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SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH:
Zane Simons looks up from the computer monitor and smiles to himself. This is going to change the scientific community’s theory of our evolution, he thinks.
The last six hours have been spent in his advanced genetics lab, verifying the results from a DNA sample extracted from a twenty-five hundred year old tooth, found at a dig site in Colorado.
He turns off his equipment and tosses the printed report into his briefcase, then grabs the handle and his car keys as he heads out of the room. He hesitates before climbing into his vehicle, wondering if he should call the archeologist to let her know he is on his way to her dig site, then grins and climbs in. “I hope she likes surprises”, he says to himself as he inserts the key and starts the engine.
***
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON:
His trip home had turned out to be the opposite of what he expected, and Alex Cave is reading a magazine in a business class seat on the aircraft, hoping to take his mind off recent events with his nephew, Derek. A rift has formed between them and it is like a dagger through his heart.
He looks up when a woman with short dark hair sits down in the seat beside him. He gives her a courteous nod hello before returning to the article, and moves his leg out of the way when she bends down to shove a small bag under the forward seat.
Mya Austin straightens up and looks over at the ruggedly handsome man with wavy black hair sitting beside her. “I’m sorry about that. They never give us enough room.”
It is the first time he can study her features, and other than her soft hazel eyes, she has an unremarkable face and her tan skin is slightly weathered from being outdoors a lot. He guesses her age to be around forty. “I know what you mean.”
Alex continues reading an article in the magazine. It is an interview with the owner of the Discover New Ancestors program. The geneticist, Zane Simon, has made some incredible discoveries. Alex thinks about his last mission, where he had become familiar with some aspects of genetics, and finds the interview intriguing.
He doesn’t hear the pilot welcoming them aboard or the safety instructions, but looks up when the plane begins moving. Once it takes off, he returns to the article until he notices Mya trying to look out the window, which is even with his head. He sets the magazine on his lap and leans back so she can see.
Mya smiles at Alex, then leans over his knees. “I’m sorry again. I was just trying to see Mount Rainier.”
Alex cannot move back any further, and her face is only inches from his. “That’s fine.”
Mya turns her head and can see deep into Alex’s dark blue eyes. “Hi. I’m Mya Austin.”
Alex notices a few flakes of gold in Mya’s irises. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Alex Cave.”
Mya turns her face back to the window. When the mountain disappears from view, she leans back in her seat. “Thanks.”
Alex notices the medallion hanging from a beaded leather necklace around Mya’s neck. “Is that Sioux Indian?”
“Yes, I’m an archeologist for the Sioux Nation, and I’m currently working at a dig site near Fort Collins, Colorado.”
“You’re a long way from home. What brings you out this way?”
“A friend of mine at the university was helping me with some research.”
Alex knows he can’t tell Mya that he works at Area 51, but doesn’t want to lie. “I used to be a geophysics instructor at a small college in Montana, and now I’m a NASA consultant.”
When she hears he works for NASA, Mya wonders if this might be a fateful encounter. “I’ve just made a discovery in a cave on tribal land that will change the world.”
Alex can see the excitement and sincerity in Mya’s eyes. “How is that?”
“If the local tribe is correct, what they call the vanishing stone should appear at the dig site any day now.”
“I’m sorry. Did you say vanishing stone?”
“Yes, that’s what they call it. Inside the cave is a drawing of a box shaped object with two human figures standing beside it. According to the legend and cave drawings, the vanishing stone magically appeared above the cave twenty-five hundred years ago and the visitors left two new people with the tribe. The visitors promised to return in exactly twenty-five hundred years, then left in the vanishing stone. That’s this year, Alex.”
“How can you be so precise?”
“I’ve read about similar drawings in caves all over the world, and carbon dating of the various mediums used for the images indicate all the drawings were made twenty-five hundred years ago.” Mya can tell she has his attention. “Since you work for NASA, is there any chance there might be a satellite taking pictures of that part of the United States?”
“That’s not my area of expertise.”
Mya isn’t about to give up. “All I need is an overhead view of the dig site.”
“Well, a friend of mine might be able to get you some pictures. Give me your contact information and I’ll see what I can do.”
Mya smiles, reaches into her purse, and hands Alex a card. “You can have them sent to that email address. I’m usually at the dig site, so use the mobile phone number if you want to call me.”
Alex is somewhat intrigued and decides to help her out. “All right, Ms. Austin. I’ll try to arrange for some satellite images to be sent to you.”
Mya smiles. “Thank you.”
When Mya brings out an electronic tablet, Alex returns to the article. During the rest of the flight, he doesn’t say much to her, until they got off the plane in Las Vegas and he holds out his hand. He didn’t realized how tall she is, and estimates her to be about five-foot-nine. “It was nice meeting you, Mya. It shouldn’t take long to get you those images.”
Mya accepts Alex’s hand. “I appreciate it. Listen, since you’re a geophysicist, would you like to come out to Colorado and see the cave? Maybe you can verify the age of the rock strata.”
“No promises, but that might be interesting.”
“I’ll look for you.” Mya indicates a walkway. “My flight home is down there.”
“I’m afraid mine’s the other way. I hope to see you again.”
Mya stares after Alex until he disappears around a corner, then turns and walks toward her departure area.
Alex leaves the air terminal and takes a taxi to a remote hangar on the far end of the tarmac. He shows his identification to a guard at the gate, who lets him through to board a special plane.
––––––––
Other books by James M. Corkill
Dead Energy. The Alex Cave Series Book 1.
Cold Energy. The Alex Cave Series Book 2.
Red Energy. The Alex Cave Series book 3.
Gravity. The Alex Cave Series book 4.
DNA. The Alex Cave Series book 6.
You can contact him at Jamesmcorkill.com