Captain Cook's Treasure

Word Count:964

Captain Cook's Treasure



It is believed that somewhere between 1772 and 1775, Captain Cook was savaged by the Hawaiian residents of Kauai.

Holden Skill, a descendent of The Great Captain Cook, had made an exit, selling his Startup Company "Woozerz" to Google, pocketing 40,000,000 U.S. dollars. A few years later he was only 22, and tired of all the partying. He decided to do something important and went to his archaeologist grandfather to seek advice. There he got the idea of exploring his sea-faring roots. His Grandfather had a theory about Captain Cook's death. He took out an ancient leather parchment of a letter written by Cook himself. Cook had written his wife saying he was alive and well after barely escaping Kauai with his life, and headed towards Great Britain.

"Back then they didn't have planes. They traveled by ship," said his wrinkled grandfather, pulling up a lamp to give him more light.

"So?" said Holden, "what's the point?"

"I haven't gotten to it yet!" rumbled Grandfather. "The point is his ship's content wasn't left on that hot island, but somewhere else, in the real spot of his death. Along with the supposed treasure he was carrying on it."

"So?" said Holden bored, "what has that to do with me?"

"You are going to go treasure hunting," said Grandfather, his hollow blue eyes shining in the lamp light, "in Antarctica!"

"What treasure? Antarctica? What? How does that have anything to do with Cook?" cried Holden attentively.

"Don't you see? This letter was sent from South Georgia Islands. The last place Cook visited, before crossing the Antarctic pass back to Great Britain. Those Kauains weren't mad for no reason, he took something from them," said Grandfather menacingly.

"What did he take?" asked Holden transfixed.

"That's for you to find out."

Three years later he was flying in a helicopter, along with his two companions: Jacque Gunnar the saucy French pilot, and Akahi Talley the Hawaiian professor, and expert on navel Archaeology.

"This cold is going to cost you extra Monsieur Skill," shouted Jacque trying to overcome the noisy rotor, and rubbing his arm to warm himself.

"All expenses paid, Jacque," said Holden. He looked out the windows seeing only snow, and then looked at the GPS screen showing the red marker coming nearer and nearer to them.

"Land you French dog. It's right there." said Holden, trying to see something through the dense snowfall. Holden sensed the chopper lower itself, feeling like a very fast elevator, it made his stomach woozy. The old professor gasped suddenly, making Holden jump in his seat.

"Look! Look!" squealed Akahi, pointing into the snow, "there it is, the remnants of Captain Cook's ship!" The Helicopter landed and they all got out slowly, hardly moving in their warm suits. The ship was scarcely penetrating out of the icy ground, its hull shattered into the ice, but the rest of it was unexpectedly intact. They all cheered and hugged one another.

"You found it," said Jacque, patting Holden on his back, beaming cockishly.

"'We', found it," said Holden patting him back.

"Here is mama," said Jacque, dragging a heavy bag. They unloaded the bag on the middle of the ships main deck. Two heat cubes were stored in the bag. They were big yellow cubes that emanated intense heat, removing all ice in their vicinity. They moved off the deck, and Holden pushed the control button to make them work. The heat could be felt even were they were standing, and the ice melted almost instantaneously. Holden went in first tailed by Jacque and Akahi. They stepped down the heavy stairs leading into the Hull below the main deck. A man! He jumped frightened.

"Merde!" Cursed Jacque.

"What the," Holden looked at the man seeing it was sitting slumped in a big ornamented oaken chair facing him, wearing a captain's sea bonnet and captain's uniform. Around him were many skeletons, sprawled on the floor holding scimitars in their skeletal limbs.

"It must be Cook!" said Akahi, in his shrill excited voice, "preserved all these years by the ice."

"Magnific…" said Jacque.

"Shh…" hissed Akahi, "do not anger him."

They walked over to him slowly, as if he would pounce on them any moment. As still as he was, he seemed alive.

"He is holding something in his hand," said Holden, "let me pry it out." Holden dug his fingers into the captain's fist opening his hand. A small shinning object fell to the floor, and Akahi lunged to the floor grasping it.

"What was that Akahi?" asked Holden irritably, "show us what it was."

"No!" said Akahi backing up, "it belongs to my people."

"Wait, what's going on here," bellowed Holden in outraged shock, "Akahi, there's no need for this."

"It is the Hirri Shara," whispered Akahi furiously, "the diamond stolen from my people by your Ancestor. The Hirri Shara is power! Hirri Shara Ho! Gang Ho! Chiba Gang Ho!" Akahi chanted in strange words, making the hair on the back of Holden's neck rise.

"Serves me right for bringing a Kauain," Holden said to himself.

"The captain!" Jacque screeched, jumping behind Holden, clutching him like a terrified child. Captain Cook was erect, elating his blade high in the air. Holden felt like crawling under the floorboards and vanishing. Instead he seized a scimitar from one of the skeletons and raised it in front of him. "He's coming right for us!" Shrieked Jacque. The captain charged straight at them.

"Take that!" Holden swung his sword, striking the captain's arm off at the elbow.

"Run!" shouted Jacque, pulling at his shirt. And they did, all the way to the helicopter. They jumped in and took off right away.

"He can keep the diamond for all I care," said Holden trying to catch his breath.

"And we our lives," agreed Jacque.

"You know we are going to gear up, and head back there," said Holden.

"C'est la vie." approved Jacque.