“The material also contains organic compounds, evenly distributed throughout its molecular structure. It appears more than anything else to be a kind of cement, of which granite is a component. But it’s far denser and harder than cement as we know it.”
Again the audience stirred.
“The presence of organic compounds means that the material contains carbon, and this allowed us to perform carbon dating tests.”
Now the audience grew still, sensing that Reynolds was coming to something dramatic.
“Based on our testing, this material dates from roughly 65 million to 75 million years old.”
Reynolds paused as the audience let out its collective breath and the noise level went up. The photographers’ strobes again lit up the auditorium. After a brief pause, Reynolds continued.
“When I say from 65 to 75 million, I don’t mean that our dating techniques are that imprecise. What I mean is that different layers of the material dated to different ages, with the lower layers being the oldest. This, of course, is how layers of various materials are often found, but there’s a major difference here.”
The screen now showed a lengthwise cross section of one of the samples, with graphic annotations.
“The differences in age occur in distinct bands near the top surface, where the first layer, around an inch thick, is the youngest. The next layer, about three quarters of an inch thick, is approximately 2 million years older. The pattern repeats with slightly varying degrees of thickness until we reach the oldest and thickest layer about 4 inches deep, and which extends the rest of the way through the material. This lowest layer dates uniformly to around 75 million years. Essentially the same pattern was found in all five core samples.
“At the boundary points, the layers appear to have been fused together somehow, since there’s no significant discontinuity in density.” He paused, looking at the audience. “It’s as if we were to build a road, and then periodically re-pave over it every few million years.”
Reynolds let the audience absorb this for a moment, and then continued.
“Once we had this analysis of the core material, we took a more extensive set of soundings. Based on these soundings and the drilling that we’ve done, we’ve created a computer model of what we think the surface looks like underneath the ice pack.”
A computer rendering now appeared on the screen. It showed a flat surface on which sat a series of truncated, three-sided pyramids, or tetrahedral shapes. It was as if someone had built three-sided pyramids and then lopped the tops off from about a third to two thirds of the way up from the base. Although the structures varied in size and height, there was an order to their layout. As Reynolds spoke, the computer model began to rotate, giving the image additional depth and perspective. The surface of the ice appeared as a mesh hovering above the lower surface at varying heights.
“The structures are aligned in an orderly fashion, and spaced somewhat regularly, laid out almost as if they were part of a city. By way of size, the structures range from around 8 meters to a side at the base to nearly 120 meters.”
This put a buzz back into the crowd again. Reynolds waited for it to die down.
“From our sonar soundings, it appears that this ‘city,’ if I can use the term, covers an area of roughly 85 acres, in a triangular layout that’s repeated in the shapes of the structures.
“Somewhat interestingly, the layout doesn’t seem to be aligned in any particular direction. None of the points of the triangles that define the bases are aligned to any compass points. This could indicate nothing, or it could also mean that the structures initially were aligned to compass points but no longer are due to continental drift.
“In taking our core samples, we decided to avoid drilling into any of the structures until we had more equipment in place. The reason for this is that we think there’s a chance that these structures may be hollow. If they are, the air inside them would have been sealed inside them for at least 50 million years, if not longer. We’d very much like to analyze that air.
“Therefore, all of the core samples taken so far have been from the flat areas in between the structures.”
The computer image now showed five thin vertical columns indicating the locations from which samples had been taken.
“We expect that when we take samples from the structures themselves, we’ll find the same cement-like material again.”
The computer rendering of the “city” now zoomed toward the center of the triangular area as Reynolds continued.
“As you can see, this structure near the center of the city is larger than any of the others, and is also the only structure with two levels.”
The central structure consisted of two truncated pyramids, with a smaller one atop a larger one. It was reminiscent of some of the stepped pyramids of Egypt and Central America, except for being three-sided.
“Despite the fact that the ice pack is thicker here than at our original drill site, at roughly 160 meters, or 520 feet, we’re guessing that this is where it would make the most sense to concentrate our investigation. And for that subject, I’ll turn things back over to Dr. Clayton.”
Clayton nodded at Reynolds.
“Thank you, Dr. Reynolds.
“Before we move to our plans for further exploration, I suspect that everyone in this room has the same question on his or her mind, which would be: Who or what created this… ‘city?’
“Obviously, at this point we can only speculate, but I’ve asked Dr. Mitchell to offer her comments as a paleontologist. Dr. Mitchell?”
Stephanie Mitchell smiled at Clayton, and then turned to the audience.
“Thank you, Dr. Clayton. Certain members of the media feel they’ve already provided the answer of what’s under the ice, and that we’re already in big trouble with little green men for disturbing them.”
This got a laugh from the crowd, which was comprised almost totally of members of the press. Even the stringer from the Exposer chuckled.
“If we look at this logically, there are three possible explanations of how these structures came to be. First, these could be the result of some natural phenomenon, with which we’re unfamiliar.”
As she spoke, a textual graphic summarizing her point replaced the computer rendering on the screen.
