T H E   P O I S O N   A S P S

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

<<<<<< ACTIUM RETREAT

ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT 30BC

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 her mausoleum, one that she’d built on the palace grounds in Alexandria, grief stricken. She penned a letter to her lover Antony, who she'd betrayed so cruelly at the sea battle at Actium.

"My dearest Antony, 

By the time you read this letter, I will be no more. I have chosen to end my life rather than surrender to Octavian’s tyranny. I have taken poison from an asp that I hid in this box. I have also instructed my loyal servants to bury me with you in a secret tomb. I hope you will forgive me for leaving you alone.

I want you to know that I love you more than anything in this world or the next. You are my soulmate, my partner, my king. You have given me happiness, passion, honor, and courage. You have fought with me against our enemies until the end.

I want you to remember me as I was when we first met: young, beautiful, powerful, and free. I want you to remember our love as it was: pure, strong, eternal, and divine.

I want you to join me in the afterlife, where we will be together forever. I want you to take this dagger and pierce your heart with it. I want you to die with me and for me.

Do not be afraid, my Antony. Death is not the end, but the beginning. We will meet again in the realm of the gods, where we will rule as king and queen of Egypt and Rome upon our rebirth.

I will be waiting for you, my Antony.

Your Cleopatra."

The Goddess Isis reborn thought back to when she'd spread the rumour about the Palace of the mood of the queen, that all therein supposed she had gone to kill herself. And that much horrified at such news and thinking only to give weight to such whispers, Mark Antony immediately thought to follow suit, existing long enough to struggle to her side, on learning his Queen still caught breath.

On receipt of this news of her living, 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 Charmian, he gained access. 

There, Antony expired in her arms. She relived these moments of tortuous love lost, and again the tears flooded her features. She longed for blessed release. But oh for the tools to achieve her end. Long in the planning, and impatient to see her plotting supply her the means.

SERPENT'S KISS

As the planned day of her departure approached, a sense of peace washed over her. The basket contained the live serpents, had eluded the Roman guards, as she thought they might.

She had loved fiercely, lost deeply, and fought valiantly.

Yes, she had lived a life of passion, power, and tragedy.

Now, she was ready to face her destiny. She had played her final role, the role of the dying queen. She reached deep under the figs in her daily basket of fruits, and found two Asps there under. Bringing one close to her bossom, the other wrapped around her arm. Both serpents struck, one after the other. The first bit her breast, stinging a little and with quite a forceful bite, that would cause bruising. The other Cobra's fangs sunk into her arm. The 39 year old queen had surely killed herself. The mischief would be swift.

And as the poison coursed through her veins, she closed her eyes, her mind filled with visions of the afterlife.

As the darkness enveloped her, she whispered a final prayer, a plea to the gods to guide her soul to the afterlife. And with a sigh, she slipped slowly away, leaving behind a legacy that would echo through the ages.

With a final glance at her beloved Egypt, she closed her eyes. The asps, silent assassins, delivered their fatal kiss. As her life faded, she imagined herself ascending to the afterlife, where she would be reunited with her beloved Mark Antony.

The day of her death arrived. As she lay dying, surrounded by her loyal servants, she thought of the life she had lived. A life of passion, power, and ultimately, tragedy.

In these last moments and in her mind she re-imagined Antony in her arms, and dressed in her formal robes and jewels, playing out the part again, the queen grasped a writhing asp that had been smuggled to her just as those from the fig basket, bringing the serpent to her bare breast, the Egyptian cobra administered the fatal bite, the other missing the intended target and biting her on the arm.

These were her last imaginings. A final replay of her finest hour.

Her final defiance. Her bravery.

She owed that much to her beloved Antonious.

DIVINE INTERVENTION

As the poison coursed through her veins, Cleopatra's consciousness began to slip. Yet, in the twilight between life and death, she found herself in a serene, ethereal realm. A soft, radiant light enveloped her, and a gentle voice, soothing and familiar, called out to her.

"Cleopatra, my child," the voice of Isis, the goddess of life, echoed through the celestial expanse. "Fear not, for you are not alone."

Cleopatra, her spirit lifted by the divine presence, prostrated herself before the goddess. 

"Oh, Great Isis," she pleaded, "protect me in the darkness that lies ahead. Guide me to the afterlife, and ensure my body remains undisturbed."

Isis, moved by the queen's unwavering faith, nodded understandingly. 

"Your devotion to Egypt and your love for Antony have touched the hearts of the gods. Anubis, the guardian of the underworld, will watch over your mortal remains."

A shadowy figure emerged from the darkness, a jackal-headed deity with a stern yet compassionate expression. 

