Chapter_16
Alex sat on the floor next to Marissa. The warmth of the rock surprised him. Though far below ground, the stone radiated a soothing, ambient heat.
He was amazed at the complexity of the underground basaltic tunnels hidden under Nan Madol. The further and deeper he descended, the more he was astounded by what an enormous undertaking it must have been to erect such a complex. He felt what they saw above ground was just the tip of a proverbial iceberg concealing the true mysteries of the island underneath.
“I hope they didn’t bring us down here to kill us,” William whispered in Alex’s ear as he leaned over to his friend.
“Drink,” offered a wise looking, older woman with long white, braided hair and a flowered tiara on her brow. She was sitting in the center of their half circle arrangement. Wearing no more than a grass skirt and brown top strapped around her bosom, she held up a half coconut with both hands and offered it to Terzin.
Other island natives in the room also began sitting around them. Many were in traditional island attire while a few donned more modern clothing.
Terzin walked over to the elder woman and bowed. “Thank you, Orisihpa.” Already well aware of this sacred ceremony, she tilted her head back and closed her eyes. Taking a sip, she then inhaled through her nose to intensify the flavor.
William could not help but stare at her beauty. He appreciated her feminine silhouette as it cast a slight shadow in the torch-lit room. The violet flower behind her ear, which she must have taken from one of the many floral arrangements that decorated the room, accentuated her blue eyes.
“Close your eyes when you drink it.” Terzin said as she handed William the coconut. “And let your mind drift away in the process.”
William gently took the coconut, barely able to take his attention away from her. All concern about his safety and the authenticity of their hosts quickly dissipated. With a smile on his face, he closed his eyes and brought the drink to his lips.
The sense of serenity abruptly ended as he swallowed. The syrupy mixture tasted like a combination of mud and grass mixed together. With grainy bits of this chalk-like concoction clinging to his throat, William attempted not to gag. His only solace after drinking this mixture was that he would have the pleasure of handing it to his friend Alex.
Finally regaining his composure, William turned to Alex and said, “Drink up. Make sure you take a big gulp.”
From the bits of grass and brown substance stuck between William’s teeth, Alex could only surmise the taste. Acting as if he were taking a sip, he feigned a swallow before handing the coconut to Marissa. With a wink, he attempted to forewarn her of what she was about to drink.
However, after having stayed on the island previously, she was painfully aware of this brown concoction even before she brought it to her lips. She’d already had the misfortune of sampling what was known as sakau. Marissa certainly would not make that error again. Also feigning a sip, she passed the coconut to the islander next to her.
“I can sense that you are still worried about the Mark,” Orisihpa said, staring into Terzin’s eyes.
Terzin felt ashamed that she had somehow offended their host, and bowed her head as if asking for mercy.
“Be not afraid.” Orisihpa assured. “The Mark is in its proper place in the Mukulian Hall with the others that have fallen astray. All is well now. The world is at peace—for the moment.”
Terzin smiled, needing extra assurance. The elders had repeatedly taught her that if the Mark’s place at Pumapunku were at all compromised, it should be immediately brought to Nan Madol. However, she understood that time may have distorted the truth behind these old stories told to her at bedtime.
Alex wished he understood how the crystal worked. The knowledge that could be gleaned from this lost science seemed limitless. Plus, if these Marks stabilized the Earth’s electromagnetic field and tectonic plates, he would like to understand them more in case there was ever again a problem with the tectonic plates or the Earth’s electromagnetic grid. Hoping for at least some clue, he asked, “Who created the Marks?”
“One of the unenlightened,” Orisihpa responded with a smile. “You see,” she explained while holding her hand in front of her, “Pohnpei and Nan Madol were once part of a vast Pacific continent we referred to as Mu. Also known by other Pacific Islanders as Hiva, Ka-hoopo-kane, and Kumari Kandam, this great land was lost; only its highest mountaintops remain. Pohnpei, Hawaii, Fiji, Midway, Tonga, and Easter Island, to name a few, are all that are left of this once massive landmass.”
“What happened?” Marissa asked. “What could have caused such massive destruction?”
