“Ok, guys, this is it. We’re on stage in one minute. Damn, this is exciting isn’t it?” he said, wringing his hands in anticipation.
“I think I soiled myself,” Jack responded in typical humorous fashion.
“Lucky for you the camera shoots from the waist up,” Javier added with a smile.
“Damn lucky,” Jack replied, simply.
Motioning toward the door, Javier led the way out of the room and onto the lighted stage. In seconds, the bright lights changed slightly and the microphones went live.
On cue, Dr. Burt Samuelson began to speak:
“Good afternoon. My name is Dr. Burton Samuelson. Today we stand at a momentous occasion… the revelation of Atlantis. For thousands of years, the great city of Atlantis was considered nothing more than an ancient fable. Today, that fable has become a reality. If you’ll allow me, I’d like to share with you the story behind its discovery. I promise you it will be entertaining,” he started.
Standing in at six foot two inches tall, Burt was in his late fifties, slim with short gray hair. He took a quick sip of water, then continued:
“Several years ago, a brave young man by the name of Jack Roberts flew his tiny float plane up from South America, coming home after climbing a dangerous snowcapped mountain in the Andes… alone. As he flew up through the Caribbean Island chain, he spotted a flash of light emitting up from the ocean, about fifty miles off the coast of Turks and Caicos Island. Curious about this strange anomaly, he threw caution to the wind and landed his float plane on the ocean, investigating further. As he floated on the surface, the light shined up as a bright golden color and he noticed that it had a strange shape about it… a pyramid shape to be exact. After snapping photos and recording some videos, he took off and returned to his home in CT. With college, his first job, and the complexities of life occupying his time, he soon forgot about that strange pyramid-shaped light... That was until he saw me on TV describing the ancient El-Harra Desert Tablets I had recently discovered.”
Burt flashed Jack a quick smile, then continued:
“As he watched me described the hieroglyphics etched on those tablets, Jack’s keen eye spotted a symbol… a pyramid shaped symbol with a striking resemblance to the one he had seen years before in the ocean. Jack quickly sent me a photo alerting me to his amazing find, only to be rejected by the authority on the subject… me,” Burt said, making fun of his embarrassing mistake.
“Undaunted, Jack loaded up his plane once more and flew down to Caicos Island in search of the golden pyramid. Once there, he used the GPS coordinates he had saved from years before and flew to the site where he hoped he would find the ancient artifact.”
“Making several flights and landing in the ocean, Jack’s dives proved fruitful. On the first dive, he discovered an ancient urn, the one you see on display,” Burt said, pointing to the table with the artifacts.
A light shined on the urn, turned off, then another spotlighted Burt once more.
“The second dive resulted in even greater riches. It was on this dive Jack discovered a crystal cask that contained a series of ancient scrolls. These scrolls have proved to be not only the oldest recorded word in history… but more importantly, they are the irrefutable proof that Atlantis did exist,” Burt said in a commanding voice, now drawing all eyes to the table of artifacts.
“Unfortunately, Jacks enthusiasm surpassed his intellect and he made another dive on that same site… alone,” Burt said, now shooting Jack a sarcastic glare. With a playful wink, he continued:
“What happened next will cause a brave man to shudder. As Jack searched for the golden pyramid, fifty miles from civilization and one hundred feet below the ocean’s surface, his floatplane, his lifeline, was savagely attacked by a pod of whales. He stumbled upon it in a twisted heap of wreckage as he swam along the ocean’s floor.”
Burt paused a moment as the audience gasped in shock, then continued:
“Resourceful and quick thinking, Jack was able to raise one of the floats from the plane to the surface and create a makeshift raft. This raft remained his home for the next month as he battled raging storms, no food, extreme dehydration, not to mention waging hand to tooth combat with a shark,” Burt said in ominous tone. “You’ll be happy to know, Jack won that battle,” He added jokingly.
The audience laughed, quieted quickly, and continued to listen.
“It was only by a strange stroke of luck that just before his body gave out, he somehow set off an emergency locator transmitter found in a first-aid kit given to him just before he left. Miraculously, a commercial jet stumbled upon the beacon and radioed the US Coast Guard for help.”
Pausing for effect, he then continued:
“The rescue was nothing short of Herculean. Battling twenty and thirty foot seas, the crew of the HH60 helicopter managed to reach Jack mere seconds after he was struck by an enormous wave that sent him deep beneath the ocean’s surface. With time running out, the crew member leapt from the helicopter, located Jack under the water, and pulled him to safety. Had they arrived just seconds later, we’d be talking about Jack in the past tense.”
Burt paused again for a drink of water, cleared his throat, then continued once more:
“Spending only a week in recovery, Jack’s adventurous spirit forced him from his hospital bed. With unfinished business nagging at his soul, he arranged to dive on the site once more.”
“With the help of his new found friends in archeology, Dr. Javier Arista (pointing), his daughter Dr. Serena Arista and of course, yours truly, we arranged a 'safe' dive with a group of professional divers,” Dr. Burt Samuelson said, now eyeing Jack with feigned exasperation.
Walking over to the table of artifacts, Burt laid his hands on one of them.
