The Atlantis Stone

by Alex Lukeman

  Rage drove Lamont toward the Russian, firing his pistol as he swam. All of the three rounds he had left missed. The P11 came pre-loaded from the factory. Even if there'd been time, he couldn't have loaded it again. He dropped the pistol and drew his knife. The Russian let go of his empty rifle and reached for his own knife. Lamont slashed out, opening a deep cut. More blood seeped into the water.

  The Russian wasn't out of the fight. He lunged forward, trying for a gut thrust. Lamont twisted away but the blade sliced through his suit and into his arm. His own blood mixed with the Russian's. Lamont looked into the man's face and saw sudden fear. He sensed a shadow behind him.

  Shark!

  A sudden blow knocked him to the side. The shark slammed into the Russian, taking him with wide open jaws. The ugly, pointed teeth were close enough for Lamont to touch as the monster went by. The man thrashed in helpless agony as the shark swam away with him. The water was suddenly black with blood

  The diver Lamont had wounded was swimming away as fast as he could. A second shark appeared, a vision from hell. It zeroed in on the wounded Russian, clamped it's terrible teeth around his legs and dragged him away.

  The fight was over.

  "Nick, it's bad. Sam's dead. Sharks and I'm wounded. Get ready to pull me out."

  "Copy."

  Lamont fumbled for a packet of shark repellent. The chemicals were supposed to smell like a dead shark and the live ones didn't like it. He ripped open the package, released the chemicals and started for the surface. Hoping they worked. Hoping no more sharks appeared. A thin trail of blood streamed behind him.

  On deck, Sexton began giving orders.

  "Get the zodiac in the water. He's not far from the Russian ship."

  "Lamont," Nick said, "we're putting a boat in the water. Stay cool."

  "Copy."

  Lamont had been more than forty feet down but it was his first dive of the day and he didn't need to make a decompression stop. There wouldn't have been time for one anyway, not with sharks nearby. He still had his knife, but his arm was weakening.

  He looked down. More sharks circled below. One of them started for him. He was nearing the surface but the shark was closer. He turned to face it.

  Only one chance.

  Four blue-gray shapes shot through the water and passed by him. They attacked the pursuing shark.

  Dolphins. They're Dolphins...

  Lamont broke the surface near the Tolstoy. The Russians were letting a boat down into the water. The railing was lined with people watching. He saw Selena's sister. Lamont swiveled and saw the zodiac from Sexton's Dream racing toward him.

  A man appeared at the railing of the Russian ship with a bull horn.

  "We are sending someone to assist you."

  Lamont raised his good arm and gave them a middle finger.

  CHAPTER 41

  Nick stopped the bleeding with a temporary dressing.

  "Hang in there. We're almost back to the ship."

  "Heath is dead." Lamont said. "The Russians shot him. A shark got the bastard."

  "Yeah."

  They reached the ship and got Lamont on board. The Dolphins had followed the zodiac back to the ship. Now they circled once around Sexton's Dream and disappeared.

  Nick paced the deck.

  "We didn't need this." He looked at the Tolstoy.

  "I don't know who's running things over there, but they're nuts to try a stunt like this," Ronnie said

  "What are we going to do about it?" Selena asked.

  "There isn't much we can do," Nick said, "short of starting a war."

  "Another minor incident? Is that how we're going to treat it? First they trash our rover. Now one of Jeff's crew is dead."

  "What would you have me do? Tell your pal to ram them? Plant explosives and blow them out of the water?"

  "That sounds like a good idea."

  "You used to have second thoughts about what we do. When did you get so blood thirsty?"

  "You have to agree it has a certain appeal."

  "Yes, but you know I can't do that."

  "I know you can't sink them. Besides, Valentina is on that boat. How about something less extreme? Something to disable them, like a small explosion."

  Ronnie said, "We need to stop them messing with us."

  "I can't ask Sexton to put another one of his crew in harm's way. Lamont's out of commission."

  Selena raised her hand. "I can do it."

