Tomb of Zeus (Atlantis)

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  For the next three weeks, the two teams flew the same missions day in and day out. Each evening, they returned with nothing to show for their work. Although there were minor inflections on their computer display that called for further inspection, their findings revealed nothing more than ore deposits or anomalies that proved to be nothing.

  With moral waning, a weather front moved into the area, prohibiting further flights for nearly a week. As the four sat around for hours whiling away the time, extreme boredom set it. With little to do and falling behind schedule, Jack elected to continue the search for the pyramid by snowmobile.

  Mounting a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) to the snowmobile’s body, as well as GPS for navigation, he felt he could search several grid lines each day until the weather improved.

  Standing around the modified machine, Javi, Jack, Duni and Helena, as well as Ron and Adam, admired Jack’s handiwork.

  “Well, it ain’t pretty, but it will get the job done,” Duni said, nodding in approval.

  “Thanks Duni. I can rig one up for you if you’d like?” Jack teased.

  “No thanks. Enduring polar bears and hours of zero degree temperatures, isn’t really my thing,” he replied dryly.

  Javi stared at the snow machine and shook his head.

  “Are you sure you want to do this? I’m certain the weather will lift in a couple of days,” he said.

  “We’ll be fine. It’s not as if I’ll be driving like a lunatic out there. Anything above fifteen miles an hour and the radar becomes unreliable,” Jack responded. “Our only real danger is running into a polar bear, which is pretty unlikely seeing we won’t be stopping at any time.”

  “Don’t worry, Javi,” Helena said. “Ron loaned me his Beretta 92 handgun. If we run into any trouble, he assures me a nine millimeter slug will take ‘em down in one shot,” she added, lifting her heavy arctic parka and showing the side holstered weapon.

  “But if you need more than one shot, it holds a thirteen-round magazine,” Ron announced matter-of-factly.

  “Hmm, I guess thirteen rounds might do it,” Javi said sarcastically. “You sure you know how to shoot that thing?” he pressed further.

  Helena nodded proudly.

  “Of course. We all had firearms training before we left… and Ron showed me again this morning,” she said.

  “Well, just the same, you be extra vigilant out there,” Javi warned, now sounding like a concerned parent. “And watch out for crevasses. With this recent snow, they might be harder to see,” he added.

  As Jack hopped on the snowmobile, Helena moved in behind him. He handed her the radar’s handheld display and she switched it on. As she checked the readout, Jack started the engine.

  “Hey, I think I’m getting something,” she teased.

  Javi glared at her. He was in no joking mood.

  With a wave good bye, Jack hit the accelerator and sped off up the incline toward the upper ice sheet.

  Although the temperatures hovered around zero degrees Fahrenheit, both Jack and Helena wore arctic pants and jackets. They figured as long as they stayed ducked behind the snowmobile’s oversized windscreen, it would be enough protection from the artic winds.

  The two climbed the slope from the lower plateau and crossed onto the upper ice sheet. Following the GPS, Jack steered in a southerly direction toward their first grid line of the day. Although the clouds hung heavy above them, the snows from the night before had ceased. Fifteen minutes later, Jack changed their direction and now steered to their first grid line, heading east. He slowed a bit, then announced the mark.

  “Ok, this is it. We’re on grid,” he shouted.

  “I’m watching. Keep it steady,” she shot back.

  As he focused on the path in front of him, he watched for obstructions. Smaller dips in the snow-covered ice, he slowed slightly and drove over them. Larger dips, he steered to avoid them, hoping to keep the ride stable for Helena’s readout.

  “How’s it going back there,” he shouted.

  “Fine, I found three pyramids and an old Mercedes,” she joked.

  Jack smiled simply and continued to monitor the GPS.

  Nearly two hours later, thirty miles out, he slowed to a stop. He shut the engine down for a moment of quiet.

  “What do you think? Is this worth it? Do you think we’re getting good readings on that thing?” he asked in quick succession.

