Please don't forget to read the disclaimer in chapter one before you ask any questions. I bet one of you won't and will miss their answer to their question. THIS STORY IS A RENAME AND REWRITE of mine. Please R&R

Previously

Then the log and the snake started disappearing into the sand as Brendon watched! A hole appeared and began to expand faster and faster to swallow the woodpile. Walking backward, he saw it grow faster as it began swallowing the sandhill in front of him. Brendon then turned and ran as hard as he could, watching as the sides of the hole expanded further and further out until he had to jump onto a ledge as the ground fell from under him. Then he heard the biggest thump! as the sinkhole turned into an even bigger valley than the grand canyon behind him.

HMS Starfleet

Chapter 2

The new valley stabilized on his side while he was hanging off the cliff edge. He was hanging with his legs dangling about 10 thousand feet above a raging river. The campsite was intact as the sand and dust settled, minus one tent. Most of the campsite was on solid ground where he was hanging off. Brendon then pulled himself up and sat on the edge, watching the new valley expand in front of him as more and more of the sandhills disappeared into the valley.

He told about many cars and trucks disappearing in these holes when they opened up on the road, and they had even destroyed many train tracks. But this was the first time a sinkhole turned into a valley, and he was there to witness it. You had to witness the raw power of what was once a desert turning into a valley that looked like it was reaching the ocean.

Luckily, the campsite only lost one tent, and he was still watching sand falling into the now fast-flowing river at the bottom of the valley. Brendon slowly stood from the edge of the cliff, completely stunned. Lucky for him, they had set up camp where they did, or it would be in the river by now. There was still wood left for him to keep the fire going for the crew to sit around. When the crews come in, Keith is not going to be happy that It was his tent that fell into the now river.

Brendon was still stunned and sitting next to the fire when the first of the crews arrived at camp. That was when the wide range of colorful language would make a truckie blush. They were shocked at the site of what they were seeing. Tom walked over to the still, the very stunned Brendon, "Cookie, what the hell happened here?" said Tom looking at the new valley.

"I think we may have a problem," said Brendon

"I can see that. What happened?" asked Tom.

"We just lost the desert after I threw a log at a snake!" said Brendon

"Holy shit! Will you look at that?" said Peter, it was just coming on to a dark valley, but they still could see that they were at the highest part of what was now a huge canyon-type valley, high sandstone walls with all the dunes now gone.

"Where did all the sand go?" yelled Dave

"That's what I am trying to tell you! I threw a log at a snake, and all the sand just slid down to the river!" said Brandon, still sitting on a chair. Tom whispered to Toby,

"Brendon is in shock. Get some tea going to help calm him down," said Tom.

"Sure thing, boss!" said Toby as Tom walked to the edge and looked over to see the river.

"I have heard about these underground rivers undermining large areas of ground years ago, and from what I can see! We were lucky that we made camp here," said Tom.

Tom King was a Geologist out of Canberra and was the head of a team of geologists and surveyors hired to find a better and quicker way to Darwin. While doing that, they were also told to look for any iron ore, minerals, and other resources the country could use. Some ministers in Canberra believed there would be another war on the horizon, and if one comes! Then they would be looking for any resources they can get their hands on. So why not dig them up rather than buy the stuff from overseas? Tom looked further over the edge. "What the hell is that?" said Tom

"Not sure, but that looks like some sort of ancient pyramids down there!" said Brendon from his chair. Then everyone carefully walked up to the edge of this new valley. "I saw it when I was hanging off that cliff wall,"

"No wonder you are in shock," said Henry

"I would be too if I were hanging off that," said Tom. They would find out later that the structure would be a cross of an Ancient and Colonial outpost with a few surprises still inside.

"Just think of all the sandstorms it took to bury it," said Tom

"That or it was built underground," said Toby

"Do you think it's a little late to go and have a look now?" said Matt.

"Yes! It's too dark to walk down safely. We have to wait until morning," said Fred Jones, the team's safety officer, and medic.

"HEY! Where's my tent?" came a voice behind them

"Sorry, Keith! It's probably at the coast by now," Brendon pointed down the valley.

"looks like you might have to sleep with Toby tonight," said Tom with a smile on his face

"Dam it! It has taken all my things? You better not snore, Toby! Or fart," Finished Keith, and everyone laughed.

Then Tom said, "Okay, everyone, listen up! We are on a cliff at the moment, and it looks safe. Cookie has a feed ready, so let's have a feed and get a good night's sleep! We got a lot to do tomorrow, and don't walk too far from the camp tonight. Lord knows where you end up."

The Next Day

After a long night of rumbles and water noise, a valley stretching for miles into the distance hit their eyes in the morning, something they had to investigate after a good breakfast. Tom wanted to send someone back to civilization in one of the trucks to contact Head office and to get some more supplies, including a new tent for Keith. But he wanted to wait until he had information about what they found. But Tom sent a team along the valley to carefully map where this new river was headed.