“Legend says Mu was lost in the great disaster.” she explained. “Swallowed up by the sea.
“The biblical flood?” Marissa conjectured. “As mentioned in the Christian and Hebrew Bibles?”
William looked at her skeptically. “I thought all of that was folktale or old stories created to make a point.”
“That’s not exactly true,” Marissa rebutted. “There are over 350 flood stories spanning the entire globe. Because my work took me around the world, I personally heard a few of these myths from the Berber in Africa, the Hopi tribe of North America, and the indigenous people of Australia. Not only in the Bible can you find these flood stories, but tales of a great deluge are also located in Mayan writing, the Babylonian story of Gilgamesh, the Ingorot tale of the Philippines, and the story of Nügua in China.”
Orisihpa added, “The flood story is the common theme among all of them. Every culture seems to parrot the same story. Though the names are different, the story remains the same.”
“The Greek myth of Phileman and Baucis,” Alex added, “also tells the tale of how Zeus brought the brothers to the mountaintop as the water inundated the Earth.”
“The sea, too, arose, and in a stupendous catastrophe of nature the land sank into the sea. The new Earth arose out of the womb of the last Earth,” Orisihpa said, “to quote the Samoan.”
“Where is the proof?” William asked, still unconvinced. “Maybe it’s a coincidence. Flooding is a common natural disaster that has occurred since the dawn of humanity. I’m sure every civilization has somehow been affected by it.”
“There is,” Alex said, “but we’ve ignored the evidence in the dogmatic pursuit of a uniformitarian version of history. Geologists abandoned such theories of catastrophism in the early nineteenth century.”
Alex took a small, black card out of his pocket and placed it on the stone floor in front of him. A holograph appeared above it. “I’ve always been intrigued by what geologists call Alaskan muck. As you can see on this image, there are bones, plants, trees, and mud crushed together and frozen as if created in some great cataclysmic event.”
Different holographic scenes displayed above the card, activated by Alex’s narration.
“This muck can also be found in Siberia,” Alex added, “and is full of insects, plants, and bones from various animals such as bison, mammoth, and other large mammals. Plus, there are caves and crevices all over the world that appear as if they were suddenly inundated with the same material. Not a single continent is without one of them. In addition, hundreds of sunken ancient cities have been found under the Mediterranean Sea, as if inundated by a mass deluge.”
“There are also these massive boulders,” the holograph changed as Marissa spoke, “found haphazardly in the Saharan desert. Geologists call them erratics because they have no explanation about how such massive rocks could be found in desolate areas. It is as if they purposely want to ignore the fact that the rocks appear to have been carried by raging waters before reaching their final destination.”
“So, if this biblical flood already occurred,” William asked, “what are you trying to stop now with these Marks of yours? Hasn’t the destruction already happened?
William looked around at his friends and host. “Did any of you ever think that these Marks may have somehow triggered this biblical flood, and by tinkering with them again, we may cause another one? Just look at what happened when Terzin’s Mark was removed from Bolivia.”
Despite his friend’s skepticism, Alex agreed that William made an astute point.
“My word is all that I can provide,” Orisihpa humbly responded. “It is all I have to give you.”
“Maybe the Marks are preventing something even more catastrophic from occurring,” Marissa added. “Maybe something worse is in store for the planet.”
“Legend has it—” Orisihpa began to say.
The room began to rumble, knocking down a few bowls and causing the potted plants in the room to sway.
Terzin looked suspiciously at the ground and placed her head on it. “The Earth remains unpleased.”
William jumped to his feet, “Orisihpa, I thought you said all is well since the Mark is in its proper place in the Mukulian Hall?”
Orisihpa appeared just as surprised as William. “Check the hall!” she bellowed to one of the men in traditional island attire. “Find out what has happened.”
“Don’t bother,” Alex said. Taking the shield and turning it over, he revealed his ancient treasure to Orisihpa. “The Earth is not the one displeased with us. Peering directly into his vedere lens, Alex realized the problem was coming from above and not below.
“We must leave now!” Alex insisted. Looking at his shield, he realized his error too late. “We’ve been discovered.”