by Steve Alten
Since then, every dawn has been a blessing, every day twenty-four hours in hell.
Chaney barely has time to make his way behind his desk when his chief of staff, Katherine Gleason, buzzes him on the intercom. ‘Jesus, Kathy, at least give me a chance to sit down.’
‘Sorry, sir. Your seven o’clock appointment is here.’
‘Fine, send them in, and get me some of those chocolate chip cookies I had yesterday at the G-9 meeting. The wife says I’m gaining weight, but I’d don’t care, I need the caffeine.’
‘Yes, sir.’
A moment later, Kathy opens the outer office door, escorting two men inside. The first is Chaney’s friend, Marvin Teperman, a short Canadian exobiologist with a pencil-thin mustache and an annoyingly warm smile. The second man is all business, a gray-haired colonel in full-dress uniform. Chaney notices a slight hitch in the man’s step. An attaché case is handcuffed to his left wrist.
Marvin beams his usual smile. ‘Morning, Mr. President. Great day to be alive, eh? Allow me to present Colonel Jack McClellan, United States Air Force.’
‘Colonel.’ Chaney motions to McClellan’s leg. ‘Old war injury?’
‘Prosthetic. Damn diabetes.’
‘Tough break.’ For a fleeting moment, Chaney feels guilty about ordering the cookies. ‘Have a seat. You’ll forgive me, Colonel, but this is my first MAJESTIC-12 briefing. Maybe you could sort of bring me up to speed? I was never big on those X-Files shows.’
The colonel shrugs off the insult. ‘Sir, Operation MAJESTIC-12 was established on September 24, 1947, by special classified presidential order following the recovery of airborne objects that fell over Roswell, New Mexico, between July 4 and July 6 of that same year.’
‘By fallen airborne objects, you mean UFOs?’
‘Yes, sir, and Hollywood aside, I can assure you that this was no special effect. Technically speaking, our unit originated in 1941 with a UFO retrieval case that took place in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. It wasn’t until ’47 that Truman officially funded the organization. Over the years, MAJESTIC-12 has utilized the services of some of the most brilliant minds in the world, including Albert Einstein and Robert Oppenheimer. Even after all these years, it remains our government’s most supersecret program.’
‘Guess that explains the little wrist ornament.’
The colonel nods. ‘These aren’t your ordinary run-of-the-mill handcuffs either, sir. The bracelet monitors my pulse. Should my heart stop beating, should the chain be severed, or the wrong access code entered, the contents of the briefcase would instantly incinerate from within.’
‘Well, since there’s no smoking permitted in my office, I guess I’d better enter the correct code.’ Chaney stands, leans over his desk, then carefully enters his access code on the briefcase’s security pad.
The locking mechanism deactivates, allowing the colonel to open the case.
McClellan removes a half-inch-thick computerized clipboard, sealed in plastic, and hands it to the president.
‘Thank you, Colonel. Now gentlemen, if you’ll give me a few minutes—’
‘Of course, sir.’ The colonel sits back in his chair.
Marvin just stares and grins.
The president sighs. He retrieves his reading glasses from his top desk drawer, then peels off the file’s plastic wrapper, enters his daily access code to the wafer-thin screen, and begins reading off the LED monitor.
TOP SECRET/MAJESTIC-12
WARNING: Unauthorized access or viewing of this document without the appropriate authorizations will result in permanent incarceration or sanction by authorized use of deadly force.
PROGRESS REPORT ON SPECIAL ACCESS PROGRAM
GOLDEN FLEECE
21 January 2013
ORIGINS
1. On 14 December 2012, at approximately 14:30 hours, EST, an electromagnetic force field equivalent to several billion amperes activated across the entire globe, destroying more than 1,000 Russian ICBMs and SLBMs targeted for North America, effectively saving the United States. MAJESTIC teams traced the EM array to exotic crystalline biomemnetic devices serving as transformer nodes and relay junctures within and/or below ancient structures of Angkor Wat, the Great Pyramid of Giza, Stonehenge, the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacán, Mexico, and under the complex at Tiahuanacu in Peru.
