The Secret Page

by Al Turner

  “Enter the next chamber and wait until it’s safe to leave,” the male voice said.

  “Uh, no, we’re not coming to you so you can kill us.”

  “Not this chamber,” the voice echoed back.

  “Sir, where’s this next chamber located?” Tripp asked.

  On cue, the sound of rock grinding against rock came from the corner where Carson sat, startling her. She spun to see a soft blue glow coming from just beyond the false cave wall as it opened. Soon a new entryway exposed a dimly lit tunnel that led somewhere else.

  “What’s in there?” Carson asked.

  “Safety,” the voice said. “And the knowledge you seek.”

  “Are you disguising your voice?” Daniel asked. “You sound a lot like Christian Bale’s version of Batman when you talk.”

  There was no response.

  “Why should we trust you?” Carson demanded.

  Daniel glanced at his phone. “Because our mysterious friend says, ‘Trust him.’“

  For a group with few options, it was good enough. One by one, they stepped into the tunnel, with Carson the last to enter. Before doing so, she turned back into the darkness. “Who are you?”

  “One of the good guys,” the voice answered.

  “Come on, sis,” Tripp called from somewhere within the curved tunnel.

  Carson stepped in and the wall began to close. Before it did, she shined her flashlight in the direction she thought the voice had come from, which was difficult to discern from the acoustics of the cavern.

  Just outside of the entrance to the smaller chamber, she spotted a pair of sapphire-blue eyes between a cap and a balaclava, staring back at her.

  With a screech reminiscent of fingernails on a chalkboard, the door sealed itself.

  RETRO CHAMBER

  The air in the tunnel had a mustier scent than that of the other chambers they had visited. The dim lighting revealed walls of natural rock, although the tunnel itself hadn’t been naturally formed. This was obvious to Tripp, who was anxious to escape the enclosed space. To his relief, the journey to the new entryway was short.

  Daniel joined Tripp in examining a new obstacle. A stone archway had been built into the rock. Within it was a steel cage that housed an old wooden elevator. Locating the latch that secured it, they slid open the rusty cage, which screeched in resistance.

  The wooden door, with its small window, wouldn’t open. Tripp spotted the call button on the brass panel. After he had pressed it, the door unlatched. It slid more easily than the cage had, and a florescent bulb flickered to life inside it.

  Carson had been watching and stepped through before the others had a chance. She discovered the old round crank and ran her hand across its handle. The temptation to play with it subsided and she waited for Tripp to examine it.

  “An antique brass crank.” Tripp determined it would rotate clockwise or counterclockwise to three choices that were engraved into the metal.

  To the far left was Exit, while the one to the far right read Control. The middle choice, and where the crank was turned to, read Main. As Daniel and Joe entered the cramped elevator, the door slid shut. The majority decided that Control sounded more appealing than Exit.

  Joe was the only one ready to go. “After you guys get to this control place, I’ll be heading up to the exit.”

  Carson tried to intervene. “We need to stick together, Uncle Joe. What if I need you later?”

  Joe laughed. “I feel sorry for anyone who messes with you. Besides, you have plenty of help now. I need to head home and get Wanda out of jail.”

  “Can’t you just leave her there another day or two?”

  “It’s tempting, but she did end up there because she was helping us. It’s been a couple of days, and I fear for the cops if I leave her there much longer.”

  Tripp, who waited by the antique elevator crank, said, “Uncle Joe, it may still be dangerous aboveground. It was you who said there’s safety in numbers.”

  “There’s also the danger of pissing Wanda off. Now let’s get moving, assuming this thing even works.”

  Tripp wound the handle of the crank clockwise before releasing it. “We’ll soon find out.”

  With a jolt, they began their descent. The elevator was slow but still arrived soon at its destination, indicating they hadn’t traveled much deeper into the earth. Tripp was eager to exit, as being in cramped quarters was making him anxious. The others got out of his way as he slid the door open.

