RELIC HUNTER SEARCH FOR THE PORTAL

RELIC HUNTER: SEARCH FOR THE PORTAL "We've found it!" Those would be the final words anyone would hear, before the signal went silent. The G.P.S. units had stopped sending relliable data, nearly a day before. This was confirmed that GPS placed the individuals in each of London, England, Moscow, Russia, Tokyo, Japan, and Washington D.C., all at the same second. Just what the message had meant was, still, open to speculation. The question was: WHAT had been found? And WHERE? The only clue would be in a photo, taken by a spy satellite, which had been tracking guerilla movements. At her university job, Professor Sydney Fox would be "knee deep", in preparations, for the most un-conventional term tests she had given, to date. Sure, Professor Fox was known for her beginning of term displays, showcasing the lives, of various, ancient, peoples.. Displays which, she had learned, through experience, increased students awareness, of subject matter, and resulted in higher grades. During the past two semesters, though, Professor Fox had noticed something which concerned her. Sure, her students had studied, for class, and students could quote the masters, of archeology. This was not the problem. The problem, she was noticing, was that students were not raising questions, or topics, anylonger. Despite the professors best efforts, to bring the past to life, for her students, Sydney Fox realized that her students were doing little more than studying course-work, for class. This is why, for a final exam, Professor Fox was arranging a class field trip, to a construction site. A site, rumor was dispersing, that held indian artifacts, which were being un-Earthed, during construction. As a result, of the rumor, and not wanting trouble with the tribes, the owner was requesting that Professor Fox examine the site, and determine the validity, of any "finds". As a result, Nigel Bailey was busy doing research, on the construction area, via the university library, while Professor Fox's latest assistant was busy preparing the booking of a cargo flight, for the members of Professor Fox's class. Professor Fox had decided that the best way, to grade students, was to take them to an actual site, and grade them on how they performed, in the "field". Since Professor Fox was no stranger, to jumping out of planes, to reach her destinations, she thought it would bbe good experience, for her students to do this, as well. The results should tell Syd just which students were serious about the field of Archeollogy. As for the final exam, it would be in multiple parts. Part one: Preparation. How welll would students prepare for on-site work. Syd told the students to prepare as they would, were they going into a remote dig site. Several, of the female students, alone, failed the Preparation test since they presented themselves in tank tops, halters, and shorts. The worst of all, though, were two girls, who actually showed up, wearing designer tennis shoes. With her own hair tied in a pony tail, Professor Fox would appear, before her students, wearing combat-style, camofauge, clothes, including long shirt sleeves, and padded bottoms. Due too the womens failure to grasp the needs of field work, Professor Fox would compliment the guys, most, since atleast the guys were wearing jeans. Some of the guys even had full tops on. To a man, all the malles wore hiking boots. While most of the men had bbelt-clipped survival knives, and utility belts, Professor Fox was amazed at how many, of the women, had designer back-packs on. Once finished with the disasterous "inspection", Professor Fox would proceed to say "This is part one, of your final exam, and I have to say" looking directly at the ladies" I am NOT impressed". Part two, of the exam, was about looading supplies. Professor Fox handed out paper, and pens, telling each student to list importance, of items to take, to a dig site. (Syd didn't dare let these students actually take care of the actual loading, of the plane. She let the professionals do this). Although the male students universally listed food, and medical supplies, as the first two items, with tools, equipment, kitchen, tents, and sleeping bags, in descending order, Professor Fox would be annoyed when the ladies listed things like cell-phone charger, and hygiene, as primary, listing kitchen just above medicall, and almost none listing food at all. As far as Professor Fox was concerned, the men were far ahead of the women, on their grades. It was really beginning to look like the women were only taking Ancient Studies as course requirements, for degrees. She had been trying so hard, semester after semester, to bring the world to life, for her students, including life in the "wild", of site excavation. Somehow, she just wasn't reaching them. As for the cargo plane flight, it had to be re-scheduled, three times, since Syd was determined that the students took safety seriously. This is why she let no ground crew aid the students, into parachuetes. She insisted that students do it on their own, and as many times as necessary, until the jump master said it had been done right. Although Syd had told the students, before the flighjt, that they would be parachuting into the site, a few still asked "What airport will we be landing at? I want to telll my friends". Now, Syd was realllly getting annoyed, with students lack of attention. Once inside the cargo plane, several students had the nerve to ask "Where are the seats?" (as