Aurum Polare I: Part 1: The Dreamer of The Golden Land

By Kostas Filopator

A young man possessing oneiromancy skills is reading a strange book about the life of a well-known explorer of the North Pole. The book talks about an unknown gold deposit of vast proportions, located somewhere in the north of the planet...
At the same time, the special research team of the mining company where the young man is employed, launches an exploration mission into the most controversial area of northern Greenland. It will be the beginning of an adventure that surpasses even their wildest imagination...
Underground countries, hidden races of different human beings, advanced technologies of energy production, military experiments and guard-societies around the world sworn to preserving and safekeeping secret information, comprise this first part of a fast-action adventure, that treks across mythology, as well as historical and modern facts, riveting the reader on every page, transcending the conventional limits of planet Earth along the way...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Publishdrive
• Release date: Oct 19, 2016
• ISBN: 9781911352389

Book preview

continues

Day One

Qaanaaq-Greenland, end of October

In a few minutes, another ship carrying thousands of seeds collected from places all over the planet is expected to reach its destination, enabling its cargo to be stored in the Global Seed Vault, located in the Arctic Circle, at a strategic mountain spot, on one of the islands of the Svalbard Archipelago. Being the best of its kind, the Vault safely stores, under a temperature of minus 20 degrees Celsius, samples from the majority of cultivable seeds of the world. Specialists call it ‘the Ark’ and say it’s a measure against the possibility of a botanical catastrophe, which could occur according to the scenarios of extreme climatic phenomena, such as prolonged drought or extended floods... announced the beautiful CNN newscaster, as she appeared on the television set of the brand new café, in the small city of Qaanaaq, early in the morning.

"Analyzing data collected from various monitoring stations across the Arctic zone, meteorologists report an increase of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, in the atmosphere. During the last one hundred years, there has been an increase in the average temperature of the planet by 5 degrees Celsius and a parallel 17% reduction in the mass of the arctic ice..." a BBC reporter stated in his characteristic British accent, as Knud Sakak was zapping through the channels, while his wife Sara was brewing the first morning coffee of the shop.

Do you think it will become easier for the tourists to come up here in the north? Sara asked her husband in secret hopes of that appealing prospect, thinking the customers of her café would increase in numbers.

Knud, rubbed his forehead with his hand, as he thought about the imminent changes in their lives...

The melting of ice would gradually make their small town more accessible, along with some towns of the Svalbard islands–the northernmost settlements in the world–but it would also change the way of life and its profile, which up to that point had been mainly characterized by hunting in sea or land...

Seals, along with narwhals–the unicorn whales with their big tusk–and halibut fish–the biggest species of sole fish–are the typical targets of the local fishermen. Some of the locals have already seen mutations of the usual form of seal, such as total loss of its fur, which are attributed to the rapid climatic change and the excessive warming of the planet...

In another part of the town, a local old timer had fixed his empty look on the street, sitting at his porch and listening to the radio:

"Our local temperature is 39 degrees Fahrenheit and the forecast for a winter blizzard indicates a low storm-level, creating an unusually pleasant day for this time of year! At least for the time being, folks...! We all know how changeable the weather is up here at the edge of Earth...

"But let us now come to our first subject: …There are many out there who rekindle theories about ‘Judgment Day’ and ‘mass destruction of the human race’. Their opinion is not just based on scientific data, like the continuous melting of the ice caps–with a concurrent decrease of drinkable water’s supply–, the rising of the water level along coastal cities and settlements, the change in the migratory routes of several species: mammals, birds and fish–the latter following the changes of the oceanic streams and in turn resulting in changes of the food chain. Their opinion is also based on observations about changes of the Earth’s magnetic field, the more frequent appearances of atmospheric phenomena like aurora borealis or even the presence of strange ‘unidentified flying objects’...

"Even you may have seen some strange presence in the sky or land recently! The day before yesterday, some climbers in Asia reported they saw a strange creature scaling the mountain... Could it be the ‘Himalayan Bigfoot’, also known as the Yeti... or was it simply the reduced oxygen in their brain speaking?

"In any case, have a nice time and be careful now that the light is lessening. Four months of polar night coming up, my friends...!" a well-informed newsreader enthusiastically addressed his listeners and went on with the radio program, putting on some modern music...

The old timer did not move on his chair, indifferent to all that gobbledygook he was listening to... What could he do to save the world anyway? His time had long passed...