2. MAJESTIC teams were able to trace the common origin of the EM pulse to a vessel buried 217 feet beneath the Kukulcán Pyramid in Chichén Itzá (Yucatán Peninsula). The EM pulse itself was transmitted to relay junctures by way of an antenna mast which morphed out of the vertical axis of the buried vessel and up through the core of the 1,000-year-old Mayan superstructure. This was later confirmed by Michael Gabriel and his female companion, Dominique Vazquez, who were able to access the vessel by way of a freshwater aquifer (cenote) located a mile north of the pyramid.
3. Michael Gabriel is the only child of archaeologists Julius and Maria Gabriel (both deceased), whose body of work centered upon the Mayan calendar and its doomsday prophecy, predicted for 21 December 2012. On 24 August 2001, Julius Gabriel presented 32 years of research at a Harvard symposium attended by rival (and future secretary of state) Pierre Robert Borgia, who verbally assaulted the professor, interrupting his speech. Julius Gabriel suffered a fatal heart attack, dying in the arms of his son and only child, Michael, who then attacked Borgia. The incident cost Borgia his right eye and landed Gabriel in a mental asylum in Massachusetts, where he would spend the next eleven years, most of it in solitary confinement. He was subsequently transferred to a facility in Miami in summer of 2012 where he fell under Florida State University intern/grad student Dominique Vazquez’s care. Ms. Vazquez subsequently aided Gabriel’s escape in early December of 2012.
4. On 21 December 2012, a ‘transdimensional’ extraterrestrial biological, appearing as a giant serpent, rose from its own buried vessel beneath the Chicxulub Crater, the (Gulf of Mexico) impact site of an asteroid-like object that struck Earth 65 million years ago. The biological immediately targeted the EM pulse originating from Chichén Itzá, making its way to the site through a series of aquifers. U.S. Armed Forces were unable to stop the entity, which appeared to be existing on two dimensional planes at once. Michael Gabriel was able to deactivate the biological, using an energy beam originating from the antenna of the vessel buried beneath the Kukulcán Pyramid. Michael Gabriel then entered the triplex orifice of the entity. Both Gabriel and the biological subsequently disappeared. His status remains unknown.
GOLDEN FLEECE
5. Following the events of 21 December 2012, POTUS completed a new trade agreement with Mexico that included a private addendum placing Chichén Itzá under U.S. jurisdiction. The public park was immediately shut down, security assigned to MAJESTIC-12 under the newly-formed GOLDEN FLEECE program. Project Director Dr. David Mohr (formerly of NASA) and exobiologist Marvin Teperman divided GOLDEN FLEECE personnel into the following independent programs.
SECURE & CAMOUFLAGE MAIN STRUCTURE:
Responsible for erecting a prefabricated camouflaged urethane shell resembling the exterior of the Kukulcán pyramid. On the night of 18 January 2013, the shell was set in place above the existing pyramid, thereby preventing discovery of subsequent GOLDEN FLEECE operations via satellite reconnaissance.
EXCAVATION-A:
Responsible for systematic removal, tagging, and storage of every stone used in the construction of the Kukulcán pyramid, overseen by Mexican archaeologists. Pyramid removal expected to be completed by 15 March 2013.
EXCAVATION-B:
Excavate access pit to buried vessel upon completion of Excavation-A.
EXCAVATION-C:
Access buried vessel via aquifer running beneath Kukulcán Pyramid. Underwater Assessment Team (UAT) made up of MAJESTIC-cleared personnel included laser physicists, theoretical physicists, metallurgists, aerospace engineers, psychiatric personnel, several noted neurophysiologists, and selected members of NASA’s Breakthrough Propulsion Physics (BPP) team. All UAT members S
CUBA certified with at least 100 dive-hours.
