"THE UNVEILING: 1.0" unveiled - Part 3 (an excerpt)

The following excerpt is a portion of "The Unveiling: 1.0" that involves a real life artifact referred to as the Antikythera Mechanism. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Antikythera Device [let's just call it Anti-k], it was discovered in a shipwreck off the coast of the Greek isle of Antikythera.

When discussing this find with a friend, she mentioned her familiarity with the artifact. She found it intriguing because the device, in her words, is "historically out of order." But what did she mean by this exactly? Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines the word history as follows:

a chronological record of significant events (as affecting a nation or institution) often including an explanation of their causes.

As history tells it, the technology that would become the clock was invented somewhere around 966, but would not become accurately sophisticated for several more centuries. Cathedral clocks would make their appearance around the year 1344, but such devices would not be considered elaborate until the early 1400's. The technology used to build the Anti-k Device resembles the intricate workings of a clock, but archeologists estimate that the Anti-k Artifact was built around 100 BC. So, as my friend eloquently stated, it is chronologically out of order, since in theory, the technology used in its manufacture did not exist at the time of its construction. This is just one of several real-life mysteries that I have tried to incorporate into "The Unveiling." Who really built the Antikythera Mechanism? Could it be alien technology as some surmise?

To see a video on the Antikythera Mechanism, please click here.

Here is a portion of THE UNVEILING: 1.0 in excerpt. It can be found in chapter 3 of the first book, 1.0. I hope you will enjoy it:

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   “So, this is it?” Max said as Miklos turned around.

   If Miklos had seemed annoyed earlier, he was smiling now. “Voilà the mechanism, Monsieur Battenberg. Normally, it is housed in the fourth floor exhibit they call Gods, Myths and Mortals. Today, however, it is being cleaned.”

   Max reached out and touched the Plexiglas box protecting the mechanism. He gazed more closely at the strange symbols. “Some of those are zodiac signs, aren’t they?”
   Nodding his head, Miklos continued, “Are they not phenomenal?” Miklos may not have been enthused to cross the Atlantic for a Battenberg, but the Antikythera Mechanism clearly rejuvenated him. “As you can see the device is quite unique, in particular because it dates back thousands of years, certainly before any such technology ever existed. So they say.”
   Max hated to admit it, but, up close, he was just as mesmerized as Miklos by the device. “Who do they think built it?”
   The doctor frowned, but it quickly morphed into a laugh. “There is quite a bit of speculation on that, Monsieur Battenberg. Certainly, we Greeks have taken responsibility for its manufacture. It was found off the coast of Greece, after all. But then there are those who suggest alien technology was used to construct it.”
   Max laughed at the notion. “Okay.” He was strangely drawn to the device, and actually felt electrified by its presence. He peered more closely, nearly pressing his face against the Plexiglas. “How does it work?”
    “Certainly, you are aware it doesn’t work, Monsieur?”
   Max stood at attention, taken aback by the comment. “What do you mean it doesn’t work?”
   “Well, everyone is aware, the mechanism is missing a crucial piece. A gear essential for its function.”

   “But, Doctor Miklos, I would hardly have arranged for you to come all this way to show me a device which serves no purpose. This is useless then?”
   A smile twisted onto the doctor’s lips. “Hardly, Monsieur, hardly. The device, the Antikythera Mechanism, is one of our world’s most important finds. Surprisingly, there are only a few who know this. I figured you to be one of them when I was told you wanted to meet.”
   Max was still dumbfounded by the news. “So, how do we find the missing piece?”

   “If only we knew the answer to this question,” Miklos explained. “If the mechanism were operational, I promise it would change the face of the world as we know it. Some presume it capable of unlocking cosmic knowing.”
   Max could feel his spirits waning. He had no idea what “cosmic knowing” even meant. “And no one’s tried to manufacture the missing piece?”
   “Sadly, today’s technology barely makes a scratch at understanding a device thousands of years old. I’m afraid building this piece is out of the realm of anyone’s expertise. Alien theory doesn’t seem so fantastical now, does it?”
   Max and Miklos had switched places in their disposition. Now, it was Max who was annoyed.
   “Well, you’re the expert. What do you suggest we do?”
   “There are rumors. Stories of the Illuminati or the Knights Templar. Some even say the piece lies hidden in an alternate dimension, so as to prevent the device’s misuse. The Bermuda Triangle and other such nonsense.” Dr. Miklos toyed with Max, teasing him with his knowledge. “Others say the Knights Templar were as careful in hiding this piece as they were in secreting away Christianity’s beloved Ark of the Covenant. A theory that I suspect is quite more likely is the element is buried deep within the earth. Are you familiar with Oak Island, Monsieur Battenberg? It’s a small land mass off the coast of Nova Scotia. If I had to bet, I would say this is the location of the missing piece. In the Money Pit.”
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The Money Pit is yet another real life mystery that I have incorporated into the story of "The Unveiling," but there will be more on that later. I hope you enjoyed this excerpt. Until next time, I wish you all well.

To learn more or to purchase a copy of "The Unveiling: 1.0," please visit the website at TheUnveilingSeries.com. "The Unveiling" is available in paperback, Nook, Kindle and iBook.