A/N: Hi, thanks for reading. This isn't quite finished but is close, also fair warning it may be severely revised at some point. I just hate leaving a story hanging especially as it seemed there were quite a few of you who wanted more chapters. So here it is so far. I usually don't post things until they're finished and I am reasonably happy because I hate leaving people hanging. So, anyway on to the show.
P.S. I usually throw my stories into an AU season because I'm lazy and don't want to sort out all the details, however if you see any glaring errors please alert me.
P.P.S I didn't watch any season 10 SG-1 w/Vala Mal Doran until recently, Max is wholly original to me but there are definite similarities, so sorry :D. But Max is mine all mine! And I didn't model her after Vala although I love Vala Claudia Black is awesome :D
P.P.S. She's finished now, plus a sweet sequel!
Meet Max Holloway, Max looks like a pretty twenty something. She is five foot five, one hundred forty pounds. She has short hair that just barely reaches the bottom of her earlobes, it is wildly curly. It is a beautiful brown auburn with natural streaks of blonde. Her eyes are a rich green, her face is a little too round for such short hair but she has high cheekbones and an exceptionally athletic body. She is mostly lean hard muscle, her hips are thin and boyish, her breasts more pectoral muscle than mammary tissue. She prefers to wear jeans, boots and similar simple but stylish clothing. It is also very functional. She looks to be at most twenty-five. Her lips are thin and cunning.
She is in actuality forty-five; under her favorite battered brown leather jacket she carries a cunningly designed collapsible sword. The sword will not stand up to combat for long, but it is exceptionally convenient given her lifestyle. Her age and appearance are explained by the fact that she is immortal. At twenty-two she was raped and murdered, she woke up alone in a park covered in sticky blood and wearing the remnants of her shredded clothing. She gleefully tortured her murderer to death six months later.
Max kills; it is what she is good at and what she enjoys. In the twenty-three years since she became immortal she has killed more than one immortal a year on average. No one has kept a tally of her mortal kills. In spite of her blood lust she is not a bad person by most definitions. She pays her taxes, works hard at her chosen profession as a legal aide, and is utterly loyal to her friends who in the immortal world are the only family that unfortunate species is permitted. Still, her Watcher and others consider her a terrible force; she could be a champion or a destroyer.
Max tapped her teeth with an eraser and glared at the yellow notepad in front of her. She was attempting to plot out a garden. She was not a horticulturalist, all she knew about plants was that they needed water and fertilizer and sun and that the wrong combination of any of the above could kill a plant stone dead. She had three highly recommended gardening books laid out in front of her; each was peppered with brightly colored place markers. To her right was a steadily increasing pile of crumpled paper. The pile had spilled over the edge of the cherry wood desk and cascaded onto the floor. At her feet a small bright eyed tabby kitten leapt and gamboled gleefully treating the wads of paper like a magical jungle.
The pencil snapped in her tensed hand as she once again attempted to sketch out a basic design. She sighed and tossed the broken utensil on the desk top.
"Hey stupid cat." She crooned and scooped up the wriggling kitten. It mewed its kitten meow and licked her hand.
She got up and stretched. Max stared out her bay window at the gorgeous view below. She loved her home, Seacouver was the only home she had ever known. She was fortunate to own her own little house complete with a stunning view of the city. She set her kitten down and picked up a half full wastepaper basket. With a controlled hostility she scooped the mass of wadded paper, the broken pencil and the notepad into the wastebasket and piled the books in on top of it. She rummaged in her desk and pulled out a battered sad looking phone book. She opened to the L section and started calling landscapers.
As the sun set over the city and her bay window lit up with reflected light she slipped out her back door. She was wearing skin tight running shorts, battered shoes, an underarmor shirt and a wind breaker. She didn't bother with headphones; she didn't like the idea of not being able to hear people and traffic. Up above her the kitten slept on the padded bench in front of the window.
