She exited the car, and a fresh breeze caressed her face. She quickly skidded up some stairs, and after paying the entrance ticket, she entered the Rotunda.
Lydia was bewildered by the game of lights dancing in front of her eyes. The sun revolved around the thousands of colorful mosaic decorations of the Rotunda, an art masterpiece of Late Antiquity.
The mosaics formed one of the oldest collections of wall mosaics preserved in excellent condition.
Initially, mosaics covered the entire hemisphere of the dome, but after so much retrofitting spanning for hundreds of years to satisfy the needs of conquerors, only a few survived.
And then her eyes stumbled upon the empty circle in the ceiling with Helene’s last words reverberating in her head:
“The pagan holy circle will show you the way, and under the perfection of the right hand of Kosmos when lost in darkness, the cruciform will show you the light.”
The entire dome consisted of a vast concentric zone centered around a mysterious personage, who was portrayed in a silver medallion.
There was just a faint shade made with some kind of charcoal, his right arm showing his omnipotence, his left hand holding a scepter.
Surrounded by stars and a cornucopia of all of nature’s Earthly gifts: pomegranates, grapes, pears, and other fruits.
A rainbow structure was borne by four archangels bathing in a shimmering aura of sunlight.
“Lydia, look above!” Neo exclaimed excitedly.
“There between the angels, is a Phoenix, the mythical bird-symbol of renewal and eternity.”
“I am sure the mysterious central personage is Jesus Christ. The first link between the mythical bird and Him.”
“I have a deep feeling we are in the right place, Neo.”
“The general interpretation is that the other praying figures were the Christian Church’s Martyrs.”
“The buildings around them represented Holy Jerusalem, and the central part of the dome indeed depicted Jesus Christ being lifted to paradise or during his second arrival on Earth, the apocalyptical Judgement Day.”
The mosaics of the ovals at the base of the dome completed the opulent decoration, which used a combination of geometric and floral motifs surrounded by garlands to create a feeling of hopefulness and boundless creativity.
The perfect Saints of the Thessaloniki Rotunda has captivated historians across the centuries.
“Who were these men? Were those saints or something more?”
Not all of them were preserved, probably destroyed by the waves of various cultures. The saints were almost alive in a universe beyond the reach of mere mortals.
“Historians hypothesized the saints from the mosaic were, in reality, fifteen Martyrs.”
“The mystery surrounding the mosaics was intensified by the failure to precisely date them; the estimation was between the 4th and 5th century AC.”
“I have a surprise for you, Lydia. Actually, Helene’s clue made reference to Kosmas, who was one of the Martyrs.”
“Neo, where is Kosmas?” Lydia exclaimed, full of curiosity.
“Even his name had a meaning, as it must have been connected to the Kosmos therm.”
“What can you find on the web on the etymology of the Kosmas word?” Lydia asked curiously.
“There are several references to this word; for the ancient Greeks, it meant perfection. Like the cosmos, it is a collection of perfect thoughts.”
“There are also references to a cult of Kosmos, made of enlightened people searching to elevate humanity; the forebears of the philosophers,” Neo recited while filtering through multiple information sources “Interesting, can you spot him, Lydia?”
“He’s next to his brother Damian, who is in dark purple with some shades of blue in his hair and beard.”
“Indeed, I can also notice they both have long beards. That of Kosmas is silvery. Damianos’ is dark, an antithesis of the young and elderly.”
“The physician brothers Kosmas and Damianos’ earliest dating was in the early 6th century AC.”
“Cosma and Damiano appear again only in Rome, dated between 526-530 AC, having their own temple and became patron saints of physicians, surgeons, pharmacists, and veterinarians.”
“Interesting Neo, thank you. It seems so well-fitting that de Moncler’s clue pointed us towards a scientist. Great description, Neo. You would have been a perfect teacher.”
Kosmas’ hair and beard were highlighted by violet, bluish grey, and vivid blue colors while wearing a whitish mantle.
“But what is his right hand pointing to?”
“Maybe to something at the ground level?” Lydia wondered.
Lydia’s eyes also noticed the beauty of all the male figures, which perfectly represented the three phases: young, middle-aged, and elderly.
It was like a metaphor for the cycle of life, but to what end?
Time was ticking and they were running out of it.
§CHAPTER 62§
“…UNDER THE PERFECTION of the right hand of Kosmos when lost in darkness, the cruciform will show you the light.”
“If you look at Kosmas, we need to reverse the hand as if we would have looked at it in the mirror,” Lydia said, her words rolling out quickly with excitement.
“That’s it Neo. I found the cruciform. Look there; it is sculpted in the marble block, which is below his right hand.”
Two marble blocks lay at the ground floor level in an arched window, reminiscent of a column-like structure.
“I’ll get closer to it,” and while in front of it, Lydia gasped. There was nothing special about this marble that had no inscription.
“What should we do, Neo. What if there is something underneath or behind it. How do I move this block?”
The massive marble seemed to weigh several hundred kilos, and on top, there were still tourists around and some sleepy guards who would undoubtedly react if the massive marble piece suddenly dropped to the floor.
“…when lost in the darkness, the cruciform will show you the light.”
