Chapter 12: Egypt & Kiribati, October 2026

I was back in the hidden room in the Cheops Pyramid, where I had entered an interdimensional portal seven years earlier. The room was dark and uninspiring, not all like the impressive display of alien technology I had seen on my last visit. The replicated Zeto Crystal, which I had found in a small Zetan sanctuary in the Pyrenees mountain range in Spain, didn't seem to react with the room at all. I tried slotting the crystal into the opening in the wall, but nothing happened.

"Why is the portal not opening?" I asked

"Bloody fool. Replicated Zeto Crystals usually don't open interdimensional portals." Rangda screeched.

"But why did it happen in 2019 then? I asked.

"Due to a rare phenomenon. The distance between the Divine Dimension and the portal in Egypt, was at its shortest. So, the limited energy of the replicated Zeto Crystal was enough to open the portal. This will not happen again during your lifetime." Rangda replied.

"So, what do I do then?" I asked.

"You'll need to find and charge the primordial Zeto Crystal. Once it's charged, it's powerful enough to open the portal. Then you can make your way to the Divine Dimension and free me." Rangda stated.

"And if I can't find it?" I asked.

Rangda paused for a bit. She seems like she was putting in some effort to contain one of her rage-induced outbursts for once. After a long pause, she spoke. "There is another way. The four pyramids are connected and can be powered by the energy from Earth's rotation. Find the switches in the four pyramids and we can take it from there." Rangda replied and disconnected from my mind.

I figured that there was nothing left to do left the dark tunnel in the Cheops Pyramid. I dislodged the Zeto Crystal from the slot and put it in my pocket. After that, I headed to the airport. I needed to fly to Kiribati and find the sunken pyramid that was there somewhere, deep under the surface of the Pacific Ocean. Once I knew the location of the missing pyramid, I could contact Elaine. Together, we could figure out a way to open the portals and free Empress Rangda, to save the future of humankind.

***

I was sitting on a boat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I was in the tiny island republic of Kiribati, studying the vastness of the sea. As I sat on the boat, staring at the horizon, I felt like giving it all up, what was the point of my struggle.

A beeping sound from my sonar got me back to my senses. There was something hidden here at a depth of 100 metres. Could it be the pyramid, and how come no one had found it throughout the years?

I realised that the vastness of the ocean meant that it held many secrets. After all, only a small fraction of the seas had been charted. I needed to get down there and check it out. But how would I do it? I couldn't swim down there. Although it was possible to dive that deep with specific training and gas mixture, I had neither.

I thought of Elaine. The Harapan Conglomerate had grown to be the largest company in Indonesia under her leadership. Would she be willing to help me out?

I decided to call her.

"Hi, Elaine. Can you help with a mission?" I asked.

"I don't know. People tend to die during your missions. I'll give this one a pass." Elaine replied.

"Please Elaine. I need your help. I am about to rediscover the Sunken Pyramid of Kiribati. Imagine what wondrous technologies that might lie within." I pleaded.

There was a long silence on the other end. Eventually, Elaine spoke. "Okay, Martin. What do you need?"

"I need you to bring a submarine and some loyal followers. I also need a diversion as I believe that I am under satellite surveillance. I want us to uncover this astonishing discovery together without involving the others." I replied.

"Okay. Meet me at Banaba Island in two days. I have a research team there investigating whether we can extract energy from the volcano. I'll make sure to supply them with a submarine." Elaine said.

"Thank you, Elaine. I'll see you in two days." I replied.

"Yes. One more thing. Try to avoid violence this time." Elaine replied and hung up the phone.

***

The sulphur smoke was thick at Banaba Island, and I didn't understand why Elaine wanted to meet at this location. For a second, I feared a trap. I was stuck on an abandoned volcanic island together with my estranged wife and her associates. Hardly a comfortable scenario. I relaxed when Elaine approached me with a friendly body language.

"Welcome to Banaba Island. I hope that my associates were friendly to you?" Elaine asked.

