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A large tidal wave triggered by a distant explosion threatens to drown the continent of Atlantis. In the midst of an evacuation from the capital city, Kashem Nedakh, the Queen of Atlantis, allows herself to be caught by a strange, hypnotic blue light and lifted up. The crystal consumes her and creates a dome barrier that protects the city. She leaves behind a husband, King Kashekim Nedakh, and a young daughter, Princess Kidagakash "Kida" Nedakh, as the continent sinks beneath the ocean.
Thousands of years later Milo James Thatch, a cartographer and linguist who works as a janitor at the Smithsonian Institution, marginalized for his research on Atlantis and for being an educated Black man, believes that he has found The Shepherd's Journal, an ancient manuscript that contains directions to the lost continent. The museum board, led by Fenton Q. Harcourt, declines his proposal to search for the journal, going so far as to fire him, on the offense of a Black man going above his station.
Returning home from being fired, Milo finds a mysterious woman, Helga Sinclair, waiting for him by his fireplace, telling Milo that she works for a man with a proposition for him. Driving to a vast estate in Long Island, Helga introduces Milo to Preston B. Whitmore, an eccentric billionaire. Whitmore reveals to Milo that he had already funded a successful effort to retrieve the journal from Iceland, where Milo believed it to be, as repayment of a debt to Milo’s grandfather, who had died being ostracized by the scientific minds of the world. Whitmore admits that even though he had previously betted Milo’s grandfather that he would be wrong about finding Atlantis, he believes now that he must finish this expedition to redeem Milo’s family name, insisting that his grandfather deserved as much for his life’s work. Whitmore then recruits Milo to lead an expedition to Atlantis, insisting that his grandfather entrusted as much for Milo to take his place when the time was right.
The expedition departs with a team of specialists led by Commander Lyle Rourke, who also led the journal recovery expedition in Iceland. The crew includes “Vinny” Santorini, chief demolitions expert; “Mole” Molière, chief geologist; Joshua Sweet, chief medical officer; Audrey Ramirez, chief mechanic; Ms. Wilhelmina Packard, chief radio operator; “Cookie” Farnsworth, chief mess cook; and Helga, serving as the expedition’s lieutenant and second-in-command to Rourke.
A second group also accompanies the team of specialists to see their investment through: Franz Viktor Sinclair, an Austrian-German munitions manufacture billionaire and one of the other main financiers and Helga’s father; Ludwig Albert Sinclair, Helga’s brother and personal aide to their father; Nacim Schmiedeberg, a physical heavy for the Sinclair’s; Murat Riza, a weapons manufacturer of the Ottoman Empire; İskender Duralmaz, a Turkish cartographer; Filiz Sarrafoğlu, Riza’s secretary; Devran Ali, a business partner of Riza’s for ten years; Maraz Ağa, a physical heavy for Riza; and Whitmore, who has insisted on coming on the voyage to see it through. They set out in the “Ulysses”, a massive submarine designed to house their 200-plus crew and vehicles meant for conditions of land and sea.
During the journey, Milo informs the crew on the history of Atlantis. They investigate underground caves and water passages to look for real evidence of Atlantis’ existence, with what information is provided in the Shepherd’s Journal, even though Milo finds the Journal to end when revealing what is “The Heart of Atlantis”. They find evidence of technological advances of Atlantis, including weaponized aircraft, and harnessing the energy that sustained their people to make weapons that, if used, could have wiped out every known civilization if they had not disappeared. He also reveals that due to their advanced culture they had a mastery of all languages, their primary language based on a root-dialect.
When getting to know the crew Milo gets to know all their life-stories: Whitmore made his money from his family investing two centuries in successful enterprises, Preston in particular investing in land deals and munitions for war-time. He also was fascinated with exploration of the unknowns of the Earth, but never had the patience for finding evidence that was substantial. Milo’s grandfather changed his opinion on the subject enough when his theories on the Shepherd’s Journal proved true.
