1.19 Crystal Theory

        The Island of Gora was a fair hike from the heart of the Atlan Empire, there was a reliable underground rail system, however it was slow and in need of an upgrade; one of the underlying pressures slowing down the Vimana Project, Atlan's new aerial transportation system.

         Due to the exclusive nature of godly travel to Gora, the train ride often doubled as a private meeting room. Tonight Zoran's Head was the subject of private discussion. Medena and Malodon were riding the train in eager anticipation of what they would find.

         "I realize it's just a theory at this point" Malodon had sensed Medena's doubt, he could understand her reluctance to believe his latest theory, given the latest failures. "I noticed it quite by accident... The more I think about it, the less I am inclined to believe it's just a coincidence. You'll see" he gestured to the head. "This one ought to prove me right or wrong."

         The train eventually stopped at the Gora station. The gods hurried up the stairs and walked through a small enclosed courtyard to the entrance of the lab, followed by an aribu carrying Zoran's severed head, still resting on the golden tray. Malodon led them down a long corridor of the Aribu Wing towards one of the utility labs. The aribu placed the head on the examination table and left the room.

         Malodon closed the door behind him, then placed the head in an articulating vice, holding the skull firmly in place at just the right angle to examine it. "First I must remove a portion of the skull."

         Medena watched with firm doubt as Malodon shaved the scalp. He made a circular mark around the base of the skull with a wax pencil and using a small electric saw, cut out the bone to expose the organs inside. He reached for a set of tongs, separated the lobes and withdrew a small pinecone-shaped organ from the heart of the brain and held it up into the light.

         "Look..." the tone in his voice lifting. "I was right! It's just as I suspected!" He held it closer to Medena's eyes. "Can you see the crystals?"

         Medena moved closer to examine the bloody object in the light, she could see the clusters of tiny crystals reflecting the light from the work lights overhead. 

         "Mighty Medel!" She gasped in surprise, seeing was believing. "The Diamond!!!"

         "They're actually Crystals" Malodon corrected. "The same color and location as the diamond in the image, so I think you're right, this is what the image represents. Facets, to be exact." Malodon was on a roll. "You know what? I think this proves my Electric Brain Theory is on target, these facets are the conductors, they reflect and transfer the energy. Atalon could actually be on to something with his Crystal Skulls you know, he's just missing the point."

         Medena was nodding, speechless, catching his drift now. "How did they get there?"

         "These crystals grow naturally…" Malodon was sure. "I've seen them before, most commonly in the Goldens, until now we have considered it to be a flaw."

         "Hmmm..."

         "We need to know what grows them, that's the connection we're after. If we can grow them, we can perhaps use them."

         Malodon dropped the pineal gland into a saline solution and put it in the cold storage leaving Medena wondering all kinds of things. It was true, she had heard this crystal flaw was responsible for some of the malfunctioning that the Goldens were susceptible to, perhaps there was some link to that too? 

         "Didn't you already link them to the malfunctioning Goldens?"

         "I did" Malodon replied. "If the Electric Brain Theory proves to be true, then it’s a clue their malfunctions are an electric short of some kind. Come, let me show you the latest test results."

         Malodon led Medena out the lab, down the hall and into his office. "If we can connect a current to the crystals inside, then I believe we can not only control their Serpent energy, we can generate, program or disconnect it all together. It opens up all kinds of possibilities, who knows, maybe we'll be able to eliminate some of the Culloom headache, have them ready to go by age six."

         "Hedena won't like that."

         "Sure she will, she will spend more time designing programs and less time programming." 

         Malodon unlocked his office door and led Medena inside, he had obviously been working hard on his new theory, books were open, file folders scattered everywhere. He crossed the room and drew the image of the skull with the diamond from the Lemurian's Book of Life and exaggerated the three serpents on the chalk board to illustrate his theory. "Can you see it now?"

         "Yes, yes..." Medena nodded, wide-eyed, seeing it now.

         "Good. We need to sell it to Atalon, I've got Adon drafting up a Funding Request already. I need to review the breeding records from the last fifteen years" he continued. 

         Funding Requests usually triggered other annoying requests. "Why establish a separate project? Why not use the Crystal Program funding?"

         "I want to work independently of the Crystal Skull program for reasons I'm not willing to discuss. I want Seton in on this, but that’s all so that's also why I don’t want you to discuss it. I want to explore his new medifications with all this, test the realms of marriage before I present Atalon with any new ideas."

         "Ahh..." Medena could see the convoluted layers amassing rapidly already. 

         "Have the files shipped to my office as soon as possible."