"Well, I didn't speak to them that much, but they weren't causing me any grief," I replied.

"Tolong, tinggalkan kami. Saya akan menghubungi Anda nanti." Elaine said to her bodyguards and they left us alone.

"What did you tell them?" I asked.

"You should know. We were together for over ten years before our separation. But you never bothered learning Indonesian, did you?" Elaine replied.

I didn't reply, and Elaine spoke again. "I have organised everything you asked me to. We'll board a submarine here on Banaba Island. Then the skipper will take us to your coordinates."

"Alright, boss. Lead the way." I replied.

***

I got the chills when I met the gaze of our submarine captain. It was a muscular African man, and I felt like I had met him in the past. The hostile glare he gave me strengthened my conviction that our paths had crossed in the past.

I took Elaine to the side and spoke. "Where did you find the captain. I think I have met him in the past. I don't like him."

"Don't be racist, Martin. Captain Danjuma has worked under me for several years. He is loyal and discreet." Elaine replied.

"I am not a racist. I am a misanthrope. I hate all races equally. There is a difference." I replied.

"Very well. If you dislike all races the same, then I don't see a reason why your dislike should affect what crew I am bringing." Elaine stated.

"At least tell me where Captain Danjuma comes from?" I asked.

"South Africa. He is a talented man whose operations got in trouble during the South African Civil War in 2023. But enough of this. I am a busy woman and I have already taken time out of my schedule to help you with this. Don't even think of delaying me through requesting a new crew." Elaine snapped at me.

I nodded, and we boarded the submarine without saying a word.

***

"Here is your ginger coffee, Mr." The crew member said and handed me a cup of coffee.

I accepted the coffee, but I felt annoyed towards Elaine. Why did she bring extra people on the submarine? Especially when they didn't seem to have anything better to do than offering us a coffee?

As I drank the coffee, I reflected over the taste. Didn't the coffee taste unusual? I waved off my suspicion. I hadn't had ginger coffee for years, and perhaps this was how it tasted. I finished the cup, and I felt very sleepy. I leaned back into my chair and I fell into unconsciousness.

***

I woke up from the burning sensation of a hard slap hitting my cheek. I looked up, and I saw Captain Danjuma smiling menacingly. Much to my dismay, I realised that someone had tied me to a chair.

"Mr Orchard. We meet again." Danjuma said.

"Yeah, I was thinking about that. When and where did we meet? I presume it was In South Africa, October 2023?" I replied.

"Yes, although our meeting in Africa was brief, it left me with permanent marks." Danjuma said and pulled off his shirt.

I looked at Danjuma's torso. While he had a chiselled physique, he also had several deep scars on the side of his body. The injuries looked like claw marks.

"Playing it rough in the bedroom?" I asked sarcastically. As expected, Danjuma punched me in the face. Auch, when would I learn to keep my mouth shut?

"You sent lions to attack and kill my peers and me. The lions killed many, but some of us survived. We found your details in Chim Mwanza's office." Danjuma disclosed.

"So, you were those pathetic poachers working for the SVAPO terrorist group? I heard you lost the war. I am sorry for leaving you alive." I mocked Danjuma.

Danjuma punched me in the face. The chair toppled, and I hit the floor. Unfortunately, the chair didn't break, like the chair did during my altercation with Andres Ramirez.

Danjuma's two accomplices raised my chair and Danjuma spoke again. "Shut your mouth white devil. I will kill you slowly for what you did to us."

"There is a problem with that plan. I have proven to be exceedingly difficult to kill." I replied

Danjuma pulled up his pistol and shot me in the thigh. Auch, fucking hell. I needed to learn when to not be sarcastic. I decided to contact Rangda to get me out of this pickle. "Empress Rangda. I am in a bit of a pickle. Help me out here."

"The Monocle has a defence mechanism against unauthorised users. Offer Danjuma the monocle. Then grab his pistol and kill the two others when the monocle kills him." Rangda suggested.

"Thanks, Empress," I replied and disconnected from Rangda.

