanoff Osterling's lost play The Good Soldier. These claims - and countless others - are of course outrageous. But once you have been privileged enough to visit the Collection, like those who have come before, you will find it easy to believe them all.
A permanent home for the Braxiatel Collection is currently under construction on a small planetoid formerly designated KS-159. The planetoid is now known as the Braxiatel Collection (or sometimes just 'Braxiatel'). Gravity, you will be pleased to note, is kept at 1.0 Earth Normal (1EN).
It is rumoured that Irving Braxiatel won the planetoid at cards on Vega Station. Like most rumours about Braxiatel himself, this is entirely true.
One rumour that has never been substantiated, however, is that the fabled Oracle of the Lost is situated on the planetoid. It is said that Braxiatel has preserved the excavated ruins of the Temple of the Lost within one of the outbuildings - possibly the Small Trianon (which is out of bounds to all visitors).
Visiting the Braxiatel Collection
Once the Collection's permanent home is complete, then it may be opened to the general public. But for the foreseeable future, visitors are accepted by personal (and privileged) invitation only. You are indeed one of an extremely privileged few to be allowed access to the Collection.
To qualify for a personal invitation to the Braxiatel Collection you will probably fall into one of the following categories:
→ Noted academic from a long-established institution of good repute
→ Someone who has been able to make a donation to the Collection in the past, or who has something to offer now
→ Someone substantially involved in one of the many research missions throughout space sponsored directly by the Braxiatel Collection. (Note that the only condition attached to such a grant should it be forthcoming is that the findings - both theories and raw data - be returned for storage at the Braxiatel Collection.)
Security
Your plasti-disc invitation is also your security pass for the Braxiatel Collection. Do not lose it.
The disc is a small round piece of pink plastic, about the size and weight of a ₤2 coin from old twenty-first century Britain. The disc is keyed to your personal bio-emissions so you cannot give it to someone else, and you can only use your own disc. If you have your disc in close proximity to your body (in a pocket or handbag, for example) it will use the energy from the electrical field of your body to determine that you are who you are supposed to be and signal doors to open as appropriate. Note that the disc also knows your security clearance level, so will not open doors to areas where you are not permitted access.
If you should lose your plasti-disc, you will need to apply to Ms Jones (Admin Facility) for a replacement.
Should you wish to know just how inconvenient it is to be without your disc, ask Professor Bernice Summerfield - who seems to mislay her plasti-disc with tiresome regularity.
When You Arrive
You will arrive at the Braxiatel Collection's Reception Area. Here your plasti-disc invitation will be checked (as it was before boarding one of the shuttles that service the Collection) by a Receptionist cum Security Officer. (Note: Ahh, so that's why I thought Brax would use 'cum' in the etymologically-correct way with a straight face.) You will then be directed to Local Transportation to the main Collection.
But spare a moment when you arrive to admire the view through the huge picture window opposite the Reception Desk. This gives a view out over the ornamental gardens towards the Mainsionhouse - the main building (and Irving Braxiatel's private residence). Note in particular the terraces stretching into the distance - the curvature of the planetoid is such that they seem to drop away ever steeper until they disappear from sight, the sculpted waterfalls spraying their last cascades out over the edge of the world.
The Mansionhouse and its grounds have been based on the ancient Terran (local ref: France) Palace of Versailles. But it is commonly acknowledged that if Louis XIV could have seen what Braxiatel has accomplished he would have sacked his architects and landscapers and started again.
Transportation
Depending on which Department you are visiting, or if you want to check into your accommodation in 'The Hamlet' at the edge of the gardens, you have a choice of transports.
The Braxiatel planetoid is not big. Its circumference is approximately ten miles, and so it is possible to walk to any location as it is only a maximum of five miles away. Some people enjoy the walk out of the back entrance to the Mansionhouse, round the entire planetoid in a straight line, and arriving back at the main entrance - a bit like Alice when she goes through the looking glass.
But for those who do not have the time or the inclination, there are horse and carriages available (for main route only), or you can ride in one of the state of the art Ormand-Seltec Flyers. You will spot them on their designated pads. Be careful to avoid the overhead rotors when boarding.
