Lemuria

by Burt Clinchandhill

  Both men took a motorcycle and started the engines. “Are you going to be okay, Father?” Bishop asked.

  “Don’t you worry about me,” De Cremonese shouted over the revving engines. “I was driving a scooter through the crowded streets of Milano when you were a baby. You worry about where we’re going from here.”

  “All right, follow me.” Bishop switched on the GPS on his handlebar.

  ***

  “You are Ms. Coleman?” Ignatowski asked again.

  “Who are you?” she asked.

  “I’m sorry,” Lindsey said. “It’s all a bit overwhelming right now. Do you mind if we come in? I don’t think it’s safe here in the hallway.”

  Amie looked from Lindsey to Ignatowski. “You’re not with the hotel?”

  “No,” Lindsey answered, setting one foot into the room.

  Amie thought for another short moment before opening the door wide. “Come on in.” She pulled them both in, and quickly closed the door behind them. Then she walked into the room and closed the curtains. “If you’re not from the hotel, then who are you, and why are you here?”

  “My name is Lindsey Wilson.”

  “And I’m Ralph Ignatowski. Please call me Iggy. We work for the U.S. government and, um, I guess we’re here to rescue you.”

  “You guess? You don’t know?” Amie asked.

  “Well, that’s a bit of a long story,” Lindsey said, “and I don’t know if we have the time to get into all of that.”

  Amie looked at her watch. “They’re quite punctual here, so I figure we’re good for at least another two hours before someone delivers my next meal, and checks up on me.”

  “Do you mind if we sit down?” Ignatowski asked, looking around the room.

  “Please.” Amie pointed at a comfy couch at the other end of the room.

  Ignatowski looked through the inner doors, all the way to the other end of the floor. “From here, it’s one big set of linked rooms, stretching all over the hallway,” he pointed out. “Looks very comfortable.”

  “Not if you spent the past weeks inside it,” Amie replied. “Now, if you please?”

  “I’m sorry,” Ignatowski folded his hands. “How are you doing?”

  “Physically, I’m okay. I’m well cared for, but the closed confinement is starting to get on my nerves. It’s only since today that they opened up the balcony for me.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Lindsey replied. “But I’m sure we can get you out of here.”

  Ignatowski stepped between them. “Do you know of the Young Earth Movement?”

  “The what?” Amie exclaimed.

  “Young Earth Movement,” Lindsey replied. “When you disappeared in the U.S., Mulder claimed they abducted you. He said they demanded Eldin Mulder’s retreat from his research on AI and genetics.”

  Amie first frowned before she started laughing. “That’s quite something.”

  “What’s that?” Ignatowski asked.

  “Well, it’s kind of ironic, I guess. The real reason that I’m here, disappeared so to say, is that I was the one insisting on Eldin abandoning his research. Or, in any way, I was worried about the way he was conducting it. And when I found out some details about his work abroad, I confronted him with it. That didn’t go down well, and here I am.”

  “And then you contacted a Jesuit Father, Lamberto De Cremonese, did you not?” Lindsey asked.

  “I did, but I never got the chance to meet with him. I had to bail on our first meeting, and later I didn’t have the guts to try again. I know he tried to contact me a few times, but I always found a way to ignore him. But how do you know? Is he here? You work for the U.S. government you said. Which branch?”

  “I’m sorry. I realize it’s a lot to take in. Let me try to explain as briefly as I can,” Lindsey replied. “We’re with the NSA and NRO. We were investigating disappearing isolated tribes, from all over the world, but....” She paused.

  Ignatowski took over. “Right now, we’re on our own, helping a friend. And to answer your other question, Father De Cremonese is on a different island with the friend we’re helping, looking for another disappeared friend.”

  Amie shook her head rapidly. “Wow, and how did you find me?”

  “A friend of yours helped us find this location. We weren’t sure if we would find you, our friend, or anyone for that matter, over here.”

  “A friend of mine?” Amie asked.

  “Oliver Lancaster,” Lindsey replied. “Father De Cremonese and our friend Matthew Bishop met him at his home.”