"Hey, Big Boy. Who were you talking too?" Danjuma exclaimed.

"I was talking to Empress Rangda Kaliankan. You have proven yourself worthy to receive this monocle that will elevate your consciousness." I replied.

"Proven myself worthy? Fuck you! I can take it off your dead body." Danjuma taunted.

"Why don't you take it now?" I replied.

Danjuma reached for my monocle and burnt his hand when his skin encountered the monocle's forcefield.

"Danjuma. You cannot take the monocle; you can only receive it." I replied.

"Boss let's kill this devil now. He is setting a trap for us!" Danjuma's accomplice shouted.

"Silence Jabu and Luan. With this technology at our disposal, SVAPO can rise again. We will create an Africa for Africans. We will expel the white invaders once and for all." Danjuma stated.

Danjuma turned to me and spoke: "Martin, give me the monocle, and you might get out of this alive."

I tapped the top of the monocle, and it disconnected from my eye. I handed it to Danjuma when Jabu interrupted. "What's wrong with your eye white devil?"

"What's the matter? Have you never seen a glowing purple eye before?" I taunted.

Danjuma didn't seem to mind, and he connected the monocle to his eye. After a few seconds, he exclaimed. "This is a miracle. My mind has changed. I feel so smart!"

"Be ready!" Rangda whispered.

A few seconds later, Danjuma started screaming in pain, which distracted Jabu and Luan. I tilted the chair sideways towards Danjuma, and I grabbed the pistol from his holster while I was falling. I managed to hold on to the gun as I hit the ground, and I quickly shot Jabu and Luan. After the third shot, the pistol jammed and Jabu, who was not mortally wounded, came after me with a vengeance. Jabu lunged at me and started strangling me while I was bound to the chair. I panicked as I didn't have the help of the monocle. Besides I was tied up and unable to defend myself against the muscular African man. My vision was flickering when a miracle saved me. The monocle killed Danjuma and he fell on top of Jabu, with the forcefield of the monocle burning Jabu's neck.

Jabu rolled away, screaming in excruciating pain. I saw an opportunity to get free. I wriggled to make the forcefield of the monocle burn off the ropes that tied me to the chair. I got up and I rushed off to Jabu and kicked him in the head. Then I picked up Luan's pistol and turned towards Jabu. "Fuck you, Jabu!" I said and shot him in the head.

Then I made my way to Danjuma's and disconnected the monocle from his corpse. The monocle had drilled into his brain stem, and blood covered it. Yuck, that would need a rinse before I used it again.

I was going to check on Elaine, but before I got there, my adrenaline kick had worn off. The combination of my injuries and the sedatives that Danjuma drugged me with, caused me to pass out.

***

"Martin! What happened here?" Elaine shouted.

I opened my eyes. Yup, I was still in the same compartment of the submarine where I moments before had killed the three men. At least it was in self-defence this time.

"Danjuma attacked me, and I had to defend myself," I replied.

"Unbelievable. You can't resolve any argument without resorting to violence?" Elaine lashed out.

"It is past the point of diplomacy when my enemy, drugs me, ties me to a chair, and plans to kill me!" I shouted back.

Elaine took a deep breath and replied. "Yes. You're right. The bastard must have drugged me as well. So damn hard to find loyal employees these days!"

"Why did you hire Africans in the first place?" I asked.

"They are my Varangian guard," Elaine replied.

"Varangian guard?" I asked.

"The Byzantine emperor during medieval times hired foreigners as his personal bodyguards. The idea was that those foreigners had no local loyalties and depended on the emperor for their own success. It has worked out well for me over the last four years until you showed up." Elaine revealed.

"I see," I replied.

"Yes. May I ask why these men decided to kill you out of the blue?" Elaine asked.

I pondered over my options. I wanted to tell Elaine that her bodyguards had attacked me for no reason whatsoever. But I doubted that she would believe in it, and besides what kind of man would I be, if I lied to my closest ally? I decided to tell Elaine the truth.

