The holograph was replaced by an artificial man made of bronze and a metal tripod vehicle with three golden wheels. Frank continued, “It was written in The Iliad and other Greek literature that he created an artificial man named Talus made entirely from bronze and also these self-propelled vehicles that roamed Mount Olympus independently. I had assumed while growing up that these had been dreamt up in someone’s imagination. But now, I believe these epic poems are describing something completely different.”
“Like what?” Myra asked.
“A technology long forgotten,” he explained.
“Just because the shield levitates in some harmonic frequency in the door,” Myra cautioned, “doesn’t mean that we are about to be struck down by a thunderbolt from Zeus. What makes you so sure that this phenomena isn’t some fluke based upon the metallic properties of the shield? Maybe this whole thing is just a coincidence.”
“The problem is,” Frank said matter-of-factly, “I’ve never seen the metals used to create the shield. And what is even more interesting, is that after dating the shield I discovered that it is well older than the projected 3,000 years.”
Myra’s interest had been piqued. In fact, she began to examine the automatisms in the hologram and conjecture how such technology could help tighten her stranglehold on the New World Order she was creating. “How much older?” she asked.
“It’s at least 12,000 years old,” he responded with a half-smile. “Say goodbye to everything we’ve ever been taught about ancient history.”
A hologram of the shield now appeared before them.
“What’s even more fascinating,” Frank went on to say, “is that the metal composites used in creating the shield are so strong, I could not even cut through it with a high-powered laser. At best, I could only procure a few flakes of the metal in the process.”
He shook his head. “Like The Iliad said, this shield is virtually impenetrable.”
The holographic shield then split vertically into two halves down the center. As the one half on the right disappeared, the other turned to it side, revealing its inner portion.
“The only other option left to further examine the shield was noninvasive tests such as low coherence interferometry, spectral analysis, magnetic-particle resonance, and even ultrasound. And what I discovered with these various imaging modalities also validated what was written in The Iliad. It seems the shield is made of five separate layers.”
Before he could explain any further, one of the lab technicians started coughing uncontrollably and fell to the ground. Bright red blood spewed from her mouth and splattered along the floor as the coughing spell continued. Two techs ran to her side. While one patted her back, another knelt beside her.
“We need to get her to the hospital,” Frank insisted.
As he began to walk over to his colleague, Myra grabbed him by the arm. She knew helping the woman would be futile. The technician and Frank were most likely being eaten alive by the nanosplicers and had less than a day to live. “What difference does it make?” she then said indignantly, “we’re not done here.”
“Have you no compassion?” Frank insisted. “She’s my friend and your employee.”
He then pulled his arm back and walked over to the sick technician.
Myra knew he spoke the truth. She had little use for compassion.
As Frank attended to his colleague’s needs, Myra bent her head closer to the cross-sectional holographic display of the shield. She then placed her two hands together as if stopping traffic and spread them apart, zooming in on the image.
Different numbers and calculations appeared within and next to its five separate layers. Despite not understanding the significance of any of these figures, she certainly recognized one symbol repeated multiple times down the shield’s innermost layer.
It was the letters Hg. Though not a chemist, she understood that the shield’s innermost layer must be composed partially of liquid mercury.
Before she could inspect the shield any further, an enormous crash caused her body to jolt backwards as if touched by an open electrical wire. The sound was so overwhelming that it echoed within her ear and made her tremble.
Blaring sirens, and red flashing lights along the ceiling immediately followed the crash, adding to the growing commotion. Though some of the technicians in the room began to scurry out the door, a few continued to attend to their sick colleague while cautiously looking out the enormous windows facing The New Reality’s inner courtyard.
What’s going on? Myra thought.
“Kevin?” she was then able to sputter. “Kevin!”
“I’m sending up the bodyguards,” Kevin’s flustered voice responded in her auricular microchip. “Your life is in imminent danger!”
Chapter_28
Alex slowly awoke back in his tent. Streaks of blue light faded in and out of his vision. It was as if his mind were halfway in this virtual reality and halfway in The New Reality’s innermost computer system. He took a deep breath and focused on the top of his tent, hoping to take control of his thoughts. His attempts were proving futile as his mind continued to drift further away from his current location.
An elderly man with a bowl knelt down next to him. Alex recognized that it was his personal physician, Philip, there to attend to his every medical need.
“Drink,” Philip insisted as he brought an ornate Persian bowel to his lips.
Alex took the bowl and slowly sipped it contents. A looming soldier standing behind Philip skeptically watched the transaction. In full body armor, a sword to his side and a bronze helmet in his hand, Parmenio glowered at the older physician with disdain. Whether his general was there to ensure that he was not poisoned by Philip or to execute him due to what appeared to be a continued illness, Alex wasn’t sure. What Alex did understand was that he needed to be outside leading his troops. If he lingered much longer in his tent, a challenger to the throne would soon come looking.