"I shall ensure your journey to the afterlife is smooth, Cleopatra," Anubis declared. "And I shall protect your body until the time of your rebirth."

THE SERPENT'S KISS, THE QUEEN'S LAST BREATH

The heavy, perfumed air of the queen's chambers hung thick with the scent of decay. Cleopatra, her once vibrant eyes now clouded and dull, lay upon her gilded couch, her breath shallow and ragged. The asps, their venom coursed through her veins, had delivered their fatal kiss.

Beside her, Isis, the goddess of motherhood and magic, stood, her serene countenance etched with sorrow. She reached out, her ethereal hand hovering over Cleopatra's brow, a gentle energy flowing from her fingertips.

"Fear not, my queen," Isis whispered, her voice a soothing balm. "Anubis awaits you, ready to guide your spirit into the afterlife."

As Cleopatra's breathing grew weaker, a shimmering figure emerged from the shadows. Anubis, the god of death and mummification, stood tall and imposing, his jackal head crowned with a golden diadem. He approached the queen, his eyes filled with a solemn compassion.

"Your time has come, Cleopatra," Anubis said, his voice deep and resonant. "Let go of your earthly form and embrace the eternal."

With a final, labored breath, Cleopatra's eyes closed, and her body stilled. As her spirit began to ascend, she felt a sense of peace wash over her. The pain and fear that had consumed her were replaced by a serene tranquility.

In the distance, she saw the spectral forms of Charmian and Iras, her loyal handmaidens. They had not been embalmed or mummified, and their spirits had lingered in the mortal world, unable to find peace until their queen's departure.

"Farewell, my beloved," Charmian whispered, tears streaming down her ethereal face.

"Rest in peace, Cleopatra," Iras echoed, her voice filled with sorrow and love.

As Cleopatra's spirit ascended higher, she felt the comforting presence of Anubis guiding her. Together, they crossed the threshold into the afterlife, leaving behind the mortal world and all its sorrows.

Meanwhile, in the grand temple of Amun-Ra, the last Pharaoh of Egypt, a solemn-faced priest watched over the queen's sarcophagus. He knew that her journey had only just begun. For centuries, perhaps even millennia, Cleopatra's body would lie entombed, waiting for the day when science might evolve to bring her back to life.

Anubis, the god of the dead, appeared, his jackal-headed form imposing yet comforting. He extended his arms, and Cleopatra's spirit slipped into his embrace. A sense of peace washed over her as she felt herself being drawn into the underworld.

Cleopatra, overwhelmed with gratitude, thanked the gods for their mercy. As her spirit began to ascend, she felt a sense of peace and tranquility. She knew that her legacy would endure, and that she would one day return to the world, reborn in a time of light and hope.

As the last vestiges of life left Cleopatra's body, a divine energy enveloped her. Isis and Anubis, moved by her courage and faith, watched over her, ensuring her safe passage to the underworld. And there, in the realm of the dead, she would await her chance for rebirth, a chance to return to the world and continue her eternal journey.

And as she gasped her final breath, she found solace in the knowledge that her spirit, along with Mark Antony's, would live on forever.

CHARMIAN AND IRAS SHARE THEIR QUEEN'S FATE

And as the poison invaded Cleopatra's veins, her loyal handmaidens, Charmian and Iras, stood by her side. Their hearts were heavy with grief, their spirits broken by the loss of their beloved queen. They knew that their fate was sealed. Octavian, in his ruthless pursuit of power, would not spare those who had aided Cleopatra's defiance.

But their grief for their queen surpassed their fear of the future. Cleopatra, the epitome of grace and strength, had always inspired them. She had taught them the true meaning of loyalty and the importance of standing by one's convictions.

Charmian, the elder of the two, spoke softly. 

"We cannot let them take us alive, Iras. We must join our queen in death."

Iras, her eyes filled with tears, nodded in agreement. 

"We will not be slaves to Rome. We will share her fate."

Together, they turned to the asp, the silent serpent that had claimed their queen. With trembling hands, they picked up the creature and, without hesitation, pressed it to their lips.

With trembling hands, they reached for the vial of poison that Cleopatra had thought to use to ease the pain. A bittersweet smile played on their lips as they raised the vial to their lips. A single drop, a silent prayer, and they would be reunited with their queen, forever bound by their loyalty and love. A painless release, sent them sprawling, a noisy uncontrolled crashing aside their Queen.

The Roman guards, alerted by the commotion, stormed into the chamber. Their faces hardened as they saw the lifeless form of their captive queen.

