Tomb of Zeus (Atlantis)

by Christopher David Petersen

  “Ugh… don’t remind me. Those were the worst moments of my life,” Javi responded. “Honestly Jack, if it weren’t for you, Serena probably wouldn’t be alive today.”

  “I know. Staring at the pyramid, I was just remembering all of that. Glad we outsmarted them.”

  “YOU outsmarted them, Jack,” Javi replied proudly.

  “I did, didn’t I? Put the old smack down on their evil asses, huh?” he joked.

  “More like the squash down, if you ask me. I think the cleanup crew ended up scooping them up with shovels after they lifted that ceiling off them.”

  “Couldn’t have happened to a more deserving bunch of scum bags,” Jack shot back.

  The two smiled agreeably.

  “Well, you ready to get this show started?” Javi asked.

  “No time like the present,” Jack responded, smiling with anticipation.

  As they walked toward Javi’s jeep, Jack asked another question.

  “So, what’s Serena’s roll in all of this? Is she at the pyramid now?”

  Javi hesitated a moment, then responded.

  “I’m not quite sure. She was pretty vague about her visit… but I’m sure she’ll be here at some point.”

  Jack stopped and stared at Javi. He sensed something unusual about his response.

  “Javi, she is coming, isn’t she?”

  Javi glance over nervously at Jack and nodded.

  “As far as I can tell, she is.”

  Jack felt uneasy about Javi’s response, but chose to let it go.

  ----- ----- ----- -----

  One hour later…

  The drive to the great limestone pyramid took nearly an hour as the road snaked through the hillside, gaining elevation with each hairpin turn they took. As the two pulled into a large parking area, far away from the tourist entrance, Jack noticed an extensive amount of activity since the last time he was there, more than a year ago. Heavy equipment, from a bulldozer and dump truck, to utility trailers and loose building supplies, were spread out across a newly leveled work area.

  “What a difference a year can make,” he noted aloud.

  “This is all just recent activity. If you recall a year ago, we had to share the same parking lot with the tourists. Kind of made working up here difficult. Once I determined that Zeus’ chamber was a probability, the Department of Tourism granted me the permits to expand the area on the opposite side in order to work.”

  “Wow, they gave up the permits that fast? Had to pull a few more strings, I’m guessing, huh?” Jack teased.

  “You have no idea. I had to fabricate a report indicating that tourists would be in grave danger when the time came to explore the corridor and chamber. Once they heard about the possibility of lost revenue due to tourist deaths, the Department rubber-stamped my requests ASAP.”

  “Javi, aren’t you taking this a bit too lightly?” Jack questioned with serious concern.

  “What do you mean?” Javi responded slightly puzzled.

  “You said you had to ‘fabricate’ a report. Have you forgotten about the previous deaths, not to mention your own near-death experience when we first entered the pyramid? I’m certain anything you put in that report wasn’t a fabrication. I’m betting that new corridor and chamber are well protected against grave robbers… and archeologist.”

  “I think we’re better prepared this time around. I know there’s a risk, but I think with all this new equipment and electronics, I’m fairly certain we’ll be relatively safe,” he said confidently.

  “Hmm, famous last words,” Jack replied sarcastically.

  Javi shot Jack an uneasy grin.

  Pulling up to one of the utility trailers, Javi spotted a fellow archeologist coming out the office door to greet them. Young, in his mid-twenties, tall, thin, with dark hair and dark complexion, the lineage of his ancestry was never in doubt: Greek.

  “Good morning, Javi. Is that Jack Roberts with you?” Dunixi Kanelos said with a gracious smile.

  Stepping around to Jack’s side, he extended his hand even before Jack could step out of the open-topped jeep.

  “Jack Roberts, at your service,” he responded, shaking Dunixi’s hand with an energetic pump.

  “Jack, this ball of energy is Dunixi Kanelos. He’s been helping me set up the site since you left,” Javi said, stepping from the jeep.

  “Please, call me Duni. Only my mother and Javi call me Dunixi,” Duni joked.

