The Mother of All Read online

  Donald stayed behind with me as the rest of the team went deeper into the caves. My father led the way and was followed closely by Marina; behind her was Abdi.

  The slightest movement of the earth's crust would crush the bodies of our team members. Seeing them move like serpents or worms along the cave floor almost caused me anxiety.

  Donald, too, seemed bothered as we watched them on the monitor. “I am almost out of breath just watching them crawl down there!” he said.

  After what seemed like an hour of the team maneuvering through the channels of the caves, I could see the team had arrived at the largest known chamber of Chelene’s cave, Chamber 1.

  My father released a small beisbol-size drone. It flew through the air without making a sound.

  I switched the camera from my father’s view to the drone’s perspective. The drone flew around assessing the cave, when suddenly the image stopped and froze, hovering in one spot. The drone let out a green light as it assessed the cave with its radar.

  “Team, it appears the drone has detected a previously unexposed cavity. It must have surfaced after the recent earthquake.”

  My father, Marina, and Abdi raced over to the drone.

  “Whoaaaa...” said Marina in disbelief. “This is where the small rabbit-like hole was before. The earthquake must have fractured the mountain and exposed a new channel.”

  Donald and I could hear the adjustments being made by the research suits in an attempt to control their breathing.

  “You guys alright down there?” asked Donald as he radioed down to my father.

  “Yes, mi amigo,” answered my father.

  I could see my father working to reprogram the drone. “I’m going to send it into the new cavity and see what’s down there. Donald and Layka, you two make sure this is being recorded.”

  I could hear the excitement bouncing off Marina and Abdi as the drone entered the cavity, mapping out the new crevice.

  The monitor displayed calculations the drone was making as it analyzed the new opening.

  The drone continued forward for what seemed like 100 yards before coming to a drop off. The drone lowered itself another 200 feet, continuing to map the new channel. As it reached the ground of the newly discovered chamber, my father pushed a few buttons and the drone lit up portions of the new chamber of the cave, exposing an abundance of rock formations.

  “It’s beautiful!” I cried out loud.

  The drone continued, circling the new chamber. “I have to get down there to gather a sample. There could be new organisms in there,” said my father in excitement.

  I could feel my research suit adjusting. My heart began to race in disbelief at my father’s words.

  “Team, I’m going down there. We have plenty of supplies and it’s still early enough in the day. I understand if nobody wants to come along,” said my father.

  There was a sense of excitement in my father's voice as he started to unpack the supplies that he needed for the journey down. I felt as if I was the only person who was nervous about what was happening.

  “I can’t believe this is happening,” said Marina. “This is so exciting! I wish C.C. were here. He would love this.” She started to unpack her supplies in excitement.

  Abdi decided to remain at the edge of the drop, in case he was needed for some sort of an emergency.

  “You two hooligans be careful down there and be sure to make certain your cable boxes are secure before you drop. I don’t want to have to send Layka down there to rescue you,” Donald joked as he looked at the monitor.

  My father and Marina began unloading the ropes and cable boxes. They fastened the boxes to different areas of the cave before they started descending to the new chamber.

  “Okay, team, wish us luck,” said my father as the both of them turned on every light source on their research suits.

  The sight on the monitor reminded me of videos I watched with my grandparents of submarines exploring the deepest parts of earth's oceans. The light from the suits was overwhelmed by darkness.

  It was times like this I was happy the majority of the team was in great athletic shape.

  Marina and my father lowered themselves down with ease.

  The site was breathtaking, earth's organic architecture. Bubble-like stones, natural decorations hanging from the ceiling of the chamber. The formations were unimaginable.

  “This is beautiful. C.C. would love this,” said Marina as she scanned the chamber.

  Marina began to gather samples of the rocks, trying not to damage anything while my father began walking towards the edge of the chamber. His soft walk quickly turned into quick strides.

  “Craigio?” said Marina, sensing some urgency in my father.

  Through the monitor, I tried to make out precisely what grabbed my father's attention.

