“That’s got to be it,” Jack yelled again.
“Wow, it’s huge. I’m seeing at least two hundred feet of it and there’s still no end in sight,” Helena added.
Jack immediately called to the pilots, “Slow down guys. I think we’ve found our pyramid.”
“No kidding?” the copilot called back over their headsets.
“No kidding… there’s a solid mass down there that’s now measuring three hundred feet across and counting,” Jack replied.
“Slowing to ten knots,” the pilot announced.
“Can you go a little lower too?” Jack requested.
“We’re at fifty feet now. How low do you want to go?” the pilot asked.
“As close to the ground as possible,” Jack instructed.
Within seconds, the aircraft slowed to ten knots and flew just five feet above the surface. As Jack and Helena watched their computers, the images instantly sharpened.
“Man, that’s perfect,” Jack shouted. “We’re getting some great detail now.”
“Jack, that’s it… that’s the end of the pyramid. Amazing!” Helena pointed, barely able to contain herself. “I’m calculating about four hundred feet long.”
“Wow, just imagine, if we assume it has a perfectly square base, and the sides incline by the same fifty-one degree angle as the Atlantic pyramid, we should see the depth of the pyramid to be somewhere around two hundred and fifty feet deep,” he speculated.
“It boggles the mind,” Helena retorted. “Just below that ice, is an inverse pyramid, covered in gold. Who would’ve ever guessed?”
“It’s got to be why it’s stayed hidden all these years. Once if filled in with debris, it became completely undetectable. Honestly, if it wasn’t for flipping that crystal globe upside down, in a million years, I never would’ve guessed the Atlanteans built the pyramid facing downward. Who does stuff like that?” he joked.
“Araeans,” Helena blurted, proudly.
Jack heard the word but ask, “What?”
“Araeans, Jack. Not Atlanteans,” she corrected.
He only nodded, then called to the pilot.
“Can you move two hundred feet south of our current position, then fly back east along the grid?”
“Yes Sir, stand by,” the pilot radioed.
A minute later, they traveled along the path Jack requested.
“Would you look at that display?” he shouted excitedly. “If I’m reading this right, the depth of that pyramid is two hundred and fifty feet.”
As the two stared at the data on their computers, for a moment, both were speechless. Unable to contain her joy any longer, Helena turned and kiss Jack’s cheek.
“Thank you, Jack,” she said cheerfully.
“For what?” he asked in typical modest tone.
“My life is about to change for the better,” she responded cryptically.
----- ----- ----- -----
Two hours later…
“Once again, Jack, you’ve outdone yourself,” Javi complimented.
Having marked off the perimeter of the pyramid, the four now stood at the center of its location. All around them, the flat featureless ice secretly hid the golden structure that lay below. As the two helicopters sat quietly parked a short distance away, they pondered the magnitude of their discovery.
“I can’t believe it. Somewhere below us, Zeus is buried,” Duni said, his voice quivering with excitement.
“It really does stagger the mind, doesn’t it?” Javi responded.
“I wonder what he looks like,” Jack asked, rhetorically.
“What’s the likelihood he’s buried with his scepter?” Helena asked, exposing her interest.
“You sure love that thing, don’t you?” Jack teased. “If you were a guy, I’d accuse you of penis envy.”
“Hey, that scepter is way more important than the shriveled bones of a seven thousand your old man,” she shot back angrily.
“Whoa, slow down there Helena. I was just joking. No need to chew my head off,” he responded in surprise.
Duni elbowed Javi and laughed.
“Lovers quarrel,” he joked.
Javi merely smirked.
Jack stared at Helena with confusion. This wasn’t this first time she responded irrationally in defense of the scepter. He tried to shake it off, but this new display disturbed him.
“Helena, I’m not discounting the importance of the scepter. It may turn out to be the most important aspect of the find. I was merely teasing you about your love for it, trying to have fun with our discovery. If I somehow insulted or offended you, I apologize, but let’s not turn this into an ugly affair. If you take all the fun out of it, it just becomes work. I think we all would like something more than that, don’t you?”
Helena realized her position. Quickly, she recovered. She stepped closer to him and smiled seductively.
“Sorry Jack, maybe I am suffering from some kind of penis envy… or desire,” she said softly.
Javi and Duni, smiled to each other, then took a step back.
“Hmm, do you two need to be alone a minute?” Duni teased.
“Guys, relax, she’s just joking,” Jack responded, now feeling a bit self-conscious.
Javi laughed at Jack’s bashful demeanor. Pulling their focus back on topic, he said, “I guess we should get things started. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.”
Jack composed himself, relieved for the new direction.
“I’ll say,” he quickly responded. “Finding the pyramid was the easy part. Excavation is really going to suck,” he joked.
“How that heck are we going to do that?” Duni asked. “With picks and shovels?” he asked humorously.
Javi smiled, then replied, “This is where things get very complicated. We’ll be needing all kinds of excavating equipment: backhoes; cranes; probably even dump trucks to haul away the debris that’s filled up the pyramid. With such a remote location, I’m not even sure we can get the equipment here, and certainly not before the summers over,” he explained. “I’m guessing the excavation won’t take place till next year… or possibly the year after,” he warned.
