SHORT FICTION
The Mystery of the Lost City of Atlantis Finally Solved
What happened to the ancient city of Atlantis? We talk to a descendant of the ancient Atlantians, and they reveal the fascinating truth! (Interdimensional Talks — Episode 5)
ABOUT THE SHOW:
Ladies and gentlemen, alien or domestic, Welcome to Interdimensional Talks with your host Mike!
The only fictional radio show in the world broadcasting across the universe and the multiverse. Listen in as we talk to the most diverse bunch of guests you can possibly imagine. We’re talking aliens, ethereal beings, artificial intelligence, and even humans from parallel universes.
Suspend your disbelief, open your mind, and join us on a journey of fascinating exploration of ideas. Grab a drink and enjoy the show.
EPISODE 5:
The lost city of Atlantis finally found
Welcome, dear listeners, to another exciting episode of Interdimensional Talks with your host, Mike. As a kid, I was fascinated by the old stories of the lost ancient civilizations. I read all I could about the ancient people who were thought to have been a highly technologically developed civilization but then suddenly disappeared from the face of the planet. Seemingly overnight. I’m talking about the lost civilization of Atlantis, of course.
When our next guest contacted us, I was like a little boy — jumping up and down with excitement. I was going to meet my heroes. A mystery I’ve been obsessing over all my life will finally be solved. If you’re anything like me, you’re in for a treat. Grab a drink, get comfortable, and enjoy the show.
I’ve spent hours talking to Enekian, our guest, and I could speak to him for days without end. He’s a direct descendant of the Atlantians. The story of their disappearance is so fascinating and bizarre that I struggled to believe it at first. Long story short, there is a good reason why we can’t find the lost city of Atlantis. It’s because it isn’t here anymore. They moved it. Literally. I’ll let the man himself tell you the story.
Mike: “Enekian, welcome to the show.”
Enekian: “Thank you, Mike. It’s a pleasure to connect with our long-lost brothers and sisters.”
Mike: “Speaking of, did you ever wonder what happened to other people on Earth after you left?”
Enekian: “Of course. Well, we assumed everything was gone in the great apocalypse, but there was always hope that pockets of humanity would survive and flourish in the aftermath. Truth be told, people of that era weren’t exactly to be missed, but still.”
Mike: “So it’s true that you were far more advanced than the surrounding societies?”
Enekian: “Yes. We were an isolated community focused on technology, philosophy, and enlightenment. Back then, the rest of the world was about procreation, power, and violent conquest. From the old records, they were rather primitive in comparison. But you know, let’s not take the historical record too literally. Who knows what the real picture was.”
Mike: “Yes. Well, we have similar indications but hardly any proof. There are stories of your people and your beautiful city, but not much is left. We don’t even know where it was. Would you care to enlighten us on that?”
Enekian: “I wish I could. But I’ve never been on Earth. All I know are stories from our historical records. Ancient history. Besides, there wasn’t much left after the great flood anyway, so it makes sense that there would be no evidence left behind.”
Mike: “Speaking of, let’s start at the beginning or the end. Depending on your perspective. What happened to your civilization? Why did you disappear? We are all dying to know, my Atlantian friend!”
Enekian: “ (laughs) Sure. Keep in mind that we’re talking about roughly eleven thousand years in the past, so … you know. For us, this is like an origin story — more myth than fact, if you know what I mean.”
Mike: “Of course. Go on.”
Enekian: “Our ancestors were supposedly living on your planet for millennia, thriving and developing at an unprecedented pace. The Age of Enlightenment opened up access to intelligence that wasn’t available to the rest of humanity at the time. We developed technology beyond anything previously seen. Other societies were perceived as primitive savages with sticks and stones. These are not my words, Mike. Please do not be offended.”
Mike: “Don’t worry about it. From our understanding, they aren’t wrong. Please continue.”
Enekian: “Anyway, while we were making progress, the rest of humanity on our planet was left behind. We carried our teaching across the planet but were often met with resistance and misunderstanding. Still, there were pockets of intelligence all over the world.”
Mike: “Could you name a few places?”
