Chapter One: The Ruins

A Chapter by Paradox

First chapter

It was about 5 o'clock when I was strolling the upper decks of the Valiant. The last of the sun's rays fell obliquely on the metal floor and the guard rails of the vessel. To the farthest west, I gazed, where the scarlet setting sun was slowly disappearing behind the horizon. The sea water was tinged with a reddish orange glow, and the scenario appeared heavenly to me.

One of the reasons I love staring at these phenomenons is that I have a little to admire here. All round me are my crew whom I have seen and talked to for months until I grew too bored. My job is to steer this old iron vessel (which other people call, "Valiant, the battleship) through the waters of the Atlantic. We are currently on our way towards USA where we all belong, after a long and tiresome patrolling mission to Europe that has lasted for more than six months. And now I am seriously bored of this life, being the captain of this wretched wreck of this old battleship( you know what other people call it!) I yearn for some adventure day and night, crave for becoming the captain of a vessel that would take me to the deepest secrets of the oceans.

When I was young, the idea of being a seaman tickled my spine, I could feel a gnawing sensation inside my stomach. The very thought of being a part of a great marine adventure made by heart pound. That deep longing for adventure is still buried deep under my veins, and I occassionally felt that those sensations are still living inside me.

I had a special fascination towards submarine vessels, and by extension, the depths of the seas themselves. The only submarine I have ever piloted was the "Scotia", when "Valiant" was in the port of New York, its worn out mechanisms being replaced by new.

That was ages ago. Since then I have been the pilot of this old wreck of battleship, and I am used to its patrolling duties in the Atlantic. I have conducted them for years.

How many rounds I have taken across the turbulent most ocean of the world, I haven't counted. But now they had started to appear real irksome to me. I won't be happy if a war breaks out and "Valiant" is motioned to the frontline, of course. Rather my skin hairs become erect trying to contemplate what would happen to this old wreck and its crew( that includes me!) if it would face a standard Russian battleship.

I don't know how the US navy still finds a use of this battleship. I have told Admiral Bawlans about a thousand times that the "Valiant" is old enough to retire. But he would turn me a deaf ear!

Sun had almost sunk beneath the horizon, when I noticed something peeping from the ocean surface. I could not figure out what it was, but I was sure that it definitely wasn't any other ship. For, its top portion was glittering as if they were made of gold.

I dashed for my cabin in the lower deck and returned after ten minutes with a strapped binocular buckled around my neck. I drew the lens and held them before my eyes. I adjusted the dial for a bit of accomodation and…..

"Ruins!" I yelled, not believing what I just saw. It was a huge structure of an ancient monument or something, it seemed that the top of the structure were really golden, they were glittering under the feeble light of dusk.

"Captain Blake." It seemed as if the voice has woken me up with a start. I wheeled round and saw Osborn, the chief naval officer of the Valiant, and my competent partisan.

"I heard you screaming," he said,"any matter?"

I shoved the binocular and stuffed it in his hand. "Have a look," I spoke, boiling with excitement,"northwards."

Confused, Osborn held it in front of his eye, nodding his head horizontally. "Where, what?"

"There, a bit to the east, a bit more…."

"Jesus! What's that?" He screamed as soon as I have finished my words.

"What do you reckon?" I said.

"Remnants of an extinct civilisation." He said with a gasp of awe.

"But, no one has ever seen any such ruins in the middle of the Atlantic, at least, I don't remember any such discovery…" I spoke with hesitation.

"That's because we are the one's who'd discovered them. We are the first, Raymond, we are the first." He bawled so loud that half the crew trampled to the upper deck.

"Is n't it a bit odd, this is one of the most common corridors in North Atlantic, how come no one had ever noticed them."

"Can't it be that, it had sunk beneath the seas ages ago." He argued,"May they have reemerged due to some natural disturbance."

There was logic in what he said, and I was almost convinced that we have discovered ruins of an ancient civilisation. Osborn suggested that we should sail to the ruins, and investigate. Most of the crew was in his favour. So, I accepted. About half an hour later we were sailing northwards at the speed of 28 knots (top speed of Valiant).

We marked the location of the ruins at latitude 42˚16' N and longitude 43˚57' W. Every moment we kept an eye on the ruins. Though we went closer and closer, we couldn't get any better view; that was due to the dark that paved our way. Nearer and nearer we went, the crew's excitement doubled overtime. It seemed that I wasn't the only one in here who dreamt of a discovery.

A couple of hours passed as if they were a couple of weeks. The ruins were hardly 80 miles far from us…..

"BRACE YOURSELVES, EARTHQUAAAKE!"

And there was a sudden uproar in both the upper and lower decks, I felt the metal below my feet vibrating violently, I felt that my head was buzzle. Fear gripped my heart; for a moment I thought that we were sinking…

But then it all stopped. The quaking of the sea ceased, though waves have grown unnaturally turbulent.

"Whoo!" Osborn heaved a sigh.

"Do you think this has got something to do with the appearance of the ruins, do you?" I asked him.

"I bet."

"More parts of the structure may have floated to the surface this time." I said in a hopeful voice.

"CAAPTAAINN!" A naval officer bellowed from the observing deck, a few feet higher up than ours. Hearing his call I hurriedly trampled up to that deck.

"What's that for?" I said, as I approached him. I was suddenly taken aback at his horrible gaze at me. I scowled at him, who tuttered,"The ruins…the ruins…"

Irritated, I shoved him off and looked through the telescopic camera myself. I adjusted the camera and turned it towards the direction of the ruins, except there were NO ruins. I rubbed my eyes frantically, and looked again, and then I realised what had happen, the topmost part of the ruins were still there. But, what was left of the 30 yard high structure was only a few feet of rocky pillar ,that, in front my astonished eyes, slowly sank beneath the surging water.