“NO!” Helena blurted angrily. She instantly realized her behavior, softened and said, “What I mean to say is, it would be a real shame to have to wait that long. With my connections at the Department of Tourism, I’m betting someone might be able to help us out with the excavation.”
“That’s a wonderful idea, Helena, and we all appreciate the effort, but I’m afraid this part of the task is much more monumental than you think. The planning alone will take months. Then, if we can somehow secure the funding, the coordination efforts could take another year. Once that happens or should I say if that happens, the excavation itself could take years due to all the soil and debris we’ll need to delicately remove,” Javi explained.
Undaunted by the gravity of his words, Helena smiled knowingly. She looked down at her feet and envisioned her clutching Zeus’ scepter. Nothing else mattered… for her or for the Society of Arae. Whatever they needed to do to accomplish their task, she knew they, and more importantly, her father, Karl Sita, would stop at nothing to obtain the mighty weapon.
She smiled to Javi and responded, “I think you underestimate the desire of these men. The Atlantis pyramid was the greatest find of this century, but it pales in relation to Zeus’s pyramid. I’m certain once these men learn of what we have here and understand the delays, they’ll insist on taking action. Trust me, they will make it happen this year,” she said resolutely.
“That would be nothing short of a miracle,” Javi said in uncertain tone.
----- ----- ----- -----
Three days later…
Javi, Jack, Duni and Helena stood out on the ice and watched as the teams of men assembled around an industrial auger. Flown in from lower Greenland, the drill was normally use for boring large diameter holes in the frozen ground for construction purposes. With a few quick phone calls, Helena was able to locate one and have it flown to their lo
cation. Now, with the machinery in place and the men at the controls, all that was left to do was to turn it on and begin drilling.
“We’re ready, Sir,” the foreman leading the team, shouted.
“Ok, let ‘r rip,” Jack shouted back, then added, “Remember, fifteen feet, then only an inch at a time.”
“Got it,” he shouted back.
The foreman nodded to the man at the controls. Sitting high up on the tractor, the man switched on the engine and engaged the three foot in diameter auger. He slowly lowered it to the ice and allowed the rotating blades to bite into the material. Instantly, shavings of ice began to eject from the drill. Seconds later, loud sounds of chatter and chafing erupted from the three foot diameter hole. As the ice shavings built up around the hole, several men shoveled away the debris.
Standing and watching with great anticipation, excitement grew with every foot the drill bit penetrated the ice. An hour later, the man at the controls shouted over to Jack.
“Fifteen feet!”
Javi, Jack, Duni and Helena moved in closer. As the drill bit was removed from the hole, they all lean over and peered inside. Standing over the top, they shined a light down to the bottom.
“Still solid ice, Javi,” Jack said.
“Yeah, the radar data said nineteen feet, so we still have another four more to go… give or take a few inches,” he responded.
They backed away several feet and watched the men drill two more feet. Ten minutes later, the auger was removed and the team of four examined the hole once again. Shining the light down at the bottom, the previous color of the ice had now changed to a darker shade.
Jack’s heart began to race. He grinned at the other team members.
“Almost there,” he said, simply. He looked over to the foreman and shouted, “Another foot.”
The foreman nodded in understanding. The team moved back in again and watched the drill bit reenter the hole. Five minutes later, they auger was removed. Jack rushed to the hole and flashed the light in again. Looking down, his hands began to tremble. His eyes widened and he felt his stomach churn. There at the bottom, mere inches below the ice, a brilliant shade of gold beamed skyward and illuminated the hole’s interior.
“Wow!” was all Jack could say, caught up in the moment.
Helena rush to his side. She stared down at the golden surface beneath the ice and smiled.
As Javi and Duni stepped in, Jack’s mind was already moving into action. He shouted instructions to the foreman:
“I need the awl and someone to lower me down the hole.”
“Right away, Sir,” the foreman shouted back.
Minutes later, Jack was lower down inside the ice shaft. At the bottom, he began to use the five-foot long metal pole to chip away at the ice. Slowly, delicately, he raised the heavy awl up and allowed it to fall under its own weight. Every minute, a bucket was lowered and he scraped up the excess material, raising it to the surface.
Ten minutes later, a large chunk fractured from the floor. As he kicked it out to the way, the edge of a golden block was finally exposed. Smooth and brilliant, he bent down and touched it surface.
“Amazing,” he said to himself.
“Jack, is that it?” Helena shouted down impatiently. Without an answer, she shouted his name again, “JACK!”
He stared up at the three and smiled.
“What a thrill. I’m probably the first guy to touch this pyramid in seven thousand years,” he shouted up through the narrow hole.
He placed his back along the wall of the hole, giving those above just enough room to see past him. As they stared down at the edge of the golden block, they all gasped in awe.
“We did it!” Helena shouted. “That’s it. That’s definitely it. We’ve found Zeus’ pyramid.”
“That’s proof positive for me,” Javi said through his wide smile.
Duni looked over to the foreman and said jokingly, “We’ll take another ten thousand holes just like this one, please.”
The foreman rolled his eyes and said, “I’m thinking about moving my family up here, permanently. We could be here for years.”
