Part I : Dubai 2050 City of Gold Survivors:
The Dead End Sea
Part II: Dubai 2050 City Of Gold Survivors:
Unforgiving Desert & Beyond
Part III: Dubai 2050 City Of Gold Survivors:
The End of the Beginning
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| Author: HassanAlJabry |
UPDATE:
23rd March 15:Check out the 2nd part of Dubai 2050: City of Gold Survivors: Unforgiving desert and beyond from ebookMall.
Read from Amazon Kindle Edition: Click Here
Dubai 2050 City Of Gold Survivors - The Dead End Sea [Kindle Edition] - Click here for more.
08th March 15
Hi fans, I'm so excited to share with you one of the illustrations that I plan to add to the story, a published book. It's at the beginning of the story - Part II - Unforgiving Desert & Beyond.
When Zed, Azim and Junior woke up on a strange shore that they thought is Atta - homeland.
They were absolutely sure that they flew back home safely after they felt down near the beach. But to their surprise, they find themselves in a strange land with strange structures.
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| Back to Atta: Part II:Dubai2050: City of Gold Survivors - Unforgiving Desert & Beyond. Author HASSAN AL JABRI. Illustration Copyrighted +Hassan Al Jabri |
23rd Feb 2015
How about sharing with you today table of contents for all the episodes?
The Dead End Sea
CHAPTER One
2050 The End of The Beginning: Un-existed Sea
Stormy Night with Trembling Ground
The Mysterious Floating Capsule
CHAPTER Two
2014 The Early Years: Flashback
2030 Changed Existence At Atta
A Wedding & A Loss
Comforting A Friend
CHAPTER Three
2040 Finding Hard Truth
Zed’s Quest Initiation
CHAPTER Four
Journey To Unknown: The Cable Island
The Submerged City
The Dead End SeaUnforgiving Desert & Beyond
Introduction
CHAPTER One
2045: Atta & Yet A Strange Place
Back Home, A New Atta, A New Beginning
CHAPTER Two
Atta Festivities
Love In The Air
Strange Visitors
Zed’s Second Quest
CHAPTER Three
2048: Zed’s 2nd Quest
Unforgiving Desert & Beyond
The Sand City – Cave of Secrets
Prisoners of Zhor
The End of The Beginning (Still under construction)
Introduction
CHAPTER One the Year 2049: The Escape
Arabian Tunguska
Fox Sniffers
CHAPTER Two Battle, hunger, & white camel
Northwest! Post Five! Battle Begins
Hunger & Running Camels17th Feb 2015
Thought of sharing today one of the dialogues from the last episode of Dubai 2050: City of Gold Survivors - The End of the Beginning.
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“When they understood that you were missing—and that you must have been alive at least long enough to kill the snake—it didn’t take them long to start thinking of Zhor.” From that point, Zed’s trail had been easy enough to pick out, Junior said: the people of Sand City had found tracks leading down to one of the pools of the oasis; from the other side of the pool several sets of tracks headed west over the dunes. The only way someone could have come from the west as if they were Zhor’s people—“They wouldn’t tell us much about Zhor, but I got the impression that after the snake he was the person they were most afraid of.”
“They wouldn’t come with us to Zhor’s,” Junior said, “But it’s like they’ve got their own Leo or their own Chen. They gave us those things that melt metal—it just looks like a piece of cloth—and also those round things that send out some kind of gas that makes it impossible for a man to see, or react, to anything new.”
“What were the tubes for?” Zed asked. As he did so, he realized that he still had the tube in his nose: the excitement of escape had allowed him to forget it. He pulled it out now and looked at it.
“So the gas doesn’t affect you. Without that, you wouldn’t have seen me walk through the guards, or seen me wave you across. Incredible.”
Zed shook his head, thinking of all the wonders of the outside world.
They made decent progress, but still, they had to travel through the hot desert at only about the pace a man could run: any faster, and the boards holding two men began to grow hot. They stopped frequently to switch off partners and trade the coolest board, but even so, they had a thirsty, uncomfortable journey once the sun rose. At noon, Zed recommended they stop; Junior nodded. “We’re almost at the oasis. About halfway to the long inlet.”
In half an hour they were at the oasis. But they hadn’t rested long before they heard a strange howling—like a strong wind but punctuated by high notes at close intervals.
Lex stood up and walked to the western edge of the oasis. After a moment, the others followed him. “What’s that noise? It can’t be wind—there is none.” Lex looked around at the others.
“Fox sniffers,” Matt said. The others looked at him: Junior had accepted at once that he was a stranger arrived from the outside world, but Amad and Lex seemed to be having trouble believing this—and this made them suspicious of him.
“What are fox sniffers?” Lex had crossed his arms and seemed angry that Matt had spoken at all.
Matt shrugged. "A genetically modified breed of fox. They work under desert conditions and can track someone for many days after they’ve passed. They can smell you from miles away.”
“So they’re wild animals?” Junior put his hand in his pouch, reaching, Zed assumed, for his laser weapon.
“No.” Matt shook his head. “They’re only owned by humans. And the only one who has them in this little world of yours is Zhor.” He looked around at the others. “He’s on our trail.”
It took a second for Zed and Junior to react, but when they did, they led the others in sprinting for the boards.
“Wait,” Zed said when they had reached the boards. “What about the Sand City?”
“No good,” Junior said. “The elder made it clear to us. We were welcome to leave, but we were not welcome back. The only way out is Atta.”
They kicked off. As they rose, so did the noise of howling. Zed had Matt with him on his board, and he turned to him to ask, “How fast can those things travel?”
“As fast as Zhor’s men can,” Matt said, shouting as the wind rose with their speed. “And he’s got things that can travel at least as fast as you, if not faster.”
*****************
12th Feb 2015Hi, and thanks for your visit. Last part already done is just minor re-check with the editor but still, I cannot find the time to do that.
Started to work on illustrations too so that to spice up this fiction story that is based in Dubai between the year 2014 - 2050. The illustration that I'm working on for the time being is for part two: Unforgiving Desert & Beyond when for the first time Zed and his friends Azim and Junior wake up on the beach after the stormy night to find themselves on a strange land with strange structure. Here the structure is Part of Dubai Metro station that washed miles away and end up near the coastal area of Atta.
Below is the rough sketch:
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| Dubai 2045: Unforgiving Desert and Beyond: Zed and his Friends with strange structure. Copyrighted +Hassan Al Jabri |
2045: Atta & Yet A Strange Place
Dawn broke in the east, and its light spread out across the water. The sunlit Atta mountain, and all parts of it, from the summit to the shoreline, lay bathed in the red glow.
The first light fell on three figures, still as corpses, who lay half-in and half-out of the surf. Beside them and around them lay a scree of metal parts.
Only the slow movement of their chests gave any sign that the three men yet lived; beyond that, the only motion around them came from the rising and falling waves, and the wind- and wave-swept tatters of their clothing.
The first of the three to stir was Junior. His eyes snapped open suddenly and then closed again; then he slowly lifted a hand to his eyes to sweep away the accumulated sand and salt. His eyes opened again, and he attempted to raise himself, but his exhausted body would not comply.
His arms seemed to have no strength, and the world seemed to spin under his body, making it impossible for him to keep himself upright.
Finally Junior managed to sit up. By now the sun had made it halfway over the horizon, and he swept his bleary eyes over the shore and the sea, looking for landmarks, looking for anything familiar. He noticed first Zed and Azim lying close by, and then the metal debris around him, the remains, apparently, of Leo’s boards.
Now Junior remembered: after a few hours’ operations, the heat they generated had begun to tear the boards apart; there had been a few more hours of terrified flying as the boards decayed and their legs nearly failed from fatigue, and then—a shadow rising before them and a last panicked sensation of falling as the boards broke into pieces. They had not been built to fly so far, but they had been built well enough to fly them to safety.
But where were they? With difficulty, Junior got himself to his knees so that he could survey the shore. As he moved, he heard Zed and Azim stirring, and soon all three of them were up and looking out on this strange territory.
