Disclaimer: I do not own National Treasure. All rights belong to Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer. The poem that Mia quotes came from mydolltopia. All rights belong to those people and not me.
The Treasure Hunter's Daughter
The Charlotte
Amelia Gates stared out the window of the snowmobile. "Snow. Snow. Snow..." Mia said to herself, bored out of her mind. She began mumbling, almost chanting,
"….And so this fairytale begins,
Amidst the trees with broken limbs.
Through the veil of fallen snow
She wanders lightly, to and fro.
Her steely gaze and frozen grace
Makes crystalline her angel face.
So warmly clad, so cold her skin
Beyond the Snow … Queen Ellowyn." Mia stopped and looked out the window for a minute then raised her voice and added, "Ya know, Dad, you said this would be good for my education, but I don't see how."
Ben half turned in his seat, as much as one can when driving a snowmobile, to look at his sixteen year old daughter.
"I was thinking about Henson and Peary, crossing this kind of terrain with nothing more than dog sleds and on foot. Can you imagine?" Ben asked his daughter.
"It's extraordinary," Ian said. Mia rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, if you like that kinda thing," she mumbled.
"Amelia Earhart Taylor Gates! Henson and Peary were the first people who actually made it to the North Pole," Ben reprimanded her.
"Yeah, Dad, I know. Remember, you made me do a paper about them before we left. They met in D.C. and tried three times before they actually made it to the North Pole. But before that, they found out Greenland is actually an island. But I'm not really into that," Mia said.
"Are you sure you're my daughter?" Ben asked with a smile on his face.
"Not sure, but that's what the birth record says, so I guess you're stuck with me," Mia said, winking at her dad. Except for the beeping from Riley's computer there was silence in the snowmobile.
"We getting closer?" Ian asked Riley.
"Assuming Ben's theory's correct and my tracking model's accurate, we should be getting very close. But don't go by me - I broke a shoelace this morning." Mia stared at Riley, confusion on her face. "It's... it's a bad omen," Riley explained.
"Shall we turn around and go home?" Ian asked Ben.
"Or we could pull over and just throw him out here," Ben suggested.
"I'll figure out how to do his job!" Mia added with a grin while reaching to take Riley's computer. Riley dodged the "attack" but knocking over his hula dancer sitting on the laptop board.
"Okay... Not cool," Riley pouted as he picked up the little dancer.
"Riley, you're not missing that little windowless cubicle we found you in?" Ben asked.
"No, no. Absolutely not."
"How could he miss that boring old office? Especially when he can have a seat in a snowmobile looking for the treasure of all treasures," Mia added, hitting Riley in the shoulder and grinning.
Beep-beep-beep.
Everyone turned to look at Riley; he messed with his laptop for a few seconds. The beeping stopped and Riley started grinning.
"We're here!" Riley announced happily.
As Ben stopped the snowmobile Mia looked expectantly out the window.
"Why are we stopping? I thought we were looking for a ship," Shaw, one of Ian's cronies, asked.
"I don't see any ship," Powell added, also confused.
"She's out there." Ben said looking wistfully out at the miles and miles of snow in front of him.
…...
Mia mindlessly waved her metal detector back and forth over the snow, thinking about the Knight's Templar Treasure and what would happen to her and her dad after they found it. It had been hard for Mia growing up. When she was two years old her mother, sick of Ben's treasure hunting, had walked out on them in the middle of the night. Knowing she wouldn't be able to support a little girl, she had left Mia with Ben. In middle school once the other kids found out what she and her Dad believed about the founding fathers they would just make fun of her. As she got older it only got worse. Her freshman year had been really bad, she had actually gotten suspended twice because of the things she would say in history class. After that Ben had tried a tutor but with how much they traveled, and how much it cost, it didn't work well. That's when they switched to homeschooling. Mia missed some of the teachers, but on the whole she was very glad for the change. Sure her Dad was strict about school, and was always making her write papers, but she wouldn't go back if she was given the choice. Besides she still had her cello lessons. Riley walked up next to her, breaking into her thought processes, "I really hope we find this ship soon. I'm starting to freeze."
"Yeah, me too. And I'm wearing, like, four layers," Mia replied, jumping up and down a little, trying to warm herself up. Powell, another of Ian's guys, walked towards Mia and Riley.
