"So what do you make of it Burt? You're not going to keep us in suspense, are you?" Javier teased.
Burt stood back from the scrolls, his face devoid of all expression. His eyes seemed to be glazed over and his mind far off on a different plane. Javier waved his hand in front of Burt’s face, humorously trying to get his attention.
"Burt, do we need to call you an ambulance? Come on man, you're killing us with suspense. Do we have a match?" Javier asked.
"I'm sorry, Javi, I wasn't expecting this. I know we talked about it over the phone but seeing it first hand is earth-shattering," Burt replied.
"Earth shattering? Don't tell me you found an ancient recipe for salad dressing?" Javier joked, now becoming impatient. "Burt, give me a straight answer. Does the symbol of the pyramid and the man match the one on your scrolls?"
"In a word, yes," he replied.
Serena and Javier exhaled together, their nervous tension finally relieved by that one simple reply.
"Wow, this really is unbelievable. Do you know what the implication is here?" Serena blurted out, unable to contain her excitement any more. "This confirms positively that eastern civilization visited western civilization. Yours and our scrolls are the missing links."
Burt's face became serious once more. Putting his hands on both Javier and Serena's shoulders, he spoke in a nervous tone.
"I think you two better sit down for this. There's more."
"More? Like bigger news than the missing link? I don't know how you can get bigger than that?" Serena replied, in mocking tone.
"Trust me, you can," Burt responded, his voice quivering with anticipation.
"Ok, Burt, you got our attention, now shoot. What else do we have here?" Javier asked, unable to contain his patience any further.
Burt took a deep breath, exhaled and spoke:
"Well, from what I'm seeing, the scrolls you have here aren't just insignificant passages from a scribe who was charged with recording a day in the life of some mysterious nation. These scrolls seem to be chronicling a civilization — and if I’m not mistaken, a Grecian civilization."
"What? Greece? How can that be? The hieroglyphics from your scrolls and ours are similar,” Serena asked, incredulously. “I was guessing it was from a tribe with the Egyptian borders. It made sense; similar hieroglyphics and a nation with a pyramid. I was sure it was all Egyptian related."
"One could easily make that argument, that is until you read the history in my tablets,” Burt started, his tone now turning cryptic. “I never told anyone about this for fear of sounding like a lunatic, but the tablets I just finished translating contained some startling information. The first tablet mentioned a war against another nation, symbolized by a pyramid and the all-seeing eye. At first, I just figured the symbol represented a rival tribe vying for regional domination; you know, the same ol’ conflicts we've been learning about for thousands of years. They all seem to have fought each other at one time or another. Anyway, what intrigued me and made me investigate this mysterious civilization further was a single symbol found only once on my scrolls: the symbol of the pyramid and the man with the pitch fork. The more I translated, the more I began to realize that this was not just an ordinary foe. This was Egypt's greatest enemy. Strangely enough, the data seemed to dead-end, almost like the scribe was forbidden to chronicle any more information. They simply stopped talking about them. Very strange. If they were conquered, there certainly would have been great detail chronicling their victory. The fact that they didn't boast about it is significant. So, what happened to the other warring nation? How did they simply just vanish without a trace or another word? Since my scrolls are dated to around five thousand B.C., I began to speculate on the civilizations of that time or should I say, civilizations that could have existed at that time. I eventually came to the conclusion that it could be only one nation, a nation that I could never reveal its identity to others for fear of being ostracized."
Burt pointed to the beginning of the first scroll and continued.
"So, when you called, you can only imagine my surprise to learn of these new scrolls and also that they contained the same symbol that’s on my tablets. Needless to say, I was anxious to read them. As I read the first few lines on the first scroll, it described the region where this mysterious civilization hails from. They refer to themselves as a great nation overseeing the world. Apparently, they were a great naval power, controlling not only the Mediterranean, but also the great Atlantic."
