Torrent

by David Meyer

  "Balance?"

  "The amazing thing about nature is how it self-regulates. If it gets out of whack, forces take over to bring it back into equilibrium."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Nature is filled with self-regulating mechanisms called feedback loops. When something disturbs the natural order, the change is detected. This information then feeds back to the source of the disturbance, allowing nature to adjust itself in order to eliminate it."

  The explanation seemed awfully simple but I nodded anyway. "Then why do you care what happens here? Shouldn't these feedback loops of yours fix everything?"

  "Yes, but only on a small scale. Take the Mayas for instance. If they'd only chopped down a few trees, the Classic Maya Collapse would've never happened. Nature would've just swallowed up the trunks and regurgitated more trees." He brushed away a swarm of flies. "It was a whole other story when thousands of trees were destroyed. The feedback loops couldn't work fast enough to correct the problem."

  "That won't happen here."

  "Maybe not. But this place is fragile."

  "Oh?"

  "Invasive species are common elsewhere. But I imagine they're exceedingly rare here. This canyon is practically a closed ecological system." His brow furrowed. "Only now, that's changed."

  "How so?"

  "An invasive species has arrived," Tum said sadly. "Us."

  Chapter 56

  "Damn it." I glared at the camera. "It's broken just like the others."

  "It must've been the storm," Graham replied.

  "Aren't these things waterproof?"

  "Let me see her." He took the camera from me. Using a pocketknife, he twisted off some screws. "Well, that explains it."

  "What?"

  "She's fried."

  "Fried?"

  "These parts have melted a bit."

  "How'd that happen?"

  "Probably lightning."

  "No way." I pointed at the camera's exterior. "If lightning had struck it, the casing would've burnt to a crisp."

  "Actually, I think it happened on the plane."

  "You mean the ball lightning?"

  He nodded. "It probably caused a localized EMP, or electromagnetic pulse. That led to a tremendous surge in voltage."

  "But the cameras were off," I said.

  "On or off, it doesn't matter. Electrical systems contain all sorts of potential conductors. When the EMP happened, those conductors must've seized the energy and converted it into voltage."

  "Then how come Beverly's equipment wasn't damaged?"

  "It must've had proper shielding."

  I frowned. "But Alice worked earlier. You used her to take a photo of the helicopter."

  "True. And I wouldn't be surprised if she succeeded in taking a few photos of the pyramid too. But the extra voltage, combined with the heavy usage these last twenty-four hours, must've caught up with her."

  I shook my head. "Where'd that ball lightning come from anyway?"

  "I've been thinking about that. Tall buildings attract lightning and the pyramid is the tallest—and only—building for miles."

  It made sense. But it didn't help my mood.

  A soft sucking noise filled the air. I turned to my right just in time to see the long camera pole fall to the marsh.

  My fury intensified. Graham's cameras were in ruins. And the stupid pole still wouldn't stay in the soil. "Can you fix her?" I asked quietly.

  "It depends on whether I can scrounge up the right parts." He stared into the camera's interior. "I don't know if I can get her in full working order. But I might be able to recover any pictures she took."

  He gathered Alice and the other cameras in his bag. As he walked back to camp, I turned to look at the fallen pole. It irked me.

  I picked it up and shoved it back into the ground. It remained steady for a moment. Then it tipped over again.

  I dropped to my knees and began to scoop away mud. My hands hit a rock-like object. I dug my fingers underneath it and yanked it upward.

  Mud slurped at the object. I pulled harder and finally yanked it clear. My veins iced up as I laid eyes on it.

  I dropped it into the marsh. Then I started digging again. Less than a minute later, I pulled another object out of the mud. It was different than the first one, but clearly connected to it.

  My fingers returned to the mud. I dug up another object and pulled it out of the marsh. It was a skull.

  A human skull.

  Slowly, I turned it in my hands. Like the other bones I'd found, it was smudged with dirt and grime. The marsh, I realized, wasn't just a marsh.

  It was a massive burial ground.

  Chapter 57

  Dr. Wu looked up as I walked into the clinic, followed by Graham and Beverly. "We need your help, doc."

