other to follow and intercept. We'll also prepare some kill lick said. "I debriefed Turcotte personally about the mis-
zones if there's one of those things about and it takes the sion and he didn't say anything about that." He was
bait." shocked. "Turcotte lied to me."
"Yes, sir." "We don't know who the civilians were, but there has
"Three," Gullick said. He looked at Dr. Cruise, then been no report filed with local authorities about the night's
General Brown, who was responsible for overall security. activities," Brown said.
The right side of Gullick's face twitched. "The fuck-up this "Of course not," Gullick said. "Turcotte would have told
morning." them to keep their mouths shut." He looked down again at
"Von Seeckt is gone," Brown said. "We have his apart- the computer screen. "What's his background?"
ment in Las Vegas covered in case he shows up there. "Infantry. Then Special Forces. We recruited him out of
We--" DET-A in Berlin."
"Von Seeckt is old and a pain in the ass, but one thing Gullick slapped the conference tabletop. "I remember
the man is not, is stupid," Gullick said. "If I'd have known him now. He was involved in that incident in Dusseldorf
you were going to fuck up a simple termination I'd have let with the IRA. I never saw him. We did the after-action
nature take its course and listened to his shit for five more inquiry by secure conference call, but I recognize the name
months, then let him die. Now we have him on the loose now. He was there. So why is he lying to us and helping
with his big mouth and his knowledge." Von Seeckt flee? Is he a plant?"
"He can't have gotten too far," General Brown said. General Brown shook his head. "I don't know, sir."
"The term that comes to mind," Gullick said, glaring at "He might be," Kennedy said. The others at the table all
Cruise, "is anal retentive. You had to have the death certifi- turned to look at the CIA man.
cate typed up before you actually killed him?" "Clarify," Gullick ordered.
"Sir, I--" "When we did our background on Dr. Duncan, my peo-
Gullick silenced the doctor with a wave of his hand. ple picked up some information that she was working with
"What about this"--Gullick looked down at his computer someone inside our organization or was sending someone
screen--"this Captain Turcotte?" in to infiltrate us. The NSA had supplied her with a phone
"He was new, sir." Brown had a file open. "He just ar- cutout to talk to this agent. That cutout was activated forty
rived in time for the Nightscape mission last night." Brown minutes ago. My people disconnected it."
paused. "Since the events this morning, I had the other "Could you find out who was calling?"
160 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51
161
"Not without attracting the NSA's attention," Kennedy "I wonder why she helped Turcotte and Von Seeckt,"
said. "But whoever was calling on that line, and I do be- Quinn said.
lieve it was Turcotte, given all that has happened, didn't get Gullick stood. "Find her. Then you'll know. While you're
through." at it, find Turcotte and find Von Seeckt and terminate
"Why wasn't I informed of all this?" Gullick demanded. them. Then we won't have to worry about the whys."
"I thought I could take care of it," Kennedy said. "I
warned Major Prague to be on the lookout and to check
any new personnel extra carefully."
"Obviously that worked damn well!" Gullick exploded.
He threw a file folder across the room. "Does anyone in
here believe in letting me know what's going on before we
fuck things up any further?"
The men of the inner circle of Majic-12 exchanged wor-
ried glances, not quite sure what to make of the question.
Just as swiftly as he had exploded, Gullick calmed down. "I
want everything you have on Turcotte." He checked the
computer screen. "And who's this woman in the rent-a-
car?"
"We've run the plates the guards copied. The woman
renting the car is Kelly Reynolds. She's a freelance maga-
zine writer."
"Just great." Gullick threw up his hands. "That's all we
need."
"I'm working on getting a photo ID of her and her back-
ground."
"Track them down. Put out a classified alert through
CIA channels into the police networks. No one should ap-
proach them. We have to get them ourselves. Quickly!"
"We also have a report from Jarvis," Kennedy contin-
ued. "This Reynolds woman interviewed him yesterday
evening. Jarvis gave her the usual story, but she was better
prepared than most and penetrated his backstop cover. She
specifically asked about that reporter that we picked up the
other night on White Sides Mountain."
AREA 51 163
"We are not going back into Area 51," Turcotte said
14 flatly. "Gullick will have our heads if we go back in there.
And they'll find us here soon enough too."
"The tablets aren't there," Von Seeckt said. "They're
being held at the Majic-12 facility in Dulce, New Mexico.
That is why / said we must go there."
Turcotte sat down in an easy chair and rubbed his fore-
head. "So you're agreeing with Kelly and say that we
should go to Dulce. I assume whatever facility is there is
highly classified also. So we're just going to break in, rescue
this reporter Johnny Simmons, get these tablets, decipher
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA them, and then what?"
T-1O9 HOURS, 2O MINUTES "We make public the threat," Von Seeckt said. He
"Who did you call?" Turcotte asked, as he toweled his hair. looked at Kelly. "That's your job."
While Von Seeckt had been on the phone, Turcotte had "Oh, I've been hired?" Kelly asked.
taken a shower and cleaned himself up. Kelly had run out "No, sounds to me like you volunteered like I did,"
and gone to a Wal-Mart to buy him a loose-fitting pair of Turcotte said with a sarcastic laugh. "Sort of like people
pants and a shirt to replace his torn and sooty jumpsuit. He used to volunteer to charge across no-man's-land in World
felt more human now. The stitches that Cruise had put in War I. Didn't your mother ever tell you not to pick up
his arm were holding up well. hitchhikers?"
"I left a message for a Professor Nabinger." Von Seeckt Von Seeckt's voice was grim. "None of us in this room
held up the crumpled piece of paper he had in his hand. "I has any choice. We either expose what they are planning to
believe he may hold the key to understanding the mother- do at Area 51 in four days and stop it or we--and many
ship." others--die."
"Who is Nabinger?" Kelly asked. "I'm not sure I buy into the danger this mothership
"An archaeologist with the Brooklyn Museum." holds," Turcotte said.
"Okay, time out," Turcotte said. "I thought I was half- Von Seeckt shook the piece of paper with the message
way up to speed with all this, but now you've lost me." from Nabinger on it. "This confirms my suspicions!"
"When they discovered the mothership," Von Seeckt Turcotte glanced at Kelly and she returned the look. For
said, "they also found tablets with what are called high all they knew Von Seeckt could be a total crackpot. The
runes on them. We have never been able to decipher the only reason Turcotte even began to believe the old man
tablets, but it appears that Professor Nabinger might be was the fact that Cruise had tried to kill him. That meant
able to." Von Seeckt's fingers ran over the head of his someone took him seriously enough to want to get rid of
cane. "The only problem is that we have to get access to him. Of course, they might want to kill him because he was
the tablets to show them to the professor." a crackpot, but Turcotte thought it best to keep that
164 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51
165
thought to himself. He didn't feel on very firm ground; proposed had gone against the prevailing winds of the
after all, his phone call had been to a number that was world of academic archaeology.
disconnected, so his story didn't hold up much better than What had fascinated Nabinger was that a few of Slater's
those of the other two people in the room. slides showed forms of high runes etched into the under-
Von Seeckt had told him about Duncan being in the water stonework. He'd gotten copies of the slides and
Cube. She might be legitimate, she might not. Turcotte's they'd helped him decipher a few more high rune symbols.
training told him that when he didn't have enough infor- However, the chilly, in fact hostile, reception her presenta-
mation he had to make the best possible choice. Going to tion had received had convinced Nabinger to keep his own
Dulce seemed like a good way to at least accumulate more studies quiet.
information from both Von Seeckt and Kelly on the way Nabinger wiped the sweat from his brow and adjusted
there. his backpack. At the conference Slater had not seemed
"All right," Turcotte said. "Let's stop yacking and get particularly perturbed at the attacks on her theories. She
going." had smiled, packed her bags, and gone back to her island.