Rourke has always been an army-man, from a family of soldiers, himself serving at the Battle of the Little Bighorn when he was 22 years old, and serving in many campaigns since then. He plans to serve in the U.S. Army when returning from the expedition to participate in what will become known as World War 1, believing his life is to fight and inevitably die against the enemies to America’s interests. He also mentions how he doesn’t have the respect for archaeology like Milo does, but did respect Milo’s grandfather for his theories proving correct due to his hard work-ethics, and Milo’s grandfather respected Rourke for being an effective leader during the expedition to Iceland.
“Vinny” is the son of a long-line family of florists, even though he purportedly found his calling when a laundry store next door to his family’s shop blew up one day, and the resulting explosion being man-made fascinated him so much that he became more interested in making explosives then continuing to work in his family’s florist shop.
Sweet is the son of an African medic and Native American women, his father working as a medic on a Native American reservation when he met and fell in love with Sweet’s mother, one of the reservation’s medicine women. Sweet also relates that being raised as a future medic by his parents, he expects to be enlisted as one for World War 1, even though he will be more than likely segregated on account of his skin color and mixed-family heritage. He also tells Milo how his grandfather made him come to respect the science of archaeology, as well as the ancient history of medicine.
“Mole” became a geologist when he became fascinated by the scientific distinction of dirt and soil, about how there is history to dirt of every country and nation, about how what may look all the same has its individual history for each land. He also mentions how Milo’s grandfather bonded with him over “Mole’s” dedication to researching dirt, like Milo’s grandfather’s dedication to discovering Atlantis.
Audrey tells of how her father wanted sons to be mechanics and boxers in the Ramirez family name, but only got Audrey and her sister, Elena. So, he taught Audrey to be a mechanic like him, and Elena to be a boxer. Her father retired when he almost lost a leg during a mechanical failure on the previous expedition. She also tells how Milo’s grandfather was best friends with her father, each having respect for their working-man backgrounds, in spite of their racial handicaps in society.
Ms. Packard was one of the first women to be employed as a radio operator, and expects this expedition to be her last field assignment, due to a recent diagnosis that her lung cancer has given her an expected two years to live, and wants this expedition to be a worthy end to her career.
“Cookie” was a chef back in the beginning of the Civil War when he was 19, and continued to be one, always hoping to open a restaurant in France, but never had the social skills to open a restaurant for “high-society”, in spite of the quality of his cooking.
Helga serves as a trained soldier and business liaison for her family on expeditions like this one and the expedition to Iceland, having training in combat as well as business acumen. She had great respect for Milo’s grandfather and the crew’s experience on these dangerous journeys, even though her father and brother have always shown more interest in making business deals with countries willing to pay the most for weapons, nations like the Ottoman Empire and their representatives like Murat. She would like to believe Milo is ready for this expedition, but believes, like her father and brother, that Milo is too inexperienced to lead such an important adventure.
İskender grew up with an interest in the history of lost civilizations, like the Aztecs, and even more so with Atlantis. Even though he was ostracized in his country for being a pacifist, his skills in cartography made him invaluable to a treasure hunter like Riza. Filiz’s family has long been connected to Riza and his empire, seeing her employment as bringing honor to her family. In her first year of employment she found herself in love with an Armenian businessman, and when found out, was put into an arranged marriage with Devran to keep her shame hidden from her people.
When researching the bottom of the ocean floor, they find evidence of many destroyed ships dating back to almost a thousand years, the destruction patterns matching the description of what the Shepherd’s Journal describes as the monstrous Leviathan, a robotic lobster-like creature that guards Atlantis’ entrance. Milo advises that their submarine use a route going around the ocean floor, but Franz rebukes it, insisting it will take more time out of the voyage. Rourke gives in to Mr. Sinclair’s demands, and the “Ulysses” is subsequently attacked by the Leviathan. The underwater assault vehicles give a good fight, but prove to be no match for the Leviathan’s weapon capabilities. They ultimately beach the damaged submarine in an underwater cave, described in the journal as the entrance to Atlantis, so as not to lose their only transportation out of the bottom of the ocean. After traveling through a network of caves and a dormant volcano, with Milo correctly predicting every time the right paths to take, in spite of the objections of the Sinclair family, the team reaches the outskirts of Atlantis. They are greeted by a grown-up Princess “Kida”, who Milo impresses with his acute knowledge of the Atlantean language. “Kida” then welcomes Milo and the crew to Atlantis.
