By T. A. Terga
An alarm sets off in the affluent home of a chosen family. Eight year-old Misa and her mother, Dr. Yin, quickly jump into a small dark closet.
An alarm starts a count down. "Ten, one hundred, Nine, one hundred..."
The mother-daughter pair hold each other tightly in the closet, their eyes expectantly fixed on their wristphones to receive a call from Dad.
"Hurry," cries out Dr. Yin Hwan, while her daughter's tears start flowing down her cheek.
An alarm bulb in the closet ceiling flashes a light. The closet back wall opens in two revealing an elevator. The elevator door opens and a bell rings.
Dr. Yin takes a step toward the elevator, gently pulling her daughter behind her. But Misa holds her ground.
"I won't go without Daddy," she blurted out resolutely.
Just then, Misa's phone screen lights up, and Dr. Yang's face smiles at his daughter for the last time.
"Daddy, no, please come." Misa pleads through her sobs.
"Go with your mum, Misa, I'm on my way," he sounded rushed, I'll meet you in Utopia." He forces a smile, "I love you Mi."
The mother picks Misa up from her knees and rushes into the elevator. She pushes the red button on the panel and instantly, the elevator speeds down the chute.
Dr. Yin hols her daughter in her her arms and clenches her teeth to muffle her cries.
The elevator door opens. The mother-daughter pair inch their way out and step onto a desolate platform. With faces contorted by pain, they look from side to side.
Clinging on to each other on the lonely platform, they give way to frantic sobs.
Minutes later, a bullet train arrives. Its only door opens.
With a slow determined motion, Dr. Yin looks at her daughter and holds her hand. They enter the bullet train together and sit in the first row. The train closes its door and sounds an alarm before speeding down the railway.
For the survivors of the ec-tomb, escape to the earth's centre had just begun, not only for Misa and her mother, Dr Yin, but for dozens of chosen survivors across the planet as the bullet train sped to its next destination under the stratosphere.
Misa and Dr. Yin face an uncertain destiny. Where are the rest of the chosen ones? Where are the bullet trains heading?
Above is Misa, the eight-year-old survivor of the holocaust with her Mom, escaping to the interior of a tepui through a network of bullet trains carrying the chosen ones to their final shelter:
THE INTERIOR OF AUYAN TEPUI.
HERE, IN A LAND BEFORE TIME, SURROUNDED BY FLUORESCENCE, THRIVING ECOSYSTEMS WITNESS HUMANITY'S UTOPIA
A tepui is a type of flat-topped mountain or mesa with steep, often vertical sides, found primarily in the Guiana Highlands of South America, especially in Venezuela. The word “tepui” comes from the Pemon language, spoken by Indigenous groups in the region, and it means “house of the gods.” Tepuis are some of the oldest geological formations on Earth, dating back to the Precambrian period, and they host unique ecosystems isolated from the surrounding lowlands.
Because of their isolation, tepuis are home to many rare and endemic species of plants and animals that have evolved separately from those in nearby environments. The challenging access, sheer cliffs, and isolation of these mountains have allowed their ecosystems to remain largely undisturbed by human influence, making them a subject of scientific fascination and a popular setting for adventure and nature stories.
Yes, the tepuis of South America are thought to be remnants of the ancient supercontinent Gondwana. Gondwana began to break apart around 180 million years ago, leading to the separation of South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia, and the Indian subcontinent. The Guiana Shield, where tepuis are found, is one of the oldest geological regions on Earth, and it dates back to the Precambrian period, more than a billion years ago—long before the breakup of Gondwana.
The unique flat-topped shape of tepuis and their isolated ecosystems are partly a result of this ancient geological history. Over millions of years, erosion carved the Guiana Highlands into the dramatic, sheer cliffs and mesas that define tepuis today. Because they were so isolated from surrounding lowlands, these formations preserved unique flora and fauna that evolved separately from other regions, making tepuis an ecological treasure trove. Their connection to Gondwana highlights the tepuis’ ancient origins and the idea that they hold remnants of a world long past.
Excerpt from Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne.
Excerpts from “Journey to the Center of the Earth” by Jules Verne
Chapter 14: We Continue Our Descent
“Now, Harry,” cried the Professor, in an enthusiastic tone of voice, “we are truly about to take our first step into the interior of the earth, never before visited by man since the first creation of the world. You may consider, therefore, that at this precise moment our travels really commence.”
As my uncle made this remark, he took in one hand the Ruhmkorff coil apparatus which hung round his neck, and with the other he put the electric current into communication with the worm of the lantern. And a bright light at once illumined that dark and gloomy tunnel!
The effect was magical!
