Logs for ShadowRN and Associated Mailing Lists

From:	Avenger <Avenger@*******.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject:	Jaws of the Tiger
Date:	Sun, 17 May 1998 19:55:33 +0100

Message no. 1 *****PRIVATE: Stonewall
>>>>>[

Access Archive: RS-102229/AS3
Authorisation: Gates: 3021.34/S34F-7
Location: Acanceh

+++++Begin Audio/visual log

The view through the aircraft windows is almost that of another world.
Below, a city is slowly being reclaimed from the surrounding jungle.
Temples following classic Mayan architecture, with liberal splatterings
of what appears at first glance to be Aztech influence. Three of the
buildings closely resemble similar constructions found in Teotihuacan.
A small army of ant-like people climb around the buildings, working
diligently to remove the growth of several centuries. Other teams cut
back the jungle, trees and undergrowth all being removed by hand, the
chances of damage from heavy vehicles too great to warrant using them.
A structured camp sits at one end of the growing city, the ordered rows
of tents and sandbag dugouts an indication that this part at least is
under some sort of military protection.

The more disordered and chaotic litter of tents near the edge of the
city obviously belonging to the work force and archaeologists.

"Looks like it's gonna be a bit of a walk for us to get into this
place." Nemesis texan drawl rattles over the small planes intercom. "I
cain't see a landing strip nowhere. We're gonna have to use the supply
drop. Sorry but that's a good hour away from the camp." Exaggerated
groans fill the cabin in response to this announcement. Though the
chance of stretching legs after such a long flight would seem to appeal
to the passengers. "I'm gonna buzz the camp, let 'em know we're comin'
in." At this, before any objections can be made, the plane banks over
sharply and dives for the camp, making a rapid pass over the central
temples with a long slow barrel roll. A maniacally waving man dressed
in tan fatigues occupies the top of one of the larger structures. A
young blonde nearby drinking from a canteen.

"Well, looks like Ben and Anna are here. Nemesis, you ever do something
like that again and I'll personally kick you in the ass so hard..."
Henson does not look well.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've heard it before, you ain't done it yet."
Nemesis laughs happily.

"That's only because you're skinny ass is usually stuck in an armoured
bucket. But I swear I will kick your ass." Henson, a slight grin on
his face watches the receding site out of his window. "Seriously
though, you shouldn't do it, this is a war zone after all. One of them
might have fired on the plane."

"Hah. Not much chance of that, John. Nobody down here has a plane like
this one." Nemesis sounds strangely pleased with himself.

Henson looks around the cabin, other Red Shift members innocently
looking out of their windows, or finding something incredibly
fascinating about the cabin ceiling. "Someone tell me he didn't."
Henson looks around at everyone again, hoping that somebody will
reassure him. "He did didn't he? He stuck that bloody flag on the nose
again, didn't he? NEMESIS! I'm gonna kill you, you... You... Oh
dammit, there isn't a word strong enough for you."

"You could try Konjo nashi." Shado goes back to her investigation of
the ceiling.

"Huh? Yeah, I could. If I knew what it meant." Henson looks a little
dubiously at Shado. Obviously it's not the first time she's tried to
trap him.

"In polite terms, you'd be implying that Nemesis is a neuter." Blaze
turns back to the window, amusement creasing the corners of her eyes.

Picking his pack up from the aisle Henson checks the contents. "Yeah,
but we already know he's a dickless wonder."

"Erm, it's a little more severe than that. It should be safe saying it
to Nemesis, but don't say it to any Japanese. They'll get a bit
offended." Blaze nods at the silently giggling Shado.

"OK, ladies and germs. Extinguish all cigarettes, buckle your safety
harnesses, stick your heads between you legs and kiss your asses
goodbye. Landing strip ahead. Now, If I can only remember how to land
this thing." The small Cessna bucks alarmingly, spins over, and dives
for the ground. The majority of the team greet these antics with
surprising calm, contrary to the panic that overcomes Henson's face for
a moment. A high pitched excited yell exits from the cockpit, followed
by an electronic whine and three consecutive thumps. "Hot damn... I
found the landing gear. We're going to be all right. I think." Henson
grips the seat in front of him, mouthing something that resembles 'I'm
going to kill him' repeatedly.

