Chapter Twenty
A Rare Harvest
“In recent years, there has been what can only be described as a rather strenuous focus on particular minerals that are found within the layers of this planet… they are called rare earth elements, and they have become increasingly valuable in the world economy as this exciting century has marched on,” Evelyn explained. “They’re particularly special because they’re a critical component in the development and manufacture of many of the newest technologies.”
Maria and Sara followed close behind, eagerly absorbing this information, anxious to see how it all tied into their current objective.
“Now here’s where things get interesting,” Evelyn continued. “There is a limited, finite supply of these minerals in the earth. With our world becoming evermore invested in technology, it’s a logical prediction that we may soon run out of these precious resources – or at the very least, experience severe limitations in availability. Just think… one day, in the near future, these elements may become more precious than gold or platinum!
“With this significance in mind, the Black Hats stepped up their efforts, and began harvesting these rare earth elements with an enthusiasm and vigor that was unrivaled by their peers. They searched the world, wide and far, seeking those circumstances that would best serve their interests. Soon, it became clear that China has an inordinate proportion of these rare earth elements, and it was there that the Black Hats focused their energies, mining for these precious resources… for you understand, there is nothing more important to them than the advancement of technological innovation, for it is the key to advancing their plans.
“It was at one of their Chinese mining sites where something… strange… was found. They were seeking rare earth elements, but they had stumbled upon something much more unusual. It was something that they had no experience with, nor did they have any concept of what exactly they had found.”
“What was it?” Maria asked.
“At first, they thought it was a remnant of an ancient civilization, a statue that had been left behind by some unknown group of long ago. Of course, I knew the truth of what they had stumbled upon, for I had the benefit of Magellan’s journal. I had been keeping a close eye on their mining operation as they went about extracting their elements, desperately hoping they would not unveil what I knew to be buried there. But once they uncovered it, I felt I had no choice but to approach them and attempt to infiltrate their ranks. For it was no statue they had discovered.”
“Well?” Sara asked. She and her sister were itching to hear where this was leading. “What was it? Please, tell us!”
“Was it that giant Guardian Lion that I almost touched in the museum?” Maria asked.
Evelyn chuckled. “No, it was not the Guardian Lion, though that was discovered in the same region. What they had stumbled upon was something far larger – a creature called Pan Gu.”
“And this creature was buried deep in the earth?” Maria asked.
“Yes,” Evelyn said. “As I told you, they had thought that Pan Gu was a statue when they first unearthed it, but this was not the case. Pan Gu is organic in nature, but thousands of years ago, it began a great slumber, or a long-term hibernation. As it engaged in this deep sleep, its body formed a hard outer shell, to protect it from damage… a sort of exoskeleton. This is what makes it appear to be a gigantic statue, upon first inspection.”
“And this… this gigantic creature… this is what you’re taking us to go see? Beneath the museum?” Sara asked.
“Indeed, I am! And it’s quite a sight to behold, I assure you. With their elaborate drilling equipment and insatiable thirst for rare earth elements, the Black Hats managed to bore into a network of caverns. This is where Pan Gu rested, and they were most intrigued by the discovery. With my assistance, they were able to skillfully extract the solidified creature without damaging it. We then transported this remarkable find to Portsmouth, hiding it and then building this museum atop it. Pan Gu is one of the Black Hats’ most valuable treasures.”
“This is all very interesting, and I can’t wait to see what all the fuss is about. But what does it have to do with us?” Sara asked. “I just don’t get that part of it.”
“When you children whipped Jasper and his vaunted Mecha-Machine… well, he took that really badly, as you can imagine. When his carefully laid plans were foiled, he was devastated and enraged. He vowed to avenge this insult to his ego, at all costs… but that’s not all, I’m afraid. There has been a great hustle and bustle in recent days, as the plans of the Black Hats have advanced. If they possess this power cell that you’ve described, I fear for what they’re about to attempt.”
Maria looked toward her sister, and the both of them exchanged an apprehensive glance. They were beginning to feel a bit nervous about the direction of Evelyn’s story. “And what does that mean, exactly?”
“If my theory is correct, they’re going to try to awaken Pan Gu. I knew they were planning something big, but this… this goes beyond what I had imagined.”
“And like you told us, Jasper and his cronies hastily arranged this field trip, didn’t they?” Sara asked. “Simply so we could be here when they unveiled their trump card.”
