“He thought that by preaching inner healing and goodness, he would peacefully convince large masses of people; ultimately, generating a perpetual peacefulness that would spread across the planet.”
“But he could not be more wrong; he made a grave mistake, one that I must have also made…he underestimated his enemies and their determination to control the masses.”
“One of the real elements depicted in the Bible was that he was immortal, and that’s true.”
“The Atlanteans possessed such an advanced technology that they managed to find a cure for death, rendering them practically immortal. Their world was the true paradise until the devastating cataclysm destroyed it, and only a handful managed to escape so many millennia ago and then became worshiped for a time as the Greek Gods.”
“Jesus wanted to share the secret of eternal life with the entire humanity, only when he thought they would be prepared for such a heavy responsibility and burden.”
“However, he was killed before he could reveal his secret Atlantean knowledge, and the betrayal of some of his followers and disciples convinced him to pass the knowledge to a few worthy ones in order to carry out his mission.”
“Nobody knows what actually happened. However, he left a trail of clues and entrusted their protection to his mother Mary and Peter, the most faithful among his Apostles.”
“Mary simply vanished, never to be found. She was so affected by her son’s death that she considered the entire humanity unworthy of his gift.”
“Peter was killed by Emperor Nero, and thus became the founding ‘stone’ of the modern Church.”
“Both left a legacy to few trustful followers, who then created the Order.”
“We tried over the millennia to put together all the clues and find the path to Jesus’ Grail, but we utterly failed.”
“All our efforts withered into oblivion, and we were slowly consumed by a hidden enemy, the Phoenix.”
“In time, our order faded, and the Grail’s quest was abandoned. We simply became its guardians, known as The Order, while waiting for someone worthy and capable to solve its mystery.”
“I can only hope that what you discovered in our vault will show you the righteous path.”
“I’ll also give you a final clue left in our possession:”
Ο παγανιστικός ιερός κύκλος θα σας δείξει το δρόμο και κάτω από την τελειότητα του αριστερού χεριού του Κόσμου όταν χαθεί στο σκοτάδι ο σταυρός θα σας δείξει το φως.
“I am sure my child, you’ll find what your destiny foretold.”
“I deeply regret I’ll not be able to accompany you on this perilous journey where you cannot trust anyone other than Simon Lightgood.”
“He will offer all the support you’ll need. Seek his advice, and never doubt him as his heart is pure.”
“And please take care of Neo. He needs your help and has been in love with you for many years. He was your protector during your earlier years, watching and making sure nothing bad happened to you.”
“He’s like my child. You are the children I never had. Lydia, please help him find a cure, he’s dying…”
“End of transmission, would you like to play the message again,” her XGlass announced.
I’ll help you, Neo, and I’ll accomplish my mission for my parents and you, Helene.
I cannot believe what I’ve seen and heard today.
Could Jesus really have been an Atlantean?
Maybe this is the explanation of the technology’s origin used to set up the intricate system of caves underneath the Berlaymont, Lydia wondered.
“Alexa, please connect me to Neo.”
The dark clouds were making the night even heavier. The limo was now on the highway heading towards the Zaventem airport. Lydia finally grasped the importance of her mission.
I can fulfill my dream to find a cure for death.
“Lydia, now you know the whole truth, and no, it was not a deepfake video of Helene. This is the reality; believe it or not.”
“Neo, you omitted to tell me the most important fact; that you are dying… when were you planning to tell me? I have so many questions, but first, tell me why you are dying? What happened to you?” Lydia asked, feeling both sad and worried.
§CHAPTER 32§
“I HAVE ALS, and it is progressing very quickly. I think you know this disease very well,” Neo said, his voice trembling.
Lydia was taken by surprise and tried her best to control her emotions.
She knew this merciless disease well and even remembered writing a long scientific article during her first year in university on the genetic risk of the children inheriting this disease.
“I am deeply sorry, Neo. Please hang on in there.”
“I think that Helene wanted us to continue her mission. Did you hear her message as well?”
“If we find the clues Jesus left, we might be able to cure your disease.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore…”
“My dream, to just talk to you, has been accomplished. I just hope I’ll also meet you in person someday,” Neo confessed with a little shyness in his voice.
The car was on the last bit of highway before the airport and approaching fast. There was no moon or stars, just deep darkness. Lydia knew the path ahead would be full of peril.
“Neo, our destiny brought us here, now at this moment. Together we have a purpose, and I am confident we’ll find a way to get through,” Lydia said, though, in her mind, she was unsure…
Was I too cold? she wondered.
I have to admit, I find a deep, inexplicable attraction for Neo, but right now we need to focus on our mission.
“Helene left me an additional clue written in Greek. I am not sure that my rusty ancient Greek is good enough… Would you be able to use the translation algorithm to translate it?” Lydia asked timidly.
§CHAPTER 33§
THE POPE was full of anger. The situation at the global level was getting out of control.