The blue streaks of light began to become much more vivid as Parmenio and Philip’s faces faded away. Though his body wanted to stand, his mind was irrevocably taking him somewhere else.
“Just give me one minute to close my eyes,” Alex finally conceded as he was immediately transported back to the Temple of Apollo at Didyma.
Again he found himself standing in front of its elaborately decorated massive door. Each of its carvings continued to glow and slightly levitate away from it upon his approach. This time Alex remembered where he’d previously seen similar carvings—Achilles’ shield.
Alex inspected each scene. Remembering the series of contrasts that were displayed on the shield such as war and peace along with work and play, he looked for the two carvings that were dichotomous to one another and exact replicas of what could be found on the ancient artifact.
There were at least 25 different scenes. Some obviously had never been etched on Achilles’ shield such as a Roman Emperor overseeing his army or a medieval knight on a horse. Others, though similar to the carvings on the shield, displayed nuances that made them recognizable forgeries.
Alex pointed to one of the scenes. His motion made the carving levitate further out from the door and follow his finger wherever he moved it.
So that’s how this riddle works.
Though delighted with his discovery, he knew that he needed to accomplish the task quickly and return to his men before an unwanted dagger would find its way to his chest.
Two carvings then piqued Alex’s interest. The first was a city at peace; its inhabitants celebrated a wedding with a grandiose feast. The other depicted a city preparing for battle as two armies stood poised around its walls, ready to attack.
With one hand Alex gestured to the city at peace and moved it to the top of the vacant circle in the center of the door. With his other hand, he positioned the scene of a city at war underneath it.
The two carvings began to shine brightly when adjoined while the other scenes faded away. The door then opened down its center, splitting the two c
arvings vertically in half.
Success!
Alex walked through the doorway and entered what he knew to be the temple’s cella. Supported by two large columns in front of him, it represented the furthest anyone other than the temple’s priests and oracles could precede. Many burning candles lined the passage while carvings of Apollo adorned the side walls. Alex wished he could stay and appreciate the beauty of this inner sanctum but knew time would not allow for such indulgences.
The space then opened up to a massive sunlit courtyard. Unlike most temples of the time, this inner sanctuary possessed no roof and was open to the environment. Alex walked between the columns and down a large staircase to enter the most sacred part of the temple known as the adyton. While statues of Apollo adorned the inner sanctuary’s perimeter, grass covered the floor and other statues and tress adorned the rest of the area.
It was like a Garden of Eden. Birds perching on the laurel trees sang, while a fresh flower aroma filled his nostrils. As Alex walked through the courtyard, he again marveled at its beauty and the minutia of detail that had gone into this virtual world.
As he approached each of the statues, they began to glow like the scenes on the temple’s door.
The riddle continues, Alex thought. What do I have to figure out next?
Whatever the riddle, he presumed the statues were somehow connected. But how?
At the back of the courtyard Alex noted what appeared to be a small inner shrine. In the shape of a traditional temple with columns along its front and a long triangular tympanum above the door, this building appeared as if it could only comfortably accommodate three to four people.
Alex walked over to the temple. Grabbing hold of the two handles on the door, he attempted to push and then pull it open. In the process, two small pedestals adjacent to each of his feet began to glow as he futilely attempted to enter the building.
Locked.
Alex looked over at the pedestals and realized that two of the glowing statues most likely needed to be placed there in order to gain entrance to the temple. He then backed away from the building, remembering the dichotomy of the shield and how he had solved the original riddle in order to enter this inner courtyard.
Which two statues are the right ones?
Walking up to the first statue, he noted it was of a man draped in a robe who held a bird in his right hand. Nothing at first struck him as odd or even unique about it. However, before he walked over to the next statue, Alex noticed the man’s face. Originally not taking note of its features, he quickly recognized it to be that of Albert Rosenberg.
He then briskly walked up to the other statues throughout the courtyard. Like the one of Albert, all had faces that were familiar to him. Whether of his father, grandfather, or different executives at The New Reality, they were all distinctly recognizable. There were even statues with his and Jules’ faces along with those of famous Roman Emperors and American Presidents.
Though at first it seemed somewhat comical, Alex realized that these faces were at the crux of the riddle. He continued to look around and consider which two statues were in sharp contrast with one another and would fit with this current scenario. Nothing struck him as the obvious choice.
I’ll just attempt as many as I can until I discover the correct combination, Alex finally concluded after no combination stood out for him.
Taking his best guess, he walked over to the statute of himself. The marble edifice glowed brighter as he raised his hand alongside of it. The statue then levitated over to one of the spots on the pedestal. Alex then did the same with the statue bearing Albert Rosenberg’s face.
Instead of the door opening, the two statues immediately evaporated and reappeared where they had originally been placed. In the process, the statues he currently stood next to began to glow much less intensely as result.
At first, Alex tried to convince himself they had not dimmed. But upon walking over to one of the statues, he noted that it had indeed slightly diminished in intensity. The consequence of his mistake became quickly evident. He had at best maybe two or possibly three more guesses left before he lost his only opportunity to open the temple’s door—and potentially uncover the lock.
