Aardvarks to Planet X

balding man gave a bow of reverence. "He had made a study of Dennis Kings record's, of the island you spoke of.” Darren cut him off at this point. "Yes I've seen the T.V. program about those two brothers, and how they have to leave in the winter time. And I've been thinking. If we can go when the water is frozen, wouldn't it be easier to get out?"

  The men were a bit dumb struck at the great one's knowledge. So he explained about the T.V. show, and they soon caught on. Arthur even suggested "we can get a permit for this. Our brothers in the Halifax branch in Nova Scotia, will have no problem with any paperwork." Darren beamed over a glass of mulled wine. "I think we'd better keep it low key though. I don't want any unwanted visitors."

  So a couple of weeks later, as the snow lay deep all around. Darren stood on the small island off Nova Scotia, with a dedicated team of specialists in mining, engineering and archaeology. All masons to a man. They had decided under the guiding hand of Darren, to head strait for the money pit. Where the treasure hunt had begun over two centuries ago. The ninety foot deep hole was long lost. It had been destroyed in all the years of the search for the treasure of Oak Island. But luckily close by to the site of the original hole, stood ten X. The infamous shaft had been constructed by one of the treasure hunters. And that it self had claimed two of the six lives; this island had demanded in payment to reveal its secrets.

  The chief engineer turned to Darren. "Oh great one, we have gathered in secret to this spot. No unauthorised people will disturb us, the whole operation is covered by this white tarpaulin." He indicated overhead, "and baffles shield the coast from any noise we make. The snow lies heavy on the ground I think it is time to begin operations." So Darren pulled the switch, and the great pipe began to suck the water from the ancient catacombs. The water level began to drop. "You see great one", explained the engineer. "The extreme cold has frozen the water in the pipes connected to the sea. So no new water will come in."

  After half a day, a bowing engineer entered the great one's heated trailer. "Oh great one. The water is finally out of the tunnels." "Excellent, begin shoring up like you explained." So the job of making safe began. First the initial hole was relined with reinforced concrete rings. Then began the painstaking task of widening and lining the remainder of the shaft, to the chamber below. "It's all very exciting", Darren confided to his mother over a mobile phone. "They'll soon be able to explore the under ground chamber."

  Not too long after that, Darren was taken through the next stage of the operation. "What we have here oh great one", the expert explained. "Is a drone, with a real time camera and light. So you can see as it fly’s through the tunnel system. All from the comfort of this trailer." He indicated the monitor. "Very good", dismissed Darren. Then he sat back to watch his very special episode of the TV show.

  Out side the engineers were crowded round another monitor. They too were carefully watching the tiny explorer’s progress, down the tunnel system. But they pointed out places where the roof needed shoring up. "Look a pipe end, I bet that leads back to the sea. We could pump plastic foam into it and seal it water tight." Then the robot came to a walled off section. And an excited follower burst in to Darren’s trailer. "Oh great one, can you see the symbol of final sealing?" He pointed at the screen. "That has not been used since the time of Ashen Anker, when the pharaohs ruled Egypt." "Now that's what I call an exciting program. Can we get a tape for my mom?"

  Then he settled down for a late supper. While a team of engineers carried out the shoring up, and sealing work in the tunnels. As dawn broke, the newly explored tunnels on Oak Island were deemed safe for human activity. Darren sat tucking into a hearty breakfast, as the latest episode of this bizarre real life TV show unfurled. The engineers just in front of the camera were drilling through to the sealed chamber.

  Then a tiny camera was inserted through the hole. There was a mishmash of objects; it was hard to tell what was in there. But then one engineer came over the radio. "Can you smell that ancient air? This place must have been sealed tight." Darren leaned in, and spoke to his mike. "Break it down already, the suspense is killing me. You're getting all this on tape aren’t you?"

  So with hammering sounds coming over the radio, Darren waited with bated breath. "I suppose it must be safe," he thought. While the vibrations from the blows, shook the dust from the ceiling. Then Darren got a shot of an enormous face. It was close up of one engineer, as he gasped in amazement. "What is it?" Demanded the leader of the masonic order.

