Six months of isolation in the Arctic began to wear on Dr. Axon Kepler. His companions weren't in better shape, and cabin fever held the crew in its cruel grasp. His theory another advanced civilization existed before the ice age continued to be disproven at every turn. If he quit, he'd lose credibility and his grant, but how much was his sanity worth? With no breakthroughs, Axon decided to call the expedition off.
He headed to the kitchen, where the smell of bacon and eggs teased his nose. The rest of the crew sat around the table with dour expressions. Dr. Axon prayed his announcement would lift their Spirits.
"Can I have your attention please," Axon said.
The crew raised their suspicious eyes in his direction. Their disdain crushed him from across the room.
Axon knew he'd made the right choice based on this reaction alone. "We haven't made progress, and everyone is unhappy...Where's Terrence?"
Terrence Hess was the team's seismologist and perhaps the most upbeat, optimistic person Axon had met. He saw everything as a learning experience and lifted the spirits of others whenever possible.
Everyone shrugged and mumbled incoherent words while they waited to eat real food and not freeze-dried military rations with a heavy plastic aftertaste.
Axon refused to tell anyone anything without Terrence, who had the right to hear good news firsthand. He cautiously poured a cup of coffee and eyed his crew with suspicion. The first sip of the bitter liquid hit Axon's tongue, and Terrence's pudgy form burst into the kitchen. Clutched in his hand was a long piece of paper.
"You will never believe what the latest survey showed." He shoved the wad of paper in Axon's face. "Sixty feet below sector four, there's an unnatural structure. I've done the test four times. The results haven't changed. Is it worth investigating?"
The data did look promising. The question became how many days would it take to investigate. Axon wasn't sure if the team could hold out much longer. "You heard the man," He said while the sheets made their rounds. "If you all think this is a waste of time, I'll drop the matter, and we'll signal for pick up."
"Terrence hasn't lied about any of his data. It couldn't hurt to send a drone down a hole to investigate," Solima, their tech expert, said.
Gerard, the engineer, studied the readout. "How much money did we spend on that drill? We haven't used it once. It'd be a shame not to."
The heaviness in the shelter lifted. If the crew wanted to try, who was Axon to deny them? "We shall give it one more effort and if it comes to nothing we go home, agreed?"
***
A thought occurred to Axon while he waited for the drill to finish the hole. What if they found something? It would mean another half a year in the frozen hell hole. Everyone was in high spirits now, but would a discovery raise morale enough to endure a few more months? A question that required an answer sooner than later. Axon suspected the structures were probably crystal clusters. While a discovery like that was interesting, it wasn't enough to keep an expedition going.
"We're through," Gerard shouted. "Solima, you're up."
Tina pulled back her hood and tossed the ball down the hole. "Let's hope the money we put into reinforcing it paid off. Getting a flying drone down will be tricky."
Everyone gathered around the screen and held their collective breath. Ten seconds passed, and nothing happened. Tina glared at everyone and said, "I have to turn it on, idiots."
A nervous laugh spread through the small group while Solima pressed the button. Static crackled on the screen, then complete darkness. "Switching on the headlight."
Axon leaned in a little closer than everyone else. The future of their expedition depended on discovery. The ball rolled a few feet and discovered a wheel. "Is that what I think it is?" Axon's doubts started to lift.
"We won't know until we get people down there or send a flying drone," Tina replied.
"Send the drone," Axon said. The discovery bothered him a little. They'd been in the Earth's deep freeze for five months now. How did they miss this place? "Terrence, didn't we scan sector four before this?"
"I'd have to check my journal, but we didn't find anything in sector three, so you said to skip sector four and go straight to five," Terrence said.
Tina pressed a finger to her lips. "The probe has a visual." Her hands shook, and the handheld control started to slip.
Gerard put his hand under the device. "Take it easy, Lass." He took the device from her and handed it to Axon. "What is that?" Gerard pointed to a circular object within view of the camera.
A few deft movements of the control stick revealed hieroglyphs Axon didn't recognize. He pressed the image capture button several times and sent the images to the laptop in Terrence's possession.
"Give me that before you break something," Tina said while she tore the control unit from Axon's grip. The probe rolled a little further and caught a glimpse of two bird-like statues on either side of a door. The door itself had a black liquid metal sheen, much like hematite. The same hieroglyphics adorned the door.
"Do you think it's ancient?" Terrence asked. His breath stunk of tuna and sweet coconut. Unlike the other crew members, he brought a suitcase full of his favorite foods. He had a thing for the Mounds coconut chocolate bar. The worst one, in Axon's opinion.
"I don't think so," Axon said. "I've never seen the make of statues like those. They resemble ancient Sumerian sculptures, but I doubt they are."
"Do you want to investigate firsthand?" Gerard said. "I mean, we've come this far. Let's end the expedition on a high note."
"Where were you when the Axon Expedition discovered the lost civilization?" Solima asked while she held an invisible microphone up to Terrence.
"Axon, we are on the precipice of something Historic. Let's finish what we started." Terrence pleaded.