Hans, who carried the second apparatus, had it also put into operation. This ingenious application of electricity to practical purpose enabled us to move along by the light of an artificial day, amid even the flow of the most inflammable and combustible gases.
“Forward!” cried my uncle. Each took up his burden. Hans went first, my uncle followed, and I going third, we entered the somber gallery!
Just as we were to engulf ourselves in this dismal passage, I lifted up my head, and through the tube-like shaft saw that Iceland sky I was never to see again!
Was it the last I should ever see of any sky?
The stream of lava flowing from the bowels of the earth in 1219 had forced itself a passage through the tunnel. It lined the whole of the inside with its thick and brilliant coating. The electric light added very greatly to the brilliancy of the effect.
The great difficulty of our journey now began. How were we to prevent ourselves from slipping down the steeply inclined plane? Happily, some cracks, abrasures of the soil, and other irregularities, served the place of steps; and we descended slowly, allowing our heavy luggage to slip on before, at the end of a long cord.
But that which served as steps under our feet became in other places stalactites. The lava, very porous in certain places, took the form of little round blisters. Crystals of opaque quartz, adorned with limpid drops of natural glass suspended to the roof like lusters, seemed to take fire as we passed beneath them. One would have fancied that the genii of romance were illuminating their underground palaces to receive the sons of men.
“Magnificent, glorious!” I cried in a moment of involuntary enthusiasm, “what a spectacle, Uncle! Do you not admire these variegated shades of lava which run through a whole series of colors, from reddish-brown to pale yellow – by the most insensible degrees? And these crystals, they appear like luminous globes.”
“You are beginning to see the charms of travel, Master Harry,” cried my uncle. “Wait a bit, until we advance further. What we have as yet discovered is nothing – onwards, my boy, onwards!”
Chapter 23: Lost!
No words in any human language can describe my utter despair. I was literally buried alive, with no expectation but to die in all the slow, horrible torture of hunger and thirst.
I crawled about, feeling the dry and arid rock. How had I lost the course of the stream? Now I began to understand the strange silence which prevailed when I tried to listen for any sound from my companions.
It was now quite evident that I had unconsciously entered a different gallery. To what unknown depths had my companions gone? Where was I?
How to get back! Clue or landmark, there was absolutely none! My feet left no signs on the granite and shingle. My brain throbbed as I tried to solve this terrible problem. My situation had finally to be summed up in three awful words:
Lost! Lost! LOST!!!
Lost at a depth which seemed to be immeasurable.
I tried to bring my thoughts back to the things of the world so long forgotten: Hamburg, the house on the Königstrasse, my dear cousin Gretchen. There they were before me, but how unreal!
Then I saw all the incidents of our journey pass before me. I said to myself that if I retained the most shadowy outline of a hope, it must surely be a sign of approaching delirium. Who could help me to find my road, and regain my companions?
It was folly and madness to entertain even a shadow of hope! “Oh, Uncle!” was my despairing cry.
At last I began to resign myself to the fact that no further aid was to be expected from man. Knowing that I was powerless to do anything for my own salvation, I prayed earnestly and sincerely.
This renewal of my youthful faith brought about a great calm, and I was able to concentrate all my strength and intelligence on the terrible realities of my situation.
I had three days’ provisions. Moreover, my water bottle was quite full. Nevertheless, it was impossible to remain alone. I must try to find my companions at any price. Doubtless I was right to retrace my steps in an upward direction.
By doing this with care and coolness, I must reach the point where I had turned away from the rippling stream. Once at this spot, once the river was at my feet, I could regain the awful crater of Mount Sneffels.
After a slight meal and drink of water, I rose refreshed. Leaning heavily on my pole, I began the ascent of the gallery. The slope was very rapid, but I advanced hopefully and carefully.
During one whole hour nothing happened to check my progress. As I advanced I tried to recall the shape of the tunnel to persuade myself that I had followed this winding route before. But no one particular sign could I remember. I was soon forced to admit that this gallery would never take me back to the point at which I had separated from my companions. It was absolutely without an opening – a mere blind alley in the earth.
The moment at length came when, facing the solid rock, I knew my fate. The courage which had sustained me drooped before the sight of this pitiless granite rock! All that remained for me was to lie down and die. To lie down and die was the most cruel of deaths!
In the midst of all this anguish and despair, a new horror befell me. My lamp, by falling down, had got out of order. I had no means of repairing it. Its light was already becoming paler and paler, and would soon expire.
With a strange sense of resignation and despair, I watched a procession of shadows flash along the granite wall. I scarcely dared to lower my eyelids, fearing to lose the last spark of this fugitive light. Every instant it seemed to me that it was about to vanish and to leave me forever – in utter darkness!