Enekian: “I’m sorry. There is so little known about the time before. We learned about it in a few sentences in school, and hardly anyone bothered to know more. Like I said, it’s ancient history muddled by myth and folklore.”
Mike: “Did you ever want to visit the planet? Resetle, perhaps?”
Enekian: “We’re jumping ahead, I think. There were those among us who wanted to return to Earth, but that just isn’t possible anymore. Not for extended periods, anyway.”
Mike: “Oh, yeah. You’re right. I completely forgot that I know more than our audience. Still, why isn’t it possible to come back?”
Enekian: “We’ll get to that in a minute. May I continue?”
Mike: “By all means, Enekian. Please.”
Enekian: “From what I know of your society, we were more advanced than you are now, even back then. Not in all aspects, and our cultures could not have been more different, but in some. For instance, we developed anti-gravity engines and cold fusion and had unlimited energy, while, from what I can tell, you still don’t have those. Am I correct?”
Mike: “Way to rub salt on a wound there. No. It’s all just science fiction at the moment. But we do have nuclear fission and get our rockets up into higher orbit. We’ve been to the Moon and routinely send satellites further out, but we use raw engine force to get there.”
Enekian: “Fascinating. You’ve chosen the destructive path of technological development. Is it safe to assume you made most technological breakthroughs for war purposes first?”
Mike: “Unfortunately, you’re not wrong.”
Enekian: “It makes sense now. I just can’t believe that you’re this far behind. Our people were right to leave your planet.”
Mike: “We have to talk about that, Enekian. What happened that made you leave, and how the hell did you pull it off?”
Enekian: “There were signs of impending danger. A devastating earthquake that was projected to cause significant changes to the planet. Back then, it was called the Great Reset. Our projections foretold of destruction that would wipe out all life on the planet. We knew about the coming catastrophe, an extinction-level event decades ahead of time, so we prepared accordingly. We isolated ourselves and began working on a solution. We only had one chance to survive — escaping the planet altogether.”
Mike: “So, where did you escape?”
Enekian: “As you know, we managed to turn our islands into floating islands and then into space islands. A sort of inhabitable comets with propulsion and atmosphere.”
Mike: “I cannot wrap my head around this. How is that even possible? That sounds made up even today, not eleven thousand years ago. Help me understand.”
Enekian: “It was crude, ancient technology. We moved on long ago and don’t use it anymore. Still, it got the job done.”
Mike: “That’s all you’re going to give me?”
Enekian: “(laughs sincerely) There are things you have to figure out for yourselves, Mike. Technology can be a lifesaver, but it can also cause untold devastation. We’ve been monitoring your civilization, and you’re nowhere near ready for giant leaps in technology. We’ve made that mistake with a smaller alien population once and lived to regret it. We’ve been at war with them for thousands of years now. Until you change who you are as people, technology like this will do you more harm than good.”
Mike: “Like giving murderous terrorists nuclear capability? Is this how you see us?”
Enekian: “Can you honestly look at the state of your civilization and tell me you’re ready for planet-destroying technology, meeting new alien civilizations without starting conflicts, and sharing unlimited resources among all of your population?”
Mike: “No. You know I can’t. Wait, how do you know all that? We haven’t really discussed our society all that much in our earlier conversation.”
Enekian: “We have been keeping tabs. That’s all I’ll say for now.”
Mike: “Okay. Okay. Keep your secrets. Maybe just a hint?”
Enekian: “I’m afraid I can’t.”
Mike: “Okay, fine. I don’t want to put you on the spot. So you somehow managed to move your people into space, but not with spaceships. You moved whole islands?”
Enekian: “Yes. It seemed easier and, most importantly, faster. We barely made it out in time, as it was. Or so we were told.”
Mike: “How can you get a whole island to break the atmosphere and escape our orbit?”
Enekian: “Once you understand what gravity is and how to eliminate it from the equation, things get easier. No brute force is allowed, though. That only causes problems with the atmosphere. You don’t want to burn up on account of friction. Then, it’s only a matter of a powerful energy source, a cyclical self-sustaining ecosystem for resources, and an efficient propulsion system. Oh, and of course, you must create your own artificial gravity and atmosphere.”
