Atlantis: Devil's Sea (7 page)

“The places where the triangles met they labeled Vile Vortices, which also happen to be where most of our gates are located, so they were onto something, even if some of their logic was off. They put together a mathematical formula to explain the fluctuation of the Vile Vortices based on a crystalline structure.

“I initially dismissed that theory,” Ariana said, “because the lithosphere, the upper level of our planet, has been moving for millions of years. Thus a crystal formation would not be consistent in location, but perhaps this formation is deeper than the lithosphere.

“Maybe they weren’t so far off,” Ariana continued. She turned to Dane. “When Sin Fen transformed, her head changed into a crystal to channel the energy of the pyramid?”

Dane nodded. The memory of what happened to Sin Fen on top of the underwater pyramid near the Bermuda Triangle gate was something he would never forget.

“I also did some research and found out that this isn’t the first time crystal skulls have been seen. Apparently it is quite a popular subject among New Age enthusiasts and several skulls have been found in different places.”

“Where?” Dane asked.

“South America, Russia, other places. It’s hard to pin down because most of the skulls are in private hands, and there is also quite a variety of skulls out there.”

Dane considered that. “Were they found near pyramids?”

“I don’t know,” Ariana said.

“The only thing that has worked against the gates is this ancient weapon, combining a person like Sin Fen with the pyramid and Naga staff, “Dane said. “ I think we need to track down these crystal skulls. Try to find where they came from.”

“That’s a good idea,” Ariana agreed.

“The ancient people had help fighting the Shadow,” Dane said. “We saw that by what just happened in the Bermuda Triangle gate. Whatever that temple was, I don’t think it was human technology that designed it. We should send someone to check the pyramid where Sin Fen and I were. And we need to get in contact with these Ones Before. I believe that the enemy of our enemy is our friend. My teammate Sergeant Flaherty told me that also.”

“Your teammate who disappeared over thirty years ago,” the chairman of the Joint Chiefs noted, “and who reappeared to you not looking any older in Cambodia. Right.”

“I can’t explain it,” Dane said. “All I can do is tell you what happened. You saw the
Scorpion
and its crew. The same thing. Disappeared for decades and reappeared with everyone looking exactly the same as the day they were lost.”

“And then destroying the sub pens at Croton,” the Chairman noted. “so why should we believe your friend Flaherty?”

Dane spread his hands. “Then believe what you want. It doesn’t get us any closer to solving our problem.”

“How do we get in contact with the Ones Before?” the secretary of defense asked.

“We go into a gate,” Dane said.

“That hasn’t been very healthy,” Ariana noted.

“That’s because we only entered gates when the Shadow opened them,” Foreman noted. “And we’ve only been able to go to the part of the gate that’s on our planet, where the Shadow has extended its influence. What we have to do is go through the gate into the Shadow’s world.”

“How do you propose to do that?” Dane asked.

“Professor Nagoya is working on that. It appears that there are two phases to a gate. The fog and blackness that comes into our planet is sort of the foyer they project into our world. But somewhere inside that gate is a smaller area, which is the actual doorway to the Shadow’s side, which Nagoya calls a portal.” Foreman checked his watch. “In fact, the first phase of Nagoya’s operation is about to commence. Dr. Nagoya has discovered some muonic traces that indicate there may be another ‘graveyard’ like one you found in the Caribbean. He’s detected a larger chamber in the deepest part of the ocean—the Challenger Deep. We’ve sent a specially rigged submersible to check it out.”

“What’s that got to do with the next phase?” Dane asked.

“We want to see if there is any reaction to the submersible from the Devil’s Sea gate, which isn’t far from there,” Foreman said. “If we get activity, Nagoya can use the data he picks up to check this theory and try to pin-point in the Devil’s Sea gate.

*****

Mount Everest could be dropped in the Challenger Deep with six thousand feet of water still between its peak and the surface. It was the deepest point on the surface of the planet, the lowest spot in the Marianas Trench, which swept in a fifteen-hundred-mile arc from just below Iwo Jima to south of Guam. It was due south of the Devil’s Sea gate, an area off the coast of Japan where mysterious disappearances of planes and boats had been recorded throughout history.