Her attitude had seemed to suggest that they could take it
or leave it. Until someone came up with some better ideas
BIMINI, THE BAHAMAS and supported them, she was sticking to hers. Nabinger
T-1O8 HOURS, 5O MINUTES had been impressed with that self-confident attitude. Of
Less than a hundred miles east of Miami, the islands that course, she didn't have a museum board of directors or an
made up Bimini were scattered across the ocean like small academic review board for tenure looking over her shoul-
green dots. It was in the sparkling blue water around those der, either, so she could afford to be aloof.
dots that massive stone blocks had been found that had He looked down at the card she had given him at the
fueled speculation that Atlantis had once been there. conference--a small map photocopied on the back pointed
Peter Nabinger didn't have the time to dive to see the the way to her house. She'd given it to him when he'd
blocks. Besides, he'd already seen pictures of them. He was asked for copies of the slides. "We don't have street names
here to see the woman who had taken the pictures and on my island," she had told him. "If you don't know where
then stayed to study them further. you're going, you won't get there. But don't worry, you can
As he walked the short distance from the tiny dirt-strip walk everywhere from the airfield or the dock."
airport to the village where Slater lived, Nabinger reflected Nabinger spotted a shock of white hair above a garden
on the only other time he'd seen the woman. It had been at of green surrounding a small cottage. As the woman
an. archaeological convention in Charleston, South Caro- turned around, he recognized Slater. She put a hand over
lina. Slater had presented a paper on the stones in the her eyes and watched him approach. Slater was in her late
shallow waters off her island home. It had not been re- sixties and had come to archaeology late in life, after retir-
ceived well. Not because her groundwork and research had ing from a career as a mineral- and geologic-rights lawyer
been faulty, but because some of the conclusions she had representing various environmental groups--the reason
166 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51 167
she could afford to go her own way and another reason she Nabinger nodded. "Are you familiar with the Nazi cult
irritated the archaeological old guard. of Thule?"
"Good day, young man," she called out as he turned into Slater slowly put down her glass. "Yes." She was
her drive. thoughtful for a moment. "Do you know that about ten
"Ms. Slater, I'm-- years ago there was a great controversy in the medical
"Peter Nabinger, Brooklyn Museum," she said. "I may community about using certain historical data to study hy-
be old and getting a little long in the tooth, but I still have pothermia?" She didn't wait for an answer. "The best data
my mind. Did you take a wrong turn on the Nile? If I ever documented on hypothermia was developed by Nazi
remember rightly, that was your area of expertise." doctors immersing concentration camp inmates in freezing
"I just flew in here from Cairo, via the puddle jumper vats of water and recording their decreasing bodily func-
from Miami," Nabinger said. tions until they died. They also took some out of the water
"Iced tea?" Slater asked, extending her hand toward the before they died and tried to resuscitate them by warming
them up in various ways--which invariably failed to work.
door and leading him in.
Not exactly something your typical medical researcher can
"Thank you." do, but entirely realistic if you're looking for accuracy.
They walked into the cool shadows of the house. It was a "The decision the American medical community made
small bungalow, nicely furnished, with books and papers was that data gathered in such a brutal and inhuman man-
piled everywhere. She cleared a stack of papers from a ner should not be used, even if it advanced current medical
folding chair. "Sit down, please." science and eventually saved lives. I do not know how you
Nabinger settled down and accepted the glass she gave would feel about that issue. I don't even know how I feel
him. Slater sat down on the floor, leaning her back against about it."
a couch covered with photographs. "So what brings you Slater paused, then smiled. "Now I am the one circling
here, Mr. Egypt? Do you want more photos of the mark- the subject. But you must understand the situation. Of
ings on the stones?" course, I have read the papers and documents available on
"I was thinking about the paper you presented in the cult of Thule and on the Nazis' fascination with Atlan-
Charleston last year," Nabinger began, not quite sure how tis. It is part of my area of study. But there are those who
to get to what he wanted to know. would violently oppose any use of that information, so, as
"That was eleven months and six days ago," Slater said. eccentric as some of my theories do seem, I have had to
"I would like to think your brain works a little quicker than keep that particular piece of information out of my own
that, or we might have a long day here. Please, Mr. Nab- papers and presentations."
inger, you are here for a reason. I am not your professor at Nabinger leaned forward. "What have you found?"
school. You can ask questions even if they seem silly. I've "Why do you want to know?" Slater asked.
asked many silly questions in my life and I never regretted Nabinger reached into his backpack and pulled out his
a one, but I have some regrets about the times I kept my sketchbook. He handed her the drawing and rough transla-
mouth shut when I should have spoken up." tion. "That's from the wall in the lower chamber of the
168 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51 169
Great Pyramid." He checked his watch. He had to catch Slater talked as Nabinger looked at the photos. "They
his return flight to Miami in an hour and a half. He pro- might have been part of the outer wall of a city or part of a
ceeded to quickly relate Kaji's story of Germans opening quay. There is no way of knowing, with large portions cov-
up the chamber in 1942, ending it by showing her Von ered with coral and other underwater life and the sea bot-
Seeckt's dagger. He then described his efforts at deci- tom close by sloping off into unexplored depths. This
phering the high runes and the message he had taken off section with the stones might be just a tiny part of a larger
the wall of the chamber. ancient site, or may be the only site, built there thousands
Slater heard him out. "This reference to a home place. of years ago when that area was above water. Built by a
Do you think that is reference to a place on the far side of people we don't know about, for a reason we can't yet
the Atlantic?" figure out.
"Yes. And that's why I'm here. Because the Germans--if "The major pattern of the stones is a long J or more
they did go into that chamber in 1942, which I'm not abso- accurately a horseshoe with the open end to the northeast.
lutely convinced of yet despite the dagger--had to have All told it's about a third of a mile long in about fifty feet
gotten their information about the chamber from some- of water. Some of the stones are estimated to weigh almost
where. Perhaps the Germans found writing somewhere fifteen tons, so they didn't get there by accident and who-
that got them to that chamber, if you follow my logic." ever did put them in place had a very advanced engineer-
"I follow your logic." Slater handed the drawing back. ing capability. You can barely get a knife point in the joints
"In the early days of World War II, German U-boats oper- between some of those stones."
ated extensively along the East Coast of the United States Slater stood up and leaned over Nabinger's shoulder and
and here in the islands. They sank quite a bit of shipping. pointed. "There."
But they also conducted some other missions. There was a large, ragged gouge in one of the blocks.
"As you have talked with this Kaji fellow in Egypt, I have "And this is?" Nabinger asked.
talked to some of the old fishermen here in the islands, Slater shuffled through the photos. "Here," she said,
who know the waters and the history. They say that in 1941 handing him a close-up of the scar on the block.
there were numerous sightings of German submarines Nabinger peered at it. There were other, very faint, older
moving here among the islands. And that the submarines marks--writing around the edges of the gouge! Very simi-
did not seem interested in hunting ships--since we are off lar to what was in his notebook, but the gouge had de-
the main shipping lanes here--but rather to be looking for stroyed any chance of deciphering it!
something in the waters around the islands." "What happened to this stone?" Nabinger asked.