"Really Henson, I would have thought you'd be used to his antics by
now." The calm voice of Dewdrop has no effect on the ritualistic
cursing from Henson, much to the amusement of Gates.

"I wouldn't bother Dewy. I think Henson has just discovered religion.
I do believe he's praying. You are praying aren't you John? I don't
entirely recognise all of that language you're using. What is it?
Latin? Greek?"

A growl and something like 'Fuck you' is the only reply. Raucous
laughter torments Henson even more. The relief on his face so plain and
evident that more laughter follows the safe, and gentle, touchdown of
the plane on the dirt runway. "Bastards." His death grip on the seat
released, he picks his pack up and slings it over a shoulder as he
stands up in the aisle.

"Erm, John..." Gates is interrupted as Henson flies several seats
forward and lands sprawled in the aisle. "Nemesis, is usually a bit
hard on the brakes." Henson's livid expression fades, as the humour of
the situation slowly dawns on him. Gradually he joins in the laughter,
realising that although he may be the butt of the joke, no harm is
intended.

The grinning face of Nemesis, is greeted with a hurled life jacket which
smacks into the bulkhead. "Uhoh. Looks like someone stood up to early.
Silly boy. Didn't the stewardess tell you not to rise from your seat
until the aircraft had stopped? Must have a word with her. Bad
stewardess."

Defeated, outclassed, and somewhat ludicrous on the floor of the plane,
Henson satisfies himself with a few choice curses and climbs to his
feet. "You have your fun while you can Nemesis. Soon enough you'll be
in my world. And then we'll see who's having fun." An evil grin splits
Hensons face as he gestures casually towards the jungle outside the
plane. He walks to the plane door, sniggering loudly.

The heat is an almost physical wave as Henson opens the plane door,
sweat immediately beading his forehead. By the time the team exit the
plane, his shirt is showing damp. "Spring. Gotta love it. OK people,
you know the drill. I'll talk to security, you get the gear sorted.
Nemesis. I am going to see if we can't get your licence revoked. And
get that damn flag off the aircraft." He points at a tattered rebel
flag fixed to the plane's nose.

"Aww, you're no fun anymore. Sulkily Nemesis makes a half-hearted
attempt to remove the flag from it's anchor points. Blaze walks up,
saying something in his ear. Nemesis visibly brightens and unpins the
flag, folding it carefully before placing it in his pack. Henson shakes
his head and walks off towards a corrugated iron hut.

+++++End audio/visual log
+++++End access

]<<<<<
-- Gates <19:55:13/05-17-59>

From:	Avenger <Avenger@*******.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject:	Jaws of the Tiger
Date:	Tue, 9 Jun 1998 19:37:02 +0100

Message no. 2 *****PRIVATE: Stonewall
>>>>>[

Access Archive: RS-102229/AS4
Authorisation: Gates: 3021.34/S35F-8
Location: Acanceh

+++++Begin Audio/visual log

"What the hell are you so excited about Gates? We've found a bunch of
rocks, not the goddamn federal reserve."

"Nah, you don't understand Henson. I've been poking around, trying to
catch up on events. A lot of shit has been going down in the UCAS over
the months we've been out of touch, and I found Odin."

"Odin? You found a norse god? Have you been smoking the local weed
again?" Henson stops his digging and turns to Gates.

"Team Odin, buddies from waaaay back when. Canis and Orion are still
alive. You might not understand, but Shado, Wells, and Dewdrop will.
This is news I never expected to hear, we believed they'd been lost
inside Chicago before the zone was collapsed. It's about the best news
we could've hoped for. Some of the people from the beginning are still
around. That means that we're not the last. Others, others who know
us, old friends live. I can't explain it, but that means more to me,
than any success we could possibly achieve here."