"Look... this is a waste of time. How could a ship wind up way out here?" he asked.
Riley looked down at a little device that Mia had no idea what it was and said, "Well, I'm no expert, but... it could be that the hydrothermic properties of this region produce hurricane-force ice storms that cause the ocean to freeze and then melt and then refreeze, resulting in a semisolid migrating land mass that would land a ship right around here." Riley looked at Powell, then straight ahead and started walking, waving his metal detector as he went.
Mia looked at Riley, looked at Powell, shrugged, and then started moving. Mia was about in the middle of the area they were covering. She saw her Dad in front of her, and then heard his metal detector start beeping fast, the way they do when you find something. He knelt down, digging through the snow, Mia started running towards her Dad and got there just as he was saying, "Hello, beautiful." Mia looked down and saw the word Charlotte.
…...
"Have Viktor check the fuel in the generators."
Mia stood on the deck of the Charlotte. She would have been doing a victory dance if there hadn't been seven guys there to see her do it. After more then sixteen years her Dad had found the Charlotte. Mia pulled her hat down over her ears and went and stood by Ben. He put his arm around her shoulders.
"I'm glad we found her, Dad."
"Me too, Mia," Ben said, smiling down at her. As Ian walked up behind them Ben turned and shook his hand. On an impulse Mia went over and gave Ian a hug, which he returned warmly.
"Two years ago, if you hadn't shown up, hadn't believed the treasure was real, I don't know if we ever would have found Charlotte," Ben said, patting Ian on the back.
"You would have found it, I have no doubt. That's why I didn't think it was as crazy an investment as everyone said," Ian said smiling.
Mia grinned and said, "Oh, we're a crazy investment, Ian. Don't forget the England incident-" Ben interrupted Mia before she could tell the story...again.
"I'm just relieved that I'm not as crazy as everyone says. Or said my dad was. Or my granddad. Or my great-granddad." Ian and Mia laughed at his joke. "OK! Let's go!" Ben called out.
"Let's go find some treasure," Ian stated.
"Yeah, bring us back something," called one of the guys.
...
Ian, Ben, Riley, Mia and Shaw headed down into the ship. The first place they went through was the sleeping quarters. Riley was right in front of Mia and as he moved a hammock out of the way to see under it, she caught a glimpse of a body frozen to death still sleeping. Riley fell over trying to get away from the body.
"Oh! God!" Riley shouted and fell over trying to get away from the body. Mia's eyes were as big as saucers; a mixture of fear and panic on her face. Mia looked down at Riley, "You okay, Riley?" She asked giving him a hand as he stood up.
"Uhhh... Yeah... I'm alright," Riley answered. Ben looked at Riley, the second youngest in the group, and said, "You handled that well." He passed them, searching through the rest of the ship. Mia gave Riley one of those "I'm sorry" smiles that you can't help but liking and forgiving anyone when you get one.
They heard Ben saying, "This is it. It's the cargo hold." As he opened the door. They all were very excited to see what would be inside. The door swung open and all they saw was barrels. Confusion made its way across Mia's face.
"Do you think it's in the barrels?" Riley asked the question they were all thinking. They all made their way into the room. Mia walked slowly following her father, pointing her flashlight around.
Riley, Shaw and Ian started opening the barrels and black powder poured out. Ian lifted some to his noes and smelled it. "Gunpowder."
"Hey Dad?" Mia asked softly so the guys, especially Shaw, wouldn't hear her.
"Yeah, Mia."
"Do you think the treasure is here?"
"It might be."
"Do you hope it will be here?"
"I hope we find it, Almond Joy," Ben remarked, calling Mia by her old pet name.
"I hope so too, Dad."
Ben stopped in front of a body that, going by his clothes, Mia guessed would be the captain of the ship. "Why would the captain be guarding this barrel?" Ben whispered more to himself then Mia. Ben bent down and moved the captain's fingers and took the barrel from him. Mia wrinkled her nose and felt a little sick at the thought of her Dad touching a guy's body who had been dead for around 200 years. As Ben poured the gunpowder out he found a small package. Mia looked at her Dad, wonder in her eyes "What do you think it is Dad?" Then raising her voice called out, "Hey guys! Come here! I think we found something!" Ben moved over to a table. Mia was practically dancing she was so excited. Ben opened the package and slowly pulled out a pipe.
