Connexion : The Atlantis Project, Book.1 (4 page)

Jacques opened his eyes and found himself
face to face with the beautiful hostess who had just been haunting
his dreams. Now, her face was quite real and her permanent smile
had given way to an expression full of gentleness and
compassion.

“I’m fine, thank you. Perhaps you could help
move me into a better position. My brother, Charlie, seems to be
sleeping soundly, and the position we have gotten into is not very
comfortable.”

3 HEAT

A few hours later, the plane came in to land
on an atoll in the Pacific. The small strip of land, marooned in
the middle of the ocean, was cut in two by a long, dusty runway.
The fronds of the sparse coconut palms lining the runway were
waving vigorously, buffeted by the trade wind. Their first breaths
carried the odor of damp earth, mingled with the smell of kerosene.
The moist, heavy atmosphere saturated their lungs. They were almost
suffocating, as if the air were not actually breathable, being so
full of humidity and different aromas. They were aromas tinged with
earthy scents, woody aromas similar to those sometimes smelled
after heavy rain has just washed the hot soil of a forest. Added to
these was the pungent odor of kerosene. The strong wind made no
difference; on the contrary, it skimmed over their faces and limbs,
enveloping them in a constant, uniform heat bringing no relief or
respite. They were a very long way from home; there was no doubt
about that. The shock to their senses did not end there, either.
They had just been plunged abruptly into a sea of light and colors
so vivid they were almost fluorescent. The blue of the ocean was
especially intense, a multitude of variegated hues, each one
brighter than the last. Clementine, following the others, came to
the realization that she was in no hurry to get home.

On the tarmac, a uniformed man was waiting to
welcome them. They set off again without further ado, in a simple
jeep, and quickly arrived at the nearest beach. There, a military
barge awaited them, and the man drove on board, without a word.
Neither the twins nor Clementine bothered to ask where they were,
or even where they were going. Anyway, it was too late to change
this course of events, which seemed to have been carefully planned.
The moist, heavy heat which had reigned until now was slowly
replaced by lukewarm air, cooled by the sea breeze and the spray.
The clear, luminescent water revealed dark coral heads sitting on
the sandy seabed not far below them. After a few minutes, the water
darkened suddenly, giving way to a much deeper blue. The barge had
just left the shallows of the coral plateau and entered the blue
waters of the Ocean.

“Where do you think they’re taking us?”

“I don’t know, Jacques, but I can’t see
anything on the horizon except the vastness of the ocean. I must
say; I’m not too comfortable with the thought of sailing on like
this, far from the shore. Remember, we’ve never learned to swim,
and for good reason –”

“Yes, because of fear!” Jacques interrupted,
a little sharply. “If I remember rightly, you were the one who
refused to stick at it. Michel had kindly offered to teach us in
the city pools but our initiation never made it past the changing
rooms, because you were so afraid of exhibiting yourself, or of
sinking like a stone. You didn’t even try, so don’t go complaining
to me now. It’s too late.”

“I don’t feel too good at all, Jacques. Are
you feeling hot, too?” Charlie loosened his shirt collar in a
rough, clumsy gesture. Then Jacques realized that his brother was
in urgent need of reassurance, which he offered in his own way.

“Calm down, Charlie! Let’s trust our lucky
star. It won’t let us down now, after all we’ve been through
together. Remember the day when we slipped in the bath? I had my
head under water and you were in a panic. It took you over a minute
to decide to act. You were squealing like a stuck pig, rather than
thinking about how to get me out of there. If I survived that,
trust me, we are going to survive this little boat trip. Just enjoy
the salt air – get a good lungful!”

Charlie said nothing, but followed this
advice, a little sheepishly. After a few minutes’ sailing, they
came to a large, metallic buoy, partially submerged in the waves.
The soldiers moored the barge to it then one of them approached the
jeep.

“You may get out now. Take your personal
belongings and go stand at the bow. Someone will be along to pick
you up in a moment.”

“Who will pick us up, and where will they
take us?” asked Jacques.

“You’re expected on the sub-marine base of
Mataiva, situated just below your feet. They’ll be surfacing in a
moment to collect you.”

