Artifact

Artifact A small cube of black rock has been unearthed in a 3500-year-old Mycenaean tomb. An incomprehensible object in an impossible place; its age,its purpose, and its origins are unknown. Its discovery has unleashed a global storm of intrigue, theft andespionage, and is pushing nations to the brink of war. Its substance has scientists baffled. And the miracle it contains does not belong on this Earth. It is mystery and madness -- an enigma with no equal in recordedhistory. It is mankind's greatest discovery ... and worst nightmare. It may have already obliterated a world. Ours is next. A small cube of black rock has been unearthed in a 3500-year-old Mycenaen tomb. An incomprehensible object in an impossible place; its age, its purpose, and its origins are unknown. Its discovery has unleashed a global storm of intrigue, theft and espionage, and is pushing nations to the brink of war. Its substance has scientist baffled. And the miracle it contains does not belong on this Earth. It is mystery and madness-an enigma with no equal in recorded history. It is mankind's greatest discovery. . .and worst nightmare. It may have already obliterated a world. Ours is next. PROLOGUE Greece [ca. 1425 B.C.]......Page 2 CHAPTER One......Page 3 CHAPTER Two......Page 9 CHAPTER Three......Page 13 CHAPTER Four......Page 19 CHAPTER One......Page 21 CHAPTER Two......Page 25 CHAPTER Three......Page 27 CHAPTER Four......Page 31 CHAPTER Five......Page 35 CHAPTER Six......Page 39 CHAPTER Seven......Page 45 CHAPTER Eight......Page 49 CHAPTER One......Page 53 CHAPTER Two......Page 56 CHAPTER Three......Page 62 CHAPTER Four......Page 68 CHAPTER Five......Page 72 CHAPTER Six......Page 74 CHAPTER Seven......Page 77 CHAPTER One......Page 78 CHAPTER Two......Page 84 CHAPTER Three......Page 89 CHAPTER Four......Page 93 CHAPTER Five......Page 98 CHAPTER Six......Page 102 CHAPTER Seven......Page 107 CHAPTER Eight......Page 111 PART FIVE......Page 113 CHAPTER One......Page 114 CHAPTER Two......Page 116 CHAPTER Three......Page 120 CHAPTER Four......Page 124 CHAPTER Five......Page 130 CHAPTER Six......Page 134 CHAPTER Seven......Page 137 CHAPTER Eight......Page 140 CHAPTER Nine......Page 145 CHAPTER Ten......Page 150 CHAPTER One......Page 156 CHAPTER Two......Page 160 CHAPTER Three......Page 164 CHAPTER Four......Page 170 CHAPTER Five......Page 173 CHAPTER Six......Page 175 CHAPTER Seven......Page 180 CHAPTER Eight......Page 183 CHAPTER Nine......Page 185 CHAPTER Ten......Page 187 CHAPTER Eleven......Page 191 CHAPTER Twelve......Page 195 EPILOGUE......Page 197 A TECHNICAL AFTERWORD......Page 205 Quarks On a Human Scale......Page 206 Square Forces in a Round World......Page 208 An archaeologist discovers a mysterious ancient object in Greece that could destroy the world in this science fiction adventure. A small cube of black rock has been unearthed in a 3,500-year-old Mycenaean tomb. An incomprehensible object in an impossible place; its age, its purpose, and its origins are unknown. Its discovery has unleashed a global storm of intrigue, theft, and espionage, and is pushing nations to the brink of war. Its substance has scientists baffled. And the miracle it contains does not belong on this Earth. It is mystery and madness—an enigma with no equal in recorded history. It is mankind's greatest discovery... and worst nightmare. It may have already obliterated a world. Ours is next.Praise for Artifact “What do you get if you cross a James Bond movie with an Indiana Jones movie? A Gregory Benford novel. That seems to be a pretty accurate description of the pace and theme of Artifact. It's an engaging tale.... Artifact skillfully blends physics and archeology with a fast-paced plot worthy of any blockbuster action flick.” —SF Site The discovery of a mysterious artifact in an ancient Greek tomb--an object concealing both the secret of Atlantis and an unimaginable power--leads Americans John and Claire into confrontation with Greek revolutionaries and the U.S. Secret Service. Deep inside the tomb they barely heard the snarl of an approaching vehicle.