T H E   P O I S O N   A S P

A story as old as time, Cleopatra is returned to life, after her tragic departure.

On an overcast August day in 30 B.C., sun streaming through the clouds to strike golden relief on Palace architectures, the Egyptian pharaoh Cleopatra VII locked herself in a mausoleum that she’d built on the palace grounds in Alexandria, grief stricken.

Whereupon a rumor spread about the Palace of the mood of the queen, that all therein supposed she had gone to kill herself. Horrified at such news and not thinking to give weight to such whispers, Mark Antony immediately tried to follow suit, stabbing himself with his own sword, but then learned the messages were greatly exaggerated; his dearest was alive. Managing then to survive long enough to struggle to her side.

On learning of Cleopatra's survival, Antony attempted to stand, as if he had still the power to live, but had lost much blood. Despaired of his life, he besought those bystanding to carry him to the monument.

Though Cleopatra had shut herself in her mausoleum with two handmaidens, Iras and Charmion, he gained access. 

There, Antony died in Cleopatra’s arms. 

With Antony in her arms, and dressed in her formal robes and jewels, the queen grasped a writhing asp that had been smuggled to her, bringing the serpent to her bare breast, the Egyptian cobra administered the fatal bite, missing the intended target and biting her on the arm. The 39 year old queen had killed herself. The mischief had been swift.

The queen died in an honorable way according to Roman standards. Cleopatra’s final act was her finest one.

After, a note was delivered to Octavian about her burial requests.

Whereupon, Octavian wavered between awe and anger much vexed at the death of the woman who was the bane of Rome, at once anguished, though admiring her lofty spirit, tempered with excessive grief upon hearing the news. 

Cleopatra had captivated the two greatest Romans of her day, and because of the third, she destroyed herself.

The only marks on her body were slight pricks on her arm. The asp had been smuggled in to her in a water jar.

Neither spot nor other sign of poison broke out to spoil her body. The reptile escaped the chamber unharmed, heading to the sea.

In Egyptian mythology the asp was a symbol of royalty. Thus, a fitting way for a queen to depart, eased by a mixture of wolfsbane and opium for the pain.

A tragic end to a golden reign.

Alexandria and Thonis soon fell into ways unbecoming their former glory.

For the next four hundred years, the city and satellites lived it up, then an earthquake struck, followed by a devastating tsunami. Alexandria and Thonis were washed into the sea, not to be seen again for over a thousand years.

It was thought by UNESCO and Blue shield, that these two important historic municipalities were safe from looters.

PROLOGUE    INNER CIRCLE OF SIX - Nazi funded medical human research laboratories Joseph Mengele's Fourth Reich escape to Brazil reserve plan.

CHAPTER 1.   THE POISON ASP - 

CHAPTER 2.   WRATH OF THE GODS - The destruction of Thonis and Alexandria

CHAPTER 3.   NEW WORLD ORDER - A Neo-Nazi plan to regenerate Aryan supremacy

CHAPTER 4.   CYBERCORE GENETICA - Nano computer technology is purchased at an auction by a religious sect.

CHAPTER 5.   INCUBUS - 

CHAPTER 6.   SPLICE - 

CHAPTER 7.   TREMORS - Cleopatra's tomb lay lost for centuries. Until a shift in the tectonic plates triggered a tremor off the coast of Alexandria.

CHAPTER 8.   PANAMANIAN RUNNING MAN -

CHAPTER 9.   THE AMAZON - 

CHAPTER 10. TOMB RAIDERS - Safiya Sabuka and Musa Bomani dive among sifting sands to discover precious artifacts and golden treasures.

CHAPTER 11. SCOTLAND YARD - 

CHAPTER 12. OPERATION ALEXANDRIA - Neo-Nazi occultists recover Cleopatra's sarcophagus from underwater tomb near Palace.

CHAPTER 13. KIDNAP - Charley is taken prisoner 

CHAPTER 14. UNESCO - Catholic Church fear grave desecration heritage theft, asks agencies for help. Interpol issue Red Notice.

CHAPTER 15. REPLICANT - The Society reproduce Cleopatra using Francisco's RepliVator™, uploading synapse sequence and implanted memories.