EXCAVATION-C PRELIMINARY REPORT: EXTERIOR STRUCTURE
6. The burial vessel measures 722 feet long and is best described as ‘dagger-shaped,’ though this hardly begins to describe the vehicle. The forward hull tapers out like the front two-thirds of a surfboard and resembles the ‘Chine’ hull-form configuration similar to A-12 HABU (‘Blackbird’) style spy planes. The ‘Hilt’ starts out as a pronounced sphere, with large bulbous twin nacellelike structures that end in triangular vanes that enclose twin multichambered ‘exhausts’ located at the stern of the vessel. Smaller transverse thruster exhausts are located along the belly. Several engineers have theorized that the aerodynamic starship was configured to ‘surf’ an atmosphere or possibly even a hydrosphere in a manner similar to a ‘Waverider’ aerospace vehicle, but on a larger scale. The star cruiser’s enormous size rivals that of a medium to large cruise ship, with a design ‘cut’ that gives the impression of a warship. The keel is pronounced along the belly and is reminiscent of a Celtic warrior’s ribbed ax blade.
7. The burial vessel’s outer skin is described as a shimmering mirrorlike golden metal, composed of an ultrahard material, superior to diamond carbon. It cannot be cut using arc cutters or high-intensity lasers. It is resistant to heat and friction and is so smooth to the touch that it defies description. Although multiple panels can be distinguished (theorized as semi-translucent banks of solar cells) the hull, in fact, appears to have been constructed as one seamless integrated unit. Members of the BPP team theorized that the burial vessel’s entire hull could function as a magnetoaeroelectric propulsion and levitation system by tapping into the gravity well of a planet. The indigenous magnetic field of Earth or any planet with a heavy iron core would be sufficient to power such a mode of atmospheric propulsion, and, in fact, may have been the system used to power the Roswell flying wing spacecraft.
8. Of special interest to the GOLDEN FLEECE scientists was the keeled belly portion of the burial vessel’s outer hull. Located just beyond the ‘dagger-shaped bow’ is an aerodynamic ring and four conjoined nacelles. BPP scientists theorize this to be a stabilizing structure, possibly used in ‘Warp’ drive, or quantum gravity tunnels (see WORMHOLE theory), also referred to as ‘Transwarp’ or ‘Quantum slipstream’ conduits through non-Einsteinian space. Structures behind the ring may have served as amplifiers/phase shifters, which may have the capability of generating ‘space-folds.’ By varying the configuration of the so-called ‘Warp field’ in super-luminal flight, the starship could theoretically change directions (alter course).
9. Inscribed upon the buried vessel’s outer hull are two symbols. The first appears as Mayan glyphs along the bow of the vessel, translated as BALAM, a name referring to the ancient Mayan Jaguar God, and most likely the name bestowed upon the alien vessel. The second symbols are a series of embedded red candelabra-shaped logos that archaeologists have identified as the ‘Trident of Paracas.’ An identical insignia is found on the side of a mountain in Peru. There are four ‘Trident’ panels located along the outer hull, two on the ventral side, two on the dorsal. Each of these panels appears to be an access hatch. None could be opened.
EXCAVATION-C PRELIMINARY REPORT: INTERIOR STRUCTURE
10. All attempts to access the interior of the BALAM have so far failed.
RECOMMENDATIONS
11. RELOCATION OF BALAM:
It is essential to relocate the BALAM to a secured facility in the United States in order for the ship to be accessed internally and reverse engineered. Because of security considerations and the enormous weight of the vessel, the only acceptable means of transportation would be via U.S. Navy heavy-lift barges and towable dry docks currently used for full-sized conventional Navy destroyers. In order to utilize this mode of transportation, a canal must be dredged and dug, connecting Chichén Itzá with the Yucatán shoreline by way of its freshwater aquifers.
12. It is hypothesized that Michael Gabriel was able to access the BALAM because he bore the genetic ‘Hunahpu’ ID. On 6 January 2013, a MAJESTIC-12 team exhumed the remains of Maria Gabriel, Michael Gabriel’s biological mother, from her gravesite in Nazca, Peru, and found a similar genetic marker present in her DNA.
13. On 17 January 2013, Dominique Vazquez was examined by a MAJESTIC-12 physician, who verified the subject to be four weeks pregnant. Subject claims the biological father is Michael Gabriel.