"What is it?" Riley asked.
"Do you know what this is Mia?" Ben asked looking at the pipe and then his daughter.
"Is it a billion-dollar pipe?" Riley asked. Mia rolled her eyes at him then looked at her the pipe as Ian took it from Ben.
"Is it ivory?" Mia guessed.
"It's a meerschaum pipe. Ah, that is beautiful," Ian said looking at the pipe.
"Look at the intricacy of the scrollwork on the stem," Ben pointed at the pipe.
"It's beautiful, Dad" Mia whispered.
"Is it a million-dollar pipe?" Riley asked hopefully.
"No, it's a clue" Ben took the pipe back from Ian. "Let me see that." Then he pulled the pipe in two.
"No, don't break it!" Riley exclaimed and Mia's eyes got pretty big.
"Dad, why-"
"We are one step closer to the treasure." Ben said, smiling.
"Ben, I thought you said that the treasure would be on the Charlotte." Mia looked at Ian as he talked, he seemed a little to disappointed to Mia.
"No, The secret lies with Charlotte." Ben had pulled off his gloves and cut his thumb with his pocket knife while he had been talking, then rubbed a little of his blood on the scroll. Mia wanted to throw up. She hated the sight of blood. "I said it could be here." Ben rolled the scroll across his notebook so he could read what it had to tell them. "It's Templar symbols. The legend writ. The stain effected. The key in Silence undetected. Fifty-five in iron pen. Mr. Matlack can't offend. It's a riddle. I need to think." Ben pulled his gloves back on, and started walking around the room. "The legend writ. The stain effected.What legend? There's the legend of the Templar treasure, and the stain effects the legend. How? The key in Silence undetected. Wait. The legend and the key... Now there's something." He sat down on one of the barrels. "A map. Maps have legends, maps have keys. It's a map, an invisible map. So now..."
Before Ben could finish his sentence, Ian interrupted "Wait a minute. What do you mean, 'invisible' - 'an invisible map'?"
"The stain effected could refer to a dye or a reagent used to bring about a certain result. Combined with The key in Silence undetected, the implication is that the effect is to make what was undetectable detectable. Unless... The key in Silence could be..."
"Prison," Shaw cut in. Everybody stared at him.
"Albuquerque," Riley retorted. "See, I can do it too. Snorkel," Mia couldn't help laughing at his joke. Shaw gave her a dirty look and she stopped.
"That's where the map is. Like he said, Fifty-five in iron pen. 'Iron pen' is a prison," Shaw added, explaining why he had said it.
"Or it could be, since the primary writing medium of the time was iron gall ink, the 'pen' is... just a pen," Ben answered Shaw. "But then why not say a pen? Why... why say 'iron pen'?"
"'Cause it's a prison." Shaw mumbled
"Wait a minute," Ben stopped. "Iron pen - the 'iron' does not describe the ink in the pen, it describes what was penned. It was 'iron' - it was firm, it was mineral... No, no, no, that's stupid," He thought for a minute and then tried again. "It was... It was firm, it was adamant, it was resolved," He paused. "It was resolved." Mia could tell by his face that Ben had figured something out. "Mr. Matlack can't offend. Timothy Matlack was the official scribe of the Continental Congress. Calligrapher, not writer. And to make sure he could not offend the map, it was put on the back of a resolution that he transcribed, a resolution that 55 men signed. The Declaration of Independence," Ben said, standing up.
Riley stared at Ben in disbelief and then said, "Come on, there's no invisible map on the back of the Declaration of Independence."
"That's clever, really. A document of that importance would ensure the map's survival. And you said there were several Masons signed it, yeah?" Ian asked Ben.
"Yeah. Nine, for sure," Mia said quietly, thinking.
"We'll have to arrange a way to examine it."
Ben looked at Ian like he was crazy. "This is one of the most important documents in history. They're not just gonna let us waltz in there and run chemical tests on it."
"Then what do you propose we do?" Ian asked Ben.
"I don't know!" Ben almost shouted.
Ian was quiet for a minute then said, "We could borrow it."
"Steal it? I don't think so."