Departments
There are so many Departments at the Braxiatel Collection that it would take too much space to list them all. But here is a brief summary of the more 'mainstream' departments and where they can be found:
Mansionhouse
Archaeology, History/Historiography, Theatrology, Literature, Art and Art History, Administration
Grand Trianon
Biology and Genetics, Psychology and Psi-sciences, Communication
Great Stables
Forensic Science, Software, Technology Innovation
Small Stables
Physical Science, Vehicles, Social Sciences
You will find that the Archaeology Department is typical of most. It occupies one of the biggest areas in the Mansionhouse.
The main concourse is approximately 100 metres long and ten metres wide. It is modelled loosely on the Hall of Battles at Versailles. (Note: That would be this.) The polished floor seems to go on forever beneath a ceiling which curves up to a glass roof. The sunlight shines in bands between the leading and soaks one side of the concourse yellow. The sides of the concourse are lined from floor to ceiling with shelves. Each shelf is meticulously bar-coded and struggles to hold the weight of the documents, discs, optical spheres and other storage media jammed into it.
At intervals across the width of the room are pillared partitions with wooden desks against them. Here those researchers lucky enough to be granted access to the Collection may work in silence, lost deep in piles of paper and storage media or engross in the graphics and read-outs which play across the desktop terminals. There are holographic simulation suites off the main concourse, as well as secondary storage facilities, 'personal facilities' and a small room where the Archivist of duty may make tea.
Those Departments situated in the buildings other than the Mansionhouse tend to have less lavish surroundings, but the general facilities remain similar. Each department is tended by an Archivist who checks researchers have valid invitation discs and helps with retrieving materials on request.
But please be aware that while construction continues, staff may not always be on hand to help. Do keep your plasti-disc with you at all times as without it you cannot open the doors (see the section on Security above).
Note: At the bottom I gave information about some of the other departments in the Collection - like the Repository of the Improbable. There are some other details there which I picked up through reading and listening to the books and audios respectively, but this is my all-time favourite detail about the Braxiatel Collection: the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is etched in miniature on the urinals.
The Hamlet
The Hamlet is a small 'village' of accommodation situated on the banks of the Great Trianon lake, three miles North East (seven miles South East) of the Mansionhouse. This is where you will stay if your invitation extends overnight (there is a day/night cycle corresponding to Earth Normal). You will find that the Hamlet is a 'fairytale' collection of cottages. Most of these cottages are thatched and comprise two storeys. A notable exception is the Mill which has its own ornamental waterwheel (or rather, it will when it's finished and the teething problems with the gravimetric induction motor are sorted out).
Restaurant facilities are available in the Dairy and there is a wine bar called 'The Caretaker's Cottage' which offers an assortment of beers, wines, liquors, milk shakes and bar snacks.
Other facilities are under construction/repair.
Note: This is a picture I took (no scanner, woe) of the map of the Mansionhouse. It is three floors: ground floor, first floor, and attic. Brax is on the first floor. Benny lives on the ground floor. The rooms occasionally like to move around and sometimes decide to be bigger on the inside than on the outside. I made a typo: what I wrote as Anthropology is actually the Archaeology department, but I was too lazy to fix it.
The Mansionhouse
Some visitors are accommodated as personal guests of Irving Braxiatel within the Mansionhouse itself. But you won't be one of those.
The Mansionhouse is modelled on the main Chateau of the Palace of Versailles. It contains several of the Collection's 'Departments' (see above). Aside from these Departments, the Mansionhouse is not generally accessible to visitors and includes the private accommodation of Irving Braxiatel and his personal staff. There are three storeys - ground, first floor and attic.
Just so you know what you are missing, some details of the interior not generally accessible are given here:
The Hall of Mirrors
Situated along the back of the first floor of the Mansionhouse, with its ceiling reaching into the attic storey, this is used as a dining room for Braxiatel's personal guests (for example, Professor Summerfield).
