Chapter 3

“Good thing Carmen got the

museum blueprints from her dad.”
 ASK, AND
YOU SHALL YOU’RE KIDDING!
RECEIVE. THAT WAS FAST!
THIS IS IT, GUYS,
OUR FIRST REAL
MISSION. NO MORE
PLAYING AROUND; WE
NEED A PLAN.

ERR... I’VE
SEEN IT ON
TV.

OKAY PUI YEEN

AND WT, READY
FOR ACT ONE?
BREAK A LEG!

MAN, I SURE
HOPE NOT!

41
 YOU STAY HERE,
WT. I’LL GO
INSIDE.

DON’T MIND
IF I DO!

BUT, ERR… MY
CALM DOWN. BROTHER’S A BIT
HELP! HELP! UN- WHERE IS HE?
CLE! MY BROTHER ON THE PLUMP
IS CHOKING SIDE… I THINK
OUTSIDE! IT’LL TAKE THE
BOTH OF YOU TO
LIFT HIM…

JUST OUT-
SIDE! PLEASE,
UNCLE! PLEASE
HURRY!

I’LL GO WITH
HER TO TAKE A
LOOK, SIVA.

ALL RIGHT THEN…

LET’S GO, SIVA.
EVERYONE’S LEFT
THE MUSEUM
ANYWAY.

42
 AH! THERE!

C’MON PRABHASH,
WE NEED TO FIND
THE BROOM CLOSET
CLOSEST TO THE
RAPA-NUI EXHIBI-
TION.

RIGHT BEHIND
YA, ZAK.

GOOD THING
CARMEN GOT THE
MUSEUM BLUE- WELCOME BACK,
PRINTS FROM GUYS, AND GOOD
HER DAD. WORK! MISSION ONE
ACCOMPLISHED.

YEAH. NOW TO
INFORM HER
WE’RE IN.
CAN’T
BELIEVE
THEY
REALLY
MADE IT
IN!

THEIR
PARENTS’D
BETTER NOT
I HOPE
COME OVER TO
THEY’LL BE
CHECK IF WE’RE ZAK JUST CALLED
OKAY…
REALLY DOING ME -- THEY’RE
OUR ‘PROJECT’, ALREADY IN
OR WE’D BE POSITION. NOW
TOAST! THEY’RE WAITING
FOR DARKNESS
TO FALL BEFORE
PROCEEDING
WITH MISSION
TWO.

WELL, I’D
SAY WE ARE
DOING OUR
PROJECT.
KINDA… 43
SORTA…
 RIGHT, TIME CHECK:
8 PM. IT’S SHOW-
TIME, MY BABIES!
HEH HEH…

ARE YOU
SURE THAT’LL YOU BET. I’VE
WORK? TESTED IT A
FEW TIMES AT
HOME.

CAN YOU SMS

CARMEN AND
GET HER TO
SWITCH ON THE
MONITORS? I’M
GOING TO FIX
THE SPY CAM ON
THESE.

GOTCHA. AND
I’VE GOT THE
PHONE MONI-
TOR READY FOR
US TO NAVIGATE
44 TOO.
 GOOD… NOW FOR
THE HELICOPTER
TO STRUT ITS
STUFF…

I HATE TO SAY
‘I TOLD YA SO’,
BUT THAT WENT
PERFECTLY,
DIDN’T IT?

OKAY, YOU HAVE

EXACTLY 20 SECONDS
TO MAKE IT TO THE ALL
ELECTRICAL MAINS RIGHT…
AND SHUT DOWN THE HERE
POWER. GOES!

45
46
 NOW FOR THE
INFRA-RED
GOGGLES…

DARN IT, HOW DID

THEY GET HERE
SO QUICKLY?! IT
HASN’T EVEN BEEN
10 SECONDS YET!

C’MON ZAK, WE’VE

GOTTA GET OUT OF
HERE!
NO TIME TO
EXPLAIN! LET’S
GO!