“As good luck would have it, Jack eventually found his golden pyramid… buried in the center of large crystal ball… this crystal ball,” he said, now rubbing its outside surface softly. “The significance of this find is far greater than the crystal’s simple intrinsic value. Carved on its outside is a map of the world as it was seen seven thousand years ago. Using the data from the crystal and ancient scrolls, we believe we have pinpointed the location of Atlantis.”
Burt paused for effect, then added, “Furthermore, we have learned from the scrolls that somewhere in Atlantis, an ancient pyramid still exists.”
Once more, the audience erupted in gasps of shock and excitement. Burt now held the crystal in his hands. Lifting it in the air for all to see, he announced:
“My friends, this crystal is not just an ancient map of the world. Nor is it just an exquisite museum piece. This crystal, with its golden pyramid radiating from deep inside, is in fact a key that will unlock the secrets to a burial chamber… the burial chamber of the King of Atlantis.”
A quiet hush spread across the room as all eyes focused on the magnificent crystal globe.
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
Moscow, Russia
Eight thousand miles away…
Nicolae Sokolov bellowed orders over the phone, “I don’t care about your excuses. I pay you to get the job done. When I talk to you next, I’ll expect the problem to be gone and my wallet thinner,” he growled.
“Yes, sir,” the voice on the phone responded obediently.
Nicolae hung up the phone and poured himself a tumbler of Scotch and ice. Bringing the glass to his lips, he sipped the brown liquid and smiled.
At forty-seven, his frame was fit; his brown eyes, confident and cold.
“An unfortunate accident,” he said to himself under his breath.
Instantly, Nicolae burst into a sadistic laugh. Reaching for the TV’s remote, he pushed the mute button releasing the sound into the dozen speakers hidden about the ornately decorated office.
With the TV screen tiled into six smaller windows, each station broadcast the news from around the world. Quickly, his eyes scanned through and found a station of interest. He pushed a button and the sound instantly began to play for that station.
“Hmm, interesting,” he said to himself, barely audible.
Reading further, an evil expression crossed his face once more.
“Hmm, debt… and a mistress. This will work out nicely,” he said to himself with satisfaction.
Taking another sip of Scotch, the TV caught his attention.
“Good afternoon. My name is Dr. Burton Samuelson. Today we stand at a momentous occasion… the revelation of Atlantis.”
“Atlantis?” Nicolae said to himself excitedly.
Quickly, he turned up the sound.
“For thousands of years, the great city of Atlantis was considered nothing more than an ancient fable. Today, that fable has become a reality.”
Nicolae stared at the TV screen, mesmerized by the information. His mind envisioned the fabled nation and the treasures of a world lost. Standing now, he turned up the sound and moved closer to the enormous screen. Listening intently, his eyes focused on the crystal globe.
A collector of unique, priceless, and mostly illegal antiquities, his mind quivered as he thought about adding a new find to his collection.
Instantly, he turned and ran to his phone.
“Dimitri, get in here quick!” Nicolae shouted into the phone.
Without waiting for a response, he hung up and hurried back to the TV.
Seconds later, Dimitri’s six foot four frame burst through the heavy walnut doors of the office and rushed to Nicolae’s side.
“Boss, is everything alright?”
“That crystal… there on the screen. Do you see it?” Nicolae pointed.
With a quick glance, he turned back to Nicolae and replied simply, “Yes.”
“I must have it. You must get it for me,” he said, his voice trembling with excitement.
“How badly do you want it?” Dimitri replied cryptically.
“No excuses,” he returned coldly.
“I’ll get it done,” Dimitri replied without hesitation.
“And Dimitri…" Nicolae added coldly, "...do NOT disappoint me.”
A slight shiver ran down Dimitri's spine as he replied, “Understood.”
As Dimitri left the room, Nicolae returned his stare back to the TV. With the press conference nearly ended, he caught the last message in the broadcast.
“So Dr. Samuelson, when do you think you’ll begin the excavation around Atlantis?”
“Soon, very soon.”
Chapter 3
Jack Roberts stood in front of the mirror and checked his appearance. He ran his fingers through his brown wavy hair, then across his goatee. He then pulled taut his white t-shirt, ensuring that his muscular biceps showed through the tight fitting top. Standing back, he checked his six foot, two inch frame and made certain nothing was out of place.
“Looking good, Jack,” he said to himself, nervously.
His stomach churned as picked up his backpack and slung it over his shoulder. With one last look in the mirror, he walked out of the airport bathroom and made his way toward the arrival gate.
Serena Arista looked out the window and watched several planes pull up and park at their gates. As she pulled away, she checked her reflection in the window. She ran her fingers through her long wavy black hair, then reached into her purse and pulled out her lipstick. With a quick swipe, she applied a thin red layer to her full Latin lips. Turning her attention to the arrival gate, she waited nervously for Jack to appear.
Jack walked past the security guard and out beyond the arrival gate. Searching the faces in the waiting crowd, he heard his name being called.
“Jack… over here,” Serena’s soft voice called out as he walked on past.
Jack turned and stared for a moment, then recognized her face.
“Serena?” he said with surprise. “Wow, you look… different. Since when do you wear lipstick? And I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in a pair of jeans before.”
