THE SILMARILS
"...and they knew that those jewels could not be found or brought together again unless the world be broken and remade." The Silmarillion, pg. 254
Lindi yawned as the submersible slowly descended through the now inky water. After several hours it had reached the ocean floor off the coast of England. She was the geologist on this expedition. The man sharing the cramped space with her was Daeron Riley, a marine biologist. When she saw the soft glow out the window of nine-inch thick glass, she figured it was a bio-luminescing fish. Then Daeron broke the stuffy silence.
"What the hell is that? Lindi, c'mere, this is your area of expertise."
"Huh? No, Daeron, there are no glowing rocks on the bottom of the Atlantic."
"Whaddya call that then?"
She pushed past him and gasped, "Omigod, grab it now and we're going topside." Daeron slowly positioned the robotic arm to grasp the stone and place it in a collection bin. It was a long trip to the surface, slowly decompressing. When they got back on the ship Lindi burst out of the submersible and jumped to the deck. She ripped out the collection bin and ran towards the lab. Daeron had to be more careful with his specimins. He reached the lab in time to see her finish hosing off the silt. Her eyes were shining as bright as the stone when she turned towards him. He loved the look she got when she was excited about a find.
"Look Daeron! It's obviously been shaped by someone, it's too perfect to be natural."
"It's big- What is it?"
Her smile grew, "I have no idea! I think it's something totally new! It's not a diamond, opal, ruby, emerald, sapphire-well it's like it's everything combined!" She pulled a lamp over to shine on the gem, "See how it-" As soon as the light hit it, the gem shone brighter and filled the whole room with blinding light.
"Whoa..." Daeron blinked a few times, "What was that?"
Lindi was wide-eyed, "It reacted to the light. That radiance it gives off is like sunlight and moonlight and every other gem combined. This is so cool!"
"So who lost the rock in the ocean? It doesn't seem like something you'd want to let slip. Can I hold it?"
"Not before I do." She hefted it. It wasn't overly heavy although it was large, about an inch and a half across. She held it to her forehead. "It would be pretty in a crown."
"Lemme see," Daeron grabbed it from her and immediately dropped it with a shriek.
"Careful!" Lindi retrieved the jewel and sat back up to see Daeron holding a burnt hand. "What happened?" Daeron winced as she grabbed his arm.
"How did you hold that thing? It's burning hot! Like trying to grab fire!"
She looked at him strangely. "That's not possible...I've been handling it and it's perfectly cool."
"Well what the hell else burned me? Have you seen me sticking my hand on any stove lately?" He shouted.
"We'll figure it out after we get your hand bandaged up." Lindi helped Daeron out the door and towards the sick bay.
"...and they knew that those jewels could not be found or brought together again unless the world be broken and remade." The Silmarillion, pg. 254
Lindi yawned as the submersible slowly descended through the now inky water. After several hours it had reached the ocean floor off the coast of England. She was the geologist on this expedition. The man sharing the cramped space with her was Daeron Riley, a marine biologist. When she saw the soft glow out the window of nine-inch thick glass, she figured it was a bio-luminescing fish. Then Daeron broke the stuffy silence.
"What the hell is that? Lindi, c'mere, this is your area of expertise."
"Huh? No, Daeron, there are no glowing rocks on the bottom of the Atlantic."
"Whaddya call that then?"
She pushed past him and gasped, "Omigod, grab it now and we're going topside." Daeron slowly positioned the robotic arm to grasp the stone and place it in a collection bin. It was a long trip to the surface, slowly decompressing. When they got back on the ship Lindi burst out of the submersible and jumped to the deck. She ripped out the collection bin and ran towards the lab. Daeron had to be more careful with his specimins. He reached the lab in time to see her finish hosing off the silt. Her eyes were shining as bright as the stone when she turned towards him. He loved the look she got when she was excited about a find.
"Look Daeron! It's obviously been shaped by someone, it's too perfect to be natural."
"It's big- What is it?"
Her smile grew, "I have no idea! I think it's something totally new! It's not a diamond, opal, ruby, emerald, sapphire-well it's like it's everything combined!" She pulled a lamp over to shine on the gem, "See how it-" As soon as the light hit it, the gem shone brighter and filled the whole room with blinding light.
"Whoa..." Daeron blinked a few times, "What was that?"
Lindi was wide-eyed, "It reacted to the light. That radiance it gives off is like sunlight and moonlight and every other gem combined. This is so cool!"
"So who lost the rock in the ocean? It doesn't seem like something you'd want to let slip. Can I hold it?"
"Not before I do." She hefted it. It wasn't overly heavy although it was large, about an inch and a half across. She held it to her forehead. "It would be pretty in a crown."
"Lemme see," Daeron grabbed it from her and immediately dropped it with a shriek.
"Careful!" Lindi retrieved the jewel and sat back up to see Daeron holding a burnt hand. "What happened?" Daeron winced as she grabbed his arm.
"How did you hold that thing? It's burning hot! Like trying to grab fire!"
She looked at him strangely. "That's not possible...I've been handling it and it's perfectly cool."
"Well what the hell else burned me? Have you seen me sticking my hand on any stove lately?" He shouted.
"We'll figure it out after we get your hand bandaged up." Lindi helped Daeron out the door and towards the sick bay.