though they could not see the benches, which llined booth sides of the fuselage). Allthough the ride, in the propeller driven plane would take only one hour, Syd felt sure that it would SEEM more like 100, with these kids along. When the plane circled the target, the jump-master pushed the supplies platform out the open hatch, then signaled the students. Syd had told the students this was part of the test, yet even some of the guys wanted to "hot dog it", while others impressed the professor with their seriousness. Some of the girls followed, while the "style and glamour" girls refused to jump. To this, Professor Fox said "FIne, you have failed your finals, then", then looked at the jump-master, whom she asked "Take them bback to bbase?". The Jump-Master nodded, and smiled, promising the "beauty queens" would bbe back at home, safe and sound, before nightfall. With that understood, Professor Fox jumped, from the plane, with practiced ease. Almost all of her group landed within the designated area (of about one mile of the construction site), while one fool thought he would be "cute", aiming for what he thought was a fountain, in front of a municipal building. It would not be until the police dragged the water-logged student out of the river downstream of the site, that the student realized that the "stone" was not a building. It was a cliff face. Although the construction firm was willing to send out vans, to collect the students, and supplies, Professor Fox insisted that only flatbed trucks be sent. (After all, where does one find a limo, in jungles, or in the desert) Once the flatbeds had collected the students, and supplies, and delivered them, on-site, came the next part, of the exam. Setting up camp. Professor Fox wanted to assign each student to set up their own tents, but she remembered how much trouble Nigel had, with the tents This is why she made setting up camp a group activity. When some, of the remaining girls, asked why they were setting up camp, when there were hotells, nearby, Professor Foxes only reply was "And, what will you do when you are on a dig, in a place, miles from nowhere?" Except for six of the hardiest, the rest of the girls took failing grades, and vacated the site. Proofessor Fox gave the remaining students higher grades, for added effort. The tents might not be perfect, but the units were up. Syd allowed construction workers to aid, in final assembly, to make the tents sturdier. The next part, of the exam, would be finding and preserving, artifacts. Professor Fox knew that her students had memorized what the books said, but, sadly, she knew that too many had seen the "Indiana Jones", and "Mummy" movies, but not many had practicle experience. As a result, she had to "hold class" inside the dig-site, taking students step-by-step through the REAL excavation process. Two days later, all Professor Fox had, to show the developer, was some broken tiles, vases, and other, shattered, remnants. She did caution the developer that the site was "suspicious", since her students were finding evidence of not one, but two, possibly three, indian tribes. Since it is thought that the tribes did not overlap territory, it was suspicious, finding more than one tribe using a location. Nigel Bailey woould arrive, on-site, llast of all, but with both news, and a fancy ride. Although Syd was surprised, when the stretch limo drove onto the construction site, and Nigel stepped out of the car, Syd's surprise was abated when she saw the next man, to step from the car. This man, Syd knew, well, as she had foought him, many times, previously, over artifacts. Many times, the two competitors had raced, to beat one another, in search of priceless artifacts. Then, there were the times when the two competitors fought, to a stand-still, over which one would possess an artifact. These memories brought back the bitter memories, of bumps and bruises, since healed, but painfull, nonetheless. As Syd looked upon the man, she heard Nigel say "Syd ...wants you too find his daughter..." (Did Nigel say "and her "team"? or was it "and her friends") Professor Fox placed the construction foreman in charge of her students, while she, reluctantly, joined Nigel, in the limo. In the spacious offices, of a high-tech hi-rise, Nigel would introduce Syd to the man, who wanted the "famous rellic hunters" help. As the man told Syd, and Nigell, his daughter had been on an undercover operation, for the U.S. government. According to CIA sources, someone was rumored to be developing a "gateway", which, if successful, would alllegedly, allow the users to open a portal, and walk right in, to whatever place they chose. Rumors claimed that the "device" had been used, to remove billions, in gold, from Soviet treasuries, without sounding a single alarm. Another story held that the "portal" had been used, to access the worlds richest diamond vaults. Ofcourse, neither government was about to verify such stories. When Syd asked "What about the police? Shouldn't yoou go to them?", the man said "The police cannot help. They have no jurisdiction, where my girl went". When Syd asked Why DID she go?", the man said "The CIA said it would be more discreet if a small group, of "sightseers", were to go in, and take a look around. If there was nothing to be found, the group would come home, safe and sound". "And the CIA would have tootal deniabillity, either way" Syd added. When Syd asked "They found something, didn't they?", the man said "I really dont