Journey to the Center of the Earth

[Sarah Tintagyl]

OOC: Okay first off I know its not possible, hence the Non-Canon, therefore if you're just going to blast this thread with OOC spam about science and stuff please take it somewhere else or PM me. That being said this is an entirely open RP that will go along side the book written by Jules Verne and the new movie that was just released last summer. As such you may join the story at any time, no problems, but I'd like to see you committed even as a minor character and if you get bored with it, there will be plenty of ways to die. In addition, and Mael I know you'll like this. After reaching the inner-earth any semi-realistic creature is go. I'd prefer they once existed but I'm willing to have a little fun as well. But yeah, I'd love you guys to join so I don't have to write it by myself.

IC:

Cecilia St. Clair looked out from behind the curtains off the side of the stage and shook with anxiety. The Greater German Reich Academy of Science had been her greatest goal ever since she had began university over seven years ago. Now, twenty-five her dream was finally beginning to take seed, even if at this very moment everything could end up crashing down upon itself. This of course was the cream of the crop of the European scientific community and anyone who was anyone had the respect of the academy. That was why Cecilia was there, she had spent years of research on her theory of Abstract Volcanology and it was finally time to announce it to the world.

Ever since she was a little girl in Iceland, Cecilia had loved the Earth, but not the way a gardener or a forester or a naturalist would. No she saw the beauty of the cool damp caves and the dank gray rocks underneath her. It was the gray and the cold, the hot and red, and the blue dazzling display of gems in the caverns of North America and the lava flows of the South Pacific that had stolen her heart away and had given her an entirely new outlook on life on the earth. She wanted to know what made it tick, what made the volcanoes erupt, what and who ran the great timepiece that people knew as the Earth. And along the way, Cecilia had kept one book by her side, it was her bible of sorts and she kept it hidden, because for a scientist of any sort to read it and more so to believe in it was entirely unacceptable. Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth .

For the last three years, Cecilia had dedicated her life to her self-proclaimed study of Abstract Volcanology. It was her firm belief that inside the various volcanic and continental shifts that existed on the Earth that there lay certain, Volcanic tubes that could lead further down towards the Earth's center. In all due respect, she believed what no one in the scientific community dared to believe and said time and time again it was false. But she truly believed that Verne was right, how, she didn't know, but she was determined to find out.

After the Chancellor of the Academy introduced the beginning of the conference, Cecilia's shakes grew incredibly more powerful as her entire stomach seemed to drop out of her body onto the floor below and as her name was announced and she moved onto the stage, it finally hit her. No one, no one in the scientific community was going to let this go. But it was too late now, she had put too much work into it, too much research, too many years of her life, it was now or never.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Academy, good evening. My name is Cecilia St. Clair, I am a geologist from the University of Reykjavik and for the past six years since I began my schooling in Geology I have pursued a school of thought that though I have created on my own I believe to be extremely viable after much thought and research done in the field. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the Theory of Abstract Volcanology."

"Over the past six years I have spent a great deal of time in the field, in Iceland, in North America, and on the Pacific Ring of Fire to try and discover the greater inter workings of this planet of ours. Ladies and Gentlemen, in the past, people have believed in the ideas of Hell, Hades, a dark underworld of mythic proportions and since the dawn of modern science we have regarded these ideas as sheer myth. However, what if, modern science has had this wrong. It is my firm believe that along the fault lines of the world, especially near the volcanoes and fire chutes that exist on fault lines, and around volcanoes that there are such anomalies as a Volcanic Tube. These tubes which are no doubt ages upon ages old existed when now extinct volcanoes stopped the transfer of lava to the surface. However, the lost of lava flow along these tubes that once held magma and that now newer volcanoes are active makes little sense. Ladies and gentlemen, I will go out on a limb here and say for once that the writers and philosophers of the past may have been correct and that our Earth. Is indeed hollow and these extinct volcanic tubes lay as a passageway through the crust into the deeper reaches of our planet. Waiting to be explored, now I have not gone myself, my studies of the areas around the volcanic tubes point to this without any doubt. However before I continue with the deeper parts of the theory, does anyone in the conference have any questions?"