Serena smiled confidently and replied, “I’m not working today. I figured I’d go semi-casual… and how about you? Check out that facial hair.” Eyeing Jack head to toe, she continued, “And am I imagining things or have you been working out?”
“You like it?” Jack replied, ignoring the body comment while stroking the close cropped stubble.
“I guess,” Serena responded, now evading the more personal question.
“You guess?” Jack replied, feeling a bit self-conscious. “You think I should shave it off?”
Serena stared back at him for a moment, thinking about the question.
“Nah, it kinda gives you a more masculine persona… dark and mysterious,” she responded.
“That’s me, a man of mystery.”
“Ok, mystery boy, how about we find your baggage and get out of here? You hungry?” she asked.
“Why Miss Arista, are you asking me out on a date?” Jack teased.
“It’s just food, Jack. I figured I’d bring you up to speed on everything over dinner.”
“I know dates and this sounds like a date to me,” Jack retorted, now grinning.
“Well, it’s not. It’s just two friends having dinner,” Serena contended, playing along with the banter.
“Will there be drinks?” Jack asked.
“I figured we could share a bottle of wine, yes,” Serena replied, innocently.
“Uh huh… If I were an expert on dating… and I’m not saying I am, but mind you if I were, I’d have to say dinner and wine equals a date,” Jack joked again.
“Clearly you have not read the Helsinki Manifesto of 1986 which clearly states… and I quote: No social function shall be deemed a date unless affection is passed between the two parties,” Serena responded, trying to sound authoritative.
“Ok, you got me. I haven’t read the Helsinki Manifesto, but be warned, I’ll be watching you very closely. If I see any affection of any kind, I’m classifying this as a date,” Jack acquiesced.
“I don’t see a problem here. We’ll be talking business anyway. Burt Samuelson has been running into some red tape with the Grecian government. It looks like we’ll be delayed a bit until he squares that away.”
“What? I thought it was a done deal? When did he find this out?” Jack asked, feeling a bit frustrated.
“Today… Sorry Jack, I tried to get ahold of you before you left, but you must have turned off your phone already,” Serena replied, apologetically.
“Any idea how long it will be before they approve our permits?” Jack pressed further.
“It really shouldn’t be long. He has a lot of clout and connections in the archeological community,” Serena responded confidently.
“Boy, I sure hope it doesn’t take long. I took a six-month leave of absence from my job. I’d hate to have that run out before we even started to dig. I’m sure my boss wouldn’t give me an extension. You wouldn’t believe the time I had getting that time off, especially after only being back to work for three months,” he explained.
“Yeah, we missed you down here,” Serena replied nonchalantly.
“AH HA! You missed me… that’s affection and I’m officially calling this a date,” Jack blurted out in joking fashion.
“Jack… you’re impossible,” Serena said with a smile.
“It’s almost like you’re blaming me for trying,” he returned.
“Well, one thing’s for sure… you are persistent.”
“So then, is this a date?”
Serena thought about her answer. With a flirtatious smile, she replied, “It’s a meeting.”
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
Moscow
Sitting in his ornately decorated office, Nicolae read the last of his paperwork, then sat back in his Italian leather chair and rested his eyes. Letting his mind wander briefly, a smile crossed his face. Opening his eyes, he sat
forward and opened his hand-carved mahogany desk. Reaching inside, he located a small button hidden from view and depressed the switch. Instantly, an oak panel popped out from the wall on the far side of the room. With an avaricious grin, he stood and hurried over to the door.
Nicolae opened the hidden panel and felt the rush of cool air on his face. He stepped into a dimly lit hallway and closed the door behind him. Within a few steps, the hallway opened up into large a temperature-controlled room. Rubbing his hand against a cedar panel, he found a switch on the wall and turned on the low-intensity lighting. As the room came to life, Nicolae stood in awe of the treasures that surrounded him. Intricately designed glass shelves lined the walls and cradled the rare antiquities he obtained through illegal and, many times, deadly transactions.
Scanning the room, his eyes gleamed with excitement as he moved from Egyptian golden statues to ancient scrolls from Alexandra; from rare human fossils to early pottery from the Ming dynasty. In the center of the room, there were lighted tables and cabinets that housed rare jewels, ancient weaponry, as well as a rare Stradivarius violin. He walked the room quietly and stared at his treasures, his mind visualizing the kings and artisans; the musicians and warriors that were once a part of its history when new. Moving from piece to piece, the ugly world outside the room quickly vanished and in its place was peace and inspiration.
Nicolae moved around to the back of the room and stopped. In a far corner, a custom-built altar had recently been installed. Intricately chiseled from marble, it had a pedestal at its center that emitted a single beam of light. Specifically designed for one purpose, it sat conspicuously empty and gnawed at Nicolae's patience.
Nicolae stared at the empty altar and his rage began to grow. He visualized the crystal globe sitting on the pedestal as the beam of light shined up through it. He visualized its magnificence and the ancients that once held it. He wiped his forehead with his sleeve and felt his face reddening in anger.
"ENOUGH!" he shouted, now enraged.
Curse of Atlantis Page 2