  He dropped to his knees as the sounds of the research suit making adjustments could be heard.

  “Marina, you have got to see this!”

  Chapter 7

  The Chamber

  Donald and I stared at the monitor, holding our breath. My father's head movement made it extremely hard to interpret the video footage from his helmet.

  Marina soon came into the picture, eager to find out what drew my father's attention.

  “What is it, Cragio?” she asked, her voice dripping with concern.

  The cave formations on the monitor made it look like Marina and my father were in the mouth of some prehistoric beast. Formations resembling giant fangs hung from the top of the cave.

  “Is everything okay, papa?” I asked, eager to find out what stirred the excitement. The camera level lowered as my father appeared to be crouching or taking a knee to get a better visual. Marina could be seen next to my father, also making observations.

  The two of them placed their hands on a series of formations that appeared to look like giant pieces of smooth popcorn.

  I wasn’t familiar enough with rock formations to notice what was so appealing.

  Donald began to grow impatient as his head bobbed back and forth in front of the monitor, almost as if he thought altering his perspective would change the camera view from my father’s helmet.

  “Well? What the hell is the big deal down there?” asked Donald.

  “Donald, Donald. Please be patient and silent if you can,” whispered my father. Donald backed away from the monitor and took a seat, doing his best to remain silent.

  The monitor displayed the teeth-like formations from the ceiling of the cave. I tried to visualize what my father was looking at. My lack of knowledge on caves made me feel helpless.

  “Team, can you hear me?” asked my father.

  Abdi responded immediately from his location. “Sure can, Craigio. Is everything alright?”

  I waited anxiously for any type of update from my father, but he didn’t respond. Finally, his voice could be heard again.

  “Team, can you hear me? Donald, Abdi...Layka, sweetie...you there?” asked my father.

  Abdi again immediately responded.

  “Craigio, this is Abdi. I can hear you loud and clear. Are you two okay? Layka and Donald what about you, can you two hear me?” asked Abdi.

  Donald rose from his seat and spoke towards the monitor.

  “Abdi, this is Donald, I can hear you loud and clear,” said Donald.

  Suddenly the video monitor went black. The monitor display showed that both Marina and my father had lost connection with their research suit’s camera and radio. I stood motionless, staring at the monitor.

  Donald switched the monitor’s display to Abdi’s perspective. Nothing was wrong with Abdi’s signal. It was a small sense of relief but not enough to calm my racing heart. My research suit made some minor adjustments to monitor my breathing.

  “Donald, do you think I should climb down there?” asked Abdi.

  I began to notice that Donald, too, was getting a little worried.

  “Now hold the hell on, Abdi. Wait just a minute. They could just be resetting th
eir suits,” said Donald optimistically.

  Donald was right. A few short minutes after making that statement, my father's voice could again be heard. Donald quickly changed the monitor’s view to my father’s camera. The monitor was still black, although hearing my father's voice seemed to get rid of a small percentage of my anxiety.

  “Donald are you there, partner?” asked my father.

  With a large smile, Donald quickly replied. “You’re damn right I am here. You nearly gave me a heart attack,” said Donald as his voice began to rise.

  “Sorry, partner. I think the location of this chamber altered the signal of my research suit. We’ll be returning immediately to the entry level floor of the cave to join you all soon.”

  My father’s camera views re-appeared on the monitor.

  I breathed a deep sigh of relief.

  As they exited the newly discovered chamber, the cliff they had to climb looked enormous. I was thankful the cables were able to aid to hoist them up.

  Abdi’s research suit could be seen at the top of the cliff. From this distance, the lights appeared to look like a constellation of sorts.

  “Well, it sure is good to see you two,” said Abdi, waving his hands in the air.

  As my father and Marina hoisted themselves to the cables, both of their views turned back towards the newly discovered chamber. Once they reached the top of the cliff, Abdi, Marina, and my father immediately exchanged hugs.

  The hugs were short lived as my father seemed to have a sense of silent urgency inside him. He immediately started moving towards the entrance of the cave.

