Algorithm - Book 1 - The Medallion

Chapter 4

Adam grabbed both handles to either side of the screen and pulled. The hinged screen emitted a squeal as Adam brought it up to eye level. There was nothing remarkable about it. The aged wiring was either broken or severely frayed. Old Flora had clearly been in retirement for many years.

It was probably never used again after we shorted it out.

Adam looked over the cathode ray tube housing and found nothing out of the ordinary there either. He began to return the screen to its original position when a single sheet of paper wafted to the floor. Apparently, it had been hidden inside of the screen. He picked it up and found a type-written message from Dr. Wuijcak.

"Adam. Decades ago you discovered something that should not exist. Since the day you showed it to me, I began a methodical investigation into similar relics. I admit that over the years it has become my obsession. Objects out of time. Findings that made no sense in the scheme of things, in the history that we have come to believe. Of the many such items discovered by others, a few fall into a remarkable category. They share a similar fate, that is, they were found, made famous, and eventually were lost. The circumstances were always the same. Usually an accident. Fire, floods, you name it. In short, I believe you have such a relic. Perhaps it hasn't been lost yet."

Adam found himself rubbing his medallion as he read on.

"I found out that the last coal delivery to our neighborhood was made by Samson's Coal and Oil back in 1959. In fact, they serviced your neighborhood. Checking with the company's archives, I discovered the coal came from the Knox Coal Company, located near Pittston, PA. In 1959, the River Slope Mine, run by Knox, suffered a horrific accident when miners digging too close to the Susquehanna caused the waters of the river to rush in, drowning twelve people and closing the mine to this day. My gut tells me that the relic and the accident may be related. I do not think these relics are disappearing by accident. The answer to the mystery of your find may well lie in the River Slope Mine. I have faith in you, Adam. God bless you and your family. –Ben"

Then the phone rang.

Adam's heart flipped over a few times. It was the office phone. He let it ring several more times, hoping that whoever was calling would give up. However, he gave in, fumbling with the receiver and answering with as calm a voice as he could muster.

"Hello."

"Hi. Is this Dr. Woochak?"

It was a female voice, and vaguely familiar.

"No, I'm afraid he is not here."

"Who am I speaking with?"

"Just an old friend. Can I help you?"

"Is that you, Adam?"

Realization flooded over him.

"Linda!  How did you know I was here?"

"Adam. I'm glad I found you. I called George and he said something about New Jersey. Then I called your mom. After she finished complaining about your habit of coming and going at all hours, she mentioned that you had received a letter from this Dr. Woochak. She came across the letter you left behind. I just figured that was the friend in New Jersey you told George about."

Quite the detective. Now, what exactly should I tell her?

"Linda. For reasons I cannot share right now, I am going to Pittston. I don't know when I'll be ..."

"Adam. Let me guess, you're headed down to the coal mines where that object of yours may have come from."

Adam froze.

Was she a mystic?

As if sensing Adam's surprise, Linda explained. "It's obvious. You and George working late at night on your gold medallion,  the cryptic note about a gold chain found in a lump of coal, and now, your intention to head up to Pittston, deep in the Wilkes-Barre coal-mining region—it  wasn't very hard to draw some obvious conclusions. So, you're on a mission. But why go to all this trouble now, after so many years?"

Adam replied, "I'm impressed." After pausing a moment, he continued. "Something very odd has happened, something I am not sure I can explain."

"Adam. I think it would be a great idea if I joined you on this quest of yours."

"No way."

"Hey, there's nothing for me to do here while they're fixing up McArdle. Besides, this quest sounds like a neat adventure. And, an extra pair of eyes could come in handy, especially if you've got a mystery to solve."

Adam thought about the offer. Maybe it was the anxiety, maybe the need to share his experiences with someone he could trust, whatever it was, Adam relented. "Well. Okay. I'll head back home tonight. Why don't you come over in the morning for breakfast and we'll talk."

***

The next morning, Linda arrived at Adam's house in a denim jacket, blue jeans and   cross-training shoes. It was no surprise to Adam that she had also brought an overnight bag. Between slugging down freshly brewed coffee and polishing off a hearty breakfast which Adam's mom was more than pleased to provide, he related the events of the previous evening. Although the story which unfolded over pancakes and syrup should have been nearly impossible for anyone to believe, Linda digested it along with the food, one extraordinary episode at a time, munching and nodding, and not once questioning the incredible details. When at last Adam finished with the note left behind by Dr. Wujciak, he pulled out the medallion for Linda to see.

"So, that's the mystery artifact," Linda stated, rather than asked. After a brief examination of the gold enigma hanging on Adam's neck, she looked into his green eyes and matter-of-factly said, "Let's go to Pittston."

Adam was tempted to call Wujciak's office just to see who would answer, but decided against it. There was the possibility that the police would answer and drag him into an investigation that was sure to bring up the medallion and generate many more questions than answers.

And then there is the possibility of someone else answering …

Adam shuddered at the thought. He looked back at Linda. Her face glowed, bathed by the early morning sun streaming in through the kitchen window. Her eyes sparkled and the edges of her mouth turned up slightly in a suggestion of a grin. He felt his anxiety dissipate, and grinned back. "Then let's get to it."

They boarded his '94 Pathfinder and took off for Pittston.