Dark*Matter: Discovery, The Delphi Paradox
- Thread starter Falkus
- Start date
Meredith has donned a pair of khaki cargo shorts with big pockets, a white T shirt and a 'journalist's battle vest,' which is basically a sleeveless beige jacket -covered- with pockets for notepads, PDA's, batteries, lenses, flashlights and so on. She's put on a floppy brimmed safari hat. She's wearing glasses...ironically, they're fake, with lensless glass panels.
She even has a dab of sunscreen on her nose.
Every so often she stops to talk to the 'cameraman' about angles or light, or absently asks her 'personal assistant' to go do or get something.
In short, she fits the part perfectly.
On her notepad she jots down ideas as they come to her. The first entry is:
"...oracle delphi breathed vapors...gas masks?"
She even has a dab of sunscreen on her nose.
Every so often she stops to talk to the 'cameraman' about angles or light, or absently asks her 'personal assistant' to go do or get something.
In short, she fits the part perfectly.
On her notepad she jots down ideas as they come to her. The first entry is:
"...oracle delphi breathed vapors...gas masks?"
Falkus
Explorer
Dr Ryland leads the way up the mountain to the dig site itself. The area seems to be what you'd expect, various pieces of digging equipment, small and large, as well as all the tools and devices needed to properly and carefully excavate and catalog any interesting historical items found. There doesn't seem to be much work going on right now, though.
"I really have no idea what to make of this. I've never seen anything like it before," Ryland said, still not clarifying what he was talking about. So far, he seems to have completely bought your portrayal of National Geographic reporters. There were several other people present too, a few professional archaeologists, and several more students who were probably working on their degrees.
A couple of the students look rather nauseous as the team makes their way to the entrance of the caverns.
The reason is quickly revealed. Just inside the recently cleared entrance to the caverns are four skeletons. Not an unusual sight at most dig sites, except for a few things. Most skeletons in ancient archaeological sites, in Nick's experience, aren't wearing the tattered remains of old Soviet military uniforms, nor do they usually have battered AK-47s clutched in their skeletal fingers.
"I really have no idea what to make of this. I've never seen anything like it before," Ryland said, still not clarifying what he was talking about. So far, he seems to have completely bought your portrayal of National Geographic reporters. There were several other people present too, a few professional archaeologists, and several more students who were probably working on their degrees.
A couple of the students look rather nauseous as the team makes their way to the entrance of the caverns.
The reason is quickly revealed. Just inside the recently cleared entrance to the caverns are four skeletons. Not an unusual sight at most dig sites, except for a few things. Most skeletons in ancient archaeological sites, in Nick's experience, aren't wearing the tattered remains of old Soviet military uniforms, nor do they usually have battered AK-47s clutched in their skeletal fingers.
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industrygothica
Adventurer
"Interesting," Nick says, more to himself than anyone else. He tries not to make eye contact with anyone except his team, for fear of being recognized; his archaeological firm wasn't small, and it was entirely possible that any of these students, and professionals too, may have seen any number of articles Nick or his company.
Nick kneels on one knee to have a closer looks at the skeletons, trying to gauge approximately how long they've been here (Profession: archaeologist +8?), and perhaps more importantly, what killed them.
He nods to Diego, "Get some pictures of this, will you? Every angle you can."
Nick kneels on one knee to have a closer looks at the skeletons, trying to gauge approximately how long they've been here (Profession: archaeologist +8?), and perhaps more importantly, what killed them.
He nods to Diego, "Get some pictures of this, will you? Every angle you can."
Falkus
Explorer
Numerous fractures on the skeletons suggest that they were buried in a tunnel collapse, though it's impossible to determine whether they were killed by the collapse, or were already dead when it happened. There's no signs of bullet holes in the skeletons, nor anything else to suggest foul play, but equally, there's nothing that rules out bludgeoning, stabbing, poisoning or disease as causes of death either. It would take a detailed forensic examination to be sure of the cause of death, and even then, it would be iffy.