  After they stepped out, each hugged Joe goodbye and watched him until the wooden door closed. The old mechanism started up again and the elevator began its journey upward. They continued into the new chamber.

  It was a larger space than the one they had left, but still much smaller than the first. Green light flooded the area. While the cavern had been formed naturally, it had also been modified for some purpose. Stalactites hung down and clusters of stalagmites rose from the floor, but some had been left in patterns, while the rest had been cleared for floor space.

  They passed a trickling waterfall that pooled locally and disappeared into the unknown. Tripp speculated that the water had come from a chamber above, likely the pool below the anomaly. He further suggested there was another chamber below them where the water traveled to, if not an underground stream or river.

  The purpose of the place became clear as they crossed its center and spotted a glistening metallic object in the corner. As they approached, the floor rose two feet by way of steps and became a raised concrete floor.

  Before them was a long brass console that merged with the natural rock. It was dotted with knobs, levers, and buttons. On the wall just beyond it was the largest round monitor they had ever seen, framed in brass. It was a retro sci-fi fan’s dream.

  “It’s like something from a Jules Verne novel,” Tripp said in awe.

  “It’s beautiful,” said Daniel and wiped a tear of joy from his eye.

  “It’s a geek’s wet dream.” Carson wasn’t as impressed. “What is it?”

  Tripp wasted no time in examining it. “The control center.”

  Daniel had his own theory. “I’m betting it’s our elusive server.”

  “We may both be correct.”

  “Whatever it is, does it come with power or do I need to find the bike and start peddling?” Carson said impatiently.

  Daniel walked up to the brass console and touched the metal qwerty keyboard. With a hum, various lights came to life and two smaller built-in round monitors displayed amber text. The bigger screen mounted to the wall came alive with static electricity but displayed nothing.

  Tripp was the first to spot the tray as it slid out to reveal a biometric reader. Without thinking, he placed his right hand over the pattern before Daniel could object. Both waited with apprehension to see what would happen.

  ***

  Carson wandered off to find a bathroom. She spotted a door across the stained concrete stage and headed for it. She found herself in a short hallway. Unlike in the rest of the chamber, someone had built plaster walls. At the end was a dark room with no door. To her right, about halfway down, was a closed door—the bathroom.

  After she completed her business, Carson proceeded to the room at the end of the hall. She used her flashlight to find the light switch and flipped it on, revealing a sink, coffeepot, small table, and boxes of rations stacked in the corner. “So, this is what an off-the-grid break room looks like,” she said before deciding to head back to the others.

  Carson spotted Tripp approaching; he had come in search of her. “You really need to see the information Daniel’s bringing up over there,” he said.

  She lit up with anticipation. “Information? How did he hack into that old relic so fast?”

  “It’s not old at all—only meant to look retro. This equipment is, in Daniel’s words, pretty beefy. Also, he didn’t hack into anything. I was granted full access.”

  Carson smiled. “You see, this must be a family affair.”

  “It would
be difficult to argue with that now,” Tripp said.

  ***

  When they got back to the console, Tripp turned his attention to the large round screen. An image of three items was being displayed.

  “Recognize anything?” Daniel asked.

  “Besides the fact that using round monitors is dumb? Sure, those are the things we found in Denton and at our crazy granny’s house,” Carson replied.

  “Exactly.”

  “What’s that third item?” Tripp asked. The last one they had never seen before—a thin rod with some sort of bracket on the end.

  “Watch this,” Daniel said as he pressed a button that started an animation sequence.

  The three items moved across the screen and lined up in the order in which they were designed to fit. First the long tube with engravings, followed by the rod that fit into one end, and finally the polyhedron that fit into the bracket. The animation then showed how the newly assembled device was attached to a robotic arm, which pointed at a glowing object that grew in intensity. Rings of energy formed around the device just before it shot the polyhedron into the radiating center, which rapidly dissipated.

