However, he still did not know the reason why the Nyctalope had called him or why he needed his special power. The information he was just given was starting to give him some idea. He answered his friend:
“After what you just told me, I think I’m starting to understand.”
“Yes, I’m sure. But my plan is more complicated than it seems and now I’ll enlighten you as we approach Villacoublay.”
CHAPTER XIX
Professor Noque’s Secret
Professor Noque smiled at his friends. His face, ravaged by the flames, was hideous to see and the three explorers were shocked. How could they have imagined that their partner in adventure, the learned professor of the Sorbonne, was nothing but a machine? But what a machine! An incredible artificial man! A creation far beyond the wildest imaginations of Mary Shelley and Victor Frankenstein. The professor spoke to them, trying to sound reassuring:
“Yes, my friends, I’m not human. I’m what my designers called an android, a mechanical creature that looks like a man.”
“But who designed you? And where do you come from?” Pierre blurted out.
“I was created a long time ago, more than 10,000 years ago. My creators lived on a continent that has now disappeared: Atlantis.”
“Atlantis! But we should go get Hubert de Pibriac right away. He’d want to hear this and get some answers to the questions he’s had since he found the symbols in the Mexican pyramid,” Pir interrupted.
“That’s true. But he’s already with us. Follow me,” Noque said.
The three men looked around in astonishment. The professor went to a big machine in the middle of which was a glass sarcophagus.
“Yes, look. He’s inside. While you were exploring the labs in the underground tower, I went to get him and put him in this machine. In a few more minutes his broken bones will be mended, he’ll be completely healed and he can take part in our discussion.”
The three men and the android made small talk about the state their own health in order to pass the time before their friend could be with them. Concerning this, Professor Noque explained:
“I was shot with a laser right in the face…”
“A laser gun?”
“Yes. It was a powerful weapon that shoots a concentrated light ray of extreme heat. My face mask was damaged but underneath is made of an alloy of orichalchum and is very resistant. I’d say it’s indestructible and only the worst disaster could do it any serious harm. I’ll have to fix up the protective mask, however, because I can’t go back to civilization looking like this. Look there! The green light just lit up. Hubert is healed. I’ll get him out of the regenerating machine and we can continue our discussion.”
Professor Noque went to a control panel. His fingers tapped a keyboard and the glass door of the sarcophagus slid open.
Hubert de Pibriac climbed out. He was smiling while examining his arm. Then he turned to his companions and said:
“Unbelievable! This machine is a technological marvel that will revolutionize the modern world!”
“Not necessarily,” Noque objected. “I think the moment has come to tell you everything, to answer your questions and explain what I expect of you.”
“Well, thank you,” Hubert said. “For the last half hour I’ve understood nothing at all about this world I’m in.”
Professor Noque paused a few seconds before speaking:
“It’s a long story that dates back to ancient times. Everything started around 10,000 years ago on a continent that is gone today, which used to be in the Atlantic between Africa and Central America. In that distant epoch this continent, Atlantis, had a civilization that had an advanced technology, unknown to the rest of the world. The Atlantis Empire flourished. The people reached a level of technology that’s never been equaled. They conquered the skies, the depths of the seas, space… One of their expeditions got them to Mars, that dangerous planet. The Atlanteans devoted their lives to research, art and philosophy. They lived in perfect harmony and their civilization made constant progress in all domains. It seemed like it would never stop.
“However, the beautiful harmony was bound to break one day because of a disagreement over an important matter: should the Atlanteans subdue the primitive men who lived on the other continents or should they continue to live in isolation, which had been so beneficial so far? At first the problem was confined to peaceful discussions among philosophers. The isolationism had been so advantageous that most of them wanted to maintain the status quo. But a minority, which kept growing in numbers, were arguing for political expansion so the Empire could have access to the natural resources on the other continents and also the possibility of making the savages work in their place in exchange for the benefits of Atlantean civilization. Ultimately they intended to implement a colonialism like the British and French Empire practice today.
“But simple philosophical discussions can sometimes cause the fall of nations. A group of determined men decided to ignore the general opinion and go out and conquer Africa and Central America. Some very well equipped individuals set up a few colonies like in the land of Nod where we are right now. Their main city was farther east in a valley that’s in Palestine now.
“The Atlanteans decided not to impose sanctions against these dissidents but they kept a close watch over them so they wouldn’t have any nasty surprises in the future. A battalion of machines shaped like humans was created and these androids were in charge of the supervision. I was one of them. 10,000 years after being built I’m the last survivor.
“For decades our coexistence was relatively peaceful. The Watchers, as the rebels would call themselves later, concentrated all their efforts on the conquest of savage continents. They came in contact with the natives to whom they appeared on board their flying ships in a great display of colors and sounds. Their goal was to be taken as gods and they succeeded brilliantly. Thousands of years later they’re still talking about the arrival of Quetzalcoatl, the plumed serpent, and the celestial Watchers who seduced the women before the Flood…
“And they truly lived as gods. They got luxurious cities built, extraordinary monuments and the tower we are in right now is a good example. They devoted themselves to pleasure, to research and to philosophy. They took their wives from among the barbarous women and lived a life of leisure. But in a few decades they had lost their creative power. Idleness and a life focused solely on satisfying the senses quickly led them into decadence.