Max set out slowly at first. Her entire life she had hated running, it still wasn't her favorite past time, but being able to run down a kill or outrun a more skilled or cunning opponent was worth the pain and discomfort. As she moved further down the block and her muscles loosened up her breathing steadied and her pace increased. A quarter mile from her home she veered right into a large public park. There was an excellent trail skirting the park, complete with conditioning stations spaced every eighth of a mile. She circled the trail once and then paused to use every other station, her third time around she swapped and used the stations she had skipped the first time. After her third circuit she headed further into the city.
When she arrived home two hours after leaving her clothing was soaked through with sweat. She staggered into her kitchen and downed a bottle of water. Stripping her clothing off in her bedroom she kicked the sopping clothes into a hamper and patiently peeled away the Velcro holding her collapsible sword to the small of her back. She tossed the blade onto her bed and walked into the shower. The kitten freshly woken padded into the room and stretched. It began stalking a dust mote in the corner of the room.
Her phone next to her bed blinked rapidly and then the answering machine picked up.
"Hey Max! MAAAAAAAAXIIIIIIIIIIEEEEE! Fine don't answer the phone you fuckin bum. CALL ME!" A youthful masculine voice crooned into the machine. Max finished her shower and dressed in loose jeans, a long sleeved T-shirt and a zip up hoodie. She ran a hand through her damp curls and pushed the play button on the answering machine. She smiled at the message and shook her head.
Max hurried downstairs and snatched her purse off a table she stepped out into the warm night air and locked her door. She only lived a few blocks from her friends' favorite bar so she hoofed it down the street. She smiled as she felt the familiar presence of her closest friends.
Entering the bar she waved at the staff and studied the sparse crowd. After all it was a Wednesday night. She smiled as Gorwen, one of the waitresses set a gin and tonic down at her group's table. Max sat down in front of the drink and thumped the man to her right roughly in the shoulder. The man grinned and put her in a headlock. She started laughing and cried uncle. He released her.
"Geese Richie way to leave a super sweet message you know if I had a room mate that could be a very rude experience for her."
"Yeah like anyone you aren't boffing could stand to live with you." Richie teased. Max thumped him soundly upside the head. He winced and rubbed his scalp.
"Serves you right." A languorous voice interrupted.
Richie was a lean man, his short hair bleached by the summer sun to a purer blond than normal. His face was lightly stubbled with a boyish beard his blue eyes glittered at Max.
Across from Richie stretched her friend Adam. Adam was the oldest in their group although she didn't know his true age. He was a tall thin man with wiry strength and wry humor.
To Max's right sat the stolid and true Duncan Macleod of the Clan Macleod over four hundred years old and the truest friend a man or woman could have. He was also rather set in his ways. Richie was Mac's student, Max was a sort of free agent while Adam reluctantly and snarkily fulfilled the role of a wise man. It was by far his least favorite role and one he indulged in with a devil's advocate view which could be so maddening to his younger companions that they often avoided involving him in their affairs which was ultimately his goal.
Richie finished rubbing his head and gestured for another round. Gorwen arrived with three beers and a refill for Max. Max downed both drinks and waved Gorwen off as she moved to collect the glasses.
"Its all right Gorwen I'll bring them up." She said. Gorwen shrugged and returned to the bar.
"So Mac how goes the restoration?" Max inquired cheekily. Mac would occasionally take on projects. From a broken down barge in the Seine to an old fixer upper house years ago. This time he had taken on an old manor house and it was a nightmare.
"Hey Max you like old movies, you ever see that one with Tom Hanks where he and his wife buy this house and their marriage like crumbles?"
"Yeah the Money Pit great movie." Mac was stoically ignoring them.
"You catch that movie Adam?" Adam chuckled and leaned back so his chair was balanced on two legs; he picked up his beer and took a long pull.
"Yeah it was rather good." He admitted.
"You don't even like pop culture." Mac accused.
"Heh." Adam said.
Max and Richie started to cackle like fools. Mac conceded a temporary defeat and ordered the next round. As Gorwen reached for the drinks Max again prevented her from taking the empty glasses.
"Why do you do that?" Richie asked.
"What?"
"You never let anyone take your dishes or glasses." She shrugged and took a long pull on her drink.