"Ben... the treasure of the Knights Templar is the treasure of all treasures."
"Oh, I didn't know that. Really?" Ben said sarcastically.
"Look, Ben..." Ian paused gathering his words. "I understand your bitterness. I really do. You've spent your entire life searching for this treasure, only to have the respected historical community treat you and your family with mockery and contempt. You should be able to rub this treasure in their arrogant faces, and I want you to have the chance to do that."
"How?" Ben asked quietly, thinking of what they should do.
"We all have our areas of expertise. You don't think mine are limited to writing cheques, do you? In another life... I arranged a number of operations of... questionable legality." Ian said as he stood up.
"I'd take his word for it, if I were you." Shaw said as he walk over to Ian
"So don't worry. I'll make all the arrangements." Ian said so quietly Mia almost didn't hear him.
"No."
"I'd really need your help here." Ian said, staring at Ben.
"Ian... I'm not gonna let you steal the Declaration of Independence."
"OK. From this point on all you're going to be is a hindrance." Ian nodded at Shaw who pulled a gun out and pointed it at Ben.
"Hey!" Riley and Mia yelled.
"What are you gonna do? Are you gonna shoot me, Shaw? Well, you can't shoot me. There's more to the riddle. Information you don't have. I do. I'm the only one who can figure it out, and you know that." Ben said.
"He's bluffing." Shaw whispered to Ian
"We played poker together, Ian," Ben said nervously. "You know I can't bluff."
"Tell me what I need to know, Ben, or I'll shoot your daughter." Ian said as Shaw turned the gun on Mia.
"Hey!" Riley said, starting towards Mia. "You can't-"
"Quiet, Riley!" Ian yelled, cutting Riley off. Mia started to back away from Shaw.
Ben pulled a flare from his coat and lit it. "Look where you're standing. All that gunpowder. You shoot her, I drop this, we all go up."
"Ben..." "Dad..." Riley and Mia said at the same time.
"What happens when the flare burns down? Tell me what I need to know, Ben." Ian said calmly, as if knowing he had won.
"You need to know... if Shaw can catch." Ben told Ian as he through the flare. Mia flinched, thinking to herself, Our time has come... we're all gonna die. And by my father's own hand, too.
Ian grabbed it just as it was about to hit the floor.
"Nice try, though." Just as Ian was saying this the flare went off, catching Ian's coat on fire. He dropped the flare and the gunpowder started to burn. Ben ducked, grabbing Mia as Shaw started shooting. Riley dove to the floor. The fire was starting to spread.
"Get out, Shaw!" Ian yelled, putting out the fire on his coat sleeve. As Ian got to the door way Ben made eye contact with him, then the fire road up.
"Fool!" Mia heard Ian yell after he slammed the door. Ben stood up and started stomping the floor. When he found the part of the floor that sounded hollow he yelled, "Mia, Riley, get over here!" Ben yelled over the fire.
"What is this?" Riley asked Ben.
"Smuggler's hold. Get in!" Ben said as he shoved Mia in. They ran through the tunnel, racing against the fire, knowing it was only a matter of seconds before the Charlotte blew up.
Ben yelled, "Get down!" There was a slamming noise, then she was knocked off her feet landing on the snow, something heavy landed on top of her and all she saw was black.
…...
Ben pushed Mia into a sitting position as she came to.
"You okay?" He asked gently.
"Yeah, Dad..." She whispered. "But I have a really bad headache."
"Look in my eyes." Mia focused on her Dad's eyes. "Your pupils are the same size, so you should be okay," Ben wrapped his arm around Mia, kissing her forehead. "I'm glad you're okay." He turned to Riley, and asked, "You alright?"
"Yeah, Ben, I'm fine."
The three made their way out of the wreckage of what used to be the Charlotte.
"There's an Inuit village about nine miles east of here. It's popular with bush pilots." Ben said once they got back out into the open.
"All right. Then what are we gonna do?" Riley asked.
"Start making our way back home." Ben answered Riley's question. "What else would we do?"
"No, I meant about Ian. He's gonna steal the Declaration of Independence, Ben." Riley explained.
"We have to do something, Dad." Mia added, excitement and worry in her voice. Ben stopped, turned and looked at Mia and Riley.
"We stop him."