  “Duni it is,” Jack nodded agreeably.

  As the three stepped into the utility trailer, a sea of electronics sat atop a long row of desks that lined the rear wall.

  “Wow, this is like a military command center,” Jack joked.

  “The tourist trade has been very generous in fulfilling my needs,” Javi joked further. “Today, I’ll request a cheeseburger for lunch. They’ve already approved it.”

  “Very generous of those tourists, isn’t it?” Jack teased.

  “In all seriousness though, Jack, our budget from the Department of Tourism is very generous, especially after learning about the new chamber. I suspect they don’t want our progress… and the potential for greater revenue, slowed due to lack of funding.”

  “Understandable. If we do find Zeus buried inside that chamber, the flood of tourists to this area will probably double. I’m sure they want to capitalize on that revenue as soon as possible,” he responded.

  “Jack, have you seen any of the latest images of the corridor and chamber yet?” Duni asked.

  “Not yet. Javi’s keeping it a secret,” he teased.

  Pointing to a desk with three computer screens sitting side by side, he motioned for Jack to follow him.

  “I was just reviewing the data when you guys pulled up. Take a look at the middle screen,” Duni said, now growing excited.

  On the middle monitor, a gray and white image showed a top view of the pyramid and the surrounding area. Clearly in the center of the pyramid, at an elevation of thirty feet below the base level, a twenty by twenty square appeared lighter than the surround areas.

  “See the edges of the light-gray shading? That has to be a chamber. The walls and corners are perfectly defined. If it were just an anomaly, one or more walls might not show up or the corners would be distorted and irregular. This square is perfect,” Duni said.

  Jack nodded, then turned his attention to the monitor on the right. He focused on another gray and white image.

  “So I’m guessing this image is also from side scan imaging, correct?” he asked, pointing.

  “Yeah, it shows the chamber as if we’re looking north, thirty feet below the surface,” he replied. Pointing to the monitor on the left, he continued, “That monitor is also a side scanned image, but it shows the view looking east. In essence, if you consider the three images, their data clearly shows a subterranean vault, twenty by twenty by ten feet high.”

  Javi stepped forward and pointed to the middle monitor.

  “See anything interesting in this area?” he asked of Jack.

  Jack focused hard, then smiled.

  “Well, I don’t have a lot of expertise at reading these things, but if my guess is correct, those darker shadings inside the chamber probably are metallic, correct?”

  “Gold, Jack! I’m guessing we’ve struck gold,” Duni blurted excitedly.

  “Now Dunixi, don’t get ahead of yourself here. It could also be iron deposits of some sort too,” Javi responded.

  “No way. I agree that any one piece of evidence by itself is inconclusive, but the sum of all the parts adds up to only one conclusion: Zeus’ chamber,” Duni replied, his voice nearly cracking with excitement.

  Jack stepped back from the monitors. He nodded confidently.

  “Cool… so when do we start digging?” he asked.

  Duni and Javi looked at each other with disappointment, then back to Jack.

  “What’s the matter with you two? It’s like I just said a dirty word or something.” He stopped himself and thought about his words. “Oh cra
p… digging is a dirty word. You guys don’t have any permits to cover the new excavations yet, do you?”

  “Not yet, Jack. We’ve applied for them, but you know how it is: there’s only so many to go around,” Javi replied in disappointing tone.

  “What about the funding? If they gave you that, surely they’d want to speed up the process so they could start seeing an influx of tourism, right?”

  “We’re working that angle too, but the Department of Tourism is slow to respond,” Duni said.

  “Well, how about if we just speed them up a bit?” Jack said cryptically.

  “How so?” Javi asked with great curiosity.

  “Guilt them into approving the permits,” Jack stated with conviction.

  “I don’t follow you,” Javi responded.

