Author's Note: This chapter is a bit slow but is nevertheless needed to set things in motion. You may also recognize a certain canon character here and think "Huh? What's he doing here? Shouldn't he be dead at this point?" and you'd be right - just assume the story takes place in one of those quantum-mirror universes where the character is still alive. The reason for his presence will become apparent soon enough.

Chapter 2

September 19, 1931

Nubian Desert, Egypt

Dr. Montgomery Steward was not a happy man. The expedition had spend 10 months excavating the fabled Palace of Osiris to unlock its secrets but each new discovery brought more questions than answers. Even the site's purpose was unclear: was it a palace? A temple? A tomb? And if it was a burial place, how come there were canopic jars but no sarcophagus?

Montgomery felt like he could spend the rest of his life struggling with the Palace's mysteries and still be no closer to finding the truth. Alas, he only had a couple of more weeks to find out as much as he could. With the university grants for the expedition having run dry long ago and his private funds only able to cover a portion of the costs, the time has come to draw this adventure to a close.

And just like vultures waiting for a quick meal, the unscrupulous tomb-raiders and treasure hunters were already descending on the site. This morning his chief guard Savoretti caught five trespassers, forcing the doctor to break away from the dig to deal with the annoyance.

"Now, what's all this I hear about-" Steward was suddenly struck speechless as he entered the tent were the miscreants were kept. The professor expected to see Savoretti guarding a group of Bedouin raiders or fellaheen riffraff - instead he saw the oddest group of travelers imaginable.

The leader of the group was a bespectacled man in a beige drape suit and matching bowler hat, clothing more suited for a walk down a London High Street rather than a jaunt in the desert. Still, the man carried himself with an air of comfort and confidence, as if intruding on someone else's dig site in the middle of nowhere was perfectly natural for him.

Beside him stood two others - a blond woman in a travel dress & cloche hat and a tall young man in simple labour attire, complete with newsy cap. Though her flapper look and his boyish features made them look dismissive the professor could feel a keen intelligence lurking behind their blue eyes.

The final two strangers were huddled in the corner of the tent, conversing quietly. The first was a steel-haired soldier in a tattered khaki uniform and the second an intimidating black savage, his features intentionally hidden by layers of scarfs worn over a traditional nomad thobe. Unlike the rest, these two made their nature quite clear: they were both veteran warriors, likely hired to protect the others from the dangers of the desert, and could make most men back down with a single look. Smartly, Savoretti kept the pistol pointed in the general direction of those two as he pretended to nonchalantly clean his Luger.

"Ah, Professor Steward, so nice to see you again!" the suited man jumped up excitedly and extended his arm for a handshake, then looked sheepish as he added "Perhaps you can clear up this misunderstanding? Signore Savoretti here seems to think we're ... uninvited guests."

Dr. Steward frowned but put his own hand forward out of ingrained politeness "My dear boy, I don't believe I ever-" as soon as he touched the strangers hand the professor found that he couldn't finish the sentence. He felt a momentary prick from a ring on the man's finger and then a warm, foggy sensation filled his mind.

The stranger continued to smile like an old friend. "Surely you haven't forgotten me already Professor Steward? You met my wife and I in a Cairo coffee shop just a few months ago. When I mentioned that I'm a reporter for the National Geographic you invited me to your dig, saying the discovery you've made will rival that of Carter and Herbert."

Montgomery's face brightened as memories flooded in, replacing the fog. Sitting down at a crowded Egyptian cafe, having to share a table with the bespectacled man & his wife, ending up chatting about each others work over cups of strong Turkish coffee. "Ah yes, of course! My apologies Mr.-"

"Jansson. David Jansson" the man said quickly. "You must remember my wife Sally? And this is Martin Lantgrich, my photographer."

"Veramente?" the Italian guard broke into the conversation, irritably waving the pistol in the direction of the strangers in the corner "And who is other two?"

The large savage got up in answer to Savoretti's challenge, standing tall & proud and talked as if he was an equal to the civilized man. "I am Tal'ac al-Chalak of the Bisharin Clan," he recited in surprisingly good English "guide and protector of David Jansson through his travels in these lands".

"Yeah, and I'm, uh... Jack" the soldier answered in turn. "Jack O'Neil... but with only one 'L', not two."

David sighed and shook his head at the man's response, then looked back up. "So Dr. Steward, will you show us the fabled Palace of Osiris?"