The view through each of the seventeen large arched windows is almost identical. They give out on to the ornamental gardens to the south of the Mansionhouse, and behind that a huge planet with magnificently brightly-coloured rings hands low over the horizon. The spectacular view is reflected in each of the seventeen mirrors that fill the arches which themselves mirror the windows.
The ceiling is covered with richly-covered old paintings in the Earth classical style to match the rest of the architecture. The polished wood of the floor reflects the clear bright light from the twenty crystal chandeliers that hang low from the vaulted ceiling. Stretching up as if to meet the chandeliers are a dozen women and a dozen children, fashioned from bronze and holding torches aloft. The ends of the torches become a tray of candles, the flames flickering and reflecting in the windows, the mirrors, the chandeliers and the polished forms of the lamp bearers themselves. The arches of the mirrored alcoves and the windows are ornamented with a round symbol, a disc filled with swirling embossed lines. This is a deviation from the original Hall of Mirrors at Versailles where the sun and lion skin emblem of Louis XIV was used.
Note: It has basically been confirmed that this IS the original Hall of Mirrors. And yes, he does have the salon de la guerre and the salon de la paix at either side.
Irving Braxiatel's Study
On the first floor, in the very middle of the Mansionhouse. The walls of Braxiatel's study are inlaid marble, the floor flagged with stone. The ceiling is covered with a perfect replica of The Supremacy of Venus - the goddess sitting amongst the clouds surrounded by cherubs and maidens. In the centre of the large room stands his mahogany writing desk, on it usually lies a heavy silver fountain pen. At the front of the desk is a small plaque which reads 'Custodian of the Library of St John the Beheaded.'
Along each wall are alcoves. In several stand statues of Leviathan Graffs in full ceremonial armour. Others are empty, the walls blank, awaiting paintings of parts of the grounds that have yet to be created. Once painted, these will be to make up for the lack of windows. The room is deep within the Mansionhouse - not overlooked, and it is of course completely shielded.
Note: By later parts of canon, the paintings are complete.
Against one wall is a plush leather sofa. A door beside the sofa leads into Braxiatel's living quarters.
The Main Staircase
The staircase itself is as impressive as the other parts of the building that are actually finished. It is constructed out of different coloured marble. Slabs, steps and balustrades are all marble. Red and white stone, veined through with white, black and blue lead down to the hallway below. With painted panels and false-perspective landscapes adorning the walls, it is an awe-inspiring sight.
The VIP Suite
Currently occupied by a permanent guest, Professor Bernice Summerfield. It comprises a bedroom, study, and kitchenette and bathroom facilities. It is on the ground floor of the Mansionhouse.
The study is more like a large lounge. The walls are lined with red silk and hung with portraits framed with heavy gilt and an ornate harastian wall mirror behind the desk. One wall is dominated by a huge marble fireplace, another almost entirely taken up with a bay window overlooking the main lawn as it slopes away from the Mansionhouse. The desk faces this window.
The deep rug runs almost to the sides of the room, the onyx floor visible as a margin round the edge. There is a huge, gilt chandelier.
The bedroom is dominated by a large four-poster bed. The floor is rumoured to be marble, but it has not been seen since it was completed as it is covered with personal belongings, discarded diaries, a rucksack and items of dirty laundry.
There is a Simularity Chamber off the study, though for some reason this is currently used to store crates of Craxatonian Chardonnay.
The Theatre
There is a large Theatre at the East edge of the Mansionhouse. It rises through all three storeys. There is a proscenium arch stage, and real enactments as well as simulated performances are given here. Attendance is strictly by invitation.
The Grand Trianon
The Grand Trianon is equidistant from the Mansionhouse both to the North and South. It is an impressive, largely rectangular building of stone and marble with a pillared frontage. The pillars are veined red marble.
The Small Trianon
Entry to the Small Trianon is strictly forbidden.
(Note: Under the Small Trianon is the Temple of the Lost, which Tears of the Oracle describes as follows:
It was classical in design - Gredo-Roman in appearance. The original building had been a mass of pillars, not unlike the Acropolis, Benny thought. And it was enormous.