Slater reached behind her and gathered some photos. "I "As near as I can tell," Slater said, "it was hit by a tor-
think this is what they found." pedo." She touched the picture, running her fingers over
She handed them over. They appeared to be the same the high runes. "I've seen others like these. Ancient mark-
photos that she had presented at the conference. Large ings destroyed sometime in the last century by modern
stone blocks, closely fitted together in about fifty feet of weapons."
water. Nabinger nodded. "They're just like the ones I deci-
170 ROBERT DOHERTY
AREA 51 171
phered from the lower chamber. Not traditional hiero- bothers me--and why I have never made public my find-
glyphics, but the older, high rune language." ings--is how can the same ancient writing have been found
Slater walked over to a desk buried under stacks of fold- in such vastly separated places?"
ers and books. She rummaged through, then found what Slater sat back down. "Are you familiar with the diffu-
she was looking for. "Here," she said, handing Nabinger a sionist theory of civilization?"
folder. "You are not the only one interested in the high "Yes, I am," Nabinger said. He knew what Slater was
rune language." referring to despite the ,,fact that the prevailing winds of
He opened it. It was full of photos of high runes. Written thought this decade blew in favor of the isolationist theory
on walls, on mud slabs, carved into rock--in just about of civilization. Isolationists believed that the ancient civili-
every possible way by which ancient cultures had recorded zations all developed independent of one another. Meso-
their affairs. "Where did you take these photos?" Nabinger potamia, the Indus Valley, China, Egypt--all crossed a
asked, his heart pounding with the thought of the potential threshold into civilization about the same time: around the
information he held in his hands. He recognized several of third or fourth century before the birth of Christ.
the shots--the Central American site that had helped him Nabinger had heard the argument many times. Isolation-
begin his breaking of the rune code. ists cite natural evolution to explain this curious bit of syn-
"There's an index in the folder detailing where each chronicity. They also explain many common points in the
photo was shot--they're numbered. But, basically, several archaeological finds of these civilizations as due to man's
locations. Here, under the waves. In Mexico, near Vera- genetic commonality. Thus the fact that there are pyramids
cruz. In Peru, at Tucume. On Easter Island. On some of in Peru, in Egypt, in Indochina, in North America--some
the islands in Polynesia. Some from your neck of the woods made of stone, some of earth, some of mud, but remark-
in the Middle East--Egypt and Mesopotamia." ably similar to one another given the distances between
"The same symbols?" Nabinger asked, thumbing those sites--all that is just because each society as it devel-
through the photos. He had seen many of the same ones oped had a natural tendency to do the same thing.
before, but there were a few new ones in there to add to his Nabinger himself found this a bit of a leap. It would have
high rune database. been quite a genetic coup if all these civilizations should
"Some differences. In fact, many differences," Slater an- also have developed this same ancient high rune writing
swered. "But, yes, I believe they all stem from the same and then abandoned it, well before the first hieroglyphics
root language and are connected. A written language that were being etched on papyrus.
predates the oldest recorded language that is generally ac- The diffusionists argued the other side of the civilization
cepted by historians." coin, and Nabinger felt more affinity for their stance. They
Nabinger closed the binder. "I have been studying these believed that those civilizations rose at approximately the
runes for many years. I've seen a lot of what you have in same time on the cosmic scale--and exhibited all those
here before--in fact I was able to decipher what I did of similarities, including the high runes--because those civili-
the wall of the chamber in the Great Pyramid using sym- zations had all been started by people from a single earlier
bols from a South American site. But the question that civilization.
172 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51 173
There were problems with the diffusionist theory, in South America. Stonework very similar to that at other
though--serious problems--and that is why Nabinger kept sites, some on the other side of the Pacific in Oceania. He
his views on the subject to himself. The strongest argument has in his possession hard evidence of a certain degree of
against the diffusionist theory was that there was no way interaction among widely spread peoples many centuries
for people from these different locations to have communi- ago, but he is basically being ignored by the mainstream
cated with one another or have had any social or cultural scientific community because they simply do not believe it
intercourse. Those early people would have had to cross is possible."
the Atlantic and the Pacific, according to diffusionist the- Nabinger was aware of the find, but he didn't want to
ory. They had a hard enough time even sailing around on offend Slater. After all, he'd come to her. "How does Jor-
the Mediterranean at that epoch, never mind crossing the genson think civilization originated?"
oceans. "He believes that there was an original culture of white-
Slater's face wrinkled as she smiled. "And you know who skinned, long-eared, pyramid-building, rune-writing people
the number-one spokesperson for the diffusionists is, don't living and flourishing at what he calls the 'zero point,'"
you?" She didn't wait for an answer. "Leif Jorgenson. The Slater replied. "And that civilization spread out from that
man who sailed the Atlantic in a Viking ship to prove that zero point at what he calls a 'zero time'--just prior to civili-
Europeans were in North America long before Christo- zation developing simultaneously at all those other places
pher Columbus. And who floated from Indonesia to the that we are now studying. Civilization came from the zero
Hawaiian islands on a wood raft to support his theory that point."
the islands were colonized from the west. "And where is the zero point?" Nabinger asked, even
"But he's taken all that--and more--a step further in though he had a very good idea of what the answer would
the last ten years. He's currently working the recently dis- be.
covered ruins in Mesoamerica, looking at pyramids and the "It is the place so many legends call Atlantis."
Mayan calendar and--guess what?--new high runes dis- "And that is why you are so familiar with his theories,"
covered there. Nabinger said.
"Four years ago Jorgenson uncovered a massive site in "Yes. Because there are connections that have not been
Mexico near Jamiltepec. Over twenty large earthen and adequately explained." She paused. "Let me put it this
stone pyramids covering almost seven hundred acres on way. Most people dismiss Jorgenson's zero-point theory
the west coast of Mexico, less than two miles from the based on physical impracticality. They say that there is no
Pacific Ocean. It had been covered by the jungle and be- way man at that time--somewhere around four thousand
cause of the mountains around it was accessible only by B.C.--could have made it from the zero point to the other
sea. locations around the globe, regardless of where you place
"At the site he found further evidence of cross-cultural the zero point. They would have had to cross the oceans.
communication at a time earlier than traditional historians "Jorgenson's reply is that while there is not enough sci-
say is possible. There was jewelry made with gems that entific evidence to convincingly support his theory, there is
could only have been mined over two thousand miles away also not enough to refute it. // you assume there was a way
174 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51
175
ancient man could have crossed the oceans and spread, the stroke of their pens, moved Lemuria to the Pacific,
then the evidence falls into place. Thus all the sea journeys tying the legend in with the statues on Easter Island, which
Jorgenson has undertaken in replicas of old sailing ves- loops us back to Jorgenson's large-eared race. The statues
sels." on Easter Island are of, as you also know, a large-eared
She tapped the translation Nabinger had given her. "I people."
must give you credit, young man, for pursuing your study of Slater laughed. "I can tell you even better myths and
the commonalities among the high runes, in defiance of the stories. In 1922 another German published a book about
common theories. Obviously it has brought you success Atlantis and claimed it had originally been occupied by a
that many other scientists and investigators have failed to genetically perfect people. But the perfection was marred
find because they accepted the standard theories and could when an outside woman arrived and taught them how to
not see the greater possibilities in thinking differently. I
ferment alcohol. So much for the perfect society. Because
have tried my own hand at translating the high runes, but it
of this imperfection Atlantis was then destroyed by the tail
is not my area of expertise."
of a comet! The continent burned and only a handful of
"Let's get back to the Atlantis idea," Nabinger said,
people escaped."
checking his watch again.
