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Gray swallowed and did his best to stitch their two stories together. “Let me get this straight in my head. Back in 2020, a Chinese lunar lander drilled into what could be a buried, crystalline vein of Theia, the ancient planetoid that crashed into the primordial Earth and formed the moon. When that happened, an ELF transmission was picked up, coming from a chunk of the same planetoid buried beneath the Tonga Trench.”
Xue acknowledged as much with a nod. “Whatever we did on the moon must have been sensed by the pieces on Earth. While no transmission was detected coming from the moon, it could be something unknown to our tech. Tachyon. Gravity waves. Maybe the pieces are still connected via some quantum entanglement, so one immediately knows what’s happening to the other.”
“But that event—that ELF transmission in 2020—it didn’t result in a tectonic disaster like we’re experiencing now. It only damaged the lander, disabling its drill. It almost sounds like the Chang’e-5 had been specifically targeted. Maybe to keep it from further attacking that vein.”
“Possibly,” Xue admitted.
“Then two weeks ago, one of your subs went to investigate the source of the transmission. Once it was in the area, your military sent a matching ELF pulse.”
“A strong one.”
“Which triggered a quake. And in some way damaged the submarine enough to sink it into the trench. Now, the instability has been steadily worsening, threatening the world.”
Xue looked down, clearly pained by his words.
Gray shook his head. “It’s not your fault. No one could’ve predicted what would follow. But together maybe we can find a way to stop it.”
Xue nodded once and raised his head.
Gray continued, “Stamford Raffles and Dr. Crawfurd must have experienced a similar event when Mount Tambora erupted. The biomineralized bodies, a dangerous sea, escalating quakes and volcanic eruptions. But they learned some secret, something connected to Aboriginal knowledge and history.”
Matthew’s drawing of the Rainbow Serpent still glowed on the e-tablet’s screen.
Gray pictured the bullroarer and remembered Kadir’s words about the sound it generated.The voice of their god. He sensed something important there, but he couldn’t quite grasp it.
Xue sighed loudly, drawing back his attention. “But how can we be sure Stamford discovered anything significant?”
“We can’t, but one piece of this history makes me believe he might have.”
“What?”
“It’s a detail that continues to baffle geologists and volcanologists who have studied the Tambora eruption.” Gray stared toward the shuttered windows. “Stamford even reports this in his papers. After the first eruption, the mountain continued to explode. Each blast stronger than the one before it. Volcanologists have no explanation for why it suddenly ceased. The pattern was inconsistent with known events—both in the escalating eruptions and their sudden end.”
“You believe Stamford found a way to quell the mountain.”
“Maybe.”
Heng stepped forward. “What about the cure to the petrifying disease?”
“Stamford might have found that, too. But none of this speculation does us any good without those missing pages.” Gray turned to Kadir, who hung behind them and had listened to everything. His expression balanced between amazement and disbelief. “Director Numberi, can you take us to those old records, so we can figure out which of the museum’s thirty-seven rooms was Stamford’s office?”
Xue spoke up. “No need. I know where it is.” He turned and pointed to the opposite wing. “It’s on the second story. Overlooking Fatahillah Square.”
Kadir’s eyes got huge. “I think you’re describingmyoffice.”
Gray smiled. “If so, that makes sense. The museum directorshouldbe given the best office.”
Kadir shook his head. “But nothing’s there. It was stripped long ago. Multiple times. It’s been the director’s office for more than fifty years.”
Gray remained undeterred. “Then let’s go see how well Stamford was at keeping a secret.” He turned to Xue. “That is, if our truce still stands.”
Xue shrugged. “For now.”
5:02A.M.
In the office of the museum director, Seichan stood next to Gray. “I guess it’s better than tapping on the walls.”
“They came prepared,” he admitted.