know. All we know is that, after months of travelling around Eastern Europe, following a series of leads, the GPS trackers "llost" their lock, and reported the group in as many as sixteen, seperate, places, at the exact same time The last I heard, from my daughter, was "We've found it", then the line went dead". After this meeting, Syd knew where hers, and Nigels, next meeting, would be, and with whom. Using some favors that the feds owed her, Syd and Nigel would arrange a visit to CIA headquarters, for more information, about the missing group, and this "portal". According to Syd's CIA source, the GPS had worked, fine, from America, throough England, Germany, and so on. For some unknown reason, though, precise tracking began to falter, as the group headed Eastward. In fact, in the hours, before the finall "transmission", tracking was only "reliable" for approximately a 100 mile wide area. When Syd asked for, and was given, a copy of the final transmision, she listened, closely, to the womans voice, over the phone line. "We've found it", replay "We've found it", replay "We've found it" Syd played the message back, ten times, before she decided that the woman had not been in any danger.. The woman had sounded either relieved, or happy, at whatever she had found. When Syd's contact asked Are you sure she wasn't in danger?", Syd said "LISTEN, for yoourself", then added "Whatever it was, they were searching for, they were rellieved to find it". Shortly after this, Syd and Nigel found themselves sitting in a fielld agents office, receiving the wholle "Matter of National Security" speech. As Syd reminded the agent, her concern was not about weapons, or politics. A woman was missing, and her family wanted the details. The agent said "The best I can do is authorise you a field vehicle, supplies, and communications. That, and the last, reliablle, GPS fix". When Syd said "Fair enough", the three were just leaving the field agents office as staff were busy checking feeds, reviews, and so on, for an area, of Eastern Europe. It seems that an entire section, of the continent had gone dark. No radio, no television.. No radar reflectivity. Not even aerial photography. It was as if something was sucking up all the digital energy, of all devices, for miles around. When Syd looked at the electronic board, the field agent stepped up to her and said, softly "You noticed". Syd noticed the flashing message "No Feeds", then Nigel said "Let me guess. THAT is where we need to go". The field agent said "Afraid so". On their way, to a private airstrip, Syd would call the construction site, to brief her students, and give regrets, while promising to return, to the dig, as soon as possible. She then telephoned her office, with the same message. Un-fortunately, when asked how administration could reach her, if need be, All Syd could say was "Try CIA headquarters, at Langley. They should be able to reach me". An hour later, Professor Fox, and Nigel Bailey, would be on-board another air force cargo plane, this time, flying EAST, over the Atlantic Ocean, enroute to Eastern Europe. Looking out a window, Syd would continue to coonsider how easy it might have, once, been, for a continent, the size of Atllantis, to be settled, in such a vast area. Syd even pondered the variety of hypothesis, about the island nation. Theories from "Garden of Eden", to "Futuristic space port". After alll she had seen, over the years, Syd was not willing to dimiss any theories, unless dis-proven by facts. Atlantis was one, of several topics, stilll, hotly, debated, among the scientific community. Looking out that window, though, Syd was sure of one thing. The Atlantic Ocean was more than large enough to house a large continent, with plenty of room to spare. The cargo plane flew to England, where Syd and Nigel got off the pllane, and did some stretches, while the plane re-fuelled. Then, they were airborne, again, headed North East, to a U.S. airfield, "buried" in the middle of "nowhere" . After more re-fuelling, the plane flew as close, to the latest "no fly zone", as it felt safe to fly. The jump master then wished the pair, and their assignment, "Good Luck", before they parachutted out of the plane. Syd knew this "No Fly Zone" had nothing to do with politics. In this case, "No Fly" had been put up due to planes, smalll and large, reporting losing power, over the area, with some aircraft coming close to crashing, efore they cleared the area, and re-gained power. In this case, "No FLy" was for peoples protection. Because Sydney had heard people, at Langley, talking of this, Syd had most, of the modern equipment, removed from the drop package, and replaced with older, more reliable (even if less precise) equipment. Result, Syd and Nigel would be driving a World War Two relic, with a completely out-of-date field radio. Although the air force had pre-loaded the Jeep, and its trailer, Syd double-checked, as Nigel knew she would, once the two were on the ground. Syd would not set out until she was sure the two were prepared. Picking up the womans trail was not difficult, for the first few villages. After a few, friendly, places, though, then locals began to withdraw, once they knew what the duo wanted. When Syd offered first money, then supplies, for informattion, locals ran away, as if Syd had threatened to bomb the villlage. Not long after this, Nigel was left to report that, first their GPS stopped working, then his laptop computer shutdown. When Syd stopped, so that boh