The liturgical services and Holy Masses were being canceled in all corners of the world. Governments were closing the churches’ doors, with fear now creeping everywhere.
“Brother Cardinals, the COVID-19 virus is destroying our communities,” the Pope started with dread in his voice.
“Christianity is in decline. Each year we have fewer and fewer faithful in our Church.”
“Infant baptism is steadily dropping around the globe. Countless churches are shutting down or uniting due to the lack of congregants.”
“We are risking being the last generation of the Church, which will take us down the path to oblivion.”
“We need now to reform; you must all be aware of the Saint Malachy prophecy.”
“We shouldn’t repeat the same mistakes of the past. Previous pandemic outbreaks like the Black Death killed more than half of Europe eight hundred years ago.”
“Brothers, look deep inside your soul and ask yourselves, where was the Holy Church back then. We have to leave behind the mentality of the Dark Ages that flourished under the Inquisition.”
“The Black Death killed 200 million people in Eurasia, and then we had the 1918 influenza pandemic.”
“The 1918 flu—which was erroneously named the Spanish flu in order to deflect attention from the center of the outbreaks and put the blame on neutral Spain—infected 500 million people around the world. It may have killed more than 100 million people. This flu killed more people in two years than AIDS killed in twenty years. Politics should never be involved when peoples’ lives are at stake.”
“But your Holiness, we cannot compare it to the Black Death, which lasted much longer and had a much more violent impact on a smaller population,” said an elderly cardinal with a strong accent.”
Another cardinal took the floor with panic in his voice, “I am reading very worrying news from China:
“It has extended travel restri
ctions to eleven cities as it races to contain the SARS-like virus that has overwhelmed local hospitals and sparked global alarm. The coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak has already killed a record number of people. An additional 10,072 cases are suspected in twenty provinces, while cases have been confirmed in the U.S., Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, and Hong Kong.”
“I have a bad feeling about this virus. It has already spread outside its ground zero, and could also potentially further mutate.”
“The College needs to make a decision. We have to act and save our followers. I am afraid that this will only make things worse,” the Pope concluded while his Cardinals stared on with unpleasant grimaces on their faces.
§CHAPTER 34§
THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK was spreading around the world, generating panic in even the most developed countries. Special filters were also installed in the Brussels airport with staff scanning the temperature of incoming passengers, mostly from non-European countries.
“Ma’am, we’ve arrived. Thank you for riding with me, and I hope you’ll give me five stars,” the UBER driver said, not even daring to ask for Lydia’s final destination.
“Absolutely, and you’ll also get a very generous tip,” Lydia reassured him while she exited the car, getting soaked almost instantly by a cold shower of rain.
The airport was still recovering from the terrorist attacks that killed dozens of people and left many wounded.
As a precautionary measure, the UBER or other passenger drop-off point was fixed twenty meters outside of one of the main entrances, which was heavily guarded.
It was also a way to make the life of the other drivers more difficult in favor of taxi drivers, who managed to set up one of the most influential syndicates around the world, resisting the challenges brought on by the new trends of the gig economy and ride-sharing services.
As she entered the airport, almost everybody was wearing protective masks which were given at the entrance by the airport staff.
“It’s not enough that this airport was almost completely shattered by the 2017 terrorist attacks, now it has to endure more sorrow and panic,” Lydia thought as she saw several families who had to catch a flight to Beijing, panicking and speaking in Mandarin.
“BREAKING NEWS: China’s coronavirus to spread.”
Beijing cautioned that it expects the spread of the deadly coronavirus to hasten, as the death toll skyrocketed, and the number of confirmed cases reached 20,732.
In the epicenter of Wuhan, more than 5 million citizens who supposedly were under lockdown, managed to exit the city and the Mayor offered his resignation.
“Did you hear that, Lydia?” Neo asked. I activated for you the translation function, which could come very handy in the near future. We have the flight 734TM operated by Egypt air.”
“I booked you a first-class ticket with Egypt Air. It is the fastest option now.”
“The good part is that you are not on the Interpol blacklist, and you can still safely travel. We managed to keep your escape from Berlaymont secret.”
“That’s great Neo, if they catch me, I’ll write you some charming letters from prison,” Lydia said with a big smile on her face.
Entering the airport, she took out her now soaked leather hoodie and realized that she had the mini-pyramidion in her possession.
“What if they confiscate it after going through the metal detector Neo? It has magnetic properties,” Lydia worried aloud.
“I have a solution. Why don’t you go to one of the airport’s souvenir shops and buy some metal replicas of the Atomium, Manneken Pis figurines and most importantly some kitchen magnets? If you put them together with the mini-pyramidion in a backpack, it will look less suspicious, and maybe they will let it pass being mistaken for some worthless trinkets.”
“You should also buy the Samsonite backpack in front of you. It may come handy and seems very light.”
“You’ll need to get some summer clothes because we expect 300C during the day but 180C or lower during the night.”