Finally, Junior rose to his feet. He nearly overbalanced as he did so; he stumbled like one drunk. But then, shading his eyes, he looked up and down the shore.
“Do you see anything, Junior?”
Zed was trying to stand now, but he couldn’t seem to find his balance, and his legs seemed unwilling to support him. “Junior?”
Junior did not respond. He was staring south along the shoreline.
Azim groaned as he struggled to get to his feet.
“Has he found something?” Zed called again.
“Junior?” At last, his legs shaking a little, he stood up.
He looked south in the direction Junior had turned—and he nearly lost his balance again, stumbling forward for a few paces until he could hold himself upright.
Beyond a narrow place in the beach, where a ridge of the land sloped down quickly and almost into the water itself, Zed saw the edge of an enormous structure. He staggered toward it, his mind instantly filled with images of the underwater building he had explored just a day ago, and Junior followed him, with Azim finally struggling to his feet and following them both in turn.
As they approached, the full size of the structure became apparent: They walked around it and found that it was two stories tall and about half a kilometre long.
The roof curved down around the building like the edge of a seashell, and under the tarnish left on it from years underwater and exposed to the elements, Zed could see that the roof had once been made of gold or a metal that was meant to mimic gold.
For Zed could tell the structure wasn’t new-built. It was covered with the dried remains of algae and other sea life, and sand had drifted high on its seaward side.
Zed stared at the structure, certain it had been built by the same people whose drowned homes he had explored. His first urge—overriding even his hunger and thirst—was to enter and explore: if he did so, he knew, he would find more evidence of his origins. But as he and his companions circled the building, they discovered that every door, every window, every gap left by the elements within a twice a man’s height of the ground had been sealed off with scrap metal.
“I wonder where we are.”
Azim placed a hand on one of the structure’s walls.
“Do you think we’ve made it to the place where they build such things?”
Zed had no answer for this: it seemed fantastic—he was sure they had flown west last night, as much as possible in the direction in which Atta must lie, but still his heart leapt at the possibility that they had found a new land, the home of those whose skeletons he had discovered.
And then Junior dashed Zed’s hopes.
“We’re home.” He pointed inland.
“If that isn’t Atta, I must be dreaming. We’ve just come around the northern point.”
Zed looked up: sure enough, by coming around the edge of the ridge, they had brought a familiar skyline into view: there lay the summit of Atta, with its crown of dark clouds. And lower he could see the unmistakable profile of Chen’s lightning farm.
“Atta?” Zed couldn’t believe it.
Neither could Azim.
“But, this thing is here. And—“ Azim swept his hand southward “—look at all those palm trees. The eastern shore doesn't have that many.”
“The land doesn't lie.”
UPDATE:
14th December 2014:
A First honest review from Amazon on Kindle edition of Part One: Dubai 2050: The Dead End Sea. Thanks, T.L.W appreciated taking into consideration as a First time published Fiction author.
8th October 2014:
First I did not believe when I heard or read about authors who took years to complete one novel. But now I realize this is true. 2014 almost sail away and am still working on the last episode of this fiction story based in Dubai. The last part - that is part III, "Dubai 2050: City of Gold Survivors - The End of The Beginning" almost done working on last chapters with my editor.
In this last series, Zed escaped from Zhor prison with his friends, the battle erupted with Zhor mercenaries, and after the war, hunger and confusion surround Atta. I will share with you soon on all the titles of the chapters in this last episode of a fiction story. Thanks. Author Hassan Al Jabri.
5th August 2014:
Moving so slowly, and it seems it will take ages to complete the story. The draft is ready to the end, needs clean up and some fixes in the plot. At the same time, the designer of the sketches let me down not completed all sketches from the story.
Check out the latest sketch from the scene of Part one: Dubai 2050, City of Gold Survivors under titled: The Dead End Sea in the last chapter, Zed and Junior chased by creatures look like half human half spiders. They flew with their advanced flying boards toward the boat under control of Azim who was waiting for them.
UPDATE:
A First honest review from Amazon on Kindle edition of Part One: Dubai 2050: The Dead End Sea. Thanks, T.L.W appreciated taking into consideration as a First time published Fiction author.
By T.L.W
8th October 2014:
First I did not believe when I heard or read about authors who took years to complete one novel. But now I realize this is true. 2014 almost sail away and am still working on the last episode of this fiction story based in Dubai. The last part - that is part III, "Dubai 2050: City of Gold Survivors - The End of The Beginning" almost done working on last chapters with my editor.
In this last series, Zed escaped from Zhor prison with his friends, the battle erupted with Zhor mercenaries, and after the war, hunger and confusion surround Atta. I will share with you soon on all the titles of the chapters in this last episode of a fiction story. Thanks. Author Hassan Al Jabri.
5th August 2014:
Moving so slowly, and it seems it will take ages to complete the story. The draft is ready to the end, needs clean up and some fixes in the plot. At the same time, the designer of the sketches let me down not completed all sketches from the story.
Check out the latest sketch from the scene of Part one: Dubai 2050, City of Gold Survivors under titled: The Dead End Sea in the last chapter, Zed and Junior chased by creatures look like half human half spiders. They flew with their advanced flying boards toward the boat under control of Azim who was waiting for them.
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| Zed & Junior Chased by the Spider-like creature - The Dead End Sea |
UPDATE:
24th June 2014:
Thank you for visiting my blog about this fiction story on Dubai Survivors from 2014 - 2050. I know after months I write another update. Currently working on last chapters of part three under titled "The End of The Beginning".
At the same time, I wanted to make this story more interesting to readers is to present it with sketches. Already done two sketches and still working on others to bring alive scenes and locations of the story.
Below is the sketch from the scene, The Dead End Sea. Zed discovered this strange mass above sea water.
UPDATE:
Thank you for visiting my blog about this fiction story on Dubai Survivors from 2014 - 2050. I know after months I write another update. Currently working on last chapters of part three under titled "The End of The Beginning".
At the same time, I wanted to make this story more interesting to readers is to present it with sketches. Already done two sketches and still working on others to bring alive scenes and locations of the story.
Below is the sketch from the scene, The Dead End Sea. Zed discovered this strange mass above sea water.
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| One of the strange structure Zed and his friends found in |
16th December 2013:
Well, 2013, is almost over, and what a year it was here in Dubai - UAE. I think the main event of many happened is winning for the city of Dubai to host Expo 2020.
What I would like to share is more from this fiction story about the Survivors of two generations survived for more than 30 years at the base of Atta Mountain, no communication from outside was possible or anyone to find this lost city, the main reason was because of strange magnetic field above the skies appeared after the disaster that destroy the entire city of gold.
Ok, in this story, there were points that famous city of Dubai's icons, structures and status were mentioned but in a way that it is not easy to know if you are not aware and know more about the city of Dubai. Below is a part of the paragraphs that identify one of the silver men status diving with waterfall at the Dubai Mall. Please use these keywords in Google search images you will see them. "silver men diving with a fountain at Dubai mall".
Salvage coming from the sea was a common enough occurrence, not something they would ordinarily question, but seeing a human face emerge from the water, even if only on a statue, seemed like a far different thing. Zed’s questions seemed far more urgent than ever before, and they stirred in both Junior and Azim a hollow feeling, a sense that they held inside themselves a vacancy they might never fill
That's all, more updates will follow, please visit us again or subscribe to this blog.
23rd Aug - 2nd Update:What I would like to share is more from this fiction story about the Survivors of two generations survived for more than 30 years at the base of Atta Mountain, no communication from outside was possible or anyone to find this lost city, the main reason was because of strange magnetic field above the skies appeared after the disaster that destroy the entire city of gold.
Ok, in this story, there were points that famous city of Dubai's icons, structures and status were mentioned but in a way that it is not easy to know if you are not aware and know more about the city of Dubai. Below is a part of the paragraphs that identify one of the silver men status diving with waterfall at the Dubai Mall. Please use these keywords in Google search images you will see them. "silver men diving with a fountain at Dubai mall".
Part of Chapter Four :
Journey to Unknown,
The Cable Island
In moments, he had cut them away in a wide circle around the hand; all three men knelt down and began to clear away the sand and fragments of cable.