  The camera panned around to reveal the chamber, but then the link was lost. Darren tore from his trailer. "Where's my show?" he demanded. A nervous looking technician pointed at the now restored transmission. And a placated Darren joined the technical team outside. To see various boxes and artefacts, clearly made of gold. He nodded and called to the crew. "Break out the Champaign, and get it hauled up here." Then he retreated to the warm trailer, for a drop of the good stuff.

  By mid morning all the objects in the chamber had been carefully logged; and passed through the tunnels. Then they were hauled up the shaft, so recently opened up. One box was so big, it only just squeezed through the gap. But finally all the treasure was laid out for Darren to survey. "It's an impressive haul" Darren commended his loyal followers. "Those two brother will be sick as parrots, when then come back next year." Then he began to inspect the booty, under the instruction of the chief archaeologist.

  "Oh great one, you are the rightful owner of this wealth. After all, it was laid down by our order in the past. See here the enormous wealth gathered for this great day. This wooden cup is said to be the true Holy Grail." Darren turned it over in his hand and mused. "I think I stick to my cut crystal", and taking a sip from the glass in his hand moved on. "The arc of the covenant oh mighty one. Reputed to make any army that bore it undefeatable." Darren peered closer. "It's a bit smaller than in that film, typical Hollywood show offs." Next he picked up a gold circle, and placed it on his head. "The crown of king Solomon oh great one." The informative archaeologist continued. Darren turned to his loyal supporters. "Has anyone seen the man who would be king?”

  Asteroid '49ers

  It was a meeting between an ageing James Conrich, and his astronomical advisor. Lord Lambington; the twenty seventh Earl of Swanwick. "You recall how I pointed out the need to exchange an equal mass, from Earth to the Moon. So minerals extracted there wouldn't cause the Earth's rotation to slow, and bring on the long night. Well, with the colony ships leaving our little two bodied system. The Earth may shift orbit, from mass loss. Thus causing the same problem." The nonagenarian thought a while, and then he replied. “Well I always though the buck stops here. A man must clear up his messes." So the great asteroid mining franchise was born, in the summer of '49. The same year the people of Earth gave Pluto back its pride, re-elevating it to a fully-fledged planet. Conrich never lived to see the first mining ships leave.

  Jake Bibbings and Ron Duffel were at each other's throats again. Why they shipped out together, no one knows. But like the proverbial chalk and cheese, they were once more bound together for the long sleep. Before they could begin earning the money. The asteroid belt was too close for sub jumps to be accurate enough, especially with no target with enough mass to aim for. So the only way to complete the journey, was in deep sleep. Or the cold bed, as most miners referred to it.

  This time Jake was ranting about the whole point of mining asteroids. "If Conrich Hadn't got the idea of sending chunks of Earth off into the big black.” “We would end up stuck on Earth, or Mars when the sun goes pop." Retorted Ron, "It had to be done." "Well I still don't like it." "You like the money." Jake grunted his disapproval.

  They had to do all the checks; before the accelerating ram drive would kick in. When the men would be safely in their acceleration proof chambers. Chilled to one hundred and fifty below zero. Jake and Ron would never know the flash of the explosion behind them. The craft would be pushed to faster speeds, and then slowed again from the mid point. So they could stop at the other end. All by the
same same process, controlled by the autopilot. They were essentially super cargo, passengers on the rented franchise. Charged to bring back home minerals and mass. Fulfilling the age-old dance of supply and demand.

  The real work for them would be done two hundred and fifty million miles from Earth. "Well I still think it's too dangerous for the money", argued Jake. "All those nuclear bombs stowed fore and aft. You know that Conrich's ghost is the biggest arms dealer the world has ever known." "Yes but only because he needed them to run these drives. Besides, if his ships weren't setting them off safely away from the Earth. Some general may get an itchy trigger finger, and we'd have a cinder to return to. The day we run out of fuel for these ships, I'll be a happy and rich man, same as you. Now did you check the shielding? I don't want to get a dose of gamma radiation."

  Jake read off the dial, “yes all O.K. How many minutes until we’re a safe distance from Earth?" Checking his wristwatch, Ron replied. "We've got about half an hour, plenty of time. Have you checked teddy?" Teddy was the nickname of the autopilot, because they would not be able to sleep through the voyage, with out Teddy