At last, one final trembling flame remained in the lamp. I followed it with all my power of vision. I gasped for breath. I concentrated upon it all the power of my soul, as if this was the last light I was ever destined to see.
A wild cry escaped my lips. On earth light is never completely extinguished. It permeates everywhere, and whatever little may remain, the retina of the eye will succeed in finding it. In this place nothing – not the faintest ray of light.
I was now wholly lost. I knew not what I did. I began to run, always screaming, roaring, howling, falling and picking myself up all covered with blood.
Where was I going? It was impossible to say. I was perfectly ignorant of the matter.
After a long time, having utterly exhausted my strength, I fell along the side of the tunnel and lost all consciousness of existence!
But this is not where the survivors end up. They only traverse the earth by circumnavigating the layers of the earth in a snake-like matters
Ancient ecosystems of the continent of Gondwana thrive inside a tepui where the survivors find shelter.
But are there unknown dangers?
Dinosaur Tracks from Brazil is the first full-length study of dinosaurs in Brazil. Some 500 dinosaur trackways from the Cretaceous period still remain in the Rio do Peixe basins of Brazil, making it one of the largest trackways in the world. Veteran paleontologists Giuseppe Leonardi and Ismar de Souza Carvalho painstakingly document and analyze each track found at 37 individual sites and at approximately 96 stratigraphic levels.
Richly illustrated and containing a wealth of data, Leonardi and de Souza Carvalho brilliantly reconstruct the taxonomic groups of the dinosaurs from the area and show how they moved across the alluvial fans, meandering rivers, and shallow lakes of ancient Gondwana.
Dinosaur Tracks from Brazil is essential reading for paleontologists.
Select families had prepared to exit their known world at the sound of Angel's trumpet, but little did they know about the journey or what came afterwards. Travel through the centre of the Earth to the remnants of Gondwanda, where they were to rebuild civilization with the awareness of the past and the blueprint of how to train the mind to create Utopia.
Here's a guy (author) who also uses an elderly lady to set the story off and has no qualms calling her an "old lady", just as you would say, "an old man", and that's ok by me. I said the same thing in my book Utopia, here featured. My protagonist is very old in one story and in the other one, a very innocent young adult. My stories usually have more than one story and a different protagonist in each dimension of time.
An old woman locked away in a Russian asylum has a secret—knowledge of a 500-year-old manuscript written by a long-dead alchemist that will show a passage to the mythical center of the Earth.She knows it’s real because 50 years ago........
The journey begins on a sleek, silver train that glides through a tunnel spiralling deep beneath the Earth’s crust, descending through layers of rock and ancient sediment. At first, the familiar hum of machinery and the dim glow of tunnel lights accompany you, but soon, strange rock formations and hidden caverns flash past the windows, hinting at the hidden wonders below. Each train stop feels like peeling back a layer of history. Ancient fossils are visible in the stone walls, and glowing minerals give off colours you’ve never seen on the surface. You change trains at various depths, each one a little smaller and faster than the last, until you find yourself aboard a final carriage speeding toward the heart of the Earth.
The temperature is surprisingly mild and pleasant, and the air seems fresher, enriched by underground streams that glisten in the passing light. Suddenly, the train bursts through a veil of mist, entering a gigantic subterranean cavern where bioluminescent plants light the way with a soft, ethereal glow. The rock walls, shimmering with minerals and moisture, open up like a vast, hidden cathedral that stretches as far as the eye can see.
Note from the author: Utopia by T. A. Terga is in the process of developing into a three-part series. We are looking for beta readers who will give us a hand at reviews in exchange for an E- book download and a review to a book you auspice if you are part of a beta reader's group.
After hours of traversing this underground world, the train finally emerges within a tepui. You step out into a paradisiacal landscape, like a lost world enclosed by massive cliffs that reach toward the heavens. The tepui’s plateau is dotted with vibrant, otherworldly plants and clear streams that feed into pools of crystal-clear water. Strange yet friendly creatures dart between the trees, their colors and shapes unlike anything seen on the surface. The light here feels soft and golden, filtering through gaps in the tepui’s rock ceiling, giving everything a surreal, almost dreamlike quality.
In this hidden world atop the tepui, time seems to stand still. There is no sound of industry, no distant hum of modern life—only the whisper of leaves, the gentle splash of water, and the occasional call of a mysterious bird echoing through the valley. It’s a sanctuary, preserved through the ages as if the tepui itself were a guardian of paradise. Here, surrounded by towering walls of stone and untouched nature, you feel an unparalleled sense of peace and wonder, knowing you’ve travelled across the very centre of the Earth to reach this hidden Eden.
