And forget about taste—it was overwhelmed by silicone from the mouthpiece his teeth were chomping down on.
As they approached the coral, a smile spread at the myriad of fish swimming around the calcium carbonate deposits left behind over millennia of invertebrates making the formations their homes.
Which came first? The fish or the reef?
He remembered reading somewhere that scientists had settled the age-old chicken or egg debate—the egg of course, since the mutation that created the first chicken would have happened to another creature’s egg.
Scientists kill all the fun!
A strange rumbling sound pulsated through the water, and at first, he thought a boat was passing by overhead. He reoriented to look up at the surface above, but could see nothing beyond a general brightness overhead, broken by the gentle ebb and flow of the ocean surface. The rumble continued to grow, and he felt it through his skin as he turned to regain his view of Jimmy. When he finally did, his friend’s eyes were wide behind his mask, and he was slowly jabbing his finger toward what should be the shore.
Niner swung his hand, propelling himself around and almost gasped his mouthpiece out as he saw the side of the island, for lack of a better description, sliding deeper underwater, a cloud of dust and debris slowly rolling toward them. He was about to kick his legs to head for the surface when he felt a hand on his arm, and on instinct, he tore it away before realizing it was Jimmy at his side. Niner pointed up and Jimmy shook his head, tapping the gauge indicating their depth. Niner silently cursed, remembering that if they ascended too quickly to the surface, they’d have a wicked case of the bends that could end up killing them if not treated immediately—and he wasn’t willing to bet that the Portuguese territory of the Azores had a hyperbaric oxygen chamber that could save them.
Instead, they were forced to slowly kick to the surface and watch the massive landslide taking place in front of them, and pray that any debris that reached them would merely be sand.
I wonder if it could clog our equipment.
They slowly began the controlled rise required for this depth, when the rumble stopped. Niner halted his ascent and floated freely for a few moments as the dirt kicked up by the landslide slowly subsided, gently floating back to the ocean floor. Niner couldn’t resist, cutting short his return, and instead cautiously headed for what might be newly revealed ocean floor, treasure of unimaginable value possibly accessible for the first time in decades, or millennia.
As he approached, Jimmy at his side, his eyes played tricks on him. He could pick out shapes in the silt-filled water, shapes that were geometric, straight lines and right angles—manmade, not natural. His heart raced as a smile spread across his face.
It had to be a ship.
He kicked a little harder, Jimmy keeping pace, obviously seeing the same thing. As they neared, the shapes became more distinct, more unnatural, and then suddenly it all snapped into focus. Columns. Buildings. Structures. This was a city, or at least part of one. It stretched out for as far as the eye could see, though that wasn’t far. It appeared Greek or Roman to him, but he wasn’t the expert.
Hell, it looked like it could have been the Capitol Building for all he knew.
He glanced at Jimmy and gave him an excited thumbs up before they both kicked hard toward the ruins. His heart hammered as if he was in combat, this by far the coolest thing he had ever seen, and he finally understood why Professors Acton and Palmer loved their work so much.
If this is their every day, then my life is just plain boring!
Something glinted below them and he pointed, kicking hard to reach it first, Jimmy beginning to overtake him. He reached out and shoved his friend aside, grasping the exposed piece of metal with his other hand.
Ha!
His friend flipped him the bird, circling around to face him as he struggled to pull from the seabed whatever it was he had found. Jimmy reached out and grabbed another part of the perhaps foot long pole, and together they both yanked, much of their leverage lost to the buoyancy of the water. It finally began to give, and within moments, what looked to Niner to be a honkin’ huge dinner fork was revealed, and he suddenly felt like he was in the land of the giants. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure none approached. He held it up in front of him, staring at it, trying to make sense of the encrusted “fork,” about six feet in length.
Wait a minute, I know what this is! It’s a trident!
He wanted to shout out his revelation to Jimmy, but it was impossible. Jimmy reached forward and scraped at the surface of the object, a general glint of metal coming through, though with so much of the surface covered, it was hard to tell what they had discovered, except that it was quite heavy, even in the water. Niner’s eyes widened at what was revealed.
If that’s not gold, then I don’t know what is!
He pointed up, and Jimmy nodded, there no doubt in his mind who needed to be informed of what they had just discovered.
3
Outside the Senate Chambers
Atlantis
Before the fall
Ampheres emerged into the bright afternoon sun, the breeze off the ocean light but welcome, the scent of the sea something he would never tire of. To his right, the source of their impending destruction continued to smolder, steam or some other gas wafting into the clear sky like a lazy cloud.
“Professor Ampheres, do you have anything to say to the press?”
“What was it that was so urgent you were granted an audience?”
Ampheres frowned, forgetting what was awaiting him on the steps of the Senate. He was about to open his mouth when someone finally noticed what was still gripped in his hand.
“Is that Poseidon’s Trident?”
He stared at it for a moment, unsure of what to do, but quickly realizing that his future of imprisonment was already certain. And he might only have moments to warn the population. He raised the trident in the air, the gathered reporters falling silent. “I have taken this symbol of our past, to remind our present leaders of their duty. We took control of our own destinies centuries ago when we cast off the gods, and embraced the notion of personal responsibility. We decided it was mankind that should be ultimately responsible for its actions, for its deeds, and once we did, our civilization advanced rapidly.”