  "With what?"

  I placed a large duffel bag at his feet. "With this."

  "Hang on a second." The doc turned back to Rigoberta. "I think you're developing a new infection. You should really take it easy."

  "Don't worry." Her eyes looked red and puffy. "I'll be fine."

  He sighed and twisted back to us. Bending over, he opened the bag. Instantly, he recoiled. "Where'd you get these?"

  "From the marsh," I replied. "And that's just from one little area."

  My nerves tingled as he gently pulled the skull from the duffel bag. It appeared curved and brittle. Clumps of dirt stuck fast to it.

  He produced a small light and pointed it into the skull's interior. "This person sustained massive injuries." He shifted the beam to the bag. "The skull is crushed and the limbs are broken. Maybe a block fell on him."

  "That was my thought too," Beverly said. "He was probably a worker."

  "Maybe." He sorted through the bones. "How'd they look coming out of the ground?"

  "Pretty much like you see them now," I replied.

  "These rib cages are intertwined." He held up the broken bones. "Were they like that when you found them?"

  I nodded.

  "I doubt Hunahpu would've buried his workers in a mass grave." He picked up the skull again. "And do you see that?"

  He passed it to me. It felt hard and rough against my fingers. I breathed on a clump of dirt, blowing away the particles. "It looks like a wound."

  "Probably a spear wound. These people were injured during battle. And then they were sacrificed. The skull is clearly scorched in multiple places. And I saw similar marks on the other bones."

  I recalled the mural from the summit shrine as I checked the scorch marks. Like many artifact hunters, I tended to romanticize the past. Dr. Wu's revelation served as a reminder that while modern societies were far from perfect, ancient societies had been just as bad, if not worse.

  I handed the skull back to him. "Anything else you can tell us about it?"

  "Ancient bones aren't exactly my field of expertise," the doc said. "But this skull is low, flat, and squat with a projecting forehead and protruding chin. Fairly big brain case although that doesn't necessarily mean anything. Other than that …"

  I cocked my head and waited for him to continue. But instead, he lowered his face. The tip of his nose nearly brushed against the skull. "It might just be an aberration," he said. "But this thing is on the small side."

  "Maybe it belonged to a child," Graham said.

  "I don't think so. See this bulge?" Dr. Wu pointed at the back of the skull. "It looks like an occipital bun."

  "What does that mean?" Beverly asked.

  "Well, I don't want to go too far out on a limb. It might just indicate the owner of this skull suffered from a deformity."

  "And if not?"

  "Then it belongs to something else altogether. An archaic human species." Dr. Wu swallowed. "One I've never seen in my entire life."

  Chapter 58

  "Hey guys." Emily waved her hand. "Can you come here for a moment?"

  Beverly, Graham, and I turned away from the pyramid and instead, walked to the dome tent. The others were already gathered beneath it. As we p
assed under the fabric, I heard the Maneros arguing.

  "I'd rather talk to your computer program than you," Dora said. "It's smarter. Better looking too."

  "I am the program," Renau insisted. "I built the thing, woman."

  "That figures. Neither of you can think for yourselves."

  When I'd first met the Maneros, I'd thought they hated each other. Now, I realized I'd been wrong. They loved each other deeply. They just didn't show it in the traditional fashion. Instead, they were like two kids, flirting via constant needling.

  "We're moving a little slower than normal right now." Renau cleared his throat as he turned toward us. "Unfortunately, my computer hasn't worked since the crash. But Dora and I finally finished translating the gold plate we found inside the sarcophagus."

  "It contains a general history of this canyon and the library," Dora said. "Much of it focuses on an ancient battle between the forces of good and evil. It appears the Mayas at Palenque, Tikal, Lubaantun, Cahal Pech, and other places hated and feared the people who lived here. Legends sprouted up around them."

  Renau exhaled. "The tablet refers to the original residents of this canyon as Xibalbans and their mysterious home—this place—as Xibalba."

  "Wait a second." My stomach clenched. Explosions went off in my brain. "Did you say Xibalba?"

  "Yes."