"Yeah, whatever. Look, I don't mind you spreading the news, but save
any celebrations for later, OK?"

"Sure, no problems." Gates, jogs over to a small group removing
vegetation from the entrance to a stone building. A small portion
exposed from underneath the jungle, the clash of stone with the rich
grass and foliage striking in it's starkness. "Hey guys, you'll never
guess who I just heard from."

"Your deck making visions again Gates? You stop, or soon brain fried."
The diminuitive Shado is almost completely concealed within the foliage
at the entrance, a cutting tool in one hand, and a liberal spread of
dust and powdered stone turns her hair almost white.

"No girl, I'm not seein' things. I just got a message that kinda
stunned me for a moment. Orion is alive." The small team hacking at
the thick vegetation stops and as one turns to face Gates. "Yeah, you
heard me right. I don't think any of the others have survived, but Odin
is still kickin' ass. They didn't die in the CZ like we thought. I
think Canis is still with Orion, at least I figure he is, if Canis
didn't survive, it would be a fair thought to assume that Orion would
have died tryin' to save his ass, so if Orion is talkin' then Canis is.
That means some of the others might still be with 'em, or they might
know of them." Tools are dropped as the remaining members of Red Shift
abandon their work and gather around Gates, all asking questions at the
same time. "Whoah there, hey I've only got one pair of ears. No I
don't know how they are; they're alive, that's enough for now. No I
don't know where they are, the message was stamped Seattle, so I assume
they're kickin' back there. I've got a frame running to track them,
hopefully that'll turn up some data as to what they've been doin' and
give us an idea of their condition. Orion did say that they've been
somewhat battered, what that means... Well, I guess you can figure that
out for yourselves. We're somewhat battered, dependin' on your
definition of the term. Yes Shado, they were surprised, and no they're
not impressed that we're still in this hell hole, though Orion was about
as surprised to read a message from me as I was to hear from him. How'd
I find him? I didn't, he found me. Some fuckwit was playing at bein' a
brainless twat, claiming that the end of the CZ was the end of the bugs.
That kinda got my goat, so I responded. Shit if I'd even suspected that
Orion was still around I would've done this a year ago. Yes Blaze,
there are people who believe that the Invae have been destroyed, just
because something was done in Chicago, and in the usual arrogance of
North America, they are claiming that the Chicago nest was the biggest
in the world and it's destruction has saved the universe. I know,
Bull's reports claimed several nests/hives, but this nitwit, I forget
his name off hand, seems to think the CZ was just one nest. Yeah,
that's right, twenty different bugs livin' in the same hole. I don't
think so. If they only knew the extent of the problem in the Amazon,
and down here I don't think they'd be too quick makin' these claims or
feel so confident in their final solution, but then that's outside their
mind isn't it. Dammit, you know what it's like up there. If it ain't
in their town, it don't exist. For some reason a lot of our countrymen
are surprisingly closed minded, it don't exist outside city limits, ya
know? Well, there's another one, BigD, he's been arguin' the point, and
although he's been somewhat abusive about it, I c'n sympathise. It
ain't easy to see the loss of friends and loved ones dismissed so
casually. No Dewy, I ain't heard shit from the others. Maybe Orion c'n
fill us in, but I kinda forgot to ask. Nobody else responded though,
now that could mean they ain't readin' the nodes, or they're gone, I
don't know, but whatever it is, after hearin' from Orion I ain't gonna
assume nothin'."

"Oi! We've got work to do. Party later. Gates, if you want to answer
questions, pick up a shovel and start digging, you can talk while you
work." Henson, pick axe in one hand and the other on his hip, shirt
rolled up and covered in sweat looks more like a common labourer than
any officer.

"Yessir, whatever you say sir, your wish is my command oh master."

"Fuck you Gates." The grin on Henson's face removes the sting from the
curse. Although he isn't familiar with the people Gates is speaking
about, he shares in the excitement and joy of the other members. The
increased morale is almost palpable in the flushed and excited faces
surrounding Gates.