He looked at the reporters, every last one of them soon to be dead. “Yet today, through inaction, all that we built will be lost, but worse, so will the people who built it.” He pointed at the building behind him. “Those men and women in there have forgotten that their responsibility is to the people of Atlantis, not the structures we have built. Atlantis is its people, not these streets, not these buildings. Yet soon, this will all be destroyed, and because of their inaction, so will you.”
“What do you mean? Are you talking about the mountain?”
“Yes, I’m talking about the mountain. The earthquakes have been getting worse, not better as their scientists have been claiming, and the heat from the top of that beast”—he jabbed a finger at the mountain in the distance—“has been increasing at a terrifying rate. My team returned just yesterday from a two-week survey, and we have proof that the government has been lying to us. That mountain will soon explode, and if we don’t take action, then we are all going to die.”
“But what can we do? Is there any way to stop it?”
“No, not that our science knows of yet. Our only hope is evacuation.”
Somebody guffawed. “How do you evacuate so many people? It’s impossible!”
“Exactly. But we can save some, and some will be all we need to rebuild our great city when the calamity is over.”
“And what if you’re wrong?”
“Then I’m wrong, and you can all laugh at me in your reports, and I will be shunned for the rest of my life. But we will all be alive. Though if I’m right, and our city is indeed destroyed, then I will take no pleasure in saying ‘I told you so,’ because I too will be dead beside you. We must take action now and evacu
ate as many as we can, before it is too late. And this government, in its blind ignorance, refuses to act, too concerned to be thought the fool if I’m wrong.
“But I say we need to act now, get our people on the boats, and head east, back through the Pillars of Hercules, and find a safe location to settle until we see what happens to our home. And should I be wrong, those we sent will return. But if I am right, it will be those we were able to save who will rebuild Atlantis. And while it may not be here, on this island we call home, it will still be Atlantis, because Atlantis is its people, and it is its people that makes it great. Our knowledge, our ways, will allow us to rebuild, and perhaps even one day reclaim this home I fear will be lost any day now.”
“Do you plan on running?”
He frowned at the reporter. “Running sounds like a coward’s way out, and I am no coward. If I am permitted, I will leave with my family, and I pray that thousands will join me. But I fear, with my actions here today”—he held up the trident, giving it a shake—“I will be trapped inside a prison cell, condemned to die with the rest of you when the time comes.” He sighed, lowering the trident to his side. “Now, I must go see my wife and children, before that ineffectual bunch behind me send their enforcers of ignorance to arrest me.”
He pushed through the crowd, heading for the canal transport now pulling up to the dock serving the Senate, the members of the press chasing him, peppering him with questions. He climbed aboard, flashing his pass to the attendant, then took a seat, the press still onshore. The conductor reattached the boat to the water-powered line that stretched the length of the route along one of the many canals carved into the landscape, traveling from the sea to the edge of the mountain, three massive circular harbors surrounding the core of their civilization providing cross-access to the other parts of the city.
It was ingenious.
It was Atlantean.
And it would soon be lost to the world.
He closed his burning eyes, picturing his wife and young children dying in the massive explosion he knew was to come. His fist squeezed the trident tight as he decided he would not yield to fate. He had to save his family. He had to save as many as he could.
Yet he had no idea how.
4
Pico Island, Azores
Present Day
Command Sergeant Major Burt “Big Dog” Dawson stood staring out at the ocean, his eyes hunting for his friends. It had been almost half an hour since the earthquake, and though the damage appeared minor at the beach they had been enjoying, he had no clue what had happened underwater.
Sergeant Leon “Atlas” James jogged up, his massive frame glistening from the sun they had been enjoying. “No joy, BD. The dive shop said there’s nothing we can do but wait. They had planned on a deep dive, so the fact we haven’t seen them yet could be a good thing. If they panicked and tried to get to the surface quickly, they’d have the bends and could drown or die. He said it would take at least—”
Dawson cut him off as a sigh of relief escaped at the sight of their comrades in arms emerging from the water, Niner with a shit-eating grin, something gripped in his hand. The two slowly plodded toward them, their fins still on. Niner came to a stop in front of them and shoved the large…fork?...in the sand.
“I think I just discovered Atlantis.”
Atlas eyed him. “I was looking for my fork. What are you doing with it?”
Niner tilted his head, giving him a look. “It’s a trident, silly. Don’t you know your comic books?”
Atlas took a deep breath, expanding his already massive frame. “I played with GI Joe when I was a kid.”
“Yeah, well I’m Korean. Who do you think taught him the Kung Fu grip?”
Jimmy’s eyes narrowed. “Umm, isn’t Kung Fu Chinese?”
Niner shrugged. “What do I know? They make everything in China these days.” He raised the trident from the ground then shoved it back in with a thud. “I am now the greatest archaeologist known to man.” He looked about. “Where’s my press?”
Dawson shook his head. “You two do know there was just an earthquake here.”