Cecilia took a deep breath, their faces were in awe and to be honest, it didn't look like the awe that she wanted.

[Kaiser Martens]

The conference would be mostly filled with skepticism, and it seemed that it would simply put, be a failure. Mocking smiles would even be seen in some of the journalists as evidence of this blatant disbelief. It was normal after all for new ideas not to be quickly adopted. But the all-seeing eye of Berlin quickly shifted its attention towards her.

"What? She said what? That is impossible. Ugh. I can't believe some civilian has done this before us." Martens growls with frustration and shakes his head. They also had similar information, and had a similar project, but the woman had arrived to their same conclussions with a lot less time, effort, money, and earlier, without warning. "Contact the Schattenland, send Riedelmann himself if he must to talk to her, we can't let her get away with it."

On the one hand, she'd be systematically discredited by the press, as strings are pulled. But on the other hand, a very tall, stereotypical german-scandinavian man would reach her just when she would be leaving the conference building, in a black leather trenchcoat and similar hat.

"Frau St. Clair. Please. I need a word with you."

He had an offer she wouldn't be quite able to refuse.

[The Confederation]

A man stood from the back of the lecture hall as soon as the declaration of intent was finished and the group convened. His heels clacked on the floor as he approached Frau St. Clair. Noticing the man in the black coat, he instantly recognized him as a Schattenland Agent.

"You must be one of the spooks that Martens sent?" He said in an almost condescending academic voice.

"Excuse me, but I am Dietrich von Niehelm, Greater Nordland and Prussia's foremost academic and chief lecturer of Cultural Anthropology and Archeology at the University of Martensheim. I believe we're hear to speak with Frau St. Clair for the exact same reason."

Edited May 14, 2009 by Brian Reimer

[Kaiser Martens]

The man raises an eyebrow and looks this Niehelm fellow up and down, rather despectively, before answering,

"You will not speak His Name so...so lightly...I will listen to what you have to say." He spoke, as if he actually had decided everything for the woman already. How tactful. He adjusts his thin, black sunglasses and casts a glance about, as everyone seems to be on their way out.

[Sarah Tintagyl]

Cecilia hadn't even been able to continue with the presentation at the pause for questioning, the entire scientific audience looked up at the stage stunned, paused for a moment before an uproar of laughter. Her jaw dropped and her eyes turned to the ground in defeat, the theory was going to be disproved before it could even be talked about. She turned to the Chancellor who only shook his head at her and approached. "Miss St. Clair, when you discussed your theory with me, you said it was about Volcanic Tubes and lava extinction. You did not say that it would be about the Hollow Earth Theory."

"Because you wouldn't have allowed me to come up on the stage if that was the case Chancellor."

"I would have done that to save you the embarrassment that you have just put yourself through." He pointed at the crowd. "All for some stunt, you realize now that you have lost any and all credibility. Your degrees are worthless."

"Worthless?"

"Miss St. Clair, you're only a few strokes from being placed in a Mental Asylum and I would suggest that you go find another line of work, perhaps Journalism or fiction writing. Dabble people in the unbelievable there, but do not waste the academy's time with preposterous theories that Jules Verne could better describe." He shook his head and watched as the audience began to get up from their seats. "Have a good day Miss St. Clair, and better luck with the rest of your life. Hopefully I won't see you in the asylum anytime soon."

Cecilia sighed as she walked defeated back to her room gathered up her maps, charts, and everything else she had worked diligently to prepare for the presentation. All worthless now, putting on a coat her frock coat she headed out from the entrance halls of the Academy, still receiving horrible stares by the scientists still circulating through the building, but as she walked out she was stopped by a strange man at the bottom of the staircase and another man walking towards the man in black. The first man was odd and a bit intimidating especially considering the fact that he was staring directly at her when she had left the Hall. But before she could get away from either one of them, the first grabbed her attention.

"Frau St. Clair. Please. I need a word with you."

She turned back at the man and gulped. "I'm sorry. Have we met?"

