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  As Gods Above

  © Copyright 2010 Andre Labuschagne

  All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part by any process without written permission from the copyright holder.

  Published by Andre Labuschagne/Alternative Publishing

  http://authors.alternative-publishing.co.za/andrelabuschagne

  Cover Graphics by Rudolph Xander Labuschagne ("As Gods Above", 2010)

  http://illustrators.alternative-publishing.co.za/rudolphlabuschagne

  Dancer

  A dancer,

  Entrapped by the music of the spheres

  Twirling back and forth

  In a wild tarantella

  An amber memory of days past

  And yet to come…

  Twisting, turning in the darkness of my soul,

  By power trapped – and freed…

  In gay abandon

  Leaping lightly

  From world to world

  As Gods above…

  Anonymous

  Prelude

  Adventure: “Something horrible, happening to someone else, far away.” Thus wrote one of the great writers of our age, and I fully agree.

  I never intended to become a hero.

  Just about every second book in my grandfather’s pulp fiction collection started with those words - or words to that effect anyway.

  Obviously the speaker would promptly rush out and plunge headlong into adventure – or there would be no story...

  Unfortunately, what happened to me was not fantasy –and a lot of it was definitely not even fun.

  I was twenty eight, in good shape and had a great job. As a successful management consultant my work took me to all corners of the world, all expenses paid. Working freelance allowed me to pick the jobs I wanted, when and where I wanted them.

  It also allowed me to take the time to indulge in my hobbies.

  And that was where it all started...

  Ever since I can remember, I have been fascinated by history - specifically ancient history and archeology. As soon as I could afford the luxury, I took time off to participate in some smaller digs, and even spend some time at some of the more important finds.

  I enjoy reading, so I spent a lot of my flight and leisure time reading everything on the subject I could find. Between projects I audited some courses on ancient languages which allowed me to extend my investigations into certain ancient legends.

  I was especially interested in the so-called volkerwandrung – that century spanning almost random movement of tribes and nations as they tried to survive the changes in their environment or as it quite often turned out - their neighbors. Inevitably this led me to the problem of interglacial civilizations and the drowned cities.

  My research in these areas found expression in a number of short treatises which I published on the internet. To my surprise a couple of these were syndicated by National Geographical Magazine and the American Archeological Digest. The Digest even ran a short series of popular articles I wrote on linguistics as an archeological detection tool.

  *** *** ***

  I was just finishing up at a client in Bangalore when I got a call from my old friend Jim Glaser, assistant editor (Archeology) at National Geographical.

  He soon got down to the point: “Are you still in India?”

  “Yes, I am just finishing up here; I should be through by Friday.”

  “Have you got anything lined up for the near future?”

  “No, I thought to do some touring and maybe pay a visit to the Taj. Why?”

  “Have you heard of the Maharashta find?”

  “Who hasn’t? It was headline news a couple of weeks ago! But I must confess, I haven’t had the time to follow up on it yet.”

  “That’s a pity.

  Let me bring you up to date. The city was located by a group of local sport divers, who noticed the similarity of the structures to those found in Mahabalipuram and the Gulf of Khambat.

  Apparently a couple of them had been involved during the early photographic missions. The biggest difference here is the depth. At sixty five meters it is going to be an interesting exercise to explore it.”

  “You can say that again. You would need some pretty sophisticated equipment if you wanted to get things done.”

  “You are quite right about that! Which reminds me – did you ever manage to qualify on that new rebreather kit you bought last year?”

  “Yes – I did. My qualifying dive was in November.”

  “Good! How would you like to be in on the first exploration of the new site?”

  “Don’t joke! You know I would die for an opportunity like that.”

  “I’m not joking. If you are free for the next six months…”

  “Of course I am free! For such a chance… I would have cancelled or postponed my next engagement if such an opportunity offered!”

  “Hold onto your hat.

  A joint exploration team being set up by the Scientific Exploration Society and the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa and we have been offered the chance to assign one member to the team.

