by David Harp
Ancient Island
D M Harp
Copyright © 2017 by D M Harp
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Acknowledgments
Special thanks to:
• The Venus Project: https://www.thevenusproject.com/
• The Archbold Biological Station
• Bok Tower Gardens
• Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
Dedicated to Linda
Hero of hyphens, conqueror of commas, and killer of contractions
A valiant guardian of grammer against overwhelming odds
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1: The Kings
Chapter 2: Bayport
Chapter 3: Rebecca’s Dollhouse
Chapter 4: A New Beginning
Chapter 5: The Birthday
Chapter 6: Etz Chayim
Chapter 7: Preacher Man
Chapter 8: The Dream
Chapter 9: Haley’s Eyes
Chapter 10: Old Friends
Chapter 11: God’s Plan
Chapter 12: Brian and the Nina Nizhoni
Chapter 13: Archie and Anastasius
Chapter 14: Billy Bowlegs
Chapter 15: Lost Childhood
Chapter 16: Free Will
Chapter 17: The Geneticist
Chapter 18: The Last Summer
Chapter 19: The Hidden Spring
Chapter 20: Revelation
Chapter 21: The Awakening
Chapter 22: The Trip
Chapter 23: The Orion Institute
Chapter 24: Future Tech
Chapter 25: The Partial Truth
Chapter 26: Haley’s Choice
Chapter 27: Proof of God?
Chapter 28: Daniel’s Decision
Chapter 29: Together Again
Chapter 30: School of Wizardry
Chapter 31: Indoctrination
Chapter 32: The QBIFI
Chapter 33: 9/11
Chapter 34: Quarantine
Chapter 35: Australia
Chapter 36: Christmas
Chapter 37: Family
Chapter 38: John Weston
Chapter 39: Murder?
Chapter 40: The Blind Assassin
Chapter 41: J. Alfred
Chapter 42: A Mermaid’s Message
Chapter 43: The Jack in the Box
Chapter 44: Eighteen Years Later
Chapter 45: Defining Miracles
Chapter 46: Foundation of the First Pillar
Chapter 47: Frankenfood in 2003
Chapter 48: Death of a Street Performer
Chapter 49: Rodney
Chapter 50: Hell: Been There, Done That
Chapter 51: Katerina
Chapter 52: RANEBOWGURL
Chapter 53: Brian and Katie
Chapter 54: Pandora’s Box
Chapter 55: The Program
Chapter 56: Redemption
Chapter 57: Resource-Based Economy
Chapter 58: Networks
Chapter 59: One World Order
Chapter 60: Memories
Chapter 61: Brave New World
Prologue
January 13, 1930:
Claude Gautier could not look away from the object. The young French explorer was staring at the greatest archaeological discovery in human history. It was a fifty-foot-wide granite dome with a golden door worth enough money to buy a small country. His fingers trembled as they brushed across the elaborate inscriptions written in an unknown language. The scientific calculations and meticulous astronomical diagrams were beyond his comprehension.
He wondered how it had remained undetected. The object was not hidden in the Amazon jungle or the remote Egyptian desert, but less than one day’s walk from the busy logging town of Venus, Florida. It was a technological marvel beyond anything he had ever seen.
The young Frenchman removed a small hammer from his belt and rapped hard on the door. A deep echo indicated a large chamber, the significance of its contents was unfathomable.
Claude would protect his discovery for over fifty years until a little girl’s birth would unveil the chamber’s secrets and alter the course of human history.
Chapter 1
The Kings
Life is a journey, not a destination. This was certainly true for Rebecca (Becky) King and her daughter Haley. Becky grew up in Sebring, Florida, as Rebecca Miller and married her childhood sweetheart Ben King. They both received PhDs in archaeology from Cornell in 1980. Then they traveled the world for three years studying ancient civilizations while mingling with rich and famous benefactors.
Ben never brought up the subject of children. An accident had left Becky unable to conceive, so the couple devoted their lives to work. Everything changed on a mysterious archaeological dig in New Mexico. A baby girl was abandoned in their motel room.
The child appeared to be an albino American Indian. A note requested the Kings adopt and raise the girl as their own. Although initially intrigued by the incident, Ben and Becky thought it was an outrageous suggestion. Their busy existence did not provide time for parenthood; they had grown comfortable with a child-free lifestyle.
Even so, they had many unanswered questions. Why did someone leave a baby with us? Why this particular child? Who knew we were here?