"I don't know, I have this like ingrained hatred of being waited on. It drives me nuts."
"You are a complete freak." Richie said helpfully. She flipped him off and stole his beer.
"Yeah well you aren't exactly normal Ryan." She said cryptically. He blushed clear to the roots of his hair and waved for another round.
"Oh what's this, our little Richie has something to hide?" Adam jabbed with a grin. Richie ignored the jibe and concentrated on the table top.
"He does this thing-" Richie kicked her viciously under the table.
"Ow!" She glared at the blonde man.
"So, Adam how's the university?" Mac asked being diplomatic. Adam let his chair drop to the floor and reached for a fresh beer.
"Well enough. The students actually try which is gratifying."
"What exactly do you teach?" Max asked taking the bait.
"Dead languages and history."
"And Mac what do you teach?"
"Historical warfare."
"Wow you guys are really reaching." She said solemnly.
"What? Look realistically I could teach about a lot of things, but I'm lazy and languages are easy for me, particularly languages that I actually spoke." Adam said defensively. She turned her gaze on Mac. He shrugged.
"Ditto." Mac said shortly. She sighed.
"Fine teach what you know lazy bones." She conceded. They continued bickering and drinking until Joe the bar's owner and their big brother/daddy figure and retired watcher chased them out.
The next day Max didn't have to work so she drove out to the University of Washington campus and sat in on one of Adam's classes. As the students filed out she sat in the back row until the crush eased. As the last stragglers picked up their books she sauntered down the aisle to Adam's desk. He was sitting on the top elbows on his knees answering questions for two female students.
"I'm still not understanding Professor, could you maybe tutor me?"
"Yeah sorry Alison, I'm not a cradle robber, but here take this it's a list of competent grad students who are desperate for cash and would love to tutor you." He said handing the size two blonde in front of him a pre-printed sheet of paper. She accepted it graciously and she and her friend left laughing.
"Stimulating instruction." Max said archly.
"Don't start with me; you know I could have security toss your butt off campus." He said cattily.
"Oooh sleep badly?" she teased.
"Meh, make yourself useful and grab that box." He said picking up a massive tome and a briefcase. The box he referred to was a small cardboard affair filled with papers.
"Pop quizzes? You beast." She teased.
"Yes, I am the dreaded pop quiz giver outer." He intoned menacingly. She laughed and followed him out the cramped classroom. His office was meticulously organized but spartanly furnished. The walls were filled with bookshelves, even the wall behind his desk was filled with books from floor to ceiling. His desk was a simple particle board construct with faux pine finish. His chair was far more comfortable as befitted his sybaritic nature. In front of the desk was a ratty loveseat.
She put the box down on his desk and sprawled on the loveseat. Adam began organizing his desk and stacking the papers from the box. He slipped his huge book into a drawer and locked it.
"Do you actually want something Max or are you just here to bug the shit out of me?"
"Both I think." She said unhelpfully. He watched her as she lay backwards across his couch and stared at the ceiling. He genuinely liked Max. She was a modern pragmatist with a lust for survival. He respected her decisions much as he respected Mac's although she rarely ran head first into suicidal situations, which was a nice change. But she had been languishing in Seacouver for her entire life.
"Do you want to learn a language?" He asked.
"Yeah I think so. I mean . . . I don't know."
"What? Out with it."
"I have this amazing thing going for me right? And I'm pretty good at not getting myself killed right? So why am I miserable? I love you guys, and I dig this town but I hate my life. And its not the killing, its not even my nowhere job where my fat ass sixty something boss keeps grabbing my ass and gesturing at the oh so romantic janitor's closet, I don't know what it is Adam but it's making me bugfuck."
"You know what ennui is?"
"No."
"It's French, basically its boredom of the soul. You're bored Max, and not in a lets call our pals and have pizza tonight kind of way. You need a big time change or you'll probably become clinically depressed."
"We can do that?"
"Sure, clinical depression is a chemical imbalance not an infection."
"Does Mac know about this?" She asked with a gleam in her eye.
