Atlantis - Return of the Nation

by Steven Cook

  ‘Consider this a formal request for Atlas to be handed over to representatives of the United States of America.’ He looked evenly at her.

  Ilissus calmly looked back at him.

  ‘Lieutenant, your request has been noted. However, we will not be handing Atlas over to the United States of America or any other country. He has carried out crimes within our borders and will face them here. Therefore he will follow your suggested first option.’

  Fisher took a deep breath.

  ‘I will have to report this to my superiors.’

  ‘Please do that,’ said Ilissus.

  With that he turned and marched towards the doors of the temple. Dingo quickly stood.

  ‘I apologise for the LT’s words. He lost a lot of men because of Atlas and he’s taken it hard.’

  ‘There is no need to apologise. We understand the reasons for his words. We will consider all of Atlas’ actions when deciding his fate.’

  ‘If you’ll excuse me I’ll go after him,’ said Dingo.

  Ilissus nodded. She waited for him to leave then turned back to Atlas.

  ‘For the record, do you wish to continue with your defence that you are King and therefore need no defence?’

  Atlas stood tall and faced her.

  ‘I am King of Atlantis.’

  Ilissus lowered her head in sadness. The temple was quiet as they waited for her to speak.

  Finally she raised her head.

  ‘I call Gravioran, General of the First Heavy Infantry.’

  Gravioran stood and walked to stand in front of the gathered citizens.

  ‘Gravioran, by Poseidon and Zeus do you swear to tell the truth?’

  ‘I do,’ he replied simply.

  ‘Then speak your testimony.’

  Gravioran avoided looking at Atlas as he spoke.

  ‘I saw with my own eyes. Atlas was in single combat with an honourable enemy. When hostilities ceased Atlas attempted to strike the enemy in the back as he left the field of battle.’

  Atlas suddenly realised what was happening.

  ‘No!’ he objected.

  ‘How would you consider this action?’

  Gravioran now looked directly at Atlas and spoke at him.

  ‘I consider his actions dishonourable.’

  Ilissus waited for a few moments.

  ‘Thank you Gravioran. We have no more questions for you.’

  Gravioran turned and returned to his seat. Ilissus looked at Atlas and saw the resignation in his face.

  ‘Atlas, you have been accused of acting dishonourably by a Senior Officer. You have declared that you have no defence. It is the decision of this court that you are stripped of all rank and privileges. You will be taken to a secure place where you will have a night to seek peace with yourself. Tomorrow at dawn you will be stoned to death.’

  Atlas turned pale at her words.

  ‘Guards, take him away.’

  A group of elite warriors chosen from each of the realms stepped forward and surrounded Atlas. Coran was one of them.

  ‘Let us go,’ he indicated the direction to Atlas.

  Conversation broke out behind them as the group marched off with Atlas in their centre.

  The guard detail reached a door hidden in the gloom at the side of the temple. They opened the door and ducked into a short corridor with several stout doors leading off each side. The corridor was sloped towards the centre, causing a gully in the middle.

  ‘Wait here,’ instructed Coran to the warriors.

  They stood ready as Coran lead Atlas down to one of the doors. The Warrior unlocked the door with the key already in the lock. It opened slowly, signifying the weight. Inside was a small room where the floor sloped down to the door.

  ‘In you go.’

  Atlas ducked to enter the small chamber but stopped as Coran touched his arm. He raised his eyes to look at Coran’s grim face.

  ‘My mother asked that you be given this. She remembers you in her youth when you embodied all that was great in Atlantis.’ Coran held a short Orichalcum knife concealed in his hand.

  Atlas grasped Coran by the arm. They held arms for a moment then slid them apart, Atlas taking the blade in his hand.

  ‘Your mother is one of the greatest of all Atlantians, past and present. Ignore all the hate filled words that people have voiced about your family. You and your brother are a credit to her. Tell her thank you.’ Atlas stooped and went in to the chamber.

