Weapon of Atlantis (15 page)

Jack stepped forward and ran his hand along the outside surface. S
huffling to the side of the engine, he found a knob to stand on, allowing him to look down inside the glass dome. As shined his light in and studied the internal contents.

“Amazing,” he said in a mesmerized state.

“What do you see?” Javi asked anxiously.

“Jimmy Hoffa. So this is where they buried him,” Jack joked.

Javi stared back unamused. Jack smiled and continued.

“To be honest, I don’t know what I’m looking at. It’s definitely not a jet engine, that much I’m sure of,” he said confidently. “It has a lot of strange looking rounded components, like stacked cylinders. Also, I’m seeing crystalline parts, could be made of precious stones like the ones we found inside the crystal scepter. They’re assembled in arrays at the very bottom.” He looked back at Javi and added, “It’s definitely
not
nuclear either.”

“Fascinating,” Javi said, now moving in closer. “Any guess at how it generates power?”

“None at all. It’s a complete mystery, just like the scepter,” Jack responded. He stepped back down and looked around once more. “What’s also interesting is there’s really no obvious source of fuel that it’s burning. There’re no pipes or tubes feeding it and I don’t see any kind of reservoir that could hold fuel. It’s really baffling.”

Jack
rounded the back of the engine, then turned the corner to head forward along the opposite wall. Instantly, he stopped. Shining his flashlight on the floor, his eyes caught small flashes of light. He quickly walked to them.

“Javi, check this out,” he said excitedly.

Bending over, he picked up what appeared to be a disk-like crystal. Circular in shape and highly polished, it resembled a lens of a magnifying glass. Staring through it, it appeared dark and cloudy.

Javi came up behind him and also noticed the objects on the floor. He bent down and picked one up, studying it just as Jack had done moments before. The red disk was two inches in diameter and a half inch thick. He held it up to his eye and stared through it.

“Amazing! It appears to be a cut ruby,” he said to Jack.

Jack spun around and shined the light on the ruby, then showed Javi his own find.

“Is that a diamond?” he asked Jack, intrigued by the size.

“
Not sure,” he responded simply.

Javi took the crystalline disk from Jack’s hand and examined it side by side with
the ruby disk. A puzzled stare crossed his face.

“Jack, take a look at this. The diamond disk is murky and ruby disk is clear,” he said, holding both up for Jack to inspect.

Jack flashed his light on them and shrugged. “Are you seeing something I don’t?”

“How’d that diamond disk get so murky? From everything we’ve seen, when the Araean’s work with precious stones, they’re nearly perfect. Why is t
his one so imperfect?” he asked suspiciously.

Jack studied the disk once more. He bent down and pick
ed up two more disks off the floor. Suddenly, his expression changed in understanding.

“Check out this emerald-colored disk,” he said, holding it out for Javi to examine. “Its center is also cloudy, just like the diamond disk. I’m betting they used these stones as some kind of fuse.”

Javi shined his flashlight on the exposed section of the engine. Inside, he noticed several small cavities that matched the size of the disks on the ground and in their hands. He bent over and matched one up against the small pocket.

“A perfect fit,” he announced.

Jack shined his light on a panel that leaned against the wall behind them. The opening in the engine matched the panel’s size perfectly.

“Look at this engine panel,” he pointed. “Whoever was working on this must have removed it, laid it against the wall, then continued on with the disks.”

“It boggles my mind: we’re staring at the last moments this craft was ever worked on, seven thousand years ago,” Javi responded.

“I think what will boggle my mind more is to see this wingless hun
k of metal fly. I still don’t see anything that suggests lift or thrust, the two main components of flight,” he said, shaking his head in amazement.

“I’m sure the guys from NASA will be thinking the same,” Javi concurred, then added, “It’s quite possible they could have this thing flying tomorrow. Just imagine the sight.”

Jack bent down and picked up several stones from the floor. With each one, he examined it with his flashlight, inspecting it for defects, then pocketed the ones that appeared cloudy and flawed.

“Jack, what’re you doing?” Javi asked with growing concern.

“This ole crate ain’t going nowhere with blown fuses,” he joked. “I’m going to see about having them remade.”

“Jack, I know
this sounds a bit rigid but the boys from NASA explicitly asked us not to touch anything. They are in essence forensic scientists, so anything we disturb from its natural state, will make it that much harder for them to understand the problem.”

Jack thought about Javi’s words and nodded simply in understanding, placing the stones back on the floor where he found them.

“And speaking of NASA, have you given any thought about how much we tell them about the Araean’s secret weapon?”

Javi shook his head. “Not yet. I’m hoping to steer them away from it until we know more. We have to ask ourselves: if they truly did create some form of deadly weapon, do we really want the world to have it? The last thing this planet needs is another weapon of mass destruction.”

“You know, maybe it’s not such a bad thing if the world knows about it. Although the invention of the atomic bomb might be considered bad, technological advancements that came as a result of it, weren’t. Whatever this weapon is, our world might be better off knowing than not,” Jack reasoned.

Javi shrugged. “It
is
a dilemma… one, I’m sure we’ll have to considered long and hard about.”

