“Well, I have a full laboratory in the back. Let’s examine this under a microscope, shall we?” Javier asked, now beaming with excitement and anticipation.
“What are we doing, standing here wasting time?” he replied in good humor.
As they walked toward the door to the laboratory, Jack thought about the urn.
“So how’s the urn coming along? All cleaned up and ready for a fresh bouquet of flowers?” he joked.
“I haven’t examined it yet, but if it’s as old as Serena thinks it is, I’m fairly certain you won’t be using it as a flower pot,” Javier replied.
“Darn, my mom will be so disappointed,” he joked again.
“She’ll get over it, I’m sure,” Javier responded dryly.
Walking down the short hallway toward the lab, Javier kept the conversation alive.
“So Jack, Serena tells me you think there might be some kind of golden pyramid near the site of the urns. Is that right?” he asked.
“Yes, sir, Javi,” Jack replied.
“Well, you'll have to tell me all about it after we examine the cylinder. I love mysteries. Probably the reason I got into this business in the first place,” he said, as he reached for the door to the lab.
As the two stepped into the large room, Jack was mesmerized by all the equipment that filled the laboratory. Large areas were devoted to analysis and restoration, specializing in wood, metal, glass/ceramics and paper. Each area had its own unique equipment designed to handle that particular medium.
On the other side of the room, Jack spotted Serena leaning over a desk, intensely focused on her work. Dressed in a white lab coat, wearing black rimmed glasses and latex gloves, she resembled his image of the mad scientist.
“Hi, Serena, how’s my flower pot looking?” he shouted across the room.
“Hi, Jack. Ready for daises,” she responded, then added cryptically, “or maybe ancient pachira would be more apropos.”
“Ancient pachira? What’s that?” Jack asked.
“Pachira Aquatica is a flowing plant that’s been symbolized in Mayan hieroglyphics,” she responded simply.
“So are you saying the urn is Mayan?” Jack asked, excitedly.
“It’s so old and beat up, it’s kind of hard to tell, but I think it could be,” she replied.
“Wow, that’s awesome,” Jack said, excitedly.
Turning to her father, Serena said, “Dad, there’s a spot on it that Jack cleared away during the excavation. It almost looks like there’s some hieroglyphics on its surface. Why don’t you have a look?”
“Ok, Jack, your flower pot’s over here,” Javier replied, leading the way.
Jack looked toward the area of the lab devoted to glass and ceramics, but didn't see his urn. Upon closer inspection, he noticed a large rectangular vat, covered with a small foam pad. As they walked closer, he realized the pad was simply an insulating cover used to trap the gases emitting from the chemicals used in the tank.
As he stood patiently, Javier unstrapped the cover from the tank and lifted it off, revealing the barnacle encrusted urn.
“Wow, I guess the barnacles are tougher than we thought. Still quite a few left on,” Jack observed.
Serena flashed an all knowing smile to her father, then to Jack.
“I get the feeling I just said something dumb,” Jack said loudly.
“No, Jack. If you've never done this before, the process can be deceiving. The solution breaks down the barnacles but you still have to remove them yourself,” Javi said.
As Jack nodded, Javier stepped forward and examined the urn while still submerged in the solution. Donning a pair of elbow-length gloves, he reached in and turned the urn, finding the bare patch Jack had previously removed.
Rubbing his hand over the rough surface, he lightly applied pressure. Instantly, a large chunk of the barnacles broke off in his hand.
“Wow,” Javier said out loud, surprised by the ease the crustaceans came loose. “Honey, can you hand me a number one brush?”
“Slave driver!” Serena joked.
Taking the brush from Serena, he looked toward Jack and responded simply, “Kids.”
Distracted from her work, Serena stood by and watched. Gently, carefully, Javier lightly scrubbed the area he had just removed. Standing back a moment, he examined his work quietly, then continued.
Serena turned to Jack and whispered, “Dad's in the zone. There's no stopping him now. I could commit a murder and he'd never know it.”