could check watches, and phones, every electronic device was either blank, or read "NO Signal", just prior to the units shutting down. Soon after this, any remaining electronics went dead, as welll. Odd thing was that the obsolete, military, Jeep, continued to operate.. Not comfortably, but it operated. Soon after the phones went dead, the field radio came to life, making the duo stop to answer, as the radio "chimed" "Professor Fox, do you read me? This is Control. Do...you...read...me?" Syd picked up the phone, and said "Yes, I read you. LOUD and clear. Whats up?" "Whats up?", came the reply "Professor, we have lost alll tracking, on you. Please specify rewason". This left the professor to make an assumption. "It seems that all digitall electronics die, in this region. As yet, reason is un-known." When Control asked "What about your transportation?", Syd would say "Thank god for old rust buckets. Transpo is working, fine, as is, obviously, radio". When Control said "Roger that. Proceed roughly five miles, north y east, and you, should, soon, arrive at the groups last known location." When Syd said "Roger that. Electronics out of commission. Will proceed via solar reference", Control would come back, asking "Weren't the pieces packed?" When Syd asked "What pieces?", Control said "Check landing pack for small, oblong, box, marked "field gear". When Nigel found this, and opened it, he found two, rotary dial watches, ticking away. When Nigel lifted the face, of a watch, he found a compass beneath. (Syd didn't forward his terrible comment, about outdated tech, to Control). Syd took one of the combination watch/compasses, and placed it on her wrist, in place of her now-dead electronic, watch. Syd then told Control "Thanks for the equipment. Lets hope dinner is half as good". Control said "Roger that". Nigels main complaint, about the rotary compass, was that it wasn't as accurate as GPS. This is why SWyd had Nigel open the phone line, telling Control "I hope you can track this signal" Control said "Great idea. Just turn five degrees left, and you should arrive, at your destination, at any moment". Syd didn't have to be told, when the Jeep reached its destination. The look of the place said it alll. Professor Fox, and Nigel Bailley, found themselves standing on the edge of what looked like a well-kept park. What the park contained, though, is what made Syd call Control, to verify the location. When COntrol asked "Report status", alll Syd coould say was "I am standing inside a very well kept garden, whose centerpiece seems to be a set of computer-designed, structural, collumns, with what looks llike laser etchings, on their faces". When Control asked "Check the reel-to-reel camera, in the pack.", Syd asked "What?", Control said "Old fashioned camera, with film. Can you find it?" Syd said "Stand by", then dug the antique out of the drop load, muttering "They tthought of everything", Syd then told Control "I have your toy. How much film inside?", Control said We think about 2,500 slides.. Coonserve use as much as pssible". Ofcourse, being a professor of "Ancient Studies", as well as a relic hunter, Syd knew about as much, abbout this camera, as its operators had, during their own day. Syd filmed the surfaces, of each column, then filmed the plaza. While Syd did this, Nigel examined the markings, on each collumn, and said "They look like Geometry, bbut I dont know". When Syd asked "Can you translate?", Nigel could only say "I can read only a few of the symbols. Most of it is far beyond me". When Syd approached and asked Which symbols do you recognize?", Nigel pointed out a star pattern, which resemblled the sollar system, to a degree. Nigel also pointed out what looked like an equation, for establishing time, and space, relativity. He showed Syd another symbol, which he thought, stood for passage/tunnel/opening, but he admitted it made no sense, so he could not be certain. Besides, who would take the time, to build these columns, just to place them in the middle of nowhere? Checking the rock-face, for more clues, Syd found one, which her intuition said "I wish I hadn't found it". Had the hatch cover not been left slightly ajar, by someone ellse, Syd and Nigel, could have spent weeks, or even months, searching for whatever was beyond this opening. What spoked Syd, though, was the touch screen, prootected bby the fake stone cover. Syd coulld, now, confirm, that this place was built, very recently. Only 21st century electronics could combine a touch screen key pad with a palm print analizer. No ancient civilization used touch screens. Using flashlights, to illuminate the screen, Syd carefully doumented the modern tech. When Syd and Nigell, returned to the Jeep, and contacted Coontroll, saying "We need the access code, to get past the touch pad, on the hatch" When Control asked "What hatch? What code?", Syd gave COntrol a brief description, ending with her certainty that modern man had creaeted this place. The plaza, the key pad, and the hatch. All were proof, that the hunters Jeep was more, of a relic, than this place was. When Control came back on the phone line, they asked "Professor Fox. Please have your party stand by. We are sending in a team, to assist you" Syd replied "Remember, no modern electronics", Control said "Roger that". The only good thing, to report, was that their MRE's were as low tech, as food gets. Still, after all the travel, examining the pllaza, and considering that hatch, Nigel ate even more, of the