  “Aside from freezing my ass off, I think it’s working great. I picked up a couple of anomalies, the same as we did on the helicopter, so I think this actually confirms our flight data,” she responded. “I’m pretty happy we’re doing this. At least it’s not a waist.”

  “Awesome,” he responded simply, now checking the area for any signs of bears.

  “I think we better keep moving. If there’re any bears nearby, the sound of the engine and our voices could be like ringing a dinner bell,” he warned.

  “That’s too bad. I was just starting to warm up,” she complained mildly.

  Jack hopped back onto his seat and started the engine. He headed a hundred feet south, then turn west, back toward Camp Zeus, now following the next grid line in the search area. Like before, he kept a steady course while Helena monitored the radar display.

  Forty-five minutes later, Helena shouted from behind.

  “Whoa Jack, I think we have something,” she shouted.

  Instantly he let up off the gas and hit the brake. As he slowed to a stop, he leaped off his seat and watched the display over her shoulder.

  “Wow, looks big… and deep,” he said.

  He looked far ahead, trying to visualize the ocean.

  “Seems kind of far away, doesn’t it?” he asked.

  “It’s within our search area,” Helena responded.

  “I know, but after spending a couple of weeks here, I’m just not convinced we should be looking this far out. These guys were seafarers. It seems they would’ve picked a location closer to the sea, sort of like they did in Atlantis. If they picked this location, they would’ve hiked a long way in just to build a pyramid,” he speculated.

  “Maybe the ground was more stable here,” she countered.

  “I suppose it could be,” he said.

  “Well, so far, the object is at least forty feet long. Let’s just mark off the area and see how big it really is. If it’s not at least a hundred feet square, we can definitely rule this location out,” she suggested.

  “Good call,” he concurred, now hopping back on and restarting the engine.

  Minutes later, as they made general passes back and forth over the area, Helena marked out the edges of the target on a map. She tapped Jack on the shoulder, signaling him to stop.

  “Not looking good, is it?” he said, his tone now foretelling the results.

  Helena shook her head.

  “I’m afraid not. Whatever’s down there is roughly twenty by fifty feet and no more than forty feet deep... the depth simply being a function of the ice,” she said.

  “Hmm, that sucks,” he said bluntly.

  “I know. For a moment there, I thought we had something,” she added.

  Jack shrugged his shoulders in resignation.

  “Well, that’s it then. No sense hanging around, I guess,” he said.

  Helena nodded simply.

  As they proceeded on their easterly course, a mile in front of them, a polar bear heard the sound of the snowmobile. Hungry and desperate for food, he moved in the direction of the noise.

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  Although the snows from the previous night had long since ceased, the winds from the storm continued. As they swirled around, they created momentary whiteouts that made Jack’s driving more difficult.

  Up ahead, a large crevasse lay covered with a thin layer of snow. Four days before, it sat exposed and conspicuous. Under clear conditions, the chasm of ice might be detectable. Now, as the winds pushed the snows of the previous storm across the ice sheet, its presenc
e had all but disappeared.

  As Jack negotiated the dips and bumps in his path, Helena sat behind him, balancing in her seat as she held the radar device.

  Jack looked down at his GPS. He noticed they had drifted off course slightly. As he turned to correct the error, a large blast of wind rushed across their path. Instantly, they entered white out conditions. He squinted inside his goggles, but it was no use: the path ahead had completely disappeared.

  Suddenly, the two felt the snowmobile shutter. The snows around them began to fracture and break away. Instinctively, Jack opened the throttle as he felt the machine drop. Helena gasp, then shrieked in horror. The snowmobile impacted the edge of the crevasse, ejecting Jack over the top, as Helena slid forward into the controls. The machine hung for only a moment, then fell backward into the hole, the entire event taking less than a second in time.

  Stunned, Jack rolled to his knees, then stood and looked around. He saw nothing. As the wind gust slowed, the whiteout began to clear. Instantly, the reality of the situation struck him.