Knud’s mobile rang with a sound of traditional Greenlandic drums, in sharp contrast to the music on the radio:

"Yes... is that you Brian?

"...What? Yes, the weather seems OK...

"Right, I’ll meet you there...

Sara, I have to go! I’ll be back at noon...

"Take care! I’ll make suaasat soup, you like..." said the kind woman.

Knud exited the shop. Externally, the café followed the model of Greenland’s traditional architecture, featuring a pointed roof on the top. It was painted pink, which was an original and at the same time brave Sara’s choice. The local woman had achieved to make her dream come true: she opened the first European-style café in Qaanaaq, with a population of six hundred ...to bring a ‘scent of Paris’ up in the far North.

She had never visited the French capital. But she had read so much about it...

‘After working continuously for many hours, the drill broke into an empty space. When the last crashed stones fell down, a huge chamber was revealed through the bright opening on the cave’s wall. The young man stooped and hesitantly put his face through the hole, which was barely enough for a human head to get through. His eyes reflected the shine of the most coveted mineral in the history of mankind... But it was no small quantity... It was a huge vain; a river of running gold...

Suddenly, he saw something moving in the background of the cavern. He wasn’t alone in that depth, after all...’

...Young Cas jumped up from his sleep, drenched in sweat. It was another one of those dreams... The same that had been giving him nightmares lately. He looked at the time on his wristwatch, left on the bedside table.

It was early... There was light coming from the window, but the sun would not rise until about midday. And it would set in just a couple hours...! So much is the duration of the day, at this time of the year, at this geographic latitude of the planet...

Another winter day of survival and exploration had begun, in a country which in its greatest part is covered by huge pieces of ice.

At the same time, far from Qaanaaq, somewhere in the cold wilderness of northern Greenland, more than a dozen local Huskies were carrying one of the six Danish, two-member teams of the Sirius Sledge Patrol, slicing through the snow laid on the icy ground during yesterday’s blizzard.

Based at Daneborg Station, those patrolmen made up a significant proportion of the permanent inhabitants numbering a few tens in this north-eastern territory of Greenland–referred to as the world’s greatest national park and blessed with unique natural beauty. The name and badge emblazoned on the arm of their alpine coats–a star with a dog in its middle–impresses with the originality of its conception...

Making use of sleds and snowshoes, those fully-trained and armed men appeared to come from another era, protecting the vast expanse of frozen wilderness in that rough part of the country for many decades, ensuring the national sovereignty of Denmark on Greenland’s natural resources. Many passionate scholars would be thrilled in the attempt to associate the Danish patrol’s name with the most brilliant star of the sky in the constellation of Canis Major, where according to unproven and antisystemic theories, humankind descends from...

But the usefulness of the arctic breed of dogs on this hard, frozen land was more than proven. In fact, apart from the wild fauna, this country has always been inhabited equally by both men and dogs. Actually, the numbers of the cute quadrupedal animals were much higher than that of humans. The locals, both Eskimos and those of European descent, looked on this resilient and friendly mammal as a god-sent gift, able to carry them to places where other means of transport cannot. Apart from the organized transportation network inside the cities, the overwhelming majority of all the other types of transport took place by means of snowmobiles, sleds and choppers...

They had stopped at a point facing the north shore of the national park and were scanning the area with their binoculars... Suddenly, the dogs woofed slightly and their ears went up. Their hearing capacity enabled them to guard and protect their masters, since they could often warn about events that couldn’t be perceived or foreseen by man...

So, that was the case here, once more ...with humans feeling absolutely nothing:

Easy... easy now...! one of the two patrolmen said with a steady voice, speaking to the uneasy canines. "What came over you, all of a sudden?

Why don’t we simply get ourselves some snowmobiles, like the Canadian rangers? he continued, now addressing his senior partner.

Dogs do not run out of gas...! his partner gave a witty answer. "Come on... Don’t you complain! We’re having record-high temperatures for the season... Measurements from Nord station show some unusually hot days!

We’re just fine, don’t you think?

A slight breeze froze their noses. That was strange ...because it was dead calm all morning. In any case, they weren’t worried. They only pushed themselves deeper into their heavy overcoats, to avoid catching a cold. The dogs, however, stood on their feet from their resting position, as if something had stirred them...