As the poison took hold, Charmian and Iras felt a sense of peace wash over them. They would join Cleopatra in the afterlife, forever bound by their loyalty and love. In their final moments, they thought of their queen, her beauty, her intelligence, and her indomitable spirit. They had been privileged to serve her, to witness her triumphs and her tragedies.

As they closed their eyes, they imagined a peaceful afterlife, a place where they would serve Cleopatra eternally, free from the shackles of mortality. Their deaths, though tragic, were also a testament to their unwavering devotion to their queen.

And so, the two handmaidens, faithful to the end, joined their queen in death. Their story, a tragic tale of loyalty and sacrifice, would be forever intertwined with the legend of Cleopatra, the last active pharaoh of Ancient Egypt.

Charmian and Iras, Cleopatra's loyal companions, watched from the shadows, their spirits still bound to the mortal world as they had not been embalmed. They felt a pang of sadness at the loss of their queen but also a sense of relief that she was no longer suffering.

As Cleopatra's soul disappeared into the depths of the underworld, the last Pharaoh of Egypt prepared for her eternal slumber. She knew that her body would be preserved, a testament to her reign. But she also knew that it would be centuries before the science of medicine advanced enough to bring her back to life. And so, with a heavy heart, she closed her eyes, ready to face the long sleep that awaited her.

A tragic end to a golden reign. 

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 reminding 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. Unexplained, for he now abhorred the girl he took a shine to when a vixen.

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 and breast. Asps had been smuggled in to her in a water jar, though not successfully.

Neither spot nor other sign of poison broke out to spoil her body. The reptiles 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, that never touched her lips.

TANZANIA THE STORM BREAKS >>>>>>

NOTES

[Captured so well in 1607 by William Shakespeare's Antonious and Cleopatra first performed at the Globe Theatre.]

THE BATTLE OF ACTIUM - Queen Cleopatra retreats leaving Mark Antony to lose against Octavian and seek a new deal with Rome.

THE POISON ASP - Hotfoot from Actium, Cleopatra's plan to seduce Octavian backfired leading to a suicide pact with Anubis and Isis

TANZANIA - THE STORM BREAKS - Fanatical DNA collector, John Storm, finds Homo erectus skull, Olduvia Gorge, in Tanzanian dig site.

WRATH OF THE GODS - 365BC destruction of Thonis and Alexandria, Anubis and Isis watch on in horror as Cleopatra is submerged.

WWII ENIGMA - The birth of computers at Bletchley Park under Alan Turing, and his visits from Anubis and Isis, who see the potential in his ideas.

SYDNEY WILL READING - John's uncle Douglas vanished, declared dead, the adventurer inherits keys and a note from George Franks.

ANGEL OF DEATH - Anubis and Isis occupy Josef Mengele's and Adolf Hitler's subconscious as spirits steering their legacies.

INNER CIRCLE OF SIX - Joseph Mengele's Fourth Reich plans an escape to Brazil to develop Nazi-funded human research laboratories.

NELSON BAY - John visits the coordinates George gave him, to discover the Elizabeth Swann, ARK and Hal, AI computer.

BRAZIL BOUND - Doctor Death bargains for funding and logistics of relocation to Amazon South American base via Argentina.

NEW WORLD ORDER - A former Neo-Nazi plan to regenerate Aryan supremacy, develops into a cause for good.

REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE - Having reached the end of his PhD, William and Jane Bates have epiphanies, Will should follow his dream.

ROADBLOCK - Nobody would fund his R&D, William and Jane Bates are blanked by DARPA, computer and software houses.

THE AFTERLIFE - Cleopatra's tomb lay lost for centuries submerged and out of sight with little change of discovery.

QUANTUM LEAP - Jane and Will find backers, then US military and computer processor chip makers cyber attack, hack and bug them.

WASHING MACHINE - Inventor Franco Francisco comes up with the Incubus, artificial uterus concept while repairing his household appliance.

EXIT STRATEGY - Realising they will always be a target from industrial and military espionage, Jane & Will devise a cunning plan.

PATENT APPLICATION - Franco Francisco files his Claims with the Italian Intellectual Property Office (IPO) in Roma, Italia.

CYBERCORE GENETICA - Nano computer technology is purchased at an auction by a semi religious sect, New World Order.

INCUBUS - Roberta Ferrara secures the expertise of Franco Francisco for knights of the New World Order: Neuwelt Rittertum.

SPLICE - Klaus and Eva von Kolreuter find a way to live forever using cloning technology; Genonimo Investments, Geneva.

TREMORS - Cleopatra's feels vibrations after a shift in the tectonic plates triggered a tremor off the coast of Alexandria.