"They were SVAPO terrorists. I had a deadly altercation with some of them when I visited South Africa three years ago." I admitted.

"You're bloody hopeless. Don't just sit there. You killed the men. You better attach weights to them and flush them out via the airlock." Elaine replied.

"But I am wounded, and they are heavy." I whinged.

Elaine brought a compression bandage and stopped the bleeding in my wound. The bullet in my thigh was flesh wound, and hadn't damaged the bone, so it wasn't a life-threatening injury.

After dressing my wound, Elaine spoke again. "Well, at least you live to fight another day. Chop, chop. Get to work. Dispose of the bodies." Having said this, Elaine got up and left the room.

As I dragged the heavy corpses to the airlock, I had an epiphany. That being a deluded murderer travelling the world looking for alien artefacts, is arduous work!

***

"Wow, it's magnificent!" Elaine said in awe as the Sunken Pyramid of Kiribati appeared in front of the headlight of our submarine window.

I could only agree. The pyramid was massive, but its exact dimensions were hard to determine from our position. After all, we were at depth and the only light source was the headlight on our submarine.

"So, what do we do now? Elaine asked.

It was a valid question, and I had thought about it. I planned to use radio-controlled mini-submarines to enter and investigate the pyramids. This was for several reasons. First of all, it was way too dangerous swim into a pitch-black tunnel complex at a depth of over 100 metres. My second reason was that I feared that Zetan sentry drones would be lurking in the depths of the pyramid.

"We'll send in radio-controlled autonomous mini-submarines. They can map the pyramids for us and bring out anything we find of value." I said.

"And what about if any Zetan sentries are waiting." Elaine asked.

"Well, then we better hope those robots aren't smart enough to come outside of the pyramid looking for us." I replied and swiftly added in. "But let's make sure to stay some distance from the entrance."

We sent out the mini-submarines to survey the pyramid. The Harapan conglomerate had developed advanced miniature submarines. These submarines were not much larger than a drone, and were possible to remote control at a great distance.

"Make sure to film everything." I reminded Elaine as we sent in the drones in the underwater tunnels of the pyramid. We watched the video feeds from the drones. It was a disappointing view. The inside of the pyramid was barren and uninteresting. It was like you'd expect human architecture submerged for millennia to be.

An hour later, the drones had mapped the whole pyramid. We stared at the video images and the map in disappointment. Nothing was indicating an alien presence.

"Well, I guess an archaeologist, or a marine biologist would love this place," Elaine stated

"Yes, but that's not why we came," I replied.

"So, what do we do?" Elaine asked.

I pondered the question when I remembered the replicated Zeto Crystal. I hoped that it would still be among my possessions and that I hadn't inadvertently flushed it out together with the corpses of the SVAPO terrorists. After some frantic searching, I felt relieved when I found it at the bottom of my backpack.

"We'll send a Zeto Crystal with one of the drones. Since the Zetans powered their structures with these things, I am hoping that it will energise the building." I said.

"Okay. Yes, it worth a shot." Elaine replied.

I attached the Zeto crystal to the grappling claw of one of the autonomous submarines and followed its video feed. For a long time, nothing seemed to happen. But at one dead-end tunnel, the drone dropped the crystal to the floor. As the replicated Zeto Crystal hit the floor, it shattered. As it shattered, it sent a surge of energy lighting up the building. The light caused the walls to shine in blue light and they revealed several blueprints for advanced technologies.

"Make sure to store everything that the drones are filming. These blueprints can be invaluable." I said.

"Of course. But it seems that you woke something else up as well." Elaine replied.

I looked at the video feeds from the submarine drones. Elaine was correct. The energy surge from the scattered Zeto Crystal had awoken The Zetan octopus-like sentry robots. How lucky that we didn't enter the pyramid ourselves!

"Let's get the hell out of here. Leave the drone where they are, we don't want to risk our lives to save our toys!" I exclaimed.

"Yes. Let's get out here!" Elaine agreed, and we steered the submarine with full speed away from the pyramid.

