Tomb of Atlantis (30 page)

“Maybe you should see for yourself,” he said, motioning to the glass.

Serena moved closer and looked directly upon the magnified surface area of the globe. Immediately, she spotted something gold in color.

“Huh. What is that? Kinda looks like a…"

“A pitchfork, right?” Burt said, cutting her off in mid
-sentence.

“Yup, it sure does,”
she concurred, still looking at the globe.

Serena stepped back and let Burt continue. With his nose nearly touching the surface of the magnifying glass, he examined the object of his newfound interest. Embedded in the surface of the crystal sat a tiny golden pitchfork.

“What the hell does that mean?” Serena asked.

Burt’s face lost all expression. For a moment, he collected his thoughts.

“Burt? You don’t look good. What’s going on?” Javier asked.

“Remember the hieroglyphic of the pyramid and man with the pitch fork?” Burt asked.

“Yeah?” Javier replied, simply.

“Say hello to the King of Atlantis,” Burt responded.

“Oh, my God, Burt. You’re right. It’s got to be. It makes sense,” Serena shouted, excitedly.

“So if that represents the King of Atlantis, then that must be the location of Atlantis, itself,” Javier theorized.

“I’ll go you one better. I’m betting that’s the exact location of the Kings of Atlantis’ Pyramid,” Burt speculated.

“No Way!” Jack blurted
excitedly.

“Or where it used to be, anyway?” Serena added.
“Before the tsunami washed it away.”

“
Wait a minute... Look where that pitch fork’s located,” Burt continued.

The other three leaned forward and stared intently
.

“It’s miles inland,” Burt said. “
There’s no way a tidal wave washed it away. Any wave large enough to cover that much ground and still have the energy to wipe out a pyramid would probably have wiped out the entire lower peninsula of Greece. That didn’t happen. So…”

“It still exists?” Jack questioned, cutting off Burt.

“Yup, I’m betting it does. I’ll stake my reputation on it,” Burt said, resolutely.

“But why hasn’t anyone found it after all these years?" Serena asked.

“It’s buried,” Burt said, simply.

“Buried? Like deep beneath the ground? I don’t think so. Greece is a solid bed of rock,” Javier countered.

“Not beneath the ground, above it. I think it’s probably covered in sand from the tidal wave,” Burt said.

“But you just said the tidal wave couldn’t have reached it,” Serena said, now questioning Burt's logic.

“I never said that. I only said it couldn’t have been washed it away. I do think the tidal wave could have covered it in mud though. If Atlantis was washed away, where do you think all that mud went? Certainly not all out to sea. There’s always residual debris left behind,” Burt reasoned.

“Ah, I see. Great observation, Burt,” Javier said, now smiling.

“Oh, my God! This is just incredible. So another pyramid really does exist?” Jack asked with great enthusiasm.

“Probably,” Burt replied, simply.

“And we hold the key to the King of Altantis’ burial chamber?” Jack asked, again.

“Definitely,”
he replied, confidently.

The four stood silently for a moment contemplating the impact of their discovery.

“So what’s next? Where do we go from here?” Jack asked, his eyes bright with excitement.

“Grab your shovel, Jack. We’re going digging in the dirt,” Serena joked.

“Whoa, hold the phone. This is Greece we’re talking about here. You can’t fart without a permit. Lots of red tape. Even if we know exactly what we’re looking for and exactly where to dig, it could take years to get approval,” Javier said in disappointed tone.

“Leave that to me,” Burt responded with a knowing smile.

Atlantis - Chapter 26

PRESS CONFERENCE: NEW YORK CITY:

The conference hall of the Marriot Marquis in downtown Manhattan was jam packed with spectators waiting
for the news of Atlantis. Rows of chairs were set up and dozens of people lined the entrance hours before the doors opened, hoping to find a seat close enough to catch a glimpse of the now infamous scrolls and crystal globe. As the doors opened, in an act reminiscent of rock concerts, dozens rushed in to find a seat close to the stage, behind reserved seating.

The stage held dozens of cameras and miles of wiring as the technicians frantically moved about, ensuring all equipment functioned properly. Nothing was overlooked. With only minutes to spare, the final preparations were complete.

Jack looked at his tie in the mirror and tugged and pulled at the knot, slowly distorting its irregular triangular shape. Shaking the nervous tension out of his hands, he grasped the knot once more, only to distort it further.

“Dammit, why do we have to wear these stupid things
, anyway?” he called out in frustration.

“Because they look nice,” Serena replied simply.

She watched Jack quickly pull apart the knot and try again, only to see him distort it beyond recognition once more. Standing near him in the guest dressing room, she held back a smile as he struggled.

“I give up. You have to be a freakin’ genius to tie one of these things,”
he spouted angrily

“Let me give you a hand, Jack,”
she said.

“You know how to tie ties and you let me suffer through all this?"
he asked, now pretending to be offended.

“I could have helped, but then where would the fun be in that?"
she shot back.