  “Go public. You’re a big international archeologist with lots of clout. You also know the names of those guys at the D.O.T. You could make a public announcement, claiming that the greatest archeological find since Poseidon has just been discovered. You could also claim that the find is in grave jeopardy due to undermining from the subterranean rivers that could cause a collapse of the chamber and thereby lose the priceless find. Furthermore, you could claim that the DOT isn’t cooperating and could be responsible for such a great loss.”

  “Jack, that’s just not true. The chamber isn’t in any jeopardy at all. The structure is fine,” Duni responded.

  “No Dunixi, I think Jack has a point,” Javi said with a sly smile. “Give a long enough timeline, Jacks prediction of a collapse is a certainty. When we make the broadcast, we just won’t tell them that we have ten thousand years before we have to start worrying.”

  “So you are going to make that broadcast?” Duni asked incredulously.

  “Sometimes a little persuasion goes a long way,” Javi smiled wryly.

  ----- ----- ----- -----

  Javi waited in front of the news cameras and fixed his tie. Filming in front of the great pyramid, he prepared to make his broadcast to the world. As the filming lights were turned on, a sound man gave Javi the signal to speak:

  “Good evening, tonight we stand at the site of the greatest archeological find the world has ever known: Atlantis and the discovery of their great pyramid. Deep inside this massive structure is the tomb of Poseidon. With his body on display in Athens, receiving thousands of visitors each day, and his burial tomb behind me, the world has been blessed with the sight of treasures that stagger the mind.

  “Today, I would like to announce to the world yet another archeological find of mammoth significance. Today, my team and I have discovered what we believe is the burial tomb of Zeus.”

  Gasps from spectators could be heard in the background as cameramen moved closer to hear every detail.

  “As you may know, two golden statues were discovered deep inside the pyramid: one representing Poseidon and the other, Zeus. We believe this to be of significant importance. So far, only Poseidon’s burial chamber has been found. With the discovery of this new chamber, we’re certain that it will contain the body of Zeus. One can only guess the untold treasures that wait. As with Poseidon, his fabled trident proved to be a reality, so too are we anticipating Zeus will be found with his fabled scepter. These are treasures of incalculable importance. Their history must not be lost.”

  “Unfortunately, due to Grecian bureaucracy, permits approving new excavations are still being reviewed. We’re no closer to saving these great treasures today than we were a year ago.”

  Although some may feel that time is a commodity, I’m afraid they are mistaken. Zues’ chamber rests above a subterranean river. Each day, that river undermines the structure supporting the chamber. It is only a matter of time before it collapses. I can only hope we are able to save those great works before this happens. It would be a shame to lose everything simply due to slow moving government bureaucracy. I can only hope my message is heard and action is taken to save what’s left.”

  Javi turned from the cameras and walked away, his face sad and forlorn. Shouts from reporters echoed off the pyramid only serving to heighten the hysteria of the moment. In seconds, Javi’s message was broadcast around the world, instantly creating public outcry.

  As he walked out of sight, he joined Jack and Duni. Together, the three hurried to the utility trailer on the other side of the pyramid, and watched the newscast being repeated on other news stations.

  “I’d say you hit this one out of the park,” Jack said with a slight chuckle.

  “Home run, Javi,” Duni agreed.

  “We’ll see, guys. The Department of Tourism is tough. They’ve withstood greater pressure than this before. It’s probably going to take someone of real importance to make a difference.”

  ----- ----- ----- -----

  Athens, Greece

  4:30pm, rush hour traffic…

  Helena Romanos sat in heavy traffic and listened to her car radio. As her mind drifted, she was suddenly pulled away from her thoughts by a “special report” news broadcast. She reached to change the station, but reconsidered. In the minutes that followed, her heart beat wildly with excitement of the news. Her mind raced as she contemplated the unimaginable. With shaking hands, she reached inside her purse for her cellphone. Barely able to dial from the excitement, she was finally able to place the call. In seconds, a man’s voice answered:

  “Yes, what is it? I’m in the middle of a ceremony,” he said, his tone hushed and agitated.

  “It’s been found,” Helena blurted loudly.

  “What’s been found?” the voice asked, now growing angered at Helena’s cryptic words.