"No and he would be more of a bi polar case than a clinical depressive. Don't change the subject." She managed to look suitably sheepish.
"Look I'm going out of town in a few days, I'll be gone for at least four months, on a sabbatical. I'll be advising a team digging in Central America, some kind of unidentified ruins. You wanna come along?"
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Well won't it be obvious if your T.A. is completely ignorant?"
"Who said you'd be my T.A.?"
The chopper's blades chewed the air above her head as she cursed her too short hair and pulled her kerchief tighter around her head struggling to keep her curls from beating her face. She reached into the cargo area and began unloading bags, packages, and boxes. Finally Adam hopped out and joined her. They remained crouched until the chopper gained height and moved off.
"That was loud and shitty." She said conversationally.
She removed the kerchief off her head and stuffed it into the back pocket of her jeans. Adam grinned at her. He was wearing a booney hat, sunglasses, jeans, hiking boots and dark blue T-shirt. She was dressed similarly. Two hundred yards away three tents were set up forming the base camp of the summer dig. She grimaced and hefted one of the larger boxes. Adam watched her effortlessly haul the supplies to the camp. The camp was deserted as expected. He had been warned by Dr. Robinson that the whole camp would be out at the dig when they arrived.
Adam helped Max haul the rest of the equipment and supplies to the center of the tents. The largest tent was filled with tables, specimens and research equipment. The second largest was the larder and kitchen and the smallest was filled with cots and baggage. Adam set their personal gear in the living quarters and began breaking down the boxes. Max helped gamely.
Adam decided Max's best bet for cover would be as his assistant. That way her ignorance could be more easily dismissed. She still had a dozen books in her pack to help her learn more about his chosen cover. Max began hauling pallets of canned and freeze dried goods into the cook tent. Sweat rolled down her back and soaked her clothes. She sighed and wiped at her forehead. The jungle she decided was not somewhere she was going to remember fondly.
Beyond the confines of the tent strange insects sang, animals yelled, and birds cried. Her skin crawled at a particularly soulful wail. She shook her head definitely not going to be seeking out anymore jungle journeys she thought.
"Hey." Adam said coming up behind her.
"Remind me to say no to anything involving a jungle on future occasions."
"Ah yes, how's that hating your life thing?"
"Feeling better now Doc can I go back to A/C and running water?"
"Alas such is not to be, we have yet more victuals and sundry strange boxes to deal with yet." She grinned and headed back for another pallet.
As she was stacking some unlabeled semi-mysterious boxes under a sunshade erected over the center of the camp she felt a light tap on her elbow. Adam handed her a nice cold beer. She groaned happily and accepted it. She sat down on a damp camp chair and opened the bottle. He stood before her enjoying his own. It tasted divine. She sighed happily and gestured at the chair next to hers. Adam shrugged and accepted, managing to sprawl with the same boneless effort he used at any other time.
"So what's the deal did the locals just not hear the chopper?"
"No Dr. Robinson said that most of the team would be at the dig when we arrived. Apparently it's rather exciting."
"Adam?"
"Yes."
"Whatever it is has been sitting in the jungle, moldering away peacefully for like a thousand freaking years."
"So?"
"So I'm just saying its creepy to arrive here and have no one to meet us, I've seen this movie, late at night on the Sci Fi Channel and everybody in it dies badly."
"You're immortal."
"It's still creepy." Adam started to laugh.
"They'll be here before dark."
"If you say so." She closed her eyes and ran the ice cold beer bottle over her face and chest. The humid jungle was going to be murderous she thought wearily.
"Ah you must be our new arrivals!" A jovial male voice interrupted her reverie. She stood, finished off her beer and peered around Adam to see who the speaker was.
"I'm Steve." The newcomer said extending a hand. He was a small man about five foot six and slightly soft but his hand was strong and callused. Max grinned at him. He had long jet black curly hair; it was pulled away from his face with a rubber band. He had intelligent brown eyes and nice features.
"Max Holloway I'm Dr. Pierson's assistant. We've just arrived."