Niner paused for a moment, his eyes surveying the area quickly before apparently deciding his inappropriate behavior could continue. “How do you think we found it? One minute it wasn’t there, then a few minutes of rumbling, and voila, ancient city!”
Dawson paused for a moment as he processed what Niner was saying. “Wait a minute, you’re actually serious, aren’t you?”
Niner’s eyes narrowed. “Umm, you do realize that this isn’t a piece of the big man’s kit, right? He was joking.”
Dawson reached forward and rubbed at some of the sea that had made its life on the surface of the object, revealing what to him appeared to be gold. He grasped it and lifted. “Jeez, that’s heavy.”
“Exactly. Just like gold. And it’s all mine.”
Atlas grunted. “The government might have something to say about that. And if they don’t, I still say it’s my fork.”
Dawson looked around them, the panic of earlier having settled down. “I think we should get this thing out of sight before it draws attention.”
Niner hugged it, then gave it a little kiss. “Don’t you worry, Forky, I won’t let anyone take you from me.”
Jimmy raised a tentative hand. “Umm, if I find a sock on the door to our room, can I bunk with one of you guys?”
Dawson and Atlas both answered in unison. “No!”
Dawson started heading for their vehicle. “You know who we should let know about this?”
Niner frowned. “Yeah, yeah, I know. Just give me a few minutes alone with it, though. I want to be able to say that for one brief moment in time, I was actually rich.”
5
Acton/Palmer Residence
St. Paul, Maryland
Archaeology Professor James Acton lay on the floor of his bedroom, gasping for breath as his wife, Archaeology Professor Laura Palmer, lay beside him, one leg draped over the action, none the worse for wear. “Why am I the one who’s so out of breath?”
She smiled at him and shrugged. “Sometimes it’s nice to just lay back and enjoy the ride.”
He chuckled then gave her a peck. “And did you?”
“Ooooh yeah!” She ran a finger over the scar on his shoulder, a reminder of his near-death experience in the West Bank. “Hurt?”
“Only if you touch it.”
Her finger darted away, her jaw dropping. “Oh, God, I’m so sorry!”
He laughed. “Just kidding. No, it doesn’t bother me at all. The Israeli surgeons did a great job.” He rolled over to face her, their dirty bits coming back into contact. “I’m going to miss you.”
She smiled at him. “I think you’re going to miss this.” She thrust her hips into him, causing a stirring below.
“Yup, I’m going to miss her too, but I think I’ll miss the entire package.”
She pushed him onto his back and straddled him. “Speaking of packages, how about this time I do all the work.”
He grinned, clasping his hands behind his neck and staring up at the beauty that had agreed to marry him. “Sometimes it is nice to just lay back and enjoy the ride.”
“Yeah, baby, you just lay there and let your wife do all the work.”
Acton closed his eyes and groaned when his phone demanded his attention. He ignored it, instead giving himself over completely to the magic that was happening without him having to move a muscle. “I’m definitely going to miss you both.” The phone buzzed again, then several more times, indicating a flurry of messages.
Laura pushed a hand into his chest. “Don’t. You. Dare. Answer. That.”
“Not a chance in hell.”
The finish was furious, intense, and blinding—enough to fry his brain for a few minutes before his phone once again demanded attention. Laura, now draped across his chest, spent, suddenly pushed off him and stood, her legs straddling him, giving him a view his teenage self would have given his left testicle for.
<
br /> “I’m done with you. You may now answer your phone.”
He laughed and rolled to his feet as Laura headed for the bathroom. He grabbed his phone as the shower turned on, then dropped onto the bed, his eyes widening as he looked at the series of photos just sent to him. “Holy shit!” He saved them to the cloud then pulled them up on his iPad, using its bigger screen to scrutinize the photos of what Niner had discovered.
It appeared to be a trident, found after being underwater for quite some time, several close-ups showing exposed areas suggesting either pure gold or gold plating, but it was the final photo that had his heart hammering. “Hon, you’ve gotta see this!”
“Again? Wow, I guess you’re really gonna miss me!”
He stared at the open door to their bathroom for a moment before he realized what she meant. “No, not Jim, Jr. Some photos Niner just sent us from the Azores.”
“Give me a minute.”
Acton stared at the image again, his excitement growing. “You’re going to kick yourself if you don’t get out here right now.”
The shower turned off and he heard her step out, the sound of a towel pulled off the warming rack preceding damp feet padding toward him. She appeared in the doorway, soaked, with a towel around her torso, another in her hands, drying her hair.
“What is so important that I couldn’t finish my shower?”
He flipped the iPad around, showing her the zoomed in portion of the image and her eyes widened. She hurried forward, reaching out for the iPad.
He jerked it away. “Nuh-uh, wet hands.”
She frowned but dropped beside him on the bed, and he held it up again for her to see. “What is this?”
He swiped, showing her the photo of a grinning Niner holding the trident, which appeared taller than him, then a second with Atlas sitting at a table, a plate of food in front of him, pretending it was a fork.
“Where did they find it?”
“Diving off the Azores, according to the text. He thinks he found Atlantis.”
Atlantis Lost Page 2