Picking up a shovel, and starting to dig around the entrance, Gates
fields questions from the rest of the team.

+++++

"Jeez, this is bad." Henson tosses the datapad to Blaze who begins
scrolling through the text on the machine, reading sections quietly to
Shado, who relaxes on the ground, her head resting on Blaze's legs.
News headlines and articles scroll up the small viewer.

The team are sat around a small fire, relaxed in loungers and wooden
chairs, cans of beer condensation on the tins indicating that they're
cold, and a clear star strewn night sky backdrops the group. To the
south the dark jungle breaks the night line, a cacophony of howls and
yaps, buzzing and crickets competes for attention over the conversation
around the fire.

"None of it affects us none, so I don't think we need to be concerned."
Gates takes a long tug from his beer. "Most of the stuff in there
concerns the UCAS alone, so I don't think we'll see too much of a
reaction from this area."

"No, but it affects us if we wish to return to the UCAS at some point in
the near future. Border controls will be tougher, customs are going to
be more vigilant, and I for one have no intention of abandoning
equipment just to suit the lunatics at immigration."

"Who says we're going back anywhen soon? We don't even know yet where
the core parts are." Dewdrop fondles a fat cigar, rolling it under his
nose appreciatively, a gold engraved zippo flips between the fingers of
his free hand. "Until we find the last pieces we can't very well go
back. Besides, what work is there in the UCAS for us? We've been out
of the place for nearly two years, things have quite obviously changed,
it's quite possible the majority of our contacts and suppliers have
moved or been arrested. What's to go back to? It isn't so bad down
here. There's work, clean air, more work. We're rich enough to live
comfortably here, and we've earned the respect of those who might have
opposed us. I mean, sure, it's cost us, but hell, we can ask our price
for any work on this continent. What the hell would we want to go back
to the toxic hellhole?"

"Because it's home Dewy," Blaze pauses from her reading for a moment.
"This isn't home, and I don't think it ever will be. Too much blood has
been spilled here for it to be anything but a battlefield. Home is
where the heart is, and my heart lives in the CAS. One day I want to
return, I have no intention of living out my days in this place."

"Not here, pick your home. Rio, Caracas, Mexico City, Georgetown,
wherever. We can live like Gods here, why return to a place where you
have to wear a breathing mask 24/7 because the air is so polluted, why
live in a city where you can only see the end of your nose on a good
day, and on a bad day, even radar shuts down. Look at it," Dewdrop
spreads his hands to encompass the area. "When was the last time you
saw the stars in Seattle, Chicago, Boston, New York? Or a dozen other
cities. When in those hellish places of depravity have you been able to
sit outside, drinking beer without worrying about exposure to some nasty
substance, or for that matter, just been able to sit outside? This is
the land of plenty. Pollution only around the major centres of
population, fields, forests, wildlife, peace. No rat race, no psycho
police, no Feds fucked up on power and delusions of purity. No fascist
regimes to prevent you from having a life, what is so great about the
UCAS?"

"I told you already Dewy, it's home."

"Blaze, you're Elven. Where in the hell are you welcome sweetheart?
Most places still have restrictions against your race, many places won't
even let you ride the damn bus. There are thugs and policlubs dedicated
to your eradication. Shit, just read what's in front of you. CoT,
Alamos, Red Hand, all actively slaughtering your race. Is that such a
great thing? To walk through a city where the next corner might take
you into the arms of a vigilante squad from one of these or a similar
group?"

"I was born in Japan Dewy, the feeble attempts at racism in the UCAS are
nothing compared to what I faced in the Imperial Japanese State, a gang
of vigilante thugs in this country are an easy pushover when you've
faced the corporate driven disinfectant squads of Nippon. No, I have no
problem with it. I made a life outside of Abilene, it is there that I
will one day return, there wasn't any pollution in my youth, and I don't
expect to see any now. The air is just as clear there, just as warm,
and you can see the stars."

"Yeah maybe, but that's a desert? No trees, just Cactus and coyote. No
fun."

