The Ancient Surprise

• Kaiser Volkmer, Grade 4, Hawker Primary School -
• Short Story
• 2022

Excellence Award in the 'National Treasures 2022' competition

Tim stepped out of the all-terrain vehicle. He had been driving for miles on end. Finally, he had found it. Tim was far from the city, and all the other pyramids were miles away. He gazed at the triangular shadow. He had finally found the pyramid. Layers and layers of limestone covered the pyramid, the triangles were surrounded by the red hot sand. Tim walked around the ruined pyramid. Although it seemed smaller than the others, it was still very big. One face of the triangle looked as if it had fallen. The bricks had been poorly laid. Tim went to grab a brick. As he pulled it, the pile of stone had disappeared. It was an entrance to the mouth of the triangle.

A flashing light glowed in the distance. He had found the opening to the secret chamber. Proud of his sudden discovery, he peered through the dark hallway. The scorching hot sun boiled against his back. He walked in without hesitation.

The flashing light continued to blink. He reached the end of a start to another entrance. The flashing light was coming from a bot. It was round, with blue lines.
It was covered in dust untouched for hundreds of years.

Tim was curious to find out more about his discovery. He opened his backpack and brought out a white drone, and a drone operator. Turning on the button, the drone engine started to turn on the small propellers. The operator displayed the camera connected to the bottom of the drone. The drone circled around the inside of the pyramid. Tim noticed wires covering the walls like grapevines. Tim sees a metal scrap lying on the ground. Tim grabs out his torch and points it toward the ceiling.

Tim continued to walk further into the pyramid. Right then Tim’s steps on a red pressure plate. Robotic sounds come from a projector. A giant screen shows a digital world map. Red triangles are scattered on the screen. Tim touches one of the red triangles. The inside of the pyramid starts shaking. Sand starts raining down over Tim. The entrance begins to close.

Tim dives to escape, but it's too late. The pyramid becomes lightened. The light is so bright that Tim can’t open his eyes. All of a sudden Tim starts feeling the ground vibrating, he finds a window and sees the pyramid lifting him up off the ground.

A robotic voice echoes through Tim’s ears.
“Spaceship, starting. Journey to Mars. 450 days till destination”.