  "You're not trained in underwater demolition. It has to be me or Ronnie. Besides, Harker would never authorize it."

  "She doesn't have to know about it. How hard can it be to plant something on the hull that goes boom?"

  "You're serious."

  "Damn right I am. These people think they can get away with anything. We have to respond and I'm the best one to do it. We can't get near on the surface without being spotted and that means going deep. Neither one of you has the experience I do when it comes to diving."

  "Ronnie and I both have underwater training."

  "I want to do this. Those people over there tried to kidnap me. I was tasered."

  "This isn't about getting even," Nick said.

  "No? Then think of it as a preemptive move to prevent further interference with the mission."

  In spite of himself, Nick smiled. "A small explosion, you said."

  "That's right." Selena nodded. "Enough to give them something to think about. To keep them busy while we finish up."

  "I can show her what to do," Ronnie said.

  "You think this is a good idea, Lamont?"

  "I almost bought it down there. Yeah, I think it's a good idea. It'll teach them a lesson."

  "Harker will have a cow when she finds out."

  Selena smiled at him. "Like I said, she doesn't have to know about it. Remember that old saying about forgiveness and permission?"

  "You know they're going to keep screwing things up," Ronnie said. "I've got C4 and detonators in our kit. It won't take long to make up a charge."

  Nick was quiet for a few seconds. "All right, Ronnie, go ahead."

  "Right away, Kemo Sabe."

  "I still don't know what that means."

  "And you still don't want to know."

  "I hope I don't regret this," Nick said.

  Ronnie put together a charge and scrounged a magnet from the ship's stores. He taped it to the package. Once Selena got close enough to place the charge, the magnet would hold it on the hull of the Russian ship.

  Two hours later she was getting ready to go in. Sexton came over to the group. He seemed angry.

  "Going for a swim?" he said to her. "In a rebreather?"

  "Only for a short reconnaissance. To make sure they don't have anyone in the water."

  "Sam was a friend of mine. If I'd known you were going to put my crew at risk, I never would've agreed to do this. What the hell are you people up to? I never wanted to deal with this crap again, that's why I got out."

  Nick said, "We didn't know the Russians would show up. I'm sorry about Sam, I really am. He seemed like a nice guy. But it's done."

  "You're sorry. So am I. We're heading back to port."

  "Look, I understand you're pissed off. Hold off and I'll fill you in on the mission. If you still want to leave after that, that's your option."

  "Fair enough. But if I don't like what I hear, we're leaving."

  He stalked away.

  "Harker won't like telling him why we're here," Ronnie said.

  "You heard what he said. If I don't tell him, he's pulling the plug. We don't have a choice."

  "I need to go," Selena said. "While there's still light."

  "Make sure you set that timer right," Ronnie said. "If it goes off and you're nearby in the water..." He left the sentence unfinished.

  "Don't worry."

  She slipped into the water on the far side of the ship, out of sight of the Russians. The afternoon light still gave some visibility below the surface. She dropped down to sixty feet, checking her dive calc
ulator, tracking her time and depth.

  She neared the Tolstoy, watching for divers. There was no one about. The sharks were gone. There was no sign of the bloody events of the morning.

  Selena came up under the vessel and made her way aft. The tether to the Russian ROV formed a dark line disappearing into the depths below. Two enormous, silent propellers protruded into the water. She placed the charge and set the timer for forty minutes. It would give her more than enough time to return to the boat. There was no rush. The Russians had no idea she was there.

  "Where'd you put the charge?" Ronnie asked when she was back on board.

  "Right where the props come out of the hull. It should damage the shafts. Might even blow the tether on their robot."

  Sexton passed by and came back to them. "Why are you all standing here?"

  "We're waiting for the sunset," Ronnie said. "I was kind of hoping for the green flash."

  "It's half an hour till the sun goes down."

  No one said anything. Sexton shook his head.

  "Meet me in the wardroom in fifteen minutes."

  "Hey, Skipper," a crewman called.