... Electric charges were released at a particular point in the atmosphere. Then, those sparks went out and reappeared at another spot nearby. The phenomenon repeated itself several times, constantly changing position. The dogs’ eyes were locked on the energy turbulence, that was shifting rapidly through the air. Humans barely understood that something was going on...

Then, instinctively, the dogs started barking and fixed their hunting eyes on a certain point of the horizon. The electric anomaly had stabilized at that particular point and was gradually growing, so much it could now be perceived even by the patrolmen...

The lines of the unexpected field were assuming a specific shape, forming a long flat object in the air. Finally, the image stabilized and the electrical charges disappeared, giving way to a dark metallic fuselage shining in the light.

The two patrolmen were flabbergasted... In spite of being unsure at first, their optical reflex developed by cinema movies, news bulletins and books with top secret military photographs, led their thought to one thing only: ...flying saucer!

After standing there long, doing nothing, one of the men–he who was previously bothered by the agitation of the dogs–hesitantly raised his rifle aiming at the object. The target was standing within a distance of fifty meters...

No...!!! the other patrolman shouted, putting his hand on his partner’s gun and pulling it down. "Remember... We are here to patrol and guard. Not to engage in battle! The world must first come upside down for you to shoot with this rifle...!"

The younger and nervous patrolman got a grip of himself and lowered his weapon. Before they could look again at the strange object ...it had disappeared.

We must report it! the one who had just raised his gun spoke again.

And say what...? Make a fool of ourselves ...or spread panic? Besides, as far as I’m concerned, it’s not the first time this happens... said the more cool-headed and experienced patrolman.

...Nearby, at the top of a frozen hill, the eagle-eyed Eskimo chief of the local tribe was monitoring the events taking place... He remained unflustered. The appearance of ‘unusual flying machines’ had been a way-too-old secret among the Inuit people of the area. Now, it was time the secret was shared by its European inhabitants, as well...

The Forbidden Igloo

Half-awake, nineteen-year-old Cas, an apprentice and aspiring gold prospector, inside the small facilities of the Thule Mining company, in the little town of Qaanaaq in northwestern Greenland, was continuously and uninterestedly spinning a wooden top on the desk of his mentor, Brian Theodorsen, while his other hand had paused on a page of an open book that was monopolizing his free time for the last few days.

Next to him, the easy-going, middle-aged mechanic of the company, Philip, had sprawled in excessive sloth over a shabby leather couch, holding a cup of tea with brandy and recollecting with his eyes closed, some good moments of his life. His unshaven face and unkempt look betrayed that proper grooming was not included in his priority list, in that isolated corner of the planet...

Is the book you’re reading any good? Philip asked Cas, all of a sudden, keeping his eyes shut. What’s it called, you said?

"‘Aurum Polare’... the young man answered slowly and emphatically. It’s a nice book... he went on a bit livelier, since Philip had pulled him out of his thought’s lethargy. You know what its name means, don’t you?"

"Aurum! Of course... It has something to do with gold. It’d be foolish of me to miss the Latin name for gold!"

"Indeed... It means polar gold!

"...Philip, you should read the page that talks about a big gold deposit under the North Pole..."

"Oh, yes... of course... Now I can see where all those dreams of yours about gold come from, right?"

"No, no...! The thing is I’ve been seeing those dreams long before I started reading the book...

It’s been written by a journalist who claims he had contacted an American admiral, named Byrd, just before he died...

"Byrd you said? ...Do you mean Richard Byrd, who flew over the North Pole back in 1926?"

"Yes! But what remains unknown to most people is that he revisited the North Pole area, during an unofficial expedition. Afterwards, in 1946, he led a great mission to explore Antarctica...

"Naturally, the journalist could not publish all the information he obtained, unless he declared his book a fiction novel...

"Here, listen to what it says... It’s amazing...: Herodotus, the so-called father of history, reports there are rich gold deposits in the North, which according to legend, the single-eyed Arimaspians are trying to steal. The gold is protected by the tribe of the Griffins... In terms of strength, Griffins resemble lions, but they are also winged. They perform short flights and fight bravely in the air...

"Then it goes on, Philip... Listen to this... It seems ancient people believed that the northernmost place in the world was home to the ‘Hyperboreans’ and some ‘Boreas’: ...The Hyperboreans are the longest-living humans and live up to a thousand years in a country where the sun never sets..."

