Tomb of the Lost

Chapter THIRTY NINE



Cables trailed the small R.O.V. as it snaked its way through the wreck of the freighter ‘Tangipito’. On the bridge of the ‘Volante’ Ali, Dennis, Hutchinson and Natalie watched its progress on monitor screens. Dennis was standing behind Natalie, who was seated, his hands lightly on her shoulders. She had warmed to his touch. A reaction that had not gone unnoticed by Hutchinson. He ignored it to concentrate on the screen. With the lights on the submersible they could see how murky the water was.

“We’re entering the hold of the freighter now,” Ali said. He pointed to a computer screen displaying a cut through diagram of the ’Tangipito’ taken from the ship’s original blueprints.

“It looks like they didn’t have time to batten down the hatches,” Dennis said.

“Or just didn’t have them. Some ships don’t you know, especially ones of this age.”

Ali put his finger on the cut through diagram.

“We’re in hold number one. This ship has a….a….I don’t know the English….”

“A partition,” Hutchinson added helpfully.

“A partition,” the Turk continued, “The hold is divided into two. Natalie you and your team entered through the stern into this section. This is where you believe you saw what you think may be the sarcophagus.”

He glanced up at her.

“Yes.”

Ali maneuvered the submersible further into the hold. Bubbles were escaping from the hull and rising up. He steered through them. The R.O.V. was now met with a solid wall of debris.

“Some of this is the original cargo.”

“It must have moved. Been disturbed by the recent earthquake,” from Hutchinson.

“Possibly.”

“Can you find a way through it?”

The R.O.V. moved very close to the wreckage. He nudged a crate accidentally and it fell forward bumping into the submersible.

“Careful. Careful,” Hutchinson said.

They watched as the crate disintegrated in front of them.

“The wood is completely putrefied,” Peter Dennis said.

“It’s had sixty years of being constantly soaked,” Natalie added.

“I suppose it would be impossible to get the cargo up in the crates wouldn’t it,” Dennis said.

“In the crates Yes. It may be possible to get the items out individually. That is of course if they’re of any value.”

“And if we have the time,” from the American.

“Apart from the sarcophagus what would she have been carrying?” Natalie asked Dennis.

“They were evacuating a major supply port so I guess, fuel, munitions, possibly troops, though my grandfather told me they left in a hurry and most of the Germans got left behind and were captured.”

“So you’re saying there could be munitions down there.”

“I’m saying it’s a possibility.”

Ali spoke without taking his eyes off the monitor.

“Don’t worry Mr Hutchinson my team are trained in all aspects of diving, including the use of or dangers of explosives.”

“Wouldn’t it have gone up with the torpedo strike on the stern?” Dennis asked.

“Not always,” Ali replied, “It depends on many things, point of impact, whether the strike was followed by a fire, whether any explosives were armed. Sixty years of sea water won’t have done them much good. If there are any. We don’t know for sure.”

“No of course not.”

“Don’t worry Mr Hutchinson. If there are any my team is more than qualified to deal with it.”



For over an hour Ali maneuvered the remote operated vehicle around the hold of the wrecked freighter. Finally he conceded to everyone present that there was no way of getting into the second part of the hold. He would now try to enter via the stern as the divers had only yesterday. Having concentrated for so long with the controls he now handed over to his first officer to get the R.O.V. out. The man eagerly took the controls and began turning the submersible. Those watching could see more of the cargo strewn everywhere.

Suddenly the R.O.V. stopped moving. The officer pushed forward lightly on the controls.

Nothing.

“We have a problem boss,” he said.

Ali had just poured himself coffee. He banged the mug down and rushed over.

“What’s wrong.”

“It just stopped moving forward.”

“Can you move side to side?”

“Yes.”

“Backwards?”

“Yes. Just not forward. Something must have happened to the cable.”

Ali picked up his walkie-talkie and called the crew members controlling the winch for the submersible.

“This submersible has a mile of lines,” he said.

The winch operator’s voice cut in.

“Yes Captain.”

“What’s happening?”

“Not sure sir. The cable won’t feed out or retract.”

“Stand by.”

Ali ran his fingers through his short curly hair.

“Can you still not move forward?”

“No. Do you want me to try again Captain?”

“No we’d better not risk it. See if you can turn around to look behind. One hundred and eighty degrees.”

The controller carefully turned the R.O.V. around.

“Anything?”

“Not yet.”

“Try to maneuver so I can see the cables.”

He got the R.O.V. into position. Now, looking at the monitor they could see the tether and cables climbing up to the submersible at a forty five degree angle.

“Follow it slowly.”

