The atlantis world (the origin mystery, book 3)

ABOUT THE ATLANTIS WORLD A GLOBAL CATACLYSM BEYOND IMAGINATION A MYSTERIOUS SIGNAL FROM SPACE AND ONE LAST HOPE TO SAVE THE HUMAN RACE: THE ATLANTIS WORLD As the clock ticks down to humanity’s extinction, a team of scientists will risk it all to unravel the secrets of the past Northern Morocco: Dr Kate Warner cured a global pandemic, and she thought she could cure herself She was wrong And she was wrong about the scope of the Atlantis conspiracy Humanity faces a new threat, an enemy beyond imagination With her own time running out and the utter collapse of human civilization looming, a new hope arrives: a signal from a potential ally Arecibo Observatory: Mary Caldwell has spent her life waiting, watching the stars, looking for signs of intelligent life beyond our world When that day comes, Mary finds herself in the middle of a struggle older than the human race, with far greater stakes She must decide who to trust, because there’s nowhere to hide Antarctica: In the wake of the Atlantis Plague, Dorian Sloane finds himself a puppet to Ares’ mysterious agenda As Dorian prepares to take control of the situation, Ares unleashes a cataclysm that changes everything As the catastrophe circles the globe, Ares reveals the true nature of the threat to humanity, and Dorian agrees to one last mission: find and kill David Vale and Kate Warner There will be no prisoners this time The orders are seek and destroy, and Dorian has been promised that his own answers and salvation lie on the other side With Dorian in pursuit, Kate, David, and their team race through the ruins of the Atlantean ship left on Earth, across Atlantean science stations throughout the galaxy, and into the past of a mysterious culture whose secrets could save humanity in its darkest hour With their own lives on the line and time slipping away, Kate, David and Dorian are put to the ultimate test ABOUT: The Atlantis World is the third and final book in A.G Riddle’s Origin Mystery trilogy This adventure across space and time explores the history of the Atlantean homeworld and culture, a topic readers have asked about since the first novel in the series, The Atlantis Gene NOTE: All three books in the trilogy are now available: Book 1: The Atlantis Gene http://amzn.com/B00C2WDD5I Book 2: The Atlantis Plague http://amzn.com/B00GR5JZHQ Book 3: The Atlantis World http://amzn.com/B00JVUQ2H0 THE ATLANTIS WORLD THE ORIGIN MYSTERY BOOK A.G Riddle CONTENTS Copyright • Dedication Prologue Part I: Rise & Fall Chapter • Chapter • Chapter • Chapter • Chapter • Chapter • Chapter • Chapter • Chapter • Chapter 10 • Chapter 11 • Chapter 12 • Chapter 13 • Chapter 14 • Chapter 15 • Chapter 16 • Chapter 17 • Chapter 18 • Chapter 19 • Chapter 20 • Chapter 21 Part II: The Atlantis Beacon Chapter 22 • Chapter 23 • Chapter 24 • Chapter 25 • Chapter 26 • Chapter 27 • Chapter 28 • Chapter 29 • Chapter 30 • Chapter 31 • Chapter 32 • Chapter 33 • Chapter 34 Part III: A Tale of Two Worlds Chapter 35 • Chapter 36 • Chapter 37 • Chapter 38 • Chapter 39 • Chapter 40 • Chapter 41 • Chapter 42 • Chapter 43 • Chapter 44 • Chapter 45 • Chapter 46 • Chapter 47 • Chapter 48 • Chapter 49 • Chapter 50 • Chapter 51 • Chapter 52 • Chapter 53 • Chapter 54 • Chapter 55 Epilogue Author’s Note • Acknowledgments • About the Author This novel is fiction, except for the parts that aren’t Copyright © 2014 by A.G Riddle All rights reserved AGRiddle.com ISBN: 978-1-940026-05-3 “They’ve agreed,” Perseus said “With conditions They’ll scan the Serpentine ships for human life signs before they destroy them No life signs, they fire at will If they detect human life signs, they’ll send a robotic boarder to check it out Anything fishy, they fire If the robot finds your man, we bring him back under a heavy quarantine and a thorough exam.” Kate ran to him and hugged him The hours that followed were the longest of Kate’s life She watched the triangular Exile ships maneuver the Serpentine vessels into a course for the sun The black objects got smaller by the minute as they sailed into the burning star She knew this was happening around hundreds, possibly thousands of worlds She just hoped David wasn’t on one of the ships Paul, Mary, and Milo had joined her in her stateroom, but no one said a word The feeling was like a hospital waiting room Everyone was there for Kate, but there was nothing to say In the Serpentine command center, David watched the triangular ships systematically destroy the Serpentine fleet Of the hundred screens, only a handful still showed Serpentine ships It was a massacre On the central screen, which showed the rings of ships outside the one David