"The Atlantic? Really? What parts of it are we talking about here: Spain, Northern Africa?" Serena asked.
"It's hard to say because I only read a small portion of it, but I'm guessing a region greater than the Mediterranean," Burt replied.
"Wow, that's impressive," Javier cut in.
"I agree. They weren't just a nation. They were an empire controlling many nations, Egypt being one of them," Burt continued.
"From the sound of your scrolls, Egypt had the last laugh though, eventually conquering them," Javier added.
"I'm not so sure. As I scanned through your other scrolls, I think I found out why this mysterious civilization was never spoken of again on my scrolls. It appears that there was a natural disaster; one that destroyed that nation. It's right here,” he said, pointing. “It appears a massive tsunami wiped them out," Burt said.
"Whoa! Let me get these facts straight. You just described a mysterious empire that lived seven thousand years ago, which was a great naval power, which controlled the Atlantic, and was wiped out by a tsunami? That sounds like..." Serena said.
"Atlantis! It sounds like you’re describing the fabled civilization of Atlantis," Javier blurted, cutting off Serena in mid-sentence.
"Yes, that’s exactly who I’m describing. It fits. It all fits. The timing, their disappearance, the confirming details between the two scrolls. There's no question in my mind. The mysterious nation in our scrolls is Atlantis," Burt said resolutely.
The three stood silently for a moment, their minds spinning from the new revelation. As the gravity of their find became reality, Serena finally spoke.
"Shall we alert the media now or later?"
Atlantis - Chapter 18
DAY 10
THE ATLANTIC - ONE HUNDRED MILES NORTH OF TURKS AND CAICOS ISLAND:
Jack had weakened to a dangerous level and now the simplest task had become a life struggle. Sleeping more than he was awake, the float had slipped beneath the ocean’s surface, nearly sinking before he was able to pump out the excess water.
Feeling droplets of water stream down his face, he reached up and scratched at them as they rolled downward, tickling his skin. As the salty water seared his face, the burning sensation slowly pushed him from his sleep and he slowly opened his eyes.
Laying on his side and staring across the water, he noticed the gentle waves rolling toward him. They seemed much higher than usual, yet non-threatening. He watched with fascination as they grew from nothing, formed frothy white caps on their crest, then lifted the raft as they rolled under him and disappeared, only to be replaced by another in succession.
As he stared, his mind wandered aimlessly from one dull thought to the next, losing himself in the cadence of the on-marching waves.
Suddenly, Jack felt the cold crushing sensation of water as a larger wave broke and crashed over him. Instantly, he sat up and looked around.
“Dammit, I’m sinking again,” he spat out in anger.
With the float nearly submerged and with little strength to save his raft, Jack needed a miracle to survive. What he received was anything but…
Off in the distance, a lone dorsal fin cut the ocean’s surface like a razor.
----- ----- ----- -----
OFFICE OF JAVIER ARISTA:
“Remarkable, just remarkable,” Burt said loudly.
“What did you find, Burt?” Javier replied.
“Remember that golden artifact Jack Roberts was trying to find?” Burt asked.
“How could I forget it?
It’s the reason we’re here in the first place,” Javier replied.
“Well, from what I can tell, they’re describing it in the section I’m translating right now,” Burt said.
“Really? That is remarkable,” Javier responded, moving in for a closer look.
“And I’m fairly certain that it’s not just a decoration either. It looks like it has great value. Specifically, it looks like it’s a key of some kind,” Burt added
"Really? A key? To what?" Javier inquired, enthusiastically.
“As far as I can tell, it looks like it somehow unlocks a chamber,” Burt replied.
“Say that in my good ear? Burt, please don’t tell me there’s buried treasure at the end of this journey. I really don’t think my heart can handle that kind of excitement," Javier said, now grabbing his heart in jest.
“Let’s keep this in perspective Javi, these scrolls are seven thousand years old. I’m sure whatever they’re describing has been looted by now, like the pyramids of Egypt,” Burt replied, casually.