WHAT
HAPPENED?

47
 THERE’S THAT
VAN AGAIN!
AFTER THEM!

SHEESH, NO NEED
TO BE SNIPPY. LET’S
MAN… GET BACK TO HQ FOR
WE LOST NOW.
THEM…

HELLO? TWO
WHEELS VERSUS
FOUR? LEGS
VERSUS ENGINE?
NEED I GO ON?

48
 SOMEONE
BEAT US TO IT.
THE SECURITY
GUARDS.

WHAT HAPPENED,
GUYS? WHERE’S
THE TABLET?

THE MUSEUM GUARDS - I SAW

THEM WITH MY OWN EYES!
AND THEY DROVE AWAY IN
THE SAME VAN AS THE ONE
WHAT SECURITY WE SAW THE OTHER DAY AT
GUARDS? KIKI’S. IT’S GOT TO BE A
CONSPIRACY!

DID YOU SEE ME NEITHER. IT

THE LICENSE WAS TOO FAST,
PLATE? OR WE COULDN’T SEE
REMEMBER ANY ANYTHING.
FEATURES ON
THE VAN?

NOPE.
I JUST
KNOW IT’S SO… WHAT
WHITE. NOW?

THE ONLY PEOPLE

WHO MIGHT KNOW
SOMETHING NOW I’LL PAY A VISIT TO
ARE THAT PRIEST THE RAPA-NUI EM-
AND THE LADY BASSY TO DO SOME
CURATOR FROM INFO DIGGING. ZAK
THE MUSEUM. AND PRABHASH, SEE
PUI YEEN, COULD THE PRIEST AND ASK
YOU GO SEE HER HIM IF HE KNOWS
TOMORROW? ANYTHING. LET’S
MEET BACK HERE
TOMORROW AT 1500
HOURS. IT’S GET-
TING LATE…
OOH, CAN
I GO WITH
HER?
AFRAID NOT, WT.
WE NEED YOU TO
RESEARCH THAT
TABLET. SEE IF 49
YOU CAN FIND A
PICTURE OF IT ON
THE INTERNET.

HI THERE,
OH HI! WHAT A
KUIMI! SURPRISE! HOW
CAN I HELP YOU
TODAY?
I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE
PAST KINGS OF RAPA-NUI.
WHO WERE THEY, AND WHO
GAVE THEM THEIR POWERS?
WELL, FOR A START, THE FIRST
KING OF RAPA-NUI WAS CALLED
THE CHOSEN ONE.
WHO CHOSE HIM?
ACCORDING TO LEGEND, HE
WAS CHOSEN BY THE SUPREME
GOD HIMSELF, MAKE-MAKE.
HOW WOULD THE POWER BE TRANS-
FERRED TO THE NEXT KING, THEN?
IS IT HEREDITARY OR WILL IT BE
DECIDED BY MAKE-MAKE?
FROM THEN ON, IT’S HEREDITARY.
TO TRANSFER POWER TO THE HEIR,
A CORONATION CEREMONY HAS
TO BE HELD NEAR A VOLCANO,
UNDER A BRIGHT MOONLIGHT.
WE’RE STILL DOING OUR
PROJECT, AND WE GOT
REALLY STUMPED BY
SOMETHING. CAN I ASK
YOU SOME QUESTIONS?
SURE, FIRE
AWAY.
WELL, THANKS
WHAT ABOUT
KUIMI. YOU’VE
THE MASK?
BEEN A GREAT
HELP!
THE MASK HOLDS THE KEY TO THE
POWER, THUS THE HOLDER OF
THE MASK IS ALSO THE HOLDER
OF THE POWER. IT NEEDS TO BE
PLACED OVER THE HEAD OF THE
PERSON TO BE CORONATED.
GOSH… WHO DO YOU
THINK COULD’VE
STOLEN IT?
MANY PEOPLE - BECAUSE
THERE ARE SOME WHO
THINK THAT POWER SHOULD
NOT BE RETAINED BY ONLY
ONE TRIBE.
 GOOD, WE’RE ALL
HERE. LET’S GET ZIP. NADA. THE
GOOD JOB,
STARTED. ZAK AND CHIEF PRIEST IS
SLOWCOACH!
PRABHASH, WHAT ONE CLUELESS NUT.
YOU’RE THE LAST
HAVE YOU GOT? HE DOESN’T SEEM
TO ARRIVE!
TO KNOW A THING
AT ALL.