  "Coming." Sexton walked away.

  Nick looked at his watch. "Any time now. You're sure you set the detonator the right way?"

  "It's not rocket science, Nick. Yes, I'm sure."

  The explosion, when it came, sent a tall fountain of water into the air. The sound echoed across the flat sea separating the two ships. The Tolstoy shuddered in the water.

  "I might've used a little too much C4," Ronnie said.

  CHAPTER 42

  "What did you do to their ship?" Sexton asked Selena. "She's down some by the stern. They've got the pumps going."

  "We wanted to stop them from harassing us."

  "You've changed, Selena. I never would've figured you for something like this."

  She shrugged. "Stuff happens."

  Sexton looked at her as though she were a stranger.

  Nick said, "I'm going to tell you why we're here."

  Sexton listened while Nick filled him in.

  "I don't believe this. You really think these people had something like antigravity? You're trying to find a record of what it was? What they used to control it?"

  "That's about it."

  "That's crazy."

  "No more crazy than those ruins down there that aren't supposed to exist," Nick said. "The Russians don't think it's crazy. That's one of the reasons we have to follow up. What if it isn't crazy and the Russians find what we're looking for? We have to find it first. It's a matter of national security."

  "I'm getting damn tired of hearing that phrase tossed around," Sexton said. "The politicians love it."

  "Do I have to point out that I'm not a politician?"

  Selena spoke up. "Jeff, I know you want to get out of here and I don't blame you. At least stay until I finish translating what's on those pyramid walls."

  "I don't want any more surprises."

  Nick held up his hand. "No more surprises. I promise."

  "One more day. Then I'm leaving."

  Nick went back to his cabin and called Harker to tell her what had happened. He got to the part about disabling the Tolstoy.

  "You did what?" Harker said.

  "We didn't sink them," Nick said.

  The satellite connection was spotty, crackling with atmospherics.

  "What didn't you think?"

  "I said we didn't sink them."

  "Oh, that makes me feel so much better," Harker said. "I can't wait until the president calls me up and asks me why I attacked a peaceful civilian research vessel belonging to the Federation."

  "I don't think he's going to hear anything about it," Nick said. "They attacked us, not the other way around. Lamont almost died. One of Sexton's crew is dead and he was a civilian. If they make waves it's going to bounce back on them."

  "Two of their people are dead."

  Elizabeth thought she could hear Nick shrug on the other end of the connection.

  "Like I said, they attacked us. They got more than they bargained for. I can't see how they'd want to turn this into an incident. It's to their advantage to keep quiet."

  "You'd better be right."

  Nick waited.

  Elizabeth said, "All right, we'll move on. What's your plan now?"

  "Sexton says there's an alert about seismic activity. The ruins are crawling with vapor columns that indicate something's happening down there. The city sits on the edge of a precipice and an undersea quake might finish the job. Selena wants to take one more look tomorrow for that archive. After that we're heading back to port."

  "I don't want any more trouble with the Russians."

  "We never wanted trouble in the first place. If they don't provoke us there won't be any more problems. There's one other thing you need to know."

  Elizabeth began tapping her fingers on her desktop.

  "I had to let Sexton it on what we're looking for. He was pretty ticked off about losing one of his people and ready to haul anchor. I didn't have any other option."

  "Right now that's the least of my worries," Elizabeth said. "He signed the secrecy agreement."

  "He's okay. You don't have to be concerned."

  "Finish up and get out of there. The Russians may not turn it into an incident but they might retaliate. If you end up on the bottom of the ocean there's not much I can do about it."

  "Thanks for the encouraging words."

  "I want regular updates. That's all, Nick."

  Elizabeth broke the connection.

  Nick put his phone away and went up on deck. The others were waiting for him.

  "I talked to Harker."

  "What did she say?" Ronnie asked.

  "She wasn't happy. She wants us out of here and she's worried about the Russians."

  "She has a point."

  "They won't try anything else if they're smart. Selena, where are you with that translation?