Soon they exposed much more than a hand: when they had cleared all the debris away they had exposed half a human formva man with both arms raised, both hands presumably extended above his head (the left hand had broken off). After more cutting and digging they had revealed the entire form and discovered that while the fully intact legs still gleamed silver, most of the man’s torso had tarnished, possibly because they had been so much closer to the surface and had so little chance to dry.
The thing was enormous, too much bigger than a real human, standing close to three meters tall from feet to head, with the arms extending another meter above that.
It was half an hour’s work to free the statue entirely; when they had done so and hauled it up so it rested on the sand, the men simply stared at it for a moment.
“His head is looking up a bit, isn’t it?” Azim asked.
“Looks like he’s about to dive.” Zed bent down again to run his hand along the figure’s arms.
“Who made this, and why?”
Neither Azim nor Junior replied.
That's all, more updates will follow, please visit us again or subscribe to this blog.
Glimpse into "Unforgiving Desert & Beyond" when Zed met again Nera:
From one of the Chapter Two Sub Headings: :"Love in the Air"
Zed swung the board skyward once more, made a short jump over the trees, and brought himself down on the edge of the square: there the woman waited, her head looking down, her arms folded. Beyond the trees, the elder announced Junior the winner of the race, and the crowd cheered, but for Zed there was no sound except that of his feet as he jumped from his board and the pounding of his heartbeat in his ears. One step, another, and one last step, and he had closed the distance between them; he reached out an arm and took the woman’s shoulder.
“Nera?”
The woman’s head rose: Zed felt the world spin as Nera’s blue eyes looked into his own.
For an instant, Zed’s head filled with the same questions that had plagued him as he hovered by the spire. Why had he not seen her? Why had she not sought him out? And behind them all, he realized now, lay the greatest fear, so terrible that he had left it unspoken and un-thought: that Nera might have taken another, and might have gone out of his grasp forever. But as the tears filled Nera’s eyes—and as the tears came into his own—he knew that his fears were unfounded. She had missed him, she had waited for him. And now they would be together again.
Zed stepped forward and took Nera entirely in his arms. As he did so, he heard her sob, a sob of joy, a sob of release from a deep and boundless sorrow. Nera’s shoulders shook in Zed’s arms, and for what seemed like a long time she seemed unable to talk.
Finally, however, she withdrew and stood before Zed wiping her tears away and gathering herself to speak. But Zed leaned forward, put his fingers on his lips, and nodded toward the square. The games over, people had begun to come out of the palm border.
“Will you come with me?” Zed asked.
Nera gave a faint smile and nodded. Zed took her hand and led her to the board.
They did not fly long; Zed wanted to speak with her as much as he could, to fill his ears with her light, musical voice. He took her to the canyon, to the pools, where things had also been improved: a set of steps led down into the largest pool of the hot pools, and for several feet all around the pool all debris had been cleared and the rocks covered with sand as at a beach. Nera sat on a large stone; Zed sat on the ground next to her, feeling awkward and shy in a way he had not felt all his adult life.
In the last glimmer of light before the sun disappeared completely behind the peak of Atta, Zed searched Nera’s face. He found the trail of a single tear—but saw no sign that she doubted him or his love. He put out his hand and rubbed the tear from her cheek: she pressed her cheek against his palm. Then Zed stood, and extending his hand, he smiled.
“For years—even before the years I lost—I’ve wanted to swim with you in the pools. Will you make that dream come true?”
23rd Aug 2013:
Dubai 2050 City of Gold Survivors Trilogy:
I: The Dead End Sea
II: Unforgiving Desert & Beyond
III: The End of The Beginning
11th Aug 2013:
Part II of the story Dubai 2050 City Of Gold Survivors - Unforgiving Desert and Beyond available now on Amazon, Barnes & Kindle and Kobo Ebooks, find below links:
Amazon Kindle
Barnes & Noble
Kobo Ebooks
You are free to choose from which one you can read and join Zed's adventures with his friends.
3rd Aug 2013:
Read teaser: Download From Here.
Interested to read a complete book - Unforgiving Desert and Beyond? Please CLICK Here
2nd August 2013:
Part II soon will be released online. Join our Facebook page for more updates, and possible you will be the first to read for free, we will provide the access code to read online. In return, we ask your honest reviews.
22nd July 2013:
I'm pleased to introduce to you for the first time the contents in part 2 of the series - Dubai 2050: City of Gold Survivors: Titled: Unforgiving Desert & Beyond
CHAPTER One
2045: Atta & Yet A Strange Place
Back Home, A New Atta, A New Beginning
CHAPTER Two
Atta Festivities & Zed’s New Quest
Love In The Air
Strange Visitors
Zed’s Second Quest
CHAPTER Three
2048: Zed’s Quest & Leo Inventions
The Unforgiving Desert
The Sand City – Cave of Secrets
Prisoners of Zhor
Author's Biography
11th July 2013:
Have a First look the ebook cover for part two titled :
Unforgiving Desert and Beyond. Expect to issue soon.
11th July 2013:
Summer Promotion:
Read for FREE Part One - Dubai 2050 - City of gold survivors - The Dead End Sea at AMAZON Kindle Edition on 12th and 13th July 2013.
Go to AMAZON for more details.
02 July 2013
Working on Chapter 7 and 8, also ebook cover for part II under titled: Unforgiving Desert and Beyond.
For now, all issues will be as an ebook and readable through Amazon Kindle....Or I will try to promote first as an ebook before Amazon. So anyone can download no matter if you kindle or not. You can read in pdf format.
Dubai 2050 City Of Gold Survivors is getting even better.
Thanks
Hassan
26th June 2013
Hi, hope you all doing great. I'm pleased to let you know that on 29th and 30th June 13, if you have AMAZON kindle you can download for free the first episode of City of Gold Survivors - The Dead End Sea.
In this episode, you get know the surroundings, characters, particularly our main character Zed and his close friends from childhood to adulthood. Zed will take you to his first quest to find the truth of their origin. Get ready to explore Atta and the Dead End Sea.
Get your free ebook at Amazon on 29th and 30th June 2013.
Click on the cover book to Amazon
19th June 2013
Read the full book on 22nd June 2013 for FREE in AMAZON Kindle Edition.
15 June 2013:
The first release of The Dead End Sea in ebook format
Get your copy Now.
To get your copy of the first episode - The Dead End Sea from AMAZON
12 June 2013:
For now, all issues will be as an ebook and readable through Amazon Kindle....Or I will try to promote first as an ebook before Amazon. So anyone can download no matter if you kindle or not. You can read in pdf format.
Dubai 2050 City Of Gold Survivors is getting even better.
Thanks
Hassan
26th June 2013
Hi, hope you all doing great. I'm pleased to let you know that on 29th and 30th June 13, if you have AMAZON kindle you can download for free the first episode of City of Gold Survivors - The Dead End Sea.
In this episode, you get know the surroundings, characters, particularly our main character Zed and his close friends from childhood to adulthood. Zed will take you to his first quest to find the truth of their origin. Get ready to explore Atta and the Dead End Sea.
Get your free ebook at Amazon on 29th and 30th June 2013.
Click on the cover book to Amazon
19th June 2013
Read the full book on 22nd June 2013 for FREE in AMAZON Kindle Edition.
15 June 2013:
The first release of The Dead End Sea in ebook format
Get your copy Now.
To get your copy of the first episode - The Dead End Sea from AMAZON
12 June 2013:
Hi all,
Hope you all doing well, just to let you know that below is the final ebook cover and we will launch the e-book soon.
Thanks for dropping by.
".... the best part of your story is the plot. Although I don’t know the whole story, from what I have seen so far the plot sounds very interesting and original. It certainly makes me want to keep reading,....." Noelle Chandler - Editor.
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| Photo copyrighted @HassanJabri 2010 City of Gold Survivors: Where the past not exist. |
Welcome and thanks for dropping by this blog. The subject book still works in progress and there are lots points to work on it before the official launch. I will use my blog, to update all book lovers about this fiction story, that is unique and original. As a first time author, I'm so excited to present this story to the world.