  Coran stood and watched for a moment as Atlas scrambled to the back of the chamber and sat on the floor, his feet below him on the slope. Atlas nodded then ducked his head in thought. Coran slowly pushed the door closed and locked it.

  He stood and stared at the door for a moment before turning the key. The lock turned, sealing Atlas inside the cell. Coran removed the key and slipped it onto the hook at one side of the door.

  He reached out and opened a small hatch in the door and looked through into the dark chamber. Atlas was barely illuminated.

  ‘May Zeus be with you,’ said Coran.

  Atlas didn’t respond, instead stayed with his head down. The long hair, released from the leather thong, covered his face. Coran slowly closed the hatch.

  He started to walk back to the others then paused as he heard a low grunt from behind the door. He considered going back but decided against it. He walked and joined the other guards.

  Behind him a slow trickle of blood seeped under the door and meandered down to the gully in the centre.

  *

  Atlantis 1st June

  Once again three figures moved through the darkened streets of Atlantis. Again their backgrounds were very different, each from a different culture.

  Instead of sneaking furtively they moved through the streets boldly, enjoying the night air. The streets were full of people enjoying the late evening sight of the moon and stars so long denied them.

  The trio came to the plaza of the Temple and walked straight across, casually avoiding the small groups scattered around. The temple doors stood open and they passed straight through.

  The door was pushed closed and barred behind them.

  ‘This way,’ said the acolyte, stepping from the shadows.

  The three followed as he made his way to the statue of Poseidon. He released the catch to the catacomb and stood back. The three slipped down the staircase.

  The catacomb was as it had been left with the exception that the bodies had been removed. The acolytes had been reluctant to come down and clean. As a result there were a number of bloodstains on the floor.

  ‘Let’s do this,’ said Dingo.

  ‘Poseidon?’ called Danny.

  ‘THIS IS POSEIDON. WHAT DO YOU REQUIRE DANNY MOREHOUSE?’

  Dingo reached beneath the cloak he was wearing, similar to the others. He withdrew a ceramic-coated Sig pistol, which he handed to Danny.

  Danny stepped into one of the beams of light and was lifted from the floor.

  ‘Poseidon, can you detect the material this weapon is covered with?’ he asked.

  The light intensified on the material. Danny began to feel uncomfortably warm. He was about to angle his body to slip out of the light field when the light returned to its normal intensity.

  ‘I HAVE IDENTIFIED THE CRYSTALLINE STRUCTURE ENCAPSULATING THE FIREARM,’ Poseidon boomed.

  ‘Are you able to neutralise its effect?’ Danny asked the air around him.

  ‘IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO NEUTRALISE THE EFFECT OF THE MATERIAL. AM I INSTRUCTED TO DO THIS?’

  Danny looked over at Dingo and Saraph.

  ‘Danny, it will enable us to integrate better with the world if we are able to defend ourselves.’ The warrior implored.

  ‘That’s fair,’ said Dingo.

  ‘Poseidon, please initiate neutralisation
of the material. This parameter is to last for twenty-five years.’

  ‘INITIATING NEUTRALISATION PROTOCOL.’

  Danny slipped out of the beam of light and walked over to join the other two. He handed the pistol back to Dingo.

  ‘I hope we’re doing the right thing,’ mused Dingo.

  ‘PROTOCOL ACTIVATED.’

  ‘Shall we test it?’ asked Dingo.

  ‘We might as well,’ replied Danny.

  Dingo flicked off the safety catch and looked around for a safe area to shoot at.

  ‘How about bundling our cloaks together?’ suggested Saraph.

  The three quickly removed their cloaks and wrapped them together to form a dense bundle. Saraph laid them in a corner and stepped back.

  ‘Here goes nothing,’ said Dingo.

  He aimed at the bundle and pulled the trigger. With a loud retort the pistol fired, causing the bundle to jump as the round thudded into it. Dingo looked at the others for confirmation then pulled the trigger again. With a dull click the hammer fell on the firing pin, driving it into the percussion cap. Nothing happened.

