"John will teleport us two at a time to a wooded area just below the rim of the outlook. Make the modest descent to the ridge, and enter the lost city via the Eastern approach." Helen passed the map to Druitt over the table covered in ropes, backpacks and the like who began to examine it with James. She'd been told that James and 'Adam' were brothers so she hadn't taken it nearly as badly as anyone else.
For some reason, James had asked her to bring his 'brother' along, even stating that she owed him for what happened during the seventies (good times, good times…), so she'd been forced to agree, but only if he wasn't any trouble.
"Can't you just teleport us into this…labyrinth…thing?" the young woman asked.
"My powers are formidable I'll allow. But as I haven't seen what's down there…" Druitt paused for effect. Ever the showman Helen thought, "rematerialising inside of a granite boulder would not be a comfortable way to die."
"No. True. Absolutely. Prefer to walk."
"Once inside the subterranean passages we'll each be responsible fro securing our designated keys." Magnus continued, thoughts of grand towers and halls filling her mind, excitement building up inside her ready to burst, like the bubbles of a shaken can of cola.
James shifted uncomfortably. "Does no one else see the madness in all of this?"
"You don't believe I can accomplish Nicola's task." She felt crestfallen, upset that the support of her friend was waning.
"One, he had the powers of ancient vampire, two, he fell asleep in Edison's electric chair at full current, I don't see your skill sets overlapping."
"Not your average Joe then?" Adam asked sarcastically.
"My father always said; no problem has a single solution, there are always alternatives."
"Alright then," Watson looked back down at the map, "in the unlikely event that we find all five keys…?"
"…We'll be led to an inner sanctum, where our keys will be inserted and the vial containing the source, will be released."
"You know it's not the mission Helen. What worries me is that gleam in your eye."
She smiled. "Suck it up Jimmy, we're going to India."
Once John had teleported them all to the area Helen had chosen (he was never going to get used to that), Adam began to follow her, overhearing the small conversation she had with her employee.
"This is my Father's worst nightmare; we would try and receive the source."
"Are you gonna tell him?"
"If we find out where he's holed up and if the time is right, no."
Adam smiled. It's what he would do.
They were almost at the bottom of the hill before any of them spoke again, the air practically buzzing with anticipation.
"We're about to see the ninth wonder of the ancient world and I didn't even bring a camera." Will said jokingly.
"You brought your mind didn't you?" Helen replied.
"Damn, you know I knew I forgot something."
Pierson looked at the young man. I think I might actually get to like this kid.
The smiles on their faces soon disappeared when they were met with the inevitable sight of the city.
"Dear God. It's all been destroyed."
The entire city, every house, building and road, had been disintegrated into ruins and rubble, almost indistinguishable from the mountainous surroundings. All they could do was stare.
"There has to be a way down there. There has to be a way into the labyrinth…"
"No, it's over." James stated, causing Adam to gaze at him. How could he give up so easily? "No access no source, no source no vaccine, no vaccine no way to stop the Cabal from taking over human evolution."
An hour later, the group found themselves walking towards one of the first outcrops of the city's remains after yet another teleportation session with Mr John Druitt (much to Adam's disgust, though he didn't complain).
"Where's the amazing last city? The temples, the archives?" Clara asked, a hint of sarcasm in her voice, "A decent restroom?"
"It's gone. Destroyed long ago." Helen's voice was filled with sorrow and longing. Adam decided to remain silent, knowing that nothing he would say would help them in any way.
"By the age of this vegetation I'd say… I dunno fifty, sixty years?" Will guessed, looking around him.
"A hundred years, if the growth pattern of this hedera is any indication." Watson corrected, examining one in particular. Why did it not surprise him that he was the teaching type?
"Destroyed how?" asked John.
"Looks like some sort of massive bombing. But it couldn't have been from the air though." Will explained, "There were no planes that could carry that kind that kind of ordinance a hundred years ago."
"Four days of constant bombardment. Hundreds of men, their heaviest weaponry, cannon placements there and…there long and short range." Watson pointed to two outcroppings in the hill, "Likely a combined effort of Russian French and Spanish forces." He removed his bag from his shoulders.
The more he heard from this 'twin' of his, the more he realised how lost this Sanctuary group would be lost without him.
"I thought by that point in history all the vampires were wiped out?" Zimmerman obviously hadn't had his proper history lessons.
"They were. They retreated here to preserve what was left of their culture. They'd been culled to within a hair's breadth of extinction. They weren't a threat to anyone." Helen looked over the ruins. "This was a slaughter."
"Gregory's instructions mentioned a hall of records as a starting point."
"They also mentioned a city. Fully intact." John was definitely annoyed, "For all we know the caverns below have been destroyed as well."
"Sorry John, are you suggesting we just give up?" the mechanical man asked.
"Oh don't bate me I'm not in the mood."
"Perhaps if we were looking for some new-briar lady of the night for you to slaughter, then you'd suddenly perk up and become incredibly helpful!"
"Gentlemen! Enough!" Helen cried as the pair stood nose to nose.
"Good work old boy. Another test of my loyalty."
"Just checking."
A flash of red brought John back to the group and his daughter's mother over to him.
"Anything?" she asked.
"Nothing for miles. No other entrances to the mountain." He replied.
"It'll be dark soon. We should head back and start fresh tomorrow."
"Uh no no no no, you go." Watson waved her off, examining some of the stones.
"Yeah I'm staying too." Will didn't remove his eyes from the map.
"There has to be something, it's just a sense of…"
"…Scale, yeah exactly." He held up the map then pointed. "There."
Helen frowned, "What?"
"Well, I know it's from a distance but the location of the central ziggurat here should be that area, right there." He stood next to James and pointed again, this time a little to the left.
Sherlock's eyes squinted slightly, "Assuming the city was built around it absolutely."
"That would mean that the hall of records is located..."
"…27 meters South East of our current position." James continued, Helen nodding as her boys figured it all out. "This is the main thoroughfare, the, the central meeting hall, the... it's the wall defences! And the hall of records. It took me a while to locate the right markers."
"Wow you… you total got that, you saw everything!"
"Oh very clearly Will, very clearly," he said, pulling his bag back onto his back.
"Well then, lets have at it." John began to make the assent to the area the pair had specified, soon followed by Magnus.
Moments later, everyone was following, Will standing next to his new idol.
"Time. You factored in time. The shifting architectural patterns as the city grew."
"Time is a constant Will. All visual clues have to be measured against multiple parameters, time often being the most telling."
"Like another dimension."
"Yes it's one of many. And once you understand the way they interact, you'll find that very few mysteries will confound you."
"Man that is killer stuff."
"Yes I've always thought so."
Adam shook his head. It was like they were talking about the latest sci-fi movie or something!