  I could see from the monitor that he was now beginning to maneuver through the small crevices that always caused my heart to race.

  I awaited his return anxiously. After what seemed like hours, I could finally see the lights from my father’s research suit in person. He was closely followed by Marina and Abdi.

  Donald and I greeted everyone with a hug of our own.

  My father immediately walked towards one of the storage units, not too far from the cave entrance. Before he opened the storage unit, he turned off the power of his research suit. He immediately began unloading supplies. He grabbed a blank notebook from inside and began to write something.

  After he was finished writing, he placed his pointer finger towards his lips as a gesture for us to be quiet.

  He grabbed a few granola bars and placed them inside one of his bags. He immediately turned his research suit back on. The suit synced to his body.

  “I am going back down there to gather larger samples of rock. I want a few of our experts back on campus to give me their thoughts on a few things,” said my father.

  Marina trailed my father like a puppy as he made his way back towards the chamber.

  Donald and I immediately walked towards the notebook to see what type of data my father recorded. As I opened the notebook, a slight sense of nervousness began to overwhelm me. I began to read the entry in the notebook.

  Read in silence

  I am in a bit of disbelief, perhaps even shock. Our findings inside the newest chamber put into question everything we know about life on earth or mankind for that matter. I want you to know, we never lost connection with base. I just turned off the

  research suits camera to avoid drawing attention from anyone outside our team. I know oftentimes during our checks of the towers, people from headquarters and C.O.C.A. are able to tune into our trips. This discovery is life changing, or perhaps top secret. I will show everyone once we return to the tower, but it may take me hours to return. As I mentioned earlier, do not mention this entry. I don’t want any proof visually or verbally of this discussion. Please reprogram the drone to not venture too deep into the newest chamber of the cave. I want to take our findings back to our labs on campus. Please again, don't mention a word. We will try to hurry so we are back by sundown. Thanks for your help. Love you guys. Chao.

  Donald and I both looked at each other immediately after reading the notebook’s entry. I could feel my research suit adjusting to control my pulse rate. I fought back the urge to ask Donald or anyone on the team any questions.

  So, instead, I raced back over to the monitor, glued to my seat.

  Donald grabbed a handful of granola bars and sat right next to me as he began to pour some lemonade concentrate into his water bottle. He re-programmed the drone so it would not have a range that would exceed further than the entrance to the new chamber.

  As I watched the monitor, I fought back the urge to mention the discovery.

  A half hour had now passed, and the team was still maneuvering through the small crevices towards the new chamber.

  They quickly walked towards the main site of Chelene cave and approached the cliff that led to the newly discovered chamber.

  My father and Marina hoisted themselves to the cables and began descending downward. Abdi remained at the top of the cliff. The drone moved gracefully towards the

  entry of the new chamber, where it stopped and lit up an area of the chamber’s entrance.

  Marina and my father stopped prior to entering the chamber and removed some tools from their bags. They then entered together and immediately their research suit signals were lost.

  It was a long hour and a half before their research suit signals synched to the monitor again. They exited the chamber with their backpacks full of rocks and samples. The drone began to move and lead the way for the two of them back towards the cliff.

  It was no surprise that everyone on the team was completely silent during this unexpected mission. Just under three hours had passed and the only noise I think I heard came from Donald’s stomach.

  When the team arrived, we quickly put away the supplies and prepared to exit Chelene Cave.

  My father was holding his bag of discoveries tightly to his chest. Donald and I quickly took apart the monitor and placed it into the storage compartment. My father wasn't saying much but was still very deliberate with his directions.

  The team had their dart guns drawn as the jungle started to come alive. My father was towards the front of the group. He was the only person not holding a dart gun. He hugged his bag of discoveries like a newborn child, eager to return to the tower. His unusual aura was a bit unsettling. We were a stone's throw away when my father suddenly stopped.

  “Team, don't be shocked if the alert system inside the tower is going nuts. I am sure with Marina and I restarting our suits that headquarters might be on the edge of their seats,” said my father.