occupied, a portal opened, and a fleet of triangular ships arrived They seemed to waste no time Their shots immediately began tearing into the rings of Serpentine ships The wave of destruction would reach David in seconds He watched the triangular fleet approach, bracing himself At the back of his mind, he wondered if it was another illusion A test The lead triangular ship stopped, and David realized he was holding his breath Kate stood when Perseus entered “I think we’ve got something,” he said “One life sign, on the Serpentine central ring.” “Is he…” “They’re running him through a battery of tests now, but he looks healthy.” David sat in the decontamination chamber, waiting, debating what to If his rescue was another Serpentine illusion, what was the bait? How could he break it down the way he had the pit? He had to resist He steeled himself It’s all an illusion No matter what they throw at me, I will resist The doors opened, and Kate stood in the well-lit, white walled corridor Her brunette hair down, spilling onto her shoulders, and her face was radiant, her eyes alive She was healthy, vibrant, the same person he had met, fallen in love with David stood still, unable to move She rushed in and hugged him He felt Milo’s arms around him too David decided that if it was a Serpentine illusion, they had won It was too real to him He couldn’t resist her Kate pulled back and looked in his eyes “Are you all right?” “I am now.” At the sentinel factory, Kate and David paused at the wide window that looked out on the assembly line The sentinel spheres were returning in droves Kate wondered how many there were Millions perhaps “What will you with them?” she asked Perseus “We’re still debating We’d like to use some to destroy the remaining Serpentine ships It could cut the process down by years After that, we’ll either scrap them or keep them in case another threat emerges.” Perseus led them through the factory’s corridors A trail of dried blood marked the path to the ark The outer doors opened, and Kate remembered the first time she had seen them, two miles under Antarctica In the decontamination chamber, she paused She had torn her suit off here, placing it beside the two small suits Adi and Surya had worn Inside the ark, teams were combing every inch of the ancient vessel “Did they find Lykos?” Kate asked “Yes They’re still treating his wounds,” Perseus said “Can I see him?” Perseus agreed and led them down the dim, metallic corridors to a large room where medical technicians were setting up equipment “Lykos,” Perseus said, “this is Dr Kate Warner She created the therapy that neutralized the sentinels, and she helped find you.” “We’re in your debt, Dr Warner.” “You’re not I want you to know that I was simply finishing the work Isis started She was very, very sorry about what happened Had she known the truth, she would have done things a lot differently.” Lykos nodded “I think we all would The past is the past.” “I agree.” She eyed the equipment “You’re going to treat the Atlanteans?” “Yes,” Perseus said “We think the treatment we used to cure your resurrection syndrome will work on them We’ll know soon.” “What then?” “We were actually thinking that we would return to our homeworld Everything on the surface of the Exile world was destroyed, and going back underground doesn’t quite feel right We’re thinking we could all make a fresh start.” Kate smiled She thought that a fresh start would have pleased Isis very much “There’s one more thing we’re hoping you can help us understand.” Perseus led Kate and David to the massive chamber that held the rows of tubes Just beyond the double doors at the entrance, a pile of bodies lay All Ares “We’re still counting them Cause of death was mostly blunt-force trauma, a few strangulations Ship logs say he disabled his own resurrection.” “Did you find any more bodies?” David asked “One Outside.” Perseus held up a pad Dorian Sloane’s dead body floated through space, the sentinel assembly line in the background David glanced at Kate She thought about the hate Dorian and Ares had shared, the things they had done—on the Atlantean world and on her world She thought about Earth making a fresh start and about the Atlanteans, reuniting and rebuilding their civilization together “What you think?” Perseus asked “I think we reap what we sow.” EPILOGUE Atlanta, Georgia Paul watched Mary walk through the home they had shared, a look somewhere between shock and amusement on her face “You never took the pictures down?” “I uh… no.” “I think we should.” “Of course, I could—” “We’ll put new pictures up.” “New pictures would be good,” Paul said It was the best idea he had heard in a very long time The