"Where do these people get their ideas from?" Nabinger
"Jorgenson believes--and as you know there is scientific
asked.
data to support this--that there was a major geological
"Ah, ever the scientist," Slater said. "You want source
event in the Atlantic Ocean somewhere around 3400 B.C.
material?" She went to her crowded desk and searched for
Pretty much every culture around the globe refers to a
a minute, before pulling out a dog-eared hardcover book.
great flood at about that time. Even the Tibetan Book of
the Dead talks of a large land mass sinking into the sea at "This is the original mention of Atlantis from the Timaeus,
that time, and they are on the other side of the world from a treatise on Pythagorean philosophy written by Plato. I
the Atlantic. have it here in the original Greek. Allow a little bit of
"And there are so many legends referring to the same leeway for my translation, as I don't often converse in the
thing: a great civilization in the middle of an ocean, de- language."
stroyed by fire or flood! The Mayans called Atlantis Mu. She turned several pages and ran her finger down the
The northern Europeans called it Thule. There was also writing. "As is traditional with the Greeks, this manuscript
the land called Lemuria--which a Madame Blavatsky takes the form of a dialogue among several persons, Socra-
picked up for her own cult of Thule--which is the question tes being one of them. In this passage Solon is telling the
you started this meeting with. story of some of the Greek legends--for example the flood
"Lemuria was a land that scientists in the nineteenth of Deukalion and Pyrrha. He is rebuked by an older priest:
century postulated must have existed because of the pres-
ence on Madagascar of a certain type of monkey, the le- Solon, you Greeks are children. There have been
mur, that was also found in India. They believed Lemuria and will be many destructors of mankind, of which the
had been in the Indian Ocean. Blavatsky's followers, with greatest are by fire and water."
176 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51 177
She turned a few pages. floods, and on one grievous day the entire island of
Atlantis was swallowed up by the sea and disappeared.
Many are the truths and great are the achievements of
the Greeks. But there is one that stands out above all "And now for an especially interesting detail," Slater
the rest. It is in our history that a long time ago our said.
state stopped a mighty host which started from a dis-
tant point in a distant ocean and came to attack the Atlantis disappeared and the ocean at that spot has
whole of Europe and Asia. For the ocean in that long now been made impassable, being blocked up by mud
ago day was navigable outside of what we call the Pil- which the island made as it settled into the ocean.
lars of Hercules--there, there was an island which was
larger than North Africa and Asia Minor put together Slater smiled. "You know, of course, about the Sargasso
and it was possible for travelers to cross from it to our Sea to the east of here. And the water around the islands
land. here is relatively shallow in many places. If the ocean level
were a bit lower, it would be almost impassable to most
ships."
Slater looked up from the book. "There are many who
believe Plato is referring to North and South America, but "So you believe you are sitting on the site of Atlantis?"
Nabinger asked.
then those people run into the same problem that Jorgen- "I don't know," Slater said candidly. She pulled a vol-
son has. The technology of the day rules out an ocean ume off her bookshelf. "Take this with you, along with pho-
voyage across the Atlantic, so whatever Plato is referring tographs of the runes. It has more about the legend of
to, if it is real, had to be closer to Europe. Of course, Plato Atlantis that you might want to look at. I hope I have given
is also saying something that goes against conventional you the information you wanted."
thought: that the ocean outside the Pillars of Hercules, the "That and more," Nabinger assured her, although there
Strait of Gibraltar, was navigable to people at that time." was little she had told him that he didn't know and he
She turned another page. already had most of the high rune images on file. He had
just enough time to get to the airport and catch the hop
On this island of Atlantis there was a confederation of back to Miami and continue with his trip. He hoped Von
very powerful kings who ruled the island and many Seeckt had more.
other islands and lands. Here, through the Pillars of "One thing," Slater said as they walked to the door.
Hercules, they ruled North Africa as far as Egypt and "What do you think was in the black box that was taken out
over Europe as far as Tuscany. of the pyramid?"
The kings of Atlantis at one time tried to enslave Nabinger paused. "I don't have a clue."
both the people of Greece and Egypt, but the Greeks, Slater nodded. "My reference earlier to the use of data
in a noble fight, stopped the invaders. from the concentration camps: I did not make that idly.
At a later time there occurred earthquakes and This man you are after, this German, Von Seeckt. If he is
178 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51 179
part of what I think he is part of, then you might be getting that Americans were seen working the site after Jorgen-
into something that you need to be very careful of." son's people had to clear out. He made a stink, but once
"And that is?" Nabinger felt the minutes to his flight tick the Mexican government pulled his authorization there
down. was little he could do."
"Ask him when you see him," Slater said. "If he evades "Any idea what was down there?"
answering, ask him specifically about Operation Paper- "Not a clue, my son. Not a clue. But you might want to
clip." ask Von Seeckt."
"What was that?"
"Something I heard whispers about when I worked in
Washington." Slater stepped back toward her house.
"Is there anything else I should know?" Nabinger asked,
poised at her gate.
"I know you were humoring me," Slater said. "You knew
nearly everything I told you, but you stopped by anyway.
Why?"
"It was on the way," Nabinger answered honestly. "But
also, I hoped you might have some new information, since
you keep up with this area of research. Your information
on Von Seeckt might prove helpful."
Slater was standing in the shadow cast by the peaked
roof of the house. "They found something unusual at the
Jamiltepec site in Mexico about eight months ago."
That was news to Nabinger. "What did Jorgenson find?"
"Jorgenson didn't find it," Slater said. "I have only heard
rumors. Jorgenson was away lecturing. His people were
deep under the main pyramid when they found a passage-
way leading down. They were getting ready to open it when
they were shut down. The Mexican army came in claiming
that it was an historical site, but anyone with enough cash
could have had them do that."
"What happened?" Nabinger asked.
"From the whispers I've heard, it appears that Jorgen-
son's team had been infiltrated. Some say by the Mexican
government, since it was their army that shut the dig down;
others say it was the CIA. That's because there are rumors
AREA 51 181
Kelly met Turcotte's glance across the front seat, then
15
returned to the backseat. "Another location? Where is
that? Remember, you hired me, and my currency for pay-
ment is information."
Von Seeckt finally turned his attention inside the car. "I
thought your payment was finding your friend."
"Johnny Simmons is not here in this car," Kelly said. "I
hope and pray that we find Johnny at Dulce and can get
him out safely. But you are here in this car and the more
information we have, the better our chances are of getting
OUTSIDE OF KINGMAN, ARIZONA Johnny out of there."
"The bouncers are back in Area 51," Von Seeckt coun-
T-117 HOURS, 15 MINUTES
tered. "Why are you concerned with their history?"
Turcotte drove, Kelly navigated, and Von Seeckt sat in the "You said we're going to Dulce to find tablets that re-
backseat, watching the countryside. They were in Kelly's lated to them," Kelly argued.
rent-a-car heading southwest out of Las Vegas in the ap- Kelly was startled when Turcotte slammed a fist on the
proximate direction of Dulce, New Mexico, via Phoenix. steering wheel. "Listen, Von Seeckt, I don't want to be
Since there was only one road that went in that direction here. I didn't want this damn assignment from the start.
out of Las Vegas--Highway 93 to Kingman Arizona-- But I'm here and I'm helping you people. So you help
Kelly's mind was not much preoccupied with the map on back. Clear?"
her lap. It was over eighty miles to Kingman with no turns "Your assignment?" Kelly asked, her reporter instincts
in between. "You told me they found the mothership in its still working. The two men ignored her question.
hangar, but you never said if they found the bouncers there "I took an oath of secrecy," Von Seeckt said to Turcotte.
too," she said, turning in the seat and glancing back at Von "I am only violating that oath to prevent disaster."
Seeckt. "It's a little damn late for that now," Turcotte said. "And
"Ah, the bouncers," Von Seeckt said. "Yes, the mother- we're helping you. I took a few oaths of my own, and I
ship was the first find the Americans made. There were violated one of those when I saved your life and the lives of
also two bouncers found near the mothership in the same that couple up in Nebraska. You've crossed a line and you
chamber." can't go back. Understand that. We're in this now. All
"And the other bouncers?" Kelly asked. three of us. Whether you like it or not, and personally I can
"They were not found there," Von Seeckt said. "They tell you I ain't too fucking thrilled, but I'm here and I
were recovered and transported to Area 51." accept what that means."
"Recovered from where?" Kelly asked. Von Seeckt pondered that for a few moments. "I know I
"From another location." Von Seeckt's attention was on crossed a line. I suppose much of what I feel is just habit. I
the desert flowing by. have been so used to being quiet and not speaking. I have
zones if there's one of those things about and it takes the sion and he didn't say anything about that." He was
bait." shocked. "Turcotte lied to me."