  He raced to the edge of the crevasse and peer in. Fifteen feet down, at the bottom, Helena lay unconscious. Suspended just above her on blocks of ice, lay the snowmobile. Desperate now, he took in the size of the crevasse, examining it for a path to its bottom.

  At ten feet wide and twenty feet long, it appeared like a long gash in the ice. The sides of the vertical cave were fractured blocks of ice that looked unstable and ready to break away. Jack knew that any attempt to climb down could easily dislodge one of them and crush Helena below.

  Frantic now, he shouted, “Helena! Helena, wake up!”

  There was no answer.

  He shouted again, “Helena, wake up!”

  Still no answer or movement.

  Jack tossed a handful of snow down at her. It momentarily coated her face and jacket. She remained unconscious.

  He watched her chest expand, and breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of movement.

  “Ok, she’s alive at least,” he said aloud.

  His mind raced for a solution. Without any means of rescue, he continued to shout her name, frantic now for any kind of reaction.

  Jack heard a noise. He listened harder and studied Helena’s face. Inside the crevasse, all was quiet. The sound was coming from behind him. He spun around. Instantly, his heart raced. Fear raged inside him. Thirty feet away, a polar bear grunted a low guttural growl.

  Jack stood perfectly still. The bear sighted him and stopped momentarily.

  “GO! GET OUT OF HERE!” he shouted, hoping to startle the bear.

  The large animal snorted once, then charged.

  Jack had nowhere to go and he knew it. He looked over his shoulder at the fifteen foot pit of ice, then back at the bear. It now charged with ferocity, growling and snorting with each powerful stride it took.

  Twenty feet away…

  Fifteen feet…

  Ten feet…

  Jack had run out of options. He could stand and be mauled to death or jump into the crevasse. He spun back around and leaped in. Aiming for the snowmobile, his feat hit the seat. Instantly, he absorbed the shock with his knees, then rolled forward, somersaulting over Helena. He landed on his back against an ice wall, with his feet in the air. Looking up he saw the enraged bear darting back and forth along the top edge of the chasm.

  Jack rolled to his feet. He felt a sharp pain in his side, but ignored it.

  “Get out of here!” he shouted frantically, over and over.

  The sound of frightened prey only incited the bear to greater frenzy. He charged back and forth along the top surface, roaring as he ran. Jack realized his mistake and remained quiet.

  Then it hit him: Helena’s gun. He rushed to her side and pulled up her coat. Quickly, he reached for the snap of the side holster and pulled the weapon. He pointed it at the white monster and waited. The bear stopped and stared momentarily.

  Suddenly, the bear’s predatory instincts raged inside him. Frantic to get to Jack, it began to paw at the edge of the crevasse, checking for stability. Several chunks broke off and he backed away. Moving to another spot, he tested the edge once more. As his powerful shoulders pounced on the icy surface, his twelve hundred pound weight was too much for that one location. The area under him crumbled and gave way. Instantly, the bear fell fifteen feet to the bottom of the narrow trench.

  Enraged, the ferocious savage reared up on his hind legs, scratching at the icy walls to stabilize his stance. A second later, with his prey now in his sights, he charged.

  Jack’s fear exploded inside him. For a moment, he felt paralyzed with terror. A split second later, he heard the gun roar. The bear let out a painful groan. Jack’s mind focused. The bear was still alive. He now pointed the weapon and deliberately squeezed the trigger. Three more rounds entered the bear’s chest. It growled in defiance, then collapsed to the ground. Jack watched for a minute, the gun still pointing and ready. The bears breathing finally ceased. He was dead.

  Jack exhaled a long sigh of relief, then turned his attention to Helena. The loud shouts had been enough. Her eyes were now parted. She looked dazed, but seemed to be coming out of here unconscious state.

  “Helena, are you all right? How do you feel?” he asked quickly.

  She stared at him a moment, struggling to regain her faculties.

  “I think I’m fine,” she finally said. “Did you just shoot a bear?” she asked, still somewhat dazed.

  Jack smiled.

  “Yeah… stupid bear. I guess he must have missed the memo,” he said, cryptically.

