The Ark

Man gazes at the heavens and dreams of exploring the universe, hoping to discover other worlds as wondrous as our own. Are we alone in this vast universe? Perhaps the answers we are seeking already exist here on Earth, waiting for us to unravel them. Did life begin uniquely here on Earth or was it enhanced by Beings from beyond, perhaps travelers from a distant star? Jake removed the mysterious silver cloth from the chest, unfolding it carefully and placing it on the table. Without thinking, he removed the crystal skull from the chest and placed it on top of the silver cloth, a simple gesture that would change his and Bill's lives forever! Does the Mayan calendar, ending in the year 2012, signify the end of Earth or the return of the Arks and a new beginning? CHAPTER ONE The Adventure Begins Mexico The midday sun beats down without mercy for anything in its path as Jake reaches for the faded bandanna hanging from his back pocket. He removes his hat and wipes the sweat and dust from his face. Surveying the surrounding panorama, he glances back at the mountains and neighboring hills. Leaning over he pats Grey, his mule on the head, "Well boy that's it," he exclaims throwing his hands up in disgust, "I've had it, I think it's time to call it quits, time to go home and regroup. There's sure no gold in this godforsaken part of Mexico," he mumbles as he reaches over, takes hold of Grey's reins and turns him around to head for home. Suddenly the earth begins to tremble. It roils beneath his feet knocking him to the ground, rocks and dirt falling everywhere. "Run Grey, Run!" Jake screams grabbing Grey's reins again, this time holding on tighter for support. He stumbles to his feet and races for a clearing on the mesa ahead determined to hold his footing against the jolting earth with Grey right at his side. They make it to the mesa as the tremor stops abruptly, just as it had begun. Only the sound of dislodged rocks crashing against dry mesquite disturbs the air. Jake wraps his arms around Grey's neck and gives him a big squeeze, "That was a close one boy, but we made it." Breathless from the run Jake turns to look back up at the mountain. Behind the veil of dissipating dust, Jake spots the jagged jaws of a fresh cavern. "My God Grey, look at that," he yells, pointing about half way up the mountain, as if Grey would actually look. "That opening wasn't there before." He shakes his head in disbelief, wipes the sweat from his brow again with the worn bandanna and considers his options. "Let's go see what we can find," he says excitedly as he heads back up the mountain with Grey following close behind. "Wait Grey," he shouts, stopping so fast Grey bumps into him, "First I need to get an exact reading of where we are." Pulling out his handy GPS, he jots down the information in his logbook. "OK, boy let's start climbing, gotta see what's in that cave," Grabbing Grey's reins loosely again they start scrambling back up the mountain. Glad to see most of the dust has settled, he approaches the cavern wondering how big the cave might actually be. He can feel the adrenaline pumping and the excitement growing with every step. As he enters the cave, he's amazed at how large it is. It looks more like a finished room or chamber, not like any cave he has ever explored. The walls appear to have been carved out of the rock by someone or something other than Mother Nature. They are extremely smooth and though the earthquake has just reopened the cave, the air inside is not stale or dank. As he looks around, he's shocked by what he sees. Sitting there in the middle of the cave is a strange but beautiful container, a box with hieroglyphics covering its entire surface. At first glance the box looks like its glowing but as he approaches it he realizes its the sunlight coming in through the front of the cave bouncing off the box giving the illusion of a glow. Jake's puzzled by the look of the box. "My God Gre