The Secret

What was hidden below the bottom of the world? When found, how would it be used?

Contest Prompt

write a story or poem about an expedition following clues on the Piri Reis map in an effort to discover some ancient secret buried below the Antarctic ice.

“You really think there’s something there?” Gale gushed. Her hand rested on Mark’s.

“Treasure hunting isn’t all glamour.” Mark leaned back, feeling the headache behind his eyes pulse harder. “The original Piri Reis map has never been found. This is only a partial. I had to find corroborating evidence. It wasn’t easy.”

Gale leaned closer. She so wanted in on this. “I understand, but in the end you got it.”

Mark closed his eyes and rubbed them. “Not from conflicting evidence from the past. Columbus did the best he could but look what it got him. He thought he had a fast route to the Far East. He never got there.”

Gale nodded, eyes agleam with how close she was to finding things out kept secret for generations. She began rubbing Mark’s shoulders. “Easy. You’ve worked so hard.”

It was as if Mark was talking to himself rather than her. Gale bit her lip to keep herself silent and let him talk. “Buying time on Starlink satellites took more money than I had. I improvised.”

Mark was silent for the longest moment. Gale thought she’d lost him. “That feels so good,” he said, leaning into her impulsive massage.

“Move and lean your back against me. It’ll help.” Gale could see over Mark’s shoulder down at the printout on his lap. It was a geospatial Antarctica map of what lay below the shield of ice. One sector was highlighted with coordinates. She memorized those, silently mouthing them on dry lips.

“I need your money, Gale. It’s payback time. Yes, I’ll take you with.”

Gale couldn’t help it. She gave out a squeal of joy and hugged him. “Yes! When do we leave?”

“Now.” Mark pulled an envelope out of his breast pocket. “It’s already stamped. Sign the release of funds agreement and we’ll mail it on our way out.” Gale didn’t bother looking the document over. Her wealth was why she had accountants and lawyers. They were paid to dig her out of any problems that might arise.

Antarctica was warmer than she expected. Mark read her thoughts as their plane headed down towards the runway. “Climate Change. That and it’s summer here. The world’s biggest problem is our opportunity. Look, the shelf is calving again.”

Gale pointed. Is that where we’re staying? It’s so small.”

Mark grunted out a chuckle. “That’s topside. We’re buried underneath. We’ve been digging tunnels to our destination on the sly. Doesn’t mean much. We haven’t gotten that far in yet.”

Gale had been pressing Mark about the secret under the ice all the way here. He kept repeating the same thing over and over. “The less you know the better. It could be dangerous. I’ve had death threats and even attempts.”

She’d nervously asked what kind of threats but he'd stayed mute and totally focused on his plan. “When we pull this off, Gale, the world will be our oyster. Nothing and nobody will ever annoy us ever again.”

Was it some kind of weapon? Many an invention meant for peace had been converted into such. She knew the most common tales. An ancient advanced civilization had brought the secret here and buried it along with those responsible for making it until the world might be ready for it.

Mark seemed to have a good idea of what ‘it’ was. All she could do is make a guess from whom he’d chosen in the retrieval team he’d flown down to work with him. An archaeologist, anthropologist, miner, climatologist, and a female psychiatrist specializing in psychotropic drugs. The latter, Sheila Strong, was an unwelcome competition for Mark’s attention.

When they landed, Mark was inundated with excited news by his straw boss. “We found a helmet, then another, and then a storage chamber. I held off letting you know when you were airborne out of security worries.”

“Any sign of?” Mark asked briskly. A shake of the head no, made him swear out loud. “How far in?”

“We got lucky. We opened up a caved in man made tunnel. It led directly to the storage chamber.”

“Anything else in there?” Mark demanded.

“Yes. I want you to see for yourself before your crew gets involved. It’s pretty intense”

Mark nodded as if he already knew what he was being offered to view. “Gale? I need you to get the team settled in. I’ll be in touch.”

It was the last time Gale had spoken to him. The entrance to the tunnel had been sealed off when neither he nor his straw boss returned. The team argued among themselves on what course to take, getting nowhere.

“I’m not going back empty handed,” Gale murmured to herself. No-one noticed her leaving the conference room stacked with anciently designed gold helmets, themselves worth a fortune.

She retrieved the one in her room, put it on, and used her master key at the tunnel’s entrance. Water dripped and echoed onto her feet.

“What took you so long?”

The sound and sudden appearance of Mark with his henchman made her jump. She forced her heart back where it belonged. “You’re not dead.”

“Come.”

There, in the melting ice at the edge of the storage area was the opening to what could only be an alien flying saucer. “What are you doing, Mark?”

He took her arm and ushered her inside. The soft sound of activating machinery began as Mark put his helmet on. “It’s taken time for the craft to get to know us and respond. We communicate with the helmets.”

Gale looked stunned. Mark explained. “An Alien Columbus crash landed here. His team jump started our first civilization. They needed its resources for repairs. When they were ready, they’d grown too attached to leave. We’re going to. I was waiting for you. It might get lonely out there.”

The New Columbus burst forth into the night sky. The stars had never looked brighter.