"Rubbish. It's just as scenic as here, you just need to know where to
look. And there's nothing wrong with the desert, in fact, it has
several advantages over this place. For starters, it isn't so damn
damp."

Shado stirs, making herself more comfortable against Blaze's long legs.
"What matter whether it desert or jungle. If friends and comfortable,
it all that matter. Not need more than that. I like here, it warm, it
full of life, it not stink like cities, and there no hate here. Not
here, not now."

Blaze reaches down and strokes Shado's hair for a short time. "No,
there's no hate here, not outside of the cities. And it is beautiful."

"For the first time I agree with Shado," Nemesis looks almost surprised
himself, "what more do we need? We've got friends, our health, we're
comfortable. This place ain't so bad once you get used to it. And
shit, it don't have the problems Gates has been speakin' about.
Besides, they've got a stunning collection of old planes and stuff
around these areas, and that's a big improvement on the so called UCAS.
Shit, you want to buy a decent plane up there, you gotta pay more than
it's market value just for the scrap. Down here you can buy anything
you want, when you want it, without ending up busted."

Shado looks at Nemesis for a long moment. "You not well Nemesis? You
never agree with me."

"No Shado, I'm not well. I like it here, and that's weird comin' from
me. I was born and raised in Montana, half way up a mountain, deep in
the forest. My pa was a survivalist, he loved the wildlands, and he
taught me to love 'em too. But I ain't in no hurry to go back there.
For all the memories this part of the world holds, a lot of 'em bad,
it's a damn sight better than the nation of my birth. Nope, if this
comes to an end one day, I'll stay here. I can make more money here,
flying shipments and dustin' crops than I ever could back home. An'
aside from a few rebels, there ain't nothin' to worry about down here."

"There is a hell of a lot to worry about pal." Henson lights a Camel,
and blows the blue smoke into the air, watching it disperse in the
gentle breeze. "The government here is about as corrupt as they come.
The people are rebellious, underfed, underpaid, and unpleasant. The
country is in a constant state of flux. You never know one day to
another who you're going to be dealing with, or what the costs will be.
You can't predict what the next job will be, or the consequences of that
work. In fact, if you think about it, it's more like home than most of
us would like to admit."

"Yeah, but look around you Henson. What are we doing? Can you do this
back home?" Nemesis, lays back on his lounger, happily gazing at the
stars.

"Yes, but you've got to travel some to get there." A light grin splits
Henson's face, the white teeth bright against the dark background. "But
then, we've travelled some to get here as well. Gates, I thought you
had something saved up that you promised to break out?"

"Yeah, yeah I did. It's here." He holds up a bottle, the amber liquid
within catching the fire and glowing with an inner warmth. "It's
something DA had kept handy, he figured if he ever made it back to the
UCAS, he was going to split it with Canis, but, well, I think Canis
would understand if we drank it now, to his health and Clint's memory."

A young, dusty and bearded man, dressed in the classic "Jones" style,
complete with flop hat walks into the light cast by the fire. "Did I
hear someone mention a drink?"

Amusement scatters through the group, each one welcoming Anderson in
their own way. Including Gates who offers a finger to the
archaeologist. "I figured you'd turn up. The only man in the world who
can predict where the next malt is going to be poured and make sure he's
present for the cracking of the bottle. How the fuck do you do it Ben?"

