Tomb of Zeus (Atlantis)

by Christopher David Petersen

  “Now what?” she blurted into the speaker, trying to control her anger.

  “Your lack of respect is, quite frankly, very disturbing,” Karl Sita, the high priest of Arae said coldly.

  “Oh my God, Sir. I had no idea it was you. I thought it was someone else. Please forgive me,” Helena begged.

  “Hmm, I suppose it could happen,” he responded gruffly, then moved onto his point. “We’ve been listening in on Mr. Arista and Mr. Roberts. Their progress has been slower than we would’ve liked, but having heard all the reasons behind the delays, we feel the lack of progress is understandable.”

  Helena breathed a sigh of relief.

  “I’m so glad I could help in this matter and was hoping that when you finally take control, I might be rewarded with some position of power,” she suggested.

  “You hope for too much,” he replied bluntly.

  “But Sir, I’m doing all you’ve asked. I’m in sending daily reports. I’ve planted bugs for you to listen in on. I’ve pushed these men to insure no time was wasted. I’ve even slept with Jack in order to gain his confidence, insuring he includes me in on every detail. Surely that has to account for something?”

  “You must be joking,” he countered. “I’ve got men and women alike, staged at levels far greater than anything you could possibly imagine… and still they won’t be given positions of authority. Be grateful you’re part of this great race and not one of those sub-humans. Your reward, simply, is status.”

  Helena pulled the phone from her ear and mouthed obscenities at the high priest. Enraged, she pounded her fist into the side of a chair, knocking it over. The loud crash caught Karl’s attention.

  “What was that?” he asked, his voice sounding annoyed.

  “Nothing… just books falling off my dresser,” she responded coldly.

  “Let’s get to the point of my call,” he continued. “We know you’ll be picking up the crystal globe sometime around 10am. Assuming an hour to get back to the pyramid, then another hour to set it up inside the chamber, we figure Mr. Arista will have Zeus’ chamber open by sometime around noon. Although timing isn’t that critical, I don’t want my men to show up too early and have Arista and Roberts refuse to open the chamber or too late for that matter, and miss our opportunity to take possession of the scepter cleanly.”

  Karl paused a moment to gather his next thoughts, then continued:

  “After discussing this with Christian Laikos, we think the best course would be for you to signal us when you see the scepter. There’s a bug on your phone so just make sure you have it in one of your pockets when you get inside the chamber so we can hear.”

  “You bugged my phone?” Helena asked, insulted.

  “Is that a problem?”

  “No Sir,” Helena shot back, trying to control her anger once more.

  Thinking about her role in the scene, she asked, “So what should I say to signal you? I could say something like ‘orange scepter’ or ‘the birds in the nest’.

  Helena heard Karl chuckle to himself. It felt condescending.

  “This is why there will be no advancement for you. You don’t have to use some silly code word, just announce loudly that the men have the scepter. At that point, my men will rush in and take it from them,” he explained.

  “And what about the men: Jack, Javi and Duni?”

  “They’ll all die inside the chamber. I’m sure it’ll be a while before the police discover them.”

  “Please Sir, they don’t have to die. They’re good men. Honest and decent. I’m certain they won’t give you any trouble,” Helena pleaded.

  Helena heard silence on the other end of the line. It seemed to last an eternity.

  “These matters don’t concern you. You’d better get going,” he said coldly.

  ----- ----- ----- -----

  The Great Pyramid

  11am…

  Javi pulled in front of the pyramid and parked. Even before he shut off his engine, Jack, Helena and Duni hurried to greet him.

  “Any trouble picking up the bowling ball?” Jack joked.

  “Piece of cake. Here it is, still packaged,” Javi said, pointing to the passenger seat.

  “Helena, you want to do the honors?” Jack asked.

  “What do you mean, honors?”

  “Do you want to carry it into the chamber?” he explained.

  “How much does it weigh?”

  “A few pounds,” Jack replied.

  “I guess,” she answered, sounding only mildly interested.

