ENSLAVEMENT
D. B. REYNOLDS-MORETON
Enslavement
This edition Copyright © 2012 by sci-fi-cafe.com.
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Story Copyright © 2012 by D. B. Reynolds-Moreton
The right of the author to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
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ISBN 978-1-908387-64-6 (ePUB)
ISBN 978-1-908387-63-9 (MOBI)
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CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
CHAPTER 1
BRODRICK DEVALT HAD settled down for the evening with a few cans of his favourite beer, a medium sized sweet smelling cigar, and was waiting for the sports channel to burst into life on his oversized video screen. The dulcet tones of the front door bell were not welcome, but he heaved himself up from his comfy chair and went to see who had dared to interrupt his evening's enjoyment.
“Hi Brod, got something here which might interest you.” said his friend, Ted.
“Come on in then - it had better be good, I was just about to have an indulgent evening watching the sports.”
Brodrick reluctantly switched off the video screen, and they both sat down.
“Some time ago I bought a box of what looked like useful bits and pieces at a house sale,” began Ted, “and at the bottom of the box I found this.” he handed over what looked like a very old book, with thick card covers.
“It's hand written - so I thought it might be a draft of a story for publishing, but I don't think so - have a look and see what you think.”
Brodrick took the book, and after looking at a few pages, turned to the back to see how it ended.
“I don't think this is a draft - it looks more like a diary someone has kept. Have you read it through?” Brodrick asked.
“Yep, and it makes fascinating reading. Seems like this old boy had been exploring some old Mayan temples in Guatemala - deep in a forested region. He's made several trips down there, and by the look of it he was going to make one more according to the last page. Doesn't say if he made it back though.”
“Well, it might make interesting reading.” Brodrick said after a few moments. “So what's all the excitement about?”
“Look at the back cover,” said Ted, “I thought it seemed a bit thicker compared to the front, so I poked about a bit, and look what I found inside it.” He handed over a neatly folded piece of well worn paper.
Brodrick unfolded what looked like an old map, creased and discoloured where it had been exposed to water at some time. After a few minutes, he looked up and said.
“I see what you mean. Looks like the old boy visited several sites, but one in particular really tickled his interest.” Brodrick put the map down and picked up the book again; turning to the last page, he read it through twice.
“I have discovered something beyond belief - not of our time, or any before. It is not of our world, and seems ungodly to say the least. No one will believe me, so I must return to gain proof of my findings. I shall take one of these new picture making machines with me, a process known as photographie - that way I shall be able to prove what I have found.”
“That reference should place the diary at about the turn of the century, or there about, I would think.”
“So, are you interested?” Ted asked, ill-concealed excitement in his voice.
“Interested, yes. What have you in mind, trying to sell it as a novel?”
“No, how about going there, to see what he was on about?” Ted asked, hopefully.
“All the way to Guatemala, and then beating our way through impenetrable jungle to find some ancient ruins based on some old man’s ramblings? - Come on Ted, get real, or change what you're smoking.”
“OK,” replied Ted, sounding disappointed, “just read it through from cover to cover. I don't think these are just ramblings of some old fool on an ego trip. This guy's put a lot of effort and money into his findings - not to mention risk to life and limb. If it's dated when you think it is, travel in those days must have been hazardous to say the least.”
“Alright,” replied Brodrick, not wanting to hurt is friend, “I'll go through it, and if it merits investigation, I'll seriously think about taking a look.”
They talked on through the evening on various subjects which interested them both, Ted finally leaving close to midnight with a promise from Brodrick that he would read through the old man's journal.
Brodrick, a research and development engineer, had over the years made a reasonable pile, and only worked part-time on projects he was really interested in. This gave him enough free time to plough through the old man's book over the next few days - and he was hooked. A quick phone-call, and Ted was round like a shot.
“OK, So what do you make of it? Do you think it's valid?”
“Well, I've been through it twice, and it's either a very cleverly composed story, or it's true - I favour true. It seems the old boy had visited several sites, and the glyphs carved on the stones all seem to point to the visitation of a God or Gods, but only at the temple mentioned at the end of the book. That's the one he said he would visit again. The glyphs are pictograms containing words or meaning, and he seems to have decoded quite a few of them - they're scattered about all through the book. I've put some of them together, and it seems to point to a visitation of a superior being of some kind - and they were in awe of it, by all accounts, and made lots of sacrifices when it arrived. According to his writings, the Maya had to produce huge quantities of some metal ore, but he didn't say what it was - which is not surprising, as the Maya probably didn't know what it was called either. They had to deliver it to the temple and pour it down a large hole in the floor - where it went after that is anyone's guess.
“On one occasion it seems the Maya were a little short on delivery, and the God thing said they would be punished. Apparently the rains failed that season, and the crops were poor. According to the glyphs, many people starved to death that year.