  Amie grinned. “Is he okay? I thought about him a lot these past days.”

  “He’s fine,” Lindsey assured her.

  “That’s good to hear. And, uh, that missing friend of yours. That wouldn’t, by any chance, be Jennifer Porter?”

  Lindsey and Ignatowski briefly looked at each other, and then both nodded to Amie.

  “You know her?” Lindsey asked.

  “I saw her once or twice with Eldin, but never met her. Though she probably was one of the reasons I got worried about Eldin and where he was heading with his research.”

  “Do you know where she is?” Ignatowski asked impatiently.

  “Excuse us for our bluntness,” Lindsey apologized. “But we’ve got reason to believe that we’re on the clock somehow.”

  “No need to apologize,” Amie assured her. “Did Oliver tell your friends about Eldin being on a tight schedule or something like that?”

  “He did,” Ignatowski replied.

  “And what island did you say your friends were on?”

  Lindsey looked at her watch. “They should be on Darwin Island by now.”

  “Then they just might be in the right place,” Amie told them. “Do you have any way to contact them?”

  Lindsey took her satellite smartphone out of her backpack.

  ***

  Bishop stopped his motorcycle at the edge of a cliff, took off his helmet and stepped off. De Cremonese stopped a few feet behind him. Bishop looked down from the cliff, onto the waves battering the rocks some one hundred feet below them. In between the waves, rare, black Lava Gulls hovered over the rocks, looking for stranded seafood washed ashore.

  “This could take a while.” De Cremonese took off his helmet and walked to Bishop.

  “Just when I started to have doubts, Father.”

  “What are we doing here?” De Cremonese asked.

  Bishop thought for a long moment. “Looking for a friend.”

  De Cremonese also looked down. “Or, maybe we’re following a hunch. That might be a bit less disappointing if this hunch doesn’t pay off.”

  “Words, Father. Words. That doesn’t mean....” Bishop stopped and felt his pants pockets where his satellite phone was vibrating. He took it out and pressed the screen. “Yes.”

  “How are you doing over there?” Lindsey’s voice sounded.

  “Good to hear your voice,” Bishop answered. “We’re doing okay, but the island is one big open field of rocks and shrubs, without nothing standing out so far. We took a few flyovers with the helicopter that showed nothing. We’re now out on the bikes, seeing if there’s any clue of life at all on this island. Human life that is.”

  “It’s good to hear you too,” Lindsey said. “And since you didn’t find anything yet, it’s good you answered this call. Just a sec. Let me put you on speaker.”

  “I’ll do the same here.” Bishop pushed the screen and put the phone on his bike’s saddle. “Can you hear me?”

  “And me?” De Cremonese added.

  “I hear you just fine,” Lindsey said.

  “Me too,” Ignatowski added.

  “And I can also hear you just fine,” Amie said.

  Bishop and De Cremonese gave each other a quick glance. “Who’s that?” De Cremonese asked.

  “Mr. Bishop, Father De Cremonese, I’m Amie Coleman.”

  Bishop and De Cremonese laughed out loud.

  “Are you okay over there?” Bishop asked.


  “We’re just fine,” Lindsey answered. “I’ll fill you in on the details later, but we’re still at the hotel. We found Amie in good condition, being held in a sealed-off wing of the hotel. She’s okay, and we’re still there, but I don’t think we’ll have a hard time getting out.”

  “Listen,” Ignatowski said, “there’s still some time before we need to get out, but Amie thought it wise first to contact you.”

  “I heard you’re looking for your friend Jennifer.”

  “We are,” Bishop confirmed. “We’re on Darwin Island looking for her, but so far the island seems deserted. Please tell us we didn’t come all this way for nothing?”

  “You didn’t,” Amie spoke. “I understand you’re calling from a smart satellite phone?”

  “A Thuraya X5,” Bishop answered.

  “Great,” Amie agreed. “Just a moment. May I?” she pointed to Lindsey’s phone.

  “Sure.” Lindsey handed her the phone.