"A thousand years...? What do you know!

You can’t believe such tales! Right, Cas?

"...Guess not. I dunno... But myths are the identity of nations... Isn’t that what they say?" spoke the young lad, displaying a remarkable piece of wisdom for his young age and shocking elderly Philip, who had just been ironic to Cas’ thoughts...

My God... you are right, boy! he said reconsidering and propped himself up, opening his eyes. "What a fool I must be! I’m really getting old...

"I don’t dare to think how flat our life would be without these stories! We would be leading a life without dreams...

I bow to your wisdom, Cas!

Coming from the room next door, some chatter from a forgotten telly, broadcasting its program, could be heard. Recently, special news bulletins about unknown flying objects and the break-offs of great ice masses from the poles, had worried people all over the world...:

"Explain this to us, please... Is the likelihood of a destruction of the planet based on substantive scientific evidence or is it just the result of a rampant catastrophology?" asked the serious, bass voice of a host.

"Look... There seems to be a general pattern, repeating itself... About every ten thousand years, Earth indeed goes through an ice age or a period of flood or intense quake activity, that is, in general, a sort of natural disaster of global proportions... answered the fully confident voice of the guest scientist. Imagine Earth like a giant magnet, with its north and south magnetic poles very near to their respective geographic ones. This magnet travels through space, electromagnetically interacting with the Sun, the Moon and the rest of the planets or even other galaxies...

"During its orbit around the sun, the rotational axis of Earth does not remain stable. A precession of the equinoxes, as we say, occurs... This precession can be traced on a cycle that completes itself about every 26 thousand years and has been named ...the Great Year of ‘Eniaftos’. It is the perfect time number...

"Through this journey of our planet, there are also internal changes in the water level and the position of the earth’s crust. On the other hand, there are some random phenomena taking place, like the passing of a comet, which may have an effect on the planet’s destiny..."

"Can we, through our life style, affect the destiny of the planet?" the presenter kept asking.

"We can accelerate some processes, but in reality, I believe we can only affect the micro-environment we are surrounded by... There is of course the theory of the ‘hole in the ozone layer’, the hot gases we emit ...or the large-scale weapons, but as a scientist, I cannot answer with certainty. Plato’s myth about ‘Atlantis’, for example, talks about a devastating war among human race, which submerged into sea a whole continent, which once stood in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean..."

The little two-story, wooden building the three of them lived in and housed the offices of the small company, was painted deep gold, completely fitting in with the local motif of the vividly painted houses with the steep metallic roofs–to let the snow slide down. The official word had it that it was nothing but a simple prospector’s office for finding gold, rather than a branch of a well-known mining company...

In reality, though, the sign on the front was just a cover... There was no such company as ‘Thule Mining’. The three-member personnel working there were actually executing contracts of secret cooperation with the Nalunaq gold mine–the first in Greenland’s history–, which was located at the southern shore of the country, on a mountainous location, near the town Nanortalik.

Besides, finding a new location that could be used for gold mining is not a piece of information that you want to share with anybody... The local population, however, had grown accustomed to the presence of the small team and had stopped asking questions. The secret must have been publicly shared already...

So, Brian, Philip and Cas made up a research team, in the employ of Nalunaq gold mine, whose purpose was the future expansion of the company’s activities into new territories...

Apart from Cas’ book lying on the untidy desktop, there were also several papers with chemical analyses, a radio, a coffee thermos and several unmatched leather and woolen gloves.

The old, wooden bookcase at the back, was hiding in its dust all the precious knowledge regarding the extraction of every possible treasure from the earth’s bosom... On the top shelf, in a prominent place, was the leather-bound tome of the mineral classification made by the Saxon A.G. Werner. Nearby, stood a crystallography study by the French Rene Havy, as well as an even older mineral list by doctor Georgius Agricola Bauer. An infinite display of books and monographs about the physical, chemical, financial, even therapeutic properties of the minerals and stones found in nature, were tightly pressed, one next to the other, overflowing from the shelves ...just as human need for dreaming and catching the impossible overflows.

Among the countless piled papers, one could discern some mementos and samples of extracted ores and rocks, mainly used as paperweights. Set aside–but not abandoned and forgotten–on one of the lower shelves, a timeworn book could be found, that must have been a very old possession... It was a translation of the Orphic poem ‘Lithics’, an