“During this whole period, the army of androids kept an eye on them. Living in the colonies, these creatures assured the maintenance of peace merely by their presence. The situation would have lasted for centuries if the Earth had not entered the ice age that the modern men call Würm. The climatic disturbances that caused glaciers to spread over Europe, Asia and North America weakened the Atlantis Empire as much as the Watchers. Their hedonistic civilization, however, was much harder hit than the industrious world of the Empire. The Atlanteans made extraordinary efforts to adapt to the situation whereas the Watchers let themselves go and couldn’t keep up their level of civilization. More and more often they looked out to sea with envy, out to the shores of Atlantis.
“The situation became tense. Envy turned into jealousy. At the same time the presence of the androids, even thought they were more necessary than ever, became totally unbearable to the colonists. They felt like they were breast-feeding an enemy who only wanted to beat them down.
“Over time the androids saw that the Watchers were starting on what you’d call today a war effort. Building military equipment took on serious proportions and the leaders hardened their tone. The worst was to be feared. However, as long as my fellow androids had the power to intervene, there could be no real risk of war. The situation became more and more tense but the battalion of androids kept everything in check.
“That was when Azazel invented the neutralizer. Azazel was one of the Watcher leaders. Like the others he had devoted his life to pleasure, but his favorite hobby was research. All his sp
are time was spent finding ways to beat the androids. After a few years of dogged work he managed to create a revolutionary machine that emitted a ray whose nature was unknown but that paralyzed and then destroyed the artificial brain in the androids without harming humans.
“The Watchers decided to get rid of us before attacking Atlantis with the aim of snatching its economic potential. Neutralizers were built and set up secretly in all their cities. They were all turned on at the same time and most of the androids were destroyed. I was working in Atlantis at the time to get some equipment that would make it easier for me to investigate an arsenal I’d found that the Watchers had built in secret. I was lucky to escape destruction.
“The next day the Watchers attacked Atlantis. They didn’t use any weapons that were too destructive because they wanted to profit from their future conquest. They caused a lot of damage but the continent’s defense was strong and their wisdom had led them to keep their military in good shape.
“When the attack failed, they retaliated. That was how the terrible war started and all the horrible devastation that followed.
“Little by little the Empire got the upper hand but the losses were huge on both sides. The war seemed like it would never end. It was during this period that the Atlantean colonists took the name Watchers as they are called in the books that were written about these legendary times much later. Both camps were awaiting more and more destructive attacks from their enemy.
“It was the colonists’ fault that the fatal escalation began. Azazel and the scientists in Nod created the ultimate weapon, a machine so frightening, generating a wave so powerful that pointed into space it could pull an asteroid off course and send it plummeting toward the Earth. The colonists, after losing so many battles, knew that they would never get hold of the Empire’s riches. For one, the wealth had been spent or destroyed in battle; then again, without some last ditch effort, they would lose the war within months. So, they used their infernal machine to destroy Atlantis. An asteroid was captured by the ray and hurled at their enemy. They barely missed the continent itself and the big rock plunged into the sea but the force of the impact caused a huge tidal wave, over three hundred feet high, that swept over the continent and killed almost the entire population.
“In the days that followed the very foundations of Atlantis, which had been weakened by the shock wave, cracked: the continent and the ancient civilization it contained disappeared forever under the waves. The colonists’ ships flew over the sea where the capital of the Empire used to be but they saw nothing but the raging sea. They had won the war and could now celebrate their victory.
“In fact, contrary to what they believed, they were far from a total victory. A few hours before the total annihilation of Atlantis, the Emperor had summoned the few surviving androids into an underground shelter that was protected from the tidal wave. He was desperate and vanquished. He gave us one last order before sinking into a morbid depression that would lead to his death.
“I, Antinoüs, Emperor of Atlantis, am giving you an order that will be valid for eternity. Destroy our enemies and their descendants unto the last generation. Thus will your creators and their glorious Empire be avenged. Go now and may nothing stop your strong arm of justice.”
“Determined to obey, we left the refuge and went to the secret arsenal where we organized our action. There were seven of us, seven avenging angels who were going to retaliate against the enemies of Atlantis. I didn’t know it then but for me that was the start of a mission that after more than 10,000 years has still not been fulfilled. You should know this: once an android has been programmed for an action, it will complete its mission no matter what. Since I was built to last and I’m practically indestructible, my goal might not be reached for a long time to come.