[The Confederation]

The man raises an eyebrow and looks this Niehelm fellow up and down, rather despectively, before answering,

"You will not speak His Name so...so lightly...I will listen to what you have to say." He spoke, as if he actually had decided everything for the woman already. How tactful. He adjusts his thin, black sunglasses and casts a glance about, as everyone seems to be on their way out.

"I was sent here by the decree of Bruno Zamoyski under the orders of Albert Tanzband and Valkyrie Magnhild. I believe you know the implications of what we might discover on this...endeavor. All three of them felt it important that I would be there to experience it...personally...and document in the style of 'A New Europe, A New World' Now, shall we listen to the lady?"

[Kaiser Martens]

"You can call me Hans. It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady."

Ceremoniously he nods, even seeming to resemble a religious air for certain moments.

"Your investigation has attracted attention of certain relevant individuals, and I have been sent to talk to you about it to discuss various possibilities." Rather indirect, rather cryptic, he didn't want to speak loudly about the subject, nor close to this other fellow who had come up out of nowhere. Belatedly he adds, "...I believe this...man here wishes to speak to you as well...maybe a coffee would be suitable..."

Surprised, he raises an eyebrow. Magnhild? He instantly takes out his PDA to check some information...

Edited May 14, 2009 by Kaiser Martens

[Sarah Tintagyl]

"My investigation? You don't mean my Geological theory do you?" Hans nodded and Cecilia's eyes widened. "Well of course, I would love to have coffee with you gentlemen." All she could think of was that the Chancellor was incredibly wrong. All ready she was being questioned further by various authorities and though a little shady, the deeper workings of the scientific community were always strange. 'Certain individuals', she thought, things were beginning to look brighter already. "But please gentlemen, I know a small little cafe a few streets down from here, we can go sit there and talk."

Cecilia led Hans and Dietrich down the street towards the cafe and after getting situated with cups of coffee in front of them and her maps and charts safely placed beside her she turned to the two strangers and smiled. "Well gentlemen, I assume that you were in the Academy for the beginning at least of my presentation, I covered a decent overview there. But what of Abstract Volcanology are you interested in? Please however I can be of help, you need only to ask." She smiled taking a sip of the coffee.

[The Confederation]

The Scholar smiled as they walked to the cafe. The cafe was small and cozy with few prying eyes or ears to divulge on their secrets.

"Frau St. Clair...in my studies of the European Historical Culture and the progression a very common theme is that of the Bifröst...a bridge between Midgard (our world) and Asgard (the world of the Æsir). This supposed cavern to what we believe is near the center of the earth may be the origin of civilized man...a place where man can interact with the Æsir or atleast artifacts of their journey."

He played with his cup of tea a bit.

"I believe that we have much to gain on a manned expedition of the legendary Bifröst. I even believe that we may be able to grasp onto the origins of human civilization and find definitive proof of our interactions with the Æsir in the past."

He smiled, wondering why the spook had been sent to do the job of an intellectual.

[Kaiser Martens]

He adjusts his glasses with one finger, keeping them on in spite of being inside, and removing his hat to place it nearby very carefully, still eyeing his PDA, standard issue PDA for High Rankers in the Reichswehr. He glanced towards the "Scholar" for a moment, then back towards the device, receiving updates, wishing the Kaiser hadn't gotten further civilian elements into this. But oders were orders. He smiles and tucks it back into an inner pocket, requesting a black coffee for himself.

"What will The Lady have?" Smiling with dark charm, as if an ancient demon, looking then towards Cecilia, but rather ignoring "the other guy."

He mentions nothing on the actual subject while the waiter is close however.

[Sarah Tintagyl]

Cecilia's eyes widened as she almost choked on the coffee. "A manned expedition? Surely you realize how dangerous this would be." Maybe that was why the black suited man had come, it almost felt that Cecilia didn't really have much a choice by this point. She sighed and looked back up at the Culturalist. "Well I'll be honest, I'm not one for myths and legends, but as for the historical data I would assume there is a chance that we could find historical artifacts somewhere in the tubes. If my calculations would be correct then these have existed for a long time, so the chance that ancient cultures or peoples may have wandered into them and survived what ever exists on the other side is naturally possible." She couldn't help but smile. "I'm personally honored that the Cultural Center shows such an interest in the theory, but as for the manned expedition, it would probably be extremely dangerous. I never even believed in the possibility of investigating it for myself, but I guess the opportunity never really presented itself either."

