Dinner over, coffee poured, Gwen took a close look at her dear friend. He looked good with excellent color. A head full of silver hair combed straight back, glasses with black frames, a nose straight from England and a smile to greet a stranger with warmth. His dark skin was similar to Matt's Southern Europe's wine growers' appearance rather than the pale white of Eastern European stock.
After a sigh from a good dinner JB said, "I'm sure you have copies or a copy of the text. May I read it tonight and then I'll give you my decision in the morning. Regardless, my friends, I need something in my life to replace dear Helen. Our house of thirty years haunts me from the moment I walk in. Not literally, but you know what I mean. I've a few candidates but will shuffle them off to another one. Now as the night grows heavy I'll say good night and give you time to rescind your kind offer."
Gwen handed him a copy of the text and they all felt much better than before dinner. Friends have a way of bring comfort in time of need. JB needed close friends at this point in time. At his age, burying himself in work would not relieve his loss. That loss is irreplaceable being impossible to overcome with work, another relationship or a new location. That emptiness is like an iron ball attached to your leg and just as heavy to carry around.
Chapter Four
The next thing on their list was to gain some insight into the cover page with concentric circles interspersed with cuneiform writing. Gwen wondered if they needed two experts, an astronomer and an expert in cuneiform writing. Matt said, the next morning as they were having breakfast in their room, "Let's wait a little while to see what JB has to say. What do you think?"
Gwen was heaping strawberry jam on her English muffin saying, "Yes, let's wait for JB. I'm sure he will join us as he is so lonely."
Matt looked at his watch. Well, I'd think he has made a command decision and is just waiting for your call, my love."
Gwen flopped onto the bed and called JB. He picked up on the first ring. She resisted the comment on the tip of her tongue asking if he was sitting on the phone. "JB, good morning. I trust you had a good rest after a big dinner?"
"You know full well Gwen I never slept a wink last night. However, when morning came I felt refreshed and ready to go. The powers to be aren't going to like it but let them do some work for a change. I'm out of here when you give me the go signal. I called the moving company and they'll be here to pack up my many years of accumulation of crap. What would you like me to do while I move everything I own into a storage unit or two? I really don’t want to deal with all the details so I'm having a real estate company handle everything."
"I guess that means the worlds naysayers can have three of us to laugh at instead of just two. I'm so happy JB no matter what the fall out of the unforeseen hurdles or obstacles, let's have some fun. Matt and I both will draw out that sense of humor you once had. Helen always said you were too damn serious for your own good. We need speculation along with facts. How about dinner again tonight?"
"Good idea and same place same time?"
"Okay see you there."
"Matt, JB makes the triangle complete. Hey, you got anyone or anyplace in mind for cuneiform interpretation?
"That man at the British Museum comes to mind. He's written extensively on Sumerian cuneiform writing. I can't think of his name right off the top of my head so I'll Google the guy. Meanwhile, do me a favor and write down what you think of the text we've discovered. Don’t hold back. Wing it a bit. Let your intuition take over. We'll compare notes on the plane to England. Let's ask JB the same thing."
"I'll make it an unsigned document so nobody can tie it to me or you or anyone else for that matter. Let me get right on it while I've the time Tall Man. And then, about break time, I expect you to attack me ravishing my sex starved body."
Matt looked at her and gave her his best shit eatin grin. Gwen was laughing as she set up her laptop. Matt went to work finding out what he could about the guy from England and to do a search for an astronomer who could be relied upon to be discreet.
Gwen started typing her account:
My first impression was of disbelief of the implications the book set forth. It appeared in three parts, past, present and future. The past depicts a civilization with some points of interest having ability to apply reason to life. The present had all the hallmarks of advancement. As to the future we discovered a race of beings who wanted to take a risk. In all respects an alien race had visited Atlantis assuming the responsibility of nurturing a seemingly fledging race of humans with potential for advancement.
There was no clear cut dating line as to the beginning of contact. We had the sample dated to around 12,000 BP. Clearly an advanced civilization such as the 'Scio', as they prefer to be called, came from outside the Milky Way Galaxy. They marked a year as we do with the orbit of the earth around the sun one time.
I'll pick up where the first encounter took place in the first person. The reception committee was never numbered but the residents did not appear overly concerned of our arrival. They were a little apprehensive perhaps, but nothing to really shock the indigenous population. A man and woman stepped forward with a hand up in a greeting. We were led to a structure crudely made but serviceable.
It did not take long for the indigenous people to explain their history or their means of which to survive: food, shelter and fire were the main things in the lives of our hosts. There was nothing new for us to learn about their history as we had been watching the migration since the origin of what will be known as human kind or man.
We realized that a newborn human takes many years before it can become independent of its parents. The nurturing time is one of the longest in the universe. Therefore we believe that we must have patience to school our new friends for many, many years to come.