front door opened, and his nephew Matthew bolted in, making a beeline for Paul The boy hugged him, and Paul hugged him back with all his strength Natalie and Major Thomas followed They looked tired except for the smiles on their faces Paul made the introductions “Mary and I were just discussing what we’re going to from here.” “Us too,” Natalie said, glancing at Major Thomas “We’re going to report to the relief office downtown, see how we can help.” They said their goodbyes, and Mary and Paul began collecting the pictures They carefully removed the old photos and placed them at the bottom of a dresser drawer They kept the frames They had been a wedding gift Kate didn’t know if her hearing was going bad or if she had gotten used to the constant sound of hammering and power tools And that commotion— from David’s constant construction projects—was the only sound for miles around There was no bustle of a city, no airplane noise, no stadium nearby His parents’ home was nestled on a large plot of land with a beautiful yard, surrounded by the greenest trees she’d ever seen She had wondered how she would like it She’d never lived outside a city, but to her surprise, she found that country life suited her Or maybe it was just the company From the kitchen window, she could see Milo playing with Adi and Surya, being the big brother He planned to move out in a few months, and David and Kate were dreading that day But he had big plans David walked in He was sweaty, white dust particles filled his hair, and a pencil rested behind his ear Kate liked the look very much “Are we in destruction or construction mode today?” David poured himself a glass of water and spoke between gulps “It’s demolition, not destruction but yes, major demo.” “Maybe that’s what I’ll start calling you: Major Demo Or would you prefer Colonel Demo?” He finished his glass and set it on the island, then grabbed her “Oh, I think we both know I’m just a lowly private in this woman’s army.” Kate tried to push away “Hey, you’re sweaty and dirty.” “Yes, I am.” The phone rang, and David released one hand just long enough to answer Kate still struggled with the other hand’s grip, but he released her several seconds into the call He spoke quickly, asking questions, listening, growing more serious by the second When he up, he looked at Kate “They found it.” Kate had wondered if the call would ever come When she had made David promise in Morocco, she had been dying then and had assumed she wouldn’t live to see this day Now she was filled with fear, and she knew why: she had hope The helicopter hovered just above the water The pilot spoke to David through the ear piece “We’re here.” Kate glanced down at the water, then at David He leaned across, kissed her, pulled his diving mask on, and jumped over the side For a moment, he floated just under the water, taking in the submerged city of San Francisco The readout on his arm marked the location, and he began pushing down through the water When he reached the low-rise building, he swam through a broken glass window, careful not to cut himself He snaked through the corridors, moving slowly, the light from his helmet illuminating his path The doors were all open—this place had been evacuated quickly The Immari labs were a collection of bizarre equipment and things David couldn’t begin to understand But he was quite familiar with what he was looking for In one of the central labs, he came face to face with the four tubes Patrick Pierce had extracted from the Alpha Lander under the Bay of Gibraltar almost a hundred years ago They were the same tubes that had held Kate, her father—Patrick Pierce, and the two men who would become their enemies: Dorian Sloane and Mallory Craig The four of them had awoken in 1978, and the tubes had remained vacant since then, with one exception: Dorian had placed the infant he took from Kate in one of the tubes Or so Dorian had told her in an interrogation room in Antarctica months ago Kate and David still weren’t sure if Dorian had been toying with Kate or if the infant really was in one of the tubes, but in Morocco, David had sworn he would find Kate’s child— even if it killed him He swam closer and shined his light into the first tube, waiting, hoping The beam went straight through Empty The second—empty The third— empty At the fourth, the beam of light met clouds of gray and white David inhaled The clouds parted, revealing an infant The boy floated innocently, his eyes closed, his arms and legs straight out David felt himself exhale Back at the U.S Army base on the new coast of California, David could sense Kate’s nervousness “They think they’ll have the tubes extracted within a few weeks,” he