“I’m afraid so,” Evelyn said. “Jasper has taken an unusually strong interest in you children, and his taste for vengeance cannot be pacified. He’s out to get you Beans, I’m afraid.”
“But that… that’s ridiculous,” Maria argued. “We’re a bunch of ten and eleven-year-olds. Jasper’s a grown man, and he considers himself to be a brilliant mechanical engineer. Doesn’t he realize how absurd this is?”
“His ego can tolerate no disrespect, I’m afraid,” Evelyn replied. “You’ve officially made his list of enemies, and he wants you here for what he believes will be his finest hour – and a huge moment for the Black Hats on their march toward supremacy.”
“Bring him on,” Sara said. “If that doorknob actually thinks we’re afraid of him, he must have really bonked his head harder than we thought!”
“He’s certainly spilled a few of his marbles, if not all of them,” Maria opined. “He’s flipped his wig! Fallen off his rocker! Blown a gasket, I tell ya!”
“How are the Black Hats going to use SunTech to waken Pan Gu?” Sara asked. “And more importantly, what do we need to do to stop them?”
Evelyn suddenly came to a halt, and the sisters, who had been following close behind, almost collided with her. Maria and Sara looked beyond the curator, and saw that she had stopped before a large, steel door that was reinforced with heavy rivets and bolts.
To one side, there was a rectangular pad, upon which Evelyn placed her palm. This was apparently the means by which entry was granted, for once she rested her hand against the surface, the door slid open, whooshing into a hidden recess.
Evelyn marched ahead, and the sisters followed on her heels. They entered a large corridor with tall, wide doors opposite one another. The doors were incredibly well built and bolted, conveying the impression that they were protecting things of great value.
On the surface of each door, there was a placard with one or two words emblazoned. However, these labels were of little use to the sisters, as they were not familiar with the words, such as Anubis and Nkuba and Baba Yaga… among many, many others.
Here, it seemed that the thudding and cursing of Jasper was louder, as if he might be wiggling his way closer to their position, as he bumbled about the immense air ducts of the building.
“We’ve arrived,” the curator announced. “We’ve reached the lowest level of the museum… and it sounds as though Jasper is having a devilish time trying to escape.”
“So… what would the consequences of awakening Pan Gu be, exactly?” Sara asked.
“It’s impossible to say, of course, but Jasper, being the narcissist that he is, probably believes that he will be the master of this ancient creature, and that it will obey his every wish, indebted to him for awakening it from its slumber. Mr.
Weatherbee is equally oblivious, and I’m sure he’s completely onboard with such a notion.”
“So he’s gone bonkers, too, has he?” Maria asked.
“Well, yes, but he’s a particular kind of crazy. Smart crazy, with a bunch of power at his fingertips.”
“Wonderful,” Sara commented. “That is a truly fantastic recipe for disaster.”
“Say, what’s behind all these doors, Ms. Magellan?” Maria asked.
“A great assortment of similarly hibernated creatures, collected from across the globe. Some of them, I regret to admit, I revealed to the Black Hats, in order to gain their trust. I knew of their locations, thanks to Magellan’s journal. Others were discovered as the Black Hats continued their mining expeditions across the planet, greedily harvesting as many rare earth elements as they could. Recently, we’ve run out of empty chambers in this hidden area of study, so we’ve taken to putting newly discovered creatures in with the other exhibits of the museum, upstairs.”
“You mean like that Guardian Lion that I almost knocked into?” Maria asked.
“Precisely.”
“See?” Maria asked her sister. “I told you there was something weird about that thing! Who can blame me for wanting to take a closer look at it?”
Finally, the corridor ended, and there was one last door, straight ahead. It was similar to the others, in terms of height and width. It, too, had the placard squarely placed upon its surface at eye level. Unlike the others, however, there were no words printed on this label.
Instead, there was but a single symbol. It was very intricate, composed from a combination of straight lines and squiggly ones, forming something that was ultimately indecipherable. Although the sisters could not make sense of this symbol, they received a strange impression from it… it was as if the thing was radiating strength, a sort of immovable power that could be accumulated only during the long passage of several centuries.
“This symbol… what does it mean?” Maria asked.
“This,” Evelyn explained, “is the Chinese character for dragon.”