"Yes, sir." "We don't know who the civilians were, but there has
"Three," Gullick said. He looked at Dr. Cruise, then been no report filed with local authorities about the night's
General Brown, who was responsible for overall security. activities," Brown said.
The right side of Gullick's face twitched. "The fuck-up this "Of course not," Gullick said. "Turcotte would have told
morning." them to keep their mouths shut." He looked down again at
"Von Seeckt is gone," Brown said. "We have his apart- the computer screen. "What's his background?"
ment in Las Vegas covered in case he shows up there. "Infantry. Then Special Forces. We recruited him out of
We--" DET-A in Berlin."
"Von Seeckt is old and a pain in the ass, but one thing Gullick slapped the conference tabletop. "I remember
the man is not, is stupid," Gullick said. "If I'd have known him now. He was involved in that incident in Dusseldorf
you were going to fuck up a simple termination I'd have let with the IRA. I never saw him. We did the after-action
nature take its course and listened to his shit for five more inquiry by secure conference call, but I recognize the name
months, then let him die. Now we have him on the loose now. He was there. So why is he lying to us and helping
with his big mouth and his knowledge." Von Seeckt flee? Is he a plant?"
"He can't have gotten too far," General Brown said. General Brown shook his head. "I don't know, sir."
"The term that comes to mind," Gullick said, glaring at "He might be," Kennedy said. The others at the table all
Cruise, "is anal retentive. You had to have the death certifi- turned to look at the CIA man.
cate typed up before you actually killed him?" "Clarify," Gullick ordered.
"Sir, I--" "When we did our background on Dr. Duncan, my peo-
Gullick silenced the doctor with a wave of his hand. ple picked up some information that she was working with
"What about this"--Gullick looked down at his computer someone inside our organization or was sending someone
screen--"this Captain Turcotte?" in to infiltrate us. The NSA had supplied her with a phone
"He was new, sir." Brown had a file open. "He just ar- cutout to talk to this agent. That cutout was activated forty
rived in time for the Nightscape mission last night." Brown minutes ago. My people disconnected it."
paused. "Since the events this morning, I had the other "Could you find out who was calling?"
160 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51
161
"Not without attracting the NSA's attention," Kennedy "I wonder why she helped Turcotte and Von Seeckt,"
said. "But whoever was calling on that line, and I do be- Quinn said.
lieve it was Turcotte, given all that has happened, didn't get Gullick stood. "Find her. Then you'll know. While you're
through." at it, find Turcotte and find Von Seeckt and terminate
"Why wasn't I informed of all this?" Gullick demanded. them. Then we won't have to worry about the whys."
"I thought I could take care of it," Kennedy said. "I
warned Major Prague to be on the lookout and to check
any new personnel extra carefully."
"Obviously that worked damn well!" Gullick exploded.
He threw a file folder across the room. "Does anyone in
here believe in letting me know what's going on before we
fuck things up any further?"
The men of the inner circle of Majic-12 exchanged wor-
ried glances, not quite sure what to make of the question.
Just as swiftly as he had exploded, Gullick calmed down. "I
want everything you have on Turcotte." He checked the
computer screen. "And who's this woman in the rent-a-
car?"
"We've run the plates the guards copied. The woman
renting the car is Kelly Reynolds. She's a freelance maga-
zine writer."
"Just great." Gullick threw up his hands. "That's all we
need."
"I'm working on getting a photo ID of her and her back-
ground."
"Track them down. Put out a classified alert through
CIA channels into the police networks. No one should ap-
proach them. We have to get them ourselves. Quickly!"
"We also have a report from Jarvis," Kennedy contin-
ued. "This Reynolds woman interviewed him yesterday
evening. Jarvis gave her the usual story, but she was better
prepared than most and penetrated his backstop cover. She
specifically asked about that reporter that we picked up the
other night on White Sides Mountain."
AREA 51 163
"We are not going back into Area 51," Turcotte said
14 flatly. "Gullick will have our heads if we go back in there.
And they'll find us here soon enough too."
"The tablets aren't there," Von Seeckt said. "They're
being held at the Majic-12 facility in Dulce, New Mexico.
That is why / said we must go there."
Turcotte sat down in an easy chair and rubbed his fore-
head. "So you're agreeing with Kelly and say that we
should go to Dulce. I assume whatever facility is there is
highly classified also. So we're just going to break in, rescue
this reporter Johnny Simmons, get these tablets, decipher
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA them, and then what?"
T-1O9 HOURS, 2O MINUTES "We make public the threat," Von Seeckt said. He
"Who did you call?" Turcotte asked, as he toweled his hair. looked at Kelly. "That's your job."
While Von Seeckt had been on the phone, Turcotte had "Oh, I've been hired?" Kelly asked.
taken a shower and cleaned himself up. Kelly had run out "No, sounds to me like you volunteered like I did,"
and gone to a Wal-Mart to buy him a loose-fitting pair of Turcotte said with a sarcastic laugh. "Sort of like people
pants and a shirt to replace his torn and sooty jumpsuit. He used to volunteer to charge across no-man's-land in World
felt more human now. The stitches that Cruise had put in War I. Didn't your mother ever tell you not to pick up
his arm were holding up well. hitchhikers?"
"I left a message for a Professor Nabinger." Von Seeckt Von Seeckt's voice was grim. "None of us in this room
held up the crumpled piece of paper he had in his hand. "I has any choice. We either expose what they are planning to
believe he may hold the key to understanding the mother- do at Area 51 in four days and stop it or we--and many
ship." others--die."
"Who is Nabinger?" Kelly asked. "I'm not sure I buy into the danger this mothership
"An archaeologist with the Brooklyn Museum." holds," Turcotte said.
"Okay, time out," Turcotte said. "I thought I was half- Von Seeckt shook the piece of paper with the message
way up to speed with all this, but now you've lost me." from Nabinger on it. "This confirms my suspicions!"
"When they discovered the mothership," Von Seeckt Turcotte glanced at Kelly and she returned the look. For
said, "they also found tablets with what are called high all they knew Von Seeckt could be a total crackpot. The
runes on them. We have never been able to decipher the only reason Turcotte even began to believe the old man
tablets, but it appears that Professor Nabinger might be was the fact that Cruise had tried to kill him. That meant
able to." Von Seeckt's fingers ran over the head of his someone took him seriously enough to want to get rid of
cane. "The only problem is that we have to get access to him. Of course, they might want to kill him because he was
the tablets to show them to the professor." a crackpot, but Turcotte thought it best to keep that
164 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51
165
thought to himself. He didn't feel on very firm ground; proposed had gone against the prevailing winds of the
after all, his phone call had been to a number that was world of academic archaeology.
disconnected, so his story didn't hold up much better than What had fascinated Nabinger was that a few of Slater's
those of the other two people in the room. slides showed forms of high runes etched into the under-
Von Seeckt had told him about Duncan being in the water stonework. He'd gotten copies of the slides and
Cube. She might be legitimate, she might not. Turcotte's they'd helped him decipher a few more high rune symbols.
training told him that when he didn't have enough infor- However, the chilly, in fact hostile, reception her presenta-
mation he had to make the best possible choice. Going to tion had received had convinced Nabinger to keep his own
Dulce seemed like a good way to at least accumulate more studies quiet.
information from both Von Seeckt and Kelly on the way Nabinger wiped the sweat from his brow and adjusted
there. his backpack. At the conference Slater had not seemed
"All right," Turcotte said. "Let's stop yacking and get particularly perturbed at the attacks on her theories. She
going." had smiled, packed her bags, and gone back to her island.