For the two members of the crew of
Deepflight III
, the opportunity to dive into the Challenger Deep was the equivalent of a climber given the opportunity to go up Everest. The major difference was the somber tone to the preparations as the craft was lowered over the side of its tender ship the USS
Roger Reveille
.

Deepflight III
was a radical departure from previous submersibles. It looked more like an airplane than a submarine. The crew compartment was a titanium sphere in the center. Wings with controllable flaps extended from each side. Forward of the sphere was a specially designed beak that reduced drag when the submersible was moving forward. In the rear were two vertical fins right behind the dual propeller system.

The sphere was solid with just two holes in it; one a section that screwed out to allow ingress, egress, and the second, smaller one that accessed control and command cables. To see outside, the crew used various cameras and radar. Powerful spotlights were bolted all around the craft, allowing the crew to illuminate the area immediately around it. It was forty feet long, and the wingspan was fifteen feet. The submersible had been hastily rigged with a pod, the purpose of which had not been explained to the crew.

Inside
Deepflight
, Captain Gann insured that all checklists for the dive were completed, and then turned to his partner, Lieutenant Murphy. “Ready, Murphy?”

“Ready.”

“Release umbilicals.”

“Released.”

“We’re going down.”

*****

“The submersible is at ten thousand meters’ depth,” Ahana reported. “The pod is working. “ She looked up from her computer monitor. “Sir, do those men in
Deepflight
know what exactly their mission is?”

“Reconnaissance,” Nagoya replied shortly.

“Their
real
mission,” Ahana amended.

“That is Foreman’s responsibility,” Nagoya said.

“Sir . . .” she began, but stopped.

“It is dangerous,” Nagoya agreed. “But the pod is designed to be jettisoned. We don’t know what the reaction from the Shadow will be or if there will even be a reaction.”

“And if there isn’t?”

“Then we send the submersible into the gate itself. We’re hoping by just approaching the graveyard and using the pod to send out the frequency we’ve determined that we will draw some sort of reaction, but the crew will have a chance to escape. The odds are much lower if they have to go into the gate.”
“ And Russia?”

“Kolkov says he is working on a plan to insert their pod. That is phase two.”

*****

Deepflight III
passed through nine thousand meters. It was descending into the center of the Marianas Trench, radar making sure they were clear of walls on either side. Gann and Murphy were focused on navigation, insuring that everything was functioning correctly. With the outside pressure at seven tons per square inch, the slightest malfunction could be fatal.

“Depth to bottom?” Gann asked.

“Two thousand, one hundred thirty-three meters,” Murphy replied.

“Right on target.”

*****

“There,” Ahana was pointing at her computer screen. The solid black triangle marking the Devil’s Triangle gate was changing shape, the southernmost side stretching as if giving birth.

“Everyone ready!” Nagoya yelled. His assistants bustled; making sure their gear was tracking correctly. They all watch as a circle separated from the triangle and began moving southward picking up speed.

“Just like the sphere from the Bermuda gate.” Ahana finally said.

*****

In the War Room, Dane looked up as Foreman activated a screen that relayed what was being picked up by Nagoya’s people in Japan.

“We have activity from the Devil’s Sea gate,” The CIA man announced.

They could all clearly see the sphere of muonic activity moving southward.

“What’s it going for?” Dane asked.

“Our probe,” Foreman said.

The secretary of defense and chairman of the Joint Chiefs rushed out to the main operations center, leaving Foreman alone in the conference room.

“Do they know they’re bait?” Dane asked.

“They know enough to do the mission,” Foreman said.

*****

On
Deepflight
, Gann and Murphy were completely unaware of the sphere coming toward them. The bottom of the Challenger Deep was thirteen hundred meters below when Murphy noticed an anomaly on the radar screen.

“Captain, check the side-looking radar.”

Gann looked at the screen and saw what had grabbed his partner’s attention. The bounce back from the north wall had suddenly become totally smooth. Gann immediately stopped their descent.

