Corps, call sign Astro. We’re here to express our country’s…concern…at recent Chinese actions, both military and archaeological, and hopefully assist you in some way.”
Special attache,Jack thought,meant CIA agent.
“And how can you help me?” he asked.
Jack’s relations with the United States of America were somewhat strained. His mission to locate the Seven Ancient Wonders had been in direct opposition to an influential group of Americans known as the Caldwell Group, who at the time had had the ear of the President. There had been some deaths involved, including people dear to Jack.
Robertson remained impassive, a cool customer. “We know, for instance, where the Chinese are keeping your friend, Professor Epper.”
West stepped aside immediately. “Come on in. Take a seat.”
At that very moment a windowless Boeing 767 cargo plane took off from Dubai International Airport.
On its flanks were emblazoned the words:TRANSATLANTIC AIR FREIGHT.
Its listed pilot: Captain Earl McShane.
And so now the representatives of six nations sat arrayed around the Presidential Suite of the Burj al Arab: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, the Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and the United States of America.
“You’ve all read the briefing document,” West said. “Here is the translation of a carving that I received from Wizard in China just before he was captured by Chinese forces.”
West distributed a new three-page handout. On the first sheet was Wizard’s translation from China:
THE COMING OF RA’S DESTROYER
THE COMING OF RA’S DESTROYER
SEES THESTARTING*OF THE GREATMACHINE**
AND WITH IT THE RISE OF THE SA-BENBEN.
HONOR THE SA-BENBEN,
KEEP IT CLOSE, KEEP IT NEAR,
FOR IT ALONE GOVERNS THE SIX
AND ONLY THE EMPOWERED SIX CAN
PREPARE THE PILLARS AND
LEAD YOU TO THE SHRINES AND THUS
COMPLETE THE MACHINE
BEFORE THE SECOND COMING.***
THE END OF ALL THINGS IS NEAR.
AMBIGUOUS TERMS:
MATCH REFERENCE:
Ref XR:5–12 Partial inscription found at Zhou-Zu Monastery, Tibet(2001)
West said, “As you’ll see, this decryption refers to a Great Machine and the importance of the Sa-Benben. ‘The Second Coming’ to which it refers is the coming of the Dark Sun.”
“This Dark Sun, or Star, this bringer of the Apocalypse, why have astronomers not seen it before now?” Sheik Abbas asked.
“According to Wizard,” West said, “it exists on a light spectrum unknown to humanity, so we can’t see it through any of our telescopes, in any spectra, like infrared or ultraviolet or UVB. Its presence has only been verified by what it blocks from our view.
“From what I’ve read, it seems to roam the outer reaches of our solar system in a hyperelongated elliptical orbit. When it comes near, which is not very often, about once every six million years, Jupiter’s movement shields us from it, blocks us from its deadly radiation. But even if this didn’t happen, you couldn’t see this Dark Sun with the naked eye.
“In any case, it’s close now and this time—apparently—it will emerge from behind Jupiter, and that’s when things get really ugly. That’s when its constant discharge of radiation-like zero-point energy will wash over our planet, killing every living creature on it—unless we can rebuild this Machine. The Machine, apparently, sends out a balancing response that counters the Dark Sun’s energy stream, saving the Earth. It always comes back to balance, to harmony.”
“Come on, Jack,” Zoe said. “Listen to yourself. Are you seriously saying that there is some kind of evil celestial orb out there bent on destroying the Earth?”
“It’s not evil, Zoe. It just is. Call it antimatter, call it a singularity, call it a moving black hole. In the end, it is a net-negative void. A dense moving hole in the air. It’s not evil and it doesn’t hate us. We’re just in its way.”
Stretch said, “And yet somewhere,sometime,someone built a Machine here on Earth that is somehow connected to this Dark Sun. Are you talking about advanced technology, Jack? Alien technology?”
Jack bowed his head. “I don’t know. Wizard doesn’t say.”
Vulture mused aloud: “‘Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.’ Arthur C. Clarke.”
“So how do we rebuild this Machine?” Sheik Abbas asked. “And why does China have a such a keen interest