  As we entered the tower, my father was indeed correct. The loud alert system could be heard the second we opened the door.

  My father immediately picked up the satellite phone and made a call back to headquarters.

  “Team, I am going to call Dr. Gruver. I am going to let her know about our situation and let her know that everything is okay.”

  We all began to remove our research suits, patiently waiting as my father placed his phone call to Dr. Janet Gruver.

  “Hey Janet, this is Cragio. I hate to bother you so late,” he ended up taking the satellite phone outside and continuing his conversation.

  Marina was pacing back and forth as she appeared to be in very deep thought. I wondered what exactly her and my father discovered down in the deep chambers of Chelene Cave.

  Donald and Abdi didn’t seem to notice Marina’s discomfort. The two of them raced up the spiral staircase to the fourth floor.

  “Is everything okay, Marina?” I asked.

  She didn’t say a word and just nodded her head in confirmation. I didn’t want to intrude and wanted to give Marina some space.

  I began to walk up the spiral staircase, when my father reentered the tower. He began removing his research suit, still holding his bag of discoveries.

  “Layka, sweetie, go upstairs and let the team know I want to leave as soon as possible,” he said

  While my father began a conversation with Marina, I raced upstairs to begin loading all our packs and supplies. After a fe
w short trips from the tower to the chopper, Abdi, Donald, and I waited patiently inside the cab for Marina and my father's arrival.

  It wasn't long before Marina and my father could be seen locking the doors to the tower as they both jogged lightly towards us.

  Noticing my father's presence, Donald did his normal lap around the chopper to make sure we were clear for takeoff.

  As he sat into the co-pilot's seat, my father turned back to the cab and said, “You all are not going to believe this!”

  Chapter 8

  The Aurora Tower Part 1

  The chopper was quickly bound for the Aurora tower and the cab was silent, as the team sat patiently, waiting for my father to speak.

  The sun started to set; the night came quickly. The sudden disappearance of its light sent a cold, eerie feeling down my back.

  My father removed his headset and turned towards the cab of the chopper, making eye contact with us all. His timid demeanor was a bit unsettling and stirred up my anxiety.

  Donald muted his headset and all communication devices inside the chopper. I knew whatever was about to be said was of high importance and should not be taken lightly.

  As the moonlight took over, my father began to speak. “Yesterday during our maintenance check of the Pachanga tower, our drone KB05 discovered an unearthed chamber inside Chelene Cave. At approximately 14:10, Marina and myself entered the newly discovered chamber to explore and collect any new samples we deemed necessary in the name of research and science. We gathered an abundance of rock samples along with some other sediment that we both believed to be rare and unique. As Marina and I continued our exploration deeper and deeper into the newly discovered chamber, what we discovered is not only breathtaking, but almost unbelievable. Upon entry of this new chamber, I observed a series of cave formations unlike anything I have encountered throughout the entire Pachanga territory. My curiosity alone was overwhelming and the scientist in me decided to explore further in order to begin a more thorough assessment. As I began collecting samples and assessing the area, I discovered that these unusual rock formations were actually mounds of sorts; they sounded hollow. As I began to gently excavate one of the mounds, it suddenly collapsed exposing a skull along with the fossil remains of an unknown species. When I realized what had been discovered, I immediately turned off my research suit and signaled for Marina to shut hers off as well. I tried to keep our heads up towards the ceiling of the chamber, at a level the camera wouldn’t be able to record what we were seeing precisely. I radioed back to everyone in an attempt to establish communication. I heard your responses of confirmation. I just had to pretend I couldn’t hear you so that we would have evidence of why I had to troubleshoot the situation. Due to C.O.C.A. coming to inspect the campus and the possible repercussions that may come with their supervision, I just don’t want any additional stress added to anyone on our staff or to C.O.C.A. officials. I know much of the world is still grieving and wants to wait for the dust to settle a little more before informing them about this discovery. I also want to analyze everything and get C.C.’s global expertise on the matter once we touch down back on base.”