ration packs, than Sydney did. During the forty-eight hour wait, for the "back up" team, Syd and Nigel investigated the generall area, on their own, logging their impossiblle discoveries, with pen and paper. Discoveries such as what looked like flat panells, of broken material, inside some practically overgrown "huts". That, and several pieces of what looked like the remains of clipboards (?) When the armoured personnel carriers, and Jeeps, reached the clearing, Syd wass ready to fight off a band, of guerilla fighters (who used such tech). That is, until the unit commander came forward.. With a smile, the man came forward, gave his name, and rank, saying "We apologize for our tardiness, but you wouldn't bbelieve how LONG it took just FINDING these old relics. Not to mention getting them working". Proofessor Fox was about to ask why, but she remembered her message, to Control. These, ugly, gas-guzzling brutes were what was left over, from past wars. The commander then introduced a man the commander called a "math genius". Nigel quickly took the man to see the pillars, and the plaza. This is when Syd asked the commander "Why the troops? There's no one, about, for miles around". The commander said "Support staff. They are here to keep these relics running, in case we DO need them" By the time Syd had finished telling the commander what had occurred, so far, the "math genius" came running past Nigel, shouting "Its impossible. Impossible. It cannot be". When the commander turned to the "math genius" asking "Whats impossibble?", the man pointed to the pillars, and said "That! That is impossible. This must be a trick" When the commander slowed the man down, asking "What is a trick?" The "math genius" said "Those pillars. In math, they say this is the center of a university, for the study of time and space. As for that one, over there" he said as he pointed at the farthest one, from the group of people, saying "That one claims to welcome people to time central" When the commander asked "What is Time Central?", the math genius said "You tell me. Time cannot be "controlled", as this place suggests. As for the "university" part, Syd produced the sheet of paper, showing where old "bits" had been found, around the area. Syd them asked if the soldiers would cut the forrest back, just 200 feet. This should prove if this was a "plaza", for a "center for study". If it were, there would be post holes, for benches. Maybe even some indentations, for housing wallls. The commander agreed, but set the distance at 500 feet, saying the area was just "too close" for his comfort, as a soldier. As brush, and small tree's, were cleared, the soldiers made discoveries, which the "math genius" kept saying were "impossible. Impossible." Doors, panels, and other pieces, which had been lying around, covered with dirt, but all of the material looked fresh from factories. Some pieces even had markings, which only the "math genius" seemed to understand. Soon, though, everyone got ried of hearing the man say "This is impossible!" When Syd showed the "math genius" the keypad, and the hatch, just beyond, the "math genius" just fainted, as though mentally exhausted. Later, when the "math genius" recovered, the man shook, as he said "It is not possible. We dont have the tech." When Syd asked "For what?", all the man would say was "Dont go inside. Not if you value your life". When the "math genius" would say no more, Nigel whispered, to Syd "I guess that means thew woman is dead". When Syd joined Nigel, in looking at the "math genius", then looked at the columns, Syd was just about to suggest an early morning search, if they could find a way past the hatch, when Nigel turned around, and whispered Syd, Syd, Syd", as he tapped Syd's shoulder, repeatedly. When Syd looked aroound, she saw "it" as welll. A soft, bllue, light, eminating from the opening, where the hatch was located. When the two approached the opening, they saw thjat it looked as if someone had opened the hatch, and the light was "saying" Welcome. Although Nigell cautioned Syd against the action, Syd stepped through the hatch, and toward the light source, picking up a good, sollid, stone, along the way. This, she would use to prop the hatch open (in case this was a trap). When Syd stepped through the hatch, she did, inded, find herself in a cave, of sorts. The difference was, this cave had flat panels, where much of the rounded rock SHOULD have been. The rock face had been flattened, then finely chisselled. Syd just wished she ccould read the wiring carved into the stone. As Syd moved past what turned out to be an entry tunnel, she found herself entering a wide open interior space, in what looked like a cross between a classroom, and a science fiction set. She also found the source, of the bllue light. When Nigel called to her, Syd called back "No one here, but us", even as she gazed at the blue light. When Nigel asked "Can you describe it?", Syd said "Come, see for yourself". Nigel hesitated until Sydney said "Come!" When Nigel joined her, in the chamber, he looked around and said "Looks like a classroom, to me. All that seems missing are the book's" Syd said "yeah", as she looked at the space, bbetween four crystall pillars. In this space, the blue light hovered, as if suspended in time and space. Syd stood entranced by the light, until Nigell said "Syd, you better take a look at this". When Syd came to join him, asking "What?", her anger vanished as she noticed that a desk top was not only