  They require someone with a good grounding in archeology, some dig experience and photography and reporting skills.

  The kicker which makes you ideal is that he or she also needs to be a strong diver, qualified in the rebreather equipment.

  I suggested your name to Peter and you made the cut subject, of course, to availability. ”

  “So when do we start?”

  “The expedition has already mustered in Mumbai. They are waiting for three members – if you can be there by next Friday, you are one.”

  “I’ll be there!”

  *** *** ***

  On Friday I arrived at Mumbai airport at six o’ clock.

  I was collected by one of the sailors and taken to the exploration vessel Nautilus (on loan from the SEC) where I was allocated a cabin and settled in by the purser.

  “The flight from Johannesburg has been slightly delayed, sir, but we expect the last couple of scientists – the South Africans, to be here around noon. If you wish you can settle in and get unpacked, and maybe get a bit of rest until I call you for lunch.

  Dr Strong will be introducing the three of you at lunch, and the main briefing will be this afternoon.”

  Just after twelve the South African contingent arrived. True to his word, Ivan – the purser, came down to call me to lunch. On our way to the Genesis lounge – the main dining room and social lounge I met the latest additions, who had been settling in to their cabins adjacent to mine.

  Once we were all settled at the table and the first course had been served, our team leader Dr. Adam Strong introduced himself. Although a few of the team members knew each other, the introductions ran around the table, each of us required to state who he or she was, where we came from, and what our specialties were. Thereafter we all relaxed as each got to know their neighbors, and conversation became more social ad less business – albeit there was a strong vein of curiosity about the project and its exact aims.

  This was to be satisfied as soon as lunch was over. Once the covers were removed we all settled down comfortably, (The lounge was also our project briefing room) and Dr. Strong took us quickly through the history of the finds and purpose of the expedition.

  *** *** ***

  In short, the team was to do a thorough exploration of the underwater city discovered at a depth of sixty five meters near Maharashta on the west coast of India. Although it was superficially similar to the earlier finds at Mahabalipuram and the Gulf of Khambat, there were strong indications that it was of even greater antiquity.

  The first cities proved to be vast, between one and five square kilometers and radiocarbon dating of pottery and bone frag
ments indicated that they might be older than nine thousand years before Christ.

  Popular theory was that these cities had been built during the last part of the last ice age, and had been inundated by the combination of the rising seas, and continental flexing as the weight of the ice pack decreased.

  *** *** ***

  After the briefing we were split up into teams which would be working together for the duration of the dig (one of the golden rules of underwater exploration is that no one dives alone). My diving partner was Marianne van den Berg, an up and coming young archeologist from South Africa. She had gained excellent experience at the Cradle of Mankind, a prehistoric site near Johannesburg, as well as working at Great Zimbabwe and various sites in the Middle East.

  The dig was scheduled to be conducted in phases. Our expedition was the first phase, with the main task of mapping the site (there was a high level map created by the side sonar exploration, but this only showed gross detail – we would fill in the fine stuff with photographic records.)

  Everything was going well, almost too well.

  It was the last weekend of month four of the project. Already the end of my dig was in sight; soon I was due to start work at my next client. The current phase of the dig was basically complete, and once a few loose ends had been wrapped up, everyone would return to their respective homes until a decision could be taken whether a more detailed exploration was indicated.

  On this specific weekend everybody bar the cook went to Mumbai for a taste of the fleshpots of civilisation. I decided I would be back in town soon enough so I stayed behind to integrate some of the latest information we had gathered into my article for National Geographical.

  Marianne and I had become good friends by this time.

  The time we spent together both diving, and working on my article as well as her report for the University had created a strong relationship, so I was very pleased when she decided to keep me company.

  We spent a pleasant Saturday morning working on my article, but after lunch Marianne decided she needed some fresh air.

  Of course the ideal form of relaxation for us was a gentle afternoon dive...

  Chapter 1

  Maharashta, Indian coast, 15th July, 2029

  “Michael, take a look at this!” Marianne’s voice crackled over the micro radio.