  “The scepter… Zeus’ scepter,” she shouted into the phone

  Chapter: 3

  Society of Arae

  (Pronounced: uh-rī)

  Kalispell, Montana

  The Rocky Mountains…

  Deep inside the Rocky Mountains, thirty miles from civilization, a large fieldstone cabin lay nestled between the towering pines. Although its dimensions measured thirty feet by forty feet, the single-floored one-room cabin’s size was deceiving. Inside the structure, the interior’s simplistic design hadn’t changed since the cabin was secretly erected more than a hundred years before. Aside from the crude stone altar that sat at the rear of the building, the interior lay barren: devoid of traceable evidence that could expose the nature of the clandestine rituals or those who performed them.

  Cloaked in stark white hooded robes, the bright color symbolized brilliant energy and power. There were no markings and no ornate trim work. The simple robes were devoid of any indication of purpose. Only those who wore them understood their profound importance, and their seven thousand year history. Those who donned them, did so with feelings of enormous pride and privilege.

  As the assembly of fifty men and women stood in front of the altar, they watched with reverence as the high priest took his position behind it. He stared out amongst his order of brethren and surveyed their presence. With a simple nod of approval he began the ceremony.

  Resting on the altar in front of him, lay a two foot long golden scepter. Ornately engraved and encrusted with precious gems, its brilliance left little doubt that it symbolized the essence of their purpose.

  The high priest reached his hands forward, delicately grasping each end of the great wand and lifted it high above his head. He twisted his body slightly from left to right, insuring all in attendance made visual contact with the golden scepter.

  “We are the chosen: descendants of Gods. Bow before the might of Zeus,” he shouted for all to hear.

  Instantly, all in attendance bent forward in respect. He lowered the scepter back to the altar and continued to speak:

  “Welcome brothers and sisters of Arae. It’s good to see all in attendance. This day marks a very special ceremony. Today we meet under the gravest of circumstances.”

  He paused for effect, then continued:

  “For thousands of years, our society has grown slowly. We’ve drawn our power not by numbers
, but by our bloodline… the bloodline of Arae. Our secret society is closed to all but those who are descended from the blood of Zeus. It is the mighty Zeus who has made us superior to the common man in strength and intellect. It is with his blood that we have assimilated into the highest levels of society and are now poised to take over this great world.”

  All eyes focused intently on him. All in attendance knew his escalating message would not go unresolved.

  “It is with my greatest sorrow and disappointment that one of you has betrayed us. One of you has become the enemy of our great society. One of you must die…”

  A low hush moved through the audience. Nervous eyes shifted from side to side, scanning for the alleged offender. Slowly, barely detectable, two men moved through the sea of humanity. They converged on a single man standing toward the front of the crowd.

  Hearing movement behind him, he turned quickly, but only too late.

  “Noooo!” he shouted in shock and disbelief.

  Before he could finish his words, the two men pulled stun guns from inside their robes and imbedded the probes of the weapons into the man’s neck. Instantly, he fell to the ground, writhing in pain. The two men quickly dragged the man before the altar amidst the startled cries of the shocked onlookers.

  The high priest grabbed the golden scepter, then came quickly around to the front of the altar and stood before the accused man. Holding the scepter high above his head, he spoke:

  “Jackson Norris, you are accused of high treason against the Society of Arae. You have procreated with a common human. You have tainted our bloodline. You have betrayed us all.”

  “Not true,” Jackson retorted through clenched teeth, his pain making it difficult for him to speak. “She had an abortion. The bloodline is still pure.”

  “It’s too late. You’ve proven you are a risk… and you must die for your carelessness.”

  Before Jackson could speak, the high priest lowered the scepter for all to see. He rolled his thumb over a switch, creating a low hum that sounded from the wand. A split-second later, he laid the tip of the weapon on the back of Jackson’s neck, creating a path for the electricity to flow through. A shocked audience gasped at the sight of the condemned man, convulsing on the stone floor, foam and spittle ejecting from his contorted mouth.