“Hmm, what if we do precisely this—we need darkness for it to reveal its secrets,” Neo said, his voice full of joy because he believed this was the key.
“What if there is something written on the white stone, and you would need an ultraviolet specter to make it visible?
“Use your jacket to cover your head, and approach the stone,” Neo suggested.
Lydia took out her sleek asymmetric collared Calvin Klein leather jacket and pulled it over her head while approaching the stone.
“XGlass activate the ultraviolet light,” and in the semi darkens generated at the cover of the jacket, several letters started to become visible, seemingly written in ancient Greek.
§CHAPTER 63§
WASHINGTON,
THE ORDER’S HEADQUARTERS
THE SKY WAS clouded today, blocking the sight to the glittery constellations Simon was used to admiring above his glass ceiling. They always gave him a soothing feeling.
For generations, this safe house was strategically located on the outskirts of Washington and used by the Order to hold their most essential meetings in times of crisis.
The house preserved its early Victorian style after being fully refurbished. Its interior was decorated with a minimalistic style, a perfect synergy between technology, marble, and metallic accents.
Simon was listening to his favorite requiem, which gave him peace and allowed his thoughts to flow effortlessly. “Open a secure connection to the Order,” the Vice President whispered, and his A.I. assistant answered back instantly with, “connection established.”
One by one, the screens in the conference room started to light up, revealing different silhouettes of influential people across the world; some were CEOs of huge companies or powerful government leaders.
“My brothers, our most precious belonging, was desecrated by an unknown enemy; our vault preserved for millennia has been destroyed.”
“I am sure you all want to know what happ
ened with the information preserved underneath Berlaymont,” Simon bellowed while nodding his head.
“Our teams are still struggling to go through the rubble and assess the damage; however, the global pandemic outbreak has slowed down our efforts.”
“I will not rest until I find who is responsible for the death of our sister, de Moncler, and I will make sure they will pay dearly for what they have done.
“Stay safe, my brothers and sisters. May the divine protect you.”
Simon could read the anger and fear on all their faces despite the privileged positions they occupied. If this could happen to de Moncler, in one of the most secured buildings of the world, it meant that any of them could be the next target.
“Incoming call from Mark Hopkins, shall I connect you, Sir?”
“Yes, launch the connection in my office.”
He closed the conference room doors and went into his office, which had a pleasant rainy noise in the background.
“Mister Vice President, we have geo-located Lydia via the video stream of an airport; she is currently in Thessaloniki, Greece.”
“I will land in precisely four hours; do you have any news on my family?”
Mark’s face was pulsating, and he was stuttering, “please tell me they are okay.”
“Mark, we received this video; the secret service just forward it to me,” the Vice President replied worriedly.
Daddy, we love you. Please hurry, save us. His two boys and wife were holding a paper with those words written and the sound was muted; they were all sitting in a white room.
“They seemed to be okay for the moment, but I am afraid we are running out of time.”
§CHAPTER 64§
“NEO, DID YOU manage to get a good handle on the text?”.
ΤΟ ΆΓΙΟ ΔΙΣΚΟΠΌΤΗΡΟ ΘΑ ΑΝΟΊΞΕΙ ΤΗ ΣΤΑΥΡΟΕΙΔΉ ΠΎΛΗ ΠΡΟΣ ΜΙΑ ΆΠΕΙΡΗ ΖΩΉ ΚΆΤΩ ΑΠΌ ΤΗ ΛΆΜΨΗ ΤΟΥ ΣΎΜΠΑΝΤΟΣ ΘΑ ΚΑΘΑΡIΣEI ΤΙΣ ΑΜΑΡΤΊAI ΣΑΣ ΠΡΟΣΤΑΤΕΥΜΈΝΕΣ ΑΠΌ ΤO ΑΡΧΑΊO ΘΕΊO.
“Yes, the algorithm we already used is processing the translation as we speak.”
The A.I. assistant’s soft voice recited the inscription:
“The Grail will open the cruciform gate towards an infinite life under the glitter of the universe which will wash your sins protected by the ancient divine.”
“Another cruciform, but this could be anywhere,” Lydia said despaired.
“Not necessary, let me run a cross-search for locations in the city matching the keywords: cruciform gate and wash your sins,” Neo replied, feeling hopeful.
“I think this could be anywhere, literally under the stars,” Lydia said closing her eyes and visualizing the starry sky in her mind.
She had a strange feeling of being watched.
Had the peculiar Assassin who tried to kill her in Egypt already caught up with her?
“Neo, can you scan the surroundings for the Assassin who tried to kill me? I have the sense that I’m being watched.”
“Just look around, and I’ll perform a scan.”
The natural light was growing, and the sun’s rays were protruding through the windows of the Rotunda projecting strange shadows on the ancient brick walls.
An elderly lady went straight to Lydia and started to yell at her loudly in Greek:
“Kyria mou, prepei na prosexte! She quickly understood she was one of the guards who saw her touching the stone, and she was obviously not happy.
◆◆◆
The Assassin was carefully watching her by using a simple drone he bought from a nearby mall.