  “You guess? I thought you wanted to get into the pyramid’s history. Well, this is definitely part of it,” he said now puzzled.

  “Jack, I said yes,” she countered abruptly.

  He thought about her strange response, but chose to let it go. He handed her the one foot by one foot by one foot package. She smiled cordially, and headed for the pyramid’s entrance.

  “I guess were heading in,” Jack said to the others, sarcastically.

  “I guess we are,” Javi concurred, understanding the bizarre exchange.

  A half hour later…

  Jack stood behind the altar and prepared the crystal. Standing four feet high and three feet by five feet in rectangular shape, the altar was delicately etched on each side with hieroglyphics. At its center, a round column extended up from the top by a foot. The round column measured a foot in diameter and had a concave top that acted as a bowl that would cradle the crystal globe. On each side, small bowl-shaped depressions were carved into the top of the altar that at one time, were filled with special oils and set afire, illuminating the altar’s upper surface.

  With the crystal globe still packed inside its box, Jack now tore open the top and pulled the glass ball from its packaging. The ten inch diameter globe was magnificent. The outside surface was etched in the form of an ancient map of the surrounding area of Atlantis. Inside, at its center, a small golden pyramid shined brightly. He rotated the crystal and found a tiny gold trident, embedded in its surface.

  “I’ve forgotten how beautiful it is,” Javi said in a low reverent tone.

  “Just amazing,” Duni said, standing on the opposite side of Jack.

  Helena looked on with interest, but her eyes showed troubled distraction.

  “Ok, all I need to do is place this crystal on the altar. That door across from us should open. But if you were to go into it, the ceiling would probably squish you like a pancake. Before we enter, I’ll need to shine a light behind the crystal. A small beam of light should reflect off the pyramid inside it and shine on the wall. The point where it shines will point out the lock to the door. After that, it’s just a matter of activating the unlock mechanism and voilà, the chamber should be safe to enter.”

  For a moment, everyone stared at the large stone door across the room. Each person envisioned their own idea of Zeus, lying in a crystal coffin, similar to the way his brother Poseidon was found in the chamber two hundred feet above.

  Jack returned his focus to the crystal. He smiled at the others.

  “Ok guys, this is it. Ready?”

  “Ready,” everyone shouted in unison.

  Looking down at the concave shape of the pedestal, Jack paused a moment. He studied the size of the bowl-shaped surface, then the size of the crystal.

  He shrugged and lowered the crystal onto the top of the pedestal. Instantly, it began to lower. A hissing sound could be heard throughout the walls, then a low rumble as mechanisms were being activated. Slowly, the great door began to slide open. All eyes were glued to the interior.

  “It’s empty!” Helena shouted in horror.

  “That’s the trap, Helena,” Jack quickly responded. “If you were to go in there now, the ceiling would fall and crush you.”

  She nodded in fearful understanding.

  As the crystal hovered at a steady height, Jack took out his flashlight. He shined it behind the globe, creating a dim beam of light that stretched across the room. He noted the location and darted over to it. W
ith his flashlight in hand, he shined it on the area.

  “Huh, now that’s weird. There should be a round tile on the wall. It should be right here,” he said with growing concern. Turning to the others, he said, “Maybe I just sighted the location wrong. Javi, can you shine a flashlight behind the crystal? Yours is more powerful. Maybe it just needs higher intensity.”

  “Absolutely,” he replied enthusiastically.

  He positioned his flashlight behind the crystal. Instantly, a bean shined just to the left of Jack.

  “Dammit! I was afraid of this,” he blurted in disappointment.

  “What… afraid of what,” Helena asked, her tone now growing frantic.

  “The crystal is the wrong one.”

  “What do you mean, the wrong one?” Javi shouted, now equally puzzled.

  “Just what I said. That crystal is the wrong crystal for this room. The pedestal is designed for a smaller crystal,” Jack said, now walking back to the altar.

