Post by Danü Rèalta on Nov 6, 2020 15:06:55 GMT -5
*The following are lost pages, ripped from the journal of Rift McCarrion
<<PAGE 1>>
March 25, 1929
Cairo, Egypt
Day one. I've gotten correspondence that my properties (Deneir, Oghma, and Malfeas) have been secured. The biology lab on Gaia will remain under construction until complete, and then continue into lockdown procedure while I devote time to exploration. Victoria will take care of the rest, and I have no doubt she can handle it, along with the AI. Anyways. I've dropped by Cairo to begin my excursion into the desert. There is a temple out there somewhere that houses the secret of time, which I have a feeling will be helpful if something gets hosed up before I finish mapping out all of the dimensions. I've already got Samir checking in to his contacts here, seeing if he can get me some camels and local intelligent-type folks to help me decipher the data discs. I've gotten scholar's research notes, maps, and everything else that wasn't nailed down in Gaia. Dr. Theodore Balimon, my Sanskrit expert, should arrive here by plane, if the Boeing 80 doesn't crash over the Mediterranean Sea. Heck, I'll buy him a beer when he gets here.
-Rift
<<PAGE 2>>
March 30, 1929
Cairo, Egypt
Caught a bit of a snag. We've bought a hand-drawn map from a merchant that Samir says is a bit dicey (and expensive too), but has pulled through for him in the past. Yeah, I know, it seems dubious at the very least, but I've wasted too much time already trying to prepare for this journey. Despite our efforts to set up a makeshift headquarters at the Windsor Hotel, Samir couldn't find a guide worth a damn. Well, money talks. Either we'll have to pay the double rate, or find somebody who is either fool, clever, or brave enough to head straight into the middle of that deathtrap. Heat never bothered me much (Heh, Heh.), but my compatriots may take issue with following me into a literal hellscape. Especially if we find the structure-they say its inevitable death if you lay eyes on the thing. Well. I reckon I'll just give the thing the hairy eye, and throat punch it til' it shows me something worth lookin at. Ha. Jokes aside, if we don't get this going before the end of the month I'll just hire a guy to say he's a guide, and then a few expendables to carry the gear. As reckless as that sounds, I have to admit that this reminds me of when I first arrived in Tempus, back when I was just popping through as many universes I could find. I'm GOOD at being reckless and making it out ok in the end. Anyhow, I figure we'll figure something out. In the meantime, I'm going to stop writing in this thing until something notable actually happens!
P.S. Tempus, the land of the dead, isn't this damn dry!
-Rift
<<PAGE 3>>
April 6, 1929
Sahara Desert, Egypt
Day thirteen. I feel like I’ve been in this damned desert forever. I’ve got lame camels, thievin’ locals, and a merchant band that’s following up my troupe now. I’m surprised I even keep up with days now, because I think it’ll be months before we find whatever the scholars say we’re looking for. Anyways, our supplies are running low, and the mortals are starting to show signs of it. I’m thinking about heading back to Cairo to resupply, but that will put us back several days. My new horse does pretty well out in this desert, as I noticed most Arabians do, but three of the ten camels we brought took some side fire from bandits early in the trip. So I guess we’ll trudge on until we find it. I will keep you posted.
-Rift
<<PAGE 4>>
April 10, 1929
Cairo, Egypt
Had to resupply. Got rid of half of the whiners and I’m taking a new crew with me. The doctors and scholars are pretty gun-ho about exploration, so were expanding the troupe to 70. That means we’re an official caravan. Good thing I’ve got gold to pay these people with. If we find what I think we’re gonna find, I’ll retire and have enough funds to build a lab. We’re heading out tomorrow on a different path, and hopefully we won’t run into a sand storm like last week. Otherwise things are uneventful.
-Rift
<<PAGE 5>>
April 15, 1929
Somewhere in the Sahara
Ran into other problems today. Turns out the merchant that sold us the map was a fraud. We have to turn around and go another way because… hell, I don’t even know where we are. So, we’re lost… we brought enough supplies to last a week and a half, so we’ll just have to ration until we get back to civilization. If I ever find that damn turban wearin’ thief I’ll make a new ashtray out of his skull!! If anything happens, I’ll write again.
-Rift
<<PAGE 6 missing>>
<<PAGE 7 missing>>
<<PAGE 8>>
April 30, 1929
Somewhere in the Sahara, Egypt
Only ten mortals and two camels of our troupe remain. The rest have either fled or died in the last few days. I have come a long way this week and I have to say, though it was a great sacrifice, all of my efforts will be paid back from the haul from our find. We have found the largest man made structure ever built by far, save the Great Wall of China. A pyramid; let say… THE pyramid. The thing is out here all by itself in the middle of the desert and as far as I know has not been approached in centuries. It stands taller than the Eiffel Tower and I can’t even fathom how big the base is yet. No one dares enter it yet; I need to run some more tests before I get into the thing and I haven’t even started yet. The remaining scholar in the troupe has no clue of what reign this thing was built or what king or pharaoh is buried here. And they said Tut’s tomb was a find! So tonight I’ll gear up and go inside. There’s a couple of things I did notice when I did check out the entrance this afternoon… but I’m only going to write this here and I’m not telling the others. For one, I don’t see any sand that has blown in, though every tomb I’ve ever entered has that problem… no dust either… that kind of wierds me out in a way. What’s really eerie is that the temperature inside is way off… (it’s almost cold) and a draft seems to blow from inside the thing. The local guys won’t set foot near it, babbling some rubbish about curses and some other voodoo. I used one of my excavating tools to analyze the interior, and it’s made of a metallic substance, which is completely different from the sandstone I’m used to. Anyhow I’ll let you know about what I find inside in my next entry. Godspeed to all!
