The curtain had revealed a small enclave which contained a small alter,
complete with candles, some old insence, and a bizarre statuette of a
winged creature with tentacles, claws and jeweled eyes. It was almost ten
centimeters, green and made of a stone she didn't immediately recognize,
but was too busy staring at the eyeballs in front of it to make any sort of
analysys.
There were three sets, with congeled blood on the ganglia, all aranged around the statue. It wasn't in of itself so horrifying, just the perfect end to a perfect day.
Pris closed her eyes and stepped back, taking several deep breathes. Lennier had come up behind her and was also staring at the little alter. He sighed, sounding rather tired, a feeling which she could sympathise with.
After a few moments, she opened her eyes and decided to focus on the statue. It was, in all other respects, easily recogizable as a religious idol, or something of worship. The question was, of what? She didn't recognize it as human or any alien that she knew of. She asked Lennier, but he had no knowledge of it either.
She looked around her, "Is there a diary in here anywhere?"
"I have not seen one," he said.
Pris bit her lip, and then went over to a simple dresser. She tested the drawers, pulling them out slowly, until she came to one that would not be pulled out all the way. Lennier looked at her curiously as she reached in and felt around until her eyes lightened up with discovery.
There was a slight click, and she pulled out a diary.
"How did you know?" Lennier asked, bewildered, and rather impressed.
"Oh," she said, with a smile, "it's the kinda thing I would do."
*****************************
Pris sat down at a small table in operations, the effigy and the diary laid out before her. Lennier continued to work on the log problem, while Anne continued to work on being unconcious.
She skimmed through it, picking up a few passages here and there, trying to piece together what happened.
It seemed she was right, Doctor Greer was a cover for something else. He was the one who had, years ago, established this place for some geologic testing, involving ice and oxygen, and had vacated when he was done.
He had, however, found a strange effigy, presumably the one sitting in front of her, and had taken it back to Mars to show a friend of his, Doctor Kynes. They had come up with a plan to avoid beaurocratic issues, which was mainely Doctor Kynes assuming the other's identity.
A few bribes later, and he and his team were established here, continueing research to discover the effigy's origin.
She thought she heard a small whisper, like sighing. She looked up to Lennier, who was sitting with his back to her.
There was another whisper, and her eyes turned towards the effigy, which was staring blankly back at her. Pris rubbed her eyes, suddenly feeling very tired.
She tried to return her attention back to the diary, but her head and eyes felt to heavy. Next thing she knew, her head was resting on the table.
Just a few minutes rest, that's all she needed...
There were three sets, with congeled blood on the ganglia, all aranged around the statue. It wasn't in of itself so horrifying, just the perfect end to a perfect day.
Pris closed her eyes and stepped back, taking several deep breathes. Lennier had come up behind her and was also staring at the little alter. He sighed, sounding rather tired, a feeling which she could sympathise with.
After a few moments, she opened her eyes and decided to focus on the statue. It was, in all other respects, easily recogizable as a religious idol, or something of worship. The question was, of what? She didn't recognize it as human or any alien that she knew of. She asked Lennier, but he had no knowledge of it either.
She looked around her, "Is there a diary in here anywhere?"
"I have not seen one," he said.
Pris bit her lip, and then went over to a simple dresser. She tested the drawers, pulling them out slowly, until she came to one that would not be pulled out all the way. Lennier looked at her curiously as she reached in and felt around until her eyes lightened up with discovery.
There was a slight click, and she pulled out a diary.
"How did you know?" Lennier asked, bewildered, and rather impressed.
"Oh," she said, with a smile, "it's the kinda thing I would do."
*****************************
Pris sat down at a small table in operations, the effigy and the diary laid out before her. Lennier continued to work on the log problem, while Anne continued to work on being unconcious.
She skimmed through it, picking up a few passages here and there, trying to piece together what happened.
It seemed she was right, Doctor Greer was a cover for something else. He was the one who had, years ago, established this place for some geologic testing, involving ice and oxygen, and had vacated when he was done.
He had, however, found a strange effigy, presumably the one sitting in front of her, and had taken it back to Mars to show a friend of his, Doctor Kynes. They had come up with a plan to avoid beaurocratic issues, which was mainely Doctor Kynes assuming the other's identity.
A few bribes later, and he and his team were established here, continueing research to discover the effigy's origin.
She thought she heard a small whisper, like sighing. She looked up to Lennier, who was sitting with his back to her.
There was another whisper, and her eyes turned towards the effigy, which was staring blankly back at her. Pris rubbed her eyes, suddenly feeling very tired.
She tried to return her attention back to the diary, but her head and eyes felt to heavy. Next thing she knew, her head was resting on the table.
Just a few minutes rest, that's all she needed...