"That's taking a lot for granted Lucas," said Gwen. "I can't disagree man has ravaged the world where life lives in abundance; or once did. Scientists know the planet take a beating and keeps on repairing itself. Mother Nature is resilient. Global warming is still an issue not established that man has created a disaster waiting to happen. Recently we've had some major weather anomalies that have strained the resources of even the wealthiest of countries. On the other hand, some scientists argue that earth is slowly moving into another ice age. Lucas, what does your crystal tell us about the weather and its effects on mankind?"
"Let me take that," said Jovan. "My name means 'father of the sky' in Old Latin. When Atlantis was about to be destroyed, Scio beings told us what was going to happen. Most all believed them. Some didn't. If we had remained, I wouldn't be talking to you. I'd really hate to see all of Earth's people become extinct. In answer to your question Gwen, the High Council tells us that indeed life on your planet will cease to exist within the next hundred years or so. Major weather changes will occur; earthquakes of horrendous size will be common place; wars will continue at even a more rapid pace with chemicals being a common weapon; and with the oceans levels rising, cities like New York will disappear."
All of the A team sat in silence wondering about what they just heard was fact or fiction. Regardless, all had a sinking feeling life as they used to know it was over. James wanted to go with them to Scio. Chora was on the fence, but seeing another culture socially was too good to be true. Bernie was packed and ready to go. Alice was more than ready to go and leave all behind. Gwen had her baby to think about and also JB. She knew Matt would be with her regardless of where they would go.
Matt said, as the six members of the former Atlantians sat across from them wondering what the reaction might be, "We need time Lucas. Suffice to say the offer is enticing. My future wife and child need attention regardless of the outcome. Although, having the first earth baby born off planet would be a milestone." That broke the ice and all had a good laugh.
Lucas said, "Inside our space ship we have a shuttle that can easily transport you back to Earth much safer and much more comfortable that that transportation system sitting outside. We'll leave you know to discuss what has transpired so far. We'll be available at any time."
Chapter Twenty
Matt said, "None of this is very surprising. I think we all knew there was an ulterior motive behind this carrot on a stick. I've not discussed this with Gwen, but I'll wait until she speaks her piece. Next please.
"I for one am ready to go," said Bernie. I'd like to take my mate with me though."
"I want my family with me," said James
"I'm scared," said Chora. "However, this is a chance of a life time. I'm game."
Gwen said, "If we're going to all go then I want JB, Barry, Liz, Mac and all the rest to go with us. Let's stop wasting time and put the ball into play."
The Scio High Council was pleased to hear the results of the encounter with the earthlings. "They're a primitive lot, but I see some potential for their future. Keeping them in order and being productive is the key here I think. We don't need any social disturbance to occur like we had a few centuries ago with the Niggo civilization. All has been calm since then. Do you think, my fellow council members, we don’t need to install chips to control the humans?"
"It's probably a good idea. We can do it by telling them it's to kill any bacteria they might have from their planet. A simple shot to the arm. They'd feel no pain. Like before, we can administer it as they disembark the ship."
"We all agree then that we will have a means of controlling the humans if necessary. I hope we don't need to show our power. The last thing we need is an uprising that would spread to our other worlds once begun. I guess we all agree that the first stop is here on Scio."
+++++
Once word was sent back to mission control, all hell broke loose all over the planet that an alien space ship would be coming bringing with them the 'A' Team. A special meeting was called by the UN. Leaders of all the countries called for calm. After a few days, there were but few protesters out waving placards. After it was established that the aliens meant no harm, the opposite happened. Giant circles of flowers were placed with words of welcome friends.
Even when Sir Blake realized that his endeavor to capitalize on the flight to the moon, resolved his plight to learn what he could from this advanced race. Let the banks foreclose. He had enough stashed away to live comfortably on for the rest of his life. He'd even provided for his twin nephews the same life style.
In Spain, JB smiled inwardly knowing that he had one more adventure to look forward to. Gwen had sent an e-mail telling him to pack his shaver they were headed for Scio. JB shared with Maria the story and she wanted ever so much to stay with him. Sid decided to stick it out for the time being.
Barry and all the rest were thrilled to be part of the first batch to Scio. Mac and family were too.
The space ship was due the next day around 9 am landing in America. America was chosen as that's where the original team was from. Matt, even though he was British and Gwen was American. To show appreciation to Blake Aviation, they would land at their California base.
The USA Secretary of State Lois Langlois was on hand to greet the astronauts. Of course every politician in California had a comment of two for the overwhelming magnitude of media from around the world.
A special hotel was chosen that went unpublished. A private jet would whisk the A team east to an undisclosed location. As it turned out, Dallas was designated the place to introduce the A team and the Atlantians to the world. The Dallas Stadium where the Cowboys played was where many thousands of people could view descendants from ancient Atlantis.
Sir Blake was most curious to see what an alien space ship looked like. Most agreed it would be circular, but they were mistaken. The Scio spaceship was shaped like a cigar with a pointed nose. The back of the ship was tapered like a horizontal fish fin.