Mike: “So essentially, you copied a planet on a smaller scale?”
Enekian: “So you do understand. There is hope for you yet, Mike.”
Mike: “I mean, I like the idea, but there’s no way that is even remotely possible.”
Enekian: “Not yet. Not for you. Like floating a hundred tons steel ships wasn’t possible until you understood the principle of buoyancy. Or flying hundreds of people across continents above the clouds. Or near-free nuclear energy via the breaking of the atoms. Or…”
Mike: “Yeah, yeah. I get your point. Once we understand how something works, we can work with it, not against its forces.”
Enekian: “Exactly. And if you ever want to travel through your solar system or beyond, this will be the core principle of the matter. No brute force, resistance, or fighting physics, but knowledge and going with the flow.”
Mike: “I have full faith in our brightest minds that they will figure it out. Someday.”
Enekian: “We are essentially the same people. If we could, thousands of years ago, you will too.”
Mike:” In a few thousand years?”
Enekian: “I have a feeling it’ll happen much faster, friend. Especially since you’re finally touching on artificial intelligence.”
Mike: “So you think that AI will elevate our understanding of the universe?”
Enekian: “No, no. Technological breakthroughs always come by human minds connecting to something wiser than themselves. Artificial intelligence only speeds things up with its immense computational power. It helps run millions upon millions of scenarios, shortening the time and pointing you in the right direction implementation-wise. But most importantly, it frees up the time for the collective effort of your people to invest their time and energy into science, no longer having to toil for mere survival. That is when true progress happens.”
Mike: “So when AI takes care of most jobs, we’ll be free to spend more time on science and innovation? Makes sense, Enekian. Let’s hope I’ll live long enough to see that transformation in my society.”
Enekian: “I’m sure you will. Combined with free energy, which is already in your reach, you are almost ready for a true technological renaissance. There is only one problem, really.“
Mike: “Us.”
Enekian: “Exactly. You’re not going anywhere until you grow out of this pitiful infighting. From this point of view, you haven’t made much progress compared to your ancestors. Those primitive societies our stories talk about. I honestly can’t believe it. Eleven thousand years later. Some things changed, while others stayed the same.”
Mike: “Guilty as charged. Let’s not get all depressed by the sad state of our affairs and get back to your story. What happened after you left our planet?”
Enekian: “We had to adapt to a new way of life. A life in space. We have always known that our solar system had no inhabitable planets. We were going to be stuck in space for the foreseeable future.”
Mike: “How did you survive in space? I mean the resources alone… How many people escaped Earth anyway?”
Enekian: “Roughly a million.”
Mike: “What? How? I mean…”
Enekian: “How do you feed a million people on a flying island traversing space?”
Mike: “Yeah, that. Among a billion other questions!”
Enekian: “Quite easily, if you recycle everything. It also helps to understand the nature of reality and how everything is made from the same underlying materials. You then need to collect all output and transform it back into input. Rense and repeat.”
Mike: “I’m guessing you would have to keep your population at the same number to maintain this system, right?”
Enekian: “Without any external resources, yes. But there are limitless resources available in the universe. The sun, for example, and comets offer an infinite resource of all you could possibly need.”
Mike: “You can make food out of sun and comets?”
Enekian: “How do plants grow on Earth? How do they make oxygen? Where do these resources come from?”
Mike: “Am, well, the sun, CO2, water, and fertilizer. And you have all of those available in your floating islands?”
Enekian: “Exactly. We copied the Earth’s ecosystem, only on a smaller scale. It has always been completely self-sustaining.”
Mike: “I see. Did you encounter any difficulties with the adaptation to living in space?”
Enekian: “Yes, the first few generations struggled dearly. The following generations adapted rather quickly, and since they didn’t know any better and their bodies were molded in that particular gravity, they only struggled with certain limitations that living in a small confined space entails.”
Mike: “How long have you been traveling through space?”
Enekian: “We still are. And so are you, technically speaking.”
Mike: “On a giant ball racing through space at one hundred thousand kilometers per hour. I guess we’re not that different after all.”
