CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The Conspirators Behind The Brain Drain

Eva stepped a little closer to Solo, her gaze going from him to Illya's motionless form. "Nathan, you must try to understand…we have discovered and now validated one of the greatest historical and archaeological finds in human history! We could not have done this without Illya."

He didn't respond at first because his thoughts were in such turmoil, ranging from disbelief to disgust and rage as he gazed at the four people before him he'd come to think so highly of. And Eva's involvement in this bizarre and dangerous affair was, for him personally the worst betrayal of all.

He looked away from her and said in a tight voice to Jasper Harrington, "You mentioned that Illya has to come out of this frozen state naturally. How long will that take?"

"It fluctuates, but usually several minutes...although tonight may take longer due to, uh, his head injury," Harrington replied uneasily."When he does he can be returned to his room, although he won't actually awaken until morning."

Seeing Solo's gaze darken, Reginald Falk hastiily spoke up: "To answer your earlier questions, Professor Sinclair, the boy is lying in a pure crystal sarcophagus. It was unearthed when the four of us were working together on an archaeological dig last summer on Bimini Island. We believe a sarcophagus similar to this was designed to be placed in what is now the empty crypt chamber of the Great Pyramid of Giza by the original builders in order to channel enormous energy."

Deciding to keep them talking and where they were until Illya revived and it was safe to move him, Napoleon said, "I thought the Great Pyramid was built by some vainglorious pharaoh to be used as his tombs?" He was again recalling his tour of the Cairo Museum.

Reginald Falk emphatically shook his head. "No, that's what the Egyptian authorities like to tell gullible tourists, but in truth geological evidence suggest it and the Sphinx to be much older. Some believe they were built over 10,000 years ago, when that part of Egypt was tropical. And we are among those who also believe that the Great Pyramid was designed by an advanced technological race of humanoids known as Atlanteans."

"Atlanteans? You think that thing Illya is lying in and those skulls came from… Atlantis?!" Solo scoffed.

Joyce Harrington exchanged glances with the others then answered him.

"We have been trying to prove that for a few months now. And among those incredible images projected overhead minutes ago were enormous pyramid structures similar to the one at Giza, which has now helped confirm many of our long-held theories."

"Yes!" Eva exclaimed, her green eyes lit up with excitement. "Nathan, the ancient Atlanteans were the most sophisticated race and culture ever to inhabit this planet. They were far superior to us in every way. Some believe they came from another solar system to form a colony here. Myths and legends abound with stories of their use of great crystals to move objects, communicate and travel long distances, control natural forces like the weather…even of their using crystals skulls like these to record their knowledge, literature, history, perhaps even their own demise. That's why we needed someone like Illya so badly, someone young with a superior mind who could withstand and unleash the tremendous power of the skulls and the sarcophagus!" She looked from Solo to the motionless Kuryakin. "There was truly little danger to him….just some short term side effects, which will pass."

"I think you are wrong, Eva" Solo replied glancing down at his unconscious partner. "I think it would have killed or permanently damaged him if I hadn't stopped you tonight."

Reginald Falk spoke up again. "I disagree, Professor Sinclair, even though I know the boy has been suffering the effects of the sessions, just as the other students we tested did. But they have all recovered quickly."

"But why focus solely on Illya lately? Why is he so important to you more than the others?"

"Because that boy is the first of these brilliant young people to actually have make it work fully and sustain the projected images for any length of time! You saw that for yourself just minutes ago!" Falk responded.

"What do you mean he made it work? How?" Solo frowned.

They all looked over at the inert form in the sarcophagus, and Jasper Harrington explained: "With the drugs we've given Illya his brain waves are cleared of the surplus neuron activity and static interference of both the waking and sleeping state. When he is in that more neutral and suggestive state, the crystal sarcophagus and the skulls somehow work together to enhance Illya's psychic and physical link to them and he becomes, in essence, a human conduit."

It all began to fall into place for Solo. "Aaah, I see. The four of you thought to prove those theories by abducting some of the most brilliant of Prichard's students to use as guinea pigs," he said, thinking back to those images projected upon the cavern wall from the crystal skulls and Illya's pivotal albeit unknowing part in all of this. "But why use these kids? Why not use yourselves to..trigger those skulls to do what I saw?"

Eva spoke: "Initially we each did try, Nathan, but with no success. You see, legends speak of the highly revered Wisdom Keepers of the sacred crystal skulls who were not aged seers as that name might imply, but were in actuality purported to be young people, even youths. They and their brilliant advanced minds were the true power source. This is how the ancients triggered the crystals to both record and project images like those you saw tonight. Each skull is a fantastic historical archive, or repository, of a magnificent legendary civilization, which Illya has now helped us prove did actually exist!"

Solo looked at her and the others with derision. "So because of some obscure legends you four decided to drug and abduct these kids and force them to participate in a dangerous experiment without their conscious will," he summed up sarcastically, glancing down at Illya again. "I only hope I stopped you in time before you damaged him permanently."

Reginald Falk looked around at the others "Despite what you think, we're not criminals, Professor Sinclair, merely academics and dedicated scientists who have stumbled upon something profound and world-changing. No harm was ever intended to these young people."

"We were simply doing controlled, scientific experiments, yet you act as if we are monsters and murderers," Evan said softly.

"You all will be if Illya doesn't survive this," Napoleon replied bitterly, flashing a look of pure contempt at her.