"Dr. Robinson asked me to come up ahead of the rest and give you a hand with the supplies, looks like I'm a little late."
"We like to make ourselves useful." Adam said offering the young man his own hand.
"I'm just a lowly grad student subject to the whims of those God has seen fit to appoint over me professor, pleased to meet you, Dr. Robinson nearly had kittens when she got word you had agreed to assist on the dig." Steve said with a wink. Adam smiled and inclined his head in acknowledgement of the compliment."The only equipment we couldn't figure out were these two crates." Adam said and gestured at the crates in the center of the camp.
"Well with a little luck they'll be the lighting system Dr. Robinson requested, or it may be anything on God's green earth, our supplies have been a little hit and miss the last few trips." Steve said with a laugh. He ducked into the cook tent and emerged with a crowbar. With expert finesse he pried off the lid of the first crate, managing to remove it in one piece. Inside lurked a complex bundle of electric cables and light stands. Steve and Adam set the crate on the ground and began opening the second. That crate revealed a small gasoline operated generator.
"What is all this for?" Max asked not caring if her ignorance shone through, she was allowed to be dumb this time out.
"Dr. Robinson discovered a chamber inside the pyramid, it seems to be massive but she wanted to get a clear look. That's probably where they'll need you most Dr. Pierson its where the majority of the strange writing has been discovered."
"I see so the lights are to allow closer scrutiny."
"You've got it. Tomorrow we'll hump 'em down there."
"When can the others be expected?" Max asked.
"Oh half an hour at most."
"Would you like to show me how to run the cook tent? I'm sure they'd appreciate a hot, well a meal when they get in."
"Yeah how's the weather huh? I definitely know what dry heat isn't now." Steve said laughing. Max allowed the young man to take the lead. She wanted to give Adam a few minutes to look around the camp, snoop, and get his bearings.
With Max looking on and offering encouraging bits of acerbic but well timed advice Steve managed to fashion an edible mass out of the dried and canned goodies filling the tent. She helped him haul out a folding table into the communal area and load it for dinner. It took them forty-five minutes total and they were just finishing when the rest of the researchers drew into ear shot. Adam materialized just before the first member of the expedition became visible.
Max stepped into Adam's shadow.
"Find anything cool?"
"Later." He grunted.
She shrugged and stepped to his side. Adam made introductions all around. Dr. Robinson a tough determined red head who was in charge of the expedition, she thanked them both for escorting the supplies and exclaimed over the lighting equipment. While the other members of the expedition were eating and talking at the table Dr. Robinson was meticulously updating her expedition journal and eating robotically.
"Dr. Robinson, may I ask how you found this site?" The good doctor set aside her fork and continued entering information into her notebook.
"Call it a hunch." She said glancing up at Max. Max smiled her sweetest curious yet harmless smile, but Robinson didn't continue.
The group was made up of two research assistants, two bonafide doctorate professor types and Adam and Max. Apparently their guide had quarreled with Robinson after learning what site the archaeologist intended to investigate and had abandoned the dig.
After the meal Max made a point of getting acquainted with the grad students. Aside from Steve there was another young man. Carl, slightly older and leaner than Steve, but he didn't posses Steve's charms.
"Hi Carl." Max said as she approached the dour blonde man. He was sitting at the community table with several papers spread in front of him.
"Need a hand?"
"Why? So you can scoop my research?"
"Uh Carl? I'm a secretary I don't know a damn thing about the ancient world, and my boss? He's a world renowned linguist so chill okay?" Carl narrowed his stunning sky blue eyes at her and returned to his work. Max sighed and moved off toward where she had last seen Steve.
"Hey, what's up with Mr. Cranky pants?" She asked sitting next to Steve.
"Carl has a hair up his ass, claims his research was stolen on his last dig."
"Yeah apparently dumbass secretaries are a threat." Steve laughed.
"What?"
"I wouldn't exactly call you a dumbass Max." She shrugged.
"Yeah I'm smart but I don't know anything about well, any of this. Living in the jungle, digging up ancient tombs, local guides wigging out . . .doesn't a lot of this strike you as bad movie of the weekish?"