"Trade secret Gates, and I'm not going to share it with you." Anderson
pulls up a seat, and stretches tired muscles before sitting down. "We're
in. The diggers have exposed a second entrance after that false start
today, we've removed the cap stone and gained entry. It's damned
strange, but the temple doesn't follow the normal designs. I've cross
referenced the details we have with the database, and it appears that
this particular temple closely resembles one uncovered last century in
Tenochtitlan. This whole site is screwy like that. The fact that our
last clues faked out in an area where the Aztech race was present and
responsible for some of the destruction prior to the arrival of that
damn spaniard indicates that it's possible the Aztech's may have removed
the last pieces, or, that one of the few remaining Mayan priests took
the objects and hid them somewhere else. I've found remarks that seem
to indicate some Mayan factions left and emigrated to Peru, though
whether they were returning to their ancestral home, or had some other
reason I can't at this time say. We still don't understand the language
that well, and there are anomalies that don't explain themselves
adequately to interpret them with any authority. This being one of the
more recent and influential Mayan cities, reflecting in it's
architecture considerable Aztech influence, I'm hoping we'll find
something that will give us a point of reference I can use to analyse
what we have got and point us in the right direction. The thing you
guys have been looking for certainly exists, of that I have no doubt,
and sufficient information exists to back up that claim. But for some
reason, the Mayan priests were pretty damned careful about hiding the
components of that artefact, and in encoding the information that would
lead to it. I suppose it's possible that they didn't believe that their
language and teachings would be destroyed by some religious fervour from
a Spanish conqeuror, though the religious teachings of the Aztech's
predicted his arrival."

"Maybe, but as with any predictions, nobody believes them until they
happen. The Mayan prediction of the end of civilisation as we knew it
in 2012 was a year early, and nobody believed it would happen, nor did
they realise it was happening until some smart arse stood up and told
them. But they were right. Nostradamus predicted many things, some of
which we were able to point out in retrospect, but the future events are
still unclear. The nuclear holocaust he supposedly predicted never
happened, but who's to say that the dates assumed by the analysts were
correct. The Mayan's allegedly knew the time of the end of their
civilisation, but how many of them believed it? And why did they
suddenly just pack up and head back to the hills? Because some Priest
looked at his wrist watch and said 'Hey guys, civilisation's over, time
to go back to mud huts.' I don't think so. The giant comet or asteroid
that is heading our way to smash into the planet and end life as we know
it, is still coming, they're still predicting it's arrival, and they're
still trying to find the bloody thing. We're still here over a century
later and nothing's happened yet. We've got better telescopes up
there," gestures towards the skies. "We've got other things floating
around in space that should give us plenty of warning, over the last
few hundred years we've mapped the heavens so thoroughly that anything
out of place will ring alarm bells all over the planet, but nobody has
seen this monster rock. Why? Because the bloody thing doesn't exist.
We're looking outside for the end of mankind, when the destruction is
internal."

"Oh thanks Dewy, you've just cheered me up no end." Ben leans back in
his chair, and rummages through his pockets digging out a battered pipe.
"Now I feel so good, how about cracking that bottle Gates?"

Silently Gates opens the bottle of scotch, and almost reverently pours
some into each of the glasses. "To friends, alive and dead." The words
are repeated around the fire as everyone sips the whiskey. The flames
reflect in several eyes, as they stare into the fire, remembering their
companions, the ones they've lost, and those recently re-discovered.

"So what are you saying Ben? That you're stuck again?" Henson holds
his glass out to Gates, patiently waiting while the decker gallantly
ignores him, eventually throwing an ember from the fire at him to get
his attention. Gates fills the glass, and returns to his seat,
carefully screwing the top back onto the bottle.

"No, not stuck. We know of two locations where the Mayans mention the
artefact, one is in El-Dorado..."

"El-Dorado? That's a myth! Nobody's ever confirmed the existence of
the place, and they've been hunting for it for centuries. Even
satellite reconnaissance hasn't found it."