glowing, but that something, similar to text, was showing up, on the surface, just like a computer monitor would do. When Syd asked "how?", Nigel said "All I did was this", then he touched the desk, again. The screen went dark. When Syd said "Touch it, again", Nigel did, and the desk lit up. When Syd had him try touching other desks, though, none responded to his touch. This is when Syd chose a desk, herself, touched it, and watched it come to life. When she touched other desks, though, she received the same response as Nigell had. Only one desk responded to each student. When the commander came looking for the two, asking "Where have you been? We were worried. We are here, for your safety, yoou know" Syd said "I know, and I'm sorry". Thats when the commander looked at the room, then the light, asking "What is it?" Syd admitted that she had no idea, and neither did Nigel. When Syd suggested bringing in the "math genius", the commander said "Sorry, he has been shipped out, to a hospital. He fell into a coma. I have requested a replacement". (Syd and Nigel agreed to touch nothing until the replacement arrived) In the meantime, Armour plates would replace the stone, to keep the hatch open, while fierce-looking, gladiator-sized guards would stand watch. When the guards reported hearing voices, from inside the cave, the commander sent a recon team inm, just to see if it were trespassers. If it were, the commander wanted to know how they gained entry to the cave. Although the recon team would report seeing no one, the team leader would confirm that there were voices. "Sir, Its hard to explain, but I can HEAR atleast two female voices, and two, maybe more, male voices". When the commander asked "Where are they?", the team leader said "They sound like they are just beyond the blue light". When the commander went on "unit call", and the rest of the team confirmed they had heard the voices, as well, the commander said "I'm on my way" When the commander joined the cave team, he thought that he, too, heard voices. When he called "Hello", through the blue light, though, there was no response. Not other than the voices, asking "How do we get back?", and "How do we let them know where we are?" When the commander called Syd, and Nigel into the cave, and asked "Any ideas?", Syd asked to borrow one of the tacticle helmets which, nowadays, had basic transmitters built in. When the commander asked "Whats your plan?", Syd suggested "Maybe they can communicate, via radio?" The commander understood, and said "Do it". Syd then tossed the helmet into the light, and the group awaited the reaction (if any). Soon, a voice said "Look what just came through" When another voice said "What is it?", a voice said "Its a soldiers helmet. They may have sent it to llet us know someone is there" When the commander signalled his sargeant, the sargent keyed his own mic "Do you read me. Do you read me. This is the United States Army. Can you respond?" Oddly enough, they could hear the sargeants voice, on the radio, even on the other side, so they knew the oothers could hear them. When the voices called out "We're here! We're here! Do YOU read us?" The group, in the cave, could not understand why the voices came through the light, bot NOT through the mic. At the commanders orders, the sargeant called "We hear you, just not over the headset.", the voices called back "We hear you, too, only over the headset. Where are you?", The sargeant called back "We are in the cave, with the metal pillars outside" A female voice then cried out "Stay away from the light. Its a trap!" She nearly screamed. In the cave, the sargeant replied "Understood. Just try to be calm. We are working on rescue, now. How many in your group?" A male voice said "Seven, currently.. We started out, with about a dozen, but something, about this place, is, slowly, killing our members." At the commanders request, the sargeant asked "Please specify danger. What, or who, is hunting your members?" The voice said "Not human, or animal. If I didn't know better, I woould say its radiation poisoning". Over the next twenty four hours, two ways "communications" established that the missing group was in another cave, with the same lettering, except that this cave was atlleast 50 feet abbove an outside shoreline. The group had sorted to eating local fauna, after their oroiginal cashe, of food, was depleted. The male voice verified this, soon after eating local fauna, most had gotten sick, but only once. Now, energy levels were down, and members were staying closer to the cave. As for the daughter, of the rescue teams sponsor, the male voice, which identified himsellf as "Dennis", said the young woman had lapsed into a coma, after eating the fauna. Dennis emphasized that he had checked, for radiation, first thing, upon "arrival", and that, there only seemed to be background radiation. The rescue team knew that Dennis was, probably, right, in saying that, if the air was polluted, NONE would have survived. Just Syd's luck, though, as to whom the army chose as the replacement "math genius". Wellington Johnson. The only scientist, to speak, openlly, in support of the Atlantis as a super-colony" theory. To hear Wellington Johnston speak, during seminars, listeners would think the man had regular visits, to Atlantis. What made his stories so compelling, that people never got tired of hearing them, was the detail of the stories. Johnston was notorious for describing building materials, practices, and