Nowadays, it was so easy to spy on someone using drones, which only cost a few dozen euros, mass-produced in China, and then retrofit to become the perfect killing machines.
He didn’t have the time; otherwise, he would have put a small explosive charge and detonate it near his target. This was one of his favorite methods of execution for his victims.
The United Nations and European Union disagreed on how to legislate the personal use of drones. Often assassinations were carried out using these cheap drones.
A new era of hybrid threats was rising, and governments were incapable of stopping the metamorphosis of these dangerous toys.
◆◆◆
§CHAPTER 65§
LYDIA EXITED the Rotunda, and then she saw something fall to the ground.
“Lydia, please take cover; I found a drone in the proximity of the Rotunda, and after accessing its video memory, I had to take it down.”
“It filmed you the whole time you were inside. Someone was watching you again. I am afraid our shadow is back.”
The Assassin was running around the Rotunda. He had to catch her quickly because he didn’t expect his drone to be taken down.
“Lydia, on your left, there is a LIME brand electric scooter. I have unlocked it for you. Today must be our lucky day because the location we are searching for is closer than I would have ever imagined!”
Lydia did not wait and grabbed the electric scooter and accelerated.
There was almost nobody in the streets due to the COVID-19 outbreak. People were too scared to go out anymore.
By the time the Assassin arrived at the other side of the Rotunda, she was gone.
His pale face started to get a reddish tint, his anger rising as was his pulse.
This is not over.
I’ll have to track you again.
He launched another drone, this time a miniaturized version. It rose above the city, giving him a full aerial view of the surroundings.
Lydia was a little dot on the move, but he instantly spotted and started running after her.
“Lydia, when you reach the Egnatia boulevard, go left.”
“I am afraid our chaser will catch me very quickly; he has a knack for it. Isn’t there a possibility to block his drones from tracing me?”
“I’ll look into it, but now you need to go left again on Patriarchou Ioakim street.”
She could feel the fresh breeze of the sea, the pollution slowly dissipating due to the light traffic.
This phenomenon was occurring all over the planet. Most polluting nations stopped their industrial activities while their workers were confined at home. The Earth was getting a break and regenerating itself.
Lydia was almost enjoying her little LIME adventure; it reminded her of the bicycle trips she had with her dad in the Bois de la Cambre Brussels Park.
They would travel via a small ferry over a lake that had an island in the middle. There they would enjoy ice cream and lemonade.
All these thoughts were distant memories; she had to stay focused as she expected more danger lurking around.
“Now you should see in front of you the Hagia Sophia Cathedral Church’s orange structure. It’s one of Thessaloniki’s oldest churches, its initial foundation laid in the 3rd century.”
“You need to go around it, and on the left side, you’ll see a metallic bar that is protecting an underground site below the street level.”
“This hidden site still holds some ancient marble columns and the Holy Church of John the Baptist.”
This place was usually bustling with tourists and surrounded by several restaurants. Now everything was eerily quiet.
“I think you need to find a baptisterium basin in the church’s garden,” Neo explained.
The Grail will open the cruciform gate towards an infinite life under the glitter of the universe will wash your sins protected by the ancient divine.
“The search algorithm narrowed down the outdoor location, where sins are being washed away.”
“I see it, Neo. It’s four meters below street level.”
Above the stairs, going down, there was a sign: Catacombs of Saint John. A cross-like basin, with the outline of a strange flowery model could be seen in the middle of the garden. Hidden below was a mysterious underground ruin.
Looking around, she noticed a modern glass structure placed to protect the catacombs’ entra
nce. It was also the neighborhood’s orthodox church.
But what really caught Lydia’s eye was a cross marking on one of the marble pillars, which must have been the relic of an old temple.
“Do you see this, Neo? It has the same form as the bottom of the vial, with a hole protruding in the middle. It must be more ancient than it seems,” Lydia said excitedly.
“There are also ancient catacombs, deep under the church, that were used by the first Christians as a religious sanctuary.”
“Historians believed the tunnels were part of a pagan temple devoted to ancient deities and that the baptisterium was, in fact, a pagan nymphaeum whose source was a nearby spring. It’s one component of an extensive subterranean tunnel network constructed under the city.”
“It sounds familiar. Another labyrinth like the one in Brussels or Cairo,” Neo said.
She took out the vial from her Birkin bag, and the fluid had again changed colors. It was oscillating from deep violet to aquamarine. Placing the bottom of the vial on the column, it fit perfectly.
For a moment, nothing happened, but then a set of clicks started to trickle through the column. Below the baptisterium the stones began to reposition themselves, forming some kind of circular staircase, similar to the one from the Cinquantenaire Park.
“That’s it Neo, you were right; this must be the place the Rotunda’s clue was pointing to.”
“We need to hurry; the assassin could be here any minute.”
◆◆◆
§CHAPTER 66§
THE ASSASSIN was puzzled. Where is she?
He thought she entered the Hagia Sophia Church because Lydia’s scooter was lying in front of it.
She left it there as a decoy, and the trick worked.
Neo managed to block the video flow exactly when she turned the corner, leaving the assassin with a mere illusion.
The Jesus Christ Cypher Page 15