Then the rest of the crews sorted out their task. First, they have to survey everything. "Fred, what ropes do we have?"

"Will we need them?" asked Toby.

"Just encase," said Tom

Fred Henry Jones was the leading safety expert as if there was any in those days "Three 1000 foot and two 700 foot ropes, along with four harnesses, and five Kerosene lanterns,"

"Okay, Keith, Fred, Peter, and I will slowly walk down to the river and make our way to the structure. Brendon and Matt will stay in camp and move everything back away from the cliff, the rest of the team! I want a full survey of the area," said Tom. "Collin and Jeff will head around the left side while Toby and Dave go around the other side. Take the theodolites and measure and survey everything, also, take the other camera with you and take as many pictures around the valley as you can. Head office would want to see everything."

The men walked to the truck and started collecting all the needed gear before heading in many directions. Tom and the others made their way down to the river while the others headed around both sides of the valley to take their survey measurements.

Tom could see where the river had come from and why the ground fell into the now-exposed river. The underground river carved a huge cave out of the soft rock under the ancient structure, and with the sand on top, it couldn't hold up any longer. The log cookie thrown at the snake was the straw that broke its back. Any one of them could have started the process. When Tom and his team reached the river two hours later, Keith found what was left of his tent and managed to save a few of his belongings.

As Tom and his team walked along the now-exposed smooth riverbed, "Wonder how long until this area is going to change with all this water?" said Peter as he looked into the water. "I can see there are already fish here!"

"Give it ten years, and It will be like any well-fertilized and watered area," said Tom

"The birds are coming already," said Fred as they watched a few Rainbow lorikeets, Rosella, and a few noisy Galah coming down to drink. "They can find water anywhere,"

They came to the structure and could see that it was not stone or concrete but rather a type of metal they didn't know, but they could see that it was old. The four men walked up to what they would call an aircraft hanger or a colossal ship dock. Tom stood at the mouth of it and was gobbed smacked. "Okay, let's start with what we are best at! Fred and Peter, grab the theodolite and see if you can measure this opening, Keith! Come with me, and let's start taking pictures." Keith and Tom walked all over the structure's entrance, taking pictures and placing markers so the theodolite could measure the horizontal and vertical angles.

Three hours later, Fred sat down with a pencil and paper as he was about the best surveyor in his field. If he could work out the horizontal and vertical angles in the distance of six feet, he could give a rough height measurement.

"Tom! If I am working this right, that tunnel is about 6,561 feet high!" said Fred

"Whose game to come with me to look at?" said Tom.

"Okay, I will come with you," said Kieth. Tom and Keith walked into a huge cavern, "This is no naturally forming cave. This has been made by human hands. Well, some sort of hands anyway," as the torches shone along the wall.

"If Man made this, then they had to have very advanced technique's better than what we have today! This has to be hundreds of thousands of years old,"

"So what are you saying? Aliens built this?" said Peter, and they all froze.

"Do you think men today, or even a few thousand years ago, could build this?" said Keith.

"I don't know," said Tom, as the darkness of the opening gave way to thick dust particles the further they walked into the structure until one of their beams of light landed on the nose of what looked like an aircraft. "What on Earth is that?" was more of a statement than a question.

"Whatever it is, it's not from Earth, that's for sure!" said Peter

"It looks more like an Aircraft carrier!" said Tom.

"Too big for an aircraft carrier! But how did it get in here?" finished Keith, and as they walked closer to the ship, "This does not look like any aircraft carrier that I have ever seen!"

As Tom and Keith walked slowly two the ship, "I think we better let the big boys know about this! It's way above my pay grade." said Tom as they headed back up to the camp. The next morning, Tom and a driver headed for Alice Springs.

Mr. Stephen T Andrews

Director of Surveyors and public works

Canberra ACT 1931

Three days after the discovery.

It was a quiet afternoon, and Stephen was almost thinking of calling it quits and heading home. Many of his teams are on assignment in and around the Simpson desert, looking for any materials and iron ore for the upcoming war that everyone knew was coming and that no one wanted. War was coming in Europe, and in the Pacific, Japan was rattling its swords against China, with America handing out sanctions. Germany had become a very hotbed of fanaticism, and people were walking on coals, already Adolf Hitler had announced that German was rearming in clear violation of the Treaty of Versailles.

Stephen was wondering what would happen in the future: Will there be a war with Germany? Even with Japan expanding its forces in the pacific? Or will it be just with Germany? Only time will tell. That was when the secretary came in with a large letter, "Director! The Currier just dropped this off to you" as she placed it on his desk,

"Thank you, Joan," Stephen then picked it up and read to the sender. It was from his Top surveyor, who was in charge of a group in the Simpson desert, sent three days ago. He was wondering why he was hearing from him now. He opened the envelope and read, looking at the photos that had fallen on his desk. He quickly picked up the phone. "Joan! Please get me the prime minister?" he said as he looked at another photo. "Cancel that! Where is he?" after getting the answer, he gathered everything and headed out the door.

TBC