At almost 9 am someone yelled that it was coming. Before most could see the ship, a loud bang occurred indicating the ship breaking the sound barrier. As it approached a high pitched squeal was heard. Blake learned later they were thrusters slowing the ship down and thrusters to stabilize the ship as it touched down. From the underside of the ship, short stabilizers extended out like legs for support. It reminded man of caterpillar.
Almost as soon as it touched down, the ship was totally quiet; as were the spectators and dignitaries. Then a whoosh sounded as a side door slid open. Blake tried to remember if he saw a seam, but his memory failed to see the door seam. Later as he examined the ship, he saw only a very small seam where the door closed.
It was decided that nobody should view the inside of the spaceship. If you let one in, all would want to gander. What comprised the spaceship; nobody could understand or fathom how it operated.
Matt and Gwen were the first ones stepping down to earth. A round of applause was heard as the rest of the team joined them. After that the six member Atlantians team moved alongside the A team smiling and waving. It was unusual for a space ship to land so close to the control tower. Matt had radioed that the Scio shop needed no runway, only GPS coordinates would be necessary. The air controllers were amazed that the ship landed squarely on the mark.
Lois walked up with Sir Blake in tow. She said, with hand held out, "Welcome back Matt and Gwen. Our country and the world are pleased with the mission." She turned to meet the Atlantians and continued by saying, "Welcome back home, if I might say so. We realize this is your first trip to Earth, but hopefully we can show our hospitality in many ways."
Lucas spoke for his team saying, "Thank you Madam Secretary. Your particular family tree has its roots not far from where we once lived." Matt and Gwen saw a shocked look on her face hearing news like the fact she might have some shirt tail relatives on Scio. Be that as it may, greetings were friendly and a short news conference was held. Matt was the spokesperson.
"Ladies and Gentl
emen, thanks for the nice welcome home. We've only be gone a few days, but so much has transpired in a short time. Let me summarize and later we'll have a full blown news conference. When we arrived the Scio team was already there to welcome us. We were housed underground with artificial gravity and a perfect oxygen mix. Robots tended us and even did the cooking. Believe it or not I had steak and eggs on the moon!" The laugher was deafening and both teams were chuckling.
"We were privy to see Scio and some of its industries by video. Their planet is much larger than ours; but similar in many respects. I see our pilot waving so I'll leave you with this thought: Scio has extended an invitation for any and all to visit their world. I'll specifically tell you more at a later time as the details haven't been worked out. Thanks for the nice reception."
Most were left in shock that an open invitation to travel to another world was hard to fathom. It was especially amazing when right in front of them sat an interstellar spaceship from another solar system just waiting for passengers.
Lois said to Sir Blake, "Well, pack your bag Sir Blake; we're leaving on the next spaceship."
"I realize you're making light of the invitation, but I'm not so sure of their true intentions inviting humans to an off world. I'd like a few reports back before I leave. What does your boss say about all this; off the record of course?"
"He's keeping a low profile at the present time. He's not sure what to make of the contact with off-world folks. However, I detected that like a lot of us, he's skeptic about the intentions they've offered. He no longer sits back in his office chair, but up on the front edge digesting all the news he can. He tells me the other leaders of the world are doing the same. Let's see how it plays out in the coming days." Lois walked away with her secret service guards to a waiting plane to Texas where she would meet her boss.
As they flew east to Texas, in a very comfortable private jet, Matt said to Gwen, "Mother of my child, what shall we do about our future travel plans?"
"My parents would be devastated knowing their daughter and grandchild were leaving for a distant world so far away it staggers even my imagination. It's not like booking a flight to Europe and coming home when you want to. Would we be allowed to visit Earth? Once there, I think, you're there for the duration."
Matt put an arm around here and said, "Let's get married before we go."
"I've been waiting for you to say it my Tall Man. Let's run up to my parent's house so they can be in on it," she said while giving his thigh a squeeze. "A simple church wedding would be fine with me. I'd like JB there too."
"We'd best have all our team and friends there with us. I'll have Barry make the travel arrangements. After Dallas let's set a date. And after tonight, we'll have sealed the deal!"
A security van whisked the team to an undisclosed 5 star hotel. Everyone knew it wouldn't take long for word to leak out, but at least they'd have a few hours to themselves.
The Atlantians were impressed with the amenities of the top tier of earthlings. Even though they had to do all of their own chores without robots, each member didn't mind so much. Actually, as Lucas said to his roommate, Zorian, "It makes me feel good to do some things for myself instead of ordering a robot to do it for me."
Zorian replied, "Yes, it feels good. I like this primitive feeling. When I get back home, I'm going to shut down one of my bots so my wife has to work!" Lucas was laughing out loud. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so good.
"I haven't taken a shower with real water in my life," said Lucas. "I'm going to enjoy the experience. They also have a swimming pool but none of us learned how to swim. Maybe if we can come back some day we could learn to swim."
