The Milestone Protocol Ernest Dempsey (best short novels of all time .txt) 📖

When the five crates were secured on the machine, Dak dropped back down to the ground and pressed the down arrow button.

The hydraulic lift hissed, and the platform gradually lowered to its original position.

Alex closed the cargo door, and the two emerged from behind the second truck, walking toward the maintenance lift.

Dak noticed that the original guard was now accompanied by three others. He turned his head and whispered to Alex. “This is a one-way trip down,” he hissed.

“What do you mean?” Alex wondered, concern spreading across his face.

“I mean, they’re going to kill us once we’re down below. I’m guessing outsiders aren’t supposed to see this place.”

“Or maybe they made us out as phonies.”

“I doubt that, but it’s possible. Either way, once we get to the second elevator and are on board, we’ll have to act first.”

“Okay,” Alex said, his voice littered with doubt.

“Just relax. We’ll be fine.”

Dak waved at Tommy and Sean, who stood waiting on the big lift as he guided the machine onto the platform and parked it in an opening near the right edge.

Once everyone was on board, the guard who’d met them closed the gate and nodded to another who was at a control panel. The man pressed a button, and the winch above began to hum as the cables lowered the lift down into the mountain.

46

Svalbard

A wiry man with a long birdlike nose and a hairline that had receded just beyond his forehead, stood at the back of the room. He wore a white lab coat and was poring over something on a tablet he held in his left hand.

Magnus approached him and patted the man on the shoulder. “Any changes in the energy levels, Klaus?”

“No, sir,” Klaus said, pushing up his brown-framed spectacles. “All the readings are still normal. Everything has remained consistent with very few changes.”

“Any idea what may have caused those changes?” Magnus asked.

Kevin watched the conversation, mesmerized. He wanted to ask what the two were talking about, but felt it prudent to let the men finish without interruption.

“Could be magnetic fluctuations. We see similar anomalies with the aurora. When the planet’s magnetism tweaks even a little, we can see that reflected in the lights over the poles. We’re investigating a correlation between visible changes in the aurora and the times we have unique signatures in the energy readings. We should know more within a few days.”

“Excellent.” He turned to Kevin and extended his arm. “This is Dr. Kevin Clark, archaeologist, and the man who discovered this.” Like a magician pulling a bouquet from his sleeve, Magnus produced the glittering crimson gem in his free hand.

The scientist’s eyes widened at the sight. He tilted his head to the side and scanned the object, as if enchanted by it.

“The stone from Russia?”

Magnus nodded silently.

“May I?”

“Of course.”

Klaus took the precious gem in his hand as gingerly as he would a baby bird fresh from its eggshell. He turned it in his palm, noting the drill holes through the surface.

“The pyramid network map?” he asked.

“Just like the other eleven,” Magnus confirmed.

He took back the gem and stuffed it into his jacket and patted it down. “Has the last delivery arrived?”

Klaus tapped the home button on his tablet and scrolled through until he found the last checkpoint check-in of the day. “Yes. It looks like they made the drop-off.”

“Good. Seal the main gate. We’re doing it now.”

Surprised, Klaus scrunched his forehead at the command. “I’m sorry, sir. You want to initiate the systems now?”

“Is that a problem?”

After a breath of sterilized doubt, Klaus shook his head. “No. No, sir. No problem. I’ll get the team down in the pyramid to begin making preparations.”

“Good.”

“Do you want me to get someone to put the red diamond in place?” Klaus looked almost worried that the Swede would say yes.

“No,” Magnus said. “I’m going to do it myself.”

Klaus appeared both relieved and terrified. “Are you certain, sir? It may not be—”

“It’s safe, Klaus. The design of the pyramid’s nerve center protects the one who activates it. I’ll be fine. Just make sure you monitor the power stream coming in.”

“Yes, sir. We will. The Quantium core is still producing the prescribed amount of energy to activate the protocol. We also have satellites in place to monitor the impact on the population above. If this works like we believe, it should be nearly instant and with minimal collateral damage to infrastructure.”

“That will change when people panic,” Magnus commented. “But there’s nothing to stop that.”

“Commence initiation sequence. I’ll see you back here once it’s done.”

Klaus bowed his head and stepped back, returning his eyes to the tablet and the data flowing across the screen.

Magnus turned and ushered Kevin through the room to a giant window on the front side. Through the glass, a stunned Kevin looked out upon the most incredible thing he’d ever seen in his life.

A mammoth pyramid rose up from a deep, terraced pit. The tip of the megastructure glowed with a blue hue that radiated from something fixed to the top of it. Kevin narrowed his eyelids and peered at what appeared to be an orb fixed to a golden rod. The top of the rod branched out in four curved arms that seemed to cradle the sphere.

“You excavated the entire pyramid?” Kevin asked in disbelief.

“Of course. We had to if we wanted the thing to work.”

Kevin’s eyes drifted up to a shaft cut into the rock directly over the orb. “Did you drill that?” He pointed at the hole, wondering if it went all the way to the surface.

“No,” Magnus said honestly. “Most of it was already here. Over time, some of the shaft was filled in by erosion. We cleared out the debris, most of which was at the top. Best we can figure, it was frozen in place, and when the frost melted, the moisture compacted everything over the opening. It didn’t take much to open it up.”

“So, it does go all the way to the surface.”

“Yes.” Magnus waved his right