We were hovering over ROC in the official Project hexicopter, cruising around lazily. I wasn’t anxious to land, it being about 115 degrees; perfectly normal hot dry desert day but more pleasant to buzz about in a post-lunchtime lull, the wind whipping round our heads. Goerg was gabbing on about latest doing in the dig, in his usual frazz. I didn’t listen too hard. Eventually like in say 5 minutes the duty commander was going to fire up the radio and start squawking at us, to get a day’s work in for dog’s sake, but we had a little moment here. I like gazing down at the rock forms. You see stuff.
Undoubtedly the DutCom was in his own after-lunch daydream prior to getting back to the important task of micro-monitoring us from ROC Basecamp. Not supposed to waste Project resources destroying the ozone; supposed to be digging!
Huh? How we came upon the deceased? Well – deceased: it was a skeleton. I looked over the bones and – yes, I am knowledgeable about bones. Barely resembled a hominid. Site was disturbed, there been a landslide, or explosives. But also, it was weird, these were very, old. Yes I could tell, that’s my training.
Yes. I’m CD – Chief Detective – with APG. Thought it was obvious. Here’s my ID lemme boot it through. Goerg is ADC-APC, my assistant. Shoot your ID to the inspector, G, don’t get rattled. We’re research investigators at ROC – Rigadoo Oldcity – it abuts the airbase out East. Deputized for potential crime scenes as required. Uh huh, lotta ology: Archeologists, Paleo, Geo. Professor Mitxa, she’s in charge, she arranged with the Colonel to get access (I think they’re old pals). We’ve got hexi’s, flight suits, small arms.
Oh, for “protection.” Do we need? Seriously? Occasional ratkid hanging about, calls you Officer and asks if we’ve found any bodies. Like you. Normally? fraud, theft, forgery; we’re useful on a crime scene because we know about bones and dirt, bugs. Occasionally wave a weapon at a bent curator, to make a point. This here is very anomalous scenario.
Well I didn’t immediately understand it as a corpse as it were. It’s an archaeo/paleo site and I’m an archeo/paleo guy. I thought it was fake, a hoax. Dragged over from a museum or – yeah, bones usually are dragged TO the museum not away from. Whatever, I keep an open mind. That said I’d shoot if I have to. It happens. Mission comes first. Scare ‘em off. No, not lately, things quieter around here since the new regime. What, G? Yes quieter but not calmer, necessarily, I grant you. There was that small earthquake some days ago, suppose that had something to do with it.
How old? 20th – 21st century – Yes, that old! That’s what was weirding me, how could people-bones survive a 1,000 years – they would’ve been dust centuries ago even if embalmed. It’s not like there are tarpits. Or, maybe there are? My brain is racing! I’m thinking forgery, hoax, weird hominids, new tarpit… they looked genuine. You get an intuition for that. How? well one thing, they aren’t textbook perfect – they have real things like bad backs. Forgers know this but tend to overdo it. You see, we think of the pre-civs as fragile and short lived, but even back in ye olde caveman days a young adult 35 not likely to be bent double with sciatica. I mean they were kind of robust too, taller than us. I know, unpopular theory but I’m sorry its true some of ‘em were bigfellas. They vary. Susceptible to bugs, cancer. Yes, we are too but different ones. That’s why APG’s here– scrabbling about for,- well now, you need to talk to Mitxa for detes, that’s classified, sorry.
No I didn’t shoot anyone. It’s restricted so locals wont traipse about disturbing the dig and rip off tools. We used to fake in ominous graffiti, to keep the local ratboys away, but that proved a fail, your baddy can interpret the lingo just as I can deadbod, and they smelt cops. No, not here, other sites. So we make it look like a metho ranch.
Problem solving on the ground, that’s the racket: distinguishing rock from pottery, sticks from bones. Carbonbased from not. Big picture? Knowledge, sir, to understand the mysteries of our poor old overstressed civilization – need that pronto what with the current regime-change sitch. Rigadoo was a big city. Used to be lush, green, the ocean was closer. Real fun is in putting together the puzzle. Get the deep stuff. Get this place in some kind of order. Find answers in the dirt. Deal with the bugs.
You found new bullets there in the rubble? Really? Oh yes, a weapon did go off. I forgot. Not mine, Goerg’s – mistake! Some baddy, just chasing him off.
Oh. Oh. That’s the body your talking about? Some real dude, local guy? Well what the hell, course we don’t know – just aimed in the air. Yay another homicide. Get the local CD from Ratcity out here. Desert drifter, some gang fight. No one gets in my way.
No not as unpopulated as it seems – there are residences scattered about, desert rats who like it out here. Been here for centuries, they even look different than us, less evolved. A little like those bones we found. They dig caves to keep cool, live underground.
No – not being insensitive. Like different ethnicity – as happens when groups homogenize over a long time.
Oh it matches my weapon you say? You sure about that? Can I take look?
Oh crapshit. Hey let me get on to Mitxa, uh huh: now. Ancient rights! Like the magna carta; habeas corpus. Common law: I get one telcall. Oh not under new regime? Seriously?
Hey Mixie. It’s me. They’re confused. Remember that earthquake a few days ago, it dragged up a cool oldciv – and also somehow involved a local dead person. Epicenter was nearby. There must have been some kind of really airtight underground tomb, or bunker, the EQ spews it up, landslide, and we got this mummy. I’m telling you – good digging...
—You need my flight jacket for evidence? Excuse me? Oh, don’t threaten me. My weapon?
Oh kaay, well Mixie, I guess I gotta do a few days in the cooler. Hmm. It happens. No such thing as last dead guy standing.
good story. much more edge than the others.