  Amie opened the SMS app on Lindsey’s phone and started typing. After a few seconds, she put the phone down again. “That’s it,” she called out. “Mr. Bishop, Father.”

  “We’re here,” Bishop came back.

  “You should have received a text message.”

  At that exact same moment, a small screen on Bishop’s phone opened.

  You’ve got 1 new message.

  “Got it.” De Cremonese pointed to the screen.

  “Great,” Amie said. “When we hang up, open the message. Inside you’ll find a link that you can open in the phone’s Internet browser. The link will open up a navigation application that will take you to the entrance of an underground location.”

  Bishop eyed De Cremonese. “That explains why we didn’t see anything from the sky. Is our friend over there?”

  “I’m too long out of the loop to be sure, but there’s a good chance she is,” Amie replied. “But I’m sure that on your way there you will get new answers to some of the other questions that you and your friends have been asking.”

  “What do you mean?” De Cremonese asked.

  “Listen,” Amie answered. “I understand you’re in a hurry, so I suggest you get on your way. I don’t expect you to run into any security or resistance. The local government sanctioned everything that happens out here, and no one else is allowed on the island, so there’s never been much need for that. You shouldn’t have a problem getting in.”

  “What are we looking for?” Bishop asked.

  “I’ve never been there myself, but I’m sure you’ll recognize it when you get there. Now, if you don’t mind. I would like to get out of here myself.”

  “Bishop?” Lindsey asked.

  “Yes.”

  “We’ll get Amie out of here and to safety. Now you take care over there and find your friend.”

  “Thank you,” Bishop replied. “We’ll keep you informed.”

  “Good luck,” Ignatowski shouted.

  “You too,” De Cremonese said, just before the connection broke off. “That’s good news, Matthew.”

  “That’s certainly good news,” Bishop replied. “Exactly when I could use some.”

  “Told you so.” De Cremonese smiled. “Can you open the link?

  Bishop fiddled with his phone for a few seconds.

  A young blonde woman appeared on the screen. “Hello. I am Lea, and I will be your guide to The Core.”

  Chapter 32 – The Wall

  Surprised, Bishop and De Cremonese looked at the screen.

  “Sure, why not?” De Cremonese shrugged.

  “Hi, Lea. It’s good to see you again. You remember me?” Bishop asked.

  “Sure I do, professor. It’s also good to see you again.”

  “I understand you have a route for us to our destination?”

  “I do, professor. It will take about ten minutes to arrive at your destination. I should warn you that the route does not provide any paved roads, so you’re in for a bumpy drive.”

  “That’s not a problem, Lea,” Bishop replied. “Can you show me the way?”

  “Here’s a map to your destination.” On the screen, the contours of the island appeared. A small symbol of a car in the lower center showed their position.

  There were no roads, buildings or any other markings to indicate a location on the island. A small checkered flag appeared in the center of the screen. A red line first appeared to lead straight to the destination but took an indirect route at about the halfway point.

  “That’s strange,” De Cremonese remarked. “There are no roads, or any obstacles for that matter, but she seems to direct us around something.”

  “Indeed, strange,” Bishop confirmed. “Well, I guess there’s only one way to find out.” Bishop strapped on his helmet, and De Cremonese followed his example. “Follow me?”

  “You lead the way.”

  Bishop fired up the motorcycle, turned the throttle and steered. He slowly followed the red line on the screen, evading as many obstacles as he could. Every now and then, he looked behind him to see De Cremonese following his every move. After five minutes, the small car on the map suggested a sharp left turn. Bishop braked, and De Cremonese stopped next to him. “What is it?” he asked.

  Bishop pointed to the screen. De Cremonese looked at the screen and then ahead. The view was unobstructed all the way to the cliffs where the island sunk into the ocean. “We should be able to see it from here.” He took the binoculars that hung from his neck and looked through them. “Nothing,” he said as he put them down again.

  “No obstructions all the way to the destination, so why the left turn?” He pointed left to what appeared to be the exact same type of shrubs and bushes as were ahead of them.

  “You want to go straight?” De Cremonese asked.