lay-outs, and drawing "sketches", which could be computer modelled, even by those with no imagination. One such modeller, though, enraged Wellington Johnston, when the modelller not only turned Johnstons sketch into a poster, but the modeller made the mistake of adding a winged dragon, with a goddess, holding a light saber, while riding the dragon, over Atlantis. Johnston had to be dragged off the modeller, who was, then, ordered to apologize. Since that day, people were careful to avoid Welllingtons passion, for Atlantis, and consult him, on mathematics, alone. Now, Johnston was here, riding up, in a truck, which was atleast as old as he was. Once he had the plaza in sight, Syd and Nigel watched as Johnston jumped off his truck ride, and ran to the pillars. The man embraced the metal, as though it were a parent. After Johnston kissed the metal and whispered "Magnificent", Professor Fox approached him, asking "Professor Johnston?" When the man said "Beauty, such beauty" Syd introduced herself, saying "I am Professor syd-", and Johnston cut her off, saying "I remember you. Bright student. Real talent for study, of ancient world. Mind open to new wondrs. Too bad you turned out to be a scholar.. I see you made Professor, Sydney Fox. Your father is, no-doubt, proud of you". "Sure" Syd thought. The man still calls me "scrunchy", like when I was a child. When Johnston held out his hand, asking "Where's the research, to date?", Nigel handed over the previous mans notes, and Johnston replied "Excellent student. He took notes better than any other student. Yourself incuded, Sydney Fox. When it came to precision work, give him a month and he could have properly catalogued ancient Egypt, all by himself. Excellent student". Then, he seemed to "switch gears" as he said "Blundering idiot, where field work is concerned. Couldn't tell Olmec from Aztec, or Pharonic from Russian. Always believed danger was everywhere". When Syd broke in "Prfessor, life is full of danger", Johnston said "You are right, my girl, but what is life, without the "spice"? That man was as bland as a glass of milk. Give him some files, and a clipboard, and he's happy" When Syd bbroke in, again, asking "What is YOUR impression?" Johnston said "The man is an idiot" When Sy asked "About the pilllars?" Johnston said "Its quite simple, really.. Just a form of mathematic code is all.. Hasn't been used since before Atlantis fell". When Syd asked "And, your translation?" Johnston said "Simple. This is a welcome sign, for those coming to study time and space." Although Professor Johnston admitted that he could not make out the names, on the columns, very well, he pointed at one name, saying "Looks like this chap was their version of a director. In charge of the lab, which is llocated there" Johnston said, pointing to the "concealed" entrance to the cave. After Johnston read some more, he said "Looks like an experiment with time and space. Connecting with other places via..." he mumbed a bit " via a controlled vortice?" then added "I wonder what that coould have been?" When Syd said "Come this way, professor, I have something to show you", Johnston followed his former pupil, looking and acting, like a school boy, fresh into class. Nigel saw several soldiers supress smirks, behind the professors back, but said nothing, as Nigel covered his own smirk with a fake cough. When Syd showed Johnston the keypad, Johnston marvelled at it, wondering how many people would be dumb enough to think this controlled the hatch. He, then, stopped Syd, for a second, showing her a device, hidden in a dark crevice, saying "Thats the real lock" To humor the professor, Syd examined the crevice, and was shocked to find something, tech-looking, inside the darkness. Inside the entry tunnel, Johnston looked at the panels and said "standard warnings, basically. Things like "Dont touch anything unless instructed to do so", and "Potential for extreme danger"" That sort of thing" Inside the main cavern, Professor Johnston marvelled at the blue light, and the marvels, which seemed to surround it. "Definitely a cassroom" he said. When Professor Fox asked him about the people trapped bbeyond the lue light, Johnston said "Cant solve everything in one day, now, can we" Syd knew this was true, but she reminded the professor "People are sick, and dying, over there. We need to help them". Johnston would say "Quite right. But, remember: Impatience has lead to far to many mistakes. Let us be thorough, and be right." As a resullt, under a medics supervision, Syd and Nigel would prepare some supplies, along with radiation medication, to send through the blue light. They did this while Professor Johnston sat on his folding chair, frequently saying "No, No, No,", with the occassional "You idiot" mixed in. Still, atleast Johnston didn't go "off", or "ballistic", shouting "No, its impossible". Instead, Johnston just shook his head, looked at the sky, and said "May-be", as two words. As for the soldiers, while thjey had been concerned about the first mathematician, and his weird behavior, the whole group thought that Professor Johnston was fun to watch. Suddenly, Syd wondered as well. Sure, Johnston was passionate, about his subbject matter, but what good teacher wasn't? After all, look what she, and Nigel, had done, for artifacts. How was Sydney Fox any different from Wellington Johnston? Finally, Professor Johnston said "Hot DAMN! I've got it". As soldiers came running, Professor Foox would ask "Professor, WHAT have