  "You okay, Cy?" Beverly touched my shoulder. Her voice barely broke through my mental cloud. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

  "Is it possible?" I muttered. "Could this really be Xibalba?"

  Beverly cocked her head. "What's Xibalba?"

  "It's an underground city, described in an ancient Maya codex known as the Popol Vuh. It's one of only three or four such books known to exist. Outside of the lost library, of course." Miranda looked shocked. "Loosely translated, Xibalba means Place of Fright or perhaps, Place of Fear. It plays an important part in the story of the hero twins, Xbalanque and Hunahpu."

  Xbalanque. Hunahpu.

  "But this can't be Xibalba," My mind reeled. "It wasn't a real place. It was a myth."

  "Aren't you the one who's always saying most myths have a basis in reality?" Beverly asked.

  "Xibalba was no ordinary mythological place. To the Mayas, it was sacred. It was their underworld." I took a deep breath. "It was their hell."

  Chapter 59

  "Are you serious?" Beverly's eyes widened. "The Mayas thought this place was hell?"

  "Not at first," Renau replied quickly. "Remember, Hunahpu was hired to build a fabulous retreat here."

  "I see." She was quiet for a moment. "Was Xibalba like the Christian version of hell?

  Renau looked at Miranda. "This is your area of expertise."

  "I can't believe it." Miranda stood rooted to the ground. "The Hero Twins were real. They came here. They …"

  As her voice drifted away, Tum cleared his throat. "Not really," he said to Beverly. "According to mythology, it consisted of nine levels. The lowest level was named Metnal. Twelve separate gods, known as the Lords of Xibalba, ruled over the levels. The death gods, Hun-Came and Vucub-Came, were the most powerful of the twelve deities. The other ten deities worked in pairs and caused all types of human suffering."

  "Sounds like a fun bunch."

  "They weren't alone. Others, not exactly human, occupied Xibalba. Their sole purpose was to venture out into the world in order to carry out the wishes of the Lords of Xibalba."

  "I only know the basics of Xibalba," I said. "What does the Popol Vuh say about Hunahpu and Xbalanque?"

  "Prior to their birth, their father and uncle—Hun Hunahpu and Vucub Hunahpu—were playing ball on a ballcourt. Bothered by the noise, the Lords of Xibalba challenged the two men to a match and proceeded to kill them with a bladed ball. Hun Hunahpu's skull sought out a woman named Xquic and spat on her hand, thus impregnating her with Hunahpu and Xbalanque."

  Beverly arched an eyebrow. "How romantic."

  "Later in life, Hunahpu and Xbalanque returned to the same ballcourt where their father and uncle had once played," Tum continued. "The Lords, annoyed by the commotion, summoned them to Xibalba. To make a long story short, they were forced to face trials and venture through six trap-filled houses. Afterward, they defeated the Lords and ended their reign."

  "If they were so important to Maya mythology, why didn't you recognize their names earlier?" Graham asked.

  "I didn't think of it," Tum replied. "Hunahpu and Xbalanque aren't exactly rare names among our people. It's akin to the name Peter. You wouldn't think twice about it unless it was used in context with Jesus Christ."

  "So, that's the Popol Vuh version." I glanced at the Maneros. "What does the plate say about Xibalba?"

  Dora leafed through a notebook. "According to my translation, the Mayas learned the location of this place by following the Xibalbans through a winding cave system. In 830 AD, they launched their attack. They killed the Xibalbans and conquered the city."

  "After the warriors had secured the canyon, Hunahpu and Xbalanque sensed evil in the air," Renau added. "They resolved to contain it and spent the next eighteen years working to that effect."

  "If this place was so evil, why'd Xbalanque agree to store the Library of the Mayas here?" I asked. "Why didn't he take it somewhere else?"

  "Good question. The text indicates the library was part of the containment system. We think it might've been used as a slander on the Xibalban form of worship."

  Beverly leaned forward. "How so?"

  "We figure the library was a symbolic gesture. The idea was probably to trap the Xibalban gods with Maya knowledge until the end of the fourth world."

  "What's the fourth world?"

