Temple of Fire (17 page)

Ops
Center

Aboard the
Alamiranta
 

 

“Green light on Titan Six,” Touchdown said.

“The U.S. Pet site has been successfully sealed,” Ambergris confirmed.  “The Pentagon has been alerted as to possible radioactivity within a ten mile radius, and the
U.S.
military is already forming a perimeter, which will be cordoned off within a few hours.  I’m told by a general I know that the Department of Defense is already getting ready to spin what happened out there.”

“The submarine is surfacing!” D.J. said. 
“One half mile to the northwest.”

“Get me a visual,”
Caine
said.

The large, round nose of a nuclear submarine shot from the sunny blue waters of the Pacific at a steep angle and then righted
itself
as the boat completely surfaced.

“It’s the USS Polk!” DJ announced with noticeable excitement.  “It’s asking if we need assistance.”

“Tell them that we welcome any help they can render,”
Caine
said.  “And cancel all orders to jettison our capsules.”

“The Captain is asking if he can come aboard with a special passenger.  They have a Zodiac ready to ferry them to the
Alamiranta
.”

“Have the crew lower a ladder on the port side,”
Caine
said.  “It appears we have company.”

“Beatrice is moving due west,” Touchdown said.  “I don’t think she’ll present any more problems.”

 

Catherine
Caine’s
Private Office

Aboard the
Alamiranta
 

 

“Someone here to see you, ma’am,”
Caine’s
male secretary announced.

Caine
stood and walked from behind her desk.

A tall, well-built man wearing a pressed khaki uniform entered the office.

“I’m Randolph
Eckersley
, Captain of the Polk,” said the officer, extending his right hand, his hat tucked under his left arm in military fashion.

The Captain was in his late forties, with salt and pepper hair, light blue eyes, and a warm smile.

“Please have a seat, Captain,”
Caine
said, motioning to a sitting area.

The two figures sat, the Captain speaking first.

“The
Alamiranta
is a fine ship, Mrs.
Caine
.  Kudos to your Captain for using what is now known as the Titanic Gambit.  Actually, this is the first time it has ever been tried.”

“Thank you.  It was touch-and-go for a while.”

Eckersley
smiled broadly.  “I’d like to help you with your flooding problem.  I can have divers in the water within the hour to begin repairing the breaches in your hull.  That should allow your pumps time to clear out whatever compartments have been compromised.  After that, we’ll escort you to your repair and refit facility at
Lehua
.”

“Thank you,” said
Caine
.  “Titan Global would be very happy to work for your men.” 
Caine
paused and knit her brows.  “May I be so bold as to ask how you know about our base in
Lehua
?”

Lehua
was an islet in the
Hawaiian Islands
west of
Kauai
.  Crescent-shaped, it cradled an ultra-modern facility that the
Alamiranta
and other Titan Global sea vessels used for repair and the restocking of provisions.

Eckersley
smiled.  “Good
intel
.  I think the guest who hitched a ride on the Polk has some pertinent info on
Lehua
if you’d like to have your secretary admit him.”

“Of course.”

A minute later, a tall, handsome man stood in the doorway of
Caine’s
office.  He looked like a yachtsman, wearing a blue blazer, white trousers, an ascot, and a white Captain’s hat with a blue brim.  He was tanned and muscular.

It was Demetrius
Caine
, Catherine’s husband.

Running to her spouse’s side, Catherine broke into tears and hugged Demetrius.

“The cavalry has arrived, my love,” said Demetrius, “thanks to the good men and women of the Polk.  I’ve just been to our base at
Lehua
to oversee its upgrade.  To use a cliché, you’re going to love what Titan Global has done with the place.  And by the way, the Secretary of Defense extends his thanks to you and Titan Six for responding to the delicate and dangerous matter in
Nevada
with such swiftness.”

“We’ll be sending him information on the site as soon as it has been collated,”
Caine
said.

Caine
turned back to
Eckersley
.  “Why did you mask your sub’s identity?” she asked.

“The Chinese followed us shortly after we put out from
Pearl Harbor
.  They knew we had your husband aboard and were going to rendezvous with the
Alamiranta
after news of the
Nevada
explosion started circulating in intelligence circles.”  He paused.  “Speaking of the Chinese, there is the delicate matter of Commander
Aiko
.”

“Yes?”

“Given the current political climate regarding foreign prisoners and rendition, the Secretary of State would prefer that Titan Global handle any debriefing and then report your findings to her.  She trusts your discretion in the matter.  Any leaks about
China
’s aspirations could be very volatile.”

Caine
nodded.  “Assure the Secretary that Titan Global will handle the matter with delicacy and relay any pertinent data.”

“Meanwhile,” said Demetrius, “I’d like to get some work clothes on and take a few crewmembers down below and help with repairs on the inside of the ship while divers from the Polk work on the outside.”

“I’ll have some champagne chilled for later,”
Caine
said.

Demetrius kissed his wife and winked.

“Sounds lovely.”

The Gallery

Aboard the
Alamiranta
 

 

The Gallery was one of the most private — and most luxurious — areas on the
Alamiranta
.  It was a spacious two-thousand meter area with three separate levels bordered by glass walkways that seemed to float in the air beneath blue-tinted light that lent to its otherworldly ambience.

It was part library and part museum, with rare books and artifacts that ranged from dinosaur skeletons to astronaut suits that had been worn on the moon.  Walnut bookshelves could be accessed by bridges connecting the maze-like platforms, and many a privileged guest marveled at the treasures suspended from the ceiling, such as a Mercury space capsule and a pterodactyl skeleton.

