Tractrix (Seeds of Civilization) - Softcover

R. J. Archer

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0977910903 ISBN 13: 9780977910908

Publisher: Nwidi Press, 2006

Synopsis

When aerospace engineer and recent widower Frank Morton wins an $86 million lottery jackpot, he decides to retire and devote his time to a life-long interest in ancient mysteries. Coincidently, an old Viet Nam buddy shows up with a mysterious black sphere inscribed with what appear to be Maya hieroglyphics. Intrigued, Frank convinces his buddy and two other friends, an anthropologist and a newspaper researcher, to help him investigate the origin and purpose of the sphere. Their search takes Frank and his friends on a journey from Seattle to the secret military installations of Nevada and on to Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Along the way, they become involved in a murder investigation and attract the unwanted attention of government agents, Mexican Federales and an ancient Maya priest. They also stumble across a three thousand year old secret that suggests a possible link between the shamans of Mesoamerica and a race of alien explorers.

About this title

About the Author

R.J. Archer is a computer consultant and freelance writer who has called the Pacific Northwest home for more than 30 years. He has published numerous articles on PC-related topics in both print and electronic magazines and he is currently a Contributing Editor for The Office Letter (officeletter.com), a weekly online newsletter that focuses on Microsoft’s Office suite.

Mr. Archer holds a Bachelor of Science degree with dual majors in Physics and Mathematics from Portland State University.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Tony scooted his chair up to the table and leaned forward, motioning for Frank to also lean closer. Scanning the room for potential eavesdroppers, Tony began to speak in an uncharacteristically soft voice. "Frank, about three days ago I was down around Las Vegas. I stopped for dinner in a little town called Beatty, about 115 miles north of Vegas on U.S. Highway 95. I had dinner in the restaurant and then I went into the small bar and casino to make my usual donation to the Nevada treasury. There was a pretty good crowd that night, mostly other truckers like myself. There was a boxing match on television so I sat down at the end of the bar and ordered a Coke."

Tony drained his drink just as the waitress arrived with their refills and he didn t say anything more until she had left the table. When she was out of ear shot, Tony leaned back over the table and continued.

"Between the rounds of the boxing match this old guy named Al and I got to talking. I mentioned that I was a truck driver and I asked him if he was retired because he looked like he was in his seventies, at least.

"The old man shook his head and said No, I should be, but I work up at the mountain.

"I had no idea what mountain he meant, so I asked him.

" Yucca Mountain, he replied. It s southeast of here, out on the range.

"Well, at this point I was completely lost, because I d never heard of any Yucca Mountain and I didn t think there was much range country around Las Vegas just desert and military stuff."

"I ve heard of that place," nodded Frank, "It s been in the news a lot lately. It s out near a place called the Nevada Test Site. I think they re planning to use it to store radioactive waste or something like that."

"Well, I d never heard of it. Anyway, between rounds this old guy starts telling me about a huge underground tunnel the government is building up there, all the time glancing back over his shoulder as if checking to see if he s being watched. When he started talking about how they are using it to store some very unusual objects, I got curious."

Tony paused and took another sip of his drink.

"Is there a point to all this, Tony?" asked Frank. "Every old timer in Nevada has a story about buried treasure or hidden gold mines. That s how they bilk drink money out of tourists and apparently truck drivers, too," smiled Frank.

"Well yes, my friend, there is a point, if you ll just be patient," whispered Tony. "Between rounds 8 and 9 of the boxing match, old Al tugged on my sleeve. They have alien stuff up there, you know, he said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I tried to humor him and explained that I d heard stories about alleged flying saucers that had been captured by the Air Force and were being reverse engineered at a place called Area 51. No, he shook his head, I never saw any flying saucers, but I do have a couple of these gadgets that I ve been studying. Strictly hush-hush, you understand. They have more of them out there, too, he said as he handed me what looked like a dimpled black metal sphere about the size of a major league baseball."

Edition details

• Publisher: Nwidi Press
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0977910903
• ISBN 13: 9780977910908
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 332