“Unless it was his,” Jack teased.
Serena laughed, then said, “Funny man, huh?”
“Stick around, I’m just warming up,” he continued.
Serena smirked a bit while looking into Jack’s eyes, then said, “Huh, your eyes are an unusual blue. I hadn’t noticed, but they’re a shade I’ve never seen before. Almost a slate color.”
“I get them done every Thursday... this week they’re blue, last week they were a lovely shade of plaid,” he responded.
“Were they Scottish kilt plaid, ‘cause that’s my favorite color and it would really turn me on,” Serena said with a seductive smile.
“Hey, I heard that… and it really creeped me out,” Javier joked, cutting off Jack before he could respond.
Focusing on the still-submerged urn, Javier delicately rubbed another area, breaking off more particles. The more he removed, the more focused he became.
“I need the pneumatic scrubber and the wand with a number four tip,” Javier said out loud.
As Serena passed him the tools, Jack laughed at the process.
“It's like I'm watching surgery. Your dad's the surgeon and you're assisting,” Jack laughed.
“Care to join us? We’re performing the infamous frontal lobotomy next,” she teased.
“No thanks, I’m thinking I might need my brains one day,” he rebutted.
“Suit yourself,” she replied while handing her father another tool.
Javier took the wand and placed it into the solution next to the urn. Having donned a full protective mask, he switched on a button, instantly directing a stream of air onto the urn. In seconds, embedded particles were blown from hidden lines and tiny holes on the urn’s surface, revealing more detail with each pass of the tool. He then switched off the wand and used his brush to wipe the surface once more.
Little by little, as Javier worked on the barnacles, the urn’s intricate features became more noticeable. Jack marveled at how the two worked together. Quickly, efficiently, and intuitively, Serena and her father passed tools back and forth. No sooner had Javier made a request, then Serena delivered the instrument. Minutes turned into an hour and their pace never slowed.
Lost in their work, Jack sat next to the two and simply watched, mesmerized by the show. At one point, Javier appeared to be done. To Jack's surprise, he stopped for a small cup of water, then pressed on with his work.
A short while later, Javier stepped back from the tub and handed Serena the small pick in his hand. Jack thought it strange he hadn't requested another. Reaching for a switch on an overhead winch, Javier pressed a green button, retracting four heavy cords that connected to a platform submerged beneath the urn. As the cords came taut, the platform gently raised the urn out of the solution.
“Wow, this is really amazing,” Javier said, rubbing his hand over the exposed surface.
“Well, what do you think, Dad?” Serena asked anxiously.
“What do you think, honey?” Javier asked Serena, equally anxious.
"Well, for starters, it's old... really old," Serena responded with great enthusiasm. "If I had to guess, I'd say a couple thousand years old."
"Two thousand years old!" Jack exclaimed, nearly falling off his chair. "Holy crap! What do you think the thing’s worth?"
"A lot, Jack, but that's insignificant compared to its historical value," Javier responded.
Turning to Serena, Javier said, "I'd say your dating is probably a little conservative. I believe it's probably older than that, bu
t please continue. What else can you tell us about it?"
“Well, if I had to guess, I'd say it’s probably Mayan,” Serena said.
Stepping in close, she examined the exposed area. Looking to her dad, she asked, “I see something there, but I just can’t make it out. Any idea if those are hieroglyphics, or are they just deformations from years of exposure?
“Serena, take another look at the area I just cleared away. I know it's not in the greatest shape but do you see anything else besides hieroglyphics or scale build-ups?” he asked, staring intently at his daughter.
Serena put on a pair of rubber gloves and examined the urn. She carefully touched the surface and gently shifted it to expose harder to reach areas. As she searched, frustration crossed her face.
"Dad, aside from a bunch of crustaceans you haven't removed yet, I really don't see anything unusual. Can you give me a hint? What am I looking for?" she asked.
"Take another look at those crustaceans. In fact, stand back here with me and have a look at them," he said.
