SEVEN
Locked away in his research Lab at Osaka University, Yuji Shinta has been toiling away for the last three weeks trying to decipher glyphs from their retrieved slab. He has spent countless hours cataloging his findings with the help of Elizabeth as well as colleagues verse in ancient linguistics. The slab was harder to decipher than he had originally thought. Its glyphs seem to be an amalgamation of ancient Nazca, Mayan, Egyptian hieroglyphics, and Akkadian a Semitic language used in Mesopotamia.
Elizabeth enters the lab with two cups of Matcha green tea, freshly made.
"Dr. have you gotten any rest lately, you look terrible?"
"This is too important Elizabeth. I have to decipher the rest of this slab. If my hypothesis is correct we might find answers to why Atlantis sank."
"Did you respond to William Bishop Dr.? He's left you two messages since we returned from Africa."
"No I have not, I am sure he would not mind a progress report later."
Elizabeth puts one cup of tea next to Yuji before returning to her desk with the other. Elizabeth Rooke first met Yuji Shinta during her field work in Peru studying the ruins of Machu Picchu. She was 22 years old working on her masters while Yuji Shinta was working on his proposed dissertation on Machu Picchu and its relations to Mesoamerican culture. They later met again when she decided to continue her education in Japan at Osaka University. She has been his assistance since.
She quickly turns on her computer and starts filtering out his email. He has 35 messages since yesterday, a routine she's accustomed to since they returned from Africa. She knows once Yuji starts on a project he will not focus on anything else until it is done. They have been working on the slab for the last three weeks, Yuji deciphering, while she attends to his email, conferences, and scheduling appointments with other specialists when she's not deciphering herself. She normally doesn't handle these mundane tasks, but she knows how important this is to Yuji. After all, when this is finish, it will be the greatest discovery of the millennia. She exits his email and notices the article on the screen.
"Dr. Shinta, you should see this it's very important."
Yuji lifts his head from his desk and walks over to the computer screen. The news is reporting on the JSDF advancing on an enormous creature in the Himeshima Mountains. Fighter jets are prepared to circle the perimeter while tanks are stationed as best they can around the mountains. It will be harder for the tanks as the mountain terrain limits their position and mobility.
Yuji quickly goes to his desk and gathers all his paper work, notebooks, and data sheets.
"Elizabeth, make printouts of all the data we have taken from the slab and get ready to leave."
"Where are we going Dr.?" Elizabeth asks as the printers begin to churn out pictures and spread sheets one after another."
"We are heading to the Ministry of Defense in Shinjuku."