As they stood open-mouthed, ‘E’ began speaking again. “This temple is where the rulers of Atlantis come to pass judgements, discuss laws and ultimately pay tribute to Poseidon. It is the highest platform for miles surrounding and so gives us the best vantage point, but more importantly this temple contains the Emerald Tablet, which as you know is why we are here.”
Saul and Nell finally pulled their gaze away from the towering temple and reluctantly re-focused upon what ‘E’ was explaining. “Saul our purpose here is solely based around the emerald Tablet. We must destroy the tablet itself, and to do that you will need my help.”
Saul interrupted. “So I’m just gonna need your help for that bit?” he offered sarcastically.
“Point taken!” Retorted ‘E’ abruptly. “I must assimilate your use of humour, if we are to work as a team effectively.”
Saul nodded knowingly and shrugged.
“I must assist in the destruction of the tablet because it cannot be destroyed in any other way. Certainly not by human beings.” Explained ‘E’. “But in addition we must burn any etchings that have been taken of it, because if they survive, then so too will the coded knowledge contained upon them.”
Nell leant forward with a suggestion. “So, might I just flag something up? This building is somewhat large. Maybe large is an understatement? So how will Saul find this tablet in what we must assume is going to be a high number of rooms, or vaults, or whatever it is they have inside a temple?”
“Good question!” Added Saul.
“It is an extremely poignant question Saul,… And I note Nell reliably and regularly poses such questions, in an attempt to understand the situation in which she finds herself. Whereas you prefer humour.” ‘E’ was scathing, but still emotionless in tone.
“Hey! – It takes all kinds to make the world go round ‘E’. If you want to criticise then, maybe you need to select another Sentinel to do the job? Maybe a FEMALE one.” Saul defended sharply.
‘E’ spoke at speed. “No! We have chosen the correct Sentinel, I have simply now assimilated your humour and have used it in the correct format to hold you up as the recipient of a cognitive experience, designed to provoke laughter or amusement.”
Nell giggled and slapped Saul squarely on his back. “Can dish it out, but can’t take it eh Saul?”
“Saul slouched. “I knew that,.. I KNEW THAT!” He replied wryly.
‘E’ span the holographic building plan around into a different orientation, enlarged it and highlighted a route into the Temple.
The route appeared basic, too basic. It consisted of one straight line beginning at the rooftop and travelling down at one angle into an inside vault.
“That’s it? Saul quipped. “One straight corridor in? Seems abit obvious doesn’t it?”
“It is not a corridor, it is a ventilation shaft.” Replied ‘E’. “If you study the architecture of similar ancient cultures you will find that all temples, pyramids and large structures, have sophisticated systems of ventilation, heating and even running water supplies. The ancients also believed in creating these vents to allow the soul of someone dying to rise up to heaven through them. So this is our way in.”
“Seems easy to me, what am I missing? “Said Saul defiantly.
“Oh I agree, getting in is indeed the easy part. It’s getting out that will prove the main challenge here. At least, getting out alive.” ‘E’ warned ominously.
Nell once again broke into the conversation. “So we go in through the ventilation shaft and what happens then? What should we expect once inside?”
‘E’ once again began to instruct the pair. “This shaft drops into the main initiation chamber, where initiates are profoundly tested and sacrifices also take place, hence this vent allowing souls up to the skies. This is a regular occurrence, although there should be nothing taking place today as we enter. However, the temple is the dwelling place of the Oracle, a woman of immense power. Power of sight and knowledge, of prophecy and destiny and therefore she will know already that you are here and your reason for being here.”
“That doesn’t sound good.” Said Saul sarcastically.
“She will have guards and potentially Demonicons with her too, who are charged with protecting her and the artefacts inside, including the Tablet we seek.” ‘E’ replied blankly.
“ E – Explain these Demonicons please, what are they? What form do they take? Human form? How will we know when we come across them?” Enquired Nell anxiously.
“Oh you will know when you come across a Demonicon!” ‘E’ replied quickly. “They take many forms, whatever is required at that time. But they have jet black eyes, no matter what form you find them in. Oh and,.. They will be trying to kill you! Always a give-away.”
Saul put his hands on hips and paced again clearly stressed by hearing this. “Great!” He said flatly.
“In human form they usually appear much larger than normal height, about eight or nine feet tall in your measurements.” Added ‘E’. “Saul, connect your earphones and put them in please.”
“Ummm why?” Saul asked nervously.
Nell slapped him gently on the chest. “Just do it Saul, I don’t think now is the time to doubt your little man.” She quipped.
Saul reached down into the side pocket of his combat trousers and pulled out the small white cable and earplugs, connecting them to the phone and placing the plugs into each ear.
“This may feel a little strange at first.” Said ‘E’ as the phone once again began to light up with colours and digits on the screen.