“Distance to bottom?” Gann asked.

“Twelve hundred meters.”

“Let’s take a look.” Gann goosed the propellers, guiding them toward the north face. “External lights on.”

Murphy flipped on the switch activating the powerful searchlights mounted on the top and bottom of the submersible.

“Cameras on,” Gann ordered.

The video monitors flickered, and then came alive, showing the glow of lights but nothing else.

“Range to the north wall?” Gann asked.

“Four hundred meters.”

“What do you think it is?”

‘Either the most perfect underwater geological formation that ever occurred or somebody built something down here,” Murphy answered.

“At eleven thousand meters?”

‘I’m just telling you what the data indicates.”

“Range to wall?”

‘Three hundred meters.”

*****

The largest man-made underwater craft is the Russian Typhoon class submarine, which is one hundred seventy-one meters long, just shy of two football fields in length, and which displaces twenty-six thousand, five hundred tons. The back sphere that was heading toward the Challenger Deep dwarfed even a Typhoon, being almost seven hundred meters in diameter. It was not only larger than any man-made moving object; it was larger than most man-made stationary objects, including the Great Pyramid.

It also moved faster than any man-made submersible, punching through the ocean at eighty knots.

*****

“Fifty meters,” Murphy warned, and Gann slowed
Deepflight
to a crawl.

As Murphy watched the radar screens, Gann shifted his attention to the video monitors.

“Forty. Thirty. Twenty.”

Gann bought them to a dead halt. “Look,” he said to Murphy.

Directly in front of them the rock wall on the North Side of the Deep gave way to a smooth, gray surface. The edge of the gray curved slightly downward.

“Do a down scan along the wall,” Gann ordered.

Murphy did so and whistled. “We’ve got a perfectly round, flat wall in front of us, over a half mile in diameter.”

“So what is it?”

*****

In the War Room, Dane saw the image relayed from
Deepflight
’s camera and could have answered Captain Gann’s question. What was on screen was exactly like the doorway they had discovered in the Milwaukee Deep off the coast of Puerto Rico, which led to a large chamber where all the craft lost in the Bermuda Triangle had been stored. His gaze shifted from the image to the display showing the large sphere that had left the Devil’s Sea gate, closing on the Challenger Deep. He got up and walked up to Foreman.

“Are you going to warn them?” Dane asked him.

“What good would it do?” Foreman replied.

“You sent them there deliberately.”

“It’s war. Even you must accept that now.”

‘It’s easy to send other men to their deaths, isn’t it?”

Foreman turned. “No, it isn’t easy, and I’m getting sick of you trying to take the moral high ground. I’m worried about the survival of our species, and you give me grief over every single individual involved.”

“Our species is made up of individuals,” Dane said. “Why didn’t you let the
Deepflight
crew know what their mission was?”

“Would it have made a difference?”

“What exactly is their mission? Did you send them to find the door or draw something out of the gate?”

“Both.”

Dane picked up something from Foreman’s guarded mind. “What were they transmitting?”

“The pod they took with them was transmitting muons on a frequency that Dr. Nagoya felt would draw attention from the Shadow.”

“Mission accomplished,” Dane said. “Now get them out of there.”

“There isn’t enough time for them to get to the surface,” Foreman said. “And even if they did, what makes you think the surface is going to be safe? Remember what happened to the crew of the
Glomar
. It’s called sunk cost, and there’s no way around. We knew there was a good chance that anything we set there was going to draw a reaction and that if it did, there was nothing we could do about it.”

“They can hide inside the graveyard,” Dane said. “We went through a smaller door in the center of the door we found in the Atlantic. Have them search for it.”

‘How do you think those craft in the graveyard you visited got there?” Foreman asked.

“Most likely the sphere,” Dane said, “but it’s worth a chance.” He looked at the display. “They don’t have much time. They might be safe in there.”

“All right,” Foreman agreed. He picked up a handset and called to the submersible via the
Reveille.

*****

Gann and Murphy were mesmerized by the massive door they had uncovered when Foreman’s voice came over the radio.