Enekian: “Oh, I wouldn’t say that. Over eleven thousand years of evolution in a different environment have made us somewhat unrecognizable, Mike.”
Mike: “Really? How so?”
Enekian: “Your bodies are adapted to living on planet Earth, with the sun, atmosphere, and gravity of a certain kind. We’ve altered those parameters significantly over the years, and our bodies have adapted accordingly. For one thing, we’re used to a much weaker gravity and would be in a lot of pain if we moved back to Earth unprotected. I don’t know how long we would even last. We can temporarily bypass these problems using technology, but biologically speaking, we’re no longer fit to live on Earth, or any planet for that matter, unless it just happens to match our needs perfectly.”
Mike: “I never thought of that. So you’re lighter and weaker now?”
Enekian: “And smaller. We require a fraction of the resources you do. Every generation has become more and more adapted to this new, very limited environment. There is no need or incentive for having a large, powerful body in a limited space on weak gravity. On the contrary, being light and small enables us to thrive in this environment.”
Mike: “Makes sense. Evolution doing its thing on an accelerated timeline.”
Enekian: “We might have helped it a bit.”
Mike: “How large is your current population?”
Enekian: “Across all colonies, we number about 742 billion souls.”
Mike: “I’m sorry, what? How is that even possible?”
Enekian: “Well, we have long life spans and generally limit our offspring to 2,1 per couple, but with fewer diseases and no wars, it adds up. Eleven thousand years is a long time, Mike.”
Mike: “I am positively flabbergasted!”
Enekian: “I’ll pretend I know what that means.”
Mike: “I’m shocked. Utterly shocked. We’re hovering somewhere around 8 billion at the moment. And you live in space. How does any of this make sense?”
Enekian: “It makes perfect sense. Humanity has been dying in mass for a long time. Your life spans have only lately begun making significant progress while still nowhere near what they can be. Infinite wars, sickness, and plagues took a toll, my friend. You’ve only recently begun expanding as a society after making some leaps in science and medicine.”
Mike: “That’s true, I suppose. But I thought you lived on spaceships. I mean, flying islands. Wouldn’t there be limiting factors for growth?”
Enekian: “That’s how we started, yes. But there have been thousands of years of development and advancements between then and today.”
Mike: “So, you have populated planets? You’re not just a space-traveling society?”
Enekian: “Something like that.”
Mike: “Would you care to elaborate? I thought you couldn’t survive on planets with stronger gravity and all.”
Enekian: “When we started our journey through space, our maximum velocity was approximately the same as that of planet Earth or an average comet. That meant that by our calculations, it would have taken us 42 trillion years to reach the first inhabitable system. Luckily, we were wrong, but it still took us a few thousand years to reach other solar systems. We had to come to a completely new understanding of time and space, as speed just wasn’t going to cut it. So, until we developed the right technology, we had to find other ways of ensuring our survival. Instead of traveling toward inhabitable planets, we simply made them.”
Mike: “You transformed planets?”
Enekian: “No, not planets. Comets. We transformed a lot of comets, full of resources, into similar self-sustaining traveling islands, if you will. After just over one thousand years, we were quite a fleet. In that time, we also managed to increase the mass of our initial home by magnitudes. Long story short, we made do with what we had at our disposal. Technologically and resource-wise.”
Mike: “Fascinating. You’re blowing my mind. So how far out of the solar system have you managed to venture?”
Enekian: “We’ve visited and colonized most of the neighboring solar systems within our galaxy. We have not set foot outside it, though.”
Mike: “Why not? Because it’s too far?”
Enekian: “No. Distance is no longer the issue. I don’t know how much of this I should be telling you.”
Mike: “Everything, of course!”
Enekian: “(burst into laughter) Friend, you don’t want to know everything. You really don’t.”
Mike: “Does that mean you’ve seen signs of danger out there?”
Enekian: “That’s a polite way of saying it. We’ve detected things we don’t want to … am … make aware of our existence. Let’s leave it at that.”
Mike: “We’re talking about aliens, aren’t we?”
Enekian: “For you, Mike, we’re essentially aliens.”