Her attitude had seemed to suggest that they could take it
or leave it. Until someone came up with some better ideas
BIMINI, THE BAHAMAS and supported them, she was sticking to hers. Nabinger
T-1O8 HOURS, 5O MINUTES had been impressed with that self-confident attitude. Of
Less than a hundred miles east of Miami, the islands that course, she didn't have a museum board of directors or an
made up Bimini were scattered across the ocean like small academic review board for tenure looking over her shoul-
green dots. It was in the sparkling blue water around those der, either, so she could afford to be aloof.
dots that massive stone blocks had been found that had He looked down at the card she had given him at the
fueled speculation that Atlantis had once been there. conference--a small map photocopied on the back pointed
Peter Nabinger didn't have the time to dive to see the the way to her house. She'd given it to him when he'd
blocks. Besides, he'd already seen pictures of them. He was asked for copies of the slides. "We don't have street names
here to see the woman who had taken the pictures and on my island," she had told him. "If you don't know where
then stayed to study them further. you're going, you won't get there. But don't worry, you can
As he walked the short distance from the tiny dirt-strip walk everywhere from the airfield or the dock."
airport to the village where Slater lived, Nabinger reflected Nabinger spotted a shock of white hair above a garden
on the only other time he'd seen the woman. It had been at of green surrounding a small cottage. As the woman
an. archaeological convention in Charleston, South Caro- turned around, he recognized Slater. She put a hand over
lina. Slater had presented a paper on the stones in the her eyes and watched him approach. Slater was in her late
shallow waters off her island home. It had not been re- sixties and had come to archaeology late in life, after retir-
ceived well. Not because her groundwork and research had ing from a career as a mineral- and geologic-rights lawyer
been faulty, but because some of the conclusions she had representing various environmental groups--the reason
166 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51 167
she could afford to go her own way and another reason she Nabinger nodded. "Are you familiar with the Nazi cult
irritated the archaeological old guard. of Thule?"
"Good day, young man," she called out as he turned into Slater slowly put down her glass. "Yes." She was
her drive. thoughtful for a moment. "Do you know that about ten
"Ms. Slater, I'm-- years ago there was a great controversy in the medical
"Peter Nabinger, Brooklyn Museum," she said. "I may community about using certain historical data to study hy-
be old and getting a little long in the tooth, but I still have pothermia?" She didn't wait for an answer. "The best data
my mind. Did you take a wrong turn on the Nile? If I ever documented on hypothermia was developed by Nazi
remember rightly, that was your area of expertise." doctors immersing concentration camp inmates in freezing
"I just flew in here from Cairo, via the puddle jumper vats of water and recording their decreasing bodily func-
from Miami," Nabinger said. tions until they died. They also took some out of the water
"Iced tea?" Slater asked, extending her hand toward the before they died and tried to resuscitate them by warming
them up in various ways--which invariably failed to work.
door and leading him in.
Not exactly something your typical medical researcher can
"Thank you." do, but entirely realistic if you're looking for accuracy.
They walked into the cool shadows of the house. It was a "The decision the American medical community made
small bungalow, nicely furnished, with books and papers was that data gathered in such a brutal and inhuman man-
piled everywhere. She cleared a stack of papers from a ner should not be used, even if it advanced current medical
folding chair. "Sit down, please." science and eventually saved lives. I do not know how you
Nabinger settled down and accepted the glass she gave would feel about that issue. I don't even know how I feel
him. Slater sat down on the floor, leaning her back against about it."
a couch covered with photographs. "So what brings you Slater paused, then smiled. "Now I am the one circling
here, Mr. Egypt? Do you want more photos of the mark- the subject. But you must understand the situation. Of
ings on the stones?" course, I have read the papers and documents available on
"I was thinking about the paper you presented in the cult of Thule and on the Nazis' fascination with Atlan-
Charleston last year," Nabinger began, not quite sure how tis. It is part of my area of study. But there are those who
to get to what he wanted to know. would violently oppose any use of that information, so, as
"That was eleven months and six days ago," Slater said. eccentric as some of my theories do seem, I have had to
"I would like to think your brain works a little quicker than keep that particular piece of information out of my own
that, or we might have a long day here. Please, Mr. Nab- papers and presentations."
inger, you are here for a reason. I am not your professor at Nabinger leaned forward. "What have you found?"
school. You can ask questions even if they seem silly. I've "Why do you want to know?" Slater asked.
asked many silly questions in my life and I never regretted Nabinger reached into his backpack and pulled out his
a one, but I have some regrets about the times I kept my sketchbook. He handed her the drawing and rough transla-
mouth shut when I should have spoken up." tion. "That's from the wall in the lower chamber of the
168 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51 169
Great Pyramid." He checked his watch. He had to catch Slater talked as Nabinger looked at the photos. "They
his return flight to Miami in an hour and a half. He pro- might have been part of the outer wall of a city or part of a
ceeded to quickly relate Kaji's story of Germans opening quay. There is no way of knowing, with large portions cov-
up the chamber in 1942, ending it by showing her Von ered with coral and other underwater life and the sea bot-
Seeckt's dagger. He then described his efforts at deci- tom close by sloping off into unexplored depths. This
phering the high runes and the message he had taken off section with the stones might be just a tiny part of a larger
the wall of the chamber. ancient site, or may be the only site, built there thousands
Slater heard him out. "This reference to a home place. of years ago when that area was above water. Built by a
Do you think that is reference to a place on the far side of people we don't know about, for a reason we can't yet
the Atlantic?" figure out.
"Yes. And that's why I'm here. Because the Germans--if "The major pattern of the stones is a long J or more
they did go into that chamber in 1942, which I'm not abso- accurately a horseshoe with the open end to the northeast.
lutely convinced of yet despite the dagger--had to have All told it's about a third of a mile long in about fifty feet
gotten their information about the chamber from some- of water. Some of the stones are estimated to weigh almost
where. Perhaps the Germans found writing somewhere fifteen tons, so they didn't get there by accident and who-
that got them to that chamber, if you follow my logic." ever did put them in place had a very advanced engineer-
"I follow your logic." Slater handed the drawing back. ing capability. You can barely get a knife point in the joints
"In the early days of World War II, German U-boats oper- between some of those stones."
ated extensively along the East Coast of the United States Slater stood up and leaned over Nabinger's shoulder and
and here in the islands. They sank quite a bit of shipping. pointed. "There."
But they also conducted some other missions. There was a large, ragged gouge in one of the blocks.
"As you have talked with this Kaji fellow in Egypt, I have "And this is?" Nabinger asked.
talked to some of the old fishermen here in the islands, Slater shuffled through the photos. "Here," she said,
who know the waters and the history. They say that in 1941 handing him a close-up of the scar on the block.
there were numerous sightings of German submarines Nabinger peered at it. There were other, very faint, older
moving here among the islands. And that the submarines marks--writing around the edges of the gouge! Very simi-
did not seem interested in hunting ships--since we are off lar to what was in his notebook, but the gouge had de-
the main shipping lanes here--but rather to be looking for stroyed any chance of deciphering it!
something in the waters around the islands." "What happened to this stone?" Nabinger asked.