“Just this part will be strange?” Saul shot back pulling a suitably unimpressed face. As he did so his eyes rolled back into his head, becoming white all over and he became rigid.
“What’s happening?” Nell shouted at ‘E’.
“I am simply downloading some data into Saul’s cerebral cortex.” Replied ‘E’.
“Data? What kind of data – is he ok?”
“He’s fine Nell, stay calm. I am downloading the CIA Self defence manual and the same manuals used by Mossad and the SAS into an area of Saul’s brain, which is currently not utilised. It will be come in handy,…. Ultimatey it will save his life.”
The process only lasted a few seconds and Saul came back into the moment, with his eyes rolling back into position and the rigid grip on his body, releasing. “What the hell was that?” He demanded at ‘E’.
Don’t ask.” Nell said reassuring him as she pushed him away to leave.
The young pair began scaling the building upon which they stood, climbing up towards the roof under ‘E’s’ instruction. Each of them looking down worriedly at intervals to see the ground below them dropping further away. At the height at which they were climbing the wind became stronger and it became difficult to hear each other speak, so resorting to hand signals to communicate they pushed on up until they reached an outcrop of the building. Once there, ‘E’ spoke up again. “This should be fine. It allows a long run-up.” He said.
“Run up?” Saul shouted. “Why do we need a run-up?”
“Because you must jump across to the Temple lower-level roof.” Answered E.
The pair both looked around and spotted the lower roof of the temple, which was one of many lower roofs. Saul shook his head. “Don’t be ridiculous ‘E’ – I know I’m good, but that roof has to be nearly fifty to sixty meters away! Nobody can jump that, forget it.”
Nell Agreed.
“With a reverse sonic boost, you can be propelled twice that distance, so yes you are potentially correct, the word jump may be inaccurate in its usage here.” E noted.
“Sonic Boost?” Saul shouted.
“Yes – it would be best if as I say you take the longest run-up you can from this roof and as you leap I will require you to turn and face this building pointing your phone screen back towards it. I will then furnish you with the momentum you require by harnessing the backward thrust from the sonic boost I produce.” E explained.
The youngsters both
peered over the edge of the rooftop and swallowed hard as they looked down the equivalent height of a six-story building. “’E’ you better be right with this fella, because that’s a long way down. Messy if we don’t make it.” Saul joked, but inside he was terrified.
“You will make it.” ‘E’ sounded emphatic.
As the two young students walked back across the roof to begin their run-up they were muttering at each other, with Nell Blaming Saul for having brought her in the first place and Saul defending himself, blaming ‘E’ for not giving them all the facts on any particular subject, even though he was energy and was supposed to know every single nugget of information within the known Universe.
E piped up once again, “I would focus upon the task at hand if I were you, bickering in this situation is simply a wasted effort.”
Nell and Saul stood at the farthest end of the rooftop they were on and as Nell counted, “One,… Two,….”
Saul interrupted, “Hang On! What are we going on?”
“Three obviously you idiot.” Nell shrieked. “What do you normally count to in situations like this? Sixteen?”
“I’m not an idiot!” Saul countered. “You may be expecting to count to three and then start running, which in fact would be more like four!”
“Oh for God’s sake – I will count to three and then we run. Not two,…. Not Five! Three and then we go for it.”
“OK.” Said Saul taking a sharp intake of breath. “Agreed.”
Nell cried out the count and suddenly both of them burst into the fastest-paced sprint either of them had ever done within their short lives. As they reached the small perimeter wall surrounding the rooftop, they both used it as a step to launch themselves into the highest leap they could muster. As they did so, Saul span in mid air to face the building from which they had leapt, holding out his mobile phone with the screen facing away from him. Emanating from the phone’s screen came a huge bolt of sonic waves, which burst forth with a booming noise that sounded more like a volcano erupting.
As the pair hit the highest point of their leap, the force from the sonic boom, bounced back and caught them like the hand of God, propelling them at such a velocity, they were thrown across the sky like human cannonballs, reaching their second rooftop destination and landing painfully in two crumpled heaps.
In clear discomfort and bruised, they both rolled over towards each other and Saul grabbed Nell. “You good?” He asked urgently.
“There is no part of this whole experience that I would describe as good Saul,” replied Nell visibly shaken. “It isn’t good, I am not good and so why don’t we agree that you will stop asking every five minutes, because I get the feeling this whole trip into God-knows-where, will be anything but good.”
Saul released his grip on the arm of Nell and he rolled onto his back wincing with pain. “Good point.” He said.
E’s voice came once again from the phone. “You must climb again to the next roof level where we can enter the mouth of the ventilation shaft.”
Both Saul and Nell pulled themselves up and achingly brushed themselves off, whilst beginning the final assault onto the main roof area.