"What?"
"You know arrogant western researchers stumble onto prized secret of primitive yet noble and powerful people and get killed for being arrogant?"
"I think you probably watch too much television."
"Okay, so educate me."
"On what?"
"What this hunk of stone is doing here."
"I don't have a clue. That's Dr. Robinson's purview, and your Dr. Pierson is supposed to be able to help piece together the puzzle. Okay it's like this for a number of different reasons a lot of the still surviving structures in the ancient world happen to be pyramids, mostly because that's the sturdiest tallest structure that can be fashioned with stone and limited technology, but this pyramid has more in common with the pyramids of Egypt than the Aztecs or Mayans. Particularly in one area, the center of the pyramid holds a large chamber and on the walls of that chamber are, well I'll let you see for yourself. So Robinson had to concede defeat and call in reinforcements thus the arrival of the prestigious Dr. Pierson."
"Okay, so how famous is Dr. Pierson?"
"You don't know?"
"I was hired to type and take messages." She pointed out. He shrugged.
"He's like the heavy gun. If you have something that absolutely positively cannot be translated you take it to Dr. Adam Pierson, or you try to, he can be hard to track down and even if you can find him he doesn't take on every job he's offered, he might just laugh at you and kick you out of his office. As far as I know he's never been unable to translate a language."
"Wow, cool. So he's like the Batman of ancient linguistics?"
"Sure."
"I am so Robin." She crowed. He grinned at her and cast his eyes over the darkening jungle.
"You might want to hit the sack super hero the jungle is a freaky place at night." She laughed and led the way.
"Max?" Adam called as they returned to camp. Max hurried over playing the obedient tag along flunky for all she could.
"What's up?" She asked. The camp was mostly deserted.
"What have you discovered?"
"Steve's cool, Carl is a creepy paranoid mean guy. The local guide Robinson hired got in a fight with her and took off when he saw what they were poking at, I overheard Robinson and the other professor arguing about it during dinner, and apparently there's a big ass chamber inside the pyramid with a whole bunch of writing that doesn't make any sense."
"I see that's all?" he asked with a twinkle in his eyes.
"Also you are Batman and I am Robin."
"Did you drink the jungle water?" She grinned.
"Hit the sack I'll be in soon." She shrugged and headed off to claim her cot.
She was aching for a good solid sleep after their jacked up journey from the states and loading and unloading all the supplies a couple times. Her arms burned lightly and she was eagerly looking forward to her bug spray and bed. She slept well and deep and woke up tired in the morning. It was predawn and Adam was shaking her awake.
"Gah, it had better be dark out 'cause this is a really thick tent Adam and not because you decided it would be awesome to wake me up before dawn." She grumbled and pulled her sleeping bag closer. Adam grabbed her cot and flipped her out of it. She landed with a gasp of exhaled air and a string of curses.
"Come on, we've got to get that gear out to the dig, its still cool out now but it will heat up as soon as the sun comes up."
"Adam it's the freaking jungle, at night."
"I'll protect you." He said with a grin. She threw her pack at him. Ten minutes later she was dressed fed and ready to go although she was still very unhappy.
"Adam this is not a great idea; we don't even know where the dig is."
"That's what I'm for." Steve said standing up from where he'd been crouched next to the crates.
"Ah, of course. Fine let's go if we're going." She mumbled and picked up the smaller crate. She set it down and looped several lengths of rope over it fashioning a make shift harness. Slipping the harness on she shouldered the crate and looked at the men.
"Come on then." She said to Steve's surprised expression.
"She is much stronger than she seems." Adam confided as the two men began dragging the second heavier crate down the path. Max trudged along until the path started to become obscured by growth. She lowered the crate and waited for the men. They arrived a few minutes later dragging the generator.
"How much farther?" She asked.
"Oh about a hundred feet dead ahead." Steve said gasping for breath. Adam looked fine, hardly a hair out of place although sweat had left nasty Vs of sweat soaked through their clothing. Max nodded, picked up her crate and kept going. She waited momentarily for the men to catch up not wanting to plunge into the jungle alone, even for just a few hundred feet. As a group with Steve's pants filling her ears they emerged through the jungle and beheld the dig.