Photo copyrighted @HassanJabri 2010
PREVIOUS UPDATES:
09 June 2013
Hi world and fan of Dubai 2050 City Of Gold Survivors,
Below is a summary of the story: Your comments are welcome.
04th June 2013
Hi world and fan of Dubai 2050 City Of Gold Survivors,
Below is a summary of the story: Your comments are welcome.
The Year: 2014. The place: Dubai. A mysterious catastrophe has destroyed the city and left a small international group of survivors isolated and stripped of their memories. As they recover and begin the work of rebuilding, they find that they are alone on a mountain surrounded on one side by a sea filled with dangers and mysterious debris, and on the other by trackless desert.
Determined to survive, and have no inkling of their history or place in the world for more than 35 years, the survivors found a settlement that they call Attah, and they find themselves reluctant to explore the past or to find out more about the strange land that they have claimed. No one breaks this unspoken taboo until Zed—discovered as an infant among the wreckage of the first day—reaches manhood with a burning desire to understand his past. He bombards his elders with questions. He leads his friends through thrilling and terrifying adventures, putting his life at risk in order to find the truth.
City Of Gold Survivors is about determination, togetherness, friendship, love, and betrayal. And in the end, when Zed places everyone he loves—and the future of the settlement itself—at stake in a bid to restore the city’s lost glory and return Attah to the world, it is about how one man, fueled by burning desire, can create the destiny of a nation.
04th June 2013
Hello again,
Summer upon us, exams and holidays, and as for us in our part of the world, we are preparing to welcome the month of Ramadan in July.
Well, today I would like to share with you a comment from our current Editor George Gibson from USA, he is professional in his field and brought more sparkles to my story: "Dubai2050 City of Gold Survivors" Below his comments:
"What I admire most about the story is that does what all good science fiction does: it takes elements of the world we live in and knits them together in new and unusual ways, and as a result you get an exciting and entertaining story that also helps us to see the present in a new light.
Hassan’s story does this with the culture, architecture, history, and geography of Dubai, and in the course of his story he manages to explore the possibilities that lie in wait for this wonderful city that has found itself at the crossroads of a burgeoning global and international community."
Thanks!
George Gibson
Thank you until next time, take care, stay safe and enjoy days ahead.
Hassan Al Jabri
Author
Hassan Al Jabri
Author
_____________________________________________________________
28 May 2013
Hi, fans of Dubai2050 City of Gold Survivors,
I'm so excited, the story is getting more interesting to read. Plan to have more adventures from chapter 7 to the end chapter 9 or 10. The climax of the story.
Today looked at the draft of chapter 6, festivities at Atta, love in the air, strangers at Atta and Zed's 2nd quest. Zed never surrender to find out the origin of all items and other things that came out of the sea, including the origin of all survivors from this isolated place called Atta.
Today looked at the draft of chapter 6, festivities at Atta, love in the air, strangers at Atta and Zed's 2nd quest. Zed never surrender to find out the origin of all items and other things that came out of the sea, including the origin of all survivors from this isolated place called Atta.
More challenges await Zed with his friends Junior, Alex and Amad. Azim will not join them in the 2nd quest to find the hard truth. Will update more soon. Thanks for reading.
_________________________________________
18th May 2013
Hi, world,
I hope by now some of you saved this link and read later for any update from Dubai 2050 City Of Gold Survivors story. Today I would like to introduce to you main hero/character of the story and his imaginary name is "Zed".
Ladies and Gentlemen, we are pleased to introduce :
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| Copyrighted Photo@Hassan Al Jabri |
ZED :
The youngest first-generation survivor on this land, born before the 2014 disaster. He was just one year old so that’s make him the youngest of all those who survived the wave of the blast and huge waves like Tsunami that buried their city under the displaced sea. He was rescued by other older survivors. A white male and Arab female, they raised Zed like their own son.
Zed, he was of Arab origin, with a long nose, dark black hair, and a light scar on his right eyelid. He grew at Atta, which was totally isolated from the face of the world. No Communication and any kind of contact from the outer world. The whole region they lived in is like covered above the skies with kind of magnetic field. As result, all survivors were survived with whatever they find around the Atta Mountain base.
Though all survivors lost their memory of where they came from, they were still capable of reading and writing. Zed is the same, and he was an intelligent young man, adventurous, and a natural leader. Since his childhood, he would question every creation in the community. He was always curious about each item he found and he wanted to know the origin of it or if there is another world out there. Each item or structure appeared from the sea for him there is a question mark but for other survivors, is another item to make out more use of it in the community. No one bothers to question anything.
Though all survivors lost their memory of where they came from, they were still capable of reading and writing. Zed is the same, and he was an intelligent young man, adventurous, and a natural leader. Since his childhood, he would question every creation in the community. He was always curious about each item he found and he wanted to know the origin of it or if there is another world out there. Each item or structure appeared from the sea for him there is a question mark but for other survivors, is another item to make out more use of it in the community. No one bothers to question anything.
Therefore, Zed was the only one who wanted to travel beyond Atta - far to the sea and around the Atta to other places that no any other survivors reached. He was caring loving person, and not easy to show his anger or frustration. He respected his elders and he did find difficulties to express his true love to the only girl that he fell in love at Atta. Zed faced many obstacles and surprises in his adventure to find his origin, and origin of all survivors.
In this fiction story Dubai 2050 city of gold survivors, you will come to know Zed from his early years when he was just one year old, teenager stage to adulthood, he will charm you in this story with his strong belief, calm habit, true friendship with others, one who can be trusted and a true lover.
In this fiction story Dubai 2050 city of gold survivors, you will come to know Zed from his early years when he was just one year old, teenager stage to adulthood, he will charm you in this story with his strong belief, calm habit, true friendship with others, one who can be trusted and a true lover.
8th May 2013:
Hi,
I know for sometimes I did not update you on my book progress, writing for me is not hard, I have lots of ideas and plots for my story, the only problem is to find TIME to do that, and a good editor who can read my mind and write/correct exactly what I intend to deliver in this interesting unique story of a young man who survived and raised by other survivors, he was only one to doubt that there was more than where they live all their life at the base of Atta mountain.
So finally I got a good editor and we did a lot of corrections and adjustments, and today I would like to share with you few paragraphs of new version Dubai 2050: city of gold survivors from chapter 1, 2, and 3. I'm still working on chapter 6, but I already have plots up to the end which concludes the story in chapter 10.
I hope you will enjoy this introduction, and when the book is completed, you will really going to like all the characters in the story.
Thanks
Hassan Al Jabri
Chapter One: 2014: The early years.
1. Rising from the Dead
....Beyond the shore stood a mountain: real, solid land. He stepped toward it, and as he did so, the iron rod supporting him wavered in the sandy seafloor. He nearly fell. When he had righted himself, he realized that the rod had come loose completely, and he used it as a crutch as he hobbled toward solid ground.
The spit lays about a hundred yards away: it took the man the better part of an hour to reach it. He had a straight line of sight to it, but he soon found that the seafloor was dotted with wide holes where the water became too deep to wade through. And so he had to pick his way around some of the enormous objects strewn around him. His memory called out to them—shapes and structures made of metal, glass, and stone—but they did not respond. They remained mysteries, and so eventually he determined to ignore them, focusing all his energy on the land. He ignored, too, the bright sparkle of gold that shone out everywhere around him from under the water. It was pretty, but he had forgotten what gold was. And he had to focus on survival.
He had almost made it to the sand when he heard a voice call out. He stopped, his heart beating rapidly. He had thought he was alone.
“Help!” A woman’s voice, muffled, coming from close by.
The man called out, “Where are you?” He was surprised by the roughness of his own voice.
“Help!” The woman shouted again, a sob rending the word. “Help me!” Now the man had located her: her voice came from the nearest thing to him, a long, rounded rectangle of glass and gleaming silver and blue metal. He approached cautiously, his legs still weak, his head still ringing from his own shout. Soon he stood beside the metal thing that sloped up from the water like a leaning tower: he looked into one of the long squares of tinted glass and spotted the woman. She was in her late twenties, her hair long and dark, her eyes a deep brown...................
