Tom’s eyes drifted over the incomprehensible writings, his face pensive. Tom and Billie had been close, and Sam knew he would have liked their relationship to progress, but finding the home of the Master Builders was an obsession for Billie more important than love. She would sacrifice everything else in her life to get closer to finding the truth. “Still no word from her?”
“Not since we lost Atlantis.”
“She would be thrilled if she knew this existed,” Tom said.
Sam nodded his head in agreement. Then he gently opened the next page of the ancient book. The writings only covered two thirds of the page. Like the entry to a journal, it appeared the author stopped and hadn’t yet returned to make another entry.
He then swore.
“What?” Tom asked.
“These are definitely journal entries, dating a long way back. So far back, I don’t even know what type of calendar system was being used for the older entries. But this page is using our current system measured in months and years A.D.” He then pointed to the final entry. “And this one here – shows the emergence of Atlantis just three months ago!”
Tom looked at him. “That means at least one of the Master Builders is still alive!”
Sam grinned. “And he or she was here only a few months ago.”
*
After taking a detailed recording of each page of the ancient book, they decided to leave it there in the hope that they might still find the last author when he or she returns to make a new entry. They then returned to the Maria Helena. Sam and Tom had barely climbed out of the moon pool and entered the dive room before Matthew and Elise approached them, looking concerned.
“We’ve had a call for assistance in Antarctica,” Matthew said. “The Pegasus Station, a research lab, has declared an emergency. Apparently we’re the closest vessel capable of making the rescue.”
Sam unclasped his BCD and lowered his dive tank into its holder. “What’s the problem?”
“Their vessel was crushed against the ice shelf by the movement of a floating island of ice. They’ve managed to return to the station by foot, but they’re not equipped to last the approaching winter.”
Elise brought up the satellite images of the area. “Have a look at this. The first image was taken a few days ago, now look at this one.”
Sam studied the image. Without recognizing the exact location, he could see that the landmass in the bay had nearly doubled in size.
“That photo was taken today.”
Sam shrugged his shoulders. “So, we’ve had another break away from the continental ice shelf?”
“That would make sense, but there’s no place missing such a massive landmass of ice.”
“Have you looked everywhere? I mean, that’s a lot of ice – it’s going to stand out on satellite imaging somewhere that there’s a new coastline.”
“That’s just it.” Elise showed him the satellite image of the surrounding coastlines. “It appears the island just arrived from nowhere.”
Sam studied the two images intently. “And you’re certain that this hasn’t broken off any known ice formation?"
“Certain.”
Sam shook his head. He would have gone to save life, but the deal just got sweeter with such a puzzle.
“Then I guess we’d better pack warmly. It’s going to be cold in Antarctica.”
The End.
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Rogue Wave Page 25