Mike: “Are you?”
Enekian: “What? Aliens?”
Mike: “The ones visiting us in spaceships?”
Enekian: (long pause)
Mike: “Can I take your silence as a yes?”
Enekian: “We keep tabs. I won’t go into details as to how.”
Mike: “Fair enough. So, have you encountered other alien life forms out there in the vast universe?”
Enekian: “Indigenous life forms, sure. But we’re the aliens there. You must understand that. We’re the visitors in their solar systems. The outsiders.”
Mike: “Can you tell me more about them? Anything would be great.”
Enekian: “All I will say, Mike, is that you are not alone. Let’s leave it at that.”
Mike: “Really. You can’t give me anything more?”
Enekian: “It is not yet time for humanity to worry about extraterrestrial life. You need to focus on your own problems, closer to home. Outgrow this murderous streak, enhance your understanding of the universe, and when you’re able to meet us halfway, among the starts, we’ll talk further. You’re just not ready. Trust me on that.”
Mike: “Ready for what? Give me something.”
Enekian: “I already have. Listen, we had to find a way to get off the planet because of impending disaster. We just barely made it in time. I’m here to warn you that a time is coming when you might have to do the same. Our reports and calculations are firing off warnings of cyclical changes on Earth. Changes that could present problems for humanity.”
Mike: “Can you give a timeline and a hint, at least — of what’s coming?”
Enekian: “We only have models, but there are indications that something similar to what happened eleven thousand years ago will happen again in about one or two thousand years. This should give you enough time to figure things out.”
Mike: “Huh, okay! That’s a relief. I won’t be alive to see then, and neither will my kids. We have time.”
Enekian: “Not as much as you think. You’re nowhere near ready.”
Mike: “I see. If we can’t do it in time, will you help us? Your long lost brothers and sisters?”
Enekian: “It is still too soon to talk about such things. Certain arrangements are being made on a limited scale. But that won’t be enough. If you want your civilization to survive in the form and numbers you currently hold, you’ll have to figure something out for yourselves. My advice is to get off the planet before it’s too late or at least prepare for a disaster unlike anything you’ve ever experienced.”
Mike: “You’re scaring me, Enekian.”
Enekian: “And you wanted to talk about life forms outside your solar system. You don’t know the meaning of the word fear, my friend.”
Mike: “Point taken. So, disaster is imminent. Get off the planet. Grow up.”
Enekian: “Nothing is certain. But it saved our civilization to be prudent and take precautions. If nothing happens, you’ll still be able to stay on Earth or return.”
Mike: “Will you help us develop the technology to escape the planet?”
Enekian: “We’ve covered this. If we gave you anti-gravity technology, you’d just use it to kill each other. That technology is as beneficial as it is dangerous. You can create planets, but you can also destroy them. No one wants that on their conscience. You’ll figure it out when you’re ready, and hopefully, not a moment sooner. For your own sake. I’m afraid our time has run out.”
Mike: “I thought you said we had at least a thousand years?”
Enekian: “No, not that. I mean our time on this frequency. We have to say goodbye.”
Mike: “I hate to let you go. I still have so many questions, Enekian.”
Enekian: “I enjoyed the conversation as well. I wish you all the best, humanity, and I hope we meet among the stars one day as friends. Until then, goodbye.”
Mike: “Goodbye, and thank you again for your time, Enekian.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, this was a fascinating, if sobering, conversation with the descendant of the lost Atlantians. It turns out they aren’t lying dead under the ocean but thriving up in the sky, turning comets into planets and colonizing the solar system. Who saw that coming? I sure didn’t. At least now we know what happened to them and that we have friends in the vastness of the universe. But we also know there are things lurking in the dark. Things we should pray never find us.
Enekian has painted an ugly potential future for our planet. An extinction-level event that repeats itself cyclically. We should probably heed his warning and look to become a multi-planetary species after all. If nothing else, it’s good risk management if our planet does go homicidal on us again. It wouldn’t be the first time, and probably won’t be the last time. On that terrifying thought, I bid you good night. I was your host, Mike, and you were listening to Interdimensional Talks.
THE END
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