Trifariam, The Lost Codex (2012)

by Diego Rodriguez

  “Pleased to meet you,” she said. “Yesterday I was about to personally introduce myself to Mr. Matheson in his room when he was unable to disconnect one of the table lamps, but I preferred for our meeting to be delayed for a few hours. I thought the sound of a voice coming out of nowhere could have startled him.”

  The two friends couldn’t believe what they were seeing, both the security systems and the artificial intelligence that were straight out of a science fiction novel. They were surprised even more when the elevator did not go up, but down several feet, and although it was extremely difficult to check which floor they were on, Richard seemed to be thinking that they were two or three below the previous one. His face was therefore a picture of astonishment when the inner screen read “Floor -42”.

  Just then a sound could be heard behind the compartment, as if something had just connected to the rear part. What happened next was amazing. The elevator started to move forwards like a train along a railway line. It was generally in a straight line, although it did seem to turn occasionally. Obviously they were moving around under the surface of Area 51.

  “Where is this machine taking us?” asked James.

  “Agatha is taking us to the laboratories where the fragments you found are being analyzed. One of the scientists will accompany us to the meeting and tell us about the latest developments. Needless to say, the research that you are about to see is of paramount importance. You should know that you are being granted access to this restricted area because we need your help and, of course, if you talk about anything you’ve seen here, your lives will be in grave danger.”

  The machine eventually stopped, detached itself and sharply rose up without stopping to Floor -24. The metal doors opened straight away.

  “Sorry. We’re working on making the stop a little more bearable.”

  Before their eyes was a corridor around five hundred yards long with a host of laboratories on either side. They were gigantic in size and all kitted out with state of the art machinery. Just to the right of each of the access doors were huge panes of glass, which allowed those outside to observe what was going on within the laboratory. It was intended to motivate the rest of the scientists when they saw the achievements that their colleagues were making on a daily basis. There was a sign below those doors which indicated the project the laboratory was involved in at that time, some of which made their blood run cold.

  Richard began to think that something strange must have been going on for them to allow a couple of civilians to be sniffing around their discoveries.

  “Force fields?” asked James.

  The Director smiled, he seemed ready to answer all their questions. Inside the laboratory was a kind of cube-shaped booth which was twenty square feet and full of water. At the bottom, an air bubble sat in the middle and was preventing liquid from passing through it.

  “We’re investigating force fields from different viewpoints. On the one hand, they could protect our troops in a military environment, creating force fields around them which are impossible to destroy during battle. On the other hand, we’re investigating how useful they are in extreme conditions. The eventual aim would be to allow us to live in electromagnetic domes in the most unthinkable places in the world, like at the bottom of the sea or in space.”

  At that moment, Richard was unaware of the importance those words would have just hours later.

  They continued moving forwards and a new sign appeared before them: “Invisibility”.

  “It can’t be!”

  The Director smiled. “There’s a very famous saying among physicists: ‘Everything that is not forbidden is compulsory’. In other words, if there isn’t a natural law which prohibits a certain technology, it will not only be theoretically possible but actually applied in the future.”

  When James got closer to the glass, he saw a scientist just finish putting on a vest. After pressing a button, his body disappeared, causing an eerie sight; a head floating in mid-air, along with his lower extremities but no torso.

  “Invisibility was relatively easy to achieve. We only had to develop metamaterials, or artificial materials that have unusual electromagnetic properties. The key is to succeed in bending the light and making it curve around the objects in its path, before reverting back to its normal course on the other side.”

  “Damn! They’ve managed to do that as well!” Richard’s voice was coming from the next laboratory and below a sign which read “Teleportation”.

  “Well, that isn’t completely working yet,” stressed the Director, “but it is thought that it will work perfectly within one year. Up until now we have managed to transport viruses, small animals and objects, but we have made some errors that we are trying to iron out. This experiment is one of my favorites and I occasionally follow developments which are made in the world outside.” James was shocked at those words. “World outside”. Obviously for him, this was his real world. “As you know, they have succeeded in transporting photons even though they’re still a long way behind us. I’d say they’ll catch up in fifty years or so.”

  The following laboratories only served to make them more in awe of the research which was being carried out on a daily basis: sophisticated weaponry, telekinesis, or the mind’s capacity to influence matter, matter-antimatter motors which would allow them to travel into space with minimal energy costs, telepathy, robotics, artificial intelligence, research in the field of medicine, levitation… the list was endless.

  When the three of them got to the end of the corridor, they could barely speak.

  “All those experiments are incredible!”

  The Director chuckled again and addressed them in a very serious tone of voice. “Those experiments you have seen are just the tip of the iceberg. Below where we’re standing, they’re carrying out the most astonishing investigations in the world, especially in regard to aviation, both on land and in space.”