“So there is treasure buried somewhere?”
“Sort of. It appears there’s a pyramid somewhere that has a chamber the golden artifact opens, if I I’m reading this correctly," Burt said, rereading the scrolls.
“Oh my God, Burt. How can you be so blasé about the whole thing? We could have stumbled on another find as fantastic as Tutankhamen, for heaven's sake,” Javier responded, his voice trembling with anticipation.
Turning to Serena, Javier called out, “Honey, come here, quickly. You’ve got to hear this. Looks like that golden artifact Jack saw under the water has more value than just a paper weight. Burt just found out that it might be some kind of key used to open a chamber in a pyramid."
“Whoa, let’s not jump to conclusions just yet. I said it might be a pyramid. I haven’t gotten that far yet," Burt countered.
“So it’s true then? The golden artifact really is a key?" Serena asked, rushing over excitedly.
“Not a key in the conventional sense, but certainly something used to help open a chamber," Burt replied.
“Just imagine, discovering a new burial chamber. It’s every archaeologist’s dream,” Javier blurted loudly.
Suddenly, Serena’s expression changed and became serious.
“One problem with all of this,” she said.
“No artifact?” Burt cut in.
“Correct, we have no way of knowing where to look. If the coordinates Jack gave to Air Traffic Control were incorrect, as stated by the Coast Guard, there’s probably very little chance anyone will ever see that artifact again," Serena reasoned.
“I’d say there’s no chance at all, actually,” Burt replied.
“Hmm, that’s disappointing,” Javier said. He paused a moment, then added, "Well, maybe the scrolls tell us where the pyramid is located. Ancient burial chambers have never stopped looters, and with today’s technology, I’m sure we could find a way into it."
"I hate to burst your bubble so soon, Javi, but so far there’s no specific location mentioned here in the scrolls, just a general location," Burt responded.
"Maybe that’ll be good enough," Javier said.
"Yeah, like looking for a specific grain of sand in the desert. Might be a bit challenging. What else does it say?" Serena asked.
"Remember that man with the pitch fork?" Burt asked rhetorically. He waited for the others full attention, then continued.
"He’s buried there."
----- ----- ----- -----
Jack moved sluggishly over to the duffel bag, his tired body aching from head to toe. With as much energy as he could muster, he removed the cover on the float and inserted the pump. Sliding into the water, he kicked his feet while trying to keep the raft afloat.
As the float broke above the surface, he grabbed the lever on the pump and began to draw out the water. As the float sunk below the surface, he let go of the pump and grabbed the raft, kicking his feet to raise it back to the surface once more. Repeating the process over and over several times, Jack labored to breathe. With his legs aching and his arms giving out, he needed to rest.
Hanging onto the netting momentarily, he watched the float dip below the surface. Once again, he grabbed the float and brought it back up above the water.
Out of breath and tiring quickly, he knew he was in trouble. If he stopped to rest, the float would surely sink. If he kept going, he would surely run out of the strength to swim.
“Oh God, I don’t know if I’m going to make it,” he blurted loudly, gasping for air.
Jack sweated inside his wetsuit, overheating from exertion. He began to hyperventilate and his vision began to blur. Grabbing the netting, he hung on and rested once more.
Then Jack saw it… the dorsal fin.
“Oh shit! No!” he blurted out between gasps for air. “Not now. God no, not now,” he said through his gravelly voice.
Fear shot through his body and he began to shake uncontrollably. Desperate for air, desperate for rest, desperate for safety, he had but minutes to live.
“Oh God, think,” he moaned to himself in deep despair.
As he watched the dark dorsal fin swim menacingly around the raft, his heart pounded and his adrenaline began to pump. Kicking his feet to stay afloat, he began to feel energized.
Suddenly, he felt it.
“Ow! Shit, it bit me!”