Trial and error was obviously no longer an option.
Which two statues could they be?
Before Alex could decide, he awoke back in his tent. This time the transition was more abrupt and without any residual effects.
He conjectured that the connection with The New Reality’s computer system must have been somehow terminated. Whether it was a result of his mistake at the temple or due to the fact that his brain could no longer handle the duration of the mental connection, he could not say. The one thing he did know was that his troops awaited him, and if his presence was not made known immediately, his journey might come to an inauspicious end.
Feeling slightly rejuvenated, he stood up. Two of his female servants rushed to his side. One held a goblet and the other a damp towel. Instead of accepting the offer, Alex politely whisked them out of the tent. Rest was no longer an option.
He then began to don the ancient Macedonian armor lying next to the plush, red pillows on the floor. While keeping on his white tunic, he placed a thickly compacted linen corset known as a linothorax over his upper body. Used in the ancient times by the Macedonian and Greek armies, this form of armor provided excellent protection comparable to its metal counterparts but was less than half the weight, more flexible, and would generate much less heat when fighting under the Mediterranean sun. Beautifully decorated, the corset feathered out into long rectangular strips and extended halfway down to his thighs.
Wide straps that arose from the back of the corset were secured to its front by a sturdy leather rope wrapped around lion-shaped buttons. Silver embroidered shoulder pads with long strips of linen, secured parallel to one another, attached to both sides of these straps and protected Alex’s shoulders and upper arms. An intricate, silver lion’s head was sewn meticulously on the chest of the armor while red stripes on either side of the straps over his shoulders and around his abdomen completed the decorative design.
Alex then donned his final piece of body armor by tying around his waist a flappy, leather kilt, which also feathered out into rectangular strips that extended below his knees. Identifying himself as the king, Alex donned a red cape to let all soldiers in battle know they now faced Alexander the Great.
Once fully dressed, Alex suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of destiny fill his inner soul, making him shudder as he considered his true pedigree. It was as if the original Alexander was reaching out from the grave and embracing him for the first time as his true brother.
Adrenaline pumped through his body. Time to ride.
***
The Macedonian army kept a tight formation while marching northward along the Syrian coast. These journeys were usually a long and monotonous venture. Being that the entire army moved at a foot’s pace over different terrain, it took a protracted time to cover even a relatively short distance.
Alex rode atop his trusted black steed, Bucephalus. It was a beautiful horse that the original Alexander had personally trained during his adolescent years. Celebrated for its muscular build and agility on the battlefield, Bucephalus made an excellent fighting companion.
Riding from the rear of the army, Alex was accompanied by his personal Companion cavalry. Numbering roughly 2,000, these soldiers were the finest horsemen in the entire Macedonian army. Formed from many of Alexander’s boyhood friends and other soldiers who had distinguished themselves in battle, they were considered the most elite military squad in the world at that time.
Alongside the Companions was an assortment of other multinational cavalry units, including the Macedonian, Thracians, Greeks, and Thessalonians. Together they composed another 4,000 men.
Marching directly ahead of him was the entire battalion of Macedonian pikemen. Alex stared in awe at the long lines of these soldiers as they marched in perfect sync with one another.
Each carried a cornel wood lance nearly 18 feet in length by his side. Called sarissas by the Macedonians, these weapons were tipped with an iron blade and counter-weighted with a butt-spike on the opposite end, thus making them easier to wield in battle.
These soldiers would draw up the famed phalanx formation during battle. Some of the men wore bronze breastplates while others donned the usual thick leather corselet, which protected their entire torso. With a sword fastened to their side, a traditional Greek-inspired bronze helmet on their head, and carrying a large circular shield, they were equipped with the finest military gear of the day.
Leading the army were the Macedonian infantrymen. Equipped similarly as the pikemen, they instead wielded a thrusting spear that was both lighter and shorter than the long pike. Other soldiers, including the archers and skirmishers, along with horse-drawn wagons full of supplies also accompanied the journey.
Despite things not proceeding according to plan, Alex felt a hint of excitement as he envisioned the impending conflict. The thought of reliving the epic battle between Alexander the Great and the Persian king Darius did have its allure.
Parmenio rode his steed straight through the rows of soldiers directly toward Alex.
“King Alexander,” he announced, “sorry for the interruption.” He pulled his horse astride Bucephalus. “The scouts have just informed me that Darius, along with the entire Persian army, is much closer than expected.”
Alex kept his composure while listening to his trusted general. With his head forward and barely flinching to acknowledge Parmenio, he continued riding. Despite Alex’s nonchalant facade, he felt a sense of excitement surge through his body. Though he wanted to avoid all conflict and possible injury, he felt as if he needed to do this battle. It was as if he had been destined for this moment.
The Hidden Reality (Alex Pella, #2) Page 21