She flung back the coffee and stared at the two gentlemen across the table. "Though I would suggest that not a massive amount of people be sent for this. As I said, I have no idea what to expect inside the tubes, all I know is that they exist, but you have my word that I would love to assist the Cultural Center and eh...what ever department you might work for sir." She said speaking to Hans. "When ever you need me I can be available." Cecilia chucked. "At the moment I'm out of a job."

[Kaiser Martens]

He nods and sips from his coffee.

"Everything is being made ready. We're leaving in twelve hours. We have already made all the preparations. You shall both come along and we'll provide you with technology, the logistic means, and all-round help basically. If this succeeds, you will have enough to live a more than comfortable life. Of course, it is redundant to say that no word of this should be spread, not without high approval."

He spoke as if a programmed machine, and then sips again.

[The Confederation]

Cecilia's eyes widened as she almost choked on the coffee. "A manned expedition? Surely you realize how dangerous this would be." Maybe that was why the black suited man had come, it almost felt that Cecilia didn't really have much a choice by this point. She sighed and looked back up at the Culturalist. "Well I'll be honest, I'm not one for myths and legends, but as for the historical data I would assume there is a chance that we could find historical artifacts somewhere in the tubes. If my calculations would be correct then these have existed for a long time, so the chance that ancient cultures or peoples may have wandered into them and survived what ever exists on the other side is naturally possible." She couldn't help but smile. "I'm personally honored that the Cultural Center shows such an interest in the theory, but as for the manned expedition, it would probably be extremely dangerous. I never even believed in the possibility of investigating it for myself, but I guess the opportunity never really presented itself either."

She flung back the coffee and stared at the two gentlemen across the table. "Though I would suggest that not a massive amount of people be sent for this. As I said, I have no idea what to expect inside the tubes, all I know is that they exist, but you have my word that I would love to assist the Cultural Center and eh...what ever department you might work for sir." She said speaking to Hans. "When ever you need me I can be available." Cecilia chucked. "At the moment I'm out of a job."

"Funding is not an issue, I am willing to write a blank check to assure that a manned mission will occur. The Center's engineering staff and geologists are also at your command. We will make this a reality."

[Sarah Tintagyl]

Cecilia sat back against the chair and ran her hands through her hair. Her wildest dreams were coming true now, not only did she have apparently two very powerful individuals believing in her theory, they were both willing to fund the expedition themselves, or at least their institutions were. She smiled and reached over the table to shake both of their hands. "You don't know how thankful you've made me right now, I can't express my gratitude anymore than I already have and I apologize for that." She laughed, unable to keep her smile under control. "Well, twelve hours, I'll have to get all my things ready and packed." She stood up, knocking over the chair in her excitement and then tripping over her maps and charts before she went over to shake the gentlemen's hands again. "But thank you, thank you so much....Twelve hours, twelve hours. So much to do." Cecilia repeated as she moved towards the door before stopping and looking back.

"Oh wait, I don't even know where to go to meet you gentlemen for tomorrow. Where will we be leaving from?"

[Kaiser Martens]

Gratefully he smiles. "Do not thank me Lady, thank His Highness. Do not worry. You will not find us, we will find you."

He finishes his coffee and again disregarding the third party stands up, both leaving him behind to pay for the bills...

[The Confederation]

"Heh, Martens spooks are all the same...no mind for themselves...collective brains."

He looked over to Cecilia--now standing in the door--noticing his slip.

"Ah yes..contact...here is my business card, you should be able to contact me on any of the five listed numbers. I am staying at the Hotel Markoi for the night...you may also find my room there."

He threw a handful of Nordmark coins on the table and walked out toward the busy midday streets.