“We
may not have that kind of time,” Jack countered.

Javi nodded. “I know. Once we start to translate the hieroglyphics for them, it’ll only be a matter of time before they can do the translations themselves.”

“Maybe the weapon will turn out to be nothing,” Jack speculated.

Javi stared knowingly, his eyes filled with warning. “Do you really think that?” he asked.

Jack’s face filled with dread. No further response was necessary.

Javi and Jack stood outside their utility trailer and listened to the sound of rotor blades approaching. They narrowed their eyes and squinted in the sunlight. Just above the horizon, they watched a Sikorsky
UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter approach from the north. Within minutes, the aircraft circled over the camp, then landed on a flattened area of ice.

“Ti
me to meet the pros,” Javi announced.

With the blades winding to a stop, they hurried across the frozen landscape to the no
w disembarking men. Helping them off the helicopter, Spec. Agent Byron Price and Spec. Agent Alex Hammond stood at the doorway and steadied the three scientists as they stepped down onto the snow.

“I’m Javier Arista and this is my colleague Jack Roberts,” Javi said, extending his hand as he approached.

“We’re from NASA,” the tallest man responded, pumping Javi’s hand with enthusiasm. “I’m Roger Burns and these are my colleagues Stan Williams and Fred Carpenter.”

Although the three politely acknowledge Javi’s and Jack’s presence, the sight of the spacecraft sitting a hundred feet away stole their focus. Javi smiled at their excited expressions.

“Pretty amazing, isn’t it,” he said to Roger.

“Pictures don’t do it justice,” he said, grinning ear to ear.

“Can we see it?” Stan asked, unable to contain his desires any longer.

“You can, but first there’s a three hour training film and an hour long oral exam you’
ll have to complete,” Jack said in serious tone.

The three men stared at Jack
apprehension, unsure of what to make of his comment. Javi grinned and cut in, “That’s just Jack’s sense of humor. Of course you can see it…
directly
.”

The three breathed a sigh of relief and smiled mildly toward Jack.

“Good to see there’s someone else with a sense of humor in this crowd,” Fred said, lightly patting Jack’s shoulder. He pointed to his two colleagues and continued, “Working with these two stuff-shirts can get a little intense. Nothing like a little humor to break up the monotony.”

“Hey, you’re talking about us like we’re not fun guys. We’ve been known to break loose every year or two,” Roger joked.

Javi smiled cordially and said, “Although we’re serious about our mission, it’s a pretty casual environment up here.”

“What a change that’ll make?” Fred chided.

“All business there at NASA?” Jack asked.

“Look at those two goons next to me. They’re both wearing pocket protectors. Does that tell you anything?” Fred replied, teasing his two
colleagues.

Roger and Stan grinned, then quickly zipped their coats to conceal the evidence.

Carrying the three duffle bags for the scientists, Price and Hammond stepped between the group, purposely breaking up the men’s conversation.

“
The spacecraft is this way,” Price announced, his tone all business.

Jack rol
led his eyes to Fred. Fred nodded back in understanding. With the CIA agents in the lead, the five men followed quickly behind them. Minutes later, they all stood by the side of the craft and studied its design. They stared, momentarily speechless, as they took in the breadth of their analysis.

“This truly
is
the greatest wonder of the world,” Roger blurted in unrestrained enthusiasm. “This stands as unequivocal proof that aliens not only exist, but have indeed visited this planet. Just amazing!”

“Breathtaking,” Stan responded simply, running his hands along the side of the craft.

Fred looked back at Jack and shook his head in confusion.

“Am I missing something or did someone forget to instal
l wings on this thing?” he said in humorous tone.

“You noticed that too, huh?” Jack responded.

“My area of expertise is aerodynamics. I can’t look at a rock without considering lift and drag,” he shot back jokingly.

Looking under the craft, Stan announced, “I see longitudinal scrapings on the bottom. Looks like it took a long slide before it came to rest. Interesting: must have crash landed.”

Roger bent down and also examined the underside.

“This is interesting. Considering a crash landing, there’s relatively no damage to speak of. Either the crash happened at a very low speed, or this metal is far more resilient than it appears,” he said.

“Jack and I were noticing that too. If you look closely, there’re no heat shields anywhere on this craft. The material they used must be made of some exotic alloy we’ve never heard of before,” Javi responded.

“Mind blow
ing,” Roger said simply.

Stan touched one of the round ports on the spacecraft’s side.

“I see these ducts spaced evenly all over the craft, but I’m certain they’re too small for hovering or propulsion. I’m guessing they’re used for maneuvering,” he said. Turning back to the others standing behind him, he continued, “So, the big question is: what’s making this thing fly? With no wings and no engine exhaust ports, it’s basically a big stone.”

Javi smiled and responded, “It does have an engine, inside, just past the cockpit.”

“…and you’re going to love this,” Jack cut in enthusiastically. “It has no apparent fuel source. There doesn’t seem to be anything feeding it: no pipes, no tubes and no wires. There’s nothing in there that one might identify as a fuel delivery system.”

The three NASA men stood in shock at Jack’s comment, each one shaking his head in disbelief.