  Bishop rubbed his chin. “Normally, I would follow any suggestion I get from my GPS, but out here....”

  “I trust your judgment.”

  “Then we go straight on.” Bishop leaned down, firmly grabbed the handlebars, and opened the throttle. The bike set itself in motion and less than twenty feet ahead Bishop looked back to see if De Cremonese was following. Then there was a loud bang, the screeching sound of bending metal and Bishop was thrown off his motorcycle. Coming down, Bishop first hit a Sesuvium bush before rolling onto a flat piece of rock. De Cremonese braked immediately, got off and ran to Bishop.

  “Are you okay?” De Cremonese asked, kneeling next to Bishop.

  Bishop shook his head a few times. “I think so. What happened?”

  “Not sure. You looked back, and the next thing I saw you flying from your bike and landing. It’s a good thing you were driving slowly. You’re a lucky man. Sesuvium is a very soft bush.”

  Bishop checked himself for injuries. “Nothing,” he concluded.

  De Cremonese lent him a hand getting up. Together, they walked back to the motorcycle, turned it upright and checked for damage.

  “It’s the strangest thing. One moment I was making some speed, and the next I was thrown off, as if stopped by an invisible hand.”

  “Seems okay,” De Cremonese determined as he straightened a mudguard. “But what happened?”

  Bishop checked the ground, but there were no irregularities, no potholes or upstanding pieces of rock. Nothing that could have caused a bike to crash like that.

  De Cremonese walked a few steps away from the bike to get a better view when he suddenly stopped, took a step back and turned toward Bishop.

  “What is it?” Bishop asked.

  “I think you better get over here.”

  Bishop joined De Cremonese, stopping next to him, and turned back to the motorcycle.

  “No. Turn the other way,” De Cremonese commanded.

  Bishop turned and looked over the island.

  De Cremonese stretched out his arm and stopped, where he touched an invisible wall, like a mime artist would do.

  Bishop watched his strange behavior and then mimicked it. As he stretched his arm, it abruptly stopped as if hitting a concea
led fence.

  “What the hell?” he called out, then immediately looked at the father.

  “No problem,” De Cremonese said, forgiving him. “My sentiments exactly. It’s an invisible wall.”

  Bishop carefully took a small step forward, pulling off his helmet. He took his reading glasses from his pocket, put them on and carefully put his head closer to the wall. He stopped. “Not really invisible.”

  “What is it?”

  “Look closer,” Bishop suggested.

  De Cremonese carefully stepped closer to the wall. His head stopped about four inches from it, where he focused his eyes. “Pixels?” he asked. “Indeed, pixels. Very fine, nearly invisible pixels, and no shadows.” He waved an arm in front of the screen. ”Amazing. It’s a gigantic video wall.” He took a few steps back and walked left and right, while keeping his eye on the screen. “And it seems to adjust when looked at from different angles.”

  “That’s an amazing piece of technology.” Bishop sounded admiring.

  “A piece of technology I didn’t know existed yet,” De Cremonese added.

  “Astonishing. And I guess now we know why the GPS directed us around it.”

  “Indeed, it’s taking us around some kind of large construction. It’s really incredible. Unbelievable,” De Cremonese kept uttering. “I guess we know what to do now.” As he turned, Bishop was already on his bike, checking everything out again. “Everything okay?”

  “Seems so.” He started the engine. “Shall we?”

  “Sure. I’ll follow again. Will you now please stay exactly on the GPS-suggested path?”

  “Don’t worry,” Bishop replied as he cautiously set his bike in motion. After a few feet, he raised a thumb, and De Cremonese followed his lead again.

  For the next five minutes, the men slowly drove their bikes around the ‘invisible’ structure. Where the GPS suggested a sharp right, Bishop stopped the bike and got off.

  De Cremonese followed his example. “What is it?”

  “From here we’re going to the center of the island. I wanted to try something.” He took his satellite phone from the handlebars and started walking. He sauntered, taking small steps at a time. He stretched his arms to the left and right, and after some fifteen feet, he stopped. “Here. You feel that?”