[Sarah Tintagyl]

After leaving the cafe Cecilia ran as fast as she could towards her hotel about a mile away. She was too excited to hail a cab and the run almost seemed non-existent. When she had arrived in her room, she threw the maps and charts on a table near the mirror in the room and immediately went to get ready for bed. The sun had already set, but she needed as much sleep as possible, at least eight hours and the anxiety for tomorrow was already beginning to kill her, she couldn't even fathom how much she wanted to be part of the expedition already. After showering, brushing her teeth and doing all the necessary rituals for bed, she changed into a pair of sweat pants and a tank top and crawled under the covers. It was about ten o'clock by this point so she set the alarm for seven in the morning and hopefully that would allow her enough time to get ready and go over her reports again before, supposedly meeting Hans and Dietrich again, whether they would find her or she would have to go over to the Markoi Hotel.

After setting the alarm she rolled back over the pillows and closed her eyes as the images of what lay beyond the entrances of the tubes danced in her mind. The adventure, the danger, and the knowledge that would come from it, she would finally gain the respect from the community she so longed to be apart of.

It was a harsh buzzing sound that awoke her from her dreams as Cecilia darted up from the bed and rolled over to turn off the alarm. Seven in the morning, but Hans was no where to be seen at the moment. Well, she would wait an hour then head over to where Dietrich was and maybe get some information on when they would be leaving. But at the present, she got dressed in a pair of jeans and a few sets of sweatshirts and hiking coats and packed the rest of her bags. She had no clue how long of a journey it would be so she packed as much as she could fit. After that was done, she spent the next hour going over the maps and reports. Her heart was almost coming out of her chest, it was almost to much to believe, that this was finally coming true. Six years, finally complete.

[Kaiser Martens]

Each of them were sent a black Mercedes Benz customized limousine, a staple of all things shady and government-related, especially since that particular model was only available to Government and Military in the highest levels. When seeing it, people asked no questions, but rather knew to stand out of the way.

The door was knocked at the exact same time in both cases by a military officer of a medium-high rank, escorted also by an Einherjar.

"We have come to escort you to the meeting place for the expedition. Let us go."

People would end up fearing those two had actually gotten into serious trouble, most of the time these guys in black picked someone up, they wouldn't be seen ever again. They were in fact not even spoken of outloud, part of it enshrouded in rumors.

The rides in the cars took quite a while, but they both arrived at a makeshift, very high technology complex by the "Tube Entrance" described by her job. The data had been accurate, ,and the area had been secured already, it seemed as if a small army was in charge of it. Overlooking the fault itself they saw "Hans", who in fact had given but a fake name, who tips his hat in their direction. Technology around the area appears very high end, even higher than Old Germany and Old Nordland, or Old Poland.

"Welcome." He smiles. "It appears that preliminary scanning of the fault shows indeed data inconsistent with the current geological paradigm. We have tried and sent some electronic scouts, but signals only go so far. This is like the first Cosmonauts, we have no idea as to what we'll encounter, but we can tell that the situation is...rather abnormal...please, over the door." He gestures. "Your "Space suits" will be handed to you, then we will begin through there. I will be coming along with you, I and the blessings of Our Kaiser." There, referring to what seemed to be some type of weird, unusual crane-elevator.

Then, the earth rumbled, as if a very small earthquake, causing people to get startled and lose balance for a moment, yet it stopped. "There's been an earthquake recently we think may have to do with the whole situation. The zone is...a little unstable, admittedly...do not worry, we will have cyanide capsules in case that we become trapped..." He smiles, embracing the posibility of death. "We'll be fine then. For that is our will."

[Sargun II]

Comrade Ivan wrinkled his nose in disgust. "You Nords have such a horrible smell," he muttered as he drummed his fingers absentmindedly on his pulse rifle. What's a pulse rifle? No idea. It shoots fancy laser pulses. Magic!

"My name is Comrade Ivan. First name Comrade, last name Ivan. I had the pleasure of tearing down Martens' statues many years ago and I hope to do so again in the future. Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, I hope all of you damn Nords die a brilliant communist death." He smiled and opened his vest. "I've got more guns than a cow has moo. I'm security number one and I will make sure you're still alive so that you can die brillian communist deaths. One more thing, don't call me Ivan."