“Look!” cried Clementine.

A second, metallic sphere, had just surfaced
near the barge. It was slightly larger than the mooring buoy, and
resembled an enormous, steel ball. It was metallic gray, and fitted
with several, especially thick, portholes. A heavy door opened,
revealing a small passenger compartment.

“Climb aboard. There is only enough room for
the three of you. They are expecting you below. It only takes a few
minutes to reach the base.”

The ball plunged straight down, pulled into
the depths by a long cable, which seemed interminable. The twins
and Clementine were speechless, their eyes riveted on the
unbelievable sight before them. After a few seconds’ descent into
the deep, night fell. Only a small point of light remained visible,
directly below the bathyscaphe. The light approached very rapidly
until the point of contact. Finally the sphere penetrated a
vertical tunnel dug in the rock which lined the ocean floor. A few
seconds later it came to a halt, and the heavy door opened in the
midst of an enormous chamber. A crowd of people were bustling in
all directions and, facing them, stood an elderly man with white
hair.

4 MEETING GIUSEPPE

He was an elderly gentleman in a blue lab
coat. His snowy-white, shoulder-length hair was slightly tousled.
He addressed them in a warm, friendly voice, with a pronounced
Italian accent.

“Hello, Gentlemen, I have been looking
forward to meeting you!” The old man seemed extremely pleased, and
so eager to meet the twins that he did not even notice the presence
of Clementine. His accent gave him a jovial, reassuring air.

“Your trip must have been tiring. I will show
you to your room so you can have some refreshments and rest for a
few hours. We will talk when you wake up.” He turned briskly and
walked toward the vehicle parked in front of the door to the
bathyscaphe.

“That’s very kind of you, but I highly doubt
that sleep is our priority right at this moment?” answered Jacques.
“Perhaps you could start by telling us who you are, and above all,
what we’re doing here?”

“Ah! Yes, you are right. I didn’t introduce
myself. I am Professor Giuseppe Milan. I am in charge of the
N.H.I., or Non Human Intelligence, Program. Rest assured, I will
explain everything in due course. Suffice it to say that we have
need of you, and you alone.”

“And Clementine?”

“Your friend is here for your support. She
knows you well, from what I have been told. Am I right?”

No one took the time to answer him. The
twins, breaking with their usual habit, invited Clementine to get
into the vehicle first. She sat in silence. The car first crossed a
huge, artificially lit auditorium, before entering a tunnel,
several miles long, and entirely made of windows. Giuseppe took
advantage of the trip to present the base and its workings to
them.

“As you have probably realized, we are on a
secret military base here. There are nearly 1000 meters of water
and several hundred meters of rock over us. Through these windows
you can see our soil-free gardens which provide food for the whole
complex. Plants, fungi and protein-rich seaweed are grown here
thanks to the expertise of our engineers and bio technicians. Our
objective is for all of the more than 10,000 men to be able to live
in total self-sufficiency. Our water is continually recycled, but
for now we still need a regular supply of fresh water, which we
obtain from sea water through a desalination plant.”

Charlie was astonished and obviously
fascinated by all this technology. He was grinning from ear to ear,
revealing the somewhat childish delight of someone who cannot, or
does not event try to, hide his pleasure when presented with
something new or extraordinary.

“This is incredible, especially as it’s so
huge! The ceilings are so high; it’s hard to imagine that we’re
underground.”

“
If I were you, I’d be more concerned
about finding out why all these people want to live forever after
in total self-sufficiency, cut off from the world, under millions
of cubic meters of rock and water. You’ll have plenty of time for
amazement later. Something tells me that we’re not getting out of
here any time soon – if ever!”

“120 hectares to be precise”, continued
Giuseppe. “We are now entering the residential zone. There are more
than 4,000 dwellings here, arranged in districts. You will be in
room 3727 and your friend will be in number 3728. Your room is part
of a sub-group called ‘Hubble 37’. This one is particularly
spacious. It is made up of only 28 rooms which all open onto a
common living area. Some residential domes have up to 130 rooms,
but no personnel outside of the team can enter here without special
permission. This pavilion is reserved for researchers from the
cybernetic unit, which I will tell you about in more detail after
your rest. They all know about your coming and are impatient to
meet you. Here we are!”

