Nikko swallowed hard and hesitantly placed one hand on his father's forehead, the pale skin under his fingers was cold and clammy. The teenager's other hand, which gripped his father's undamaged right hand, tightened in fear and he had to fight away the childish tears that threatened to fall. He hated that he could do nothing.

His father looked strangely old without the force of his personality the older man's unconscious face revealed the faint lines that years of danger and worry had put there. The teenager knew he'd caused more than a few of those times of worry over the years, and he regretted that. Looking up Nikko met Calvin's eyes; he could see a similar fear there and for a few moments he felt a connection to the other young man.

Vincent returned from checking the state of the tunnel and stopped to check on Juliet's condition.

"How's she doing?" Calvin asked when he joined the others.

"Restless but still out of it," Vincent said. He looked over at the artifact they had recovered now resting innocently on its side. "No one touches that."

Nikko nodded, he had no intention of going anywhere near the thing, and he wished they had never found it. There was little doubt in Nikko's mind that the box was somehow responsible for causing the earthquake.

Vincent nodded toward Calvin's injured arm, now heavily bandaged. "Will you be all right left here?"

The young archaeologist glanced meaningfully toward Nikko for a second then nodded. "Yeah, I can take care of things."

Realising the meaning behind the glance, Nikko began to shake his head. There was no way he was going to leave his father here like this. No way.

"The tunnel is damaged but a two-man team might get through. I need your help, Nikko," Vincent said in deep, calm tone.

The teenager shook his head firmly. "No, I'm not leaving him."

Vincent rested his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Your father needs your help; you need to be stronger than your fear."

Nikko shook his head again denying it, but he knew his mentor was right. There was nothing he could really do here except hold his father's hand and worry. Calvin was capable of doing what little could be done to care for the hurt members of the team, but Nikko knew both his father and Juliet need professional medical help. He could be far more use assisting Vincent. Nikko sighed and nodded. He got to his feet and looked down at the unconscious man, unable to stop the thought that this could be the last time he saw his father alive.

Juliet found herself standing on a wide, open field, and towering above her a massive Mayan terraced pyramid eclipsed the sun. Jungle bordered the area on three sides while behind the temple she could see the deep blue of the ocean.

The temple wasn't a ruin; it actually looked to be still under construction and was obviously in use. Dozens of people in Mayan dress stood on various levels of the temple making offerings and singing prayers. The alter cover wasn't yet constructed, only the support columns stood, and the sun reflected so brightly off the gold alter at the top that it hurt to look at it. The place radiated life, energy and peace. In the distance wave crashed against the shore, the sound mingling with the noises of the jungle and the chant of the worshipers to create a pleasing environment.

"Where are we?"

For a moment as he glanced around, smiling fondly at people, the stranger looked like the Dr. Zond Juliet knew and cared for. "This is my home, as it was, so many years ago. There is not much time, we must hurry." He took the young woman's hand and tried to pull her toward the temple.

"Look!" Juliet snapped, yanking her arm free from the messenger's grasp. "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on. Where are my friends? Is this a dream or... that's it, isn't it? I'm dreaming this."

"Would knowledge that you are unconscious ease your mind? It makes no difference to the message… or the warning I carry. Awake or asleep, real or imagined you must choose your path and you must choose carefully, the fate of your world rests in your hand."

The words chilled her. "Warning… what warning?"

The messenger shook his head. "Later, there is much to witness first." With that less than helpful answer the messenger began to move away, steadily climbing the steps up the side of the temple.

"Wait!" Juliet called, hurrying to catch up to the man. "I don't understand… what warning?"

The Solomon figure said nothing else and Juliet was forced to focus on climbing the massive steps to keep pace with him. After what seemed to be hours they reached the top, a strong fresh breeze from the ocean blew in her face, cooling her and carrying with it the clean scent of the sea. Juliet stood beside the messenger and took in the spectacular view. From the top of the pyramid it was obvious that they were on a small island. In the distance, beyond the encroaching jungle, a wide band of blue water surrounded them and beyond that, made hazy by its distance, she could see another larger land mass.

"From this place knowledge and truth dominated the lives of men. Here there was harmony. Evil held no sway, and hope for all ruled. For a time there was peace, but that peace was lost," the messenger said.

He pointed to a young, teenaged girl, no more than fourteen years-old, as she climbed the last pyramid step up to the alter level. The girl was a pretty child, with wide dark eyes and her long hair tied in twin braids decorated by wildflowers framing her face, but her looks were marred by the expression of contempt on her face.

"Power dressed as innocence. Ungoverned and unfocused it unleashed terrible destruction and all that had been built was lost."

Juliet watched as the girl entered the temple and reached for the disk mounted between two golden brackets. The young archaeologist recognised the artifact as similar to the wheel they had found in Tibet, and she had no doubt she was seeing a section of the ring of truth. The moment the girl touched the artifact a brilliant flash of light engulfed the scene. When the light faded and Juliet could see again, there was nothing left of the altar but a ruin.

Looking around she realised the destruction covered the whole island, where there had once been lush grassland and thick jungle, only dry, barren ground remain. Nothing interrupted the desolation of the ruin; no animals, no plants, no sign of life survived at all. Juliet noticed even the insect sounds had ceased. On the far horizon where the larger land mass lay she could see a thick haze of smoke and knew the destruction had reached far wider than the island itself.

Periodically, then with increasing frequency the gentle ocean waves began to break over the dry, blackened land of the island. Each wave reaching further inland than the last until finally the waves swallowed the atoll completely. The waves began to break on the steps of the temple itself.

The island is sinking, Juliet thought.

"Yes, but what was lost can be rebuilt. There is still hope," the messenger answered her unvoiced thought.

"I don't understand why you have shown me this, what do you want from me… who are you?"

"After the fall, the few priests who remained built protections to defend the treasure from those of power who would abuse its gift. I am one such safeguard, there are others. I am the messenger. You understand the danger; another child of power threatens this world. You must stop him at any cost… if you hope to save the rest."