“Ha Ha, very funny. Next time you’re having trouble unsnapping your bra, don’t even think about asking me for help
,” he replied, still trying to sound offended.

“Nice try
.”

“Eh, never give up
,” he replied, shrugging his shoulders.

“As I’ve noticed.”

With his tie perfectly tied, he checked the knot in the mirror. He smiled at Serena’s hidden talent.

“Where’d you learn to do that?” he asked.

“College.”

“Time well spent,” Jack said with a smile.

Just then, an announcement echoed from the stage just outside the dressing room.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, please take your seats. The press conference will be starting shortly.”

Jack turned to Serena and asked, “Nervous?”

“A little," she replied, honestly. "You?”

“Me? I’m like a rock. Nerves of steel,” he said, bloating his chest in exaggeration.

“
Uh huh. Look, if they start asking you questions you can’t answer, just remember to say, 'I’ll defer that to my colleagues’ and one of us will answer the question for you. Ok?” she replied in serious tone, saving Jack the possibility of embarrassment.

“Thanks,”
he said, sincerely.

Moments later, Javier entered the dressing room.

“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,” he 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, Burt Samuelson began to speak:

“Good afternoon, today we stand at a momentous occasion. The revelation of Atlantis.”

MOSCOW, RUSSIA:

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.

“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 program of interest. He pushed a button and the sound instantly began to play for that station.

He listened momentarily, became bored and reached for some paperwork. Walking across the large room, he sat on his white Italian leather couch and put his feet up on
a marble coffee table. Tossing the remote to the couch, he began to peruse his documents.

“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, today we stand at a momentous occasion, the revelation of Atlantis.”

“Atlantis?” he said to himself excitedly.

Quickly, he turned up the sound.
Listening intently, he watched as Burt Samuelson continued.

“Recently, my colle
agues and I have discovered the secrets to a world buried for more than ten thousand years. What stands before you is unequivocal evidence that Atlantis does exist. These scrolls and this crystal globe explain the history and the location of a world thought to have only existed in fantasy.”

Nicolae stared at the TV screen, mesmerized by the information. His mind envisioned the fabled nation and the treasures of a world lost. Standing, he turned up the sound and moved closer to the enormous screen.
Riveted to the screen, he focused his eyes 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
!” he shouted into the phone.

Without waiting for a response, he hung up and hurried back to the TV.

Seconds later, Dimitri 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,
Dimitri 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…"
he added coldly, "...do
not
disappointment me.”

“Understood,”
he replied as a shiver ran down his spine.

As Dimitri left the room, Nicolae returned his stare 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 on Atlantis?”

“Soon, very soon.”

-END

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Hi, I’m Christopher David Petersen,

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For further reading by Christopher David Petersen, please see the sequel to Tomb of Atlantis: Curse of Atlantis (sample chapter below):

Curse of Atlantis

Chapter 1

Atlantis: 5000 B.C.

King Orion sat under the shade of his exquisitely carved marble rotunda and slowly sipped his Egyptian wine. Seated high above the lavishly built city, he gazed out over his kingdom and surveyed the activities from one neighborhood to the next.

Shielding his hand from the mid-day sun, he looked down into the valley several hundred yards below. Lining the main thoroughfare, he watched the activities of the busy street vendors engaged in the affairs of commerce.

Rows of kiosks lined the busy street, selling dried meats, fruits, vegetables, and wines. King Orion smiled as he watched wealthy business men wander purposefully through the city, their fashionably made togas draped from their shoulders and flowing behind them as they walked.

“A proud day for Atlantis,” King Orion boasted.

“Yes, my King,” Oupis replied obediently as she poured more wine into his waiting cup.

Young, slender, and shapely, King Orion eyed her with desire. He reached for her as he held his cup at the ready. Oupis instinctively recoiled, spilling wine down the front of his white toga.

“You fool!” he erupted, throwing his cup while coming to his feet.

“I’m sorry, my King,” Oupis responded, bowing her head in fear.

With a quick lunge, he landed a crushing blow to her temple, sending her tumbling backward over a footrest. Wiping the front of his toga in disgust, he started toward her once more.

“My King, the last of the preparations have been completed. The chamber awaits your review,” Keidis said, as he entered the room.

Startled by the sudden appearance of his construction officer, King Orion broke off his attack and addressed him.

“Splendid. That is the news I’ve been waiting for. Is everything prepared?” King Orion asked in a villainous tone.

“As you requested,” Keidis responded.

“Assemble the guards. We’ll waste no further time,” the King ordered.

~~~~~  ~~~~~  ~~~~~

Riding along in his chariot, King Orion looked far ahead at the mountain of stone so precisely carved. Larger and more opulent than anything ever built, the pyramid was a grand monument forever celebrating the glory and greatness of the founder of Atlantis.

“My father’s dream is realized. This is truly a remarkable day,” King Orion said as he clung to a handle within the slow moving chariot.

“Yes, my King,” Keidis replied, placating the unstable despot.

“After all these years, my father will finally rest soundly,” King Orion said.