The vehicle pulled up in front of one of the
numerous steel domes situated along the main road. This one, along
with all the others, must have been fifty meters’ high. It had no
windows. Only one enormous door provided access to it. The door,
like the dome, was made of a very dense metal which showed no
irregularities or traces of oxidation, despite the humid atmosphere
of the base. Giuseppe pulled up in front of the huge, metallic
door. In its center was a second, smaller door, of a different
style. It was not as rounded, or as smooth and seemed incompatible
with the rest of the dome. The metal it was made of seemed slightly
different and showed traces of rust. A simple brass plaque carried
the name, “Hubble 37”. The door opened automatically as the vehicle
approached, and they could see the interior of the dome.

They entered an inner court where several
vehicles of the same type were parked. The rocky walls were lined
with plants, over which a thin stream of water was trickling, its
sound making for a peaceful atmosphere. A few brightly colored
flowers showed here and there, contrasting with the different
shades of green that covered the walls. Only the rather low, very
luminous ceiling gave away the totally artificial nature of the
place. Giuseppe got out of the vehicle and this time spoke to
Clementine first, as he opened the door for her.

“Here we are, Miss. Now, please follow me; I
will show you where you will be staying with some of my
friends.”

Jacques and Charlie followed suit and also
climbed out of the vehicle, rather clumsily. In so doing, Jacques
bumped his head hard on the roof of the car.

“Ouch! Damn it! You could be a bit more
careful, Charlie! What’s the hurry? I’m here, too, remember!”

“I’m so sorry! I wasn’t paying
attention.”

“I I’m in the way, just say so. I know you’re
taking your mission seriously, but you might just need to keep your
feet on the ground.”

“Listen, stop all your fussing. You’re going
to get us in trouble. For once just keep quiet and take an interest
in what’s happening to the three of us.”

Jacques, surprised by his brother’s
confidence, and a little put out, decided to keep quiet and follow
his advice. Giuseppe opened a door which led to the interior of the
dome. The pavilion’s 28 rooms were arranged around a large,
slightly raised circle, in the middle of which was a sort of
metallic plate of impressive size, fixed to the ground. The area
was well-lit and the height of the dome alleviated the feeling of
confinement. Hanging gardens partially filled the space over the
dwellings. They were actually small, landscaped platforms suspended
by cables, with partially glass-bottomed floors. Their arrangement
on several levels allowed the light coming from the high parts of
the dome to be diffused perfectly.

“It’s astonishing, isn’t it? We have
organized these pavilions so as to limit the feeling of
confinement. When they have a little leisure time, residents can
take time out to relax in one of our suspended solariums. It’s the
best remedy we have found to counter the effects of stress
resulting from living in an enclosed space in the absence of
natural light. Of course, their use is limited to one hour per day
so that each person can take advantage of them as his schedule
allows.”

“How do they get up there?” asked Charlie,
amazed at the beauty and the impression of lightness given off by
the whole infrastructure.

As he spoke, one of the gondolas began its
descent. The long steel cables slowly lengthened and lowered it
toward a sort of slightly raised landing, situated over the
canteen.

“Well now, I think you have just found the
answer to your question. How fortuitous; that’s Francisco who’s
just come down. You’re in luck; he’ll be relaxed when he meets you.
Let us join him in the canteen.”

“How can they tell who is in that gondola?”
Charlie said softly. “With all the vegetation, you can only make
out a vague silhouette.”

Giuseppe, who had heard him, answered, “You
can discern a series of small, differently colored lights along the
underside of every gondola. Each resident has a color code which
allows him to be identified when he goes somewhere. In fact, there
are eight small diodes of variable color, which means exactly
40,320 possible combinations. Currently, that is largely sufficient
to cover all of the individuals working on this base. It seems
unbelievable, but after a while, the eyes adjust and begin to
recognize the algorithm in the same way as they would identify a
mere shade of color. Otherwise, one may always consult the digital
chart just in front of you,” he added with a smile. Émile will
process your enrolments as soon as we have finished our tour.”