Advancing to the present time or very near present time, we've revolved around the sun about eight thousand times. Humans do not have a long life span regardless of being disease free. There is a constant revolving new generation every fifty or so revolutions around the sun. Some of the elders take on the responsibility of education, but for the most part, we still do the basics to increase their knowledge both on this planet and outside of this solar system.
A selected few are removed and transported back to our home planet for further education. However, for the natural selection, we don't interfere in the reproduction of this human kind. Natural is best in our way of life.
In a short time a geological upheaval will occur as part of the natural selection. We'll take with us all we can safely transport back to our home planet.
We realize human kind has a sense of curiosity of the unknown that which past before and what lies ahead. For that reason we leave behind an account of our visit. The cover page has a message and a way of making contact with us. To solve the message human kind must set aside its inherent violent thinking and come together to reach out and experience life as you have never known it.
It would seem, therefore, that life does exist outside of our small planet. It would also seem that sightings of UFO are not extraterrestrials flying around observing our daily struggle in life. I would state that human kind is not ready to meet with obviously a higher order of life. I presume the only redeeming value we have discovered is that we are a lower order of sentient beings light years away from breaking out of our egg shell.
GS
++++++
Gwen saved the document to her offsite storage and to her USB. She'd finished sooner than she realized noticing Matt was sending and receiving e-mail. Gwen stretched out on the bed, closed her eyes, thinking about JB and how he was doing. This had to be a major move for him. The upheaval and fallout from his resigning a coveted position would puzzle most of his colleagues. She smiled thinking how lucky they both were. She because he was a pillar in her life and he because he just cracked the cover of a whole new book. His account of this find would set him on a pedestal next to the pope.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Matt saying, "Damn, I'm hungry. How a
bout a snack before lunch my lovely hard body?"
"I'd love a snack and make sure the door is secure while you're stripping down showing me how much snack you'll feed me."
"Let me show you and when you cry for mercy, don’t' expect any from me. I wonder if our visitors have this much pleasure in each other like we do?"
"Shut up Tall Man. Pay attention to what you're doing. I'll ask one of those visitors when I see one. Oh my, now that is what I call far out man."
Chapter Five
Gwen and Matt walked into the restaurant turning heads as they saw JB waiting like the night before. Gwen thought he looked much younger and he had silver sparkling eyes under his heavy brow. Even Matt noticed his grip had some power in it contrary to last night's limp hand.
"I'll briefly tell you I've pretty much ready to go. I'll need a few hours in the morning, but otherwise, I'm at your disposal," JB said.
"Our first stop is London JB," said Matt. "Unless you are a cuneiform expert, we need to see a guy at the British Museum who is anxious to see what we have for him."
"Also," Gwen said, "we could use your help if you know an astronomer of note. Of course that person must know how to be very discreet."
"There's an up and coming young woman would just possibly fit what you're looking for. I was bored one day when a colleague told me about a hot shot astronomer woman giving a slide presentation at our school. I was impressed. I can't tell you what she was all about, but what I can say she was passionate and dynamic. If I remember correctly she was traveling around the world trying to raise money. She might be in the UK; now that my memory is coming back to me. I'll call you in the morning after I've talked to my friend."
"That would be too good if we made both the London cuneiform and the astronomy together in one trip," said Matt.
"I'm hungry," said Gwen. "All this talk and we need fuel to continue our sojourn that one day will lead us to the stars."
JB, without being too obvious, studied both Gwen and Matt as their salads came. He marveled at how pretty Gwen was and additionally, how handsome Matt Holmes looked. Their waitress tonight couldn't keep her eyes off of Matt. If Gwen noticed, she never let on. It was plain to see Matt was in his own world of academics rather than looking around scouting out some loose women. JB smiled wondering if the nice looking waitress was plum naked would Matt Holmes even notice.
After the salads plates were removed, Gwen asked JB, "Could you give us your take on what you've read in the copy I gave you?"
JB realized he would be asked this question when he first started reading the text. He said, "With what you've told me, dating and the metal box it would be foolish to discount contact had been made centuries before now. My wonderment is why would an advanced civilization would care to take on the education of an alien society; namely us human kind. What is the gain, if any? Also, I'm wondering if this alien civilization is just using mankind for their own use. We can speculate all day long, but in the end, as they say, when you take away all that is known, only the truth is left. It's my guess we'll never know."
"Could it be a quid pro quo kind of thing JB," Matt asked. In other words, perhaps physically we can perform and they can't. I have no idea what, but it's a thought."
"We need to learn all we can and sooner or later, the Spanish government who has sanctioned our site, will want involvement," Gwen said.
"Here comes our dinner and I for one am starved," said Matt.
