by B. J. Smash
The room was a giant circle and Minimus stood at some type of semi-circle panel that took up a generous part of the wall. The hundreds of buttons were lit up by different colored lights…mostly blue. It looked like something from a spaceship. My heart leapt when it occurred to me that it probably was.
The ceiling arched so far up that you would need a fire truck ladder to reach the top.
With the push of a single button, Minimus had the ceiling opening up. A motor purred as the panels retracted down into the walls. A rush of cold wind flooded the room and chilled me to the bones. I rubbed my arms and noticed that my breath was misty. Some type of generator kicked on and warm heat whooshed out of two narrow grates by the door; the warm air mingled with the cold air and the temperature remained comfortable.
There were no lights on the ceiling because the ceiling didn’t exist at the moment. The walls held panels that emitted soft blue light and they circled the entire room.
Minimus pushed another button. This time, a part of the floor opened up. A gigantic, and I mean humongous, telescope escaped up through the hole.
If four of us hugged the telescope with just our fingertips touching, we just might get our arms around it. It was made with shiny wood and had gold edging.
Minimus trotted over to telescope and stood before two peeper holes. He moved them around, positioning them in almost every direction before he said, “I was correct. By the position of the stars and moon, you must head to your destination now.”
“Destination? Where are we going?” I asked, but both Minimus and Maximus were too busy to answer me.
Maximus stood at the panel and pushed a button. The telescope retracted back into the floor, and while this was happening, he hit another button. An invisible screen popped up, and on this screen were planets—in full color—and star clusters. He touched the screen and symbols popped up. When he touched the symbols, they made noises…like whistling noises.
All of this was too much to take in at once and I waited for whatever was about to happen next.
I hadn’t noticed anyone else’s reactions. I had been too absorbed in my own. When I looked to Drumm, his face was plastered with a smile. Ladriant seemed to hang back by the door, as if he might try to run away from all of this technology. Aunt Clover…she kept rubbing her hands together and blinking her eyes.
This was old hat to Aunt Cora by now, but she smiled from ear to ear.
All I can say…is that none of us expected to see what happened next. With pride in his eyes, Minimus hit a button. Part of the wall opened up to reveal a secret passage.
“Come forward,” Minimus said, as he walked through the door.
We all followed him inside, and it was quite cold. Just beyond the threshold, it was misty and I could barely see Drumm standing next to me.
“Behold. The thirteen crystals,” Minimus said. His voice seemed deeper than normal.
I swallowed, but it felt like something was stuck in my throat. I think I swayed, because Drumm grabbed my hand.
Minimus disappeared somewhere in the room and couldn’t be seen. Soon, clicking and tapping sounds could be heard. Lights began to flash and for a few brief seconds the area was visible. Minimus stood before a keyboard, poking the keys. Suddenly, a whirring and whizzing sound permeated the room.
When the lights flashed on…I saw them. Only for a moment…but I saw them. And then, wham! The lights stayed on, but it didn’t take me long to see that we weren’t in a room at all. We were outside on a widow’s walk, or some type of platform on the roof. And the lights were not from a fixture. The lights were coming from the crystals.
We all stood in awe. None dared to speak.
The crystals hung in mid-air. They were in some type of formation, like an archway. Six on both sides, and a larger one at the top. They were glowing and dulling out, glowing and dulling out. Then finally they remained brilliant gold lights.
It was Maximus who spoke first. He stood in front of us but he had to raise his voice to be heard over the constant whirr and whizzing noise.
“It is my regret that you cannot stay at Hy Brasil for a time. But you must travel while the moon is full. You will have twenty-nine days to complete your mission. After the twenty-nine days, you will return to Hy Brasil. Any questions?”
“Uh…yeah. Where are we going?” I asked.
“Izadora did not tell you?” Maximus asked, puzzled.
I shook my head.
“Atlantis,” he smiled, “You are going to Atlantis.”
It was my Aunt Clover that busted out laughing. “You’ve got to be kidding me. What?”
My chest began to swell, as tingles filled my ribcage and fluttered up to my neck. “What?!” I felt giddy, lightheaded, and woozy. “What did you say? Say it again. Just say it again…” I said. I just wanted to hear it one more time, to make sure I’d heard him correctly over the cacophony of buzzing noises.
“Atlantis, lassie. You’re headed to Atlantis,” Maximus chuckled.
“Seriously?” Aunt Clover squealed.
“Once you are in Atlantis, they will help you find the cure for Lucian, and possibly your grandfather. Although…it may just be his time to… to move on…to his journey in the afterlife,” Maximus said gently.
In all the chaos over the past day and half, I hadn’t thought about my grandfather. I was ashamed of myself; but it didn’t last long because I couldn’t focus on anything but Atlantis. This was craziness.
Under the archway of crystal skulls a peach haze began to form, and beyond its veil, an ocean so blue I couldn’t believe it was real. Glorious clouds the color of pink roses formed above the horizon, and buildings that resembled parts of a castle empire came into view.
“Among other wondrous things, the skulls will allow you to time travel,” Minimus said.
“The skulls hold ancient knowledge...” Maximus said.
I could feel it. It wasn’t just the excitement of going to Atlantis. It was something in the air; something that the skulls emitted. I can’t really describe the way I felt…maybe, peaceful? I just know that mankind was destined for better things, and somehow beyond a shadow of a doubt, I knew we’d get there.
“When you arrive in Atlantis, you will seek out an old Jamaican man who goes by the name of Old Bones. He is a true friend, and will help you if needs be. You will also head to Castlecourt High Mystics Academy and seek out Professor Bacholdi and Professor Juno. They will help you with the cure,” Maximus said.
“Ivy, when you arrive at Castlecourt, maybe you can show them the lightshow technique that Maximus taught you. They’ll like that,” Minimus said.
“Umm…okay,” I said.
“Any questions?” Maximus asked.
“Uh…no time for questions. They must pass through now,” Minimus said as he fidgeted with his keyboard.
The skulls were at their peak. They emitted a brilliant gold, and seemed to be alive…
There is no way the people inland could miss this light show. It would be in the papers tomorrow.
Drumm squeezed my hand as we stepped forward. The entrance actually ended at the end of the widow’s walk where there was a drop off. However, I assumed that when we stepped through, we wouldn’t be falling five stories to our dooms. Nope. We’d be crossing over to Atlantis.
I looped my arm through Aunt Clover’s and pulled her toward the entrance. She seemed reluctant to go and dragged her feet, until Maximus said, “Oh…and if you need a ride or just want to take a spin in a pirate ship – John will be there.”
Aunt Clover seemed to pick up speed. “You hear that Ivy? We’re going back to the piratin’ days.”
“I heard,” I answered, and I knew that’s why Aunt Clover was meant to tag along. I suppose the best way to learn is through experience.
Glancing over my shoulder, I noticed that Ladriant was staying behind. His stiff posture told me that he wasn’t going to mess with time travel. But Maximus said, “Over there, no one has a price on your head.”
&nbs
p; Ladriant nodded his head and stepped forward.
“See you soon, lassie!” Maximus yelled, but he was becoming hard to hear. The whirring and buzzing filled my ears.
“See you soon, Clover!” Aunt Cora blew her a kiss. Aunt Clover lifted her hand and pretended to catch it, and plastered it on her cheek.
I glanced at them one more time and beamed them a smile.
When I turned back to the archway, the pathway extended from our existence into Atlantis. A beautiful white brick pathway.
“On the count of three…let’s step through,” Aunt Clover said. “One…”
“Two,” Drumm said.
I sucked in breath, “…three.”
I lifted my head high, and as we were embraced by the warm peach light, we stepped through the gateway…
***