AVP: Nightmare On Ice
Chapter 1: On Location, On Time
Tom Morrow had everything worked out on this shoot. Him and his sister were supposed to get some inside shots of the pyramid for his friend Erich's new show.
However, the shoot would take them to the distant islands of the south seas, to a pyramid built on an island 500 miles northwest of Australia.
They had arrived on shore, and were unpacking the camera equipment.
His twin sister, Tess, was the main camera operator. He was supposed to be Erich Von Daaniken's man in the field; trying to prove his theories.
Tom knew however, that there was no easy work involved. He had to log and capture everything, knowing full well that they'd be here at least three days.
He looked over at his sister, and yelled "I hope we find something here."
She laughed "No job's worth lookin' at your ugly face through a camera." She yelled.
They walked into the jungle, following a trial of skulls. It took them through many twists and turns, until they finally reached a clearing. It wasn't the pyramid though. Just a normal clearing.
"Alright," He said "Let's take a break. We've got fifteen minutes." He said to the five other people in the crew.
He felt very inadequate. In charge of the smallest film crew known to man, when he studied just for this.
"Tess," He said "Can I talk to you?" She nodded, still carrying the camera on her shoulder.
"Without the camera please. I don't think the populace of Sweden wants to hear their American Journeyman talk about this." he said, motioning for Tess to lower the camera.
She shut it down, and got next to him on the boulder he'd found and sat down on it.
"Do you feel satisfied with where we are?" he asked.
"What do you mean?" she replied.
"Well, I got a bachelors degree at film school, and a masters degree in archeology." He answered "I'm working for a hero of mine, and I personally think that my entire life so far is a waste of effort."
She just looked at him for a moment, almost thinking to herself. "You really want my opinion? You know how blunt I always am." She inquired.
"Tell that to all your exes." He mumbled. "What was that?" she asked. "Nothing," he answered "What were you going to say?"
"Well," she started "You really have a very unsatisfying job, and the fact that you're part of a show in Switzerland for a man who pays you to go check out stuff for him is one of the biggest disappointments of all." She paused "I hope you got a good use out of that."
"Yeah," he said "That really does help. Your blunt answering ways really helped."
"Thank you." She answered, getting up and switching the camera back on.
Tom looked at his watch. It'd been twenty minutes. "Alright," he yelled "We're starting up again. I gave you all twenty minutes, and that's five, extra. Let's go."
They then set back off into the jungle. It was hot, sticky, and swarming with mosquitoes. It felt just like home, the town of Homestead back in Florida.
As they made their way further into the jungle, the skull path-liner turned into a picket fence of skulls and vertebrae.
Eventually, they reached the pyramid. It was one that had the distinct south seas look to it. Mostly, it borrowed from Cambodian architecture. It had all of the spires and statues all over it.
He took out his camcorder from his bag, held it in his hand, and switched it on.
It was able to not only record video, but take still pictures simultaneously.
He turned to face Tess, who was aiming the camera at him. It was show-time.
"We're on in three…" she gave him three fingers "Two…" she counted with the fingers also "one…" she then lowered the last finger, and pointed to him, giving him the signal to start.
"Thank you Erich." He said "As you can see, we're at the pyramid. It is on a remote island in the south seas that in the local language, roughly translates to "Island with tall building". I am now going to take you inside, for an exclusive look."
He started to walk inside the pyramid, which had a temple on the inside and the pyramid walls on the top. It had a south seas aspect with the sort of single-floor temple on it. There were strange idols on the tops of the sections. The pyramid was also sunken into the ground.
He walked into the pit, and hit record on his camcorder. He started to pan it around the pyramid, as he walked.
When they reached the bottom of the pit, he started to walk in. He turned around and started backpedaling.
"As you can see," he addressed to the camera "It has a distinctly south seas appearance, yet with a mainly Cambodian style on the bottom." He paused "The two cultures were miles apart, and both should not have had enough contact to build a blended-style pyramid. It's almost as if something had to have contacted them both simultaneously to influence this. Back to you Erich."
Tess stopped recording, and lowered the camera. "That was good wasn't it?" he asked.
She paused for a moment, almost as if to think of a blunt answer. "Well," she answered "You once again state the obvious, yet you made a great presentation." She paused quickly "Not your best work overall"
Before he could reply, there was a loud noise from the satellite phone, which was hanging from the sound man's hip.
"I got it." The guy said, setting the boom between his arm and reaching for the phone. He pressed the answer button before he said "hello, you have the remote set of Chariots On TV."
There was a deep reply from the phone, though unintelligible from Tom's position.
The sound man replied "He's right here." And handed the phone to Tom.
"Is this Tom Morrow?" a man asked on the other end. "Yes, what is the purpose of your call?" He answered.
"I understand that you are a documentarian and expert on ancient culture." The man on the other end replied "I'd like to hire the Morrow Twins to film an expedition for Weyland Industries. It will pay handsomely."
At that Tom was hooked. He'd been having money problems back in the States, and wanted to not have to worry for a while. He also wanted to release a documentary about Ancient Astronaut Theory.
"You've got a deal, but there's a little problem," he answered "We're out in the middle of the South Pacific. It took us a week to reach the island from Australia."
"Not a problem." The man on the phone replied "Come outside." Tom looked at everybody, and made his way out of the pyramid.
He walked up the pit, and saw it. There was a tall black man with a shaven head in a business suit standing in front of a helicopter. He was holding a Weyland Industries Satellite phone, and pressed a button on it.
"Well," he said "I will happily have your crew lodged in a comfortable hotel in Sydney while you and your sister are with us."
He yelled for everyone, and followed the man into the helicopter. He wondered what this was all about.
"Just out of curiosity," he asked "Where exactly is the shoot?" The man looked at him for a moment, then at Tess, before answering "Antarctica."