The Dimensions of Time

[Takhesis]

Episode 2: Ripple In The Dunes.

 

The odd disappearances have attracted more than just media attention. Interested parties have taken matters in to their own hands - and each have their own ideas and path to follow.

 

A Time Lord and a renowned (if hidden) detective have joined forces to try and crack the case. Taking the logical decision to start at the beginning to try to unravel what exactly has occurred and discovering a personal mystery in the process.

 

UNIT, not yet convinced that there's anything non-terrestrial about events, have sent one of their people to watch over the laboratory where the artifacts are being analysed. The lab itself being a potential lead in breaking the case. Though any action taken would be unofficial, an under the radar investigation.

 

A curious citizen has been co-opted into a potentially deadly spy game by a mysterious man, observing the antics of the odd pair outside a museum - which has had a recent surge in popularity in its Tutenkhamun display due to the media's influence.

Edited May 12, 2013 by Takhesis

[shadow_claw]

Sherlock was the first to open the door of the TARDIS. Dry, hot wind blasted him in the face, alone with some scattered bits of sand. His coat was definitley not needed. He took his iconic trenh coat off, and discarded it with his other belongings. His eyes flitted back to The Leftinant for a moment, and her words rang in his ears agin. You're not suppose to be human. He shuddered inwardly, knowing whatever the watch contained, he didn't want to see. "Time to get digging, I suppose." The detective muttered to himself. A sandy Egypt on a scorching hot day. What could possibly be better?

[RainDash]

[Grah. Sorry! I was at work yesterday so I really couldn't post.]

 

The man seemed annoyed by her lack of information. It wasn't like she could just go up and say, 'Hey, tell me that you're aliens!' Or maybe the classic, 'tell me everything about what you're doing!' She wasn't a spy, but apparently she was one now. Why had she said yes? She felt like a puppet now, with strings tied around her arms and standing up on top of a tall stage. The man could cut them and send her toppling to her doom. She swallowed and replied to his command. "Yessir." It looked like they were following that odd pair or something.

 

[in my mind they're just lagging behind Sherlock and Leftiant a little bit.]

[67596]

((Psst. We're going to say they're at Tut's dig because the modern excavation isn't in egypt. Just to let you know. >_>))

 

---(Left)---

Leftinant held up an arm to shield from the arid wind and what it carried with it. She was having the same ideas as Sherlock about the clothing she was wearing. She unbuttoned her coat and peeled it off, placing it over one of the chairs around. The white dress shirt underneath would have to be enough. She quickly banded her hair into a ponytail and walked out into the dunes. She closed the TARDIS doors. It looked like a lone obelisk now, which in her opinion was pretty damn powerful. She didn't take much time to admire it. They were at the top of a valley sprawling out like a strange kind of fork. Far down the right side was an encampment of what could only be a dig. Even approaching the edge of the valley top she could see a line of people, mostly natives, coming in and out of the singular entrance. "This looks exciting. Let's see if we can find anything unnatural."

 

--(???)--

After walking the streets for a while, he felt that Leftinant must have disappeared. Yes. He was sure of that. That just meant that he'd either have to wait for her return or go off on his own looking for her. He chose neither. He'd find whatever mystery she was solving and get to it first, just for curiosity's sake. He sat down at a bench overlooking the river Thames. "Kara..." She was still behind him and seemed to be having second thoughts about signing on with him judging by that pensive look on her face. He hoped for her own sake that she'd adjust quickly. Deserting was not an option. "Tell me, my dear. What were you doing by that museum when I came along. Anything interesting?"

[shadow_claw]

Sherlock did happen to take the time to admire his surroudings. A vast stretch of sand surrounded them on the left and right, but there ruins of a once mighty civilization lay in front of them. "Amazing, isn't it? Being here in only a matter of minutes!" He breathed. "Right then, time to do some investigating." His steps were confident, even though he himself was feeling unsure abou everything. If he wasn't human, did that mean his whole life was a lie? That'd kind of be a nice thing, because of all the pain and suffering in this one. But if he wasn't Sherlock Holmes, who was he really?

[67596]

---(Michael)---

He had been working late. Hours at the lab had just been getting longer and the work they were expected to do had probably tripled. He didn't mind though. Artifacts and digs were his passion and he loved learning about these old cultures. Most of the items had been cleaned, but none of the staff had ventured near the supposed 'cursed' necklace from the dig. He was here alone so the artifact was all to himself for the night. When he approached it, the amulet still had dirt dried between its ridges. He picked it up carefully and took it to one of the sinks lining the walls. Slowly, carefully, he began cleaning it. Prominent designs and ridges stood out immediately. There were classic Celtic knots done up in silver and in the middle. His heart leaped. "Oh my god..." He cleaned the amulet as quickly as he dare.