“Given the nature of the material, the apparent smoothness and regularity of the structures and the orderly way in which they’re laid out, I think this first possibility can safely be discounted.
“Second, they could be man-made. While we believe that the ice pack in that part of Antarctica has been building up for anywhere from 40 to 50 million years, we could be wrong about that. As for the carbon dating indicating an age of 65 million years, just because the material itself was formed that long ago doesn’t mean that these structures made with it were constructed that long ago.
“It’s conceivable that somewhere on Antarctica there exists this type of ‘organic granite’ that formed 65 to 75 million years ago, and that was quarried at a much later time by early humans as a building material.
“There are several problems with this theory, not the least of which is that we’re pretty confident that the ice pack in this area has been building up for 40 to 50 million years, based on testing of core samples of the ice itself. And even if we’re wrong by an order of magnitude, that would still place the age of the pack at four to five million years. Unless our understanding of human evolution is way, way off the mark, our ancestors of that era weren’t even close to having any kind of technology, let alone the technology to build something like this.
“So on at least these two points, I’m fairly certain we can rule out a human origin.”
As she continued, the projection added the third possibility on the screen.
“Finally, we come to the only reasonable alternative, which is that the structures we’re seeing were constructed by some intelligent but non-human agents.”
She smiled slightly as the crowd registered its reaction. More than a few people were l
ooking at the Exposer stringer, who was grinning broadly.
“At this point, folks, I have to leave you to your own speculation. If we use the date of 65 million years ago as the time these were built, then the only creatures we know of that existed on Earth back then were the last of the dinosaurs and non-sentient — intelligent — mammals. Which leads us to speculate that visitors from somewhere else — aliens, if we must — may have built these structures.
“The fact that this was around the same time that the dinosaurs became extinct perhaps even lends weight to the alien theory. As long as we’re speculating, we could entertain the possibility that the two are related. Maybe the aliens who built this were what killed off the dinosaurs, either on purpose or by accident.”
This really set the crowd off, and it was a good half minute before Royce Clayton spoke up.
“Thank you, Dr. Mitchell.”
“My pleasure,” she replied.
“Ladies and gentlemen, if we could settle down please.” The audience slowly returned its attention to the panel.
“Speculation may be fine for the press, and it’s certainly entertaining, but we prefer to rely on hard science to find answers. Toward that goal, I’m pleased to announce that Dr. Reynolds and his team, along with considerable reinforcements and additional equipment, will be returning to Antarctica for an expanded exploration of the site.”
As Clayton spoke, a new version of the computer graphic depicting the site appeared on the screen, and a new, thicker column appeared just next to the central structure.
“Our plan is to sink a shaft wide enough to allow people and equipment to descend to the area directly next to the large structure near the center of the site, where we can then open up an area around the structure and explore directly.”
At the bottom of the shaft in the graphic a space expanded into a cavern under the ice that eventually encompassed a portion of the large structure.
“This expedition will be leaving for Antarctica as soon as possible, in order to get as much work done as possible while the weather is still relatively mild.”
Reynolds’ eyebrows involuntarily went up at that remark. “Mild” is indeed a relative thing, he thought.
“And at this time, we’ll take your questions,” Clayton announced.
Dewey Manley knew pretty much what to expect from his colleagues at this point, and he wasn’t disappointed. The first question, from one of the TV reporters — an obnoxious woman named Fiona Sellers, from “KDOH-TV Action 3 News” — set the tone.
“Dr. Reynolds, what do you expect to find down there?” Manley groaned to himself.
Reynolds lifted one eyebrow slightly, weighing his options for a moment before deciding on a straightforward approach.
“I don’t really know,” he answered. “That’s why we’re going to tunnel down, to find out.”
The question session continued on, with the bulk of the questions as insipid as the first, and as it became clear that the panel was getting ready to wrap things up, Manley headed up the side aisle to beat the rush.
The real story, he knew, wasn’t in the auditorium, it was in Antarctica, and all he had to do was figure out how to convince his bosses that he should be part of the expedition, and then find the strings that needed to get pulled to get him included.
•
It turned out that the senior features editor of the S. F. Times had graduated from Cal with Royce Clayton, and the two had remained friendly over the years. Manley got his assignment and a ticket, as it were, to Antarctica.
Chapter 4
Revulsion
Reverend Billy Joe Wilder switched off the television as the CNN coverage of the Berkeley press conference ended and threw the remote on the coffee table in disgust.
“Blasphemy!” he yelled, loud enough to startle Sheila, his secretary. She cringed. She hated it when he got upset like this.
“According to the Bible, the Earth is no more than about 6,000 years old, tops! Whatever them pointy-headed liberal college types found down in Antarctica sure wasn’t built by no aliens from outer space! If human beings could build the pyramids of Egypt and the Tower of Babel, why in the name of Sweet Jesus couldn’t human bein’s build pyramids in Antarctica?”
Sheila cringed again. “But Billy Joe, what about all the ice?”
“Ice don’t mean nothing,” he thundered back. “The Lord decided Antarctica should be cold and covered with ice, so He caused it to snow. He had thousands of years to do it, which for Him is but the blink of an eye.”