Serena stood next to her father and stared at the urn sitting a few feet away. As she did, Jack stepped up behind them and joined in on the inspection.
Shaking her head, she said, "Dad, I'm sorry. I just don't see anything."
Javier stepped forward and with his index finger extended, traced the area around the crustaceans.
"See this area here? These are not just crustaceans that I haven't removed yet. This is part of the clay pot and it has a distinctive shape," he said, as he continued to follow the edges of the build-up.
As she focused on Javier’s finger tracing the outside edges, the reality of what she was looking at finally set in.
"Oh my God!" Serena exclaimed. "Are you sure?"
"What?" Jack called out, now confused and desperate for answers. "What do you see?"
"I'm pretty sure we’re looking at the built-up shape of a pyramid," Javier said. "I'm betting there's one just like it on the other side, too," he added.
"A pyramid?" Jack responded, still a bit confused. "Where do you see that?" he asked, squinting to sharpen his focus.
"It's difficult to see, but it's right here," Serena replied to Jack as she also traced the outside edge of the protrusion.
"Wow, I think I see it now," he replied excitedly.
Serena turned to her father and said confidently, "So this confirms it. This is definitively Mayan."
"Well, I'm not so sure," Javier replied in a low, almost undetectable voice.
"What?" Serena cried out. "What do you mean you're not so sure? Dad, this is confusing. First, you tell us it's a pyramid, then you tell us it's not Mayan. Well who else could it be? Certainly not Egyptian? Are you telling us some alien life form made it?" Serena teased.
"Serena, take another look at that pyramid. What do you see... or rather, what don’t you see?" Javier asked with a steady, confident voice.
Serena examined the raised surface once more. Looking back at her father in confusion, he nodded in reassurance. Again, she examined the mysterious location trying to unscramble the puzzle. Suddenly, the picture in her mind began to take shape.
"Oh my God!" Serena exclaimed. "It can't be."
"What can't be?" Jack blurted out anxiously.
"See the top of this pyramid?" Serena asked. "Mayan pyramids are typically depicted with large platforms or altars, situated on top of them. It's like a small square sitting on top of a triangle."
"But there isn't any on top of this one," Jack said, still confused.
"Exactly, Jack," Javier responded. "That's exactly the point! If there was one, it would most certainly be Mayan."
"So whose is it then?" Jack asked, his mind struggling to comprehend.
“The urn is in exceedingly bad shape and it is still covered with crustaceans and scaling, so I’m guessing at this point, but… I believe it might be Egyptian,” Javier replied, his voice slightly quivering.
Serena knees trembled slightly in reaction to hearing it vocalized for the first time.
“Dad, are you sure? Do you realize the implication?” she asked excitedly.
“Honey, I'm pretty sure... and, yes, I know what this means,” Javier replied.
“Egyptians?” Jack responded, now not sure what to think. "Dr. Samuelson was very adamant that Egyptians never traveled to this side of the world."
"Dr. Samuelson?" Javier said with minor confusion. "Are you talking about Burt Samuelson?"
"Absolutely," Serena interjected. "Dad, the reason Jack came down here in the first place is that he saw Burt on TV discussing the tablets he recently found. During the interview, Jack saw a symbol that resembled the golden pyramid he saw under the water as he flew over it several years ago. He sent Burt a photo of the pyramid, and he then contacted him about it. During the discussion, he told Jack whatever he saw under the water was not Egyptian because it was impossible for them to cross the Atlantic thousands of years ago. He told Jack it was probably something off a sunken ship or a soda can or something along those lines. In the end, Jack decided to come down and search for the golden pyramid anyway, regardless of Burt's rejection."
Continuing with Jack, Javier said, "So, Burt Samuelson took your call, huh? That must have been one impressive photo to distract him from his new-found treasure. Do you have it with you anywhere? I'd love to see what all the hoopla's all about."
"Well, I do have it, but it's at the airport with the rest of my things," Jack replied.
