| |
Riddle seemed to undergo a physical transformation. His expression became serious, his carriage more erect, and when he spoke, looking directly at the camera, his voice was low and full of gravitas. “We are in western Bulgaria, in the village of Tsarichina, not far from the capital Sofia, to investigate one of the strangest mysteries you’ve never heard of. This is the story of the Tsarichina Hole.”
Maddock glanced at Bones, curious to see if his friend recognized the name. Bones shook his head, indicating he did not.
Riddle allowed a few seconds to pass, probably to give some wiggle room for the editing process, and then resumed, clearly channeling a well-rehearsed mental script. “The story begins almost thirty years ago. It is December, 1990. Bulgaria has just thrown off the oppressive yoke of Communist rule and is looking to join the modern world. It is a time of great uncertainty. There is economic and social unrest. And then, in the midst of it all, the Bulgarian army arrives at this place, in the little village of Tsarichina, and begins a massive excavation. They started right there.” He gestured toward the open ground east of the transformer building.
“They called it ‘Operation: Sun Ray.’ Over the next two years, Bulgarian army diggers would remove tons of earth—with heavy digging equipment, as well as pick and shovel. The estimated cost of the project was reportedly over nine million dollars. Then, in November of 1992, after clearing a tunnel over 180 meters long, the government shut down the excavation, and ordered the entrance to Tsarichina Hole filled up with concrete, and buried.”
“Government cover-up,” Bones whispered. “Typical.”
Maddock scanned the open area again. The ground was flat and unremarkable, with some scruffy vegetation and a single tree that looked to be about the right size to have been planted three decades earlier. There was nothing at all to indicate an undertaking like what Riddle had just described.
“It’s unclear what the government was looking for here, but rumors abound. Many believe they were searching for the lost golden treasure of Bulgaria’s greatest leader, Tsar Samuil, who ruled in the Tenth Century. But if that’s true, what prompted them to look in Tsarichina? And why did they abruptly end the search and seal off the excavation?
“All official documents relating to Operation: Sun Ray have been sealed—and possibly destroyed—by the government, but in his book on the Tsarichina Phenomenon, Colonel Tzvetko Stefanov—who led the excavation—reveals that they were taking their directions from a pair of psychic remote viewers—Rumen Nikolov and Maria Ionova.”
Despite wanting to roll his eyes at the mention of psychics, Maddock had to admit that Riddle had uncovered quite a story. If nothing else, the prospect of buried treasure had just made the trip a little more interesting.
“Rumen and Maria weren’t helping the Bulgarian government look for the gold of Samuil however,” Riddle went on. “They were dialed into something far more mysterious. They claimed to have been receiving messages that would lead them to an underground chamber where they would find an entity they called ‘the first human ancestor.’
“Six meters down, the excavation uncovered a rectangular stone that Stefanov designated Object Number One. The stone was adorned with strange symbols in a language no one could read. No one but Rumen and Maria. The psychics revealed that the slab was a kind of bio-hazard warning, and warned that moving it would unleash an apocalyptic plague.
“Stefanov took the advice seriously and ordered the soldiers to begin a new excavation to work around the hazard. They soon uncovered a tunnel with a smooth ceiling, leading to a spiral passage that descended over 160 meters where they encountered another strange barrier—a metal slab in the shape of a concave lens. Carved into the wall beside the door was the likeness of a gigantic humanoid figure, which Rumen confirmed to be the ancient human ancestor.
“The soldiers removed the metal slab to reveal a tunnel with a silvery-gray floor, and walls covered with more of the same strange language. But when Stefanov and the other soldiers tried to enter the tunnel, a powerful, invisible force knocked them back.
“Stefanov was determined to continue and began plans to excavate around the impenetrable barrier, but someone in the Bulgarian government decided to consult famed mystic Baba Vanga. Baba Vanga confirmed that they were close to the remains of the ancient ancestor—who was neither male nor female—and further warned that they should leave it alone.
“At first, Stefanov didn’t take the warning seriously, but then tragedy struck. Maria Ionova, one of the psychic remote viewers, died unexpectedly. Shortly thereafter, Colonel Stefanov gave the order to seal the site permanently.
“But that’s not the end of this strange story.”
Riddle paused again, and then began walking toward the transformer building. When he reached the door, he turned to face the camera again.
“During the excavation, witnesses recorded fifteen separate UFO sightings. Six months after the dig ended, Rumen returned to Tsarichina, accompanied by a team of scientists, to investigate the UFO sightings. Over the next two weeks, they logged twenty-one encounters, along with other strange phenomena, including poltergeists, and an unexplained fire that nearly destroyed the camp. The scientists believed they were dealing with an extraterrestrial life form, hostile to humanity.
“Then, one night near the end of July, an unidentified object landed behind the hill—” Riddle paused and looked past Corey and the camera drone. “Right over there. Rumen went to investigate. When he returned, he reported having met with strange humanoid beings—the same species as the First Human Ancestor buried under Tsarichina. They told him that the entity he had been communicating with was indeed the first intelligent life form to walk the earth, and was neither alive nor dead, but rather existed in a state outside time. They revealed that the original excavation had come within six meters of the resting place of the entity.
“They also gave him a clear message: Do not disturb.”
Riddle fell silent again, as if to allow his future viewers time to digest the account of the strange encounter. Corey sidestepped away in order to get a different angle.
“To this day,” Riddle continued, “Tsarichina remains a hotbed of UFO activity, even earning the nickname, ‘Bulgaria’s Area 51.’ Locals and visitors often report strange blue lights moving about near the ground. For thirty years, the Bulgarian government has refused to comment on Operation: Sun Ray, refused to even acknowledge that any of it happened.”
He allowed another dramatic pause, but this time, only for a few seconds. “But now, there’s been an exciting development. Officially, the Tsarichina Hole was sealed under several hundred cubic yards of concrete.” He half-turned, one hand coming to rest on the door of the building. “But what nobody realized, or even suspected, was that Colonel Stefanov left a back door into the excavation.”
As much as he wanted to dismiss it all as a lot of woo-woo nonsense, Maddock realized he had forgotten to breathe. Part of him thought the whole thing was an elaborate urban myth, but the other part of him was hanging on Riddle’s every word.
Riddle stayed like that for several seconds—a dramatic pause—and then turned to face the door. His right hand went to the deadbolt lock, and now Maddock saw that he was holding a key, which he slotted into place and turned. Riddle then reached for the doorknob, gave it a twist and pulled.
Maddock almost started as the door swung open. Aside from the creak of long unused hinges, nothing unusual happened. Beyond the doorframe, the interior was mostly taken up by the large boxy electrical transformer, which sat on the concrete floor, emitting a low hum.
Riddle took a step inside and pointed down at a rusty metal drain cover, about two feet across, mounted flush with the concrete slab. “Under this drain cover is a short tunnel that connects with the entrance to the original excavation. The Bulgarian government has given us exclusive access to the site. Now, we’re going to take you to a place where no one has gone for nearly thirty years, to discover the truth about a mysterious object that might spell doom for humanity, and just maybe find the last resting place of the extraterrestrial entity known as the First Human Ancestor. Join me as we go inside the Tsarichina Hole.”
Riddle’s voice rose as he neared the climax of his little speech, but once the last line was delivered, he fell silent, staring at the camera with an unreal intensity. He held the pose for what must have been a full thirty seconds, and then gave a slight nod.
“And cut,” he said, and then turned to Maddock and Bones. “So what do you think, guys. Are you in?”
Bones didn’t give Maddock a chance to say no. “Hells yeah!”