I HAD NO LUCK AT
THE EMBASSY EITHER.
THEY’RE REALLY VERY
PROTECTIVE PEOPLE,
ESPECIALLY WHEN
IT COMES TO THEIR HOW ABOUT YOU,
KING. PUI YEEN?

SO I GUESS
THOSE WHO
STOLE THE MASK
AND TABLET WILL
HAVE TO SMUG-
THE CURATOR GLE THEM BACK
TOLD ME THAT TO RAPA-NUI…
ANY TRANSFER OF UNLESS…
POWER HAS TO
BE DONE NEAR A
VOLCANO UNDER A
FULL MOON.

SENTOSA!!

WAIT A MINUTE… IT’S FULL MOON

TONIGHT! IT’LL BE THE PERFECT
TIME! LET’S SCRAMBLE, GUYS.
GET YOUR GEAR, AND MEET UP AT
WE COULD ALWAYS SAY WE’RE SLEEP-
9 PM!
ING OVER AT WT’S TO COMPLETE OUR
PROJECT. HOW ABOUT THAT? BUT WT
BUT… WHAT ARE WE WILL HAVE TO STAY HERE AND COVER
GONNA TELL OUR FOR US IF THEY CALL. PUI YEEN TOO.
PARENTS?

GLADLY!

51
 YOU CAN SAY THAT
AGAIN. AND IT’S
WORSE WHEN IT’S SHH! CAN’T RISK
WOW, THIS CLOSED DOWN. GETTING CAUGHT!
PLACE IS QUIET, AND KEEP
SPOOKY AT YOUR FOCUS,
NIGHT… GUYS.

NOTHING’S
HAPPENING.
DO YOU THINK
WE’VE BEEN
HAD?

LET’S WAIT
TILL AFTER THE
STROKE OF
MIDNIGHT.

SIGH…
WHAT A
WASTE OF
TIME! I GUESS THERE
MUST’VE BEEN OTHER
REQUIREMENTS FOR
THE CEREMONY THAT
KUIMI DIDN’T KNOW
OF…

At 12.30 am, after a fruitless wait, the trio leave

Sentosa and return to MI-V headquarters.

At the hospital…

GLAD TO SEE YOU’RE

AWAKE, KIKI. BUT I’M
AFRAID WE HAVE BAD
SENTOSA?! HOW EVER
NEWS…
YES… WE’RE SORRY WE LET THAT DID YOU COME UP
HAPPEN… NOW WE HAVE NO IDEA WITH THAT?!
WHERE IT IS EITHER. THE GUYS
WHEN TO SENTOSA’S VOLCANOLAND,
IT’S OKAY, I’VE THINKING IT MIGHT BE THERE… WHAT
ALREADY HEARD. A SILLY IDEA.
52 THE TABLET’S GONE
TOO, RIGHT?
 IT WAS KUIMI, THE CURATOR
FROM THE MUSEUM. SHE TOLD THAT’S STRANGE.
ME THIS WEIRD TALE ABOUT NO ONE OUTSIDE
THE CORONATION TAKING THE ROYAL FAMILY
PLACE NEAR A VOLCANO, AND - WELL, EXCEPT
THE PLACING OF THE MASK MY CHIEF PRIEST
OVER THE HEAD OF THE FUTURE - KNOWS ABOUT
KING, BLAH BLAH BLAH. THAT DETAIL.