 

The form of an upside-down T appeared, pointed ever so slightly like an arrow. "Mjölnir!" He was excited like a little schoolboy as it was uncovered and in the middle, a small little gem shimmering in the dimmed lab lights. He set it down on the table where it had sat all this time and went immediately to grab labeling tape and a marker. The machine lights went on as he grabbed them and he looked back, bewildered. There was no one else in the room. Things were whirring and trying to take readings on nothing but air. "What the hell?" He went to one and tried shutting it off. It was to no avail. Even when unplugged the machines were still going. He went to the lab phone and started to dial the lab manager.

 

---(Left)---

She walked around to the entrance of the valley. Nobody seemed to give her a second glance. She looked at them though and she looked at what they were wearing. Those hats. What she would give for one of those hats. They were extremely cool. Occasionally, Leftinant would look back at Sherlock. The conflict showed. The conflict over what she had told him that is. Perhaps she shouldn't have brought it up at all, but she had wanted to be sure and he probably deserved to know at some point. If her theory turned out to be wrong, then they would know about it and he could stop looking so damned pensive. "Look lively, Sherlock. You're in Egypt at what is probably the most famous dig in all the world with curses and old corpses. There's nothing to worry about."

[Takhesis]

Janet moved closer to the lab facilities, staying wary of active security cameras that were only visible by the blinking light that showed that they were on. It wouldn't do for her to get caught on tape, after all she wasn't meant to be there - officially anyway.

 

Stationary camera angles were the easiest to avoid - the roving ones had to be observed and timed. That is where her military training came in useful - the ability to be aware of her surroundings as well as the brief bursts of speed she had to employ to evade electronic eyes.

 

Getting past the guard fence was the hardest part.. not physically - but in the finding of a blind spot so she could take her time in going over.

 

Now to find a way into the building itself without triggering security...

[RainDash]

It was so creepy to hear a man whom she didn't even know by name, call her 'dear'. However, she hid her grimace and tried to answer. "Well, there's the mystery of the mummy. They say there's some curse around it. Make people disappear, die, and it's all to blame for the guys who found it." She explained. "The group all died under mysterious circumstances. Some say it was bug bites." She explained. "The curator was starting to say something about human curiosity, but I didn't listen. The crowd was driving me crazy." She finished. She wondered if, as a spy, she would be required to wear cool glasses. It kept her from thinking that she could be dead any second if she wasn't good enough. What the had she agreed to?

[shadow_claw]

((Wait, is this SuperWhoLock and not just WhoLock?))

 

"Yes, I know that." Sherlock responded irritably. He was afraid, even though it appeared as anger. Even the detective knew some things were best left unknown. As the famous saying goes; "ignorance is bliss". He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. "We came here, so we should enjoy the excavation site."

[67596]

((Yes. Be creepy, mystery man. Be creepy.

On the SuperWhoLock note, I don't think so. Was it the corpses comment? >_>))

 

---(???)---

He listened attentively. It was a place to start if nothing else. Kara seemed good for that at least. He continued to stare out at the water for a bit as he weighed what he wanted to do. Before starting anything, you should always endeavor to learn about it when and if you can. So he would go and learn about it. He imagined that this was very likely the sort of thing Leftinant might go after were it not for the fact that she was in and among humans, which he still didn't grasp. "Very good, Kara. You and I can go to this museum where we can start." He stood and turned to her. "I will tell you now that I'm not going to kill you for not finding exact information. There is always room for improvement in a person, especially if they are what others call' average'". This implied that he thought she was normal, which wasn't the worst insult coming from him.

 

---(Michael)---

This anomalous power surge spread over the entire facility and then the system short circuited itself. The power would be out for a few minutes while the systems tried to sort themselves out. This meant that phones connected to the line weren't functioning either. He received the dropped call tone and hung up, staring out into the darkness of the lab. He fumbled around for a pocket torch and found one, switching it on. He cast it wildly around the room, looking for someone. Surely there had to be someone down in the wing who had been messing around. "Solomon!" He called down the hall. "Sarah?!" There was no response. Good. A blackout was all he needed. With how this place ran, he'd probably be the one going down and resetting the breakers. "I've got it!" He tidied up some of the things he had been doing and tried to remember which way the basement was in.