Finally, he nodded his head to Cecelia. "Ma'am, I have the pleasure of working with you and will make sure you stay of good health and mind. My name is Comrade Ivan, Zippo is my middle name. You may call me Bunny if you wish, ma'am." How did he get in here? Nobody knows, because it's Comrade Ivan!

[Lynneth]

Similarly to Ivan, two men from Canada had appeared mysteriously, one of them holding an MP5 machine gun, equipped with some additional - admittedly more futuristic - weapons and clad in a futuristic orange environment suit, the other man wearing everyday-clothes and what seemed to 'only' be a...laser-pistol?.

The normal-looking man was Rolf Egan, a scientist from Black Mesa in Canada, while the other man in the suit had a small nametag on his chest, reading Fordon Greeman. They approached Cecilia.

"Hello there, Miss Clair. I'm Rolf Egan, from the Black Mesa Research Facility in Canada. Surely you've heard of us, we have lots of crazy technology., after all. Anyways, I've been sent to see if what you're thinking is true. The young man here on my side is Fordon Greeman, quite a prodigy with the use of guns, even though he actually studies theoretical physics and biology. Doesn't talk a lot, though."

Both bowed before Cecilia.

[Centurius]

"Bad at insults Ivan?"a man with a Slavic accent said who didn't appear out of nothing but was present before. It was one of the more covert guys within the Empire being armed to the teeth but showing almost none in addition having excellent Martial Arts skills.

"Please allow me to introduce myself, I am Dragan Čović former head of the Imperial Guard"he said to Cecilia

[Sargun II]

"For calling me Ivan, you too have ensured a brilliant communist death, Mr. Dragon Colon." Comrade smiled a brilliantly, almost magically white smile at Dragon Colon. He slung his magic rifle across his back and slipped on a pair of brilliant communist death-gloves. "Now, who all exactly is coming down with us? There doesn't seem to be a lot of people," his voice went back to low and under his breath.

[Subtleknifewielder]

"For calling me Ivan, you too have ensured a brilliant communist death, Mr. Dragon Colon." Comrade smiled a brilliantly, almost magically white smile at Dragon Colon. He slung his magic rifle across his back and slipped on a pair of brilliant communist death-gloves. "Now, who all exactly is coming down with us? There doesn't seem to be a lot of people," his voice went back to low and under his breath.

"So if we don't call you Ivan...what would you prefer to be called? You still haven't told us..." said an average-sized man wearing a large backpack. He hadn't drawn anything out of it, so few would know what he might or might not have in there. But they could make a good guess, as he was a professional spelunker, and he'd wasted no time in informing everyone on his arrival of that fact.

He turned to Cecilia, a twinkle in his grey eyes as he brushed a dark red lock of hair out of his vision. "Why, hello there, miss. I be Kevin Banks, but you can call me Kevin. What do you go by?"

OOC: can't have everyone going into caves without someone like that...

Edited May 14, 2009 by Subtleknifewielder

[Lynneth]

"So if we don't call you Ivan...what would you prefer to be called? You still haven't told us..." said an average-sized man wearing a large backpack. He hadn't drawn anything out of it, so few would know what he might or might not have in there. But they could make a good guess, as he was a professional spelunker, and he'd wasted no time in informing everyone on his arrival of that fact.

Egan chuckled. "Obviously, we are to call him Comrade. Or maybe Zippo. Comrade is very fitting, in my opinion, with his attitude. I like him."

He chuckled, patting the man on the back.

[Sarah Tintagyl]

The knock on the door startled her, but after realizing who it actually was she jumped up from the chair, gathered the geologic reports and her luggage and stumbled over towards the doorway. The men in suits wasted no time in escorting her through the hallways of the hotel and with the maps literally falling out of their cases and Cecilia stumbling as she went along anyone who passed them on the way out of the lobby feared the worst for the young girl. Except for her of course, she was as happy as a clam. The sky was extremely gray and by the time they had arrived in the limousine, the rain had started to pour. Lightly at first and then with much more ferocity so that by the time they reached the excavation sight in the south of France, the Chaine Des Puys.