  He picked up the crystal slightly, showing the others the irregular fit in the pedestal.

  “Look at the size of the bowl the crystal sits in. It’s smaller in diameter than this crystal.”

  Javi looked close and nodded.

  “Yeah, I think you’re right, Jack. That crystal just doesn’t fit.”

  “I know I’m right,” he responded, now openly disappointed. “Dammit, this really sucks,” he shouted in anger.

  “Isn’t there anything we can do?” Helena pleaded in desperation.

  Jack walked over to the doorway of the newly opened chamber. He peeked his head inside, taking care not to step in. He looked at the tiling on the floor and the telltale lines on the ceiling that indicated a trap.

  “Jack, don’t do it. You’ll be killed,” Javi shouted.

  He turned around and stared at the three, his mind racing for a solution.

  “So that’s it? We’re done? All this is for nothing?” Duni stated, his tone filled with disgust.

  “No Duni. We’re not all done. We’re just starting,” Jack replied, his voice controlled and resolute.

  “You have a solution, Jack?” Helena asked with anticipation.

  He nodded simply.

  Looking to Javi, he said, “Remember where I found that crystal?”

  Javi nodded suddenly in understanding.

  Jack turned to Duni and Helena and explained.

  “I found that crystal in the ocean off Caicos Island. It was part of an ancient ship wreck. If this one was found there, there’s got to be another.”

  Jack looked back at Javi, his face was filled with dread.

  “I guess it’s time to go for another dive.”

  Javi nodded and said, “Things just got a lot more complicated…”

  Chapter: 5

  South Caicos Island

  East Bay Marina…

  Jack, Javi and Helena walked toward the sign that read “Caicos Adventures”. Jack had used the dive shop’s professional services three years before to assist in locating the crystal globe and now, with the new tasks to find another crystal, he elected to use them once more.

  As they entered the shop, they looked around for Greg Wilson, the owner/operator. Several people were inside, browsing the racks of wet suits, air tanks, and other related equipment. Spotting a sign hanging from the ceiling that read “Services”, Jack headed over to inquire.

  “Hi, I’m Jack Roberts. Is Greg hanging around anywhere? He’s expecting us,” he said casually to the young man working the counter.

  The young man’s face suddenly became somber.

  “I’m sorry Jack, there’s been a tragedy here at the shop. Greg was out on a diving expedition a couple of days ago and never returned.”

  “Oh no! How horrible. I’m so sorry,” Jack responded, news of the tragedy ripping through him. “Has there been any news? Does anyone know what happened?”

  The young man shook his head solemnly.

  “I’m afraid not. They basically vanished without a trace. Authorities are speculating that while they were diving, their boat must have gotten caught in one of those freak storms that occasionally occur and sunk.”

  Jack thought about his similar experience at sea that happen three years before. He knew exactly how savage those storms could be. He shuddered to think that those men died in such a terrifying way.

  “Wow, that’s so awful. I don’t know what to say,” he responded, momentarily overcome by the thought of it all.

  “Jack, what’s going on? Is there a problem? Don’t tell me they double booked our reservation,” Helena said, walking up to Jack from behind.

  “There’s been a terrible tragedy,” Jack said sadly.

  The young man could see Jack was having difficulty reporting the news and cut in:

  “The dive team you hired is missing and feared dead,” he said.

  “No, how horrible. I just spoke to them a couple weeks ago when I made the arrangements,” Helena responded, shaking her head in disbelief.

  “You must be Helena Galanos,” the young man said. “We tried to get ahold of you but the number you gave came up as out of service. I’m sorry you had to learn about it this way.”

  “Out of service? That’s impossible. I’ve got my phone right here. What’s the number you have for me?” she inquired.

  The young man typed a few characters into the computer, then read her number aloud.

  “I see why. Someone transposed the last two digits,” Jack cut in, solving the mystery for both of them. “an easy mistake to make.” He thought about the situation and felt torn: “Hmm, with a tragedy like this, kinda takes the wind out of your sails… I don’t even feel like diving now, and what’s even worse is even if I did, we’re still going to need to find another dive team.”

