Atlantis Vortex Read online

  ATLANTIS VORTEX

  By

  Sultry Summers

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, places, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  ATLANTIS VORTEX

  Copyright (c) 2005 by Sultry Summers

  ISBN: 1-59836-035-3

  Cover art and design (c) 2005 by Marianne LaCroix

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form without permission, except as provided by the U.S. Copyright Law.

  For information, you can find us on the web at,

  www.VenusPress.com

  Printed and bound in the United States of America.

  DEDICATION

  This is an extremely special work, though a work of total fiction. It came about as a story told to my beautiful daughter on a car trip we took together when she was about twelve. Whereas the more spicy scenes of course came later, without her to enthusiastically to listen to Mom spin a tall tale and her saying “Mom, write me into the story!” it would never have been written., This book is dedicated to my loving daughter, with a mother’s love, and hope, that she one day finds her Xerxes. To Jessica!

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  Legends of lost civilizations doomed because of cataclysmic geological events exist in every culture on Earth. Some legends tell of angered gods destroying these advanced civilizations because the people turned to evil and strayed from the ways of purity of thoughts and deeds. Other legends only tell of nature taking a toll on man’s advancements in a never-ending cycle of change and renewal that we ourselves are destined to face someday.

  Stranger yet in all these legends, myths, and tales of lost civilizations, cultures, and continents one name survives the similar sounding interpretations, and translate as, Atlantis. Of course, the most popular theory is that Atlantis was a huge Continent that sat in the center of the Atlantic Ocean.

  Plato, the first to leave a written record of the Lost Continent, Atlantis, gained his information from the Egyptian Priest, Solon. Supposedly, Solon visited the Capital City and the three canals that surrounded the magnificent Pyramid at the center. Afterward he passed his knowledge onto others by word of mouth. However, no written record of his account remains, possibly it was lost in the great fire at Alexandria. Modern explorers have already found proof of so-called mythological cities. Troy and the City of Ubar, found in modern times and there is still an ongoing search for Atlantis.

  Thought to be a myth until an amateur German archaeologist; Heinrich Schliemann found the City of Troy in 1870, now excavated and proven to have existed in that location for many centuries. Troy stands as proof of the possibility that Atlantis could be more than myth.

  In 1992 the Space Shuttle Endeavor, while on a mapping mission found the lost city of Ubar on the Arabian Peninsula, long thought a fabled city because it was so poorly located in the deep desert. Yet another example of the possibility that Atlantis existed or still does and is not ready to reveal itself.

  Before his death, Edgar Casey, a well-known psychic, predicted Atlantis’ discovery would come in the year 1969 and in the Atlantic. Seemingly, to prove Edgar Casey’s predictions correct, the signs of an ancient roadway were spotted just off shore of Bimini in 1969. Inside a wide triangle in the huge Atlantic basin, known as the Bermuda Triangle, evidence has yielded further support for his prediction. Proof of an old and lost civilization found on the Canary Islands that dates back to possibly the time of Atlantis has come under scrutiny, Bermuda stands alone as the top of an ancient volcanic cone and is possibly part of Atlantis.

  Myths in Arthurian Legend propose that the Priestess of Avalon, or the Lady of the Lake, and even Merlin himself came from Atlantis. Further confusing the puzzle, Archaeologists have recently found traces in the Mediterranean Sea of an island that sank from a huge volcanic eruption centuries ago. The Andes Mountains of South America recently revealed the possibility of an old and lost civilization. This gives rise to other possible locations of Atlantis.

  With the legend of Atlantis, spread globally over the centuries, many of the people of that lost Continent may have fled before it sank, taking their knowledge with them. Living to influence the rest of the world and teaching the less technical peoples how to do many of the things we still are in awe of. One of the most visible marks they may have left was the knowledge of the construction of Pyramids. On every Continent except Australia, Pyramids dating from different time-periods exist; Egypt seems to have the oldest.

  Clearly, if Atlantis was in the Atlantic Ocean, sank, and anything survived out of their advanced culture, it could have become a sunken world, possibly a City-State under pressure domes. Literally, this may have been where the first true beginnings of democracy came from, as did many of our more modern beliefs and forms of art, literature, and science. For surely, as some of these Atlantians escaped to other lands and educated other peoples, some managed to use their knowledge to build a City under the sea and live in peace, comfort and security there.

  Having snorkeled off the coast of West Palm Beach Florida, I have witnessed hand carved stones similar to those off Bimini in the Bahamas. For me, there is little doubt these carvings existed before the arrival of Columbus. The Devil’s Triangle boasts strange magnetic occurrences, sightings, and disappearances; it also holds its location in this area. Many experts attribute its unexplained anomalies to the possibility of a sunken Atlantis.

  Under this premise, this Author chooses the theory that Atlantis sat squarely in the Atlantic Ocean, and that had been destroyed by a geological event of epic cataclysmic proportions. Reminding the reader it is only one of many opinions and this is after all, only fiction.

  Sheila N. Eskew

  *Seph:—Reeds found along the Nile River known for building Ships that didn’t sink because the reeds allowed the water to drain through between the bindings and the reeds continued to float.