"Hmm, well, if you wouldn't mind, whenever you have a chance, I'd love to see it," he asked kindly.
Looking over at Serena, Jack said, "You know, I scanned that photo and emailed it to my parents a couple of months ago. If I could borrow your computer, I could access my email account and probably bring it up."
"Follow me," she replied excitedly. "This should be really interesting."
Serena started the computer in the laboratory, stood back, and watched as Jack searched through his email for the buried photo.
"Uh-huh, here it is," he said.
As he expanded his email and clicked on the photo, all waited impatiently for the picture to open. Seconds later, the photo appeared on screen and Jack maximized the size to fill the entire window.
"Oh my God, Jack, I had no idea it looked like that. That pyramid is nearly perfectly defined," Serena exclaimed. Turning to her Dad, she continued, "And that's taken through a hundred feet of water."
"No wonder Burt took your call," Javier said to Jack. "I just can't believe he didn't investigate this further. Jack, this is really impressive."
"So Dad, what do you think?" Serena inquired with growing curiosity.
"Hmm, well, the proportions look right. It looks like it might have an Egyptian lineage, but something is a bit off," Javier started, pointing to the area of concern. "This area above the pyramid, it has a circular shape of sorts. It could even be considered elliptical. This area is almost decidedly not Egyptian, which is very confusing to me. Did the artisan make a mistake when he created this piece or is this addition to the pyramid intentional?”
“Sir, if I may,” Jack interrupted, “The whole reason for my search is due to the symbol on Dr. Samuelson's tablets. As he was describing them, he focused on a unique symbol that contained a pyramid and all-seeing eye floating above it. He said that it symbolized a great nation which Egypt had undoubtedly conquered. That symbol on his tablets and my photo match remarkably well. I’m sure that golden pyramid is somehow related to Egyptian.”
“Well now, this is interesting. If Burt said the all-seeing eye symbol represented another nation, then it almost certainly couldn’t be Egyptian. After all, they wouldn’t be writing about conquering themselves, so it has to be another nation other than Egypt,” Javier responded.
“Who else could it be then? Who else had pyramids?” Jack asked.
“Pyramids have been found in China, Italy, Spain, France, Greece, and a few other nations around the world,” Javier answered.
“Yeah, but did any of tho
se other nations have the ability to sail across the Atlantic? I don’t think so,” Serena pointed out.
“Well, somebody did,” Jack replied.
“Yeah, somebody who fought a war with Egypt and also had a pyramid,” Serena said. Thinking for a moment, she added, “Maybe we’re thinking too broad here. Maybe it was just another Egyptian tribe that the all-seeing eye refers to. Maybe they did in fact fight a war with themselves… maybe it was a civil war,” she added.
“A civil war… that makes sense,” Jack concurred. “It would connect the dots between the conquered nation, the pyramids, and Egypt.”
“I think you might be right, honey,” Javier replied to Serena.
“I know I’m right,” she responded confidently. “It all fits.”
“Well, I’m not sure if it all fits, but one thing’s for certain: We have an urn that points to a specific region of the world and the other, a photo of a golden artifact, that points to the ancient civilization in that region.”
Javier paused a moment to collect his thoughts, then continued.
“I think we can prove all this out by association: If A equals B, then B supports C, because A and C were found together. If Burt's symbol equals B and the golden artifact equals A, then that golden artifact confirms that eastern civilization visited western civilization. If eastern civilization visited western civilization, then we can easily say that the urn, C, could have come from eastern civilization. The fact that they were found together, the one proves the other, i.e. the golden pyramid proves the urn is somehow connected to the Egyptians,” Javier finished, his voice quivering with excitement from the discovery.
“Holy crap, do you know what this all means?” Serena said to Jack. “You and Burt have found the missing link that will bridge the gap between western and eastern civilizations—a link that has remained elusive for thousands of years. The importance of this cannot be understated.”
“The next question is who were they and how did they get here?" Javier asked, his face somewhat puzzled.
“I might have found the answer,” Jack stated proudly.
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