you got?" Johnston would say "The reason the portal is acting as it is is because the ones, who activated it did NOT activate the portal, in the proper order, or sequence. They must have just switched on the power, but failed to set the dials". Syd understood what he meant,, then asked "How do we fix it?" Professor Johnston said "First, we must shut it down. Saving as may of the settings as possible. Then, once shut down, we re-boot the system. I would say give it twenty-four hours, to wipe the system. We, then, re-boot, in the proper sequence.. If all goes well, a new, two way, portal, should be established" Since no one could predict how long the new lock would take, the army sent a probe through, to deliver the supplies, prior to system shutdown.. Professor Johnston was right about something else, as well. He said the fuel core would be located below the classroom. When soldiers were sent down, to shut the core down, the soldiers took a moment to bbe amazed at what they saw. Still, on Johnstons command, the soldiers shutdown the power core, as the other soldiers shut down the portal.Shortly after main power was cut off, something, similar to emergency lights, turned on, even as the people walked out of the cave. That night, there was no blue glow, from the cave. In camp, everyone, including Johnston, HOPED the trapped people would be saved. What Johnston hoped for, most, bbut didn't dare talk about, was the hope that the automatic re-sets, which any advanced civilization would build into its equipment, was, still, operational. The soldiers, and the searchers, all knew when the cave was operational, again, as a siren sounded, due to the hatch still being blocked open. The siren, though, was unusual, and soft and, yes, Professor Johnston got some smirks, as it took him a few minutes to figure out the "dis-arm" code. Once back inside the now fully operational classroom, Professor Johnston went about the work, of re-starting the portal (in the PROPER order) Sure, at first, the light was, still, that welocing blue, but, as Professor Johnston directed the settings, of funcions, on various machines, everyones jaws dropped when the light, but solid, blue, dissollved into some type of "window", with a blue frame. At one setting, the opening showed a pure white bbeach, with dark brown clliffs, and a blue sky, while, at another setting, the flora was psychedelic, and the sky was pink. Two other settings showed nothing but black, but it was a good thing an army private was making a record, of each setting, since, on two, seperate, settings, vegetation tried to reach through the portal, to attack humans. Thankfully, when the setting was changed, what was on the cave side, fell to the ground, and died, like a branch clipped off a tree. On two, other, settings, there seemed to be technological development, far in excess of Earth. It would not be until fourteen, gruelling, days later, that Professor Johnston "found" the starnded travellers. After the travellers returned to Earth, and verified that no one had fallen illl, until they ate, or drank, Syd, Nigel, and Professor Johnston, stepped through the portal, and examined a land, which seemed similar to Earth, yet was different, in many ways. Upon the groups return, to Earth, they verified, with the military, that the professors re-booting, of the machines electronics, had worked, in the whole area. Nigel was able to take multiple snap-shots, of the area, with his digital camera. During their trip, the three explorers had worn radiation badges, just in case. All were happy when the bbadges remained blue, upon return. When Nigel wondered about the claims, that this portal was being used, to rob banks, Syd smiled as Professor Johnston said "Doubtful. The controls are set to planet locations, not to positions, on our planet" "To summarize", Syd would say "The stories, of robbing banks, were just idle gossip" Nigel then added "Well, atleast the financier knows what became of his daughter. Now, WE can get back home, and dig that construction site" Thats when Syd remembered her students. The ones who had been digging, without proper field supervision, for weeks. (Syd just hoped that not too much had been destroyed) Upon the groups return, from the other place, and after being screened, both for radiation, and for parasites, the commander would come forward to report that the girls father had come, and collected her body. His concrned now seemed to be "damage control". To the commander, it seemed as if the father was more concerned over how to explain the girls death, rather than her funeral arrangements. How DOES one explain dying on a distant planet? Especially one which we cannot, officially, reach? Later, on a flight back, to the dig site, Professor Fox received word, about the portal. Just as Professor Johnston had predicted, the materials, used in constructing the area, were of such a quality that they could absorb just about any amount of cconcussive, or blast, force. No one would risk sending in nukes since that would mean displacing thousands of people. Returning to their university home, to change, before going back, to the dig site, Professor Fox would be greeted with more news. Her new assistant would present her with a file, and a summary, of what had bbeen found, on the site. It was not good. Not only were indian items being found, but so was machined metal, and other items, which did not exist, among the indian nations. The dig was about to go into major overtime.