None of it made sense! The Kings turned the girl over to child services. A doctor examined her and was bewildered by his findings.
“Frankly, the baby is unlike anything I have seen. She isn’t albino, but I cannot explain her pale complexion or yellow eyes. She doesn’t respond immediately to movement which could be an indication of visual impairment. I have never seen a more aesthetically beautiful child, but I cannot rule out health issues in her future.”
Since the girls’ eyes were very distinctive, officials were confident they could locate the birth parents. They were wrong. Her family wasn’t found, and the doctor’s ambiguous medical diagnosis discouraged prospective parents.
Becky and Ben returned to New York, but didn’t forget the little girl. They spent many nights dreaming of her, making repeated excuses to return to New Mexico for visits. In the end, she stole their hearts with an enchanting smile and an inescapable feeling that she belonged with them. She was the ultimate archaeological find: beautiful, mysterious, and full of endless possibilities.
When they asked to begin the adoption process, someone had already completed the paperwork in their name. Once initiated, representatives from child services were astounded at the ease and speed of the normally cumbersome adoption process. It was as if someone or something was manipulating events to make sure the girl went home with them. They named her Haley.
Haley grew to be an unselfish child with a contagious positive attitude. Being near her felt like standing in sunshine on a cold winter day. She was pretty with golden blonde hair and flawless skin, like a little porcelain doll. Her eyes were luminous. They were phosphorescent yellow with little red specks, bright enough to startle people in the daylight.
At night her eyes glowed like the subterranean humanoids called Morlocks in the 1960 movie, The Time Machine. Her glowing eyes upset and even frightened some people. Motion left her completely disoriented, but she had no problems in a stationary environment. If you watched her playing by herself, you wouldn’t suspect anything was wrong. But if you walked up to her she was often startled because it took a moment to realize someone was there.
Haley’s condition remained a mystery despite regular visits to specialists. Some speculated it was an inner ear problem. Her Ophthalmologist warned Ben that the condition could lead to total blindness
if not diagnosed and treated. When Haley was ten years old he asked a prominent doctor at NYU for a consultation.
Doctor John Wiley became fascinated with her eyes. Since there were no medical records before her adoption, doctors had previously assumed her eye condition was the result of a birth defect. They classified her legally blind because she couldn’t track moving objects.
Dr. Wiley saw something very different. He concluded her thick iris and dense optic nerve were not defects but genetic enhancements. He became convinced that understanding her eyes would lead to major medical innovations.
His tests revealed that in a static environment her vision was extraordinary, virtually superhuman. She could see in almost complete darkness.
A slight pulse was detected from red specks in Haley’s cornea which resulted in a corresponding pulse from her iris five seconds later. The doctor determined a process similar to echolocation in bats must be occurring.
He became obsessed with the study, but instead of seeing Haley as a child who needed help, Doctor Wiley saw her as his own personal ticket to fame. If the anatomical and physiological characteristics in her eyes could be quantified, it would almost certainly merit a Nobel Prize.
He gained noteworthy attention at first, but couldn’t demonstrate how Haley’s eyes worked. Without hard evidence the academic community began to ridicule him. Some even accused him of perpetrating a hoax.
Haley grew tired of the constant poking and prodding when her condition didn’t improve. When Ben decided to end the association, the doctor became even more determined and began stalking her. It was a very stressful situation for the family ending with a restraining order.
One month after the unpleasant incident with Dr. Wiley, Ben started losing weight and suffered a host of baffling health issues. He assumed it was related to stress, but the family was devastated when tests indicated advanced pancreatic cancer.
Becky was determined to be strong during the holidays. She decorated the house, baked cookies, hosted parties, and somehow managed to keep the family in good spirits. Her efforts couldn’t change the fact that cancer had already done irreversible damage. Ben was rushed to the hospital on Christmas Eve and died two days later.
Becky appeared indomitable, but underneath she was spiraling into depression. A harsh New York winter made her despair even worse. Her sister Camille pleaded with her to bring Haley to live in Gainesville, Florida. The offer didn’t sound too farfetched because Ben wanted to move back to Florida before he got sick. He dreamed of opening a restaurant with Becky, but now the memories of their plans made her cry. She made a promise to herself to avoid making a rash decision, but agreed to take Haley for a vacation in February. They planned to spend time with Camille and visit the major tourist attractions. The year was 1995. Haley was eleven years old.