HMM… I WONDER
WHERE SHE GOT THAT
WHICH
PIECE OF INFORMA-
ONE?
TION THEN. OH, BY
THE WAY, WE’D LIKE
YOU TO TAKE A LOOK
AT A PICTURE.

THE ONE YOU MENTIONED, PLACING

THE MASK OVER THE HEAD. I WAS VERY
YOUNG WHEN I WAS CORONATED, BUT
I DON’T REMEMBER BEING ANYWHERE
NEAR A VOLCANO.

IT DOES LOOK LIKE THE TABLET… BUT

IT’S PRETTY BLURRED. WHERE DID YOU
GET THIS?

THE DETAILS OF OUR CEREMONIES ARE WELL-

GUARDED, BECAUSE NOT MANY PEOPLE CAN READ
RAPA-NUI WRITING - NOT EVEN BY LOOKING AT
THE TABLET. WHAT PICTURE, CARMEN?

SHOW
HIM, WT.

I DID A
COMPREHEN-
SIVE SEARCH
AND FINALLY
I GOT THIS RARE FOUND THIS PERHAPS YOU
IMAGE OF THE IMAGE FROM CAN TRANSLATE
SACRED TABLET THE SITE THAT IT AND WE CAN
- OR AT LEAST I BELONGS TO GO ON WITH THE
THINK SO. COULD RAPA-NUI’S INVESTIGATIONS
YOU CONFIRM GOVERNMENT FROM THERE?
IT? ARCHIVES.
 IT SAYS HERE… ‘IN AN OPEN SPACE, UNDER A SHOWER OF STARS AND A
FULL MOON, EIGHT STATUES ARE TO BE LINED UP WITH FOUR ON EACH SIDE
FORMING A PATHWAY FACING THE EAST. THE PERSON TO BE CORONATED MUST
WEAR THE MASK AND STAND BETWEEN THE TWO ROWS OF STATUES.’ THE REST
ARE CHANTS TO BE READ BY THE CHIEF PRIEST. HE HAS TO CHANT THEM UNDER
THE BRIGHT MOONLIGHT WHILE… WHILE PACING TO… AND FRO ON THE…

KIKI?!
I’LL GO
I THINK VISIT-
GET THE ING HOUR’S OVER
NURSE! FOR THE PRINCE.
YOU SHOULD ALL
LEAVE NOW.

YOU’VE GOT TO TRY

DECIPHERING THE
TABLET, PUI YEEN.
WE’RE ALL COUNTING
ON YOU NOW.

WELL, I CAN TRY, BUT RAPA-NUI WRIT- WHOA,

ING ISN’T QUITE LIKE OTHER ANCIENT
WHAT A
54 LANGUAGES. THE SCRIPT IS KNOWN
AS RONGORONGO OR KO HAU MOUTH-
RONGO RONGO. RONGORONGO IS FUL!
THE SCRIPT USED BY THE ROYALTY.
 THEY HAVE OTHER MINOR SCRIPTS AS WELL, IT’S ‘BOUSTROPHEDON’, PRAH-
LIKE TA’U AND MAMA, BUT ALL OF THEM BASH. AN ANCIENT WAY OF
ARE READ IN REVERSE BOUSTROPHEDON WRITING MANUSCRIPTS AND IN-
BOU… BOUSTRO…
FASHION. SCRIPTIONS. IT’S FASCINATING,
WHA…?
REALLY. THE WRITING GOES FROM
LEFT TO RIGHT, THEN YOU HAVE TO
TURN THE TEXT AROUND, AND READ
THE NEXT LINE UPSIDE DOWN.
THEN TURN IT AGAIN TO READ THE
THIRD LINE.

WOW! HOW DO YOU’RE

YOU KNOW ALL AMAZING,
THIS?! PUI YEEN. I’M
SURE YOU’LL
BE A GREAT
RESEARCHER
ONE DAY.