"I read on the computer that during this time in Earth's history, spirits were consumed on a regular basis. Whiskey is what I remember." Zorian walked to a small steel box and opened the door. Inside were drinks of many brands and types. He saw whiskey on one bottle and took it out saying, "Hey Lucas, look what I found!" he held up the small bottle for him to see. Lucas walked over with a curious look on his face.
"Open it up Zorian. I'll get two glasses off the table here. Zorian opened the lid and Lucas held up one glass. Both men saw a brownish liquid appear. However, the small bottle didn't hold much so Lucas poured some of one glass into another. They both sniffed the contents. "Wow, it smell bad Zorian. I wonder what it tastes like."
Both took a small sip. Lucas said, while coughing, "My goodness, what is this vile stuff. It burns like fire all the way down to my stomach."
Zorian was coughing and spitting. When he finally regained control he said, "Do you really think humans drink this stuff. What little I swallowed has made my head a little fuzzy."
"Me too," said Lucas. "I think I'll pass on this item of things to consume."
In a room next door, Mia, Kira and Anna were experiencing some fruit drinks from the steel box that kept things cold. All agreed they tasted good. Mia said, "This life here is not so bad. I miss my bots but maybe it's time to do some work for a change."
"I agree," said Kira. I've or we've gotten very lazy or lax for hundreds or thousands of years. I'm always looking for something to do to entertain myself. Sure my place on the council has its rewards and duties, but I can see when we flew in many single family houses down here. Without robots how do they keep the place clean and tidy?"
"I was reading about their history and found that the wife raised the kids and did the housework. Later on it became necessary for the wife to work to earn needed income. I think that is about where they are today in social development. From all outside appearances it appears that the humans are content and happy. However, that might just be a facade." All three women were walking around looking at everything while they jabbered on and on. Like the men next door, they discovered a closet with a real shower and water. Even though they saw water closets on the moon in the guest rooms, they were never used. For Scio beings a similar shower affair, but out of many jets came a solution that cleaned, then dried in seconds. It was purely functional.
Jovan had his own room, by choice. Both he and Lucas had the direct line to the High Council. He required the silent time to report on his findings to date. Jovan was not as curious as his companions. His personality was more objective than subjective. The High Council was pleased with his reports. Whereby Lucas was more sympathetic to his fellow humans, Jovan had a view of the bigger picture. Not that he was unconcerned, but he wanted what was best for the majority not the minority.
Kira was similar to Jovan. Her name in Old Latin meant light and sun. Jovan's name meant father of the sky. The two of them were in harmony together Mia on the other hand—her name meant 'bitter' – always looked at the negative rather than the positive. Nevertheless, the mix worked well for the High Council.
Next door a serious discussion between Gwen and Matt was taking place. Gwen said, "I know you get tired of hearing me say I've a bad feeling, but Tall Man I've a very bad feeling we are being taken for a ride; no pun intended."
"I never," as he held her hand which was resting on his chest as they lay on the bed, "get tired of hearing what you say my dear. I too think we are being herded like a bunch of sheep to slaughter. But you know, they're right predicting a planets disaster by human ways. Maybe it's time someone or something put a stop to the rape of the Earth.
I've an idea mother of my child. Why don't we negotiate an agreement with the High Council? For example, we agree to relocate, but to a planet that we can begin anew. We could offer a slew of scientists to learn from OJT while others carved out a living somewhere else. At least it's an idea. What do you think?"
"I think we need JB here soonest he can. He's wise in his old ways. If for example man was to cut down his trees for a log house, till the land like in the old days, wouldn't we eventually be in the same fix as we are now?"
"That's the hell of it. How not to recreate the past is what we need. We need a system that truly benefits all not just a few. However, humankind has never like being subjugated. To ha
ve, such as a High Council, as governors, could that possibly work?"
"Tall Man, education needs to happen from cradle to grave. Most of us are happy if we are satisfied with our lives. Only a few desire the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. We've forgot to ask the Atlantians about money and if they have such a thing."
"My love," as his ran up and down her naked skin on her back, "as much as I hate to say it but we transport by selection over time. In other words, we can't have any culture be subjected to hard time with a brain drain, but some real organization needs to take place. I see us with our university students packing up and leaving along with the professors. We eliminate political science and economics. No demand for such things. All or most politicians are unemployed along with bankers. The list goes on and on."
"Enough talk Tall Man, time to seal the deal. I for one want to see stars as we engage your warp drive!"
+++++
"Jovan, now that you're alone, let's talk about what you have seen and what might be seen in the near future," said the High Council
"I wouldn't say we underestimated the human race, but they are far from ignorant. Humans like to discuss or negotiate rather than just accept what is offered. To demand or order, would lead to a stone wall. They would fight all the way till none were standing. For example, presently the USA is fighting a war on two fronts with their own troops leading the charge. In the background, they have a powder keg just waiting to blow in the Middle East. Their citizens follow like sheep into battle. It seems to me that the leaders of most nations have the wherewithal to brainwash the citizens into whatever they desire. I guess if it were left up to me I'd leave them here and search elsewhere for what you're looking for."
Lost Continent Page 18