All three focused their attention on dinner; each with his or her own thoughts about the discovery and where it would lead. With each person on a need to know, which a fallacy it was, the news would spring a leak. The fallout would be totally unpredictable. Governments, secular groups, scientists, would all come out of wood work demanding a say in the new discovery. Opinions would fly like a flock of birds startled by danger nearby. Sightings of UFO would treble as billions of eyes would be looking up instead of where they were going. Gwen wondered if hording would occur thinking once the discovery was made, the aliens would come back to take over the world. Gwen could see a red carpet laid out on the desert floor in Area 51. She could see the desert filled with tourists waiting for the spinning discs to arrive. Cases of champagne, flowers, you name it and it would be there for our visitors when they arrived.
The question on her mind, when would the fever go away. Whatever new items found at their site would rekindle the fire. Would governments fund a space trip? Would rival governments come together to join hands in a friendly sort of way realizing how vulnerable we earthlings really are? That might be too much to ask for. How about if there was a message that said: stop all wars. Stop all raping of the environment. In other words, kiss and make up or we will be forced to discipline you like the children you are.
It was a long flight to England from Los Angeles. Flying business class helped. Gwen first read Matt's account and then JB's take on the book. Matt pretty much followed what Gwen had said. One thing that was interesting was his idea of sending a sign or message that was hidden in the pictograph cover page. He thought that if we solved the message contact could and would be made with another life form outside our solar system. The end result would be contact in our life time. Gwen thought that was a little far reaching, but then who really knows what the future holds.
JB's account was full of surprises. First of all because the written record stated that a period of eight thousand years occurred. Did that mean this alien civilization was immortal? Interesting point, she thought. The other idea was that maybe these folks were not humanlike but more cyborg or robotic. The last thing he mentioned was that if humankind solved the contact mystery or code, then we deserved to make contact. If not, then mankind must wait until a better brain comes along.
In particular JB notes that the Andromeda Galaxy is 2.5 million light years away from earth. It would seem our visitors can travel faster than the speed of light. Einstein theory still holds to the present time that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light. Speculation that worm holes, warp space are not proven at this time. To travel in excess of the speed of light would involve time travel as some noted scientists say. Be that as it may, JB states, "We really don’t know and more importantly, history has proved that what some thought as impossible, turned out the opposite. Let's see how this plays out for the next thousand years or so."
Gwen came back to the present time when a flight attendant asked her if she would like some head phones to listen to music. Gwen smiled and shook her head. She looked at a sleeping Matt next to her and a, presumably sleeping JB across the aisle. Gwen changed her mind on the head phones as the constant drone of the plane was giving her a headache.
She hailed the nice flight attendant and he gave her the headphones. She plugged it in and soon was listening to classical music. Gwen drifted off wondering what anyone would say to an off-world life form given the opportunity. With absolutely nothing in common and only questions from our side, how would mankind find some common ground? It occurred to her, not for the first time, maybe finding this evidence was not a good thing after all.
Aboard a private jet bound for London, its arrival time about the same as our three archeologists, three men sat discussing what the metal box might be from the photographs taken by a hired man. Clearly the silver hair man was in complete command of the meeting. He said, "We need to be careful and patient. Let them do the work. What we need is a confirmation that some evidence points to the lost Atlantis and if indeed, aliens are involved. Make sure our fishing boat is at the ready. Also, I want two teams on our explorers at all times. Not too close mind you, but where they go and who they see will tell us what we want to know. As soon as we can confirm contact was made I'll put in motion what needs to happen to profit from this discovery. Any questions?"
"Yes, what if we're made spying on them," said a young clean cut executive fresh out of the university. "
"Change teams daily and rotate day to night and so on. Send me daily reports. What we don't need is to make them suspiciou
s. I'll see you in the office tomorrow late in the afternoon."
The two identical twins looked at each other wordlessly communicating. The silver hair gentleman was their uncle on their father's side. The twins were totally loyal to their uncle Sir Edward Blake. Jack and James were being groomed to assume the reins of Blake Aviation Inc.
An experienced traveler like Matt and Gwen freshened up just before landing. Matt had an office in the loft with a small staff doing odds and ends for both Gwen and him. Barry was to meet them at the airport. Both Barry Wayne and Liz Edgeer were doing graduate work while also being dedicated to their benefactor Matt Holmes. The office doubled as living quarters for both Barry and Liz. It was located in a loft overlooking the brown water of the River Thames. The loft occupied the entire top floor of a gentrified area offering wonderful views of the river and surrounding area. Matt inherited the entire building from his grandmother who owned the structure since before the war with Germany. It was one of the few buildings that escaped major destruction by random bombing by Hitler. In her will she wanted to make sure her grandson Matt had some roots in England. Gwen knew Matt grew up in Argentina, but most of his education was in England. Matt's grandfather and father loved raising beef cattle. He and his wife Bess immigrated to Argentina after the war. Their only son Mathew was born and married an Italian girl who had accompanied her parents on holiday to Argentina. Mathew was in the city doing some business when he saw his future wife, Maria sitting at an outdoor café looking around like a tourist.
Lost Continent Page 3