Looking out across the float, he saw the dorsal fin continuing on its path as it circled around him. Jack looked down at his throbbing foot and saw it—the air tank hanging under the float.
A wave of relief spread through him as he realized he hadn’t been bitten. Quickly, he reached down and pulled his knife.
“Well, ballast won’t do me any good if I’m dead,” he rationalized.
With a quick flick of his wrist, he cut the line to the tank. Instantly, the float raised above the water by two inches as he watched the tank sink out of sight.
Before he could blink, the dorsal fin disappeared, the air tank now the object of the shark’s attention. Thinking quickly, he knew he had only moments to act. He stowed his knife and with every ounce of his strength, he hauled himself onto the float and grabbed the lever to the pump. Pumping wildly, he began to remove the water as the float slowly inched below the surface again.
“Oh God, please help me,” Jack prayed out loud.
Suddenly, the float began to rise. Slowly at first, then more quickly as he pumped with all his might, the float inched back above the surface. With intense focus, he worked the pump lever, removing several gallons of water in a minute, far faster than he had ever done before.
Now sitting four inches above the waterline, he began to look for the dorsal fin once more. As the waves rolled under him, the water became distorted, making it difficult to detect movement beneath the raft. Fear raged in Jack once more, and he could feel his heart pounding through his wetsuit.
“God, don’t let me die like this,” he prayed out loud again.
Continuing his task, he monitored the water around him.
Suddenly, he saw a dark object growing larger from beneath the raft. Pulling his legs from the water, he stretched them out across the outrigger as he continued to pump water.
Larger and more distinct by the second, there was no mistaking what it was.
“Oh shit! God no, not like this,” he cried out loudly again.
He sat helplessly and watched the dark creature’s eyes roll back and its razor-like teeth opened for the initial strike.
Rising up from the depths, the shark held its focus on Jack. Twenty feet from the float, it opened its mouth and slowly rolled to one side to facilitate a better attack.
Jack counted the feet as the shark approached.
“Twenty feet… ten feet… five feet.”
The shark broke above the surface and lunged for him, narrowly missing his arm as he continued to pump the water from the float.
The shark dipped below the surface and made another run. Moving fast and from the opposite direction,
it charged through the surface on the hammock side of the float, momentarily getting caught in the netting while thrashing and biting wildly.
Jack cried out in fear at the sight of such a vicious creature. As quickly as it appeared, it was gone.
His heart pumped at a frenzied pace. Fear and horror raced through his body as he frantically thought about his survival. Still pumping the lever, the spout now began to spew air.
“Oh shit… only eight inches above water… not enough,” he deduced quickly.
As the shark came back for another attack, he pulled his legs in as close to his body as possible, making himself a smaller target.
Like a savage animal, the shark roared through the surface, its teeth slashing at anything it could bite. Jack leaned toward the netting as the monster exploded up toward him, its teeth clamping on the edge of his wetsuit. With its prey in its teeth, the vicious fiend thrashed back and forth as it attempted to slaughter its victim.
As it dipped beneath the surface, it pulled Jack’s leg with it. He recoiled in fear and pulled away from the savage beast, tearing the material out of the shark’s mouth.
He watched the shark swim away and circle around for another attack. Jack’s mind was paralyzed with fear. He sat motionless as he watch the dorsal fin swim out thirty feet, then turn back toward him. As it dipped below the surface, he knew this was it. He knew with this next attack, the shark would get him.
He thought about moving to the netting at the last moment, but realized the futility of the plan. He would only be prolonging the inevitable.
He pulled his knife from its sheath. Staring at the sharpened blade, he thought about cutting his own throat.
“Better to die quickly up here, then to die slowly down there,” he thought to himself.
Suddenly, the shark broke through the surface and into the hammock, once again getting entangled in the netting as it fought to get to Jack. Quickly, instinctively, he lunged at the shark with the knife, plunging the point into its nose as he tried to push it away. Blood poured from its wound and it violently thrashed to get away.
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