"Satellites mean shit Dewy. There's a city in Peru, an explorer found
it in 1923, he left after several months mapping the city, but as a
result of disease, lost the map marking it's location. For the last 136
years people have been trying to find his city again. Aircraft have
flown the region, expeditions have gone out into the jungle following
his route, satellites have mapped the region but no-one can find it.
Yet there are 14 reliable witnesses and photographic evidence that prove
it exists, we've just lost it again. The jungle can conceal
unbelievable amounts of area, and manmade constructions are no challenge
whatsoever. Look at the city you now sit in, most of it is completely
inseparable from the jungle around you, but using the maps we have and
other information we can find the buildings and reveal them. But to
just look, can you see a city? One of the most famous Inca cities sits
on top of a mountain. A huge and heroic construction, that nobody knew
existed, it was found by accident. How many other cities and temples
lay buried by nature waiting to be found by accident or luck? The
papers and uneducated of this world claim we know everything there is to
know, that we've discovered everything there is to discover, that there
is nothing left on earth that is a surprise. You yourself know that's a
crock of shit. We still don't know what lives in the deepest parts of
the oceans, we still haven't mapped the Mariannas Trench, except with
technology, but nobody has gone down there to see what's at the bottom.
There are thick, heavy jungles here that still have many secrets to give
up. Fish that were believed to be extinct yet in the last century one
such, the Coelacanth was caught by a fisherman, animals that were
thought to be extinct, have been found and photographed in the Asian
jungles. There are more mysteries at our doorsteps than the idiots out
there would believe. I got talking to one such idiot a while back,
someone who was utterly convinced that laser and radar mapping of the
North African deserts would have revealed anything that had been buried
under them, yet in 1996 a city was discovered buried under the dunes,
one that was never successfully uncovered as a result of conflicts in
the region. One that still has yet to be fully excavated. How many
archaeological digs in Israel revealed towns and buildings beneath the
sands that the new ones were built on? In the UK two new circles,
rivalling Stone Henge were uncovered by accident, one of them while
constructing a hotel and new golf course in Scotland. There is no such
thing as "we know everything about our planet". Only recently have we
begun to understand the nature of some of the creatures that live on the
edge of what we consider extreme conditions. Worms on glacier faces,
bacteria and fluke like creatures that live next to the toxic heat of
volcanic exhausts underwater. Creatures capable of withstanding the
tremendous depths of the oceans. Dragons for Christ's sake. How many
centuries have legends of dragons been claimed as the delusions of the
insane. How many ancient maps showed that dragons were in the area, yet
were dismissed as ignorance by later mariners and cartographers. Yet
one ran for election for crying out loud. Magic, up until 2012 the most
powerful living magician was David Copperfield, a simple trickster.
Now, now I sit opposite a man who can level buildings with a gesture..."

"Oh hardly." Dewy splutters into his beer at the concept of levelling a
building, gesture or not.

"Yeah, well, almost then. You can communicate with creatures that
previously were thought to be ghosts and demons, spirits of nature,
ancestors. Now what are they? A part of another existence, with lives
very much of their own. So many things, yet so many people are so
fucking blind."

"Hey Anderson, ease off will you? We believe remember? We came to you,
not the other way around? We've lost very close friends to this insane
idea, you don't need to lecture us." Gates manages to look offended as
well as satisfied at the same time, not a simple feat, but the level of
scotch in his glass no doubt has helped him somewhat.

"Sorry. I get a little carried away sometimes. I guess I'm just
frustrated, something that every archaeologist experiences, but
something I've never learned to deal with gracefully." Ben sits down
again from his position where he had been waving his hands around
dramatically during his tirade.

"We all deal with it in different ways, Ben. Nobody ever becomes
accustomed to defeat or frustration. We understand. Much has happened
that has frustrated us, and in many ways, we have each faced defeat, all
in our own way." Wells, appears more comfortable, some of his injuries
healed, and the pain obviously very much in the background now. "You
are amongst people who can understand how you feel, better than you
might realise. Yet even in the face of our troubles, we have never
given up, and never will." This last pointedly at Shado, who nods in
appreciation.

"Leave him be. If Ben wants to rant at us, let him, he's got to let off
steam somehow." Loch sits near the edge of the group, alone at the edge,
but a part of the main gathering nevertheless. "We all are guilty of
blowing up sometimes, and it is the nature of friendship that we allow
this, and tolerate it. Nobody is so perfect that they cannot lose their
temper, it is a test of a true friend that they can understand and
withstand that loss of anger, and unreasoning raving. Have any of you
ever turned your back on those around you when they have irrationally
attacked you in anger? No. Let Ben relieve his frustration, and let
our understanding absorb that anger and redirect him towards the target
of his quest. That would be far better than to turn our backs, and
request that he withhold his emotions. Any release of that emotion in
another environment might be detrimental or even dangerous to us." It
is difficult to tell whether her words and soft tone are directed at the
group in general, or Wells alone. She has suffered much during Well's
torment, and the pain he suffered during the time that he fought an
unknown force reflected against her in anger and accusation. Nods from
those gathered indicate that they've taken it on a general basis, but
Wells, looks at his sister long and thoughtfully.

