A young archeologist is launched on the adventure of her life when she joins a mixed crew of humans and aliens on a mission to atone for the failings of Earth.
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The Terra Prospect Mission offered humanity a chance at space travel, technological a...
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Sofeta Prenares was walking on air. Above her, the soft fluffy clouds of the blue Tunisian sky were drifting further and further away. Beneath her, darkness crisscrossed with dusty shafts of light. She felt honored to be spelunking into the long-buried cavernous ruin that had never before been seen by human eyes. The site had remained hidden in the eastern Atlas Mountains for thousands of years before a recent desert windstorm exposed a man-made vent. Her father had thusly nicknamed the site "Ninlil" for the Sumerian goddess of wind. And as she descended, in keeping with its namesake, a delicate vortex softly howled around her, as if Ninlil herself was inviting Sofeta to explore her mysterious depths.
"You still alive up there?" a man's voice called up to her.
She grimaced. The only complaint she had as she surveyed her fantastic surroundings was that she would have to share its exploration with Hendrick. He was a hairy, cocksure man who made no effort to hide just how little respect he had for her. She was nineteen, the project leader's daughter. It was no secret that in spite of her hard work and qualifications, nepotism had secured her place on the team. But, short of packing her bags and leaving a once-in-a-lifetime experience, she knew there was nothing she could do to win him over. She was tired of apologizing.
"It's beautiful," she said, adjusting the speed of her descent. "I was enjoying the view."
"You know what's beautiful?" Hendrick replied, "Getting your ass down here. We don't have all day, greenhorn."
A wave of tension swept over Sofeta's body. As much as she tried to maintain a cool, collected air of professionalism, Hendrick's grating, raspy voice always found a way to get under her skin.
"And don't roll your eyes at me," he added.
"You can't see my eyes."
"I could hear them."
She sighed deeply. Then, with a soft crunch, her boots hit the ground. She took a moment to orient herself, adjusting the light and ventilation mechanism on her mask as Hendrick impatiently detached her from the rappelling cable.
"You look like a deer in headlights," he grunted. "Focus on the task at hand."
"And you sound just like my Tai Chi instructor, except without his admirable patience and wisdom."
"Oh yeah?" Hendrick asked, only half-caring, "What else does he say?"
"To subdue an enemy without fighting is the highest skill," she answered pointedly. "Anyway, my eyes are still adjusting. If I was allowed to rappel slower..."
"Set your headlamp to thirty-two percent."
"Alright," she relented. Although, she mimed the action, because she had of course already done so. But, it was the only way Hendrick could be subdued.
They headed south through a narrow tunnel. 3D composites suggested a large chamber with architectural constructs just beyond the organic, dripping cavern walls. Tangles of long-deceased roots wove in and out of the walls ornamented by fossilized evidence of prehistoric oceanic life. What surprised her was the sound of distant moving water. It seemed the ruins were supplied moisture by an underground stream which meant hidden elsewhere there were entrances other than the man-made vent.
