Read Online Temple of Fire by Christopher Forrest - Free Book Online

* *
     
    Quiz looked at the carbon dating readings on his Digi -Palm.  The culture that had built the city had thrived around 30,000 B.C.  What was astounding was that most anthropologists believed that civilizations in the Americas at this time were tribes of agrarian farmers who also domesticated animals.  No one had envisioned an advanced civilization that rivaled the Egyptians in their scientific and mathematical skills.
    The civilization had become a progenitor culture that gave rise to the great civilizations of Egypt , Central and South America , the Middle East , and Asia .
    It was not surprising, therefore, when Quiz’s mini-computer was able to find translations for many of the hieroglyphs he had recorded from the mysterious, long-abandoned structures all about him.  Many of the writings, glyphs, and pictograms had found their way into other cultures on various continents centuries later.
    The people that had once flourished in what was now the western United States had called themselves the Nizia .  The Royal Palace had been occupied by many kings and queens.  One of the last royal couples had been King Enhaht and Queen Qu -Lo.
    Quiz began receiving strange energy readings on his Digi -Palm.
    * You need to follow that energy signature
    immediately . *
    I can’t just wander off, Dante.  Gator and Tank would kill me.  And Mrs. Caine would have my head on a platter.
    * If you don’t proceed due east now, the Chinese will discover the energy signature first.  You only have a few minutes. *
    ”Gator, Tank — do you read?” Quiz said.
    There was no reply.
    * They’re not going to answer.  They’re in trouble. *
    “ Ops Center , do you read?”
    Again, there was no reply.
    * The Alamarinta will not answer either. *
    Quiz began walking quickly to the east.  Dante was
    frequently annoying — but usually right.
     

Ops Center
Aboard the Alamiranta
     
    “I’ve lost Titan Six,” said Touchdown.
    “How can that be?” asked Caine .  “We’ve got a clear feed from the satellite.”
    “We’re awfully close to the eye-wall of Beatrice,” Touchdown replied.  “Lots of thunderstorms.   The electrical interference is playing havoc with the instruments.”
    The entire ship was leaning strongly to port as the Alamiranta continued to engage in its sharp turn away from the menacing typhoon.  To steady herself, Caine had to grip a chrome handrail that ran around the entire Center above the individual stations.
    “Can’t you boost your signal?” asked Caine .
    “We’ve taken a lot of systems offline, ma’am,” Touchdown replied.  “We’re trying to keep electronic pulses to a minimum, to the extent we can do so, so as not to detonate the torpedo.”
    “Very well,” Caine said with pronounced frustration.  “Keep listening for Titan Six.”
     

Dragons of the Night
Temple of the Moon
     
    Will Langhorne stared at the seven commandos in the chamber below the once-glorious Nizian Temple of the Moon.  His abductor, the muscular baldheaded man, sat against a stone wall, completely silent.
    The commander of the Chinese forces stood before Langhorne, hands on her hips.
    “You could have asked politely and I would have come,” Langhorne said glibly.
    “Lieutenant Cho tends to take commands very literally,” said the commander.  “I asked him to bring you here as soon as possible.  That’s exactly what he did.”
    Commander Saturo Aiko was a slim Asian with short black hair, dark eyes, and a white scar running up her left cheek.  Her beauty was apparent, but it also had an unforgiving quality about it.  Her features rarely betrayed humor or a smile.
    “Is Lieutenant Cho even human?” asked Langhorne.
    Aiko nodded.  “Quite human.   He had biological parents like anyone else.  He has been modified, however.”
    “Modified?”
    “He has received synthetic implants.  His eyes are artificial and can see far more accurately than yours or mine.  His heart is also artificial, giving