Disclaimer: I do not own Indiana Jones or the research that has been done pertaining to Atlantis. That's what fanfics are, stories based on published works for fun, not harm. Get it? Of course you do. There! Now that that's out of the way, do read on.
Chapter 1 An Irresistible Opportunity
Dr. Jones glanced over the telegram once more carefully; it seemed vague, foreboding...and irresistible.
"To Dr. Indiana Jones
From Professor Marcus Brody
INDIANA I'VE FOUND IT STOP TOO GOOD TO PASS UP STOP YOU'RE LIFELONG SEARCH STOP MEET AT MY HOUSE TONIGHT AT SEVEN"
He tossed the telegram back onto his desk and shoved his hands into his pockets. He had looked for many things in his life, and Marcus was well aware of each one. But the earliest search, the one that had never succeeded and the one that he had never quiet given up on, was the search for Atlantis. It was a legend he had been interested in since boyhood. He had researched it with vigor then, and had continued to into his adult years. But though his interest had never grown cold, the trail had. He had gone to a site that he had thought was Atlantis, but much to his disappointment he had found nothing pertaining to the old legend. He had found some valuable artifacts for Marcus' museum, but not what he was looking for. He rubbed his chin and glanced at the clock on the wall of his office. Six-thirty. He grabbed his trademark hat and walked out of the door, hoping to catch a cab with a fast driver. He grinned to himself, Marcus was right: this was too good to pass up.
He arrived at Marcus' house exactly at seven. He quickly paid the cab driver, adding a tip for the speedy service, then jogged up the path to the door. Marcus answered the door a few moments later and smiled at his old friend.
"Good evening, Indy. Come in, come in quickly."
"Hello Marcus." Indiana walked into the house as Marcus closed and locked the door behind him.
He glanced around the old, tobacco-smelling house he knew so well. He knew every inch of that building like that back of his hand; the friendship between his father and Marcus had sometimes seemed as old as the artifacts that were placed in little nooks and crannies around his house. The faded pictures portrayed people and places of the past in foreign lands that Marcus had been to at one time or another. A few photographs were present, of family and close friends like him and his father. It was the home of a bachelor, to be sure, but no less homey to the Jones family.
"Well, Marcus?" He turned around. "What's this great find of yours?"
Marcus smiled. "It's quite a find Indy, quite a find. Brandy?" He poured himself a glass of the brown liquid.
"Sure."
Marcus poured another glass and handed it to his young friend.
"Have a seat." He gestured to the wingback chair behind Indiana. The old professor sat down and stared at Indy for a moment. "Indy," he said finally in excited tones, "I know where it is."
"Know where what is?" He was almost positive that he knew, but he needed to make sure that they were referring to the same thing.
"Oh, come now, lad, you know exactly what I'm talking about."
"Atlantis?"
Marcus nodded excitedly. "Atlantis!"
Indiana laughed and rubbed his chin, sitting back in his chair. "Marcus, what is it that you've found? I turned that site upside down and I researched everything I could find trying to find another one, but no locations turned up. How and where could you have possibly found something else?"
"One of our patrons donated this to the museum." Marcus gently lifted a silver urn that sat on the table between them. "Look at it." His fingers traced it's age-roughened edges and engravings with care. "I found that it's from around 8600 or 8500 BC."
"The same time Atlantis was said to have been destroyed." Indiana leaned forward and fingered the markings on the urn, peering through his glasses he had put on when the urn had first been mentioned.
Marcus nodded. "That's right. And look at the markings."
"It's Greek."
"Yes."
"A very early form of Greek. It's...telling of the ruler, of the land." He looked harder and pointed, "Here, it's giving a description of the location, the landmarks and the geography around the civilization." He looked up at Marcus. "This could lead us to the true location of Atlantis."
Marcus nodded excitedly and laughed. "That's right!"
"Marcus where did you find this?"
"I told you, a very wealthy patron of ours donated it to the museum of antiquities."
"Who?"
"Ah, a woman...young...pretty, very pretty. She had auburn hair, fair skin, hazel eyes...her name, what was it now?" The forgetful professor tried to remember any detail.
Indiana laughed again and sat back. "Anya! Anya O' Brian. She's an archaeologist as well, not terribly wealthy herself though. Her father is, he must have been the patron, though I'm sure she often visits your museum." He stood up and began to pace. "She gave this to you?"
"Yes. She did mention that it came with her father's support as well as hers. Perhaps they didn't know it's worth."
"They knew it alright. Anya never misses a thing. She's a brilliant archaeologist and she's an expert on ancient history. Her father isn't an archaeologist, but he supports her financially. She's been very successful, and she's as interested in Atlantis as I am."
"A friend of yours?" A smile played around the old professor's mouth.
"It was a long time ago." Indiana stared ahead at the wall in front of him. "I haven't heard anything about her in years..."
"Well, perhaps now is the time."
"Do you know her address?"
"Yes, we keep a record of it at the museum, in case we need to contact her about an artifact she cares to bring in."
"Great. Get it, and I'll visit her in the morning."
"But why would she give it to the museum if she knows it's true value?"
"Who knows? Hey, wait a minute!" Indiana stopped in his tracks and faced him. "It's bait."
"It's what?"
"Bait!" he turned to Marcus. "Don't you get it? She needs my help. She knows I would see this and jump at a chance like this."
"Well, aren't you?"
"Yes." he nodded and looked up at him. "Yes I am."