Sheila couldn’t argue with Billy Joe’s logic. “Why I guess that’s true,” she said, with admiration in her voice. As far as she was concerned, Billy Joe Wilder had to be the smartest man she’d ever met; maybe even the smartest man alive.
“All those scientists and Darwinists and other non-believers go making up these stories that go against the Lord’s word, and it just ain’t right!”
“No it ain’t,” Sheila agreed.
Billy Joe was working up a high dudgeon now, pacing back and forth as Sheila sat at the end of the sofa in his private office.
“Now your truly faithful folks, them that’s been saved, they’ll see through these lies and know them for what they are. But there’s lots of folks out there who haven’t been saved yet, and this kind of blasphemous nonsense just makes it harder to reach them.”
Sheila nodded vigorously.
“I’ve got to write a sermon for this Sunday’s program exposing these fairy tales for the lies they are, and revealing the truth to our flock. For the truth shall set them free.”
As Sheila nodded, the phone rang, and she jumped up to answer it.
“Billy Joe Wilder’s office… Oh yes, just a moment Mrs. Wilder.” She put her hand over the mouthpiece. “It’s your wife,” she said, perhaps a bit redundantly.
“Thank you darlin’,” Billy Joe said softly before taking the phone from her.
“Hi, sweetheart, how are you?” He listened for a moment.
“Yes, I saw the press conference.
“Uh huh…
“Uh huh…
“Yes, I’m gonna be addressing that very subject this coming Sunday.”
Billy Joe’s wife Mabel was a very devout woman, and she often provided advice and guidance when it came time to prepare the sermons for Billy Joe’s Sunday broadcasts on the Christian Cable Network.
“Yes, dear, I’m fixing to call Bobby Palmer over at HSU. He’ll be able to help with solid Biblical science to refute their secular so-called science.
“That’s right…
“We’ll work on it tonight when I get home.
“I love you too, dear.
“Goodbye.”
Billy Joe put the phone down smoothly, hiding his annoyance at having been interrupted by his wife’s call. He’d just been building up a good head of steam, and Sheila had been eating it up. He started in again, talking about the way heathens were trying to take over the world, and how it was the duty of all good God-fearing Christians to do battle with the forces of evil. Within a few minutes he’d brought the energy level in the room back up to and past where he’d had it before the phone rang.
“…and that’s why it’s so important for good Christians to do everything they can to support God’s efforts on Earth,” he intoned.
“Oh, I know,” said Sheila, “I know!”
“Of course, a man like me, with so much responsibility, and such a passion for the Lord’s work, well, some of that passion can’t help but spill over into other areas of his life.”
Again Sheila nodded to show him she understood what he was saying. Billy Joe moved to the sofa and stood before her.
“And my dear Mabel, well, she’s a wonderful woman, but she just can’t take care of all of the needs of a man like me, you know.”
“Oh, I know that, Billy Joe,” Sheila replied.
“Sheila, darlin’, are you ready to help me in my fight against the forces of Satan?” he asked her earnestly.
“
Yes, I am!” she answered, reaching to unbutton her blouse. They’d been down this road more than a few times before.
“I knew that I could count on you,” said Billy Joe, as he unclasped his belt and lowered his zipper. “I knew that I could.”
•
Wilder sat at his desk, waiting for his phone call to be answered. The line clicked, and a voice answered “Hello.”
“Bobby, is that you?”
“Hello, Billy Joe, how you doing?” said Bobby Palmer. The head of the Creation Sciences Department of Holy Spirit University had been preparing to leave for the evening when his old friend called.
“I’m doing just fine, mighty fine. I just finished boffin’ my secretary, so I’m feeling real good.”
“You dog!” Palmer replied. “She that cute little brunette with the really nice hooters?”
“That’s the one.”
“Man, I wouldn’t mind getting some of that myself,” Palmer opined.
“Now, you get your own ‘tang, son. This one’s my private property.”
“That ain’t very Christian of you, Billy Joe,” said Palmer with a chuckle.
Wilder gave a short guffaw back, before moving to his subject.
“Bobby, did you see that press conference from U. C. Berkeley on CNN today?”
“Yeah, I did.”
“What’d you think?”
“Well, I started following the whole thing right after it showed up on the Internet. I gotta say that it looks to me like they found a city buried underneath the ice. And it also looks like it’s been there a long, long time.”
“Yeah, that’s what they were saying,” said Wilder.
“And that woman scientist made a good point about the carbon dating, but still, the evidence points to an origin around the end of the Mesozoic period.”
“Say, she wasn’t too shabby, was she?” Wilder replied. “What was it, Stephanie something?”
“Yeah, something like that. No, she’d do!” said Palmer.
“Well Bobby, you know I can’t talk about Mesozoic or Jurassic or any of that kind of shit in my sermon. I’ve got to stick to the strict interpretation that the Earth was created roughly 6,000 years ago. Is there anything you can give me to help make those scientists look like chumps on Sunday?”
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