The Explorer's Quest

The Journal

Chicago, Illinois, 1934. Johnny Thunder is sitting in his armchair reading the morning news. A small flame crackles in front of him, orange fire dancing inside his fireplace. He sips his hot, black coffee as he turns the page, letting the dark liquid steam inside his mouth as it travels down his throat and warms his chest. He leans his head back, closes his eyes, and imagines being in a place where the sun warms your chest just like the coffee does.

Johnny has always had a love for adventure. He would take any opportunity he could to get away from his home and explore new places, and for a 24-year-old he has already been on a decent amount of adventures and travelled to many countries.

He stood up, finished his coffee with three gulps, and then walked towards the front door so that he can check his letter box for mail. He walks outside and across his lawn out onto the sidewalk, opens his letter box to grab his mail and notices that the stack is larger than the usual amount of mail, especially for a Friday morning. He examines the mail as he was walks back inside his house, glancing only slightly at each envelope before moving on to the next envelope one by one, each envelope shifting to the back of the pile.

There was one envelope in particular, however, that caught his attention. It was addressed to him by a Hugo Anderson, from the Field Museum. He flipped the letter over to open it, and on the back were the words, "Please Open As Soon As Possible." Johnny tore through the top of the letter with his fingers and out slid a note into his hands. The note read:

"Dear Mr. Johnny Thunder,

I have heard of your expedition in Italy, which lead you to finding the Holy Grail, earning you great fame among the Northern hemisphere. I have recently discovered a journal which is said to contain the whereabouts of famed explorer Marco Polo's riches that were stolen from him on his way back to Venice. I have contacted your partner Dr. Grant Maximus, and I would like your help in finding these riches as well. Please meet me in my office at the Field Museum, on the tenth of April, at precisely 4:00 PM, if you are interested in discovering this treasure.

Sincerely, Sir Hugo Anderson"

The tenth of April was tomorrow. Johnny wondered whether or not he should trust this Hugo Anderson. He didn't have a logical reason as to why he was skeptical, but you can never really know if someone is trustworthy or not. Johnny usually struggles with trusting people, especially people he hardly knows or never even met. But being the adventurous spirit that he is, Johnny decided to take a chance and see what this man's business was all about.

*****

Johnny walked up the steps of the Field Museum, unsure of the future awaiting him. There were many people walking up and down the stairs. He looked around to see if he could spot Grant walking up the stairs as well, but he was nowhere to be seen. He must've already been inside the museum. He walked inside the building, and realized there were just as many people inside as there had been outside. He would have to go upstairs to get to the offices, which he knew because he had been to this museum countless times before.

"Hey, Johnny!"

Johnny looked in the direction in which the voice had come, and he saw, indeed, Dr. Grant Maximus. He was wearing a bright green tie, and white overalls, and he was also wearing the white Bowler's cap that seems like it had never left his head. Grant was a small man of knowledge, and he was thirty-four years old. He had round glasses that he only wore when he needed to read something, and he had short graying hair. He had previously joined Johnny on his expedition in Italy, back in 1932, earning himself a big share of the glory that had come from discovering the Holy Grail.

Johnny went over to where Grant was standing and asked, "So I'm guessing you're here for the same reason I'm here?"

"If you mean our meeting with Hugo Anderson, then yes, I am."