Equator 2: Maya Notes

May 2029, Equator, Eastern Pacific Ocean

Greece boasts a developed shipping industry, with more than one family holding the title of "Shipping Magnate."

Mandy Petkova's second marriage was to the heir of one such "Shipping Magnate" family.

Mandy, an art collector and philanthropist, decided to host a Central America art exhibition and charity auction aboard the cruise ship Silver Beach, leveraging her family's connections.

The Silver Beach sailed along the Equator towards the Galapagos Islands, located 600 nautical miles west of Ecuador. Their destination was an uninhabited island within the archipelago known as Henovesa Island, also called Tower Island.

The maritime auction had been underway for several hours, and the guests' generosity had resulted in substantial charitable fundraising.

The final item up for auction was a Mayan Pottery Jar unearthed on the Yucatan Peninsula. It was a common household item with little historical value, further diminished by cracks and missing fragments. Therefore, Mandy had placed it last.

Unexpectedly, the Mayan Pottery Jar sparked fierce bidding. After several rounds, the gavel fell at an astonishing $100,000.

The successful bidder, determined to acquire the artifact, was Mandy's esteemed guest, Michael Max. Seated beside Michael were Daphne and her father, Professor Braun.

Martha, an old acquaintance of Mandy and Michael, approached them. Mandy turned to Michael and said:

"Thank you for your generosity. The 'Living Fossil of Civilization' initiative to save the homeland of the Maya Indigenous People has received another boost of support."

Michael replied with a smile, "It is my honor to assist the Maya Indigenous People, and my good fortune to acquire such a beautiful collectible."

"So formal! Michael, if you always answer questions like that, I, as an investigative reporter, will be out of a job!" Martha teased humorously.

They proceeded with introductions.

Martha was the chief investigative reporter for Sky High Media Group, the world's largest media conglomerate, and the ex-wife of the group's owner, media tycoon Andek.

Martha, with her Asian features, high-arched eyebrows, was sociable, witty, and moved effortlessly through high society. Her writing was sharp, and her news instincts were keen, often leading to explosive scoops.

Martha's approach to situations was extraordinary. Five years prior, she had introduced her best friend Mandy's mother, Irene Petkova, to her ex-husband and boss.

As a result, Irene Petkova, a molecular biologist and leading diabetes expert, became the fifth wife of media tycoon Andek.

Irene Petkova was more than just a molecular biologist; she was born in the Former Soviet Union and possessed a profound family background. Her first husband, Mandy's biological father, was the grandnephew of the renowned World War II general Marshal Petkov.

At this moment, on the ship's top deck, Irene was showcasing her antique violin to a famous musician.

Amidst the pure tones and beautiful melodies, the cruise ship slowly approached Henovesa Island.

"Ladies first." Mandy and Martha took Daphne's hands, bid farewell to Michael and the Professor, and boarded the first tender boat.

The music hadn't stopped. Daphne recognized it as a violin piece by Kreisler, a distinguished 20th-century violinist and composer.

One piece was "Love's Joy," and the other was "Love's Sorrow."

Michael and Professor Braun sat side-by-side in the second tender boat.

Professor Braun was a senior executive at the Bright Country Space Administration and the head of the space division for Bright Country's Plan T.

Six months prior, Mr. E, the head of Plan T, and Professor Braun had approached Michael, granting his company permission to participate in the civilian applications of Bright Country's top-secret Superluminal Wave Theory developed by Nikola Tesla.

The Professor asked, "Is this island the site you've chosen to build the space elevator?"

"My dear Professor, it is indeed. However, the 'space elevator' is just the public story. The Sky Ladder I intend to build will be not just 90,000 kilometers high, but 180,000 kilometers."

The Professor was startled. "180,000 kilometers? That would allow for the reception of the full wavelength of superluminal waves. Are you planning to build a Superlight Wave Power Station on this island located on the Equator?"

Michael briefly outlined his plan.

Michael Max was both an adventurer and a pragmatist capable of turning ideals into reality. He aimed to transform the universally desired ideal of "Ultimate Freedom" into achievable engineering solutions.

His plan involved:

Achieving physical freedom through Interstellar Migration; Achieving freedom of consciousness through Brain-Computer Fusion.

The Professor looked at his future son-in-law thoughtfully and said, "Both of these ideals require immense amounts of energy."