“The ore deliveries went on for some considerable time - maybe hundreds of years, it's not clear just how long, but it all came to a halt when a rogue bunch of priests attacked one of the visiting Gods. It's not clear if the God was killed, but they didn't come again, and thereafter the rains failed. The collapse of the civilisation seems to be about 800AD, converting the Mayan calendar to our time.”
“Well, you got more out of the book than I did.” Ted said, disappointed that he had missed the significance of the data in the old book.
“Well, are you still keen to visit the old temple?” Asked Brodrick, knowing full well what the answer would be.
“I certainly am,” replied Ted. “I've got a few weeks leave owing, but how about you?”
“For this, I'll make time - nothing going on at the moment which can't be put on hold.”
CHAPTER 2
TWO WEEKS LATER and the pair were on a flight to Guatemala City Airport, complete with concentrated food packs and an assortment of tools. Two inland flights got them to an airstrip near the Chixoy River, and then it was a matter of going upstream by motorised canoe. Along with their provisions, having been warned of the possible dangers from human and animal adversaries, they also carried a powerful hunting rifle, a hand
gun, and a plentiful supply of ammunition.
“When do we strike inland?” Ted asked, as Brodrick had taken upon himself the task of navigation.
“There should be a sharp bend in the river, and on the left bank we should see a tall rock sticking up out of the trees. That's where we go on foot. According to the map, there are a series of rock pillars, some natural, some man made, all in a line with the temple we are looking for. Unfortunately, the map has no scale, so I don't know the distances between them.”
They journeyed on for some hours before the bend in the river showed up, and there was the rock, the top only just showing above the trees.
“OK, we'll beach here,” said Brodrick, “and try to get her up into the undergrowth and out of sight - don't fancy a long walk back on land.”
With the canoe carefully hidden, and the compass set in a south by south easterly direction, they hitched up their packs and set off into the tangled mass of trees and undergrowth, slashing their way through where needed with a long sharp machete-like blade they had purchased locally when they hired the canoe.
Four days later, and with the guiding pillars still showing up regularly, Ted began to fear they would go on for ever, and the temple was just a figment of the old man's imagination.
On the fifth day while crossing a ridge, Brodrick noticed a tall structure breaching the solid green canopy of the forest.
“Looks like we've found it - that's one big building.”
It took another day to reach the Mayan temple, and then it was overgrown with trees and interlaced vines. At one time there had been a huge square in front of the temple steps, but it was now a solid mass of trees, some nearly as tall as the temple itself.
“OK, it'll be dark soon,” said Brodrick, “so it's one more night in the hammocks, and then we'll be in the building.”
They slung their hammocks as high as they could in the branches, as the day before Ted had seen a very large cat-like paw print in the soft ground at the valley bottom. Breaking out the fire stick, they soon had a merrily blazing fire over which they would cook their evening meal, which consisted of a food concentrate pack and copious amounts of water from a nearby stream.
“God, I could kill a plate of eggs, bacon and chips right now.” Brodrick said, spooning in the soft goo they had cooked up to sustain themselves. “Tomorrow should see us into the temple - and then we'll see how well the old man's tale holds up.”
“It doesn't look as if anyone has been here for a very long time by the amount of over growth.” Ted said, between spoonfulls of the paste they had cooked up. “I wonder why?” He added, as an afterthought.
“I only found it by deciphering the glyphs from the other temples, and the map of course,” said Brodrick, “so it's no surprise really - this place is so far off the beaten track I'm amazed we found it, although without those guiding pillars, I doubt we would have.”
They spent the first part of the night listening to the cries of the local wildlife as they too sought a meal, and then the weariness of the day's efforts took hold, and they slept deeply.
Next morning, after a hasty breakfast, and Ted swearing he would go hunting for their next meal just to get some meat protein, the job of hacking their way up the temple steps began.
By midday they had reached the top, which was clear of heavy undergrowth, and before them were three buildings. The main block in the middle of the square was massive - ornate carved pillars flanked the main entrance, while threatening figures stood guard around the walls. On the left was another slightly smaller block, not quite so ornate, but impressive none the less. To the right stood an even smaller building with no apparent entrance that they could see - it looked as if it had been added to the others as an afterthought.
“OK, let's pile our kit by the main block, and go see what we've got,’ said Brodrick, slipping the heavy pack from his back, ‘how such ancient peoples could build and carve like this beats me - they must have known something we don't, or have forgotten.”
Passing the intricately carved pillars of the entrance, they found themselves in the main temple; a huge cavernous room with carved walls depicting the many mythical beasts of the Mayan people. In the middle of the space was a huge block of stone raised on short stumpy pillars, and Brodrick went over to it.