  “Memo?” she asked, now puzzled.

  “Yeah… never bring claws to a gun fight,” he joked.

  She stared at him a moment. Her eyes were now clear and her senses returning.

  “You’re so weird,” she responded simply. “So now what?”

  Jack looked around. He knew climbing the walls of ice was impossible. Looking back at the snowmobile, he reached for the radio.

  “I just hope this thing still works,” he said, his voice filled with apprehension.

  He keyed the mic several times, then called to Camp Zeus.

  “Hello, Camp Zeus. Anyone listening?”

  No response.

  He tried again.

  “Camp Zeus, this is Jack Roberts. Is anyone there?”

  “Go ahead, Jack,” the familiar voice echoed in the deep icy cave.

  “I hope you’re afternoon is free… have I got a story for you,” Jack joked.

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  Four hours later…

  Inside the utility trailer, Helena sat on a chair and held an ice pack to the back of her head. The fall to the ice had left a large welt, but aside from a throbbing headache, she felt there wasn’t a need for further medical care.

  Sitting around the small table, Javi, Jack, Duni and Helena, discussed the rescue.

  “That was a long fall, Helena. I wish you’d consider seeing a doctor. You could be back here in a couple of days,” Javi said.

  “No way, Javi. We have only a few more days left of our search. You guys could find the pyramid in that time and I’d miss it all,” she said, still lightly rubbing the bump with the ice pack.

  “I’m even wondering if we’re going to find it,” Jack said ominously.

  Helena shot him an angry stare. “What’re you talking about? Of course we’re going to find it. I didn’t come all this way for nothing,” she snarled, her eyes now filled with intensity.

  The outburst caught the three by surprise. They waited momentarily in the awkward silence for Helena’s disposition to change, now unsure of how to proceed. Jack reached out and touched her shoulder. Before he could say a word, she swatted his hand away abruptly.

  “Don’t patronize me,” she blurted acidly.

  “Whoa! Take it easy, Helena. We’re all friends here,” Jack shot back, shocked by the gesture.

  Nervous tension hung thick in the air as the three waited on her next response. Seeing their confused stares
, Helena forced a sympathetic expression across her face.

  “Sorry, I guess this bump on my head is making me a little cranky,” she said, her tone now soft and respectful.

  The three nodded in understanding, more than willing to put the unpleasant moment behind them.

  “Are you sure we can’t take you to a doctor?” Javi asked again.

  “I’ll be ok, Javi. I just need a little rest, I think,” she responded.

  As she stood up to leave, she stared down at Jack, seductively.

  “You coming?” she asked, her tone once again changing, now growing edgy and demanding.

  Looking over to Javi and Duni, Jack’s conflicted eyes left little doubt about his confusion. He turned back to Helena and smiled.

  “Of course,” he said simply, purposely replying with a neutral response.

  As the two left quietly, Javi and Duni stayed behind. When the door shut, Duni turned to Javi and stared. A puzzled expression crossed his face.

  “What the hell was that all about? One minute she’s soft and pleasant, the next, she’s dragon lady. Then, in a blink of an eye, she’s sexy and romantic. Is that what I have to look forward to when I meet the woman of my dreams?” he joked, shaking his head in confusion.

  “That was a peculiar display, I must admit. I hope she’s all right. I suspect that fall had something to do with her erratic behavior. I wonder if she has a mild concussion or something along those lines,” he responded.

  “Well… I don’t know much about concussions, but if I were Jack, I’m not sure if I would’ve accepted her invitation into the lion’s den,” he joked further.

  “He’ll be all right,” Javi said simply.

  “All I have to say is if he shows up tomorrow missing a limb, don’t say you weren’t warned,” he shot back.

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  The following morning…

  The weather had cleared and the helicopters sat on their makeshift pads, waiting for the four’s arrival. As Ron and Adam led them from the utility trailer to the aircraft, all seem normal once again.

  “How’s your head this morning?” Duni asked.

  “I still have a slight headache but I’m doing much better,” she replied.