“When it comes to the Great Pyramid, you should not worry since one of its greatest mysteries resides in its innate capacity to stay at 200C all year. Oddly enough, this is also the average temperature across the planet.” Neo said, fascinated at the thought that he would be able to explore it together with Lydia.
“You have precisely fifty-four minutes until the boarding gate is closed.”
Lydia listened carefully to Neo and quickly went to the first souvenir shop before going through security and bought a bag packed with souvenirs.
“Could I please have an extra wrapping?” Lydia gently asked the seller.
“Bien sûr Madame, voici,” the young blue-eyed seller said but could not take his eyes off Lydia.
“Where are you traveling to?” inquired the seller.
Lydia paused for a moment; “actually, it’s a secret,” she said, smiling.
“Well done, Lydia, but I think the poor guy has to follow the standard procedure.”
“Okay, I understand. Have a pleasant trip Madame and please come more often to shop with us,” the seller said, smiling.
Neo chuckled, and wrote a message, which appeared, on the display of her XGlass:
“LOL, everyone wants to flirt with you.”
Lydia grabbed the bag and whisked herself off to the security gates, feeling confident and hoping everything would be fine.
§CHAPTER 35§
SEVERAL IMAGES were running through Lydia’s mind. She could see the desert with golden dunes and far on the horizon, she could spot a person dressed in white.
Was this person, Jesus?
He didn’t have a beard, just long brown hair. His face radiated kindness and wisdom. Lydia seemed to have a gut feeling it was Jesus Christ.
Next to him, there was a figure who seemed to be wearing the traditional clothes of a Pharaoh with his pschent, the conventional golden double crown reflecting the powerful sun and his leopard-skin fluttering over his shoulders.
And who was this Pharaoh?
Suddenly the sky darkened with the arrival of a gigantic wall of sand that was rapidly approaching the two figures.
Several other men riding on mighty horses were advancing from the opposite direction, trying to warn them of the massive sandstorm.
The men gave them horses, and the two figures started to ride towards the Great Pyramid, which wasn’t far from their current location.
Its golden Benben stone shone in the darkness with the last rays of the sun reflected on the metallic surface, transforming the Great Pyramid into a tower of light beaming into the approaching inferno of sand.
Lydia felt pulled towards the men traveling through the sandstorm, which had no impact on her. It was as if she were a ghost floating through the atmosphere.
She was rapidly approaching the pyramid, and below, she saw the Pharaoh’s men trying to escape their sandy death.
But it was too late for them. The storm engulfed and obliterated everything in its path.
And then everything went black for Lydia. The darkness was suffocating her. She could not breathe anymore. She was falling into a black abyss when suddenly she found herself inside the pyramid next to Jesus.
She was so close to him that she could not resist the temptation to touch him, but her hand passed directly through him.
Am I a ghost? What is this? Did I travel through time? It all seems so real. Lydia was fascinated by what was happening to her. Then Jesus gave the Pharaoh a mini-pyramidion similar to the one she found underneath Berlaymont. He was speaking Egyptian, but Lydia was surprised to understand every word:
“Protect this key with your life. Together with its twin will one day open the gates of the future.”
§CHAPTER 36§
10H30, OCTOBER 2ND
EGYPT, CAIRO
“MA’AM WE ARE SORRY to wake you. We are landing soon. You asked to be served your meal now,” the flight attendant said while gently trying to bring Lydia bac
k from the dream world.
“Today we have canard confit with truffle parsnip mash and a mousseline of wild raspberries and morel mushrooms. What would you like to drink?”
“Thank you, I would like a strong double espresso. I have a terribly busy day ahead of me,” Lydia said, almost ready to yawn in front of the flight attendant.
Several notifications on her XGlass had caught her attention. “Coronavirus deaths surge.”
“The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak rose beyond predictions as foreign governments prepared to evacuate their nationals from China. Markets from all over the world are collapsing as the outbreak rattled sectors from travel to manufacturing.”
“Can I bring you anything else?”
“I also have to say that you look ravishing even when you just wake up,” the flight attendant said.
Lydia was a bit surprised by this sudden compliment. She was not used to strangers approaching her like this.
“I have to confess something to you, ma’am. You look very much like the love of my life,” the female flight attendant said. She was tall and blonde with perfect skin and piercing aquamarine eyes.
“I know I could lose my job, but I had to tell you. If I can do anything else to make your flight more enjoyable, do let me know, it would be my pleasure,” she said and then winked at Lydia.
Lydia didn’t know how to answer for a moment. Reading her nametag, she said, “no, thank you… Sophie, I am still a bit tired, but if you are based in Cairo, I would be glad to buy you a drink.”
She quickly thought that it would be best to simply indulge the pushy flight attendant.
Her eyes flickered, and Sophie, who must have been in her mid-twenties, began to babble.
“I am staying at the Kempinski Nile Hotel, and this is my cell phone number,” the flight attendant said, full of excitement while giving Lydia a handwritten napkin.
The Jesus Christ Cypher Page 9