  PROLOGUE

  Esau stepped from the mud-caked gangway onto the mammoth *Seph ship. Forced to board a ship that would take him far from his family, he paused, daring one last parting look at his parents and little brother. They stood forlornly on shore among the masses of other families who also watched their sons’ departures. With grief in his heart, Esau knew he would never see them again. He unintentionally and uncaringly invited the cutting bite of the slave master’s whip by his act. Roughly shoved from behind by a multitude of slaves pressed to board the ship, Esau stumbled slightly from the unexpected shove. He lost his foothold on the thickly bound rows of *Seph that made up the floor of the ship but he managed not to fall - only to drop his small bundle of belongings. He scooped these precious few articles up quickly and held his silence to those behind him sharing their fear of the whip. Esau sat down on the reed floor of the ship and bowed his head, blinking back tears of grief. In a mumbled prayer of desperation to God, soon joined by the other slaves around him, Esau prayed for the strength to endure the hardships ahead and for his family to be comforted in his absence.

  “Silence!â€� One of the Slave Masters demanded as their whispers to God grew audible. Esau, struck across his naked back with the Slave Master’s short whip, continued in silence, which infuriated the man “Prayers to your no name God will not help you.â€� He laughed and continued
his pace down the rows of slaves.

  Finished with his supplication, he straightened his marked and smarting back to see many of the *Seph vessels already caught by the current of the Nile River and pushed faster by their large sail, full of warm air blown from across the desert. Behind him other ships had moved, as they were, away from the docks. Esau glanced one last time at the shore and his family but most of all he recalled each detail of his mother’s face. Unable to see them any longer, Esau looked to the Priests in the bow of the massive ship who intently looked forward toward the horizon.

  Idleness wasn’t tolerated, and Esau was put to work, as were the other slaves at one of the many tasks necessary to maintain a sailing vessel. Only at mealtimes were the slaves allowed to speak quietly among themselves, “Where do you think we are going, brother?â€� another slave about Esau’s age asked.

  “I don’t know, but I don’t think we will be coming back,â€� Esau said quietly. One guard walked by and jostled him roughly and Esau quickly finished his small portion of rice. “I heard the Priests talking, we go to build a Pyramid far from here, and it is not a tomb. That is all I know,â€� Esau said in a low voice, his eyes watching the guards constantly.

  By nightfall, they entered the Mediterranean Sea and turned westward toward the Pillars of Hercules. Esau bore his burdens as the others, in silence, working from sunup to dusk and in shifts at night, speaking when allowed. The sun bore down during the days, and at night, the stars, and a cool sea breeze blessed them. Soon they passed into the Great Blue Sea.

  None had ever dared venture into this Sea out of the sight of land, as Esau knew they would. He watched the Egyptian Priests perform their pagan protection rituals over the twenty ships that entered the crystalline clear blue, yet unknown, waters. Esau had heard the tales of giant sea monsters and man-eating fish. Stories so terrifying the Soldiers became fearful when the experienced Sailors retold them. Esau shrugged, he didn’t know if he believed them or not, but his faith was in God.

  After many fair-weather days at Sea, Esau noticed signs of a change in the climate, and he prayed the Priests could read them as well. He would warn them but the Priests would not heed his words. Their pride was too great and their contempt for the slaves too intense.

  As Esau worked the lines to the Sail, he spoke quietly to his brother slave. “Jacob, watch the clouds, an enormous storm is coming.â€� He stopped speaking as a guard walked by and collided with Jacob hard enough to push him over the side had Esau not caught him by the waistband of his garment.

  “Thank you, Esau.â€� Jacob caught his breath in a ragged gasp. “I can’t swim and they would not stop to save me anyway.â€�

  “It may not matter if that storm comes to us.â€� Esau said resolutely. “They know.â€� He motioned to the Priests who now stood in a small group talking quietly. Esau looked out over the expanse of the Ocean and the other nineteen vessels in their group spread out over the distance. “I wonder how many of us will survive to build their pagan monument?â€�

  Within a few hours, the seas began to build and the winds to howl. The Seph ships became scattered and Esau no longer had time for quiet, sneaked words to his fellows. Every man was now an equal, struggling to stay alive. Waves grew to enormous heights, and vessels constructed of any other materials would have swamped except their reed boats from the Nile. The Seph floated and allowed the water to drain through and remain afloat. Esau watched in terror as the colorful square sails ripped from their masts before the sailors could lower them, the storm had become a monster so quickly. Never had any of the Sailors encountered such a great storm before and none had the knowledge to lower the mighty sails beforehand. Giant waves crashed down on the ships and washed Slaves, Sailors, Soldiers and Priests alike overboard. Esau clasped arms with Jacob and held onto him tightly until he could tie a piece of hemp rope around his waist to keep him on the ship. Supplies were lost. Esau watched and wiped his salt-water soaked hair from his astonished eyes as one of the vessels began to break apart. Torn into numerous chunks by the furious elements, the ship spilled the men onboard into the sea. Few could swim. Esau threw line after line to as many as he could. His arms ached, but he continued to pull his fellow Slaves to the safety of his ship. He saved a few of the Solders - mainly by luck on their part - and one or two of the Priests shared in that luck. The night seemed an endless black void except for the lightning.

