The Bond of Pain: Installment 1
Installment 1
Episodes 1 - 3
Revision 1.0
Original Release Date: March 29, 1998
Copyright 1998 Austin Rogers
1. A Sun and Shield
The High Priest of the City of Gold is inside the Burning Shield, to stop the Sun Power Unit from burrowing through the Earth's crust. He slides down the tunnel dug by the reactor. As he approaches the reactor, his robe catches fire. He removes the reactor's control rod, pulls the two halves apart, and installs Tao's jar.
When he pushes the control rod back into the reactor, a shock wave and a blast of heat result. The High Priest is thrown backwards. His mask falls off and is vaporized instantly.
A force field immediatly pops up between the High Priest and the reactor. Someone moves the High Priest onto a litter and begins dragging him back up through the tunnel.
Later that night, Mendoza, Sancho, and Pedro are camped on a narrow strip of sand separating the jungle from the ocean. They are huddled around the campfire.
Sancho and Pedro ask Mendoza how he plans on returning to Spain. Mendoza says that according to his calculations, they are on the East Coast of New Spain, not very far from the city of Veracruz. They begin to discuss the gold, but are interrupted.
A voice from the jungle tells them that they are surrounded. Several men encircle them, each carrying a heat ray.
Their commander, Makala, tests the gold with some device, finding out that it is 100% pure Heva gold. He then arrests them for stealing from the City of Gold.
The rangers bind Mendoza, Sancho, and Pedro, leading them to a small harbor. A Solaris ship is anchored there, with its solar sail deployed even though it is night. On its deck are several silver condors.
Makala orders the three Spaniards confined in a cabin below, and has the High Priest moved to the forward cabin. He also orders the ship's reactor (in the empty room with the golden walls, see Ep. 7 of the original MCoG) to full power and best speed towards the villiage of Leeja.
The next morning, Estaban lands the Golden Condor beside a river to eat breakfast. (The Mayans had provided them with victuals the previous day.) While eating, the three children discuss crossing the Pacific Ocean, finally deciding it is impossible because the Condor can only fly in the daytime. Also, the two medallions of the sun were supposedly destroyed with the first City of Gold.
A solar eclipse suddenly interrupts them. Tao explains that the moon is coming between the Earth and the sun. They do not have much time to marvel at the eclipse, however. A strange light from the Condor's cockpit and squawking from Kukapetl attract their attention.
They find the condor's control panel changed. All the original controls are there, but now there are several buttons and a viewscreen.
A pre-recorded message begins playing. The man who recorded it was Estaban's father, who reveals his identity as the High Priest of the City of Gold. Estaban bows his head, but does not have the opportunity to start grieving.
As the eclipse ends, the Condor goes into autopilot and takes off. Estaban and Tao are unable to control it. The Condor climbs to a high altitude, and then goes into a nosedive. There is a blinding flash of light, and they hear a signal from the battleship Totonac.
The Totonac, a huge flying machine, grabs the Condor with a tractor beam, pulling it up into a bay with several other silver condors.
A boy about the same age as Estaban and Tao greets them in the name of the Atlantean Alliance. After a few questions all around, the children learn that they have accidentally traveled several hundred years into the future, and that the Atlantean and Heva Empires have been revived.
2. Conflict of Ideals
It turns out that the Totonac is a gigantic battleship and carrier for the Atlantean Alliance. Its current heading is New Barcelona, the Atlantean capital.
Joaquin describes the current political state of the world. Most of the world is divided up between two gigantic empires: Atlantis and Heva. This political change was brought about by a series of archaeological discoveries and wars that began in the early 22nd century. Joaquin is the Chancellor of the Atlantean High Council. He says that he does not like his job, but it his responsibility because he is the last male descendant from the Atlantean royal family.
Joaquin also tells them that their Condor was damaged internally, and that his technicians are already working on it. He explains that these repairs and upgrades will take some time, during which they must stay in Atlantis.
Joaquin hints that Estaban, Zia, and Tao are important figures in history, and explains why their contact with the Atlantean populous could be disastrous. The three children agree with him, and promise to "stay put."
Later, Tao is kidnapped by some of the crew, who use a telepath to brainwash him. He is returned, and noone has even noticed that he was gone.
Suddenly, an explosion rocks the Totonac. A fleet of Heva Condors and Solaris Class Ships are attacking. The Totonac defends itself with lasers, Silver Condors, and a missle. The powerful missle destroys the small group of Solaris ships in a blinding explosion. The Totonac wins the battle, but is very badly damaged. It continues very slowly on its course towards New Barcelona.
Joaquin is furious. The Totonac's sensors did not detect the Heva fleet, and he wants to know why. He orders a full diagnostic of the sensors. He also communicates by the videoscreen in his quarters with various government officials and members of the Atlantean High Council until late in the night.
The last person he talks with is the Atlantean High Council majority leader. He agrees with Joaquin in his desire to prevent war between Atlantis and Heva. However, he says that the Council will not tolerate any more of these small attacks by the Heva. The Council is prepared to declare Joaquin incompetent because of his age if he will not take military action against Heva.
Joaquin checks the battleship relative time. It is very late. Joaquin remains sitting in a chair, unable to move. Suddenly, Estaban's hand is on his shoulder. Joaquin says that even though they just met that same day, Estaban is already like a brother to him.
3. Rumors of War
At sunrise the next morning, the Totonac is still only able to travel very slowly. They are still over the Atlantic Ocean, ETA in New Barcelona is two hours.
Some of the Totonac's officers make a report to Joaquin. The Totonac's sensors had not detected the attacking force the previous day because of sabatoge.
Two hours later, the Totonac passes over the city of Barcelona. Joaquin, Estaban, and Zia watch from an outside deck. Tao refuses to come out on deck, and Estaban accuses him of sulking.
The Totonac finally docks just outside of New Barcelona, a reconstructed City of Gold. Joaquin points out the Totonac's sister ship, the Toltec, still under construction.
Joaquin also explains how the ancient Hevans and Atlanteans knew how to synthesize a super-strong alloy of gold, making it a cheap and viable building material. He takes them to a pyramid where the children will stay while in Atlantis. He explains that they must not leave the pyramid without either him or a security detail.
Later, Estaban, Zia, Tao, and Joaquin are in the central pyramid of New Barcelona. They receive a signal from the Heva emperor, being publicly broadcasted.
The Heva Emperor explains in his broadcast that the Atlantean Alliance has violated the Treaty of Bimini, which the Heva interpret as an act of war. The Heva Emperor orders all Hevans out of Atlantean territories, and declares war on the Atlantean Alliance.
Joaquin explains the Treaty of Bimini to Estaban and Zia. Both the revived Atlantean Alliance and the revived Heva Empire voluntarily signed this treaty. Joaquin explains how he had made a grevious error the previous day, when he ordered the use of the missle on the attacking Heva Solaris fleet. The missle had been a weapon of the sun, utilizing fusion, the same power that the sun uses.
Tao takes no interest in Joaquin's explanation, but turns away from them, with an evil grin.
The
Place of Duality
Uncle Delphi's Mysterious Cities of Gold
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