章 31: The Changes in the Sahara
As Alex stood on the dunes of the Sahara, his energy seeped into the ground, a golden aura shimmering around him. The vast sands began to ripple, rolling like ocean waves.
Grains cascaded and parted, revealing a deep crater at the center of the motion. Slowly, intricate buildings emerged from beneath centuries of concealment. White-washed walls reflect the sunlight, with carvings and murals still vivid against time's erosion.
Alex surveyed the unearthed city, his gaze thoughtful. "Zerzura," he murmured, recalling the legends he had read as a child. Known as the "City of White," it was a hidden oasis of unparalleled beauty and rumored wealth.
Now, it lay before him, the dream of countless explorers realized in an instant.
Walking through its streets, Alex marveled at the artistry and engineering. Fountains, dry for millennia, hinted at a once-thriving source of water.
The carvings depicted stories of a civilization that blended prosperity with reverence for nature. Running his fingers over the etched surfaces, Alex sensed the deep history embedded in each stroke.
"This was a city lost and became a myth," Alex said aloud.
Lily's voice sounded in his mind.
[It's not beautiful, though, typical ancient structure.]
With a smile, Alex rose into the air, hovering above the site. "This desert will change," he declared. With a wave of his hand, golden energy surged across the dunes.
The ground trembled as streams of water burst forth, carving rivers and lakes where barren sand had ruled for ages. Saplings sprouted instantly, growing into towering trees within moments. Redwoods, pines, cypresses, and an array of flowering plants formed a dense canopy.
In mere minutes, the Sahara transformed into a dreamy rainforest. Shadows from the colossal trees stretched over lands once sun-scorched, cooling the region with a refreshing breeze.
The scene didn't go unnoticed. Satellite feeds from multiple nations picked up the dramatic transformation. Calls erupted across government offices worldwide.
In Washington, the President entered the Situation Room, his expression tense. "What are we looking at?"
A general pointed to the live feed. "This is unprecedented, sir. The Sahara Desert has turned into a forest, visible even from orbit. Reports confirm it's spreading across Algeria, Chad, Egypt, and beyond."
"My God, what could cause this?" the President asked absentmindedly.
"Unknown," came the reply. "But it seems to have started at a specific point, an ancient city that sprung up from the desert. Images before and after have been captured by a satellite, but the structure disappeared after a few minutes."
"Quick! notify the nearest base and send a special action team to the site before other nations get there."
Similar chaos unfolded in other nations.
In Beijing, a high-ranking official leaned forward. "Could this be a geological event? Or a military experiment?"
"Our satellites indicate concentrated energy at the center," an analyst reported. "It's not natural."
"Could this be related to the anomalous radar signatures we detected?" a general marveled.
At the European Space Agency, an astronaut on the International Space Station spoke to ground control. "It's breathtaking. The transformation started from a single point, and it radiated outward."
"Can you identify the source?"
"There's a crystal structure at the epicenter," the astronaut said, sending images back.
At the heart of Zerzura, Alex stood before a towering crystal statue he had erected: a white stag lifting its front hoofs in a pose with majestic antlers. Between the antlers hovered a golden gem, pulsating with energy that sent waves of vitality through the land.
A drop of golden liquid fell from the crystal into the water below, dyeing the pool a shimmering gold. This water has healing and restorative properties.
Alex demolished the ancient buildings under Lily's insistence, laying golden slabs in four directions like walkways. Crystal golems stood guard at each path, wielding a sword, a mace, an axe, and a staff respectively.
Lush red flowers, their stamens glowing faintly, similar to the Moors bordered the periphery. Tiny light and forest fairies flitted about, tending to the vibrant foliage.
[It's beautiful, like how I envisioned it to be.]
"This should do it," Alex said, studying his handiwork. He turned to Lily in his mind. "From the map, this place should be near the borders of Libya, Algeria, and Niger."
[Will they fight over it?] Lily asked.
"Probably," Alex admitted as he raised a shimmering barrier around the site. "But this forest will regrow no matter how much they cut. And no one with harmful intent can approach the crystal."
The crystal's energy created a 20-kilometer-wide barrier around the statue, impervious even to nuclear strikes. Governments, corporations, and curious individuals soon found their attempts to breach it futile.
The United Nations convened an emergency session, debates raging.
"This event could redefine the planet's ecology," one scientist said. "The Sahara's transformation will impact climate, agriculture, and geopolitics on an unprecedented scale."
"But who controls it?" a diplomat from Libya countered. "This is happening within our sovereign borders."
"It's beyond sovereignty," a delegate from the UK argued. "This is a global phenomenon, and it needs to be managed collaboratively."
A representative asked, "Do we have an analysis of the energy radiating from that structure at the center? Is it radioactive?"
"No, sir. It's not radioactive, and no equipment can detect it yet. We cannot approach the site further than approximately 20 kilometers because of the barrier." A scientist replied.
Near the barrier, military drones and excavation teams from multiple countries attempted to study the crystal statue, but the energy barrier thwarted every effort. Even advanced scanning equipment couldn't penetrate it. They can only view the site visually using high powered visual equipment.
Environmentalists celebrated the phenomenon, urging humanity to protect this new Eden. Corporations, however, eyed the resources greedily, scheming ways to exploit the newfound forests.
Some fixated on the crystal, the liquid pool below, and the glowing flowers at night. They guessed, by observing the little creatures from legend tending to the area, that this might hold secrets to long life, or even immortality.
As Alex prepared to leave, he hovered above the thriving forest, watching the debates and conflicts unfold from afar.
"What do you think they'll do, Lily?"
[Some will fight for control. Others will see the potential for good. Humanity rarely acts in unison. Didn't you leave a backdoor? Someone will discover it soon.]
"Yeah. Only the purest of heart with the purest of intentions can approach the sacred ground and pass through the barrier."
[This should divert their focus from baseless wars and conflict.]
"Oh well. This was just my first attempt on creating a landscape, before I finalize the structure of Min Heimer. If everything goes well, technological advancement will be next."
Casting one last glance at the city of Zerzura, now reborn as the heart of the world's newest wonder, Alex vanished in a flash of golden light.
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