  Those words were a clear indication of what everybody thought about Area 51. James took a sharp breath and in light of the good faith shown to them by the Director, he got ready to ask him the question of the century but a voice interrupted them. It was a young man of around thirty who was running towards them with a pile of creased documents in his arms.

  “Sir, I’m here now. We can begin whenever you’re ready.”

  “Excellent!” he exclaimed. After a slight pause, he spoke to his guests. “Gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to one of our most prestigious scientists, Justin O’Brien. Don’t let his age fool you, because at twenty-eight he is one of the most brilliant minds of today.”

  Richard raised an eyebrow in surprise.

  “I was just about to explain to our guests why they are visiting our facilities. Which laboratory is it in?”

  The young man hesitated for a few seconds and accompanied them to one of the last laboratories. Unlike the others, it didn’t have a window to allow them look inside and access was again via a retinal scanner. Obviously something very important was unfolding on the other side.

  When the device verified his identity, the automatic doors opened and revealed a very surprising sight for Richard and James. The laboratory was oval in shape and the walls were lined with hundreds of computers and extremely sophisticated machines which were connected to each other; of course, they were unsure as to what the majority of them were used for. Right in the middle and suspended in mid-air were the two pieces they had found. But the most surprising thing of all was that they were already joined together, forming one triangular piece.

  “Why are they suspended in mid-air?”

  The Director cleared his throat. Now was the time to tell them. “After the object was fused together, it went crazy and seemed as if it had taken on a new life. Since then it has rejected any element or body which has tried to touch it. It is as if it is surrounded by an extremely powerful force field, preventing anybody from getting near it. We had to keep it locked in a device which simulates zero gravity through electromagnetic fields, so that it cou
ld remain afloat and not come into contact with anything or anybody. If it gets out of there, it could destroy the whole complex.”

  “Amazing! And why do you think we can help?”

  “Well.” He swallowed hard and carefully started to explain. “Richard discovered a very interesting engraving on the base of the triangle. Although we didn’t think it very important at first, after recent events we have decided to bear it in mind. We put all our scientists and experts in ancient semiology to work on the project and, after four days’ hard work, they managed to decipher its meaning.” The Director took out a piece of paper from his pocket and read the only sentence that was on it. “‘Only the legitimate founder, a man of pure heart and without evil intent, will be able to control the Trifariam after its fusion’. Which of you was the first to touch the two objects?”

  James took a deep breath. “I was the first, but what you’re saying is ridiculous!”

  “Tell that to the scientists who tried to touch it this morning. One of them is still convalescing in the sick bay and the other remains in a catatonic state in the hospital.”

  “And you want me to touch it?!”

  “Yes. Besides… didn’t you say that it was ridiculous? Or have you changed your mind?”

  “But…”

  Richard seized the moment to calm his friend down and put his arm around his neck. “Don’t worry, James. What he’s saying is true. According to the text, nothing is going to happen to you.”

  James Oldrich was stunned. He took a deep breath and got closer to the object practically without a second thought. He slowly stretched out his hand, carefully putting it nearer. If his friend was right, nothing should happen to him. However, with even the smallest unusual sensation, he would pull back.

  Chapter 64

  Justin watched the whole thing from his powerful computer connected to a state of the art scanner. With sophisticated software and using the results sent by the scanner, he could simulate and monitor on the screen the force field generated by the Trifariam around it through a series of waves in different colors and intensity, depending on the magnitude of the field at that time.

  He carefully watched how James’ hand crossed the magnetic field that kept it suspended in the air. He occasionally gave him some precise instructions on the speed at which he should approach and the distance needed before he came into contact with the force field he was generating around him. Both Richard and the Director of Area 51 waited behind the young scientist in anticipation, following the experiment’s developments on the monitor.

  There are only a couple of inches left! Go on! Go on!

  When James’ fingers came into contact with the force field, the only thing he felt was a slight tickle which lasted a few seconds and made every last hair on his body stand on end. However, the computer display was similar to a ton of artificial fireworks exploding at the same time and lighting up the screen with thousands of colors. When everything stopped, they stared in amazement at how the force field had vanished.

  Next, James took hold of the object without any problem at all and finally blew all the air out from his lungs.

  Charly smiled appreciatively. “Let’s go! They’re waiting for us!”

  Chapter 65

  The room where the meeting would take place was five floors above the scientific laboratories. Charly was few steps ahead, leading his guests through the winding labyrinth of corridors, offices and laboratories. He was followed by the promising scientist with his laptop and a stack of papers up to his neck, and James who was carrying in his hands the triangular object which had given them so much trouble over the last few days. Richard was at the back of the group.

  When they were in the vicinity of the meeting room, they noticed that it was opened via magnetic card. Just to the right of the crack, however, was a numerical keypad which the site Director quickly proceeded to use.

  Is there any place this guy doesn’t have access to?

