A World Below
Liam's consciousness returned slowly, as if rising from the depths of a murky abyss. The air around him was damp and cool, carrying the faint tang of minerals. He opened his eyes to a soft, flickering light. His surroundings were surreal—smooth, polished walls carved from some metallic stone that shimmered faintly in the dim light.
"Good, you're awake," said a voice, crisp and precise.
Liam turned his head and found himself face-to-face with a woman in her sixties, her silver hair neatly tied back, her piercing blue eyes scanning him like a hawk. She wore a fitted jumpsuit adorned with a symbol Liam recognised: the Fibonacci spiral overlaid with an eye—the emblem of the Guardians of the Ancient Code.
"Who… where am I?" Liam croaked, his voice raw.
"Welcome to the Nexus," the woman said. "You're in the remains of the Atlantean research archives."
Liam blinked. "Atlantean? As in the mythical city?"
"Not mythical," she replied with a wry smile. "Merely misunderstood. Come, we don't have much time."
Atlantis: Fact, Not Fable
The woman introduced herself as Dr. Eleanor Voss, a historian and physicist who had spent her life unravelling the mysteries of Atlantis. As she led Liam deeper into the labyrinthine corridors, she explained:
"Atlantis was real, Mr. Clarke. A civilisation that existed approximately 12,000 years ago, predating what mainstream science considers the dawn of organised human society."
"That's impossible," Liam interjected. "There's no evidence."
"There is, but it's been systematically erased or suppressed," Dr. Voss said. "The Antikythera Mechanism, the Baghdad Battery, even the Piri Reis map—they're all fragments of Atlantean knowledge. But the most significant discoveries lie here."
They entered a vast chamber, its ceiling so high it disappeared into shadows. Towering shelves lined the walls, filled with ancient tablets, manuscripts, and relics. In the centre of the room stood a crystalline structure that pulsed with an inner light.
"This is the Core," Dr. Voss said, gesturing toward the crystal. "A quantum computer designed by the Atlanteans. Its technology was far beyond anything we've achieved—even today."
Liam stared at the crystal, its glow hypnotic. "Why was it hidden?"
Dr. Voss hesitated. "Because they destroyed themselves with it. The Core didn't just store data—it could manipulate energy on a planetary scale. The Atlanteans used it to harness Earth's geomagnetic field for energy and even to alter weather patterns. But they pushed too far, triggering a catastrophic chain reaction that submerged their civilisation."
The Vatican's Hidden Role
Liam felt his legs weaken as he processed the revelation. "And the Vatican knew about this?"
Dr. Voss nodded grimly. "The Church has known for centuries. Many of their archives, including those you visited, were built to house Atlantean artifacts. The Illuminati, the Templars, even the Renaissance explosion of science—they all trace back to fragments of Atlantean knowledge."
"But why keep it secret?" Liam asked.
"To control it," she replied. "Power this great can't be left in the hands of the masses. But now, it's worse. Someone wants to reactivate the Core, and if they succeed, it could destabilise the entire planet."
The Crystal Equation
Dr. Voss led Liam to a smaller chamber filled with holographic projections. One displayed a map of the Atlantic Ocean, highlighting a point near the Azores.
"We believe this is where Atlantis once stood," she said. "And we've detected energy surges from this region recently—signals consistent with the Core's activation."
Liam's brow furrowed. "You're saying someone's found the Core and turned it back on?"
"Not entirely," she said. "The Core is partially active, but its full potential requires a unique sequence—a code embedded in Atlantean texts." She handed Liam a tablet displaying rows of ancient glyphs.
"And you think I can help decode this?"
"Not think—know," Dr. Voss said. "The Vatican's archives you accessed were part of the puzzle. You've already uncovered pieces of the code without realising it."
Liam's stomach churned. This was too much for one man to bear.
The Labyrinth Awakens
As they worked, alarms suddenly blared through the Nexus. Dr. Voss paled. "We've been found."
"By who?" Liam asked.
"By them," she said cryptically, grabbing a weapon from a nearby cabinet and tossing another to Liam.
Before he could question her, the walls trembled, and the air filled with a low, resonant hum. From the entrance, humanoid figures marched in—sleek, metallic, and unmistakably alien.
"Automatons," Dr. Voss muttered. "Atlantean sentinels reactivated to guard the Core."
The sentinels advanced, their movements unnervingly fluid. Liam fired, the bullets ricocheting harmlessly off their armour.
"We need to retreat!" Dr. Voss shouted, leading him down a side corridor.
A Discovery That Changes Everything
They emerged into another chamber, this one lined with sarcophagi made of a strange, translucent material. Inside each was a humanoid figure with elongated limbs and otherworldly features.
"Atlanteans," Dr. Voss whispered. "Preserved for millennia."
Liam stared, his mind racing. "They're not human?"
"Not entirely," she admitted. "The Atlanteans were hybrids—part human, part… something else."
Before he could respond, one of the sarcophagi began to glow. The figure inside stirred, its eyes snapping open. Liam stumbled backwards as the Atlantean sat up, its gaze piercing and unreadable.
"We need to go," Dr. Voss said, pulling him toward an exit.
The New Equation
As they fled the Nexus, Liam's thoughts were a chaotic swirl. The Atlanteans weren't just a lost civilisation—they were a species apart, their technology a double-edged sword.
And now, that sword was in the hands of someone who could reshape the world—or destroy it.