Now there was an outline of the original structure, defined by the pillars that were still standing in their entirety - holding up what remained of the roof. The rest of the pillars, and the remains of the roof and fallen walls, were tumbled and strewn across the barren top shelf of rock on which the temple was built.
[...]
The temple stonework had fared less well, Benny could see as they approached. It was once carved with inscriptions and bas-reliefs. It had once been festooned (if that was the right word) with statuary and shone brilliant white like ivory. There were hints of that still, but now the stonework was cracked, the colour faded, the carvings worn smooth by time and the relentless, inexorable attention of the elements.
The Oracle is at the back of the temple, Brax reaches about up to her knee. The Oracle, made of gold, robed in white, and seated on stone, is described as such:
Apart from her size, she was incredibly lifelike. The contours of her face, the way the simple white dress was sculpted over her golden form, the slightly amused twist to the mouth, the arm uplifted as if in greeting and the cloth of the sleeve that hung down from it, all were sculpted to beautiful perfection. Even the strands of her golden hair falling over her bare shoulders seemed individually exact. Her beauty seemed to have withstood the ravages of time and stood firm against the elements which had ruined the temple and toppled its ornate pillars. She was unblemished, flawless.
When she speaks, it is like this:
The eyes seemed to acquire a sheen, a glow almost, as the huge head angled slightly, looking down at them. A few strands of golden hair fell forward off the shoulders. Her voice was almost musical, loud yet soft.
.)
The Great Stables and the Small Stables
Details to follow... See above for a list of Departments within these areas.
The Grounds and Gardens
This map below is included as a rough guide to the Braxiatel Collection. Since it is still under construction, please be aware that details may be inaccurate or may change without warning.
Note: I couldn't get a full picture of the main map of the Collection that gave much detail. These are the two best pictures, who have a major amount of overlap. I've also typed up the legend.
Legend:
1. Mansionhouse
2.Grand Trianon
3.Great Stables
4.Small Stables
5.Spaceport
6. Hamlet
7.Grand Trianon Lake
8.Small Trianon
9.Garden of Whispers
10.Summer House
11. Avenue of Fountains
12.Library
13.Mill
14.Dairy
15.Aina Gallery
16. Department of Acquisitional Ethics
17.'The Caretaker's Cottage'
18.The Chateau
The design of the smaller buildings in the grounds (such as the Summer House in the Garden of Whispers) is by the famous Dupok, who created holographic models of all the buildings for the construction teams to work from.
It is obviously impractical to describe the entire grounds and gardens, especially as much is still being landscaped. But among the complete areas that you should consider visiting are:
Garden of Whispers
This is one of the most impressive areas of the grounds. It is situated on the north east of the Grand Trianon (between it and the Small Trianon). The centrepiece is a small lake over which willows weep and oak trees tower. A perfect lawn stretches beyond the trees, bounded by the central driveway to one side and high hedges backing on the parterres of the Small Trianon on the other.
There are statues - humanoid figures - positioned throughout the garden. Several line up along the hedge, facing back towards the Mansionhouse, the roof of which is just visible gleaming above the foreshortened horizon.
At the far side of the lake, raised on a vantage point is the Summer House. Three shallow steps lead up into the Summer House. Stone caryatids that rise to a domed roof serve as the only walls. Inside the Summer House can be seen another figure posed and immobile, as if some of the statuary that hides amongst the trees has crept inside to admire the view. This is Mandrine (pronounced Man-dry-nee), the Archalite goddess of plenty (it says so on the plinth).
Every single statue is actually visible from the Summer House. There are forty-seven in all. The Summer House is also the best place to hear the whispers. The 'whispers' is actually the wind picking its way through the willow trees and playing on the lake's surface (not real wind, of course).
The Avenue of Fountains
The Avenue of Fountains runs from the Mansionhouse down towards the Great Trianon. It is a wide avenue, named for the fountains that line either side. At regular intervals there are small pools within which stands the base of a fountain.
