Assault on Atlantis

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

“There’s only one problem,” Earhart said.

Dane Was examining the golden globe set on the pedestal in the center of the power room. “What’s that?”

“We need power to get this thing moving and no one has come back with a crystal skull yet.”

“We have to trust the Ones Before,” Dane said.

“We don’t even know who or what the Ones Before are,” Earhart pointed out.

Dane noted that the surface of the globe was marked. He leaned closer. Thin lines curled around the surface. It reminded him of something he had seen before. He felt a strange tingle in his hands.

“Let’s get going,” Earhart said as she turned toward the tube exiting the power room.

Dane reluctantly turned from the globe and followed her.

The ship’s engineers and reactor specialists had seemed happy simply to have something to do, although they had at first eyed the crystal skull with disbelief when Frost showed it to them. When he had explained as best he could what he had “seen” and “beard,” their disbelief faded and their interest perked up. They’d been at work ever since.

Word of the activity had spread quickly in the confined space of the submarine. After all, even though the Nautilus was a relatively large submarine, almost two thirds of that length was taken up by the reactor and shielding. By the second day of work, every member of the crew had been by the officers’ wardroom to see the crystal skull and the intricate wire frame the engineers were weaving around it. Although Frost had described what they were building, he’d had no idea why.

One of the engineers had tried to explain, as much as he understood, what they were doing. In essence, they were wrapping copper wire around the skull to help make it a part of a Tesla coil, but unlike one any of the engineers had ever seen before. They weren’t sure what the changes would produce, but they were faithful to Frost’s vision.

“It’s done,” Captain Anderson told Frost as the poet poked his head in the galley for about the fortieth time.

The skull was enshrined in copper wiring, only glimpses of it still visible. A dozen members of the crew were crowded in the wardroom, admiring the work. Captain Anderson seemed much less than happy that the work had been completed, and Frost knew why, because he had already told the captain what needed to be done next.

Anderson grabbed a mike hooked up to the ship’s intercom system. He clicked it twice to get everyone’s attention. Then e began. “Men, this is your captain. As you all know, we’ve n doing some special work for Mister Frost. Part of our mission up here. I know many of you have questions as to the exact nature of that mission, as I do,” Anderson looked over at Frost. “We came here because we were ordered to by Naval Command. Those who issued us those orders are dead. Our families are dead. Everyone on the planet other than us is most likely dead, and we will be shortly. That is our reality.

“Mister Frost believes, though, that there are other people who we can help.” Anderson paused. “I’m going to let Mister Frost tell you the rest.” He held out the mike.

Frost took it in his liver-spotted hand. He cleared his throat. “Gentlemen, I” he paused as the captain pointed and whispered. “You have to press the button on the side.”

Frost nodded. He pressed the button and waited until the brief burst of static passed. “Gentlemen, we are indeed doomed. You have all heard the reports and seen the film footage of the strange craft that destroyed our planet’s atmosphere. I believe you will all agree that craft is not of our world. There are others, not of our world, but like us, who are also threatened by those who flew that craft and attacked us. “We can help them. I cannot explain it all. I ask you to have faith in what we must do.”

Frost released the button and took several breaths before pushing it again. “It is an axiom that man is at his best when times are the worst. We are facing our worst time, and I ask you to be your best.”

He released the button and handed the mike to Anderson. “You know what must be done.”

Anderson took the mike. “I need two volunteers. Two men to take what we have made here in the wardroom and bring it into our reactor core.”