"Yes, space industry requires energy, and artificial intelligence and Brain-Computer Fusion even more so. Insufficient power has become the biggest bottleneck hindering the improvement of Computing Power," Michael stated. "Moore's Law for chips has reached its limit; exponential optimization of computing power is no longer possible. Utilizing Superluminal Wave Energy seems to be the best option."

The Professor cautiously noted that building a power station on the island would require risk assessment and reporting to Mr. E.

The tender boats docked one by one, and everyone reconvened.

Under a large, temporary tent, Michael once again became the center of attention.

The conversation naturally turned to the exhibition and the auction items. Michael asked Mandy:

"Mandy, you seem so interested in Maya culture. Is there a particular reason?"

"Haha, you've asked the right person! My dearest mother can reveal the answer," Mandy playfully guided Irene Petkova to the center of the group.

Irene faced Michael and began recounting a distant, legendary tale to everyone.

Irene was born in 1957 and lived in the Former Soviet Union for over thirty years before immigrating to Bright Country. Her father-in-law was Marshal Petkov's nephew and served as a regiment commander in the Marshal's unit during World War II.

In April 1945, Regiment Commander Petkov led his troops in the Battle of Berlin, tasked with capturing the Imperial Library, fortified by the Germans. Among his subordinates was Captain Mirov, who, during the battle, confiscated a rare 19th-century publication on Maya culture.

As is widely known, the discovery of Maya civilization astonished the world. It possessed not only mysterious pyramids and temples, exquisite carvings and paintings, but also precise astronomical records and advanced mathematical knowledge.

Regrettably, the Maya Script remained undeciphered for a long time. Numerous linguists were baffled by the Maya hieroglyphs, with some scholars even suspecting that the patterns carved by the Maya on stone tablets were merely ritualistic symbols, devoid of actual linguistic meaning.

Heroes are not only found on the battlefield!

Captain Mirov, a retired soldier with no background in archaeology or linguistics, delved into the Maya Stone Rubbings with intense curiosity and unyielding perseverance.

Ten years later, in the 1950s, Mirov published a paper proposing an entirely new approach to deciphering Maya Script. He believed Maya Script was a combination of hieroglyphic and phonetic writing. This research shocked the academic world.

Building on Mirov's findings, linguists worked together, and to this day, 80% of Maya Script has been successfully deciphered.

"In 1979, at my wedding, I met Uncle Mirov for the first time," Irene continued. "It was also the first time I learned that besides writing, Mirov had also conducted in-depth research on the Maya Calendar and mathematics."

Mirov had even successfully persuaded the government of the Former Soviet Union to launch a project based on his findings. It lasted for over 20 years but was eventually abandoned in 1979 due to a lack of funding. That became a lifelong regret for him.

"It was against this backdrop that I received a special wedding gift from Uncle Mirov."

Irene opened a box and took out a large envelope, saying:

"Mirov said the Soviet Union couldn't convert his research findings, perhaps because the Maya people's scientific concepts were too advanced. He thought it might take a Maya Short Count Cycle, 52 years, before humanity developed the technology and needs to match their scientific ideas."

Irene walked over to Michael and handed him the envelope. Michael looked confused, and Irene said, "Uncle Mirov entrusted me to give this letter to someone who needs it and can use it well. I believe you are the most suitable person he mentioned."

"Oh, so it won't be a full 52 years until 2031? We're not there yet." Michael was even more bewildered. He noticed the envelope was sealed with red wax.

"My wedding date was August 22, 1979. It will be exactly 52 years on August 22, 2031. I suggest you open it then," Irene said solemnly to Michael.

Daphne curiously leaned closer to the envelope in Michael's hand. She noticed Russian text on the envelope's cover. Since Maya was a common script, she guessed the title meant: Maya Notes.

There were two more lines of Russian text below, which Daphne couldn't understand. She asked:

"What do these two lines of Russian text mean?"

Irene and Mandy, mother and daughter, translated almost simultaneously, proudly and loudly:

"For the Soviet Union, and for all of humanity!"

&

Poem excerpt:

Gazing at the Fangshan mountain's shadow, aiming to match, Tang, Zhou Pu Then from the jade palace, a ladder of cinnabar is erected. Tang, Huang Tao Though one ventures upward to the clouds, Song, Yuan Xie Only upon reaching the summit does one realize how low the world is. Tang, Zhi Liang