by Rai Aren
Khamir had been their foreman on the site at the time. He and Dr. Khadesh had somehow managed to sweep the matter under the rug, which was an astonishing feat considering where the accidental death had happened – at one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. Dr. Khadesh’s authority had come into full effect in the aftermath, and no one was held or charged in the death of the thief, whose death was blamed on a generator malfunction. Mitch, Alex, Jack and Bob were protected as, at the time, he had final say on everything that went on with regards to Egypt’s ancient monuments and artifacts.
The event had, however, badly shaken the four friends. The object had highly unusual characteristics, but once it was proved to be deadly if mishandled, they dared not try to study it on their own any further. They decided they were too far out of their depth, so they reluctantly decided to re-hide it along with the scrolls and crib notes, to keep it all from falling into the wrong hands. They suspected that it might be a beacon of some sort, sending out signals once activated. What that ultimately meant, they couldn’t be sure and couldn’t risk taking the time to try and find out. They wouldn’t have had the resources and connections to do it even if they wanted to. And so they left Egypt, terribly disappointed, but keeping their secret in tact.
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Khamir brought out a steaming pot of strong Egyptian coffee. Without a word, he set it on the table, and poured a cup for each of their stunned guests, then quietly took a seat in an armchair near Dr. Khadesh. The room was now filled with tension.
“So who are you really?” Alex asked.
Everyone turned to look at her, surprised by the bold question.
“You know who we are,” Khamir answered.
“No,” Alex replied, shaking her head. “No, we don’t. And until you answer my question, I’m not sure that we can trust you any longer either.”
“Alex,” Mitch whispered as he elbowed her, surprised at her sudden change of tone.
Khamir looked to Khadesh.
Khadesh took a deep breath and stood up.
Bob and Jack looked at him a little warily.
“Like you,” he said walking across the room, “I had long held a belief that there was more to Egypt’s history than the history books stated. Khamir and I have done our own research over the years, and some time ago, we came across the same conclusions you did. We have been guarding this knowledge ever since.”
“Why didn’t you tell us any of this before?” Mitch asked, clearly bothered by what he was hearing. “You knew of our theories, our finds, and helped us anonymously, why not come forth?”
“We could have used the help,” Alex said, growing upset. “We felt alone and scared and unsure of what to do. We needed you.”
“You four are more capable than you give yourselves credit for,” Khadesh said kindly.
“We had to re-hide everything because we didn’t know what else to do,” Alex pressed. “How is that being capable? We left everything behind, all of the discoveries, and we even destroyed our own research so it wouldn’t fall into the wrong hands. We just went home. Do you know how disappointing that was?” Tears were welling up in her eyes.
“I do,” he said, “because Khamir and I have been alone in our roles as guardians for far longer.”
Alex didn’t know what to say.
“So why have neither of you said anything before now?” Jack asked. “Not just to us I mean, but to the archaeological community?”
“For the same reasons you kept it a secret. The world is not ready for such knowledge.”
Jack and Bob looked at each other with suspicion etched on their faces.
“But you are in a position of considerable influence here in Egypt,” Jack ventured. “Wasn’t there something you could have done for us, rather than operate in such secrecy?”
“I am afraid you caught us quite by surprise,” Khamir said.
“What do you mean?” Alex huffed. “You said you had been following our work.”
“Yeah, you said you led us to it,” Mitch added, “because our theories fit the truth. How is that catching you by surprise?”
“The surprise was a certain serendipitous find.” Khamir’s eyes sparkled with delight at the memory.
“The chest…” Alex said, her eyes going wide with the realization. “Of course. It all makes sense now.”
“Yes, and because of who found it,” Khadesh said pointing to her and Mitch, “we thought it was the perfect opportunity to allow some of this knowledge out. Your minds were already open to the possibility of an alternate history. You see, we have been alone with this burden of knowledge we could not share for so long. It was a relief to let someone else in on the secret, at least to a degree.”
“I had hoped it was you who sent us the permits to explore the Sphinx site,” Alex said, softening a little. “I wish I had known it was. It was nerve-wracking not knowing who was pulling the strings.”
Mitch nodded. “Why not just talk to us at that time? Why all the secrecy?”