  "The Classic Mayas believed in 'world ages,'" Tum said. "Each world was equivalent to thirteen b'ak'tuns, which translates to 5,126 years. The fourth world, according to the Maya Long Count Calendar, ended on December 21, 2012."

  "The 2012 phenomenon," I said softly.

  Beverly gave me an inquisitive look.

  "Don't you remember all that talk in late 2012? Some people thought doomsday was imminent. Others claimed mankind was about to reach an elevated plane of spirituality." I shrugged. "Of course, nothing actually happened."

  Beverly looked at Renau. "Does the plate actually refer to 2012?"

  He nodded. "I wouldn't read a lot into it though. According to the plate, the Mayas came here on 10.0.0.0.0, or at the end of the tenth b'ak'tun. Most likely they had b'ak'tuns on the brain."

  "That makes sense," I said. "But I can't believe they thought the death gods lived here."

  "They didn't just believe it. They actually succeeded in trapping Hun-Came and Vucub-Came. At least that's what the plate says." Renau shrugged. "But the death gods had the last laugh. They infected Hunahpu and Xbalanque with a horrible disease. The workers, devoted to the end, removed their bodies to the jungle for burial."

  "Incredible," I muttered. "Absolutely incredible."

  "Again, don't take it too seriously." Dora smiled. "This place is a remarkable find on many levels. But the story etched on the plate is just a story. It's not like Hun-Came and Vucub-Came actually exist."

  "Maybe not in the way we imagine them," I said tightly. "But that doesn't mean they don't exist."

  Chapter 60

  "You think the death gods are real?" Graham made a face. "You can't be serious."

  Heavy rain struck the limestone and cascaded down the pyramid's southern face. From there, it spilt onto the ground, mixing with the marsh, and forming an ever-larger quagmire.

  "I know it's just a myth. But it could still have a basis in reality."

  "Unless it was just dreamt up by Hunahpu to improve productivity. Think about it. He needed workers to spend eighteen years building the pyramid. That's a long time. Spreading false stories about sealing up death gods would be a good way to keep people motivated."

  "That's pretty cynical."

  He shrugged. "The truth is educated Mayas had little use for the plethora of Maya gods. They knew the go
ds were just a convenient way for divine ajaws to exert control over peasants."

  My eyes traveled up the south wall. Darkness and misty haze surrounded the ancient structure. Suddenly, my gaze tightened. "Did you see that?"

  "See what?"

  I pointed at the southwest edge. "I think I saw an animal up there."

  He gave me a doubtful look."

  "There could be a crevice. Maybe we can use it to get inside."

  "We won't need it."

  I twisted toward him. "What do you mean?"

  A giant grin crossed his wrinkled face. "I fixed Alice."

  He pulled a camera out of his bag and handed it to me. I pushed the power button and an image appeared. For the most part, it was colored blue. However, I noticed traces of slanted light red lines on the upper half of the pyramid. They were parallel to each other and spread evenly apart.

  "Nice work. This is from the north wall, right?"

  He nodded.

  I took a closer look at the image. Light red blobs were gathered around the edges of the wall. They were evenly spaced and relatively close to the ground. I estimated the lowest one was just ten feet off the marsh.

  My heart skipped a beat. "You know what this is, right?"

  "Well, of course. It's—"

  "It's the answer to how Hunahpu built the pyramid."

  He frowned. "It is?"

  "Remember the mural from the summit shrine? It showed an exterior ramp leading to the pyramid. But in the picture, the ramp had already reached the edge of the clearing and the pyramid was only about a quarter of the way to completion. There simply wasn't room to build a longer ramp. Plus, we haven't found any traces of it."

  "That's right." He nodded slowly. "And as I recall, you didn't think a spiraling ramp could finish the job."

  "Not an exterior spiraling ramp. But an interior one could've done it."

  He gave me a puzzled look.

  "As the pyramid got taller, Hunahpu must've built a spiraling ramp inside it. At that point, the first ramp was no longer necessary. Most likely, it was broken down and the limestone blocks were hauled up the internal ramp to build the rest of the structure." I nodded at the slanted red lines. "I think those lines are what's left of the internal ramp."