PANAMANIAN RUNNING MAN - The secret is out, an enhanced human is spotted running at unbelievable speeds.

THE ARK - NeuWelt Rittertum headhunt John Storm seeking access to his genetic DNA map of life on earth, but they fail to reach agreement.

MARJORIE BOYLE - Sam Hollis tracks down sexy backpacker, Majorie Boyle, to Brighton Point in Trinidad, beautiful Caribbean Island.

THE AMAZON - Charley agrees to meet John & Dan at Manaus, but is a little too inquisitive.

OPERATION LEVIATHAN - New World Knights, Klaus and Franco go to Plan 'B' to track and steal the Elizabeth Swann & The Ark DNA database.

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

SCOTLAND YARD - The famous London DNA database is stolen, the biggest data heist to date. The Yard initiates a cover up.

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

SALVAGE RIGHTS - Entering Cleopatra's mausoleum, locating sarcophagus and raising with air bags to the surface, Safiya Sabuka tomb raider.

COASTGUARD PATROL - Safiya and Musa surface off Alexandria to a waiting customs vessel, they pretend to be sports divers fooling the officials.

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

KIDNAP - Charley is taken prisoner but John rescues her, in the process becoming injected with a serum.

SARCOPHAGUS OPENING - The wooden inner casket is opened revealing Cleopatra's mummy, golden crown and death mask, perfectly preserved.

AWAKENING - In the afterlife, the DNA extracted from Cleopatra's mummy triggers a divine stirring with Anubis and Isis comforting the Nile Queen.

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

BRAIN CONDITIONING - Klaus and Franco upload digitally recreated memories in historical order to trigger correct learned synapse firing sequence

REBORN - The former Queen of Egypt speaks for the first time to her creators, proving that her brain is working, the implants succeeded.

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

PROPOSAL - Baron von Richhofen's gambit, a union of Royal ancient and Aryan blood, for strength and intellect, a powerful heir as her successor

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

MANAUS TO ALEXANDRIA - A hydrogen powered race across the Atlantic Ocean in nine days, John Storm guided by Anubis and Isis.

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

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

MOVIES, WHAT ARE THEY - Reincarnated Nile Queen asks John and Dan to explain films, they show her 20th C. Fox 1963 Elizabeth Taylor biopic.

MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE - John suggest a tour of the Wadj Ur, Thalassa Nostrum, to relax Cleopatra, Hal plans the ultimate experience.

JOHN'S BLOODLINE - Dan and Hal trace trace John's noble lineage back to the iconic figures of Ancient Egypt & Roman General Mark Antony

DÉJÀ VU - Dan and Hal reveal John's family tree as being related to Roman General Mark Antony via Julia and Queen Drusilla of Mauretania.

MEDICAL EXAMINATION - Jack Mason talks John and Cleopatra into agreeing to a check up at Port Royal, Jamaica, working for NSA and CIA

GEORGE WARNS OF TORTURE - Franks radios Swann to tell John & Dan that New World Knights are being tortured at Guantánamo Bay, you're next.

JESUS CHRIST - Cleopatra asks about this man. John, Dan & Hal explain he is an ancient religious preacher from Galilee, son of Yahweh, Hebrew god.

BIOCORE BRAIN IMPLANT - Dan and Cleopatra drill John's skull, occipital bone implanting biological chip to interface with CyberCore Genetica.

DARPA, NSA & CIA - National security and military intelligence chiefs Iras Charmian and Dr Stefan Raengst, plot to remove all human obstacles.

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

BATTLE ARMOUR - Thanks to some unexplained divine intervention, Dan Hawk talks John Storm into wearing a bullet proof suit.

GUANTÁNAMO BAY - History repeats itself, US military kidnap Cleopatra, John forced to rescue puts Elizabeth Swann at risk.

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE - Commander John Storm, in Navy SEAL mode, attacks the Cuban torture camp at Guantánamo Bay, in stealth mode, black op.

MISSILE LOCK - USA military try to hack into Hal, anticipating a strike, as the DOD launch Tomahawks, John hacks into NORAD, and redirects them.

PRESIDENT LINCOLN TRUMAN - Hails the Swann to find out why John is shooting missiles at Guantánamo Bay, Storm sets the record straight. FINALE

SUICIDE PACT: POISON ASPS, EGYPTIAN COBRA'S BITES QUEEN OF THE NILE ON HER BREAST AND ARM, KILLING THE LAST PTOLEMAIC PHARAOH - THE ADVENTURES OF JOHN STORM: CLEOPATRA & THE MUMMY REBORN OF THE AFTERLIFE

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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 © January 2025 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.