The skeletons deterioration suggests that they've been here at least thirty years, and the style of uniform suggest late fifties, early sixties Soviet army.
The skeletons deterioration suggests that they've been here at least thirty years, and the style of uniform suggest late fifties, early sixties Soviet army.
Meredith kneels down beside a skeleton, intrigued.
"These were already here when you opened the cave? Doesn't seem so mysterious. Seems to me like the Russians must have had some people here during the Cold War for some reason. They dug out the cave, but it collapsed on them...and they never dug it out again. Then they just...sat here buried until your crew arrived to excavate it again."
She looks up at the professor. "Or am I missing something obvious?"
"These were already here when you opened the cave? Doesn't seem so mysterious. Seems to me like the Russians must have had some people here during the Cold War for some reason. They dug out the cave, but it collapsed on them...and they never dug it out again. Then they just...sat here buried until your crew arrived to excavate it again."
She looks up at the professor. "Or am I missing something obvious?"
Falkus
Explorer
"There are no records of there ever being a dig site here before. If it was a legal site, there'd have to be files on it. And if it wasn't legal, why would the USSR go to the trouble of smuggling military troops into the country just to do some archaeological work?," explained Dr. Ryland, throwing up his arms in exasperation. He was obviously concerned. With good reason too, once this information got out, there'd probably be government agents crawling all over the site to figure out the details of why the Soviet Union had brought troops here.
"I mean, don't get me wrong, I believe that this a site of great historical value. Once we've completed our research, we will no doubt have uncovered many lost secrets about Delphi and Pythia, but there's nothing of military or espionage value here, nothing to justify a secret dig site by a foreign nation," he chuckled. "It's not like there's going to be some secret about how to predict the future hidden here."
"I mean, don't get me wrong, I believe that this a site of great historical value. Once we've completed our research, we will no doubt have uncovered many lost secrets about Delphi and Pythia, but there's nothing of military or espionage value here, nothing to justify a secret dig site by a foreign nation," he chuckled. "It's not like there's going to be some secret about how to predict the future hidden here."
"Well, obviously," Meredith agreed. "But the Cold War was a pretty wacky period. Russia was researching all sorts of far out stuff...and so was the US. There's all kinds of accounts you can find now about Russia investigating psychic phenomena, remote viewing, UFO's, magic...anything to try to get ahead of the US. I wouldn't be surprised if some comandant thought maybe there was something to this and figured there was no harm in trying to find out."
She shrugs.
She shrugs.
Friadoc
Explorer
While helping Diego get pictures of the remains, using a portable spotlight to aide getting the fullest images and detail, Cade will use the excuse to give the remains a cursor once over.
A half-grin forms on Cade's face as Diego makes his crack, but for now the man is remaining more of a background item and assistant.
OOC
Okay, between my four knowledge skills, Knowledge-Arcane Lore, Knowledge-PopCult. , Knowledge-Tactics, and Knowledge-Technology , does anything stand out about these guys?
As Meredith pointed out, numerous sides to the cold ware investigated this stuff, as well as took items into posession (Spear of Destiny anyone?), but does anything stand out about this group aside from guns and uniform? Equipment laying around? Unit insignia? Et al?
Depending on which skill is applicable, my bonus ranges from a +5 to a +10.
A half-grin forms on Cade's face as Diego makes his crack, but for now the man is remaining more of a background item and assistant.
OOC
Okay, between my four knowledge skills, Knowledge-Arcane Lore, Knowledge-PopCult. , Knowledge-Tactics, and Knowledge-Technology , does anything stand out about these guys?
As Meredith pointed out, numerous sides to the cold ware investigated this stuff, as well as took items into posession (Spear of Destiny anyone?), but does anything stand out about this group aside from guns and uniform? Equipment laying around? Unit insignia? Et al?
Depending on which skill is applicable, my bonus ranges from a +5 to a +10.