The crewman pushed gently forward on the joystick. The submersible began retracing its route following the cable down. He had to keep the R.O.V. diving at an angle as the cable went slack and fell away to the floor. Then the R.O.V. came across the crates, that had fallen, trapping the lines. The wood was rotten and the crates had fallen apart, spilling their contents. The R.O.V. hovered in close, giving them a good all round view.

“I don’t think I can break out of it Captain. Any attempt may sever the connecting lines and the equipment may get damaged or lost.”

Ali stared at the monitor. Natalie stepped forward.

“Let my team go in.”

Ali looked at her.

“It may be too dangerous. The wreck has obviously been unsettled by the recent earthquake. I couldn’t guarantee your team would be safe.”

“We’ll get out of there the moment there is even a hint of danger.”

The sound of the Lynx helicopter, on the ‘Wavecrest’ deck, powering up drifted to them.

“There really isn’t much time Captain,” Hutchinson said, “Natalie will get her team out at the smallest sign of danger.”

Ali looked back down at the monitor, the cables taut on the screen.

“The Lynx is lifting off,” Dennis said watching through binoculars, “I think there are divers on board, “he lied.”

“Very well,” Ali decided, “But we get out at the first sign of trouble. We still don’t know if there are munitions on board the freighter. Your team has permission to enter the water Mr Hutchinson but I will be sending in the claw.”

Dennis leaned in close to Natalie and whispered in her ear.

“The claw?”

She half turned to his voice and nodded.

“What’s the claw?”



“This is the claw,” the first officer told Dennis as he pulled off the special R.O.V.’s cover. This submersible was easily three times the size of the one trapped. Dennis whistled.

“The next size up can carry one man.”

“I take it it’s called the claw because of this.”

Peter Dennis ran his hand along the shaft of the arm attached to the front. A large pincer type claw was bolted to the arm.

“Yes. This claw can cut through most materials but with a gentle touch it can carry items. It will rescue the stricken R.O.V. for us.”

“How would it stand up to explosives?”

“Explosives?”

“Yes. Say shells from a sunken warship.”

“Oh I see. Well of course it could become damaged from such a shock but these things can take immense pressures on their frames. The ones that found the Titanic over twenty years ago were at depths of two and a half miles and technology has come a long way since then. Rest assured this is the man for the job.”

The dive team came out on deck. George at their head, Natalie was last in deep conversation with Hutchinson. Dennis tried to speak to her before she went in but didn’t get the chance and once again he felt his frustration rising at not being directly involved.

The six divers waited at the surface for the clawed R.O.V. to be lowered. Natalie suddenly turned and gave him the thumbs up. He blew her a kiss. She grinned, then placed her regulator in her mouth and dived.

The water was much clearer than before. She could already see the dark silhouette of the wreck. The cables of the stricken R.O.V. trailed down into the gloom.

At the wreck the team quickly moved inside the hold. The ’Claw’ followed slowly behind and entered in a cloud of bubbles.

On the bridge of the ’Volante’ Ali and Hutchinson were in direct radio contact with Natalie. The images from both R.O.V.‘s were blurred. Hutchinson spoke into his headset.

“Nat we’re not getting very clear images as yet. I think the team might be stirring up a little silt. What can you see?”

“It’s fairly clear down here for us today. I can see the R.O.V.”

“How does it look?” Ali asked, “Is it damaged?”

“No I don’t think so. It’s vertical, pointing downwards, from where you’ve shut it down.”

“Can you see what’s pinning it down?”

“George is looking now. It appears to be wooden crates of some sort, I think, yes, they’re disintegrating as he’s touching them. The wood looks to be slimy. It….” her voice trailed off.

On the bridge of the ’Volante’ they waited.

“Have we lost radio contact?” Hutchinson asked.

Ali checked the equipment.

“No. She stopped talking.”

“Natalie.”

No response.

“Natalie.”

“Just a second.”

When her voice was next heard it sounded different, almost nervous.

“Jim we’ve got a real problem down here.”

“What’s wrong Natalie?”

Ali was frantically trying to move the claw into position.

“George has moved some of the debris. We now know what is pinning down the R.O.V. Jim.”

Hutchinson was staring at the images on the monitor coming from the claw. They still couldn’t see anything of importance.

“We’re still not getting anything Nat. What’s causing it?”

To his horror he heard her say.

“Shells Jim. Artillery shells.”

There was absolute silence. Natalie gave time for the words to sink in. Now Hutchinson’s voice was nervous.

“How many?” he asked, his throat feeling suddenly dry.

“Dozens.”

Hutchinson took his headset off so his voice couldn’t be heard.

“Captain my team has never dealt with munitions before.”