Leaning once more on his metal staff, the man stood up, but not before the other man from his group–a tall, strongly built black man—replied. “You’re right. We should move inland.”
The man with the rod nodded and raised his voice so that all around him could hear. “We should all move inland. We should split up and make sure everyone on the beach knows this and follows us. But before we do, does anyone know what has happened?”
No one answered: the only sound was the surf on the shore.
A woman’s voice broke the silence. “No one knows?” She stepped forward: one side of her face was badly burned, and she had to use one hand to hold the remains of her dress together. “No one knows?” Her voice broke.
“I’m sure, given time, given some rest and food, we’ll remember.” The man pointed up the beach with his metal staff. “But for now, we should move inland.”
The survivors formed a line as they walked up the slope and away from the beach. As they passed, the shrubs became more numerous; eventually, the shrubs gave way to trees. They passed a farm, apparently deserted, its buildings flattened and leaning westward. And then, just as the sun began to slip behind the mountain, they heard the sound of running water. A few more paces led them to a canyon lined by scattered waterfalls; each survivor drank deeply and then moved on. Ultimately they walked through the canyon, discovering plenty of fresh water and even pools fed by hot springs: it was by these pools that the march ended, and all sat or fell down to rest. Compared to the debris-strewn shoreline, this barren landscape was like a paradise.
The man with the staff remained upright, looking around. He turned to look back the way they had come, and his foot kicked a piece of metal lying among the small stones that made up the canyon’s floor. Grunting from exhaustion and pain, he leaned down and grasped a corner of the metal. It was a rectangle, sheared off on one side: on it was written “Atta.”
The man raised his voice again. He held up the sign.
“We will call this place Atta Mountain. We will stay here tonight. And tomorrow we will think about what’s next.”
CHAPTER 2: Life at Atta
CHAPTER 2: Life at Atta
2040: Finding the Hard Truth
................Despite these failures, no one doubted Chen’s genius. And all agreed on his crowning achievement: he had spearheaded the harvest of lightning that had brought power to every home on Atta. His arguments in favour had prevailed in the controversy over the safety of this power source, and his life’s chief labor—in which he was aided by his son, Leo—was maintaining and improving the grid.
One summer, 26 years after the first day, Chen proposed to revolutionize his system: no longer would each house have a lightning rod to collect power. No longer would everyone find themselves awakened in the winter nights by the thunder and crackle of electricity striking just outside. Chen would build a lightning farm close to the top of the mountain. This power would be stored in a single station at the mountain’s base and then channelled to the community.
All of Leo’s friends helped the effort, which took weeks of work. Zed, now 27, joined in, as did Junior and Azim, who were now both 25, and Leo himself, now 22. Leo and Chen’s main task was the design and construction of the new enlarged storage units; the others had the job of dismantling the individual homes’ lightning gathering and storage equipment and transporting it to the new lightning farm.
At first it seemed luck was with them: on the very day that all was ready—when all the collectors were installed in the farm, when Chen and Leo had hooked them up to their new storage unit, when all was in place except the connections to run the power to the village—a rare summer storm rolled in. Lightning struck at the tips of all the poles with a huge flash of light, and a violent crash of thunder washed over the whole community as if it were the same wave that had brought them there.
Disappointment awaited them the next day. Chen led the young men—and Hood and Vasan—in triumph to his storage plant, and only then discovered that his new storage unit had collected none of the vast amounts of electricity that they should have. The tanks were cold and empty; no electricity would flow to the village that day.
Chen took his first great failure hard. He half-sat, half-collapsed to the rocky ground and rubbed his face with his hands. Leo stood by him, silent, his face grave. Hood and Vasan exchanged looks, both wondering which of them might best break the news to the others of the continuing absence of electricity, and which would ask Chen and his helpers to return the system to the previous arrangement................
CHAPTER 3
2040: The Journeys Begin
The Cable Island
............They sailed away under a heavy fog, in the boat that Junior had made out of several pieces of clear plastic. It floated transparent on the waves as if the men rode the water itself, and the only indication that they were in a boat were the storage cases—and the motor, powered by one of Leo’s lightning boxes, that sat in the stern. Another storm had blown in overnight, and Junior had stored enough energy to last for ten days; he and Azim had brought down their supplies—food, water, and fishing tackle—along with Leo’s bag of devices before dawn.
The fog thinned as they left the shallows around Atta, exposing before them the apparently endless and empty sea. By the time the sun had risen fully above the horizon, they had reached the traditional limit of the settlers’ navigation, an enormous tower of metal that was now gradually falling into rust above the water and encrusted with sea life below. For nearly thirty years, no one had gone beyond this point, and the three men passed it in silence, their eyes focused on the horizon.
“Well, this is it,” Azim said, finally, and exchanged a smile with Zed.
Junior laughed and nodded back at the mountain. “This is it. The land is disappearing before our eyes.” Zed and Azim looked back: Junior spoke the truth, for in the distance the fog obscured almost all of the mountain that had not sunk beneath the horizon—all that they could see now was the faint gleam of Chen’s lightning farm, and the very peak, tinted red in the light of dawn. Zed quietly directed Junior to turn the boat toward the north, and a silence fell among the friends once more.
By late morning Atta had sunk entirely beyond the curve of the world. Even all these hours later, the three friends sat quietly, barely speaking, facing in the direction they travelled. But the first strange event occurred not on the sea, but in the sky. As the boat raced north, it suddenly ran under the shadow of dark clouds. At the same time a strong wind blew up, and the sea became choppy and flecked with foam. Zed clamped his fists around the gunwhale; Azim did the same. In the stern, Junior reduced speed and fought with the tiller. The wind rose to a cold gale that bit at their skin like a thousand angry insects.
But more was to come. Suddenly the temperature plummeted; in seconds all three men were shivering. A light snow began to fall—for the three in the boat a nameless and unprecedented weather—and it quickly grew into a real snowfall, thick enough that navigation became difficult.
“Quickly—there’s a blanket in there.” Junior pointed a trembling arm at one of the storage cases in the bow. Azim opened the case—with difficulty, since his fingers had become numb in the sudden, eerie cold—drew out a goatskin cover, and motioned to Zed to follow him to the stern. Azim was shaking so hard that he could barely walk, but with Zed’s help the three congregated in the rear of the boat, all of them huddled under a single skin that would ordinarily only have gone across Junior’s shoulders................
The Submerged City
................They sailed north again. After an hour or so, another dark mass appeared on the horizon, farther west. Junior turned the boat that way, and soon they had come upon another mystery. An enormous structure—far longer than the cable island—lay on the waves, sloping gently up, toward the centre and then down again so that from the angle of their approach it reminded Zed of a turtle.
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| Copyrighted@HassanAlJabri The Dead End Sea. Dubai 2040 |
Zed had Junior bring them in slowly, circling the structure at about half a kilometre’s distance. When they had travelled about halfway around the structure, Azim could no longer stay silent. “What is it?” he asked. No one answered him. Seen from the end, the structure’s shape altered: they could see two long arms curving down into the water, forming a V where they met: it reminded Zed of a goat’s skull, with two horns reaching up out of the water and stretching back over the entire island. But clearly nature had had no hand in making this thing, whatever it was, and each of them concluded, without once discussing the matter, that the same ancient race that had made the statue had built this as well.
Finally, Zed motioned to Junior to steer the boat closer. They watched in silence as the building continued to grow in their eyes, and finally, they were close enough to make out details on the thing’s curving surface. Just as with the cable island, this was now overgrown with algae and other sea life below the water, and the plants waved eerily beneath them.
Zed pointed to the left arm of the V. “Bring us in.” Junior nodded and steered the boat closer once more.
Again Azim’s eyes spotted something before the others. He half-stood in the bow and pointed. “Do you see that hole?” Zed and Junior squinted into the sunlight on water. After a moment, Zed made out what Azim had seen: the dark spot at the edge of the island, right where it began to slope up towards the center, was not a piece of debris, but a hole that opened into the island’s interior..................................