Upon arriving at the palace of Atlantis' king, “Kida” introduces the crew of the “Ulysses” to her father, King Kashekim. King Kashekim is openly bitter with their arrival, insisting that they have not earned to see Atlantis, nor have his Atlanteans earned to know those from above. Milo is able to negotiate with the King for them to stay until they are prepared to return to the surface. When alone with his daughter, Kashekim makes his concern known that he believes “Kida” is trying to get to know the up-worlders in the hopes of leading an assault on the surface world with their Atlantean technology, continuing their history of warfare. “Kida” insists that she only wants to learn how to rejoin Atlantis with the surface, but her father is still concerned with how humans on the surface have become more like the Atlanteans of the past without knowing it.
The crew comes to know of Atlantis and its wonders, seeing evidence of technology for sustainable energy, weapons that resemble the future A-Bomb/H-Bomb, and an economic system in which everyone is on equal footing. Rourke even comes to befriend an Atlantean elder, who was once a warrior in his younger days. Sweet befriends the healers of Atlantis, relating them his stories about his parents and their history with medicine. Mole is fascinated with how refined the dirt is in Atlantis, that is habitable for any and all life. Audrey befriends those who maintain the working technology of their society. Vinny is slower to ingratiate himself into the society, what with his fascination of blowing things up probably doesn’t sit too well with the Atlanteans, but ultimately befriends a child by using his explosions to make fireworks to entertain the Atlantean youths, and is shown their vast range of flowers unlike any seen on the surface above. Ms. Packard bonds with the female elders of the village, one of them showing a particular interest with her ill health. “Cookie” learns how to prepare food the Atlantean way, while sharing his knowledge of cooking with the fellow cooks of Atlantis. İskender gains respect by Atlantean for his knowledge of their history. Filiz bonds with an Atlantean that runs a small shop that sells services to those that benefit others and not him. Helga even befriends “Kida’s” personal guards, as they are all warrior women. Milo also is quickly befriended by “Kida”, due to his knowledge of Atlantis, and “Kida” being fascinated with his experiences in the world above, in spite of his family failing to be on equal ground where Milo comes from.
“Kida” ultimately enlists Milo’s aid in deciphering the Atlantean written language, long forgotten by the natives. By swimming deep within the city’s submerged ruins and translating underwater murals, Milo helps “Kida” uncover the nature of the “Heart of Atlantis”: it supplies the Atlanteans with power and longevity through the crystals worn around their necks. He is surprised that this wasn’t mentioned in the journal, but remembers how the book ends before information can be given on the “Heart of Atlantis”.
Returning to the surface with “Kida”, Milo discovers Franz Sinclair has the missing pages of the book, with Whitmore being held hostage. Franz, Murat and the crew are revealed to have betrayed Milo, Whitmore and his grandfather’s memory, intending to bring the “Heart of Atlantis” to the surface and weaponize it, to sell it those willing to pay the highest price, to win World War 1. When interrogating the King about the location of the “Heart of Atlantis”; with Nacim and Maraz beating him; Ludwig mortally wounds Kashekim when stabbing him with an army knife. But it is Helga who finds its location, having listened to a riddle spoken by Kashekim, hidden beneath the King’s throne room. The crystal detects Atlantis to be under threat before merging with Kashekim, Milo unable to stop anything from going wrong. Franz and the mercenaries lock Kashekim in a crate and prepare to leave the city.
Knowing that when the crystal is gone the Atlanteans will die, Milo berates his friends for betraying their consciences and the memory of his grandfather that they all spoke so highly of. Even though Ludwig punches out Milo and Franz mocks Milo with how he was personally pleased with Milo’s grandfather dying miserable without Franz supporting him in society, Rourke helps Milo up. When trying to appeal to them, Rourke tells Milo of his sympathies to the Atlanteans, but that he is and always will be a soldier, and must do what is best for his country. He knows the Germans and Turks will sell the crystal to Kaiser Wilhelm II and his allies, but has been promised some of the crystal for him to give to his American army and their allies, and must act in their interests. Helga wishes to stay with Milo, but is dragged along by her father and brother, along with Whitmore and Filiz, who are held hostage to give their expedition legitimacy. When pointing out who their employers really are, the crew; Sweet, “Vinny”, Audrey, Ms. Packard, “Cookie”, “Mole”, and İskender; ultimately sides with Milo and the Atlanteans, remaining in Atlantis. Franz and Murat blow the bridge connecting Atlantis to the outside world, stranding the crew and Milo.