“Hey, this must be the sacrificial altar they used, it's got a grove running along one end and another on the side - to catch the blood I would suppose. God, I'll bet this stone could tell a tale or two, if it could speak.” His voice echoed eerily around the huge room, as did their footsteps.
Although the walls were thick enough to contain rooms, there didn't seem to be any doorways or means of accessing them, if they existed. Having admired the carvings and the clever construction of the main temple, their attention turned to the middle sized building, but there didn't seem to be any way in. There were several archways around the periphery, but no entrance.
“There's got to be a way in,” said Ted in exasperation, “unless it's from underneath - and that doesn't seem practical.”
“Hey, I think I've found it.” Brodrick called, excitedly. “It's a bloody illusion - it looks as if there is no way in, but it's the way the stones have been arranged that makes it so.”
Ted joined him as they entered the dark interior, waiting for their eyes to get accustomed to the gloom before going in too far.
“Careful how you tread,” Brodrick called out, “there maybe holes in the floor - we don't know what this building was used for yet.”
As their eyes got used to the low light level, they could see that the interior walls had no decoration - this was a utilitarian building - but what for?
“Maybe they put the ore in here,” said Ted, “this was the site where the ore was taken to - none of the other temples had any reference to ore shipments.”
“Well, there's no sign of any ore here now,” Brodrick added, puzzled, “but it was a long time ago. Hang on, there's something a bit different on this wall.”
They both went over to the first sign of decoration they had seen in the building, a carved section of the wall, about six hundred centimetres square. The borders were adorned with a series of symbols, and after Ted had retrieved the wind-up torch, and consulted the notes and copies of the glyphs they had made, found nothing which made any sense.
“That bit in the middle looks sort of out of place.” Brodrick said, putting his hand on the long beak-like nose of the carved relief. “Hey, it moved.” He exclaimed.
“Maybe it's loose,” said Ted, “or does it work something?”
“Don't know,” Brodrick replied, “let's give it a go.”
Getting a firm grip on the long hooked nose of the mythical creature, he pulled down hard. At first it only moved a fraction, and then it tilted forward several centimetres. A deep rumbling sound made them both jump back from the wall, but not far enough to fall into the huge opening that appeared in the floor behind them.
A large slab of stone had dropped nearly half a metre, and was now sliding to one side, revealing a cavernous hole into the inky depths beneath.
“How the hell does that work?” exclaimed Ted, when he had got over the shock of the moving floor.
“The only thing I can think of is counterweights and water power.” Brodrick replied. “I noticed some high ground in the distance when we were outside, so that could provide the water power, and counterbalances would make moving that slab of stone a bit easier - bloody clever - that's what. I'm surprised it still works after all this time,” he added.
“I don't see why they just dumped the ore down that hole,” said Ted, “what's the point of that - how the hell do they get it out again?”
“Let's go down there and have a look - something doesn't add up here,” Brodrick replied, “we'll need some rope and another torch.”
Ted hurried off to get the equipment, while Brodrick leaned over the hole as far as he dared, shining his torch into the blackness. The chamber beneath must have been very large, as the tor
ch beam only faintly illuminated a patch of floor - but with little detail.
“How about we lower the torch first, just so we don't get caught unawares.” Ted offered.
The torch, attached to the end of a thin but very strong nylon cord, disappeared into the inky blackness below. All they could see was some sort of hazy grid pattern below them, but no details of the walls.
“OK, I'll go down on the cord and take a look-see, but first we'll have to tie it to something substantial,” Brodrick said, but he didn't feel as confident as he sounded.
“What if we lower the torch to the floor, and then see how much we have left.” Ted suggested, and this they did. There was just enough left over to reach one of the big carvings outside the building.
Brodrick lowered himself slowly down into the depths beneath, and having reached the floor, called up to Ted.
“I think it's OK for you to come down too - you won't believe what we have here. No - on second thoughts, you'd better stay up there or come down later. If that slab closes over, we would both be trapped down here. I'll have a look around, and then come up - OK?”
After several anxious minutes, Brodrick's head appeared, and Ted helped him out of the opening in the floor.
“Well - what's down there?” asked an excited Ted.
“Let me get my bloody breath back - that was one hell of a climb.” Brodrick lay panting on the stone floor for a while. “I'm not used to this!”
Eventually Brodrick sat up and said “That chamber down there is absolutely enormous, it must have taken weeks to fill it. It's cylindrical in shape, and the floor and walls are covered in some sort of metal grid - a shiny sort of stuff - never seen anything like it, and there's no sign of corrosion - after all that time. On the wall behind the grid like covering, I found bits of a greenish like substance, not much, but I've got a bit here.” He withdrew a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket, and carefully opened it.
“I'm no mineralogist, but that looks like copper ore to me.” Ted said, looking at the tiny fragments.
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