Mere feet behind the three, Price and Hammond stood stoically and listened. Their focus on every word was intense. With their microphones on their ear buds recording every detail of the conversation before them, they studied men and craft, searching for any information that might prove useful in their coming investigation.

“Can we go inside?” Roger asked
respectfully.

“Of course,” Javi responded, only too happy to lead the way.

Eagerly, the three men followed behind Javi. As they entered the craft at the front, the inside was filled with the sound of wonder and excitement. Due to limited space, Jack stood outside and peered in through the doorway, listening to the men’s exchange.

“So this must be Zeus’ fabled crystal scepter,” Stan said, pointing to the handle extending out from the front console.

“We believe it’s how they powered the systems when the engine wasn’t running,” Javi replied.

“For now, it’s basically a fancy door lock,” Jack joked.

“Just imagine the size of the keychain they must have had,” Fred teased.

Roger rolled his eyes. “Do we really have to listen to his awful jokes fo
r the next few weeks?” he asked feigning disgust.

“Kill joy,” Fred shot back, pretending to be offended.

Javi pushed down hard on the scepter, inserting it fully into its slot. Instantly, the control panel lit up and two holograms were projected onto their own circular shelves that extended into the pilots/copilots seating area.

“Wow! Amazing!” Stan blurted excitedly. “I’m guessing this is how they controlled this thing?”

Javi nodded. “Go ahead, grab the image,” he encouraged.

Stan wasted no time. He reached forward and carefully wrapped his hands around the hologram.

“It actually has mass,” he shouted in surprise. “I can feel its shape perfectly.”

“Go ahead and move it around. It’s safe. Without engine power, it won’t react to any of your inputs,” Jack assured.

Stan lifted and turned the image, intrigued by the feel of the object. He let go and removed his hand. Instantly, the hologram returned to its original position. For the next minute, Roger and Fred took turns experimenting with the new find, each man equally enthralled by its feel and maneuverability.

Fred flipped the hologram completely upside down, then quickly right side up again. He smiled at the others.

“I’m betting that would’ve caused a few bruises,” he joked.

Roger and Stan stared back, unamused.

Javi pressed a button and the hologram vanished. In its place, a hologram of a panel of lighted gages appeared.

“From reading the inscriptions below these instruments, this panel monitors some of the craft’s engine systems,” Javi said. He pointed to several gauges. “These two are very basic: temperature and pressure. But I’m seeing other inscriptions that I can’t decipher. No telling what they’re monitoring, which only heightens the mystery surrounding the type of engine this craft has.”

“Can we see the engine?” Roger asked with great intrigue.

Javi pointed. “It’s right behind you through that pathway,” he said.

With flashlights in hand, they filed back into the engine compartment. The three men poured over its surface, touching and analyzing anything of interest. Seeing the glass dome at the top, they climbed and shined their flashlights down inside the engine.

“Fascinating,” Roger called out. “I don’t think it’s nuclear.”

“I see circular disks, but I’m sure they’re purpose isn’t to rotate. Very strange,” Stan added.

“What are
with the colored stones at the bottom?” Fred asked, more rhetorically than a question.

Roger only shook his head, baffled by the sight.

After several minutes, they moved to the opposite side of the engine. Immediately, they spotted the colored stones on the floor. Roger picked one up and examined it.

“Hmm, interesting. They used precious stones as fuses, it appears. Not sure why, but it’s obvious that’s their intent,” he said.

The three knelt down and examined the cavities left open by the removed disks. Minutes later, Stan pocketed the two defective units in his pocket.

“First things first, we’ll need to have these replaced if we’ll have any chance of starting this engine,” he said.

From the entrance to the engine compartment, Price and Hammond stood and listened to the men’s conversations. Hearing Stan’s announcement, they immediately commented.

“We’l
l take those, Mr. Williams,” Price said in a respectful yet authoritative tone. “We have specialists that can reproduce them in a week’s time.”

“I’ll place a call shortly
and make the arrangements,” Hammond assured.

He stepped forward and stretched out his hand. Roger stared at the open palm, then back into his eyes. There was no compromise in them. Reluctantly, he placed the two stones in his hand. Hammond nodded in thanks, then stepped out of the engine compartment, placing a call as he exited the craft.

“Abrasive, but efficient,” Roger whispered to his partners, mildly irritated by the demand.

“Government stiffs… they’re all alike,” Fred joked.

Javi smirked at the comment, then said, “I believe that concludes our tour. Shall we get down to business?”

“Absolutely, I’m dying to get into their database and see what makes things tick,” Roger responded eagerly.

An hour later, armed with tools and computers, the five men squeezed into the cockpit and began the meticulous task of deciphering the spacecraft’s software. Within minutes of studying the data, they were able to see a consistent method of how the data was processed. It quickly became clear on how to navigate through the computer data.

Starting with the last program used on the craft before it became inoperable, they were able to reverse the menus, backing out of the program all the way to the main menu.

For a moment, the five stared at the listings in amazement. With Javi and Jack both making translations, they answered questions about the headings written in hieroglyphics.

“What
’s the first listing say?” Stan asked eagerly.

“The rough translation, I believe, is operations,” Javi answered.