“To be frank, we wanted to see how you would react,” Khamir said. “What you would do.”
“We were also uncertain at first just how far we could trust you,” Khadesh added, crossing the room. “But you proved yourselves honorable. You could have gone to the press, tried to make a name for yourselves, become famous, used it to gain wealth, but you did none of those things. Our trust in and respect for you grew immensely after that.” His expression was one of genuine warmth and affection.
“You know we saw that the Pharom had some strange properties,” Alex said. “Our research pointed to some rather…unusual…conclusions as well. Care to comment on that? Or what your research told you? Or where you found your information?”
“In time, Alex, in time,” is all Khadesh would say. His tone was firm. “I need you to trust us for now.”
She held herself back from another outburst and got up and walked over to a window. She was tired and frustrated. Her head was swimming with everything they had just learned. She was trying to sort through the surprise and hurt and confusion this was causing within her.
Everyone was silent for awhile. Tension was palpable in the room.
“So now what?” Mitch asked. “Your note said you needed our help.”
“We do,” Khadesh said, “desperately so, and we are running out of time.”
Chapter 5
A Dangerous Task
“I wish I could tell you more about our knowledge of the Pharom, but for now I must ask you all to trust me, as you did before. Much is at stake,” Dr. Khadesh said, his voice growing urgent. “Please, listen carefully. Our very futures are in peril.”
Alex sat back down. Mitch squeezed her hand.
Bob reached for more coffee. Jack held his cup out as well.
“As you know,” Dr. Khadesh continued, “during World War II, Germany occupied Egypt for certain periods. In the midst of the fighting, a German archaeologist working for the Nazis, named Dr. Wolfgang Reichmann, found a golden bronze-hued, circular object, made of an unknown metal alloy.”
“That sounds familiar,” Mitch said.
“Correct, this artifact was made from a similar alloy as the Pharom,” Dr. Khadesh continued. “Though the Pharom is a far more sophisticated, technological device that uses a slightly different alloy, a different composition of the artifact’s metals for its unique…properties.”
Mitch recalled the strange nature of that mysterious alloy – how it had appeared almost fluid upon close inspection, with a myriad of colors shimmering within its depths. The Pharom had hummed strangely when locked into the platform deep within the chamber. Something about the potent energy it emitted had a strong affect on all of them.
“The circular artifact is called the Sun Disk and obviously dates back to the Kierani civilization. Dr. Reichmann kept the Sun
Disk a secret, but he passed away. His son, Maximilian, is now in possession of it. It was his men who were chasing after you.”
Bob shifted uncomfortably.
Jack looked tense. “How do you know this?” he asked.
“Word has a way of reaching us,” Khamir replied.
“Cryptic, aren’t you?” Jack added.
Ignoring the comment, Khamir continued, “Unfortunately, we were never able to retrieve the disk.”
Mitch and Alex glanced at one another.
Dr. Khadesh continued, his expression serious. “He has been scanning below the Sphinx for the Pharom for some time now, because he knows that the Sun Disk and Pharom were made from a similar metal alloy. He knows what to look for. For decades, scientists have scanned below the Sphinx, but had never detected anything definite, likely due to the protection the chamber offered. The scans had never, until now, penetrated it.”
“Oh, crap,” Mitch said.
“Sorry, Dr. Khadesh,” Alex frowned, “I’ve got a million questions, but for starters, how does he even know about the Pharom? And then, how could he know that the Sun Disk and Pharom are made of a similar alloy?”
“Recall the Egyptian worker who was killed while trying to steal the Pharom. He was actually a spy working for Maximilian. We did not know who was behind that until recently. Before he was accidentally…electrocuted…by the Pharom,” Khadesh said, clearing his throat, “he made a call from his cellphone, informing Maximilian about the Pharom and told him about the strange alloy it was made of. He described it in detail. Maximilian easily realized the Sun Disk, which also exudes a noticeable energy signature, must be made of the same, or at least a comparable, alloy, and he ordered the worker to go back into the chamber to retrieve the Pharom, by whatever means he could.”
“Since that was the last place it was,” Khamir said, “that is where he started looking.”
Mitch shook his head. If only they had been more careful, he thought. But they didn’t know there was a spy present. They had been too busy watching out for Fessel and Professor Dustimaine.