"Ah, who gives a fuck. Provided something gets done, what does it
matter?" The sour, phlegmy voice of the old man of the team, the
grizzled Tank, grinds out of the darkness, where he sits on a rock,
tinkering endlessly with another of his drones.

"Do you ever stop fiddling with those things Tank?" Blaze turns her
head in his direction, her hair dragging across Shado's face making her
sneeze.

"Nope. These 'things' have kept me alive, and saved your asses more
times than I can count. If I forget just once to maintain them, it
could be fatal." He carries on muttering under his breath, a
screwdriver buried deep in the innards of one drone, a complicated
oscilloscope connect to the circuitry. Gates and Nemesis exchange a
strange glance, and then go back to watching the flames crawl over the
wood in the fire.

"So what's next then?" Henson, mellowing with his scotch appears to be
half asleep, his head tipped back and eyes closed. "We could be digging
here for months before we find anything."

Anderson swivels in his chair and leans forward, his arms supporting his
upper body on his knees, hands clasped around his glass. "No, not
months. If I'm right, and so far I don't have reason to think
otherwise, we've uncovered a burial chamber. I'm hoping that it has
been infiltrated by grave robbers and that it's intact. If so, we
should find a central chamber where the priest has been buried. The
outer chambers will include the bodies of the wealthy and ruling
members. In the centre of the temple, I expect to find a map of this
city. If it's there, we can plot the location of the centres of
learning. What we're looking for is an observatory. The lower levels
of the Mayan observatories were home to their mathematicians and
priests, we should find information in this building that will lead us
to the library that all these cities possessed. I expect to find the
next part of the puzzle in the library. two or three weeks at the
outside while we decipher the texts, map the site and plot the location
of the Observatory. Then maybe another week or two at the most to gain
entry to the library. There we'll find the codex and other documents
that charts the history of this place, and we should find information
that will either give us the location of the core components of the
artefact, or at the very least the location of the Priest who was last
responsible for the components. Even that will be enough for us to move
on. The last Mayan priest linked to the artefact will lead us to it's
last home. Inside six weeks we'll be moving, we'll have the information
we need to begin planning the expedition."

"We might need to extend that time. It's no small matter traipsing
through a jungle. We'll need to make arrangements for supplies,
equipment and some sort of supply link system that will ensure we don't
get left out there. Wells will need to refresh some of his contacts as
well, we're going to need heavier weaponry if we're going into the
Amazon. Kalashnikov's just won't cut it in there against the creatures
that occupy that particular nightmare."

"What would you need?" Business bringing a brighter light to Wells'
eyes. "I don't know, something with enough punch to drop a charging
rhino, but light enough that it won't cripple us walking through. The
jungle's going to be heavy enough without carrying half a ton of
equipment. 556 doesn't carry enough weight and energy for what we'll be
facing in there. Check around, see what's available and give me some
pricing. We'll decide on the actual kit once we have a destination."

"Consider it done Henson. I will have the details by the end of the
week."

"Don't put yourself out Chan we've got some time yet," Henson smiles,
contented, "time to relax and enjoy life for a change."

"It is no problem, and it will be good to get back into the markets. I
have missed the challenge of supply, it will be... refreshing." Wells,
lowers himself to the ground, resting against the seat, his feet
stretched out towards the fire, warming them against the cooling night.

The team sits silently for a while, content with the companionship
offered by the presence of the others, mellow with the scotch warming
their bellies, comfortable in the night and the jungle.

+++++End Audio/video
+++++End Access.
+++++Close archive.

]<<<<<
-- Gates <19:11:32/06-09-59>

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