Chapter 2

A slight swishing sound could be heard through the helmet as the water drained from the airlock.  The packs, breather tanks, and hoses all taking their full weight as the water disappeared through the grates in the floor.  The door in front ticked as the locks disengaged, and then rotated out of the way allowing entry into the staging room.

Dr. Charles Norrick cracked the seal, and removed his helmet.  The air always smelled so sterile in here.  Probably because it was filtered 17 times before being allowed to circulate back into the main air system, and also maybe due to the strange mix of gases that allowed the bubble to work.  Kevin and Janice followed Norrick’s lead and cracked their helmets.  There were cubbies spaced along the walls with hooks and name tags.  Norrick began to hang up his suit in his cubby.

The room had transparent walls past the cubbies.  It gave an amazing view of the ocean lit by the extremely bright spotlights placed all around the site.  The walls weren’t actually solid either.  They were made of water – water of a slightly different density then the surrounding seawater creating a bubble. 

The bubble itself was almost a work of science fiction.  It used electromagnetic fields to change the density of water creating a veritable wall between air and the outside ocean.  It was fluid, and yet stronger than steel and completely oblivious to pressure.  The air on the inside had to be regulated and mixed with special exotic gases to keep the bubble in tact, but that was a small price to pay.  The bubble itself was massive in size, twenty-six separate field generators – each the size of an SUV – were arranged in a perfect circle around the base of the bubble.  The bubble itself was nearly 3 stories high.

“This place never ceases to amaze me Doctor.  The bubble is just ingenious,” Janice said as she watched a school of fish swim by the outside of the transparent bubble wall.

“I quite like it myself.  If it weren’t for the strange mix of gases, I’d probably create myself a summer home somewhere near the Bahamas, all the beach I could possibly want!” Norrick laughed.

“Doctor Norrick!” a man came around the corner of the cubbies cutting off the laughter.  He was wearing a specialized jumpsuit that was layered in tool belts and pouches.  He was dirty, with mud caked on just about anywhere that was flat.  He wore a hardhat and safety goggles and seemed very excited.

“What is it Jason?” Norrick said becoming all business.

“We’ve uncovered something in the Temple.  It’s huge.  This could be more important then the tablet.  You have to come see this, sir.  It’s astounding!”  With that, the man turned and trotted back the way he came.

Norrick and his two assistants hurried to follow the man.  The inside of the bubble was actually completely open revealing a major archeological excavation.  From the airlock room, there were steps that lead down almost a story onto a large beach.  Coral reefs stood exposed everywhere like strange squiggly bushes.  Huge lights were rigged from the top of the bubble, and on stands on the ground illuminating area.  The light made the coral glow giving the entire place an eerie alien look.

Norrick and his group weaved through the maze of coral beds heading for the center of the excavation.  Here there was a massive building made of what looks to be sharp pyramidal structures jutting from the sand at odd angles.  It was completely unlike anything ever found.  The structure itself was still sound and intact even after being buried under the ocean.  There were no cracks or worn areas on the pristine walls.  It had the feeling of being just recently constructed.

They rushed into a corridor lined with stone islands to a grand entrance.  The entrance was well over 20 feet high and flanked by two massive statues of armored figures holding wicked-looking spears in a ceremonial fashion.  Past the main entrance was a hall that held several rooms, but the far end held a large hallway with intricately carved walls.  They hurriedly followed the main path which led even further downward into the structure, going well below the sea floor.  It seemed endless, just one straight corridor going down at a slight, but noticeable incline.

Finally, the corridor opened into a massive cavern that could easily hold four football stadiums.  It was here that the majority of the excavation work was taking place.  In the center was a stone tablet that stretched 3 kilometers.  Spots were arranged all around the object shining bright cones of light down on it.  The light splashed off the surface and made the chiseled text glow in rainbow patterns. 