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24th January 2013
It's taken me the long time to update you on the progress of this unique fiction story about Dubai 2050: City of gold survivors that occur between 2014 to 2050. Yes, is true still struggling to complete chapter five, but I would like to share with you part of it here.
Please Note: First chapters and following starts far below of this blog.
CHAPTER 5
Years preserved
Raise from the dead
It was early partly cloudy morning, sunrise in the horizon, while Zed, Azim, and Junior lay flat on the semi-arid shore wet sand. They were wet, tired and their clothes a bit tore out, while the flying boards that saved them from the sinking boat, all were broken and cut into pieces scattered around them.
Slowly Junior open his tired eyes while supporting himself to lift up his body, which he felt like carrying a heavy burden on his back. Still, he had blurry view stand like a man who drank gallons of ram, he could not support fully to stand still.
Zed and Azim still on the wet sand of this un-usual beach unconsciously eye closed in a deep coma. Junior, he got back his clear view of the surrounding, started to scan the areas gazing around like a hungry lion hunt for prey.
As Junior still cracking his brain out to figure where he is exactly, scratching his head rapidly, Zed and Azim, slowly, started to move their tired bodies, and slowly both they were on the ground seated position looking at each other face to face, trying to figure out and regain their conscious and find out what had just happened to them.
Zed look up to Junior who stand like a statue of liberty not moving while looked ahead as if he sees a ghost.
“Hey Junior,” Zed called him in his tired voice while Azim looked on.
As both Zed and Azim, try to stand up like baby learn first walking steps, Junior slowly raise his hand to point to something that he saw which make him surprised.
“Look.” Junior pointed to the direction, while Zed and Azim, slowly approached Junior behind him and get the clear view of what Junior just pointed out.
A huge giant structure about two storey high and about less than a half kilometer in width, resembled sea shell-shaped roof but made up of steel and on top colored like gold while at the end of the structure which firmly stood on the ground it was in steel color, and opened on both ends, partly resembled seashell.
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| Dubai Metro - Burj Khalifa. Photo copyrighted@HassanAlJabri |
The gold colour at the top was not that shiny, either it was faded or covered with sea water green algae. But at the same time, the background of the structure was the clear view of the majestically Atta Mountain.
“Where are we?” Azim asked while staring at the structure in front of them.
“Where you think we will be?, you can see clearly Atta Mountain over there.” Junior reply.
“This structure was not here before, and also there are more dates trees around here too, I’m confused,” Azim said while not sure exactly where are they.
“Come on, let’s get closer, it can’t be, I’m positive sure we are home, though it’s true looks different,” Zed assured others.
“We have been away for only two days, how all these palm trees grow and what about this huge structure, how it ends up here,” Junior said confusingly.
They walked slowly toward the giant sea shell-like structure to find what is inside and also to take a look around the area. To their surprise it was locked with a firm golden lock on the door. They tried to walk towards another side of the entrance it was the same thing totally closed with metal and other pieces of irons.
Since it was lacking windows, they could not see inside of it, this totally confuses them. Started to walk toward the Atta Mountain away from the shoreline, at distance they saw a strange animal. Look likethe goat, as they knew all their life, but this particular one was bigger with long legs, two bumps behind the back and with long neck, brownish in color. It was not other than just a camel.
To Zed and others, it was a totally new creature never saw in their life. They approached it with caution while the animal was calm busy shrubbing on the ground busy eating whatever vegetation can find.
“Zed, we did not have such animal in Atta before,” Junior said.
“Yes I know, there is an explanation for everything, we will find out soon,” Zed replied in confidence.
“I don’t like this.” Azim worried.
The camel sense the smell of strange three human, started to panicked and run away, while Zed and other followed it behind. Suddenly all three find out they were trapped and fell on the ground with a thug sound like, and find out that they did not have control on their legs. What it trapped them, was looked like silver ball with a long string in between attached to other end with another silver ball. Each one of them were trapped by these strings around their legs.
They looked confused and hurt on the ground, they did not know what captured them on their leg tightened together with the string hold firmly with two silver balls.
“Where you think you are going?” exclaimed Amad, a young man of about 24 years of age, light brown skin a bit chubby with black hair.
“Yea we got them,” said Lex, 23 years old, whitish, thin and tall, with reddish hair.
“Who are you?” Zed angrily asked these young men.
“Release us or else,” Zed warned.
“Or else what.?” Lex asked jokingly while pushing Zed with his leg.
Both Azim and Junior struggling on the ground to free themselves without luck.
“Hey, I think like I know you two,” Amad said looking at Azim and Junior who sat helplessly on the ground with both legs tight up.
“Hey, Lex I know these guys,” Amad said while looks confused, pointing to Azim and Junior.
“Who are you?” Azim helplessly shouted with his tired voice, struggling to free himself from those tight rope which firmly holds both of his legs tight on the ground.
While conversation going on, Zed was clam on the ground as his brain blowing out with lots of thinking, as just what happened. As usual he believed that for anything, there is a explanation behind it. The situation he is in at this moment of time with his friends not excited him at all, the giant structure near the shore, the strange animal and now these young men trapped them, more surprisingly for him that he could not figure it out is that all happened in his own homeland.
“If you know us, let us free then” Junior angrily said.
“Yes, I remember now, I used to come to your house and help out with your father junks in the store room,” Amad remembered.
While conversation going on between Azim and others, Zed clearly knew that there was something wrong. What is it exactly he could not figure it out at that time. Sometimes he just thinking that does he deserve this?, instead of moving forward , he kept facing obstacles on the way. Is this the reason why the elder survivors not bother to find the truth of their origin?. So many questions mingled in his mind like a boiling water.
“Yes, I think we study together,” Amad assured to Azim, who still his both legs hooked together by the silver balls attached with string.
“I’m Amad, and he is Lex” Amad said to Azim.
“What? you are that chubby kid who kept disturbing us each time we met you?” Junior asked him after vivid memory and resemblance of Amad when he was 15 years old and now he is 23 years old young adult.
“Yea it’s me,” Amad replied in excitement but at the same time, a bit of confusion pass through his mind, that why he met these people today who knew them eight years ago and looked the same as not changed a bit.
“Oh, I remembered now, that we all conducted prayers for you guys years ago, everyone here thought you all were dead at the sea”, Lex made it clear
Zed looked up at Lex looked confuse and at the same time eagerly wanted to find out what he just heard, same with Azim and Junior. Still helpless on the ground, tired and confused, it was a moment all reflect back of their trips and all they can remember is that it just passed two days, how these changes of surroundings and people can change that fast.
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2nd Oct. 2012
Ok, here we go, today I want to introduce to you the place where I based this interesting fiction story for young adults and all ages alike of the city of Gold Survivors, and the place is,.....
Hatta, in UAE.
How Survivors from the City of Gold end up here and lived for more than 30 years without knowing where their origin, and how they end up here - You can find out from the book when published in near future, titled:
Dubai 2050: City of Gold Survivors
Know more about the place from Here - Wikipedia
Below you can explore Google map and know more about the area:
View Hatta Mountains in a larger map
Sept 21, 2012:
Today I will share another part of Chapter 4, Enjoy Reading, your comments are welcome.
The Submerged Majestic City
Azim was excited to find the gold bars on the cable island, but in Zed’s world, gold had no value, and he treated it like any other junk they found scattered along the shore.
As they sailed further North West, the sea was calm with a light breeze in the air, and everyone was quiet as they stared ahead. At a distance, something appeared above the water level.
It was huge; some kind of curved white structure, scrubbed clean by the sea. Part of the structure appeared above the water while about sixty percent remained submerged. It seemed to be made of fiberglass, and from afar it looked almost like the back of a giant turtle.
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| Copyrighted sketch @Hassan Al Jabri |
The structure resembled the letter V, with the wide area of the lines positioned above the sea level. Further down, the two concrete lines met to complete the V shape.
“Now what is that?” Azim asked.
“Well it’s definitely not land,” Zed replied.
“Oh yes, this is getting more exciting,” Junior said. “Let’s explore!”
As they approached, they kept the boat at a low speed and sailed in a circle about half a kilometre wide. As Junior controlled the boat, Zed and Azim examined the structure.
