Embedded Files
April 16, 1952
Somewhere in the Arizona desert
"Why can't things just go back to the way they were?" thought Indiana Jones. He was frantically searching through files in a cramped bunker. "Golden idols and snobby Nazi archaeologists that just wanted fame and fortune. Not these maniacs trying to destroy the damn world."
As he grabbed the file he was looking for, the entire bunker shuddered. Cracks appeared, streaking across the walls. Before the dust could settle, Dr. Jones was already sprinting through the hall. People were scrambling throughout the complex as Indy made his way to the war room. Panic was the only emotion on their faces.
Indy busted into the room, holding the file aloft. "Dr. Jones, I see you've found it," said a stately man. His suit and tie, while dusty, still exuded a feeling of authority.
"Yes, Mr. President. Using the texts recorded here in the file, we should be able to use the artifact." Indy hesitated, thinking of all the power the artifact would unleash. "I still think we should save this as a last resort, when no other option is available."
"You're absolutely right, Dr. Jones. That's precisely why we must use it now."
"Mr. President, with all due respect, that artifact will unleash almost unlimited power. It will destroy everything..."
"Look around, Dr. Jones. There is hardly anything left to protect! The Nazis... No, the Occult have laid waste to much of the world. Europe and the UK sit at the bottom of the ocean, the Western States fractured by earthquakes so far off the Richter scale they can't even be measured, and the Eastern Seaboard is still on fire." The President had risen to his feet. "Around the world, a similar story of death and destruction follows the Occult. All while they build their glorious city in the Indian subcontinent." He sat down defeated, the words he spoke sinking in, almost as if he was just now realizing the scale of their predicament.
"The capital of their kingdom, the City at the Gate of the Sun." Indy replied with disgust. The Occult had robbed the world of relics and history, piecing together their own history as a part of their great city.
"Do you understand, Dr. Jones, that we don't have a choice? The Occult outclass us in terms of the number of weapons and artifacts they have found. Except for this one." The President pointed to the wall, where a trident was mounted.
"Trishula... It is said to be the most powerful weapon in existence. Beyond any other weapon wielded by the gods. Do you have any idea the scale of destruction this thing will bring?" replied Indy, desperate to dissuade the President.
"Do you? It doesn't matter at this point. The trident is our last shot," he President responded, slamming his fist on the table. "That's final. Get ready to transport the artifact and prepare to release it. If you don't have the guts to save us, then at least show someone else how to throw it."
April 17, 1952
Above the Indian Subcontinent
"I can't believe I'm doing this... Open the door!" Indy called out to the crew of the ship. They pulled the door of the plane open, exposing everyone to the bitter cold air outside.
Indy took Trishula in one hand and read from the inscription notes he had found. It called upon the might of the gods, Shiva in particular, to deliver justice. When the mantra was finished, the head of the trident released a holy light. Its resplendent rays filled the plane, and warmed the souls of all on board.
"Save us..." Indy threw the trident out of the door and it sailed towards the ground. Miles down sat the City at the Gate of the Sun, the holy city of the Occult "kingdom".
"We're gonna head back on a slow bank. Make sure we catch the fireworks." Quipped the pilot, unaware of the consequences of the event that had just transpired. Indy sat down with his head in his hands. A terrible feeling weighed him down, and he hoped he had made the right decision.
A flash of light emanated from the city below. Bolts of lightning coursed from the clouds and crashed into the streets. Fire erupted from the ground and the earth shattered. Suddenly, the entire city exploded into holy light. It flew out, engulfing the aircraft, along with all inside. As the light passed over him, Indy sighed. He knew the right decision had been made.
The light streaked across the planet, assimilating everything. When the light faded, the world was reset. No more Occult. No more Allies. No more anything. Humanity sent back to its roots.
Thousands upon thousands of years passed, and a new civilization came to power. They explored the world and found relics of those who had come before. One day, they found a strange vehicle. It was made of metal but adorned with wings. It sat in a jungle, the trees growing out of it. Inside were several skeletons which led some to believe it was some kind of ancient burial ground.
As the expedition team investigated the site, one researcher in particular found a skeleton by itself. On top of the skull was a hat. As the researcher stared into the empty eyes of the skeleton, he couldn't help but feel strangely connected. Before they left, he took the hat. It fit perfectly and he felt strangely at ease...
Author's Note:
And so Indy's story comes to a close. I went a different direction than I thought I would for this story but I really liked how it turned out. I tried to focus more on dialogue than I had in previous stories, so there is very little action at all. However, I think that is made up for by the ending. Initially the story was just going to end with the light engulfing the planet and everything being reset. I decided to add the reincarnation of Indy finding his old body as just a not so subtle nod to the concept of reincarnation in Hinduism. I actually got the idea for Indy finding himself from a Star Wars comic where Indiana Jones finds the remains of Han Solo after he crash landed in the Millenium Falcon on Earth. Fun fact, in that story he's actually searching for bigfoot, who turns out to be Chewbacca. I featured as the final weapon in my story the Trishula, which is a trident wielded by Shiva that is said to be the greatest of all weapons. I chose to make the weapon literally destroy everything to make everything better. I thought it would make for a somewhat different ending that wasn't defeat, but didn't quite feel like victory. I had a lot of fun writing these stories, and I really hope you enjoy them!
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