While there wasn't anything threatening about the metal sentinels, a little warning bell went off in Axon's head. They were just statues, weren't they? He faced the team and their hopeful faces. Maybe the isolation had caused paranoia? As it stood, the credit would go four ways, with Axons being the lion's share. Bringing in more people meant sharing glory with people who didn't endure months in the middle of frozen nowhere. He and his team deserved better than that.
"Gerard, prepare a hole big enough for us to fit through. Terrence, I want you to gather rations for at least two days for everyone. Solima, contact our benefactor. Send our coordinates, and tell him to dispatch another team to find us." Axon smiled, "I'll gather some other equipment we might need."
***
Axon didn't leave anything to chance in his preparations. When the day came to descend into Gerard's makeshift entrance, restlessness and unease returned. Before they went down, Axon said, "If any has any objections, state them now. We are taking a significant risk."
"We appreciate the concern," Gerard said, "But we've made our choice already. What's life without a little risk?" He attached the metal cable to his harness and slowly descended into the hole.
"Solima, did you get ahold of the Benefactor?" Axon asked while he clipped the cable to the harness. "No matter what happens, I don't want our work to be in vain."
Thick gloves gripped Solima's hood strings and tightened them. "He was excited about the discovery. He's shelling out money for better facilities and a bigger crew to assist us." Solima's face twisted up in concern. "Dr., is something wrong?"
"It's nerves, my dear." Axon said.
"Are you sure?" Solima's eyes searched his.
"Yes, Lower me down."
The air beneath the thick layer of ice warmed Axon's bones. Sweat built up on his forehead and slid down a cheek. Thump! Thump! Axon's heart pounded. The statues were gigantic in person. Two days ago, they were but ants on the screen. The eyes glowed with an unknown energy. The sight pushed unease straight into a panic. Someone hid this place for a reason.
Axon's feet touched the ground, and he dropped to his knees. His breath was elusive. A hand pressed against his chest.
"Are you okay, man?" Gerard asked.
"Yes. Enclosed spaces and I don't get along."
"I hear you." Gerard pointed to the statues. "Do those things make you feel uneasy?"
Relief washed away the panic, and Axon nodded. "Yes. Did you notice the eyes glowed?"
Some of the hieroglyphs depicted robotic knights in battle with winged monsters. Axon wasn't sure what to make of it. Plenty of civilizations mentioned visitors from the heavens. If UFO experts saw this, they'd have kittens.
"Aye," Gerard said. He raised a radio to his mouth. "Solima and Terrence, hold off for a second or two. Something isn't right. Send a drone and record everything."
"Copy that," Solima's voice said. Five minutes later, a drone hovered next to them. The steady whir of the engines filled the silence.
Gerard undid the flap on his pistol holster. I'll approach the statues first. Take a minute to gather yourself."
Axon stared as Gerard approached the statues. A beam of light ran up and down his body. A metallic voice filled the chamber.
"Species designation, human, age forty. Classification, Warrior."
"I'll have you know, I'm an engineer."
"Unknown warrior, disarm and proceed to quarantine for further instructions." The wall slid down and opened to blackness. "Failure to comply will lead to termination."
Without a second thought, Gerard tossed the weapon to the side. "I'm going." He strode into the opening with a wry grin on his face. "Good thing we left the other two behind."
Another beam of light Scanned Axon. "Species designation, human, age forty-five. Classification, Historian. Proceed to quarantine for further instruction."
What was happening? Axon activated the radio. "Solima and Terrence clear out and call for help. Do not worry about me. Send the footage to the military."
A third beam scanned the drone. "Species designation, illegal construct. Eliminating target." A bright blue beam vaporized the drone.
Axon fought to stay conscious. He had to obey lest he end up like the drone. "Send anyone who will listen," he shouted.
The darkness smothered all light. Axon's chest constricted in pain. "Gerard? Are you still alive?" His voice echoed into eternity. "Where am I?"
"Scanning for possible contaminants. The subject possesses primitive immunization." A bright light flashed, and Axon's clothes vanished. "Contaminated clothing removed. A sanitized outfit will be provided for you in quarantine."
A spike of pain struck Axon's frontal lobe. "Assessing subject's threat level." The pain dug deeper and deeper into his grey matter. "Duplicity, twenty percent. Violent tendencies, fifteen percent. The likelihood of rebellion is less than ten percent. Potential ninety-eight percent."
"You could figure that out by looking at me, dumb machine," Axon shouted into the aether. His entire brain throbbed in agony from the intrusion. "That hurt."
"The protection of Camelot Prime is my priority."
"Camelot Prime?" Axon knew what had happened. He'd started to freeze and now hallucinated the whole scenario.
"Examing DNA strand. The subject is an eighty-five percent match to Merlin, the grand wizard of Camelot. Injecting the psi-mag formula into subject. The chance of survival is fifty percent."
"What do you mean..." Axon never got to finish. Every limb and digit now burned with azure fire. "Tearing...me...apart." The bones in his body warped from the heat.
"Psi-mag transformation ninety percent complete. The subject survival is now at eighty percent."
