[mercy]

So do we continue with our characters for the Friday or do we wait for something else?

[mercy]

Tanya turns to Glo as she talks and nods. “Carlos Martinez. Got it. I will begin looking for him. Did you have any indication that Fu Shing was the 88 lieutenant that was involved in this sale? If so, I could use that information to my advantage. My guess is that my predecessor in my position would have been involved in something like that as it has been proved that he was in the pay of Fu Shing’s enemies, but I am afraid that I killed him to get his job and not even the highly efficient Mister Jan could be expected to get any answers from him at this point. I do, however have access to his ‘link and will begin looking back through that to see if I can find anything. May I ask what sort of program was being sold?”

Tanya hesitates then turns to include the others in the conversation. “Listen, I do not think that Fu Shing is involved in either setting the hit on you or in buying this program, but it may turn out that I am wrong. After all, I have not been trolling the upper echelons of the organization for long and there may be hidden agendas I am not aware of yet. Even if this turns out to be the case, I believe that I can still be useful to you. I have promised to get that hit lifted and I will do what I can to get this program back in Glo’s hands. All I ask in return is that you give me a chance to work within the Triad to accomplish my own agenda. For that to work, I need Fu Shing alive and in control of the 88s. Is this something we can agree to?”

While waiting for the others to respond, she sends a message out to her decker friend. >>Hey, lover, got some additional information for you to look into. Please see if you can find out anything about a man by the name of Doctor Carlos Martinez. Apparently he is trying to shop some sort of program about and may have sold it to someone in the 88s. it is certainly possible that he might be looking for other buyers as well. Also, I am sending you the access code to a commlink I took off of my predecessor as Fu Shing’s right hand. Please look deep into it. It is possible that he has been uploading information to Fu Shing’s data bases that would incriminate him in something done by another lieutenant. Thanks. Call me when you get anything.<<

[mercy]

1430 March 3, 2077 – Slang Ap, Laos

The dim light of glow sticks outlines the aperture Sian has just made in the stone wall of the crypt. The woman turns and smiles at her dig chief and Brigitte gives rapid fire instructions to three of the men in the crew, who move forward with timbers and tools to prop open the makeshift door. After millennia of doing this, Sian has plenty of practice in being patient, but it was hard this time. It has taken years of persistent research, but if her information, and her gut, were right, she has just cracked the tomb of Phou Kel, the last king of his rather short-lived dynasty in this part of the world. He had ruled ineffectively over a large empire that had been bequeathed to him by his father and his father before him. The grandfather had ruled with a fist of iron and cowed his subjects, treating them much like the slaves he brought in from his conquests of his neighboring kingdoms. His son, Phou Kel’s father, had been cut from the same cloth and had expanded his borders even more, bringing home treasures of coins, gems, and slaves. He had left his empire to a young man who was more interested in bedding the slaves and building monuments to his own greatness than in taking care of his empire. As a result, his government had become corrupt and his army had grown soft. Rival kingdoms, sensing blood in the water and desiring revenge for the depredations of Phou Kel’s father and grandfather, had attacked and the ruler was forced to flee his capital with his consort and young son, accompanied by his personal guard and a host of slaves, but the three had never turned up at their destination or anywhere else. The deposed king had disappeared with a good portion of his treasury and some artifacts that had been rumored to have special abilities. Sian’s research has led her to believe that the treasure and the artifacts may be inside this crypt, if looters had not already beat her to it. She smiles at that thought and corrects herself; other looters.

Sian turns to the man standing next to her and talks to him in her broken Lao. “We must be cautious inside, Chong. There could be traps. Remember three years ago.”

The man grins. “How can I forget; I thought I was going to die in that ruin. Still, you stopped the thing, whatever it was, before anyone was hurt. You are a hero to my wife and children, and to me of course.”

Sian nods. “Yes. But I would rather not have to do that too often. And are you sure she holds me in high esteem? You have given her two more mouths to feed in the three years.”

Chong bows low. “To many of us you are the answer to our prayers to the gods. You always pay better than you have to and are most generous with your final bonuses. But better than the money, you treat us fairly and with respect.” He sweeps his hand to indicate the men behind them. “That is why you will never have trouble finding workers for your expeditions, despite being a witch.”

The two chuckle and turn back to watch as Brigitte supervises the construction effort while the rest of the crew crouches or sits on the cave floor behind them. When the portal is secure, Sian holds out a hand for the lantern Chong is holding. With a few commands, the lantern lifts up and passes through the opening, providing light for the others to see by. There is low muttering behind her at the clear evidence of sorcery and Sian can imagine the various hand signs being made to ward off evil, but this is not the first time she has done magic in front of them and those that have been with her on earlier expeditions have been quick to point out to the others that the expedition leader is a benevolent witch.

Sian smiles as Brigitte steps aside and motions a salute. “The honor is yours, Miss Romanov.”