Max couldn't see it at first. All she saw was a low mountain shouldering through the jungle to emerge in the clear bright air. Then she saw the dig toward the base of the mountain, and realized the mountain wasn't a mountain at all.
"Holy shit, Steve that whole damn thing is the pyramid?"
"Yeah something isn't it?" Steve gasped gratefully lowering the crate and unlooping the ropes they'd used to drag it from around his shoulders. He sighed and massaged his shoulders.
"Adam are you seeing this?" She asked.
"Yes it is impressive." His voice held none of the awe that Max's had, or the pride Steve's had. His voice held warning.
"Let's take a look." Adam said in the same subdued tone and led the way toward the cleared entranceway. Max lowered her burden and followed.
There were several huge flashlights stacked next to the entrance. Max accepted one from Adam and they both waited and allowed Steve to lead the way. The entrance was small, built perhaps with smaller people in mind. It was three feet squared and led down at an uncomfortable angle, just sharp enough to put pressure on calves and ankles that would shortly become excruciating combined with the low height it looked to be a most miserable journey. Adam and Max gamely followed. Sure enough after a half hour of walking their legs were complaining loudly and Steve called a halt.
"How freaking deep is this thing?"
"Uh another ten minutes should get us there; I'm not sure about the depth. Robinson will know." Steve said grinning at her in her flashlight beam.
"We're going to have to break down the crates and carry the gear in individually. Maybe leave the generator at the entrance." Adam observed. Steve nodded.
"Yeah definitely no way to get it all down here as is."
"Is there enough cord?" Max asked.
"There should be, if not we can scavenge the camp." Steve said wiping at his forehead.
"Right well lets get down there and get an idea of where we want the gear to be set up then you two can start hauling the gear in." Adam said. Max gave him a speculative look but Steve didn't seem put out, she guessed it made sense that Adam would start to study the writings right away. She sighed and nodded. A little more than ten minutes passed and Steve vanished from sight.
"Steve?!" Max called mildly alarmed.
"It's okay I'm all right there's a short drop at the end of the tunnel. It's okay really." Steve called. Max shook her head and muttered about irritating show offs but followed after. Adam remained silent and brought up the rear.
Finally Max reached the end and sitting down on the lip of the tunnel hopped down into the main chamber. It was too dark to see much detail and her flashlight didn't illuminate much. She searched around for Steve and smiled, relieved when she saw him.
"Jerk." She said and he laughed.
"Come on Dr. Pierson you'll love this." Steve said and led him toward the opposite wall. Max tagged along. What little she could see of the chamber was remarkable, in spite of its great age only a thin layer of gritty rock dust coated the otherwise impeccably straight and smooth floor. Her boots scraped loudly on the grit as she trailed after the men.
"Here, this is why the she-bitch of academia called you in." Steve said and shone his flashlight upwards.
The pinpoint light revealed rows and rows of cramped hieroglyphics from the giant ceiling at least a hundred feet above their heads down to the very edge of the wall. Max stepped forward and ran a hand over the dusty carvings, sheets of loose sandy dust drifted into the air.
"Wow, this is a little weird." Max said.
"This isn't weird Max, it's unheard of. According to our radar scans the structure of this building matches similar temples from the ancient Mayan periods in this same region, but there has never been any evidence of any contact between any civilization in the Americas and ancient Egypt, until now." Steve said gleefully.
"Adam?" Max called. Adam was standing riveted in front of the carvings his eyes scanning the images seemingly oblivious to the other two. Steve shook his head.
"Don't worry about him, we'll start getting the lights in here, he'll be fine." Steve said taking Max's arm. She shrugged his hand off and turned for the tunnel. As their lights and voices grew faint Adam kept staring his lips moving as he read the lines. His flashlight flickered and died. He closed his eyes and lowered his head. Softly, faintly, he whispered one word, "Goa'uld."