The Gallery was also where Catherine
Caine
conducted meetings related to her business empire as well as the paramilitary missions of Titan Global.

Demetrius
Caine
, Titan Six, Captain
Nikos
Papagantis
, and Doctors Madison, Ambergris, and Grace Nguyen sat at the mahogany conference table on the far side of the Gallery.  The gathering was presided over by Catherine
Caine
.

“First, let me congratulate Titan Six on a job well done in
Nevada
,” said
Caine
.  “My sincere thanks
is
also extended to
Pyro
for his bravery and skill in dealing with the Chinese torpedo that was lodged in Cargo Hold 6.  Furthermore, I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge Captain
Papagantis
’ skillful handling of the crisis with Beatrice.”

Applause erupted from both sides of the conference table. 

Caine
then opened a brown leather folder and sifted through a sheath of papers.  “Next, I would like my science team to report on the information collected from the blast crater.”

Dr. Madison opened a dossier and began.  “
Abiogenic
oil was the holy grail that U.S. Petroleum was looking for,” he said.  “They clearly found it, but they were reckless and shortsighted in drilling over ruins that Ground Penetrating Radar clearly indicated existed.”

Madison
smiled.  “Given Titan
Global’s
experience in oil and gas exploration, we believe that we can also locate
abiogenic
oil.  The geological data collected by Titan Six and myself will give us a leg up in pursuing this energy source more safely.”

Demetrius
Caine
clasped his hands on the table and leaned forward.  His presence was that of an elder statesman who commanded the highest respect. 

“Ever since we learned of U.S. Petroleum’s efforts,” he said, “I’ve been negotiating drilling rights at several locations around the world.  For their recklessness, U.S. Pet will be dropped from our portfolio of clients. 
Their loss, our gain.
  The U.S. Department of Energy has revoked all of the company’s pending
abiogenic
drilling permits.  But I believe we have some rather startling news to cover now.  Is that right, Catherine?”

“Yes,”
Caine
said.  “Joshua, you have the floor.”

Ambergris was beaming.  “While Titan Six was boots on the ground in
Nevada
, I examined their video footage carefully, looking for anything meaningful or familiar.  I found a few things of extreme interest.”

“Let’s have it, Doc,” said Hawkeye.  “I’m hoping that getting a really bad suntan wasn’t for nothing.”

Titan Six members laughed.  They had all suffered from extreme exposure to the sun despite their helmets and combat suits.

“I found a symbol,” Ambergris continued, “that many of you have seen before.”

He motioned for the assembly to look behind the table at the conference room display screen.  It showed two entwined serpents, similar to the medical caduceus.

“The symbol is very recognizable, of course.  It also was a common symbol used by many cultures throughout the ages to represent The Genesis Code.  It was the Ancients’ way of symbolizing the double helix strands of
DNA
.”

Ambergris next held up what appeared to be a golden broach for clasping a robe together.  Two entwined snakes formed a piece of intricately carved jewelry.

“It’s from one of Langhorne’s treasure packs,” Ambergris said.  “The symbol can be found around the globe, although this is the first time I’ve ever seen it rendered in this fashion.”

“So we now know with even greater certainty,” said Tank, “that the
Nizia
were descended from the Ancients?”

“The
Ruba-schal
crystal also confirmed that,” Ambergris stated, “but here is something quite amazing.  The high priest in the first
Nizian
Dynasty was named
Ixmilan
.  His name and crude image were depicted on the walls of the
Temple
of the High Priest in numerous paintings.  Every painting and carving of
Ixmilan’s
name and body is encircled by the entwined serpents.”

“You’re implying that
Ixmilan
may have known the significance of the serpents,” said Hawkeye.

“What I’m saying is that
Ixmilan
himself was one of the Ancients.  I believe he was one of many who were charged with helping later cultures attain a faster rate of evolution.”

Gasps could be heard from around the conference table.

“Are you saying that
Ixmilan
lived for two hundred thousand years?” asked Gator.  “That’s pretty hard to swallow.”

Ambergris shook his head.  “No.  But his body is often depicted inside what appears to be a capsule of some kind . . . next to more crystals.  The early
Nizians
probably discovered his body in some form of suspended animation made possible by a life-giving force issuing from the crystals.”

“I made several scans of the
Ruba-schal
,” Quiz said.  “I believe I can replicate it based on its molecular structure.”

Ambergris raised his right hand, which held a small object wrapped in white cotton.

“Here’s another little gem, pardon the pun, from one of Mr. Langhorne’s surviving treasure packs.”  Ambergris unfolded the object he held.  “It was a red crystal, similar to the
Ruba-Schal
, only shorter.”

There was silence around the conference table as people tried to assimilate the ramifications of what Ambergris was holding.

“Are we wise enough to use such a powerful crystal?” asked Tank.

“What does it do?” asked Gator?”

“It might enable a person to stay alive forever,” said Shooter.

“It could lead the human race into technologies capable of producing unlimited energy,” said Hawkeye.

“Patience, everyone,” said Dr. Nguyen.  “We know that The Genesis Code contains vast quantities of knowledge, including information on many kinds of energy sources.  Now we have reason to believe that Quiz and Langhorne discovered actual artifacts from the Ancients, ones that we are currently reading about in the
The
Genesis Code.  Caution is certainly warranted, but one arm of Titan Global exists to pursue scientific discoveries to their furthest limits.”

It was Demetrius who had the final word.

“Titan Global advises nations and leaders around the globe,” he said, “and there’s a reason for that.  We employ the best personnel in almost every field of endeavor.  I have every confidence in those seated at this table.”  He paused to stare intently at each face in the Gallery.  “We’re going to do just fine, people. 
Just fine.”