Norrick glanced at the shining tablet as he rushed by.  Norrick and his team had uncovered the tablet nearly 6 months previous.  A British ship laying optical communications cable had called in a distress.  The steel cable had become caught, and then severed clean.  Nothing on the ocean’s surface should have been able to do that, so an investigative team was dispatched.  Norrick had been on that team.  And what he found under the waves changed everything. 

“Its right through this hall, Doctor,” Jason said excitedly.  The hall was newly discovered, just recently opened.  They moved through the hall and into a large antechamber that was brightly lit by more of the mobile spotlight units.  In the center, there looked to be a tall stone statue of a kneeling armored figure.  It seemed to be falling apart, not like the rest of the temple which had been in immaculate condition; cracks were running through the shoulder plates and chest area, and large sections missing from the legs and arms.

“What is this…?” Kevin trailed off as he stared at the stature in awe. 

“A remnant of a forgotten age,” Norrick replied.

“Sir, this isn’t stone,” Janice said after running her hand along the base of the statue.  “It seems to be some sort of metallic alloy.  I would like to do some tests on some of the fragments.”

“Agreed.  Test the broken pieces, but try not to molest the object itself,” Norrick said to Janice before turning back to the statue.  “Strange.  Why is this thing in such a sorry state when the rest of the site is in near-perfect condition?  It just doesn’t seem to fit.”

“It looks like there used to be a gangway leading upwards here.  You can see the collapsed stairs over there under the arm.  What happened in here Doc?  The rest of the place is pristine…while this place reminds me more of a conventional dig site.  Why is it different in here?” Kevin asked looking up at the statue.

“I’m not sure,” Norrick said as he examined the broken arm lying in the rubble, “but I don’t think it was anything good.  Look here, these look like burn marks to me.”

“What?  Let me see?” Kevin came over to where Norrick was standing.  The top of the arm was even with eye-level and indeed showed apparent signs of burning.  “Actually Doc,” Kevin said softly after a moment, “this place reminds me of a bombed-out building.  And it was a major explosion too,” he said while looking around.  “The elbow is all the way over there, underneath that rubble.” 

Dr. Norrick looked over at the rubble some seventy feet away.  “Indeed.  Alright, let’s get started, Jason, please call in the prelim team and get the place squared off.  At least there’s no dirt to remove,” Norrick finished humorously to Kevin. 

“True,” Kevin conceded with a grin.

Jason started to move towards the hall when he heard a sudden intake of breath, and an excited “Doctor!!” from behind the statue.  Norrick rushed over to Janice who was just staring at the back of the stature.  The site made Norrick drop his jaw in utter surprise and shock.  Between the shoulder blades was a large hole, and inside that hole was a slew of wires, hoses, boxes and unidentifiable items all connected together. 

“What is that?” Norrick said incredulously.  “It looks like some sort of engine…but that’s just not possible.  This must be from a different time period then the rest of the find.  It has to be!  This just does not make any sense.  Jason, no one, and I mean no one is allowed in here.  This place is off limits. Go cordon off the main hall and make sure it stays just us.”

“Yes, Doctor,” Jason said nervously and then ran for the hall.

“Doc, I’ve never seen technology like this before,” Kevin had climbed up to the hole using collapsed gantries as ladders while Norrick had been talking to Jason.  “This is like some sci-fi movie.”

“I don’t like it.  Something is just not right with this.  Kevin get down from there,” Norrick had an extremely uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach and the hairs on the back of his neck were starting to stick up.

“Doc!  Look at this!  This is still in pretty good condition!  We could maybe even take this apart to study!” Kevin had his hand inside the hole and was moving cables aside to try to get at something buried inside.

“Kevin, get down here now, this is still a dig.  Kevin, are you listening to me?  Kev-!!” Kevin was no longer listening, for he was no longer there.  A blue light had replaced him, pulsing and moving steadily outward.  Slowly at first, it began to gain speed as it spread down from between the shoulder armor and towards the floor.  Norrick and Janice leapt back in surprise and fear. 

“What the hell is that?  Where’d Kevin go?” Janice was near to hysteria.