  Michael de Haan had been poking at a heap of stone blocks which at one time must have been part of a building. He swam over to the pretty blonde girl, who was shining her torch into an opening between two pillars.

  “Have you found something?” he enquired.

  “There’s some kind of room or tunnel behind this wall! It looked just another embrasure, but something caught my eye when I shone my torch in there. Look! There’s a hole in the corner here and the stone is thin, like some kind of panel.”

  “You’re right Marianne. It looks like a thin lining of stone with some sort of metal backing.”

  “Metal? Isn’t that a bit out of place?”

  “It goes against everything we know about ancient civilizations. According to all indications thus far, this is a normal late Stone Age city! But the fact remains – it may be crumbling away at the touch, but this panel is lined with some kind of metal.”

  “Maybe it’s a door?”

  Her blue eyes were sparkling behind her diving mask. Michael decided again that animation suited this usually reserved girl.

  He continued his inspection of the wall she had indicated. The stone lining had been cleverly cut to fit in perfectly with the walls in the surrounding sections.

  “I’m pretty sure it was a door. There must have been a secret mechanism to open it, but it is doubtful that it would still be in working condition.”

  ” Maybe we could force it open!” she suggested - carefully poking around through the opening with a steel crowbar. “The metal seems mostly rusted away.”

  “I think you’re right!”

  He swam back to where he had been working, and collected a lifter – a specialized tool for lifting heavy objects underwater. “This pillar should give us enough leverage.”

  He inserted the lifter in the hole, and braced himself against the pillar. Smoothly he started puling at the panel.

  “I just hope it isn’t locked.” Marianne quipped.

  Michael heaved on the lifter.

  “It’s moving – Watch out Michael! It’s going to fall!”

  Just in time he moderated his effort. Even so he shot of a couple of meters when the hinges suddenly let go.

  The panel toppled forward slowly and drifted down, followed by a small cloud of metal flakes. The hinges and locking mechanism had torn neatly out of the rotting metal back plate.

  Marianne shot the beam of her torch as far down the dark passageway as she could.

  “I wonder where this leads.” She started forward.

  “Wait, Marianne! We don’t know how long this has been sealed. Maybe we should take some precautions.”

  “I don’t think this is a tomb Michael,” she protested. “Anyway, we won’t be breathing the air or anything like that.”

  “I was actually thinking of predators like eels and octopi, or even traps like we found in the Egyptian tombs.” He replied. “Something about this passage reminds me of the pyramids.”

  “The finish on the walls is certainly similar. But according to current theory these ruins are much older?”

  “That’s correct. These ruins are estimated to be between nine thousand and eleven thousand years old, whereas the pyramids are estimated at three thousand five hundred to five thousand years. However, this find may lend more credibility to those crackpots who have been saying that the major pyramids are a lot older than the classics indicate. The building style is certainly compatible.”

  “You can say that again. I bet the Texans feel real comfortable with these building blocks.”

  She swam to the diving sled. “I think the passage is wide enough for the sled. If it will fit we will have a lot more light, and the sonar should indicate the most common types of traps like deadfalls and pits.”

  “Great idea. Let me have the spear gun in case we meet something that would like us for its supper.”

  She handed him the trident tipped spear gun from the rack on the sled. “I hope we don’t meet an octopus. I would hate to get involved in a blind fight in a corridor like this.”

  “Unless there is another entrance, I don’t think we should meet anything too big. For one thing, there wouldn’t be enough food for it.”

  “Now that’s a relief” Marianne wiped across her brow, with an exaggerated gesture, careful not to knock off her mask. “So all I have to worry about is some prehistoric architect’s compulsion to crush innocent by passers under huge blocks of stone?”

  “And maybe some non indigenous predators.” He added sotto voco.

  “I heard that!” She smiled as she expertly guided the sled through the opening in the wall.

  Marianne

  I was one of the last members of the team to arrive in Mumbai. We were met at the airport and driven to the harbor. As soon as we were aboard, the purser signed us on and assigned us to our staterooms.