Both youngsters continued to climb and clung on to the exterior of the temple structure. As they clambered up onto the final remaining ledge, they helped each other to safety and sat exhausted looking around at the vista from the highest point in Atlantis. It was astonishing, stretching out for miles around. An intricate web of waterways, some huge and some small, with boats and ships gliding in and out of the carefully constructed waterways. It resembled a scene from an old technicolour movie, but was frighteningly real sat atop of the colossus that was Poseidon’s Temple roof.
Chapter 6: The Emerald Tablet
Saul and Nell sat on the edge of the mouth of the ventilation shaft atop the roof of Poseidon’s Temple. The shaft was perfectly square and was lined with what appeared to be gold giving it a slippery, shiny surface inside which would allow them to slide along the inside of it. Saul decided to go first followed by Nell and Saul tucked his phone away safely inside the pocket of his combat trousers.
As they made their way down into the shaft it was remarkably light with the sunlight being mirrored inside by the gold walls. Saul slid along on his back feet first, using them as brakes to stop him sliding down inside the mouth of the serpent too fast. Nell followed in the same position of feet first and on her back sliding. It felt claustrophobic after moving down inside some distance, but they continued unabated, slowly negotiating the tunnel. Saul could not help but think about the souls who had reportedly drifted up through the very same place he now found himself. But quickly came back into the moment as Nell’s foot struck him on the head. “Hey!” He said, “watch where you’re putting those boots.” Nell apologized and on they went, down further and deeper.
It took the youngsters approximately twenty minutes to navigate down through the length of the shaft finally arriving at the end, which leveled out into a flat bottom with an equally square opening. As Saul managed to turn his body around in the shaft into a headfirst orientation, he dropped his head down and out of the shaft to get his first glimpse of their arrival point. As Nell waited behind him to exit, he gazed around at what was a huge hall. Fires were burning in large upright receptacles and standing in the centre of the hall was a huge statue of a bull, head down as if about to charge, with horns tipped with gold points. Saul could not help but comment aloud. “Wow!” He said back to Nell, “Wait until you get a load of this.”
Saul dropped slowly down out of the shaft onto his haunches then took in the full splendor as he rose to his feet, followed by Nell in the same manner. The two students, walked very slowly around the enormous hall with its huge pillars stretching up to the ceiling. The smell of incense burning and their every step echoing around the massive space. The fires burning created flickering light patterns dancing around the many statues and stretching out across the vast marble floor. Their steps were the only sound, with all the bustle of the outside city, reduced to silence.
As Saul stepped forward to inspect what he realised was the sacrificial table, also made of marble, a voice once again rang out. But this time it was female. “Hello Saul, we have been awaiting your arrival.” The woman’s voice echoed around the vast chamber.
“Oh great.” Saul whispered to Nell, “Here we go again.”
Saul stepped forward, gesticulating for Nell to stay behind him.
“Who are you?” He asked,… “Where are you?”
Gliding out from behind one of the huge pillars, came a woman dressed in a long robe and with a hood covering most of her face. “I am the Oracle.” Said the woman, lifting the hood to reveal an aged face, with piercing eyes glinting purple in colour. “ This is my domain and I greet you both. Welcome, you have come a long way. But I am afraid your journey is in vain, you cannot be allowed to remove the Emerald Tablet from here. It is simply not possible, it is one of our most sacred artefacts.”
Saul glanced at the woman who was not large in stature and said patronisingly, “We have indeed come a long way and with respect I am taking the tablet. I do not wish to be rude but a little old lady will not stop me from doing what is right.”
The Oracle shrugged her shoulders and tilted her head one way. And speaking in a gentle voice she answered. “Dear Saul,… I am not an old lady. I am ancient being, blessed with the insight and pre-cognitive abilities to know more than you can imagine,… And if you think you are doing what is right, then I suppose you must try. You are of course correct in that an old lady may be physically impeded from restraining you, but that is why we have guards.” As she spoke eight imperial guards stepped out from behind the four pillars either side of the Oracle.
The guards were all very dark skinned and large. Armed with spears and swords and dressed in robes and body-armour, they rushed forward. Saul reached for his phone instinctively and shouted, “Any ideas ‘E’?”
“You will know what to do.” Came the curt reply.
Surrounded by the final four guards, Saul grabbed a helmet from a fallen adversary and leapt at one of them crashing the helmet into his face the guard fell back and Saul immediately relieved him of his sword, swinging around to face the final three. One guard lunged at Saul, with a roar. Saul ducked like a boxer and thrust his sword upwardly, straight through the guard’s throat, leaving him staggering and choking. He grabbed the falling man and used him to shield against the sword that the penultimate guard thrust at him. It sank deep into the choking guard’s side just behind his breastplate, and as the guard delivering the death-blow to his fellow tried to retrieve his sword, Saul struck him on the temple with the handle of his sword, knocking him sideways and into a dazed state.
Sentinel: The Race Against Dark Energy Page 5