“Increase frequency by 80 hertz, gradually,” a man in a lab coat said.
“It can’t take it, Professor, it’s going to break up,” his assistant replied.
“Do it, Mark.”
Mark reluctantly pushed the lever forward. The crystal began to vibrate more and more violently, until it seemed like a blur of blue light. There was an eerie silence as the crystal suddenly burst into fine dust.
“Bah!” the Professor shouted, throwing down his goggles. “We need a purer sample!”
“The samples we received from Tunguska were the purest found so far. Face it, Professor, maybe it’s just a myth.”
“Mark, I don’t pay you for opinions. Get your bag packed; we’re going on a trip,” the Professor said, walking out.
Professor Calhoun was a wretched old miser. After inheriting half a billion dollars at age 16, he went on to study history, archeology, geology, and any other ology that pertained to peoples or the ancient earth. Then, after a romp through India and the Far East, he spent the rest of his life in pursuit of the bizarre, the mythical, and, some might say, the idiotic. Ventures which often led to failure and bitterness. It was just such a venture that had absorbed the past 14 years of his life up to this point.
Two international flights, a long train ride, and four hours on horseback saw Professor Calhoun and his unfortunate, yet well compensated, assistant at the edge of a dark pit in the jungles of Sri Lanka. It was here that Calhoun expected to find his long-sought-after crystal.
“Ahhhh, beautiful!” Calhoun exclaimed. “Come along, Mark. Unload the climbing gear, will you.”
Mark was less than enthusiastic about climbing into a bottomless pit in the middle of a jungle, but he figured he’d at least be able to pocket some gemstones.
“Do you know what’s down here, Mark?” Calhoun asked.
“Possibly the largest cluster of Reverberite ever found,” Calhoun and Mark said simultaneously.
“Agggghh!” Calhoun groaned, waving off his assistant.
Thirty minutes later, the two were at the bottom of the pit without incident. Mark stared upward at the little jagged circle of light far above. Calhoun lit a flare with a fizz and crackle.
“Come along, Mark.”
The two made their way through the dank cavern, carefully traversing slippery footings and steep drop-offs.
“Imagine, Mark! A crystal infinitely amplifying a single sound wave. The energy created by just one resonating crystal could power all of humanity for eternity! Ohhohoho, yes! We’re close this time. I know it!”
“Really Professor, have you ever stopped to consid-“ Mark stopped dead as they entered a cavern. Calhoun held up his flare, illuminating the room. For as far as they could see, blue crystals glittered in the light of the flare. From the floor, the walls, and the ceiling stood massive Reverberite crystals jutting out like daggers.
Calhoun pulled out a small tuning fork and tapped it on a nearby crystal. A deep base growl came from the crystal which continued to grow to a higher and higher pitch until it released a loud whistle. The sound traveled around the cavern, bouncing in and out of crystals until the whole cave was a symphony. Calhoun laughed, his voice nearly drowned out as he shouted.
“Infinite energy, Mark! Infinite energy!”
Writer, Editor, Student - Tyler M Deal 