Slater reached behind her and gathered some photos. "I "As near as I can tell," Slater said, "it was hit by a tor-
think this is what they found." pedo." She touched the picture, running her fingers over
She handed them over. They appeared to be the same the high runes. "I've seen others like these. Ancient mark-
photos that she had presented at the conference. Large ings destroyed sometime in the last century by modern
stone blocks, closely fitted together in about fifty feet of weapons."
water. Nabinger nodded. "They're just like the ones I deci-
170 ROBERT DOHERTY
AREA 51 171
phered from the lower chamber. Not traditional hiero- bothers me--and why I have never made public my find-
glyphics, but the older, high rune language." ings--is how can the same ancient writing have been found
Slater walked over to a desk buried under stacks of fold- in such vastly separated places?"
ers and books. She rummaged through, then found what Slater sat back down. "Are you familiar with the diffu-
she was looking for. "Here," she said, handing Nabinger a sionist theory of civilization?"
folder. "You are not the only one interested in the high "Yes, I am," Nabinger said. He knew what Slater was
rune language." referring to despite the ,,fact that the prevailing winds of
He opened it. It was full of photos of high runes. Written thought this decade blew in favor of the isolationist theory
on walls, on mud slabs, carved into rock--in just about of civilization. Isolationists believed that the ancient civili-
every possible way by which ancient cultures had recorded zations all developed independent of one another. Meso-
their affairs. "Where did you take these photos?" Nabinger potamia, the Indus Valley, China, Egypt--all crossed a
asked, his heart pounding with the thought of the potential threshold into civilization about the same time: around the
information he held in his hands. He recognized several of third or fourth century before the birth of Christ.
the shots--the Central American site that had helped him Nabinger had heard the argument many times. Isolation-
begin his breaking of the rune code. ists cite natural evolution to explain this curious bit of syn-
"There's an index in the folder detailing where each chronicity. They also explain many common points in the
photo was shot--they're numbered. But, basically, several archaeological finds of these civilizations as due to man's
locations. Here, under the waves. In Mexico, near Vera- genetic commonality. Thus the fact that there are pyramids
cruz. In Peru, at Tucume. On Easter Island. On some of in Peru, in Egypt, in Indochina, in North America--some
the islands in Polynesia. Some from your neck of the woods made of stone, some of earth, some of mud, but remark-
in the Middle East--Egypt and Mesopotamia." ably similar to one another given the distances between
"The same symbols?" Nabinger asked, thumbing those sites--all that is just because each society as it devel-
through the photos. He had seen many of the same ones oped had a natural tendency to do the same thing.
before, but there were a few new ones in there to add to his Nabinger himself found this a bit of a leap. It would have
high rune database. been quite a genetic coup if all these civilizations should
"Some differences. In fact, many differences," Slater an- also have developed this same ancient high rune writing
swered. "But, yes, I believe they all stem from the same and then abandoned it, well before the first hieroglyphics
root language and are connected. A written language that were being etched on papyrus.
predates the oldest recorded language that is generally ac- The diffusionists argued the other side of the civilization
cepted by historians." coin, and Nabinger felt more affinity for their stance. They
Nabinger closed the binder. "I have been studying these believed that those civilizations rose at approximately the
runes for many years. I've seen a lot of what you have in same time on the cosmic scale--and exhibited all those
here before--in fact I was able to decipher what I did of similarities, including the high runes--because those civili-
the wall of the chamber in the Great Pyramid using sym- zations had all been started by people from a single earlier
bols from a South American site. But the question that civilization.
172 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51 173
There were problems with the diffusionist theory, in South America. Stonework very similar to that at other
though--serious problems--and that is why Nabinger kept sites, some on the other side of the Pacific in Oceania. He
his views on the subject to himself. The strongest argument has in his possession hard evidence of a certain degree of
against the diffusionist theory was that there was no way interaction among widely spread peoples many centuries
for people from these different locations to have communi- ago, but he is basically being ignored by the mainstream
cated with one another or have had any social or cultural scientific community because they simply do not believe it
intercourse. Those early people would have had to cross is possible."
the Atlantic and the Pacific, according to diffusionist the- Nabinger was aware of the find, but he didn't want to
ory. They had a hard enough time even sailing around on offend Slater. After all, he'd come to her. "How does Jor-
the Mediterranean at that epoch, never mind crossing the genson think civilization originated?"
oceans. "He believes that there was an original culture of white-
Slater's face wrinkled as she smiled. "And you know who skinned, long-eared, pyramid-building, rune-writing people
the number-one spokesperson for the diffusionists is, don't living and flourishing at what he calls the 'zero point,'"
you?" She didn't wait for an answer. "Leif Jorgenson. The Slater replied. "And that civilization spread out from that
man who sailed the Atlantic in a Viking ship to prove that zero point at what he calls a 'zero time'--just prior to civili-
Europeans were in North America long before Christo- zation developing simultaneously at all those other places
pher Columbus. And who floated from Indonesia to the that we are now studying. Civilization came from the zero
Hawaiian islands on a wood raft to support his theory that point."
the islands were colonized from the west. "And where is the zero point?" Nabinger asked, even
"But he's taken all that--and more--a step further in though he had a very good idea of what the answer would
the last ten years. He's currently working the recently dis- be.
covered ruins in Mesoamerica, looking at pyramids and the "It is the place so many legends call Atlantis."
Mayan calendar and--guess what?--new high runes dis- "And that is why you are so familiar with his theories,"
covered there. Nabinger said.
"Four years ago Jorgenson uncovered a massive site in "Yes. Because there are connections that have not been
Mexico near Jamiltepec. Over twenty large earthen and adequately explained." She paused. "Let me put it this
stone pyramids covering almost seven hundred acres on way. Most people dismiss Jorgenson's zero-point theory
the west coast of Mexico, less than two miles from the based on physical impracticality. They say that there is no
Pacific Ocean. It had been covered by the jungle and be- way man at that time--somewhere around four thousand
cause of the mountains around it was accessible only by B.C.--could have made it from the zero point to the other
sea. locations around the globe, regardless of where you place
"At the site he found further evidence of cross-cultural the zero point. They would have had to cross the oceans.
communication at a time earlier than traditional historians "Jorgenson's reply is that while there is not enough sci-
say is possible. There was jewelry made with gems that entific evidence to convincingly support his theory, there is
could only have been mined over two thousand miles away also not enough to refute it. // you assume there was a way
174 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51
175
ancient man could have crossed the oceans and spread, the stroke of their pens, moved Lemuria to the Pacific,
then the evidence falls into place. Thus all the sea journeys tying the legend in with the statues on Easter Island, which
Jorgenson has undertaken in replicas of old sailing ves- loops us back to Jorgenson's large-eared race. The statues
sels." on Easter Island are of, as you also know, a large-eared
She tapped the translation Nabinger had given her. "I people."
must give you credit, young man, for pursuing your study of Slater laughed. "I can tell you even better myths and
the commonalities among the high runes, in defiance of the stories. In 1922 another German published a book about
common theories. Obviously it has brought you success Atlantis and claimed it had originally been occupied by a
that many other scientists and investigators have failed to genetically perfect people. But the perfection was marred
find because they accepted the standard theories and could when an outside woman arrived and taught them how to
not see the greater possibilities in thinking differently. I
ferment alcohol. So much for the perfect society. Because
have tried my own hand at translating the high runes, but it
of this imperfection Atlantis was then destroyed by the tail
is not my area of expertise."
of a comet! The continent burned and only a handful of
"Let's get back to the Atlantis idea," Nabinger said,
people escaped."
checking his watch again.
"Where do these people get their ideas from?" Nabinger
"Jorgenson believes--and as you know there is scientific
asked.
data to support this--that there was a major geological
"Ah, ever the scientist," Slater said. "You want source
event in the Atlantic Ocean somewhere around 3400 B.C.
material?" She went to her crowded desk and searched for
Pretty much every culture around the globe refers to a
a minute, before pulling out a dog-eared hardcover book.
great flood at about that time. Even the Tibetan Book of
the Dead talks of a large land mass sinking into the sea at "This is the original mention of Atlantis from the Timaeus,
that time, and they are on the other side of the world from a treatise on Pythagorean philosophy written by Plato. I
the Atlantic. have it here in the original Greek. Allow a little bit of
"And there are so many legends referring to the same leeway for my translation, as I don't often converse in the
thing: a great civilization in the middle of an ocean, de- language."
stroyed by fire or flood! The Mayans called Atlantis Mu. She turned several pages and ran her finger down the
The northern Europeans called it Thule. There was also writing. "As is traditional with the Greeks, this manuscript
the land called Lemuria--which a Madame Blavatsky takes the form of a dialogue among several persons, Socra-
picked up for her own cult of Thule--which is the question tes being one of them. In this passage Solon is telling the
you started this meeting with. story of some of the Greek legends--for example the flood
"Lemuria was a land that scientists in the nineteenth of Deukalion and Pyrrha. He is rebuked by an older priest:
century postulated must have existed because of the pres-
ence on Madagascar of a certain type of monkey, the le- Solon, you Greeks are children. There have been
mur, that was also found in India. They believed Lemuria and will be many destructors of mankind, of which the
had been in the Indian Ocean. Blavatsky's followers, with greatest are by fire and water."