“Kida” then finds a message recorded from her father, explaining the “Heart of Atlantis”– the crystal thrives on the collective emotions of the Atlanteans and provides power, protection and longevity in return. It requires a royal host when Atlantis is in danger, like when the Gods tried to drown Atlantis in the past, for the Gods became angry with how the Atlanteans used their advanced to knowledge to conquer civilizations rather than to co-exist with other developing nations, for the people attempted to use it as a weapon of war. He warns Milo that if a royal possessed by the crystal is not present when Atlantis is in danger, then Atlantis will be destroyed for good this time. The message ends with Kashekim telling “Kida” that her crystal is now the only crystal with power left in Atlantis, telling all to save Atlantis. Milo instead releases his frustrations, feeling that in spite of getting them to Atlantis, he has now doomed the redeemed civilization and the world of above, for the Germans and Turks now have the means to make weapons more deadly than any weapon before, enough to possibly end the world. Encouraged by Sweet, who relates to Milo words of hope once told to him by Milo’s grandfather, and “Kida”, Milo gathers his courage to rally the crew and the Atlanteans to stop the Sinclairs, “Kida” using her crystal to power the Atlantean war vehicles to help them catch up to the Germans and Turks.
In the ensuing battle inside the volcano, Helga and Rourke ultimately join Milo and the crew to fight the Germans, the Turks and their henchmen, when Milo and his friends demonstrate they have a fighting chance against the mercenaries. Ms. Packard and “Cookie” lead the Atlanteans to destroy the henchman of the Germans and Turks. Sweet and “Vinny” kill Nacim. Audrey and “Mole” kill Maraz. İskender kills Devran and saves Filiz. “Kida” runs Murat through with her spear. Franz is thrown over the side of the air balloon by Rourke, and Whitmore is subsequently saved by the redeemed soldier. Helga cuts Ludwig with a shard of glass from Kashekim’s chamber, and Ludwig is then thrown into the air balloon’s propellers by Milo, killing Ludwig. Murat is killed when the air balloon explodes, and the remains of the air balloon kill Franz when they crash on top of him. Milo and the others successfully fly the crystal back to the city, as the volcano erupts. With lava flowing towards the city, “Kida” releases Kashekim, who rises into the air and creates a protective shield. The lava breaks away harmlessly, showing a restored Atlantis. A spirit of Kashekim congratulates everyone for saving Atlantis, and then tells “Kida” how much he loves her and that he and her mother will be waiting for her.
The surviving crew members return to the surface with treasures from the Atlanteans as a token of their appreciation, with Rourke planning to retire from the military and become a teacher on history; “Vinny” to return and expand his family’s florist shop with all proceeds to go to victims of warfare; Sweet to become a officially licensed surgeon; Helga to inherit her father’s business and re-purpose it to be a charity foundation for countries displaced by the war; Audrey to use her mechanic skills to make technology for sustainable energy based on Atlantean designs; “Mole” to use his studies on the geology of Atlantis to further the science of geology; Ms. Packard to live a new life when her cancer is cured by the power of the Atlantean crystals; “Cookie” to open his restaurant in Paris; İskender to become a teacher of cartography with the Armenians; Filiz to live with her Atlantean lover and open a shop together that provides to Armenians in need of aid; and Whitmore to have Milo’s grandfather posthumously inducted with the greatest explorers of man’s history at the Smithsonian Institute, Whitmore having fired Harcourt and the rest of the entire museum board to be replaced by people who will honor the true history of the world like Milo and his journey to Atlantis; and all promise to let the world know of the true hope of Atlantis’ existence. Having fallen in love with “Kida”, Milo stays behind to help her rebuild the lost empire, and becomes an ambassador for the U.N. between the surface world and Atlantis.
The story ends with Milo and “Kida”, now Queen, carving a sculpture of Kashekim that ascends with the sculptures of the previous kings of Atlantis.
THE END