The archaeologist and tomb raider known publicly as Tatjana Romanov and privately to a few people simply as Sian, nods and walks two feet past the portal into the crypt, looking around at a large room that hopefully has not seen human footsteps in centuries. She is pleased to see that the room appears intact and untouched. From her position at the door, the bright light of the lantern lets her see urns and chests stacked neatly around a burial chamber that must measure about a hundred feet to a side. Skeletal remains of armored warriors lay where they had fallen as guards for their king’s last journey. Piles of bones lining the sides of the chamber are almost certainly those of the slaves that had been killed to make sure that the king would have servants in the next life. As the lantern moves about the chamber, Sian’s eyes are attracted to the central dais, where two large and one small sarcophagus sit side by side. She smiles broadly when she sees that these gilded stone boxes appear to be undisturbed. Satisfied, she pokes her head back out and looks at Brigitte. “Please send for Fant. Let him know that the crypt seems to be intact and untouched by tomb robbers.”

The other woman nods and walks out of the antechamber, returning in a few minutes with the Lao government representative of the Ministry of Antiquities. The short man is smiling but he appears quite nervous as he walks up to the opening, perhaps remembering all too well the incident of three years earlier. “Is it safe in there?” At Sian’s shrug, he steps in a few inches and looks about in amazement at the tomb of a long-dead king of a nation that spanned much of this part of Laos and over to Cambodia and even the western portion of Vietnam. He gazes about without moving then almost takes a step forward. Almost. He shakes his head and smiles at Sian. “Thank you, Miss Romanov, your help has been invaluable. I am sure that I can leave you to cataloging and packing up all of the items here, all according to our arrangements.”

Sian smiles back and nods. “Of course, Fant, I will do as we have agreed.”

The man looks at her as if undecided about something then nods and leaves the antechamber and the approach cave the men had dug to get to the wall Sian had breached. His mind is already spending the cut of the treasure that will be his as he returns to his spacious tent and the arms of his mistress. Sian waits for him to leave then nods to her dig chief. Brigitte nods back and calls the crew forward to join her and Sian inside the crypt, setting them to carefully noting the various items and boxing them up for storage and later transport to the capital. Sian herself moves to the dais where she pays special attention to the sarcophagi there. Calling upon her great strength, she shifts the lid to where it is perpendicular to the coffin and calls for some of her crew to come forward with a small crane apparatus. Using wide straps, they lift the lid and move it aside, allowing full access to the stone coffin. The process is repeated twice more and Sian can gaze at the contents of all three sarcophagi. She waves her men aside to other tasks, having already seen what she is looking for. She can feel a bit of real power emanating from the small book clasped in the hands of the mummified woman in the first box. She will have to make some final examinations, of course, but she is fairly certain that she is looking at the Prayer Book of Lu Shan. The second box contains a mummified man still holding his royal regalia in his hands and dressed in his finest raiment. Of all the golden and begemmed trinkets adorning the body, Sian is interested in only the large ruby ring on the forefinger of the dead king’s right hand. The third sarcophagus holds the remains of the son and heir and Sian spares some looks at the child’s raiment, but sees nothing that would be of great interest to her Master.

Sian carefully removes the book and ring and places them in a case Brigitte holds open for her. Smiling, the archaeologist moves about the large room as her people go about their work. She estimates that she will be on the site for a few more days then it is back off to Europe and the museum. She smiles again at the thought of spending some time with her Master.

2355 March 8, 2077 – Slang Ap, Laos

Sian is sitting on a comfortable camp chair, gazing into the fire before her and thinking of the small treasures securely packed away in the case at her feet. After five weeks of work at the site followed by six days of hard labor to get all of the treasures out, cataloged, and stored on the trucks, the work here at Slang Ap is nearly complete and she is already thinking about her next dig. Fant, the government representative who was assigned to watch over her activities, had left the site earlier in the day, taking his mistress and two chests of gems and coins with him. Sian is relatively sure that some of the contents of the chests will not make it to the antiquities museum but that is to be expected. Shaking her head, she rids her mind of the relatively inconsequential and completely corrupt antiquities official and considers again the message that Sanrit Goldstein has sent her. The Professor Emeritus and current Chair of the Antiquities Department at Hebrew University of Jerusalem is one of the world’s foremost experts on antiquities and also a close friend and colleague. In the message, she claims to have some information about the location of a prize Sian has sought for over five hundred years. If Sanrit says she has information, Sian is certain it will be useful and she is interested enough to want to divert from her direct return to Prague to see what her friend has found out. Sighing, she prepares a message to her Master to tell him the news and to let him know that she will be stopping off in Jerusalem on the way home to Prague.

[mercy]

Jack, what is the game effect of the void you carry? My character is a mage, so will it affect me greatly?

[mercy]

Hello. I am on.