Atlantians

Chapter 3

Katarina was on her hands and knees excavating. In just the two weeks since they'd started digging they'd already uncovered part of the spiral pattern and circle that Anthony had noticed. The circle consisted of stones that weren't local to the region. The spiral was made a type of stone that Katarina was unfamiliar with. She had called her colleagues and asked, but they were as clueless as she was. It appeared to be some type of stone. Almost like a cross between an emerald and limestone, but it was unlike anything the scientific community had ever seen before.

"What do you make of it?"

A shadow fell across Katarina and her work. She looked up and then sat back on her heels as she rubbed a dirt streaked arm across her forehead. "I don't know Jonathan. I've never seen stone like this before or the set up of this site. It looks like it's something religious."

"Like Stonehenge?"

Katarina shrugged. "That's the closest assumption anyone can make, but its purpose is beyond me. Maybe with more discoveries we can decipher what Gods they worship and what type of religion they had. Until then we're in the dark."

Jonathan tucked his thumbs into the waist band of his pants and looked around him with pursed lips. "How much longer till this site is done?"

Katarina shrugged and looked about the site herself. "Two maybe three weeks. We have to be thorough. Documentation needs to be done and the government needs to send rangers out to take stock of the site. It needs to be protected."

"That sounds like it'll take a long time."

"Not really," Katarina commented. "We just need to report it and within a few days a government employee will be out to survey what we've found and deem it okay to save. Most of the time they save stuff, but occasionally you have a crooked one who'll say no and then sell stuff on the black market."

"They wouldn't dare!" Jonathan exploded in outrage.

"I agree with you and that's why I've already asked a close friend of mine to come out and examine what we've found. She should be here later today."

"Good," the Englishman sighed.

Katarina chuckled and went back to work. As she worked she thought about Jillian. They had met in college and had stayed friends even through grad school. Jillian had a good head on her shoulders and knew the proper channels to take. Katarina planned on showing her everything they'd found and how they found it. She was hoping that Jillian would back her if anything went wrong.

Hours passed and it was after midday when Katarina heard a nickname that she'd earned in college for eating one of her favorite candy bars. Katarina turned and a smile broke out over her face as she saw fair skinned and dark headed Lillian headed her way. Katarina left the shade of her work tent and went to greet Jillian. "Hey Jillian," Katarina said as she gave her friend a hug.

"Nice to see you to Kit Kat," Jillian replied as she returned the hug.