“Looks like half of a circular white board, and there isn’t much dirt on it,” Zed observed.
“Yeah… It’s no life form, and it’s not as huge as it looked at first,” Azim replied.
Zed stared at the structure, wondering why it was there, and who might have built it. “I am telling you guys, we are not alone,” he exclaimed.
“Who else could be out there other than us, and the folks back home?” Junior asked while carefully steering the boat around the structure.
“I know, but who built it? Why is it here? This is the first time we’ve reached this far,” Zed pointed out.
“Hey guys, look over there,” Azim interrupted. “I think I see a huge hole,” he said, pointing into the distance.
“Stop the boat, Junior,” Zed commanded. “Azim, you go and check it out.”
Zed and Junior looked on as Azim carefully lowered himself to the slippery surface. He walked toward the huge hole, and as he looked down, he saw nothing but sea water and total darkness, though the sun was shining high and bright in the sky.
“What do you see?” Zed asked.
“Nothing. It’s just a dark, empty hole,” Azim shouted back.
“Ok, come on back,” Zed replied. He recognized a window of opportunity—they might be able to use the hole to explore further inside the giant structure.
As Azim climbed back in, Zed was walking in a circle around the boat like an eagle scavenging for food, refreshing his mind and planning their next step.
“What’s with him?” Azim asked Junior.
“Just be prepared,” Junior replied with a smile.
“Grab that gear Leo gave us,” Zed interrupted, giving the two a conspiratorial look.
“The diving helmets?” Junior asked.
“Yes.”
Within seconds, Azim produced the diving gear, shoving it across the deck to Zed.
“You’re not actually thinking of diving into that dark hole, are you?” Azim asked.
Zed just looked at Azim and blinked.
“Oh, cool! You are my man,” Junior exclaimed.
While Zed inspected the diving helmets, Azim continued to protest.
“No way…you are both crazy!”
“Hey, we’re here to explore the sea and whatever we find out here, not to collect random junk as you seem to think,” Junior said.
“Who’s coming with me?” Zed asked, holding a helmet in each of his strong hands.
Both Junior and Azim looked at Zed, deciding with a look who would agree to the venture first.
“I will come with you, and Azim can look after the boat,” Junior said, taking the helmet from Zed’s left hand.
“Ok ladies, no time to waste. Let’s get on with it,” Zed said.
“Remember to strip your clothes off before wearing those helmets,” Azim reminded them, glad not to be going in himself.
“Oh man, that’s right, I almost forgot about that. But how could Leo expect us to dive under water wearing just our shorts? It must be freezing down there,” Junior protested.
“Leo made them, and we have to follow his instructions,” Zed replied, already stripping.
Junior finally followed suit and took off his clothes as well. They stood side by side wearing only their shorts, displaying well-built masculine physiques, their skin glowing like gold in the sun. Azim looked on impassively, waiting to see what happened next.
They both held the advanced diving helmets Leo had given them. Junior looked uncertain; though he’d explained how to use them, Leo had never said why they had to take off their clothes before wearing them.
“Ok, are you ready?” Zed asked Junior, positioning the helmet above his head, ready to slip it on.
“Yup,” Junior replied.
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| Burj Al Arab Hotel - Dubai Copyrighted@HassanAlJabri Photo |
June 19, 2012:
Today I will share with you First part of Chapter Four: Your comments down below is appreciated.
CHAPTER 4
The year 2040: Zed’s Quests - Journey Begins
The Cable Island
Early the next morning, Zed, Junior and Azim slowly sailed away under a dense heavy fog, on a boat powered by stored lightning. They had energy enough to run for more than ten days, and they were finally prepared for journey Zed had always looked forward to. As the boat sailed away from the shoreline, the fog thinned.
Ahead of them, the sea stretched out endlessly in every direction, and the view of such a vast openness took their breath away. Zed shook off his bewilderment and looked at the compass Leo had given him to get a fix on their original position, and note the start location readings. He wrote down the information on a piece of skin paper, and sealed it tight inside a small metal box.
By the time the early morning sun had risen from the horizon, they had already sailed half the distance from the shore. They were all familiar with the surroundings, as they used to sail here many times to find useful floating materials and junk, or to go fishing. From their faces, it was clear that they were all excited to sail beyond of their usual stopping point.
While Zed was busy with the compass and other equipment in the boat, Azim and Junior watched the trail their boat made in the water, admiring the view of the slowly disappearing Atta Mountains. The once-comforting peaks of home looked strangely intimidating from afar, like a row of jagged teeth devouring the heavens.
While Zed was busy with the compass and other equipment in the boat, Azim and Junior watched the trail their boat made in the water, admiring the view of the slowly disappearing Atta Mountains. The once-comforting peaks of home looked strangely intimidating from afar, like a row of jagged teeth devouring the heavens.
“Well, this is it!” Azim exclaimed and looked at Junior.
“Yep. It’s pretty amazing,” Junior added. “The land is disappearing right before our eyes.”
As they sailed further north, it was already late morning, and the sunny day was overtaken by a heavy black blanket of clouds. Within a few minutes, the gentle wind had shifted to a cold breeze, which bit at their skin like a thousand angry insects. The sudden change was an unusual weather pattern for Zed and his friends, who had never before felt such a chill. They kept themselves on high alert while guarding the boat. They were ready for anything, though they were unsure what to expect from the forbidding sky above.
Suddenly, they entered a cold front, and the freezing breeze turned the light rain which had been falling into strange little white flurries, which fell from the heavens in every direction. As the temperature continued to fall, Zed and the others covered themselves with a heavy blanket made of dry goat skin. As their eyelids and brows were covered with light white flurries, they began to freeze, a feeling they never experienced before.
“What did we get ourselves into?” Azim asked, shivering uncontrollably.
“Let’s just make sure our boat sails safely. I can’t see too far ahead,” Zed replied, his usually pale face red and chapped from the cold.
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It was already noon, and the sky was clear. Some kind of magnetic field with rays of different colors appeared above, and they paused for a moment to admire it. As they moved on, it became clear that there was nothing much they could find on the strange island. Zed and Junior lost interest and walked back towards the boat, picking up the silver half-statue, while Azim was still busy looking around.
As Junior helped Zed onboard with the statue, Azim came back with an armful of gold bars in both hands, hugging them to his chest as he made his way toward the boat.
“Really, Azim? You still need that scrap?” Zed shouted to Azim, who was struggling to hold on to all the bars.
“I’m only taking a few,” Azim replied.
“What? There are more out there?” Zed asked, brows raised.
“Oh yeah, more than you can imagine. We couldn’t carry them all in this boat.”
“Well, who needs it? We came here to find clues of our origin, not to collect the same scraps that we find every day,” Zed said.
“I know, that’s why I just collected a few, please let me take it,” Azim begged.
“If the boat’s gonna sink, you’ll be the first we throw out,” Junior joked.
“Ok, whatever,” Zed said. “Let’s move on.”
Junior started the engine, and the boat slowly moved away from the cable island.
“Have you all noticed that this so-called scrap still shines?” Azim asked. “It’s not rusted like the other metal and stuff we found before,”
“I don’t care,” Zed replied. “We don’t need anything now other than to find out where it came from, and who made it in that shape.”
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May 24:
- Editor's comments: "Overall, I think that the best part of your story is the plot"
- Sneak preview of Chapter four below; Your comments far below appreciated. Thanks
CHAPTER FOUR
The Dead End Sea
It was already sunset, and at a distance, a thunderstorm raged, bright flashes of lightning streaking across the sky. Both Zed and Junior put their clothes back on and sat on the deck with Azim.
“Is that all you found in there?” Azim asked, gesturing toward the skull.
“Yes, what do you think? This is proof that once there was a community down there of people like us. So many people died in there,” Zed replied, looking at the skull in his hand.
Neither Azim nor Junior knew what to say.
“Come on guys, tomorrow we’ll move further North, so let’s rest,” he suggested. “Hey, why do you look so disturbed?” he asked Azim.