176 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51 177
She turned a few pages. floods, and on one grievous day the entire island of
Atlantis was swallowed up by the sea and disappeared.
Many are the truths and great are the achievements of
the Greeks. But there is one that stands out above all "And now for an especially interesting detail," Slater
the rest. It is in our history that a long time ago our said.
state stopped a mighty host which started from a dis-
tant point in a distant ocean and came to attack the Atlantis disappeared and the ocean at that spot has
whole of Europe and Asia. For the ocean in that long now been made impassable, being blocked up by mud
ago day was navigable outside of what we call the Pil- which the island made as it settled into the ocean.
lars of Hercules--there, there was an island which was
larger than North Africa and Asia Minor put together Slater smiled. "You know, of course, about the Sargasso
and it was possible for travelers to cross from it to our Sea to the east of here. And the water around the islands
land. here is relatively shallow in many places. If the ocean level
were a bit lower, it would be almost impassable to most
ships."
Slater looked up from the book. "There are many who
believe Plato is referring to North and South America, but "So you believe you are sitting on the site of Atlantis?"
Nabinger asked.
then those people run into the same problem that Jorgen- "I don't know," Slater said candidly. She pulled a vol-
son has. The technology of the day rules out an ocean ume off her bookshelf. "Take this with you, along with pho-
voyage across the Atlantic, so whatever Plato is referring tographs of the runes. It has more about the legend of
to, if it is real, had to be closer to Europe. Of course, Plato Atlantis that you might want to look at. I hope I have given
is also saying something that goes against conventional you the information you wanted."
thought: that the ocean outside the Pillars of Hercules, the "That and more," Nabinger assured her, although there
Strait of Gibraltar, was navigable to people at that time." was little she had told him that he didn't know and he
She turned another page. already had most of the high rune images on file. He had
just enough time to get to the airport and catch the hop
On this island of Atlantis there was a confederation of back to Miami and continue with his trip. He hoped Von
very powerful kings who ruled the island and many Seeckt had more.
other islands and lands. Here, through the Pillars of "One thing," Slater said as they walked to the door.
Hercules, they ruled North Africa as far as Egypt and "What do you think was in the black box that was taken out
over Europe as far as Tuscany. of the pyramid?"
The kings of Atlantis at one time tried to enslave Nabinger paused. "I don't have a clue."
both the people of Greece and Egypt, but the Greeks, Slater nodded. "My reference earlier to the use of data
in a noble fight, stopped the invaders. from the concentration camps: I did not make that idly.
At a later time there occurred earthquakes and This man you are after, this German, Von Seeckt. If he is
178 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51 179
part of what I think he is part of, then you might be getting that Americans were seen working the site after Jorgen-
into something that you need to be very careful of." son's people had to clear out. He made a stink, but once
"And that is?" Nabinger felt the minutes to his flight tick the Mexican government pulled his authorization there
down. was little he could do."
"Ask him when you see him," Slater said. "If he evades "Any idea what was down there?"
answering, ask him specifically about Operation Paper- "Not a clue, my son. Not a clue. But you might want to
clip." ask Von Seeckt."
"What was that?"
"Something I heard whispers about when I worked in
Washington." Slater stepped back toward her house.
"Is there anything else I should know?" Nabinger asked,
poised at her gate.
"I know you were humoring me," Slater said. "You knew
nearly everything I told you, but you stopped by anyway.
Why?"
"It was on the way," Nabinger answered honestly. "But
also, I hoped you might have some new information, since
you keep up with this area of research. Your information
on Von Seeckt might prove helpful."
Slater was standing in the shadow cast by the peaked
roof of the house. "They found something unusual at the
Jamiltepec site in Mexico about eight months ago."
That was news to Nabinger. "What did Jorgenson find?"
"Jorgenson didn't find it," Slater said. "I have only heard
rumors. Jorgenson was away lecturing. His people were
deep under the main pyramid when they found a passage-
way leading down. They were getting ready to open it when
they were shut down. The Mexican army came in claiming
that it was an historical site, but anyone with enough cash
could have had them do that."
"What happened?" Nabinger asked.
"From the whispers I've heard, it appears that Jorgen-
son's team had been infiltrated. Some say by the Mexican
government, since it was their army that shut the dig down;
others say it was the CIA. That's because there are rumors
AREA 51 181
Kelly met Turcotte's glance across the front seat, then
15
returned to the backseat. "Another location? Where is
that? Remember, you hired me, and my currency for pay-
ment is information."
Von Seeckt finally turned his attention inside the car. "I
thought your payment was finding your friend."
"Johnny Simmons is not here in this car," Kelly said. "I
hope and pray that we find Johnny at Dulce and can get
him out safely. But you are here in this car and the more
information we have, the better our chances are of getting
OUTSIDE OF KINGMAN, ARIZONA Johnny out of there."
"The bouncers are back in Area 51," Von Seeckt coun-
T-117 HOURS, 15 MINUTES
tered. "Why are you concerned with their history?"
Turcotte drove, Kelly navigated, and Von Seeckt sat in the "You said we're going to Dulce to find tablets that re-
backseat, watching the countryside. They were in Kelly's lated to them," Kelly argued.
rent-a-car heading southwest out of Las Vegas in the ap- Kelly was startled when Turcotte slammed a fist on the
proximate direction of Dulce, New Mexico, via Phoenix. steering wheel. "Listen, Von Seeckt, I don't want to be
Since there was only one road that went in that direction here. I didn't want this damn assignment from the start.
out of Las Vegas--Highway 93 to Kingman Arizona-- But I'm here and I'm helping you people. So you help
Kelly's mind was not much preoccupied with the map on back. Clear?"
her lap. It was over eighty miles to Kingman with no turns "Your assignment?" Kelly asked, her reporter instincts
in between. "You told me they found the mothership in its still working. The two men ignored her question.
hangar, but you never said if they found the bouncers there "I took an oath of secrecy," Von Seeckt said to Turcotte.
too," she said, turning in the seat and glancing back at Von "I am only violating that oath to prevent disaster."
Seeckt. "It's a little damn late for that now," Turcotte said. "And
"Ah, the bouncers," Von Seeckt said. "Yes, the mother- we're helping you. I took a few oaths of my own, and I
ship was the first find the Americans made. There were violated one of those when I saved your life and the lives of
also two bouncers found near the mothership in the same that couple up in Nebraska. You've crossed a line and you
chamber." can't go back. Understand that. We're in this now. All
"And the other bouncers?" Kelly asked. three of us. Whether you like it or not, and personally I can
"They were not found there," Von Seeckt said. "They tell you I ain't too fucking thrilled, but I'm here and I
were recovered and transported to Area 51." accept what that means."
"Recovered from where?" Kelly asked. Von Seeckt pondered that for a few moments. "I know I
"From another location." Von Seeckt's attention was on crossed a line. I suppose much of what I feel is just habit. I
the desert flowing by. have been so used to being quiet and not speaking. I have