  “What just happened?” Carson asked.

  Tripp stepped forward. “Would you agree it represents the anomaly in the other chamber?”

  “It just might,” Daniel said. He typed something and the screen showed a camera view of a catwalk with a robotic arm attached to one side.

  Tripp said, “So that device is a stimulus to open or close a wormhole?”

  “I’m not certain about the wormhole part. I just discovered the device’s name: the Trapdoor Key.”

  “Trapdoor Key?” Tripp repeated. “What would our dad be doing with it?”

  “Maybe he was holding it for someone else?”

  “Perhaps,” Tripp replied. He reviewed a cascade of possibilities. “Can you download all relevant information? I’d like to review as much data as we can later.”

  Daniel produced a thin laptop from his backpack. “I can connect using a standard USB cable and start the transfer. There’s a lot of data here. What shall I grab?”

  “I suppose whatever my credentials will allow access to.”

  “That’s my point—you have access to several terabytes of information. I have no idea what’s the most interesting without reviewing it. I do know I only have space to grab a fraction of it.”

  “Best guess,” Tripp replied.

  While Daniel went to work transferring data to his laptop, Tripp went through several folders until he spotted something intriguing. He brought it up on the screen for the others to see.

  A drawing of a pyramid with the words “Guild of Libra” over it came into view. It depicted several layers of an organization. The top layer was labeled “Guild Master,” followed by “Chamber,” “Divisional Captains,” “Members,” and finally, “Casuals.” A legend on the page confirmed that this was some sort of secret organization.

  “Was Uncle Conner a member?” Carson asked.

  Tripp, annoyed by his sister’s obsession with their dead uncle, checked anyway. The others waited as he searched a membership list. He stopped his search and simply stared at the smaller monitor.

  Carson was the first to notice he’d stopped. “Are you going to tell us or paste it on the main screen?”

  “No, Uncle Conner doesn’t seem to have been a member.” He turned to his sister. “However, Pops and Dad are listed.”

  Carson did a double take. “What? Dad belongs to a secret organization?”

  Tripp was uncertain about his findings. “Both he and Pops are considered Casuals. Before you ask what that means, realize that I may be telling you more than I know. Casuals seem to be a label for either neophytes, some form of asset, or those with emeritus—or inactive—status.”

  “So is our dad still active?”

  “I’m just conveying what I see here, but I believe both he and Pops are inactive members.”

  “That’s so weird that Dad belonged to this organization but not our uncle Conner.”

  A light seemed to come on in Daniel’s head. “I’d think my uncle Fumi would have also belonged to this guild.”

  Tripp reviewed the membership list. “He appeared to have been an active member. Judging from the time stamp, this list was updated several months ago.”

  “No way,” said Daniel. “Have you learned what it is they do?”

  Tripp’s speed-reading skills got a full workout. After scanning through several pages, he found something. “Their motto is Statera Mundi.”

  Daniel already had his phone out to translate and had the answer before Tripp could bring up his own browser. “It’s Latin for either ‘world balance’ or ‘the balance of the world.’”

  Tripp, noting he had no bars on his own phone, was curious how Daniel could use his. “You have access down here?”

  “Dude, it’s called joining the local network.”

  “How silly of me to not have looked for an unsecured cave hotspot.”

  Daniel laughed. “Never judge a cave by its—uh, whatever.”

  Carson jumped in before they got off on a tangent. “These people wanted to bring balance to the world? Is that like world peace?”

  Tripp read further but came to no conclusion. “I’d need more time to research what their goals were.”

  “Well, we seem to have plenty of that,” Carson said.

  A flash and a pop came from above and startled them. The data that had once been on the screen was replaced by a lovely and familiar face. Kate Page stared down at them as if taking a silent roll call. “Where’s Joe?”

  “H-he just left.” Tripp stammered with surprise at seeing his mother’s image on the screen.