Ali spoke directly to Natalie, not wishing to waste any time.

“Natalie I need you and your team to be extremely careful while we ascertain the danger. Now don’t be alarmed. If the shells falling out of their crate didn’t set them off they might be stable. Remember the earthquake and a torpedo sixty years ago didn’t trigger them but we must be very cautious. Ok.”

Natalie had by now taken a few deep breaths.

“Yes.”

“Good. Now I need to know their condition. Do they look like they’re corroded?”

“Very.”

“I knew they would be. The next question is are they unstable?”

“I don’t know. How can I tell?”

“You can’t. How many crates of them would you say there are?”

“A few. It’s an absolute mess down here.”

Ali moved his microphone away from his mouth.

“I’m going to need someone to get one of these shells to the surface,” he said to Hutchinson.

“What are the risks?” Dennis cut in.

“That’s what I’m trying to ascertain Mr Dennis.”

“Can they not just work around them?” the journalist asked.

“No the risk needs to be assessed. If that ammunition is unstable and something or someone causes it to explode it could bring the whole wreck down upon them. We could lose everything. The ship, the team, the sarcophagus.”

“Which if I may remind you we haven’t located yet,” Dennis said.

“It’s there,” Jim Hutchinson replied, ”It has to be.”

“Which of your team can get a shell to the surface for me?” Ali asked.

Hutchinson knew he had no choice.

“Let Natalie decide.”



Fifteen minutes later a small orange flotation bag broke the surface. The dinghy waiting nearby raced over to it. The divers positioned in a group around the shell waited for it to be pulled aboard the small boat. They waited for the dinghy, which took the shell to the ’Volante’ to return for them. By the time Natalie, George and the others were on deck Ali’s team were at work on the corroded shell. It was ten minutes before a member of his team looked up and said.

“It’s safe.”

A sigh of relief went around the deck.

“Good,” Ali said, “We can begin bringing the others up. Get our R.O.V. rescued and find what we’re looking for.”



Back in the water the dive team got to clearing the artillery shells. Soon dozens of orange bags were dotted on the surface of the sea. The shells were rounded up by the dinghy, whose crew worked frantically. The shells were taken aboard and were being placed in crates, laid carefully between layers of wood shavings. By the afternoon the R.O.V. was free. Now they began their search for the sarcophagus.

Natalie swam ahead of the group and entered the hold. The other divers right behind. The whirring R.O.V.’s came last. Natalie checked her position. She could see the great gaping wound at the ship’s stern.

“This is it,” she said, ”We’re back.”

“Can you see it?” Hutchinson asked excitedly.

“No. Not yet. We need the submersibles.”

Hutchinson looked at the large flat screen monitors. The images from the R.O.V.’s were grainy from the silt in the water.

“This is exactly where I was when I thought I saw it seconds before the earthquake hit.”

Ali spoke to the R.O.V. operator.

“Hit the lights.”

They flashed on brilliantly, dazzling the divers. It took a while for their eyes to adjust to the bright lights. Natalie looked down and let out a gasp of breath into her facemask. Rising up out of the silt was a stone sarcophagus. She swam down gently until her feet were on the floor, careful not to stir up any more silt and debris. She took off her glove and with her heart thumping from the excitement she reached out and touched it. The rest of the group spread themselves around it, hands stroking it. Natalie felt the carvings, made two thousand years ago through her fingertips.

“Jim,” she called, “We’ve found it.”

Hutchinson reached out shakily and brought his microphone in close to his mouth.

“How sure are you?”

She felt the texture of the stone through her fingertips again.

“This is definitely it,” she said.

There was a roar of applause on the bridge of the ‘Volante.’

“How does it look? What’s its condition?”

“It looks to be fairly good, what I can see of it. It’s empty and the lid is missing.”

“Empty?”

“Yes. I’m afraid so.”

Then she realised the implications of what she’d just said. Hutchinson’s dream of finding Alexander’s sarcophagus intact was now gone in that one sentence she’d just said. The dream of gazing upon the remains of the young King now lay shattered. Hutchinson sank slowly into a chair. Dennis could see the anguish on the American’s face.

“Jim there was no guarantee that his body was still inside after the millenia. I wouldn’t imagine the Germans back in 1943 would have opened it before it had arrived in Germany. After all it was Hitler’s dream. They would have wanted him to have been the first. There is no guarantee he was still there after the Romans moved him. For all we know Caesar may have used a decoy. I wouldn’t put it past them.”

“Yes. You’re right of course,” Hutchinson replied, “There was no guarantee. But we still have the sarcophagus.”

He got up and placed his hand on Ali’s shoulder.

“We now need to get it up.”