-Rift
<<PAGE 9>>
May 1, 1929
Giant Pyramid, Sahara
Despite the great find, nearly everyone left when we almost ran out of water. I can survive without food and water, but my more infernal traits become more dominant when I do. When I sent Samir away with the rest of the water to look for supplies and help, he looked at me like I was mad. After a bit of discussion, I eventually convinced him that he'd have a better chance of survival if he took all the water and came back for me, which is true. I can't blame him for arguing, but you can't weigh your own life with gold. As for the pyramid, I don't know what to call this thing. Whereas most of these structures are made from sandstone... this one is some sort of steel or metallic looking stone, which is actually cool to the touch. There was some progress during my first exploration into the interior, as I came across the antichamber, late yesterday. I found the entrance at the end of the low tunnel, which seems to descend under the structure. I found it peculiar that there are grooves in the walls, floor, and ceiling, like the whole damn thing was built in the clockwork style of a moving puzzle. There's also a low hum that emanates from deep within the center of the structure. I suspect that is where I will find the power source of the time well. If I can get that to Oghma, I can rebuild the Wheel. I know there is some sort of mechanism that will open the way to it. There is so much room in there. What else is weird? I have not seen a sarcophagus, treasure, nor a single Egyptian artifact. Just some sort of old control pedestal in the center of the chamber. The place has a very strange effect on me, I just get so tired when I'm looking around, so I'll start fiddling with that tomorrow. I figure I'll get some sleep because I doubt Samir will be able to locate me even if he somehow makes it back to civilization. I'm going to need all the luck I have left.
-Rift
<<PAGE 10 >>
May 3, 1929
Giant Pyramid
This will be my second… strange whirring sound… all have fled to Cairo or died trying… bright lights… leave well enough alone
(most of the text is unreadable)
<<PAGE 11 missing>>
<<PAGE 1>>
March 25, 1929
Cairo, Egypt
Day one. I've gotten correspondence that my properties (Deneir, Oghma, and Malfeas) have been secured. The biology lab on Gaia will remain under construction until complete, and then continue into lockdown procedure while I devote time to exploration. Victoria will take care of the rest, and I have no doubt she can handle it, along with the AI. Anyways. I've dropped by Cairo to begin my excursion into the desert. There is a temple out there somewhere that houses the secret of time, which I have a feeling will be helpful if something gets hosed up before I finish mapping out all of the dimensions. I've already got Samir checking in to his contacts here, seeing if he can get me some camels and local intelligent-type folks to help me decipher the data discs. I've gotten scholar's research notes, maps, and everything else that wasn't nailed down in Gaia. Dr. Theodore Balimon, my Sanskrit expert, should arrive here by plane, if the Boeing 80 doesn't crash over the Mediterranean Sea. Heck, I'll buy him a beer when he gets here.
-Rift
<<PAGE 2>>
March 30, 1929
Cairo, Egypt
Caught a bit of a snag. We've bought a hand-drawn map from a merchant that Samir says is a bit dicey (and expensive too), but has pulled through for him in the past. Yeah, I know, it seems dubious at the very least, but I've wasted too much time already trying to prepare for this journey. Despite our efforts to set up a makeshift headquarters at the Windsor Hotel, Samir couldn't find a guide worth a damn. Well, money talks. Either we'll have to pay the double rate, or find somebody who is either fool, clever, or brave enough to head straight into the middle of that deathtrap. Heat never bothered me much (Heh, Heh.), but my compatriots may take issue with following me into a literal hellscape. Especially if we find the structure-they say its inevitable death if you lay eyes on the thing. Well. I reckon I'll just give the thing the hairy eye, and throat punch it til' it shows me something worth lookin at. Ha. Jokes aside, if we don't get this going before the end of the month I'll just hire a guy to say he's a guide, and then a few expendables to carry the gear. As reckless as that sounds, I have to admit that this reminds me of when I first arrived in Tempus, back when I was just popping through as many universes I could find. I'm GOOD at being reckless and making it out ok in the end. Anyhow, I figure we'll figure something out. In the meantime, I'm going to stop writing in this thing until something notable actually happens!
P.S. Tempus, the land of the dead, isn't this damn dry!