Each of the fountains in the avenue looks the same from any point in the avenue. But when you get close enough to see through the curtain of water that cascades down around the central column, you find that each is different from the last and no two designs are repeated. Each fountain has a unique name.
On the east side, for example, the first fountain is 'Cherubs,' the next 'Angels'. The carved shape of the columns reflects the names. 'Neptune' is the first fountain on the west side - entirely in his element hid within the cascading water.
The final fountain on the west side is an uncarved pillar. The stone has been left exactly as it was when it was positioned, waiting forever for the sculptor's chisel. One day, perhaps, it will be a statue like the others - bird, beast, man, creature... but for the moment it is unformed; potential; the real statue still hidden within. This fountain is called 'Future.'
Staff (and others) you may meet
Irving Braxiatel
He is tall and thin, normally dressed immaculately in a light grey suit. His hair is short and dark and his features slightly angular. His eyes are alive with an intensity that is exaggerated by the way they forever flicker to and fro. He has a sarcastic sense of humour, and understates things for effect ('Does this give you a problem?' he might ask when suggesting someone fling themselves into certain death). He does not suffer fools gladly. Actually, he does not suffer fools at all.
Fabulously rich, Braxiatel is a Renaissance Man for the new era. He is well-read, extremely learned an expert in almost everything though in some matters he lacks practical experience.
He is a strategist, and can formulate a plan to deal with anything - however dangerous, ill-advised and convoluted the situation, Braxiatel's plan will put it to shame.
He does have a tendency to miss the details while looking at the big picture - details like how people actually feel about things, for example.
He has built up his collection over the years - probably over the centuries. But how old he really is, whether or not he actually ever ages, is not something that is polite to discuss.
He hugely respects Benny and would die rather than let her come to harm. But there is no way he will ever let her know that.
Benny
Professor Bernice Summerfield is a guest of Irving Braxiatel. Their actual relationship is as ambiguous as that of Steed and Mrs Peel. Certainly there is never any sign of impropriety. But one is left with the impression that things may be different 'back-stage.'
She is currently working (still) on the sequel to her best-selling coffee-table archaeology book Down Among the Dead Men (published originally in 2466, which is never really explained given it is now 2600).
Much has already been written about Benny Summerfield, and there is little point in reproducing it here...
Wolsey
Wolsey is Benny's tabby tomcat. He is putting on a bit of weight now and slowing down. In fact, he's getting a bit lame in his back left leg.
He wears a plasti-disc security tag with his name inscribed on his collar which opens doors for him. It is not uncommon for people new to the Collection to follow Wolsey through a door into a restricted area believing it opens automatically... Only to have it slam in their face. You see, the tag has a mass-detector built in, so carrying Wolsey does not allow people access to any area their own discs won't let them into.
Joseph
Note: I included a picture because Joseph is just that adorable.
Joseph is Benny's personal digital assistant (named 'Joseph' for historical and sentimental reasons). He is a wrist-worn AI computer system linked to the Braxiatel Collection's main scheduling systems. His main task is to act as Benny's calendar/diary, and he is singularly unable to cope with requests that fall outside his AI-limits. He reinterprets everything to fall within that and answers accordingly. So if Benny asks him: 'Want to guess what's for dinner?' he can consult the menu of the day and tell her what she can get from the Braxiatel kitchens and cross-reference this to what she has chosen from similar menus in the past to make a recommendation... Even if she is actually on the other side of the cosmos and making a sarcastic comment about the size of the teeth of the monster that is rapidly approaching through the marsh.
Personality-wise, (and again for historical/sentimental reasons) Joseph has been programmed to be 'dry' and literal. Not surprisingly, he spends most of his time switched off.
Mister Crofton
Mister Crofton is in charge of the grounds and gardens. He is a short, stocky man usually in his shirtsleeves and with a wheelbarrow close by. Think of Roy Kinnear, but with steel grey hair and a bald spot.
He is normally of a humorous and helpful disposition. But omit the 'Mister' ahead of his name and he immediately becomes surly and uncooperative. Ms Jones always calls him 'Crofton.'