“Does he have any idea what the Pharom is?” Bob asked.
“No,” Khadesh shook his head. “He would only know it is some kind of power source because of the accident, and that it is made from a related metallic compound as the Sun Disk.”
“For that matter, as Alex pointed out, we don’t fully know what it is, either,” Jack added.
“As I said, there is no time for that right now, I am afraid,” Khadesh replied.
“I managed to get assigned to Maximilian’s excavation team,” Khamir interjected. He shifted forward in his chair. “He is also employing your old boss.”
“Dustimaine?” Alex asked, shocked. “But I thought he had his permits revoked and was kicked out of Egypt”
“He was,” Khadesh answered. “Maximilian circumvented my authority and brought him back. He wanted to use his expertise and experience here to his advantage. Fessel is here, too.”
“Oh, I am so going to kick his…” Jack started to say.
“Those dirty double-crossers,” Alex said, seething.
“Unbelievable,” Mitch said.
“I’m with Jack, we are going to pound them into next year,” Bob said, punching his hand.
“There is more,” Khadesh said, holding up his hand. “Khamir tell them.”
“I saw the Sun Disk briefly, as Maximilian mostly keeps it guarded and locked away in a big, black container, near the scanning equipment. It has been taking Maximilian’s scientists quite a while to scan for the Pharom, but I fear they will find it very soon. He has already secured heavy machinery, which sits ready to go, and a good deal of manpower. Once he hones in on the precise location of the Pharom, he plans to dig directly to the hidden chambers where it is kept. He will thus bypass all the secret codes, puzzles and barriers to get to it.”
Alex ran her fingers through her hair, pulling it back from her face, in obvious distress over what she was hearing. “You’ve got to be kidding us. It’s just like Dustimaine and Fessel to be involved in this. They’d do anything to get ahead. I want to wring their scrawny necks!”
“Us, too!” Jack added.
“Oh yeah,” Bob said, pretending to wrap his hands around a neck, and squeezing.
“I’m with you guys,” Mitch said. “But how can Maximilian just dig into the secret chambers? The damage he could do is…is…incalculable,” he said shaking his head. “How on earth did he get the permits to do such a thing?”
“Mitch is right,” Alex added worriedly, temporarily forgetting being upset with Khamir and Khadesh’s secrecy. “It’s a terrible risk to the Sphinx, the Sphinx complex, and the subterranean chambers. Important details about Kierani construction and more, so much more, could be lost…they could destabilize the chambers, causing permanent damage. This plan is outrageously dangerous and foolhardy.”
“I agree, and believe me, I argued these points vehemently, over and over…” Khadesh said as he shook his head, his face growing red with anger. “I will say this for him though, and please do not take this the wrong way. I believe he was trying to have you four kidnapped, to cut to the chase. He knows how difficult it will be to dig down to the chambers. He would have rather had you show him how to get there without all of that enormous effort.”
“Very comforting,” Bob replied.
Khamir stood. “It would have been far easier for him, it is true. The plan he is left with will be difficult, but he will have no qualms about proceeding with it, I can assure you of that.” He paced the room, kicking his foot at the edge of an intricately patterned rug. “It is an offense of the greatest magnitude, to Egypt, to history, to future generations, to so much...”
Alex saw in that moment the terrible pressure they had been under, and how desperate the situation was. She didn’t know if she wanted to cry or scream or run or punch someone. She thought she wanted to do all of them.
“Regrettably for our cause, Maximilian comes from a wealthy and powerful family,” Dr. Khadesh sighed. “He is the head of a powerful conglomerate, Reichmann Enterprises. He has hired former Stasi officers into many positions throughout his organization and as part of his team here in Egypt.”
“Stasi?” Jack asked.
Khamir replied, “They were once East Germany’s secret police. They were, unfortunately, very effective in repressing their own people. Maximilian’s trained thugs still refer to themselves as Stasi and consider themselves the ‘Shield and Sword’ of Reichmann Enterprises. They protect Maximilian’s assets and do all his dirty work. And in return, Maximilian protects them from German and international courts, as the Stasi is now a criminal organization.”
“Oh, my god, the Stasi are after us?” Bob blurted out.
Jack elbowed him to stay quiet.