-Rift
<<PAGE 3>>
April 6, 1929
Sahara Desert, Egypt
Day thirteen. I feel like I’ve been in this damned desert forever. I’ve got lame camels, thievin’ locals, and a merchant band that’s following up my troupe now. I’m surprised I even keep up with days now, because I think it’ll be months before we find whatever the scholars say we’re looking for. Anyways, our supplies are running low, and the mortals are starting to show signs of it. I’m thinking about heading back to Cairo to resupply, but that will put us back several days. My new horse does pretty well out in this desert, as I noticed most Arabians do, but three of the ten camels we brought took some side fire from bandits early in the trip. So I guess we’ll trudge on until we find it. I will keep you posted.
-Rift
<<PAGE 4>>
April 10, 1929
Cairo, Egypt
Had to resupply. Got rid of half of the whiners and I’m taking a new crew with me. The doctors and scholars are pretty gun-ho about exploration, so were expanding the troupe to 70. That means we’re an official caravan. Good thing I’ve got gold to pay these people with. If we find what I think we’re gonna find, I’ll retire and have enough funds to build a lab. We’re heading out tomorrow on a different path, and hopefully we won’t run into a sand storm like last week. Otherwise things are uneventful.
-Rift
<<PAGE 5>>
April 15, 1929
Somewhere in the Sahara
Ran into other problems today. Turns out the merchant that sold us the map was a fraud. We have to turn around and go another way because… hell, I don’t even know where we are. So, we’re lost… we brought enough supplies to last a week and a half, so we’ll just have to ration until we get back to civilization. If I ever find that damn turban wearin’ thief I’ll make a new ashtray out of his skull!! If anything happens, I’ll write again.
-Rift
<<PAGE 6 missing>>
<<PAGE 7 missing>>
<<PAGE 8>>
April 30, 1929
Somewhere in the Sahara, Egypt
Only ten mortals and two camels of our troupe remain. The rest have either fled or died in the last few days. I have come a long way this week and I have to say, though it was a great sacrifice, all of my efforts will be paid back from the haul from our find. We have found the largest man made structure ever built by far, save the Great Wall of China. A pyramid; let say… THE pyramid. The thing is out here all by itself in the middle of the desert and as far as I know has not been approached in centuries. It stands taller than the Eiffel Tower and I can’t even fathom how big the base is yet. No one dares enter it yet; I need to run some more tests before I get into the thing and I haven’t even started yet. The remaining scholar in the troupe has no clue of what reign this thing was built or what king or pharaoh is buried here. And they said Tut’s tomb was a find! So tonight I’ll gear up and go inside. There’s a couple of things I did notice when I did check out the entrance this afternoon… but I’m only going to write this here and I’m not telling the others. For one, I don’t see any sand that has blown in, though every tomb I’ve ever entered has that problem… no dust either… that kind of wierds me out in a way. What’s really eerie is that the temperature inside is way off… (it’s almost cold) and a draft seems to blow from inside the thing. The local guys won’t set foot near it, babbling some rubbish about curses and some other voodoo. I used one of my excavating tools to analyze the interior, and it’s made of a metallic substance, which is completely different from the sandstone I’m used to. Anyhow I’ll let you know about what I find inside in my next entry. Godspeed to all!
-Rift
<<PAGE 9>>
May 1, 1929
Giant Pyramid, Sahara
Despite the great find, nearly everyone left when we almost ran out of water. I can survive without food and water, but my more infernal traits become more dominant when I do. When I sent Samir away with the rest of the water to look for supplies and help, he looked at me like I was mad. After a bit of discussion, I eventually convinced him that he'd have a better chance of survival if he took all the water and came back for me, which is true. I can't blame him for arguing, but you can't weigh your own life with gold. As for the pyramid, I don't know what to call this thing. Whereas most of these structures are made from sandstone... this one is some sort of steel or metallic looking stone, which is actually cool to the touch. There was some progress during my first exploration into the interior, as I came across the antichamber, late yesterday. I found the entrance at the end of the low tunnel, which seems to descend under the structure. I found it peculiar that there are grooves in the walls, floor, and ceiling, like the whole damn thing was built in the clockwork style of a moving puzzle. There's also a low hum that emanates from deep within the center of the structure. I suspect that is where I will find the power source of the time well. If I can get that to Oghma, I can rebuild the Wheel. I know there is some sort of mechanism that will open the way to it. There is so much room in there. What else is weird? I have not seen a sarcophagus, treasure, nor a single Egyptian artifact. Just some sort of old control pedestal in the center of the chamber. The place has a very strange effect on me, I just get so tired when I'm looking around, so I'll start fiddling with that tomorrow. I figure I'll get some sleep because I doubt Samir will be able to locate me even if he somehow makes it back to civilization. I'm going to need all the luck I have left.
-Rift
<<PAGE 10 >>
May 3, 1929
Giant Pyramid
This will be my second… strange whirring sound… all have fled to Cairo or died trying… bright lights… leave well enough alone
(most of the text is unreadable)
<<PAGE 11 missing>>