 

---(Left)---

She raised her eyebrows and kept moving. 'Don't upset the man' she narrated dramatically to herself. They were approaching the bottom of the slope but things seemed to be quite a long ways. If their dates were correct, which they should have been since the TARDIS had apparently thought this was important, today should be the revealing. The famous peeking in with a torch and seeing the gold and all that. She had her scanner ready and everything to sort out the humans from anything that might not be. She highly doubted a correlation between the two events, but it would be better to check than not. Besides, she hadn't seen a good desert in a while. They arrived near the site and there was a small clump of people around the staircase to the King's tomb. "Excuse me." she said, pushing past some of them. "We're with Carter, thank you~"

 

[Takhesis]

It looked like Janet didn't have to worry about security after all - the lab just went into a blackout. Turning everything off - including the roving camera she was currently timing the sweep of.

 

One good thing, no more cameras... now where did I put my torch? Janet reached into her pocket and located a small windup torch on a keyring. Not ideal - but it would have to do.

 

Keeping it pointed low, Janet slowly made her way into the building. Now to find my way into the right section and find out whats going on.

 

In the blackout, she could easily be mistaken for one of the night shift. Though her civvies would probably tell a different story.

[shadow_claw]

((No, it was the whole spiel about the machines going haywire for no apparent reason.))

 

Manners wasn't one of Sherlock's strong points. Unlike Left, who was kind enough to apologize, he just weaved his way through the crowd, bumping into those who didn't take the hint and move. He paused only at the mouth of the tunnel, taking the time to marvel at the contruction of it. Ancient Egypt sounded like the kind of civilization he'd fit well into, since they were considered one of the most innovative and brilliant civilizations ever known. Ah, but he could only study the tuins of a oxe great empire. "You do not happen to have a torch, do you?"

[67596]

---(Left)---

She felt around her pockets for a torch, but she had none on her. "Sorry. The Professor should have one though." She hurried down the stairs into a dark hallway. It wasn't very long and she could indeed see a few people down at the far end. Two of them were leaning in expectantly towards another who was kneeling with his face pressed against the door that was there. "Can you see anything?" someone asked. She tread silently towards the group. There was a pause as the man kneeling shifted slightly. "Yes, wonderful things..." he said. Good. Things were going as planned and it should be easy enough to take scans of the area tonight without anyone questioning them. She looked back at Sherlock and beckoned him further in.

 

---(Michael)---

After consulting the emergency fire escape map, he found that the breakers were actually contained in the power house in back of the facility. "Like Jurassic Park." He took off down the hall and locked the lab door as he left seeing as the automatic locks weren't operational for this time. He murmured directions under his breath until he came out across from the small concrete building. There was a gravel road that was, for now, devoid of cars. He was checked by a security personnel who told him someone had already gone down to fix the power situation, but he had to be certain. Guards always managed to muck things up. After the woman had left, he sprinted across the road, adjusting his glasses and entering the facility. There was a set of iron stairs to go down and a few simple turns. If anything, whoever was supposed to be fixing things had probably gotten lost.

 

[shadow_claw]

Sherlock watched the two in the tunnel with interest. A torch lay on the ground at one of their feet, which he stooped down and picked up without hesitation. One of them already had a torch, they didn't need two. "Well, what all can you see?" he asked. "Did you really find the right one?"

[kiyye]

((Is there an OOC thread or should I just post my application here?))

[Xerozia]

((.-. i feel so lonely nobody told me we were starting...is there gonna be an episode three??? if so, then i'll just wait till then to hop in...))

[RainDash]

Well. She wasn't going to die because she wasn't gathering information before she worked for him. Then he stood and said that they were going to the museum to get more information and that would somehow solve some mystery that he was after. He was clearly going after someone. Then he complimented her. Or tried to. She really wasn't sure how to take it. Her usual course of action, yelling and punching, would only have her end up in a hospital. Or worse. She wasn't sure about him, or what she was even doing. All she could do was guess and hope. "Uh... thanks." She said. He sure acted weird fora human. Her mind briefly entertained the thought that he wasn't human, but then she shot it down when she remembered that this was reality, and dreaming like that had only left her with a broken heart and a broken dream.