  "I'm working on the last panel we photographed," Selena said. "I should have it done soon."

  CHAPTER 43

  The next morning there was a memorial service for Heath. The mood on the ship was somber, a far cry from the day before when people were joking and laughing as they worked.

  Afterward Ronnie, Lamont and Nick stood aft by the port rail. Selena was below, finishing up her notes. The Russian ship was down by the stern but she wasn't sinking. They could hear the sound of the pumps keeping her afloat.

  "Glad you're okay," Nick said.

  "Those dolphins saved my ass. It was shark city down there. One of them thought I was lunch."

  "I'd heard stories about dolphins protecting swimmers. Researchers say that's all they are, stories."

  "Yeah, well, if one of those researchers had been down there he'd change his mind pretty quick."

  "What's next?" Ronnie asked.

  "After Sexton recovers his robot we'll make one more video run through the ruins. Then we're done."

  Lamont looked over at the Tolstoy. "Too bad we couldn't sink her."

  "At least they're too busy staying afloat to bother us."

  They watched as Sexton's crew lowered the second ROV into the water. A minute later it disappeared under the surface.

  Selena came over to them, excited. "I've found it."

  "What? The archive?"

  "Yes."

  "Let's go inside," Nick said. "I want Harker to hear this."

  The small cabin felt stuffy with all of them in it at the same time. Nick called Harker and put her on the speaker.

  "Give me some good news, Nick."

  "Selena thinks she's found the archive. I'm going to let her tell you about it."

  "Hello, Elizabeth."

  "You found the archive?"

  "I found out where it is. The location was written on the wall of the pyramid."

  "Is it down there in the ruins?"

  "No. It's on the mainland."

  "Where is it?"

  She had her laptop open to her
notes. "I'll read what was on the wall. It's the key."

  In the green land where the Great River flows to the sea, we set the lion to guard for eternity the record of our people.

  "That doesn't tell us much," Elizabeth said. "It could be anywhere."

  "It's in Egypt," Selena said. "The Great River is the Nile."

  "Why Egypt?"

  "If I'm right, the lion that guards the secrets is the Sphinx. The archive is buried under it or nearby."

  "There's nothing but sand around the Sphinx," Lamont said.

  "It's on the west bank of the Nile. At one time the river flowed right by it. Before Egypt was desert it used to be green."

  "Not for a hell of a long time."

  Elizabeth listened as they talked.

  "We're talking about a long time. Thousands of years ago, before the pharaohs ruled Egypt."

  "I thought one of them built the Sphinx," Ronnie said.

  "Not everyone agrees on that. There are some archaeologists who think the Pharaoh's face was added long after the Sphinx was constructed."

  "Why would they think that?"

  "Khufu is supposed to have commissioned the Sphinx at the same time as the great pyramid. The face is supposed to be his. But there's an account from the seventh century BCE that says when Khufu first saw it, the Sphinx was buried up to its head in sand."

  "That doesn't make it thousands of years older."

  "The Sphinx is built of limestone. It shows erosion caused by heavy rains. It hasn't rained hard enough to do that in Egypt for ten thousand years. Maybe longer. Suggestions the Sphinx was put up more than forty-five hundred years ago are always dismissed, evidence be damned. The Ministry of Antiquities is invested in their timeline. Anyone who contradicts the official history is considered a crank and a troublemaker."

  "Everyone's been all over the Sphinx," Elizabeth said. "If there were any hidden chambers they would've been found a long time ago."

  "That's just it," Selena said. "They did find them. There are also several underground tunnels in the area. Most of them have never been opened. The authorities don't allow exploration."

  "Why not?" Lamont asked.

  "For one thing, Egypt is Muslim. The Sphinx is an image forbidden by the Quran. The pyramids are considered an expression of human arrogance, an affront to Allah. Doing anything there stirs up trouble. Aside from that, the idea that someone other than Egyptians built the Sphinx is unacceptable. The last thing the authorities want to find are ancient records left by a different civilization."