“After agreeing on our plans, the other androids and I went about our tasks. To destroy the Tower of Babel was my first mission. Our enemies were not the only ones to control nature for their own good. We had machines that could affect the weather. Our science in this field allowed us to create the best meteorological conditions possible for a pleasant human existence, all the while preserving nature, crops and livestock. Most of the weather stations had, of course, been destroyed when Atlantis sank. There was one left, in the North Pole, and it was still working. It was therefore possible to use the power of the ice age in the climate.
“When I went there, I reprogrammed the station to turn it into a weapon of war. I used all its power to radically change the climate of this valley here. Rains and storms raged for forty days and forty nights. A tempest so violent and for so long left little chance of survival for the people. A few of them were able to leave the city in the first days, but all the others were drowned in the flood. You’ve noticed that 10,000 years later the weather in this valley has still not returned to normal. A lake has flooded it, a layer of clouds covers it constantly and it’s humid everywhere, always.
“While I was taking care of Nod, the other androids were destroying all the cities that belonged to our enemy. However, the battles carried heavy losses. The Watchers still had their neutralizers and one by one my companions were ‘neutralized.’
“A few years later the main installations had been destroyed but I was the only one left to continue the fight. All the other androids had been wiped out. Then began the long epoch in which you are sharing the latest adventure.
“In accordance with the permanent orders I received, I hunted relentlessly those who had destroyed Atlantis and their descendants to the four corners of the world. A tireless wanderer I flushed them out wherever they were hiding. Over the years they became a holy terror to me. I knew they had a base near Palestine that my comrades had found but they didn’t know exactly where it was. I looked long but in vain and live for generations in the region. Seeing how I conducted my investigations and the effects of certain techniques that I used, and also because of my longevity, the inhabitants started to think I had semi-divine powers. That’s where the legend of Enoch was born, the patriarch who was taken into heaven by God. According to the legend there had been a revelation about the fallen angels, the Watchers that God had destroyed in the Flood.
“After many centuries I discovered by pure luck the hideout of my enemy thanks to a herdsman named Lot whom they had captured. They were hiding near Sodom and Gomorrah in a maze of underground grottoes. I destroyed the entire region with a very powerful bomb…”
“All those innocent victims,” Pierre broke in. “Why massacre them as well?”
“I’m just a machine who carries out orders no matter what. Besides, the Watchers were among the local people and were starting to take an aggressive stance against the neighboring towns. Their expansionist, conquering ideology was back in play. But the leading group of Watchers had apparently escaped me. I thought I found them much later on the island of Santorini. I destroyed the site using a volcanic eruption and wiped out the entire colony but still did not get the head Watchers. And to think that some scholars have published the idea that this colony was Atlantis!
“I kept looking and once again thought I’d found them in Rome at the time of Nero. But this time they escaped me by setting fire to the city. Still, I didn’t give up. The fall of the Roman Empire and the troubles that followed protected my enemies from me. Every time I thought I’d found them, they got a new lair before I had time to exterminate them. Sometimes I killed one or two but never enough.
“Over the years and with their constant flight I ended up seeing that they had lost a lot of their power. Their last neutralizer had been destroyed, no doubt in Santorini. They couldn’t really hurt me except by some miraculous stroke of luck. The little power they had left made them look like sorcerers and in the Middle Ages it was easy for me to rely on the Church to help me in the fight. A great many descendants of the Watchers were burned alive during this terrible time.
“Much later the last of them left Europe for the New World where they hoped to escape me for good. This time they did indeed man
age to lose me. For two hundred years they were completely out of circulation without a clue to their whereabouts. It was at the start of the 20th century, on reading an article on pre-Socratic symbolism in an esoteric journal, that I found some hints as to where I might find my old enemies. After a discreet investigation I found that they were hiding around San Francisco. I went there but couldn’t find them and the author of the article had died in the meantime. But with an underground explosion I caused a very strong earthquake that I hoped would destroy their lair…”
“The 1906 earthquake!” Hubert de Pibriac exclaimed. “You destroyed a city of 250,000 people just to get to a hideout with a few old descendants of the Atlantean renegades! That’s insane!”
“Sorry, Hubert,” the professor responded, “I’m not programmed to reason like that. But let’s continue. After spending some time in the USA to see if any more Watchers were there, I went back to Europe where my research had been interrupted by the Great War. At the end of the conflict I took the identity of Nicolas Noque to get the position at the university, which would aide me.”
“Nicolas Noque,” Pir cut in. “N. Noque. Enoch.”
“Well, yes. A little joke,” Professor Noque said. “Now I’ve told you almost everything. When Hubert came to see me, it was easy to see that the text from the pyramid had been in Atlantean. I thought it could be interesting to come back to Nod to look for any possible clues that might have stood the test of time. I’m pretty much eternal and I’m always attracted to interesting leads, even if I know there’s a good chance I’m wasting my time. During our first expedition, when we ‘discovered’ the site, I was really surprised when I got near the tower. A neutralizer was still working somewhere in the ruins. If it weren’t for Hubert I’d have been destroyed.
The Nyctalope and The Tower of Babel Page 31