  “Did you find what you were looking for?” she asked.

  “Mother?” was all Carson could manage, her mouth agape.

  “I believe we have,” Tripp said, still perplexed.

  Daniel held up and waved his phone. “Are you the mysterious friend that has been texting me?”

  “I am,” Kate replied.

  “And you couldn’t have just said it was you?” Carson asked.

  “Had you known it was me, Carson, you would’ve argued about everything I asked you to do.” Kate replied. “Besides, I know you love a good mystery.”

  Carson’s silence acknowledged that Kate’s points were valid.

  “What’s your part in all of this, Mom?” Tripp asked.

  “That’s a long story, and I don’t have time to explain.” She shook her head like she used to do when they were young and she had caught them doing something wrong. “I warned your father this might happen.”

  “Men do tend to have selective hearing, Mother,” Carson said.

  “He’s not the only one,” Kate fired back. “I knew you two couldn’t stay ignorant of your family history forever.”

  Carson scoffed. “We’d still be ignorant if you and Dad had your way.”

  “There’s still so much you don’t understand.”

  Carson pulled out her mother’s diary and flashed it at her. “I’m starting to catch up, though the page you ripped out might’ve made that easier. Who walked out of this cavern twenty-five years ago, Mother?”

  Surprisingly, their mother didn’t seem upset by the sight of her diary. “Oh, sunshine, I knew when I hid that book from you that it was only a matter of time. When you were young, you’d search endlessly for your Christmas gifts and peek at them. It’s always been in your nature.”

  “I’m well aware that I’m notorious for hating surprises, but I’m not about to get distracted. Who all survived, Mother?”

  “Be careful about opening doors that can never be closed.”

  “I think the hinges have already been blown off. Uncle Conner seems to be doing well for a dead guy. I recognized him despite the disguise.”

  Both Daniel and Tripp turned to her as if she were crazy.

  Kate looked a shade paler but recovered at once. “What are you talking about?”
<
br />   “Please stop blowing smoke up our asses. You coordinated with him to help us. I know I saw him in the shadows. If I have to search this entire cavern, I will.”

  “It’s far more complicated than you realize.”

  “Give it a shot, anyway.”

  There was uncertainty in their mother’s expression, but she seemed to shake it off as she came to her decision. “No, Carson, it’s time for quid pro quo. If you want to learn about the Page family ghost, you need to come join us on Pops’s ship. Once you’re safely here, we can talk.”

  Carson took on her signature defiant stance. “It wasn’t a ghost who helped us, Mother.”

  “There’s just no reasoning with you, young lady. Go waste all the time you want on your ghost hunt.”

  Carson looked taken aback. “But I saw something.”

  “You’ve no idea what you’ve seen. The three of you shouldn’t be in that cavern. If you knew how dangerous it was, you’d run out of there screaming.”

  “Right, and then get shot by the assholes who tracked us here.”

  Their mom changed her tune. “I didn’t mean you should run out this very minute. Still, you should know that some secrets there that have gotten many people killed.”

  “About that,” Tripp said. “Why would we be granted access to such potentially dangerous material?”

  Their mother groaned. “Pops and your dad are obsessed with keeping sensitive information around as insurance. Your dad decided you both needed access, in case something happened to us. Someday you’ll need to carry the burden, though you weren’t supposed to find it so soon.”

  “It’s so weird when the truth is even crazier than any theories I could have come up with,” Carson said.

  Daniel nodded.

  “Even with everything we’ve learned, Dad just doesn’t seem a likely covert operative,” Tripp said, lacking the same conviction he had before.

  “You said that about Shelby too.” Carson playfully poked him in his side.

  Their mother had turned to her left, as if speaking to someone off-screen. She listened to whoever it was and returned her attention to them. “We’ll have to talk later. Right now, I’m needed elsewhere on the Abril. Pops is on his way to your location. He says he has a task for you three. Please stay put until he arrives.”