  Dingo racked back the slide and ejected the cartridge, stripping a fresh round from the magazine and letting the old one drop to the ground. Again he aimed and pulled the trigger, again nothing happened.

  Quickly he repeated the process, racking in the fresh rounds and attempting to fire them.

  ‘Either I’ve had a dozen dud rounds or the ceramic protection is gone.’ He smiled.

  ‘Right, one more thing to check.’ Danny turned to Saraph. ‘Can I borrow your knife?’

  Saraph shrugged and handed over the razor sharp blade. Danny accepted it and laid it on the floor. He then gathered up the ceramic-coated rounds discarded by the handgun.

  Dingo realised what was about to happen and dragged Saraph back by the arm as Danny moved backwards. At a distance of ten feet Danny stopped. Gently he tossed one of the rounds towards the knife. It bounced on the ground several inches to one side. He aimed again and tossed another. Again it missed, bouncing in front of the knife and passing over it.

  ‘Let me try,’ said Saraph.

  Danny passed a couple of the rounds to each of the others.

  ‘First to hit does not buy drinks tonight?’ suggested Saraph.

  ‘You’re on,’ said Dingo.

  Saraph turned to look at Dingo and flicked his wrist towards the knife. The ceramic cartridge span through the air to land squarely on the knife. It caused the blade to ring out as it bounced high. There was no reaction.

  ‘It looks like I have a free night.’ Saraph smiled at the two stunned men.

  ‘Ceramic is totally out then,’ said Dingo.

  Danny looked down at his wrist as something clicked.

  ‘Oh shit.’ He exclaimed.

  ‘What?’ asked Saraph in shock.

  ‘I’ve just knackered my watch.’ He looked in horror at the J12 on his wrist. The hands had stopped moving.

  ‘Come on, let us join the others. We could all do with a drink.’

  Saraph and Dingo led Danny back to the steps to the main temple. All the while Danny was lamenting the failure of his watch.

  ‘Danny, give it a rest, it’s only a bloody watch!’

  ‘It may only be a bloody watch to you. It cost me three grand!’

  ‘You really need a drink.’

  They left the catacombs, leaving Poseidon to his unfathomable thoughts.

  *

  Chapter Twenty Five - New Beginnings

  Fifth/Sixth Realm Beach 2nd June

  ‘That’s impressive.’ said Jack Henry to nobody in particular.

  He referred to the neat lines of Atlantian warriors who lined the back of the beach several hundred yards from the waterline. They were arranged in ten distinct sections, each relating to a different realm of Atlantis.

  As the ships boat moved slowly in to moor at the dock the engineers had constructed, General Ciuffetelli moved up alongside him and leant on the rail.

  ‘They’re all slightly different with equipment and armour.’ He said. He began pointing out some of the obvious and subtler equipment differences.

  ‘The heavier shields and heavy helmets suggest they fight from a more static or unit based manoeuvres, whereas the smaller shields and bucklers lend to mobile tactics. Notice they have a wider field of vision in their helmets.’ He pondered for a moment. ‘I can see that they were well organised, but I can’t understand why they used to rule the world. There are no signs of cavalry.’

  ‘It’s their weaponry. Notice they’re all shining with a strange orange light.’ Henry pointed at the spearmen to emphasise his point. ‘It’s Orichalcum. It would slice through anything anybody brought against them. It’s the modern equivalent of tanks against sticks and stones.’

  ‘Thank god we figured a way to neutralise it,’ countered Ciuffetelli.

  There was a gentle bump as the boat nudged the dock. Two sailors jumped onto the dock, taking hawsers to loop over the thick wooden bollards. Quickly a ramp was raised and secured to the gunwale.

  ‘Shall we?’ asked John Sheen.

  The president stepped onto the dock and led the Presidential Party onto Arcanadian soil. Before proceeding he took a moment to straighten his tie and look around. Already a number of delegations from other nations had already landed and were waiting under the massive canopy raised over the beach to protect the delegates from the heat of the Mediterranean sun.