He tells Benny she may call him Crofton. But in fact she always calls him Mister Crofton. Nobody knows his Christian name, assuming he has one.
Ms Jones
Ms Jones (not Miss or Mrs, note) is in charge of Administration. This includes the construction work and tending the gardens and grounds.
She is a lady of uncertain age and unspecified background. If it seems she has something to hide, it is probably because she does. She is six feet tall and seems almost as wide with grey hair done up in a bun and a reedy voice. She wears horn-rimmed glasses on a chain around her neck and woe-betide you if she has cause to put them on... Think of Maureen Lipman as Beattie but aged a little more and with 'attitude.'
The only person who is not intimated by Ms Jones is Benny. And, perhaps because of this, the two of them get along famously. Braxiatel, by contrast, is terrified of her and has as little contact as possible. One reason why Ms Jones is so important to the running of the Braxiatel Collection is that Braxiatel has never dared to say 'no' when she suggests acquiring influence in some new area.
Ms Jones is very much of the opinion that Braxiatel and his set-up are extremely lucky to have her services, and she wastes no opportunity to let people know this.
Adrian Wall
Adrian Wall is the construction manager. He is in charge of all the ongoing work at Braxiatel and reports to Ms Jones. Like most of his workforce, Wall is a Killoran - a seven foot tall cross between an ape and an upright wolf complete with huge fangs, hairy snout and claws. They can't half shift bricks.
The Killoran language consists mainly of snarls and grunts, so for ease they all take a human-pronounceable name when they learn to communicate with other races. In keeping with their aristocratic and macho nature, they tend to go for famous warrior figures from the past. Emperors and generals are a favourite, and Wall has a Julius Seezer and an Alexander Thegrate working for him. Wall took his own name early in his studies from the Roman Emperor he believes was responsible for the defensive measures established between England and Scotland. Neither Benny nor Braxiatel have the heart to explain the truth to Adrian Wall.
As you would expect, he too is terrified of Ms Jones.
Broderick Naismith
Broderick Naismith is the Braxiatel Collection's Chief Publicity Relations Officer. He is responsible for marketing materials, advertising, promotion, guide books and materials and all the notices. While Braxiatel is often detained at a meeting with Naismith, or has to leave to attend one, nobody else ever meets him. Who knows, one day perhaps he will appear as a character (or a computer, or an excuse of Braxiatel's...)
Extra Stuff These are miscellaneous details I picked up in my reading.
After the Fifth Axis Invasion, Cafe Vosta was added to the Hamlet.
Brax has a very nice multifaith chapel which comes in useful for various ceremonies held there. He has the Great Library, which is freaking huge, and a film library. The film library is also huge, which a massive main room filled completely wish shelves. The shelves are pretty swish; you hit a button and the shelf you need will come down to you. The ceiling of the film library is hard to see from the floor and it's also difficult to see down to the end of the hall. The Observatory is a clear dome, diameter of a kilometre. The Repository of the Improbable is ruled by R.F. Wilburton, associate curator. (R.F. Wilburton got caught in a Markov chain, poor guy. This means that while he isn't invisible, no one can manage to directly look at him. The universe conspires to keep it from happening.) The Repository of the Improbable is designed to look like the home of an eighteenth century Royal Society. It may or may not actually be exactly that, picked up and dropped off the Collection for Brax's personal aesthetic tastes. The Repository of the Improbable holds various objects that are possibly hoaxes, but they may actually be real archaeological finds, so Brax keeps them.
Brax has the Pyrite Chambers, the Topological Vivaria, and the Skin Arboretum, whatever that means. He has a gallery devoted to the Deauxob of Glanatanus. In all of the guest rooms, there are Rembrandt originals on the walls, and the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is etched in miniature on the urinals. There are several other departments and buildings, most of which house some parts of Brax's Collection. They're all very big, very nicely designed, and very well-secured.
Curiously enough, there is a great disparity between the size of the planetoid, which is not that big, and the size of the Collection itself, which is gigantic. One may suspect that some of the buildings are dimensionally transcendental.