***

We were sitting in our private suite at Tarawa Boutique Hotel in Kiribati. Elaine had decided that we shouldn't go back to her research facility on Banaba Island. Since our submarine crew had tried to kill us, it was likely that to be others with murderous intentions among her employees on the island. I sighed. I had lost a Zeto Crystal, but I hadn't found anything that would help me with my quest.

"Well, that was a disappointment. We got nowhere and people tried to kill us." I said.

"Don't be so negative. We filmed some incredibly useful technologies on those walls. I believe that one of them is a personal cloaking device. It can make me billions, and it will be particularly useful for covert operations." Elaine replied.

"Congratulations. But we are still facing the issue of getting those Zetan Sentries out of the pyramid." I remarked.

"Don't worry about it, Martin. I have technology and deep pockets. I'll send some armed mini-submarines to harass the sentries. Eventually, corrosion from saltwater and damage from my drone attacks will destroy them. I'll let you know once the coast is clear." Elaine replied.

"Thanks, Elaine," I replied.

I felt hungry, so I picked up a room service menu. There was only basic food. I decided to have Fish with Pandanus fruit, mostly because I had never tried Pandanus before.

"Hey, Elaine. I am ordering food. Would you like something to eat?" I asked.

"No. I am heading back to Jakarta. I'll eat on my private jet." Elaine replied.

"Oh, I see. Can I come with you?" I pleaded.

"No. We hung out for three days, and you killed my bodyguards. It's nothing personal. I just feel that you attract too much trouble." Elaine replied.

"So, what do you suggest that I do?" I asked in resignation.

"Well you can either stay here, or you can join up with Ben Yehuda and search for the primordial Zeto Crystal in Jerusalem. I am leaving now." Elaine stated and left the hotel room.

"I guess I'll stay here," I mumbled for myself. I leaned back in my bed and fell asleep.

***

Time flew, and two years later, I was still on Kiribati. Something was soothing about being alone at the last frontier. I had settled on an uninhabited island and I had used some of my wealth to build myself a comfortable dwelling. I didn't see much people, and in my solitude, I found peace. The world would never forgive my crimes if they knew, but the world wasn't around me much and the world didn't know. I was by myself most of the time and I had realised that I had to forgive myself for the terrible things that I had done. It was the only way for me to survive.

I got my food and supplies delivered by a local widow named Alani Mariwati. She was raising her daughter Elenoa on her own, and I paid her a good wage to make sure that she could live a good life. At times I thought about whether I loved Alani or not. I concluded that I couldn't know. She was the only person I knew in the country, but was that love or a desperate need to be part of something?

I decided to give it a shot. After all, what was the point of owning all this wealth if I couldn't share my time with anyone? While I feared that Alani would hate me if I told her about my past, what exactly did I have to lose? In my solitude, I was merely counting the days to my distant death.

Having made this decision, I felt happy. I would tempt Alani with the opportunity to provide a good life for herself and her daughter. While she wouldn't necessarily love me, she could at least accept me.

With light steps, I rushed to the quay when I heard the noise of a motorboat. Once I got there, I fell into deep despair. Instead of being Alani, my visitor was James Winter, accompanied by a group of armed CIA agents.

"So, this is where you are hiding, Martin. Get on board. We got a job to do." James stated coldly.

I thought about refusing, but I realised that it was pointless. I would die if I chose to fight today, and even if I won the fight against James and the others, what would I achieve?

"Okay. I am coming. I just need to do something first." I sighed.

"Bah, what could you need to do? You have been living off the grid for two years!" James replied.

"I'll donate this house and my Kiribati bank account to my housekeeper Alani. She needs it more than I will." I replied.

"You're right about that. Very well. Hurry up, I don't like waiting." James replied.

A while later, I was on a motorboat heading to the Tarawa International Airport. Destiny had shown itself. It was time for me to stop pursuing inner peace and continue doing what I was good at. For the better or worse for humankind!