  A small din suddenly filtered through the crack in the door, becoming louder as it opened further. Inside, five people were having a heated debate, immersed in a discussion which didn’t end in spite of the presence of the professor.

  The room inside was surprisingly large, but the absence of outside windows made them feel slightly claustrophobic. In the center of the room was an elliptical table divided into two parts by a huge glass pane around two inches thick and three feet high which went through the longer axis. Richard had the impression that he was about to have a face to face conversation with somebody in a high security prison. Justin pressed one of the buttons situated in one of the far edges of the table and the glass suddenly lit up, showing a blue background on both sides of the glass. Then he connected his laptop to the huge monitor.

  It was then that the five people fell silent and stood up to greet the Director of Area 51.

  “Good afternoon. Please accept my apologies for the delay, but there was a last minute problem with the device. Thanks to the invaluable help of Mr. Oldrich, we have successfully resolved it.”

  Another round of murmuring broke out in the room as all eyes fell upon James. He blushed but quickly realized that they were in fact looking at the triangular object he was carrying in his arms.

  “Over the last week, these two men have been scouring the globe, courageously and doggedly searching for the two fragments that you see before you today, which have already been fused into one singular piece.”

  Justin wheeled over a table with a glass cabinet and urged James to put the object inside, so that all those present could see it.

  The only man in the room who Richard knew started to speak. He was sitting at the far right of the table. “It seems too small to satisfy all the expectations that have been placed on it.”

  He was Peter Maxwell, United States Secretary of Defense, the chief executive officer of the Department of Defense (DoD). Like all his colleagues, he wore a black suit, in this case with a white shirt and dark colored tie. His gray hair was slightly ruffled, perhaps after the excitement of the last few days.

  “According to the results generated from the first analyses to which they have been submitted, we believe that they have an even greater power than we thought,” replied Charly, before addressing his two companions. “Allow me to introduce you to Peter Maxwell, United States Secretary of Defense. As you well know, the Department of Defense is the Government body in charge of the country’s armed forces. It is currently responsible for three Military Departments: the Department of the Navy (including the Marine Corps), the Department of the Army, and the Department of the Air Force.”

  “The headquarters are in the Pentagon,” whispered Richard into James’ ear.

  James had the feeling that this was the person with whom his friend had been communicating for all this time and, undoubtedly, the one who had orchestrated his rescue.

  “On his right are the Secretaries of the three previously mentioned departments, Messrs. William Clifford, George Richardson and Robert Perry respectively. Meanwhile, we also have with us today the Directors of the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).” The two men sitting on the left side of the table looked up, waiting for him to say their names. “Messrs. Donald Brown and Harold Cheney.”

  Shit. The CIA and the NSA are also involved in this?

  James knew too well that both organizations were U.S. government agencies. The CIA is in charge of monitoring all those governments, corporations and individuals which pose a threat to the national security of this country, and acting accordingly. The NSA is responsible for retrieving and analyzing information transmitted via any method of communication including the internet, as well as guaranteeing the security of government communications with agencies in other countries.

  The screen in front of them switched itself off and then back on again with a huge representation of the triangle in 3D. Five touch screens suddenly emerged from inside the table, each of them nineteen inches. The showed a preliminary detailed report
on the research carried out into the object, revealing some surprising data.

  The Director nodded at the scientist which prompted him to take a couple of steps forward.

  “Good afternoon. My name is Justin O’Brien and I am the scientist who has been assigned to investigate the Trifariam.” James was surprised when nobody seemed to be interested in the name of what they had in front of them. “When it reached me, it was separated into two parts that we immediately started to analyze separately. The conclusions were incredible. The two halves were made from the same material and weighed exactly the same, with startling precision which is virtually impossible to achieve in our laboratories. Each weighs 1.570796326794kg.”

  “What kind of material is it made from?” asked the Secretary of Defense.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Why don’t you know?!”

  The scientist stammered before what he was about to say. “Sir, there is no material in the whole of the solar system that has similar characteristics to this one. In fact, the hardest known natural material on our planet is diamond, whose grade of hardness is rated at level 10 on the Mohs Scale of mineral hardness. This object has been made with a hardness of five hundred.”

  A wave of murmurs filled the room. Those present couldn’t believe what they were hearing.

  “There’s more - something very strange that left us speechless. The weight of the object in its entirety, taking into account both fragments, is exactly the number Pi: 3.141592653589…. There is also a ‘strange’ geometric curiosity. The perimeter of the triangle divided by twice its height also gives us the number Pi.”

  “Are you sure about what you’re telling us?” the Secretary asked again.

  “Yes, of course.”

  “And have they found out what it is for? How did it get to our planet?” asked the Director of the NSA.

  “We think that a meteorite from space collided with the Earth many millions of years ago. It is highly likely that this material was inside and - “