As Cecilia exited from the limousine and pulled up her hood, the black suit from the day before, Hans, walked up to her smiling, which immediately sent a feeling of uneasiness through her body. He walked her over towards the giant crane that stuck out from the Chaine Des Puys, the volcanic tube that existed around the Volcano seemed as though it had been excavated for quite some time prior to her report and perhaps much longer before she even had most of the evidence of Abstract Volcanology to begin with. As they continued over to the crane, a small earthquake shook the ground underneath them, however considering the absence of any fault line near by this was definitely coming from the volcano itself and then after he talked about the possibility of cyanide capsules the entire expedition seemed much more shady that Cecilia had ever thought possible. She didn't have the intention of dying here that was for sure or at least she hadn't anticipated the chance of dying.

Approaching the crane further, the expeditionary force began to reveal themselves the closer she came and my God were they an interesting group of people. The first, a strange man, Comrade Ivan or something rather, but almost automatically she could tell the tension between the various members of the expedition that she was taking down with her, well going a long with more or less. After the first, "gentleman", she was introduced, the rest of the team began to reveal themselves, the two Canadian scientists, Egan and Greeman, then Čović, and as she walked through and smiled at each of them though all she could think about was that though she had a lot of gunsmiths and tough-guys but where were, where were the...

"So if we don't call you Ivan...what would you prefer to be called? You still haven't told us..." said an average-sized man wearing a large backpack. He hadn't drawn anything out of it, so few would know what he might or might not have in there. But they could make a good guess, as he was a professional spelunker, and he'd wasted no time in informing everyone on his arrival of that fact.

He turned to Cecilia, a twinkle in his grey eyes as he brushed a dark red lock of hair out of his vision. "Why, hello there, miss. I be Kevin Banks, but you can call me Kevin. What do you go by?"

"Cavers." She smiled at the red hair man who walked up to the group and held her right arm tightly as she blushed a little. "Miss Cecilia St. Clair, Mr. Banks...Kevin. It's a pleasure to meet you." She reached to shake his hand. "I was hoping there would be someone eventually that shared the same desire of rocks that I do." She chuckled. "A spelunker, dangerous work Mr. Banks, dangerous work, but very very fun."

After the group hand pretty much been introduced to each other Cecilia walked to the front and called out for their attention. "Gentlemen, my name is Cecilia St. Clair, I'm the founder of the theory of Abstract Volcanology and it is my idea that down this shaft, this volcanic tube could lay an entirely new world. You are the volunteers for this expedition and I am extremely thankful to all of you, my dream is as foggy as evolution was to Darwin, but together we can prove this together." She looked at the black suit and shivered. "Ah, our, ah...financier, will also be coming with us and I hope that it will be a safe journey for all of us."

Cecilia turned back around and watched as the crane opened up a great shaft, like going into a mine, after many of the others had boarded, Cecilia adjusted her backpack, checked and made sure her flashlight was still working and walked into the shaft with the group. Supposedly, the workers had already boored a great path towards where the shaft would meet the tube proper and as the elevator descended towards the ground, she couldn't help but feel uneasy, all the guns, all the secrecy, it was getting fearful.

When the shaft touched the bottom of of the shaft, blue caver lights led the way down a particularly narrow passageway. Cecilia led the way down, trying to read her research map against the blue lights, they would be approaching the tube very soon. As they continued down the path, another earthquake shook the ground, but unlike the last one, this began to yield cracks in the ceiling and Cecilia could hear one man from the back scream. "Collapse! Collapse! Go! Move! We have to go forward!"

"What?" Cecilia said in a cross between concern and horror as she paused and looked back as the group of men surged forward and one grabbed her by the waist and thrust her forward just as the ceiling collapsed behind them. They all awoke on the ground a few minutes later, the fallen rocks covering the path back. They were trapped.

Edited May 14, 2009 by Sarah Tintagyl