  As the last delegates to arrive the US party took the opportunity to look around. Sheen recognised the Prime Minister of Great Britain, the Chancellor of Germany, the President of Portugal and the President of Spain. He looked around until he spotted the King of Morocco in quiet conversation with his Prime Minister.

  Sheen nodded to the Lieutenant in charge of the Marine detail. The officer, dressed in full dress uniform saluted, then turned and led the delegation to their place along the prefabricated walkways.

  ‘I wish they’d come out to the UN instead of us having to sit around in this heat.’ Sheen muttered to Henry.

  ‘I imagine the appearance of a modern city would overwhelm them.’ Henry reasoned. ‘Besides, the sea air will do us all the power of good.’

  The US Delegation reached their position and the Marine guard took up their positions. Henry noted that the US Marines and the British Royal Gibraltar Regiments I Company were all armed with Ceramic coated weapons. The Marines with M16A4 rifles and the Riflemen with SA80A2 carbines.

  They seated themselves, glad of the shade provided by the canopy. Henry nodded politely to a few faces he recognised. He was alerted to the arrival of the Atlantian delegation by a sharp nudge by General Ciuffetelli.

  The majority of the group were dressed in functional armour and had short swords sheathed at their waists or in scabbards over their shoulders. Several others wore plain tunics decorated in beads and strips of metal denoting their Realm.

  What surprised him was the inclusion of the survivors of the British rescue party and the first Ranger squad. They were attired in their respective uniforms that had been cleaned and repaired. One of them detached himself from the group and marched to a position midway between all the delegates.

  ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, gathered dignitaries. My name is Lieutenant Julian Fisher of the United States 75th Rangers. I have been asked to advise you that you are now on Arcanadian soil. As such you are required to adhere to and follow the customs and laws of Arcanadia. I must make it clear that should you offend an Atlantian in any way, he or she has the right to seek justice by immediate combat. I recommend that you carefully consider your speeches and refrain from outbursts.’

  Henry looked around to see what response came from the delegates. He was surprised to see that none of the interpreters were whispering in thei
r superior’s ears.

  The Ranger spoke out again.

  ‘You may also be surprised to realise that everybody can understand each other. There is a special energy field that surrounds the island that enables speech to be translated. Does anybody have any questions?’

  There was an outburst of conversation between the delegates. A delegate from Portugal stood and waved at Fisher. The Ranger waved for quiet then nodded at him.

  ‘What guarantees do we have of safety?’ The delegate called.

  One of the Atlantians stepped forward. She was slight of build but was dressed in full armour. Her bearing and confidence quieted the crowd

  ‘I am General Ilissus, Commander in Chief of the Fifth Realm military. Although Arcanadia has no treaties with your nations we have granted you Conference status. This means we stand down all military forces and discuss the situation. I welcome you all to Arcanadia.’

  ‘So that’s the General. Not what I expected. And she knows we have ceramic weapons.’ whispered Henry to the President.

  John Sheen realised that everybody was looking at him. He slowly got to his feet and waited until everybody was focussed on him.

  ‘General, I am John Sheen, President of the United States of America. It is nice to finally meet you. On behalf of the United Nations we would like to welcome you to the Twenty First Century.’ There was a polite round of applause from the gathered dignitaries.

  ‘I would like to make the offer to the people of Arcanadia for your nation to become a protectorate of the United States of America. We will provide you with educational and health facilities and develop your infrastructure. In return we would build a military base to protect yours and our interests.’ He smiled at Ilissus.

  The rest of the international delegates had been expecting this speech. Indeed they had been advised that it would happen. Several were not happy but realised the reasons for it.

  ‘Thank you for your kind offer of protection.’ replied Ilissus. ‘I can safely say that we will not be taking it. Arcanadia can protect itself. We are willing to set up a port where trade and interaction can take place, but we will patrol our borders and prosecute any incursions onto our territory without hesitation.