Twin Earth

Chapter 36

For a moment I stood alone at the top of the temple whilst Rachel and Adom went inside, debating whether to join them. The hazy sunshine of the world outside seemed much more inviting than the gloomy hole of the archway that lay ahead.

'Maybe I can live out my days here,' I pondered thoughtfully turning around, but knowing full well that I never would, even if I could, however before I had time to finalise my decision a hand yanked me from behind and pulled me into the room beyond.

"Hey!" I grunted, spinning around and facing an annoyed looking Rachel.

"Will you just man up and start acting like a scientist," Rachel complained.

"Now who's being sexist," I mumbled, shrugging off her patronising comment. "Don't you think my comprehension of Earth science is a bit outdated now anyway?" I retorted.

"You know full well we need you."

"Remind me again, why is it me going through the ellipse and not you?" I asked indignantly.

"Because you already have, according to Adom," Rachel replied sheepishly, suddenly losing her attitude a little. "Anyway, would you really make a girl do it instead?"

"Oh, so now you want to be treated differently," I replied, but she had me there. For all the snide comments and sarcastic remarks, I couldn't bring myself to force her to go no matter how hard I wanted her to. That really would make me a coward. So, brushing myself down I glanced around the room with a new air of confidence, causing Rachel to frown in the process, although she said nothing.

"So, where are we?" I asked Adom, surprised at my own gallantry.

"The creator's ellipse is just through that door, but I need to remember how to open it," Adom replied as he studied the stone wall surrounding a huge boulder that blocked our way forward.

I was suddenly starting to feel like I was in an Indiana Jones movie and hoped that a million flesh-eating beetles weren't going to pour out from behind the rock once we removed it, my heroic enthusiasm already slipping.

"Are these hieroglyphics?" Rachel asked, studying the walls.

"I'm sorry?" Adom asked, turning to look at her. "I don't know that word, but these are the ancient writings that the creators left. Our people did not place them here. We built the temple around them."

"It's just they look like an ancient Egyptian language from Earth, but different somehow. I can't quite read them, but some I recognise."

Walking over to join her I too studied the deeply engraved symbols in the rock and was surprised to recognise a few of them too.

"You're right, this one means travel, it's the feet symbol, but it's next to the symbol for protection and life," I stated. "I guess that's a good thing?"

"You can understand these writings?" Adom asked in surprised at both of us.

"Some. Like Tom said, this cross with a circle on the top means life and this weird tweezer looking symbol means protection in ancient Egyptian, but they are slightly different, much taller in length as if stretched."

"Maybe the Egyptians took the creator's language and changed it over time?" I asked.

"Are you suggesting they knew the creators?" Rachel asked in surprised.

"It's possible," I remarked.

"And didn't tell the Mayans?"

"I know, how rude," I quipped.

"This is indeed truly fascinating," Adom mumbled, pouring over the symbols we were now looking at.

"So, do you understand them?" I asked Adom.