said “They have an independent power source, but we have to be careful.” “I’ve been thinking… about what we should do.” “Me too I think our son should have a brother or sister around his age.” He raised his eyebrows “I promise to finish the house before your second trimester.” “It’s a deal.” AUTHOR’S NOTE You made it! To the end of the trilogy, that is For a few months, I wasn’t sure I would I agonized at some length about where this book should go I had planned the Atlantean backstory years ago, and my intention had always been to tell that story in the final book, but after the release of The Atlantis Plague, I was kind of nervous about it The Atlantis World is different from the first two books in many ways (most of it doesn’t take place on Earth and it’s less about our science and history and more about our possible future and the myths that have driven us) In the end, I decided to write the book I wanted to read, the book I hoped fans who loved the first two books would be delighted with I hope you’ve enjoyed it, but I understand if it wasn’t quite what you wanted or expected I tend to swing for the fences In this case, I wanted to write a book a small group of fans would absolutely love rather than a novel a large group of readers would just like As a reader, that’s what I prefer I want the author to go for it: to take a little risk and either hit it out of the park or strike out at the plate Life’s too short for base hits I’ve learned a lot about writing and a lot about life in the last year Being a writer hasn’t been a cakewalk But for now, I’m going to keep stepping up to the plate I hope you’ll stick around - Gerry PS: If you’d like to know when I have a new book out, you can join my email list by visiting my web site: www.AGRiddle.com I only send emails when a new book is released ACKNOWLEDGMENTS So many people contributed to this novel, and I owe them a huge thanks They are: Anna Without you, I never would have been able to get this book into readers’ hands so quickly and my life would be a lot less sane and enjoyable I love you, and I appreciate you every day Carole Duebbert, Sylvie Delézay, and Lisa Weinberg, my alpha editors, for absolutely amazing proofreading, edits, and suggestions Thank you again You caught things I never would have and helped me see where I needed to keep working Juan Carlos Barquet for the stunning original artwork for the cover You’ve been a pleasure to work with on this series, and I thank you for bringing my worlds to life and inviting people into my books To the best group of beta readers any author ever had You all made this novel so much better than it was, and I will forever be grateful You are: Fran Mason, Cindy Prendergast, Linda Winton, Leanne McGiveron, Emily Chin, Skip Folden, Dave Renison, Jane Marconi, NJ Fritz, Terry Daigle, Miora Hanson, Jeff Baker, Shawn Kerker, Michelle Duff, Kristen Miller, Duane Spellecacy, Virginia McClain, Vicky Gibbins, Brian Puzzo, Steven Nease, Jen Bengtson, Ron Watts, Kelly Mahoney, Lee Ames, Robin Collins, Sunday Moylan, Nikita Puhalsky, Paul Jamieson, Teodora Retegan, Karin Kostyzak, Rhonda Sloan, and Katie Regan Mike Kohn, James Jenkins, Jared Wortham, Kathy Belford, Marco Villanueva, Michael Shekels, John Scanlon, and Donna Fitzgerald for your inquisitive minds Last but not least, to you, wherever you are, whatever time it is: I thank you for reading my first works of fiction This trilogy has been equal parts hard work and fun for me, and I sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed it Take care and safe travels ABOUT THE AUTHOR A.G Riddle spent ten years starting and running internet companies before retiring to focus on his true passion: writing fiction He grew up in a small town in North Carolina and attended UNC-Chapel Hill, where he founded his first company with one of his childhood friends He currently lives in Parkland, Florida and would love to hear from you: Via email: ag@agriddle.com On Twitter: @Riddlist On the web: AGRiddle.com On Facebook: facebook.com/agriddle On GoodReads: goodreads.com/agriddle ... available: Book 1: The Atlantis Gene http://amzn.com/B00C2WDD5I Book 2: The Atlantis Plague http://amzn.com/B00GR5JZHQ Book 3: The Atlantis World http://amzn.com/B00JVUQ2H0 THE ATLANTIS WORLD THE ORIGIN. .. her, John Bishop, the other researcher assigned to the observatory, poured himself another drink He had gone through the scotch, the bourbon, then the rum, and all the other booze the dead researchers... from the bottom to the top The vat on the right was empty The other held Kate She floated a few feet off the ground, her arms held straight out She wore the same plain clothes she had left their