  Terrorized by the blue-white streaks of fire, yet thankful for the light, Esau was able to save a few more souls but that held a horrible terror of its own. One Priest stood on the high deck while he prayed to his pagan gods. Esau watched in wonder as a bolt of lightning, as if directed by God, struck the Priest dead and set that vessel aflame, the flames quickly extinguished by the driving rain. Exhaustion took a dreadful toll on Esau’s body, their rations were slim and keen hunger gnawed at his stomach, but for once water wasn’t a problem. Fresh rain came in sheets. He had but to open his mouth and the rain quenched his thirst. For that small miracle, he thanked God. Esau looked quickly around to see what the guards and soldiers were doing. Some had lashed their supplies to the ship; others were doing what he was, trying to save as many men as they could, but the Priests were useless. They stood in a circle on the high brow of the ship praying to their pagan gods trying to light incense in a driving rain. ‘Fools!’ he thought. Why weren’t they helping instead of inviting the lightning to strike them?

  “Look Jacob.â€� Esau gestured, amused disgust in his eyes.

  “What good are they?â€� Jacob mirrored his thoughts, pulling in another slave. “Look! The sky begins to lighten.â€�

  Esau saw that he was right, but still the waves were like mountains and the storm raged. By the time it was fully light, the winds began to drop and the rain had slaked off to fall only in squalls. Esau and those like him pulled many more men to safety, but the water remained littered with the bodies of Slaves, Soldiers, and Priests alike. All men equal in death, left behind to a watery grave. Esau saw great gray and white fish with huge, ugly mouths full of sharp teeth savage their bodies.

  What was left of their precious supplies, the slaves gathered for the remainder of their journey, and Esau knew their rations would now be even smaller. Exhaustion hung heavy on all the men. The Priests rested, as though they had done any work or deserved a rest. He and the other slaves immediately started the repairs and organized the supplies. Esau and his brother slaves already weakened from hunger and grew sluggish.

  “Do you think they will ever feed us again, brother?” Jacob whispered to Esau.

  “They’d better soon if they want us to continue to work.” Esau returned quietly and sagged to one knee briefly to rise again with Jacob’s help before the Slave Master saw.

  At last, when most could barely stand, meals of small portions of rice served as their only food, but in fairness, no one went with a full belly. Their small meal consumed in silence and followed by a rest period that seemed too short, until they all once again returned to their labors of righting the damage done by the storm.

  Mercifully, the sun shone through a heavy overcast and when night came, they rested. One good measure came from the storm. It had pushed them further west and by the end of the third day after the horrendous storm, the lookouts sighted land.

  Esau thought they would make landfall but the Priests were not satisfied with the islands they saw. The lookouts reported signs of other humans on those islands, primitive cultures by Egyptian measure. Further, westward they sailed in search of a land where the Priests had been instructed by their pagan gods to build their Pyramid. Finally, Esau saw an expanse of shoreline stretched before them. It glistened white in the brilliant sunlight and ran so far north and south that the end was not visible. Esau had a glad heart, for here they made landfall.

  Esau and the slaves from each vessel gathered into groups on the beach, watched over by the Slave Masters who feared the Slaves might escape into the
wilds. Since the great storm, Esau had become an unofficial leader among his fellows and as they sat on the sun-warmed sand; he led them in prayer, thanking God for their safe deliverance onto dry land.

  “Esau,â€� Jacob asked in a quiet voice, “Do you think this is where we will build their Pyramid?â€�

  Esau shook his head, “No, with what? There are no materials to build with.â€� He looked around, “What will we eat?â€� Esau asked, worry on his face.

  “Look!â€� Jacob motioned with a gesture of his chin, for he dared not point towards the gathering of all the Egyptian Priests who were beginning their rituals.

  Esau wondered how people could believe the power of the animal-headed gods had saved them. Disgusted, he wondered at the reasons of the Priests from the nineteen vessels who had gathered to give thanks to their animal-headed gods for their deliverance. Could they really believe those creatures had given them safe passage? Did they believe their future guidance to the location where they were to build their structure would come from them? Esau watched another event-taking place down the beach.

  “Jacob, look at the soldiers.â€� Esau motioned down the beach. “They are forming into search parties.â€�

  Esau watched, as did Jacob while two of the search parties hacked their way into the thick green brush and shortly disappeared.

  “Wonder what they are going to search for?â€� Jacob pondered, the others around them murmuring the same thoughts.

  “Food, I hope.â€� Esau answered, still amazed at the beauty that surrounded them.

  Lush green foliage lay just up off the beach - some looked similar to that of Egypt, some alien. They had made landfall near the mouth of a river but the water was not like that of the Nile. It was brown, tea colored, and brackish. Shortly afterwards the Slave Masters organized them into work parties. Tents were set up for the Priests and Officers to sleep in. Parties of Slaves were given nets and ordered into the surf to net fish for their dinners.