CHAPTER 16. FULL STEAM AHEAD - Storm speeds to Thonis, then uses the Swann's AI sensors and the Ark database to find tomb has been plundered.

CHAPTER 17. RITUAL SACRIFICE - The Baron prepares a drugged Cleopatra for ceremonial impregnation.

CHAPTER 18. SANCTUM INTERRUPTUS - John finds secret Nazi hideout near Alexandria, disturbs ritual - rescues Cleopatra, arresting conspirators.

CHAPTER 19. THE CHOSEN ONE - The reincarnated Cleopatra falls for her rescuer. John comes under her spell, despite her being a replicant.

CHAPTER 20. MILITARY INTERVENTION - The military detain Cleopatra to appease stakeholders, despite media & medical protests. Storm distraught.

CHAPTER 21. DÉJÀ VU - History repeats itself, military lock up technology as gross violation of human rights, John left disillusioned:  FINALE FOR NOW

GRAPHIC BRIEF - SUGGESTED LAYOUTS/ FORMAT

CHAPTER 1.   THE POISON ASP - Overwhelmed by grief, Cleopatra poisons herself with a cobra bite in her mausoleum

CHAPTER 2.   WRATH OF THE GODS - The destruction of Thonis and Alexandria

CHAPTER 3.   NEW WORLD ORDER - A Neo-Nazi plan to regenerate Aryan supremacy

CHAPTER 4.   CYBERCORE GENETICA - Nano computer technology is purchased at an auction by a religious sect

CHAPTER 5.   INCUBUS - Franco Francisco accepts offer of employment from Roberta Ferrara

CHAPTER 6.   SPLICE - Klaus von Kolreuter perfects a method of gene manipulation

CHAPTER 7.   TREMORS - Cleopatra's tomb lay lost for centuries, until shift in the tectonic plates trigger tremor off the coast of Alexandria

CHAPTER 8.   PANAMANIAN RUNNING MAN - Marjorie Boyle videos exceptionally fast athlete, Sam Hollis investigates

CHAPTER 9.   AMAZON QUEEN - Elizabeth Swann navigating river and docking at Manaus

CHAPTER 10. TOMB RAIDERS - Safiya Sabuka and Musa Bomani dive among sifting sands to discover precious artifacts and golden treasures

CHAPTER 11. SCOTLAND YARD - London's secure DNA database is stolen

CHAPTER 12. OPERATION ALEXANDRIA - Neo-Nazi occultists recover Cleopatra's sarcophagus from underwater tomb near Palace

CHAPTER 13. KIDNAPPED - Charley is taken prisoner, John, Dan and CIA rescue her

CHAPTER 14. UNESCO - Catholic Church fear grave desecration heritage theft, asks agencies for help. Interpol issue Red Notice

CHAPTER 15. REPLICANT - The Society reproduce Cleopatra using Francisco's RepliVator™, uploading synapse sequence, implanted memories

CHAPTER 16. FULL STEAM AHEAD - To Thonis, then uses the Swann's AI sensors and the Ark database to find tomb has been plundered

CHAPTER 17. RITUAL SACRIFICE - The Baron prepares a drugged Cleopatra for ceremonial impregnation

CHAPTER 18. SANCTUM INTERRUPTUS - John finds Nazi hideout near Alexandria, disturbs ritual - rescues Cleopatra, arresting conspirators

CHAPTER 19. THE CHOSEN ONE - The reincarnated Cleopatra falls for her rescuer. John comes under her spell, despite her being a replicant

CHAPTER 20. MILITARY INTERVENTION - Military detain Cleopatra for stakeholders, despite media & medical protests. Storm distraught

CHAPTER 21. DÉJÀ VU - History repeats itself, military lock up technology as gross violation of human rights, John left disillusioned

THE ADVENTURES OF JOHN STORM: CLEOPATRA & THE MUMMY

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The rights of Jameson Hunter and Cleaner Ocean Foundation to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988. This website and the associated Cleopatra artwork is Copyright © 2022 Cleaner Ocean Foundation and Jameson Hunter. This is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the authors' imaginations, and any resemblance to any person, living or departed, is entirely coincidental.