THE APOCALYPSE
NUCLEOR
When the bomb threat alarm went off inside the Hwan residence near the ostentatious Cheongdam Park neighbourhood, Dr Hwan, a middle-aged woman in her doctor’s robe, froze in her tracks as she was leaving home after lunch. Just as she steps into her new transborder, the chip in her wrist vibrates, and a flashing red light turns on.
Instantly, she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. “It’s time,” she says aloud and turns around towards her home. As she runs inside in a frenzy she yells, "Misaaaaa!," and starts the count down, "Ten," she reaches her daughter’s room. Misa stares into her mother's eyes. She understands.
"Nine!", one hundred, "Eight! one hundred. "Get up!!!"shouts her mom.
Dr. Yin Hwan rolls out a large metal chest from the closet in the hallway revealing an elevator chute.
"But Daddy,' says the eight-year-old jumping to her feet and taking her mother's outstretched hand. “There is no time; let’s go!” urges mother.
"No, I won't go, if you don't call him," replies Misa. Her mother's wrist vibrates, and the face of a smiling Daddy fills the screen.
Across town, Daddy, a middle-aged physician in his white robe, Dr. Hwan, says his last goodbye on the phone, clenching his teeth and forcing himself to smile one last time through a curtain of tears, as his family jumps into the closet and disappears.
When mother and daughter enter the elevator their hearts pounding out of their chests, they hold on to each other tightly and jump into the chute. Above them, a red light turned on, and the floor beneath them opened and twisted and turned as they zig-zagged and zoomed like a rollercoaster ride into a tunnel.
A few seconds later a bullet train, narrow and fast, stops, and a sliding door opens. The mother-daughter combo rushed inside as the door shut and the bullet train sped away.
Who were the chosen ones? And where did they escape to? How would they survive?
You may guess that the Hwan family must have gone into hiding in a modern bomb shelter directly under the home. But after several weeks in the bunker, this story (Utopia) settles them deeper into and across the globe.
Would a bullet train, or a series of them, take the survivors of the nuclear apocalypse, the chosen few, into the belly of the beast, the molten Earth? Would it be able to travel around the core of the Earth instead of crossing it?
HAVE YOU PLANNED YOUR ESCAPE FROM THE END OF THE WORLD YET?
The growing possibility of a thermonuclear blast, a virus pandemic, an alien invasion, or other catastrophes that can jeopardize human life on Earth motivated the construction of several modern-day bunkers.
Underground shelters are not a novel thing. The ancient underground city, Derinkuyu, in Cappadocia, Turkey, was built in the 6th or 7th century BCE and was utilized throughout the centuries as a shelter from invaders and war.
Visitors find a 200 ft deep, 12-story city connected by tunnels that can house more than 20,000 people. See below.
Derinkuyu
In modern times, especially since the 60s, people around the globe have been building safe shelters to survive doomsday.
Today, you can purchase prefab steel bunkers ready to install or DIY kits. These shelters have a special air filtering system with battery backup, can have concrete reinforcement, measure up to 14 X 50 feet, and up to 20 feet underground with professional engineer certificates for a blast load rating of about 3,000 pounds per square foot. Prices start at around $9,000. To find out more click here. More luxurious bunkers, however, and can go as high as $17 million. It’s mind boggling to think of all the essentials like waste management, running water, perishable and non-perishable food supplies, medical supplies, and the list goes on.
For example, located near Tifton, Georgia, a two level, 13-bedroom bunker runs for 17 million dollars and boasts all the amenities of a modern luxury including a theater, gym, and commercial kitchen. Its steel and concrete reinforced walls will keep you safe from even a 20-kiloton nuclear blast.
During the Cold War, the US built several missile silos (underground missile launch facilities) scattered throughout the US in top-secret locations. Some of these unused missile silos have been refurbished into bomb shelters and run from $400,000 up to $3.2 million.
However, the longest these shelters can hold their doomsday residents is 5 years. If interested take a look at the possibilities.
In the book. Utopia, the YA novel you read in the first pages of this blog, the Hwan family and others like it were prepared to meet the challenge of a thermonuclear war that would devastate the Earth’s ecosystems and decimate the human population.
A plan was put in place to push the restart button on civilization by selecting hundreds of trained survivors from the four corners of the world who were highly qualified and whose mission was to create a different kind of system in which war would not be an option and power would not be sought. Instead, the mind would be developed.
Read Utopia to find out how.
Thank you for gettin' here. I hope you'll be a sport and click on any of the links above and purchase one of the books shown here. Wow! you're a hero! Thank you for contributing to the development authorpreneurs.
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