14. It is theoretically possible that Dominique Vazquez’s unborn child will possess the Hunahpu genetic marker and may one day be able to access the interior of the BALAM and perhaps even pilot the vessel, assuming its power plant is still usable.
CONCLUSIONS
15. The potential technological advancements in propulsion, weapons, and energy/power systems associated with the BALAM make GOLDEN FLEECE of vital interest to the United States. It is recommended we proceed immediately with transportation of the vessel to a secured U.S. facility. It is further recommended that Dominique Vazquez be kept under twenty-four-hour-a-day surveillance.
Submitted:
W. Louis McDonald
GOLDEN FLEECE
21 January 2013
‘Incredible.’ Chaney types in his security code, erasing the file. ‘Tell me, Marvin, how’s Dominique taking the news that she’s pregnant with Gabriel’s child?’
‘Not well, to be honest. She’s still overwhelmed by all that’s happened, and she misses Mick terribly. Unfortunately, she’s also more than a little freaked out about this whole Hunahpu genetics thing. Right now, I’d guess she’s leaning toward abortion.’
‘You can’t allow that to happen, Mr. President,’ objects the colonel. ‘The unborn Gabriel child may represent our only means of accessing the Balam.’
‘Easy, Colonel, let’s give the girl a break. Dominique’s been through a lot over the last few months. It’s her life, her decision, not ours.’
‘Homeland Security has set her up with a new identity,’ Marvin says. ‘She’s living in south Florida under the alias, Andrea Smith. We’ve tried to keep her under twenty-four-hour surveillance.’
The colonel shakes his head. ‘MAJESTIC-12 should be in charge of the girl. Homeland Security has more holes in it than a Swiss cheese factory.’
‘We’ll let them handle it for now,’ Chaney says. ‘Dominique’s in no immediate danger, and locking her up in an underground bunker might negatively impact her decision about keeping the child. Anything else?’
‘Just one last thing,’ Marvin says. ‘In reviewing Julius Gabriel’s journal, I came across a passage that referenced a necromancer.’
‘A who?’
‘A necromancer. Comes from the Greek words necro, meaning death, and mancy, describing divination. A necromancer is one who claims to be able to communicate with the souls of the dead for the purpose of obtaining useful information. A few years prior to his own death, Professor Gabriel sought out the services of a necromancer named Evelyn Strongin, hoping to communicate with his deceased wife, Maria. We’ve been trying to locate Ms. Strongin, hoping she might be able to shed some light on Michael Gabriel’s genetic abilities. Unfortunately, her last reported address was in Peru. We can’t seem to locate any current information about her or her whereabouts.’
Chaney shakes his head. ‘Extraterrestrials. People talking to the dead. Whatever happened to the good ol’ days when all a president had to worry about were economic reforms and war in Iraq.’
4
FEBRUARY 3, 2013: CHICHÉN ITZÁ, YUCATÁN PENINSULA
The beige 2001 Dodge with the dented rear bumper turns off Mexican Route 180, following a local road through the poverty-stricken town of Pisté.
Dominique slows the rental car, her dark eyes scanning the dilapidated stucco homes lining the roadway. The village is just like a thousand others located throughout Central America along the ‘Maya Route,’ a 120,000-square-mile area stretching east from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec through the Yucatán Peninsula, extending into Belize, Guatemala, and parts of
Honduras and El Salvador.
A thousand years ago, the Maya were the dominant civilization in all Central America. Unable to rise against their Spanish oppressors, the Indians were left behind, their decreasing crops unable to compete in the marketplace. The culture is still very much alive, but the Maya are at the bottom rung of society’s ladder.
Dominique’s maternal ancestors were Yucatec—direct descendants of the Maya, and she bears the dark complexion and sculpted cheekbones of her people.
The dusty road widens into a four-lane highway that leads to the entrance of Chichén Itzá, the capital city of the ancient Maya and the most visited tourist attraction in Mexico. Harbored within this 3.75-square-mile jungle-enclosed park are richly carved temples and shrines, the centerpiece being the Kukulcán Pyramid, a perfect ziggurat of stone that rises seventy-five feet above the grass-covered esplanade.