"All right, bring it up. Come on."
Everyone was in instant action as soon as you all reached below.
"Spread out."
"We'll use this place as a base camp."
"Mr. Quinn, begin drilling operations
as soon as you can."
"I'm on it. OK, guys, let's move out."
You opened the door of the snowmobile and stepped down as your eyes wandered across everyone. Since you had no task you stood astray listening and watching.
...
Lex, Sebastian, and you walked around the abandoned village, scoping out the area. Though, it was mostly just to look around.
"What are these?" Sebastian asked.
"Whale bones. This station was abandoned in 1904. Everyone just disappeared overnight. It was a big mystery back then." Lex answered.
"What if this so-called pyramid is the reason why everyone disappeared? Don't you think it's suspicious to be any sort of coincidence for this place to be abandoned, and then something historical pops up out of nowhere underneath?" You questioned.
"That's a good question. Sounds like you've already generated a theory on this expedition." Lex smiled slightly.
Considering that answers may be found down there, or even bring up more questions, it was something worth documenting about for research and analysis when it was time to be back on the ship.
...
"Over here. Over here."
"What is it?"
"Can you believe that?"
"It's drilled at a perfect 30-degree angle."
You all have gathered back to where there was commotion, which happened to be an apparent tunnel that was already drilled. Something about brought questions for everyone.
"How far does it go down?"
"All the way to the pyramid."
"There it is. Clear as day. And the same time yesterday...Nothing." Weyland said.
"That's incredible, but a little concerning." You commented.
"How was it done?"
"Thermal equipment of some kind."
"Like yours?"
"More advanced. Incredibly powerful. I've never seen anything like it."
"There's no team and no machine in the world
that could cut to this depth in 24 hours."
"Well, the only way we're gonna know for sure
is to get down there and find out."
With more questions added, the mystery of this town has expanded more than it just being about the town. This was beyond crazy to take a risk like this and explore those questions, like what will be found once down there...but it is in human nature to explore curiosities.
...
"Look at that. Change it. Now!"
"OK, guys, what's taking so long?"
"There's a storm coming."
As the guys were working on setting up the equipment to make the trip below, you stood idle to watch, but not close to where you would be getting in their way.
Lex, on the other hand, walked to the vehicle where Weyland resided inside. She opened the door to find that he was coughing and wheezing at the same time as he used his inhaler.
"There's no room for sick men on this expedition." She spoke.
"My doctors tell me the worst is behind me."
"You're not a very good liar, Mr. Weyland. Stay on the ship. We'll update you at the top of every hour."
"When you get sick, you think about your life
and how you're gonna be remembered. You know what will happen when I go? Ten percent fall in share prices. Maybe 12. That's it."
"I've heard this speech before. My dad broke his leg. He was like you. He wouldn't go back or let us stop. We reached the top, and he opened a bottle of champagne." As Lex was telling the story about her dad, you had walked up only to hear the rest.
"I had my first drink with my dad at 14,400ft. On the way down, he developed a blood clot in his leg that traveled to his lung. He suffered for four hours before dying 20 minutes from the base."
As you weren't meaning to eavesdrop, but already came over, you stood a spaced away from Lex.
"You think that's the last thing
your dad remembers? The pain? Or drinking champagne with his daughter 14,000ft in the air?"
Hearing this past about Lex brought a wave of empathy over you, and you couldn't help but to think more on when Weyland posed that question. It made you wonder, what would be your own last thoughts while dying?
"I need this."
Weyland was genuinely ready to risk it all, seeming to treat this like it would certainly be his last journey in his life. You couldn't help but to feel for him, but you pushed the sad thoughts away afterwards.
Lex turned around as if by instinct and met your eyes. She adverted her stare glancing back to Weyland before walking away.
"You've got to have a little bit of a death wish." You smiled slightly as you approached Weyland.
"Well, if this is the last thing I'll have and I die on this trip, then I want to remember it and make history while at it."
"I wonder if I can say the same later on."
...
"Come on, move."
You and the several others were climbing down the tunnel, ropes hooked and secure. The thought of what would it be like if you just slid all the way down the tunnel like a slide had crossed your mind, but of course so did the possible dangers of actually doing that. As if on cue, something snapped you from your thought.
"Shit."
"Mr. Weyland!"
"Man down!"
"Get him! Somebody get him!"
"Move it!"
"Now!"
Weyland was sliding, seeming that his rope had been broken or snapped off somehow, and everyone tried to reach for him. Lex was at the very end and she stopped his fall with the hard swing of a snow pickaxe pinned in his coat hood.
It was so ironic, and convenient, for when Weyland was talking about being close to his death, that a small incident like this happens close right after. There are no telling how many more close accidents could happen from now on.
...
Everyone had made it to the bottom now, but it was soon realized that it was completely empty.
"I don't understand it. No equipment. No sign of another team."
"Well, that tunnel didn't dig itself."
Weyland and Lex spoke with one another. So far, the question of how this tunnel appeared was now prolonged and not yet answered.
...
"Move it. Connors, get those lights up."
"We have power."
Finally, lights were on and a foreign structure came into view.
"Congratulations, Mr. Weyland. Looks like you'll be leaving your mark after all." Lex said.
"Holy shit." You mumbled.
If there was one thing about pyramids, it was the fact that are booby traps. So, why is it that no one beforehand had discussed the specific possible dangers of even going inside a pyramid, rather than just the icy dangers of getting to this one? Perhaps it was because the lot of this team were invited experts, so it would be expected that when coming upon something that everyone will be warned, but what's to say that something does go wrong?
"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you all for this. Let's make history." Weyland showed his appreciation.
And now it was time invade something unknown.