“Not if I can help it,” Helena cut in. “Time to make some phone calls.”
Chapter: 12
New York City
Wall Street…
Karl Sita sat in his penthouse office and leafed through a portfolio for a future investment. As he studied the information, he nodded agreeably. When he was done, he reached for his desk phone and began to dial a number. Suddenly, his cell phone rang. He stopped short of placing his call, and checked the number on his cell. Instantly, his face grimaced. He considered ignoring it, but took the call anyway.
“Yes, what is it?” he said, his tone sharp and callous.
“It’s me. I’ve got some good news for you,” Helena said, ignoring the all too familiar greeting.
“I’m listening.”
“We’ve found the pyramid,” she responded excitedly.
“Are you sure you found it? The last time you made a claim like that, Zeus’ chamber was empty and four of my men died,” he responded acidly.
“Sir, Zeus’ chamber wasn’t empty. It turned out to be his shrine and had valuable data in it that led us to this location. It was a necessary step. Without it, we never would have found this pyramid,” she countered.
“Just the same, how can I be sure your claim is genuine?” he asked.
“Sir, all the equipment confirms it. In addition, we removed a core of ice twenty feet down to the structure. I saw it with my own eyes: a surface made of gold,” she explained, still enthusiastic.
“That’s it then. You have found it,” he said, his tone softening, now sounding relieved. “So how tall is it? How long before it’s uncovered? Have you found a way into Zeus’ burial chamber yet?” he rattled off in quick succession.
“Sir, it’s not tall. It’s deep… and no we haven’t found a way into his chamber yet. We haven’t even begun to excavate,” she responded. “That’s why I’m calling.”
Karl heard her reply. Something about it was wrong.
“What do you mean, ‘deep’?” he asked suspiciously.
“Sir, the pyramid isn’t conventional… what I mean to say is, it doesn’t point up. This structure is pyramid shaped, but points down into the ground: basically, it’s an inverse pyramid,” she explained.
Karl thought about her answer a moment, then reality struck him.
“You mean to tell me it’s basically a triangular hole in the ground?” he asked incredulously.
“Yes Sir, that’s exactly what I’m saying. It…”
“Oh Shit! That means all that internal debris will have to be excavated. How long does Mr. Arista estimate its completion?” he asked, his voice now growing edgy once more.
Helena paused moment, almost afraid to say the next sentence.
“He thinks it’ll take two years,” she said, reluctantly.
“TWO YEARS!” he blared into the phone. “Bullshit! That’s not acceptable. We’re on the brink of greatness and you tell me I’ve got to wait two years? This is why you’ll never be anything more than a mule. I knew I should’ve planted someone competent in that position,” he spat angrily.
Her father’s words cut through her like a knife. She felt rage at the injustice, but held her temper.
“Sir, you can’t blame me for this. I didn’t create the problem,” she shot back trying to sound confident and credible. “We have only two months before the summer is over. After that, the daylight hours grow shorter and the weather becomes much more volatile. If we act fast enough, I think we can complete the full excavation in only a few months.”
Karl smiled in relief. His plans would only be delayed slightly.
“Ok, what do you need,” he said.
“I need resources: cash, personnel and equipment… lots of equipment,” she responded.
She listened to brief silence for only a moment.
“Christian Laikos will be calling you shortly
. You’ll coordinate through him. Don’t screw this up,” he said bluntly.
“You can count on me,” she replied.
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” he retorted acidly.
Chapter: 13
Nord, Greenland
One month later…
Jack and Javi stared out over the excavation site. Excitement filled the frigid air as dozens of backhoes, bulldozers, industrial cranes, dump trucks and other assorted equipment rolled into action. As the teams of men began to strip away the top surface of ice, Helena shouted orders and directed their movements.
“Like a regular drill sergeant, isn’t she,” Javi joked. “I’d hate to get in her way. She’d have you hauled away with the ice and buried alive.”
“All I have to say is, anyone who can pull this all together in a month’s time, gets my vote,” Jack responded proudly, then added, “That girl can move mountains. I won’t question anything she does at this point.”
“I can’t even imagine what it must have cost to fly in all this equipment. We’re talking tens of millions of dollars,” Javi added.
“She claims the anonymous billionaire is funding a lot of this once again. I guess he must view this as a hobby, kind of like me spending thousands a year on flying planes, he spends millions on archeology” he replied.
“I wonder what he hopes to get out of all this. I just hope he doesn’t try to lay his hands on anything. A guy with that much money could easily slip in and slip out with a handful of priceless artifacts. I’ve seen it happen before. A payoff here, a payoff there, and all of a sudden, things are missing,” Javi warned.
“Don’t worry, with ole iron pants watching the store, I’m sure she won’t let anything like that happen,” Jack assured.
Javi watched a dump truck being loaded with ice. His thoughts suddenly reflected on the excavation of the Atlantis pyramid.
“Quite a different feel from Atlantis, huh?” he said to Jack.
“How so?”
Javi turned and glared at him.
“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten the high drama surrounding that excavation?” he asked.
Tomb of Zeus (Atlantis) Page 21