“I think he’s disappointed we didn’t come up with any gold,” Junior teased.
“Oh come on guys, I was just thinking that we would go back home tomorrow,” Azim replied sadly.
“Oh come on guys, I was just thinking that we would go back home tomorrow,” Azim replied sadly.
“What? But we haven’t found anything yet, and there is still a huge expanse of ocean out there to explore,” Zed replied confidently.
“And yes, we still have enough supplies,” Junior added.
“And yes, we still have enough supplies,” Junior added.
“Yes, I agree, but…,” Azim replied faced down.
“Tell us, is there anything we should know?” Zed asked.
“No, no, it’s ok, it’s nothing,” Azim replied. “We can go on.”
“Now you’re talking,” Junior said.
By the time they’d finished discussing the day’s discoveries, it was dark. A light breeze rustled their hair, and the distant lightning lit up the ocean in bright flashes. They only had one small hand light in the boat, and all three sat on the deck talking for a while before moving below. They fell asleep quickly, full of hope for what the next day would bring.
By the time they’d finished discussing the day’s discoveries, it was dark. A light breeze rustled their hair, and the distant lightning lit up the ocean in bright flashes. They only had one small hand light in the boat, and all three sat on the deck talking for a while before moving below. They fell asleep quickly, full of hope for what the next day would bring.
It was a bright sunny day when they woke, with clear blue skies. The sea stretched out in all directions, with not a trace of land in sight. Zed and Junior stood near the prow, while Azim steered the boat. After a while, Zed noticed a strange animal moving alongside the boat.
“Hey, look,” Zed said to Junior and pointed at the strange animal following them.
May 23:
CHAPTER 3
Finding the Hard Truth
Zed’s Quest Preparations
For many years, Zed had known in his heart that there was more out there than the Atta Mountains and the community he’d lived in all his life. Out of all the survivors, young and old, he was the only one concerned with finding out the truth, discovering exactly what had happened to them and how they ended up on this land.
The next day, Zed, Junior, Leo, and Azim relaxed, swimming in the pool of spring water near the canyon passages not far from the base of Atta Mountain. The sun was high and bright in the sky, and their strong chests shimmered wetly as they floated in the gently rippling water. The cool mist and fumes from the warm water spring tickled at their skin like tiny feathers, soft and silky.
“Is everything proceeding on schedule?” Zed asked.
“Yeah, it’s all set. One of them is a kind of a compass to help you navigate a boat, but it seems not to work here. I think it’s distortion from a very strong magnetic field around us is interfering with the readings, but I suggest you take it anyway, it may come in handy,” Leo said. “Another interesting item is the floating boards,” he added. “We have got to try them out before the trip.”
“Cool, let’s try now!” Junior said excitedly.
“Hey, hold on a minute, you haven’t told me what you’ve got for our trip,” Zed interrupted, looking at Junior.
“Oh, right! I did check the boat, like you asked, and added features in the engine. It’s ready for any strong waves,” he replied. “Also, with Azim’s help, we made laser weapons too, just in case. You don’t know what might be out there,” Junior added.
“Yeah, it’s a cool weapon. You can use it even if your enemy is very far away,” Azim said.
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While Zed was on the way home and the evening skies approached, he passed near Nera’s home, and suddenly he stopped. Something was bothering him; he couldn’t decide whether to let Nera know about the trip tomorrow or to go without doing so.
As he slowly moved away from Nera’s home, he had a sudden flashback to the night he’d promised Nera that he would let her know when he embarked to find the truth. Though he had feelings towards Nera, he had never shown her, and though he knew it would be better not to tell anyone, a few moments later he found himself knocking on the door, one hand holding a brownish bag containing the weapons.
“Who is it?” Nera’s father called from inside.
“Hi, Sir, Zed here,” Zed replied.
“Oh, okay. Nera, go and open the door for Zed.”
Nera opened the door with a smile, her eyes bright, even in the lengthening evening shadow.
“Hi, can I talk to you for a minute?” Zed asked, indicating for her to walk a bit away from the door.
“Yeah, what is it?” Nera asked, looking concerned. She slowly stepped outside, closing the door behind her.
“I just wanted to let you know that we sail early tomorrow morning,” Zed said.
Her eyes turned red, and a few light tears escaped to trickle down her soft white cheeks while she gazed at Zed. He gently wiped away the tears with the tips of his fingers, as if she might break at the slightest touch, like a fragile piece of glass.
May 21:
I would like to share with you today a paragraph from chapter two
CHAPTER 2
The Early Years
It was a beautiful, sunny day and most of the community had gathered at an open ground near one of the houses for the wedding ceremony. Guests arrived and took their seats, which were arranged on a half crescent moon shape.
Everyone greeted one another warmly on this blessed and happy occasion, shaking hands and smiling. At one side of the sitting area were two whole goats, roasting on a light fire. Many of the group unconsciously licked their lips, as the smell of cooked meat was so thick in the air they could almost taste it. A few tables displayed different types of fruit to refresh the guests, vivid and juicy in the bright sunlight.
“Hello, how you doing today?” Mont asked Hood, sitting down beside him.
Mont was the bald black man who had helped Hood organize the community of survivors. By now he was in his early forties and was not looking well himself.
“Hey, I am fine thanks, but man, you look terrible,” Hood replied.
“Maybe it’s because I’m growing old,” Mont replied. “Sometimes I don’t feel well.”
“Did you visit the hot springs for a deep bath?”
“Yeah, I did, and I felt better for a few days, and then terrible again. My entire body hurts,” Mont replied.
“Did you visit Vasan? You know he is good at finding one's illness just by looking at the palm of your hand,” Hood said.
“Yeah, I did,” Mont replied, as Vasan appeared with his son, Azim, who was fifteen years old, and tall, with black hair and light brown skin. His mother had died of complications from the disaster when Azim was just three years old.
May 17:
Completed to edit all chapters and received excellent recommendations and views from my editor, and I can't thank enough for a job well done. I quote her one of the sentences in her opinion.
".... the best part of your story is the plot. Although I don’t know the whole story, from what I have seen so far the plot sounds very interesting and original. It certainly makes me want to keep reading,....."
May 14:
Today I will introduce you to Our Imaginary characters in this short story, and they are:
ZED youngest first-generation survivor on this land, born before the 2014 disaster. He was of Arab origin, with a long nose, dark black hair, and a light scar on his right eyelid. He was an intelligent young man, adventurous, and a natural leader. Rescued during after the disaster by Hood.
JUNIOR was a well-built young black man and a second generation survivor who was born after the 2014 disaster. He had short hair and smooth skin and was creative, a good team work member, and a fast thinker. He made lots of useful tools out of otherwise useless bits of metal and other junk.
AZIM was of mixed origin - Indian, with light brown skin and black hair, he was both skinny and tall. He used to trade items with other survivors, and was not as adventurous as Junior or Zed. He was quite solitary, and helped with his father's business
HOOD, European origin, was a first generation survivor. He had suffered a severe injury on the right side of his face that left a scar from eye to cheek. He raised ZED from childhood, he is considered a leader in the community.
VASAN was Indian in origin, first generation survivor and had sustained a serious injury on his left leg, preventing him from walking straight. Though no one knew the value of gold, Vasan kept whatever gold he found, and even asked for it in exchange for medical services. He was known as a special kind of doctor, with the power to identify an illness by just touching and feeling the palm of a patient.
May 11:
All the names used in Dubai 2050: City of Gold Survivors are not from real people, and if so it was not intended to be.
Today also I will share with you headings from Chapter One below.
CHAPTER 1
Fishing On a Sea That Was Never There Before 1
Surviving a Stormy Night. 6
Trembling Ground Shook Atta Mountain. 7
The Mysterious Floating Capsule 9
May: Still stuck and not start chapter 5.
March April 2012: Completed chapter three and four. So much happened and still, our main character in the book try to find the truth of events.
Feb 2012: Completed chapter two, moved to chapter three, where the main character in this book embarks to one of the quests.
Jan 2012: Completed chapter one and move to chapter two, where events explained in the early years.
Dec 2011: Started chapter 1, creating plots and characters
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