Words refused to come out of Axon's mouth. Every fiber and nerve was laid bare before this psi-mag formula. His throat was raw and scorched from the transformation process. Axon's lungs burned with every breath. The pain started to recede. "Thank God it's over."
"The subject is stable and ready for inspection. Welcome Merlin Axon to Camelot Two. Your new clothes are ready for pick up in quarantine."
"How about some underwear?" Axon croaked.
A hiss caught his attention, and light gradually filled the chamber. "Gerard, can you hear me?" Each word brought pain to his vocal cords. His eyes fixed on a blurry dot two feet ahead of him.
"Welcome, Axon Merlin, to Camelot Prime. I left your Psi Mag attire on the table next to you. Your sight should return in a few minutes." The blur stopped for a moment. "You heard psychic call didn't you?"
"Ummm...no. I came here to explore the findings of Admiral Byrd, who claimed a crystal city was under the ice." Axon pulled himself to a sitting position and wobbled. "I discovered the statues two days ago."
"I see. It's a shame he didn't work out." The blur crept closer. "I should introduce myself. My name is Navrix. I am a leader of the Avalonian Galatic Empire. I am in charge of the S.S. Camelot Prime, a Psi-Mag carrier."
"You realize it all sounds like nonsense to me, right?
"I suppose it does sound a little crazy."
"Why are you on earth?"
"The Avolonian empire claimed Earth five thousand years ago. Planted their flag and everything."
"Enough," Axon said as the blur came into focus. The stranger had black eyes, dark grey skin, and pointed ears. "The humans based their legends about elves on your people, didn't they."
"Yes," Navirix paper thin mouth frowned. "We have a lot to cover. Can you please limit your inane questions? I want to explain why you're here..." He pointed to the pile of clothes on the table next to Axon. "You might want to put those on first. We have shame too, you know."
Axon ran his hand over the paper-thin fabric. It had the consistency of silk yet held warmth with little effort. He donned the tunic slacks and wizard robe. The comfort of his outfit was unparalleled. A metallic staff shaped like a shepherd's crook leaned against a wall, and a gauntlet with a gemlike screen still lay on the bench.
"The staff is a psi conductor, and the glove requires more explanation." Navirix handed the staff to Axon. "You're psi abilities will require some training. Please put on the gauntlet."
"What does it do?"
"It helps track how much psionic energy you have in reserve. You can't pilot a Mag without psi-energy."
"What if I don't want to do this?"
"Axon, if you didn't want to do this, the process would've rejected you. Your mind cried out for a life less ordinary. The Nimue A.I. estimated your potential in the ninety-eighth percentile. We haven't had a candidate such as yourself in a while. You might be able to pilot the Merlin Mag."
"What is a Mag?"
"It's a psionically controlled suit of armor. Only people with psionic abilities can control one. The greater the psionic, the stronger the mag becomes."
"Can you read my mind?"
"Yes. It's impolite to do so without permission. On some planets, it's a criminal offense." Navrix stopped at a large bay door. "Before I show you the mag bay, understand you haven't won the right to pilot the Merlin."
"I understand?" Axona said. "Question, what did you mean by won?"
"Mag's are a peculiar thing. When we created them, something strange happened. They choose their pilots and speak psychically to them. A mag won't converse with anyone else. Once bonded with a pilot, it's for life."
"Which doesn't answer my question."
"You'll enter a series of competitions for the right to pilot the Merlin."
"Do I have to be the strongest?"
"No. Every series of competitions may or may not end in a selected pilot."
Axon didn't understand. "Why bother holding competitions?"
"To keep them docile. Like real people, they like company and to know they matter. It makes sense since psionic energy helped create them." Navrix opened the door.
"A couple went bad, I take it?"
Navrix's face grew solemn, "In the early days, we didn't know enough about them. The Black Knight, Mordred, and Morgana lost their pilots in a battle. We put them back on the field too soon, and they turned on us. Two of our strongest rivals stole them and started a war with the Avolonian empire. All of our mags refused to fight their brethren."
"Why bother getting new pilots then?" Axon asked. "The mags can't make that much of a difference in battle?"
"A psi mag can wreak more havoc on the battlefield and is worth five of your fighter jets, with better armaments than your tanks." Navrix pushed Axon forward. "Now we'll introduce to the Merlin psi mag."
"What about my friend, Gerard?"
"The other one that came through?" Navrix smiled. "The Arthur mag came to life the moment he entered the portal. We hope he'll draw the Excalibur gun blade from the chunk of psionically charged magnetite. With it, we stand a real chance of beating the Mordred and Morganna."
"Then why recruit me."
"If Arthur has selected a pilot, the Avalonian Empire is ready for a new Emperor. I do not envy your friend. He's not an Avolonian and will face opposition. Many don't believe the tales of old anymore."
"Which still doesn't explain the need for me."
"Merlin advised Arthur in all things, which is where you come in. You'll help advise him should he ascend."
Axon's head spun. He was a simple scientist. While the discovery was monumental, none of it meant a thing if couldn't tell anyone. "What if I don't want to?"
"We've already established you do" Navrix said. He stopped at a massive glossy steel door. "Are you ready to meet the Merlin?