ARCHAEOLOGY’S MY FAVOURITE SUBJECT. I’VE

READ ABOUT AND RESEARCHED MANY ANCIENT
CIVILISATIONS, FROM THEIR CULTURE TO HOW
THEY COMMUNICATE.

THANKS, CARMEN. THIS WILL I DON’T THINK

TAKE SOME TIME. THERE’VE BEEN THEY’D BE ABLE
MANY ATTEMPTS TO DECIPHER TO READ BEYOND
RONGORONGO, BUT AS FAR AS I WHAT’S ALREADY
KNOW, NO ONE’S BEEN SUCCESSFUL KNOWN… AND THE
IN GETTING A FULL TRANSLATION. PRIEST
IS PRETTY
CLUELESS,
REMEMBER?
HE WON’T BE
MUCH HELP
THERE.

CAN’T WE GET SOME-

ONE FROM THE EM-
BASSY OR EVEN THE
PRIEST TO DECIPHER
IT FOR US?

UH OH…

BAD NEWS, PUI YEEN. THAT

WAS FROM THE HOSPITAL. THE
NURSE TOLD ME THAT KIKI’S
GETTING WEAKER. IN FACT,
HE’S BEEN ADMITTED INTO 55
INTENSIVE CARE.
 C’MON PUI YEEN, WELL… THIS WORD KEEPS
WE HAVE FAITH IN COMING UP - ‘SACRED
YOU! SOIL’ - BUT I CAN’T LINK
GUYS… I DON’T IT TO ANYTHING HERE IN AH! YOU’RE
THINK I CAN DO SINGAPORE…
THIS…
ABSOLUTELY
RIGHT, ZAK!
THAT’S IT!

HMM… YOU DO
KNOW THAT
SINGAPORE
USED TO BE
A KINGDOM
UNDER SRI
TRI BUANA,
THE KING OF
SUMATRA…
RIGHT?

SOME STUDIES SAY THAT THE ORIGINAL POLY-

NESIANS CAME FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA. THEY
REACHED THE ISLANDS OF TONGA AND SAMOA,
AND FROM THERE, THEY MOVED FURTHER EAST TO
AROUND THE MARQUESAS ISLANDS.

THEN THEY SPLIT IN TWO DIRECTIONS

- SOUTHEAST TO EASTER ISLAND AND
NORTH TO HAWAII.

THE LAST PHASES OF THE MOVEMENT

WERE TO THE SOCIETY ISLANDS, AND
FROM THERE, TO NEW ZEALAND.

56
 MY DAD TOLD ME ABOUT THE LEGEND OF
A PLACE CALLED BUKIT LARANGAN OR
FORBIDDEN HILL. SRI TRI BUANA RESIDED
THERE, AND THE LOCAL SETTLERS WERE WARY
OF ASCENDING THAT HILL AS THEY BELIEVED
IT WAS THE SITE OF PALACES BUILT BY THEIR
ANCESTRAL KINGS. SO THE SACRED SOIL
COULD REFER TO THIS FORBIDDEN HILL… OR,
FORT CANNING, AS WE NOW CALL IT!

GREAT WORK, GUYS! ZAK COULD

I THINK WE’RE GET- BE RIGHT…
TING CLOSER! BUT HOW
CAN WE
CONFIRM
THIS?

WELL I’M GLAD

SOMEBODY
KNOWS WHAT
THEY’RE TALKING
ABOUT. IT’S ALL
MUMBO-JUMBO TO
ME.

ERR… THE
LIBRARY? THERE’S NO TIME, AND
I DON’T THINK WE CAN
GET ANY SOLID LEADS
THERE. SINGAPORE’S
HISTORY BEFORE THAT
TIME WAS MOSTLY ORAL.
IF WE WANNA GET TO THE
BOTTOM OF THIS, WE
NEED TO GO TO PULAU
UBIN.

PULAU UBIN?!
AT THIS
HOUR?!

57