  “I’m sorry Jack,” Helena responded. “When you asked me to call them and make the arrangements, I never thought to call back and confirm everything was still on. It just never occurred to me to do so. I guess if I had, we would’ve known and been able to make other arrangements.”

  “Ma’am, you don’t have to make other arrangement. We still have you booked for the next month,” the young man responded.

  “I don’t understand. With whom?” she asked.

  “With Greg Wilson’s whereabouts still uncertain, his wife is running the shop in the meantime. She hired some more pros to run your diving expedition. I hear they’re real good too, so you shouldn’t have any problem going ahead with your plans.”

  “Well, I guess if everything’s still in place, we might as well go forward with the dive,” Helena suggested to Jack.

  “I guess so,” he replied. “It just feels so wrong… like we should cancel out of respect for Greg.”

  “NO! You can’t do that,” Helena blurted anxiously. She softened her tone and continued, “What I mean is, I’m sure Craig Wilson’s wife is running the shop because she probably doesn’t have much choice. It’s probably her only source of income. I’m betting she’s counting on the cash from our expedition to pay her bills.”

  Jack thought about her argument and nodded.

  “Why cause the poor woman financial troubles? She’s got enough to think about with the death of her husband,” Jack reasoned. “I guess we’ll go ahead as planned.”

  Two days later…

  Standing on the dock of Oyster peer, Javi, Jack and Helena watched the dive team prepare the fifty foot dive boat. Loading on tanks, supplies, electronics, as well as food and water, they looked professional and efficient.

  “I have to say, these guys are looking good. In fact, a little too good,” Jack said aloud.

  “What do you mean by that?” Helena asked nervously.

  “Check out this boat. It’s like new with all the latest electronics. When we used Greg Wilson, his boat looked like it was held together with duct tape and glue. I’m wondering if we’ll see a bunch of hidden charges on the bill when we’re all done here. What they’re charging me can’t possibly pay for all this,” he speculated.


  “Hey, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth,” Helena joked. “They must’ve given Greg’s wife a break on their service due to the circumstance.”

  “I guess,” Jack responded simply.

  An hour later, with all supplies and people packed aboard, the crew started the massive twin engines and slowly rolled out of the harbor. Within minutes of reaching open water, Capt. Gerald Green pushed the throttles open and skimmed along the surface at a blistering pace. An hour and a half later, he pulled back on the throttles allowing the boat to slow.

  Jack looked at his watch in surprise.

  “Wow, amazing. I knew we were moving fast, but this is really impressive. We’re here in about half the time,” he remarked happily.

  As the boat slowed to a stop, the sound of a winch rumbled from the forward deck, as the anchor dropped to the ocean floor.

  With little direction, the men sprang to action like a programmed machine, readying the equipment of the dives for that day. Jack sat back and marveled at their efficiency.

  “Man, these guys are well worth the cash. It’s almost like I’m watching a military operation,” he joked.

  “They are impressive,” Javi joined in.

  Watching the men drop tethered equipment into the sea, Helena wondered aloud about the length of the expedition.

  “With guys this efficient, how long do you think this’ll take?” she asked.

  “To be honest, no one knows. We could spend a lifetime here and come back with nothing,” Jack responded. “But we have a bunch of things going for us: just look at all this equipment. They have vacuums to process all the sand and silt down there. They can scour huge areas of the sea floor in very little time. They have DVP’s, diver propulsion vehicles, that can pull us though the water way faster than mere fins, conserving our energy for the most important task, namely excavation. They have the latest in side-scan radar and ultrasound. Also, the crystal globe we’ll be looking for isn’t some small dust spec. It’s the size of a small bowling ball… pretty hard to miss once you’ve removed the top layer of sand. In addition, I have a fairly good idea of where the other crystal is. I don’t want to jinx us, but I think we’ll find it inside of a month,” he reassured.