[67596]

---(Left)---

He continued looking through and the others scarcely noticed the two of them there. "I can see gold. For the size of this mound, the artifacts look extravagant. This may be more than your regular noble..." The other man clapped the one crouching on the back. "I think we've cracked the case, Carter." She could almost see them smiling in this gloom. Carter pulled away from the wall and shined his light around the corridor. "Well well. It seems we have some new faces on the case. Who might you two be?" He extended a hand and Leftinant reached to shake it. "I am Mary-" she hesitated for a slight moment. "Mary Johnson. I'm here to help out from a...cross sea." She shook his hand firmly and retreated. His hands were filthy. "What about you, lad?"

 

---(???)---

"Keep up then." he said, once again taking off, this time back the way they came. He did make sure not to completely lose Kara despite the fact that he could go much faster than her smaller legs could carry her. They were again back at the museum and the TARDIS was gone. He sighed inwardly and ascended the steps leading to the possible clues within. he looked back. "Still with me, Kara?"

Edited May 17, 2013 by ArchiosLukos

[RainDash]

She bit back the urge to use sarcasm to reply. "Yes." It really wasn't good to be an idiot and reply with sarcasm to the man who held her life in his hands. However, did he really have to walk so fast? It was like keeping up with a giant. "So... are we gonna find that museum curator whatever and ask him about the dig?" She asked. She actually didn't know much about it outside of the curse and the fuzziest recollections from her history class. She wasn't exactly a star student either, so she was lucky enough to remember who President Truman was.

[Takhesis]

[basing this part on my experience of University Laboratories and Teaching Hospitals.... Labyrinths each and every one of them.]

 

Why do labs have to so maze-like? Janet almost cursed aloud as she took another wrong turning. She managed not to - but her composure was starting to crack, the longer she took - the more likely it was that she'd be caught. Either by one of the real night shift or by the power coming back on.

[shadow_claw]

Sherlock's classic poker face was still on, but the child-like shine in his eyes showed his true emotions. He extended a pale hand for Carter, not minding anything inside. "Sherlock Holmes, Mister Carter." The detective answered. "Perhaps you broke into a tomb much more important than you relaized. Perhaps a forgotton Pharoh?"

[Takhesis]

[bump - and @Archios when should Michael and Janet meet up? Before or after the lights are fixed?]

[67596]

((Whatever you choose will affect the nature of the relationship with Michael and how difficult it will be for you to leave. Meeting him before the lights are reset is the safest option. I’ll refrain on posting on him until you decide.))

 

---(Left)---

Carter chuckled. “I certainly hope you’re right. We’ll have to clear the door.” He took off his gloves and began down the dark hall and up the stairs that they had just come from, still holding his light. The other man with him, who should be Carnarvon, left quickly after him with nothing but a brief acknowledgement to the new ‘Egyptologists’ who had just arrived. There was quite an excitement it seemed. ”I think that we might get a bit of a rush down here. Better not to be trampled.” Leftinant also went up in to the fiery sunlight. The coolness of the tunnel was spectacular compared to up in the valley. The two Englishmen were talking to the various members of the team to get ready for removing the door barricading their way into the tomb. She stepped off to the side for now, but when the team went back down she wanted to be right after Howard Carter.

 

---(???)---

He huffed in a mixture of surprise and contempt. “We don’t need to be lead around like children, Kara.” he said, and proceeded inside. He pulled a wallet out of his vest and flashed it quickly at the receptionist before going into the exhibits. “Keep up, Kara.” he said. He walked through the exhibit and took it in for a few moments. The lady he had showed his wallet looked to them both confusedly, but resigned herself back to her seat and began looking though a book she had. The man went straight to work on the cases.

 

[RainDash]

Kara bit back the urge to reply yessirr, but that would have only enabled him. That badge he flashed was interesting. What was in there that could have confused that poor woman? Something incriminating, maybe? No, he didn't look like the person to dig up information on boring people anyway. "So, where do we start?" She asked this in place of her other question,which would probably have been brushed off. Oh well...

[shadow_claw]

It was a reluctant move, but Sherlock exited the tomb with The Leftinant. He wanted to do more digging, more exploring, but he'd have to wait up top. The blast of hot, dry air that greeted him wasn't unusual, he decided. Standing out of the way, the detective watched with shining eyes as the crew piled into the chamber. Because the team was merely making noise, Sherlock grew tire of ten quickly. Instead, he looked around the dig. Aha! What a nice little hat somebody left behind! Stooping down, he picked it up, brushed the sand off, and placed the sunhat on his head.