The Temple of Altair

The heat from the lush tropical forests of South America was almost unbearable in the summer months, but some things are worth risking heat stroke for. At least, that's what Tony kept saying. After only a month of planning, Tony had flown out his crew and started an expedition. It seemed like once they got there, everything that could go wrong did. The plane ran out of fuel early, the satellite phones had water damage, the list went on. Tony's right hand man, George, said it was the lack of proper planning that had cause all these calamities, but Luke, a newcomer to the group, was convinced it was some sort of curse.

"It is to be expected..." commented Eleanor, "That a newcomer has such foolish ideas."

"You'll see, it's a curse!" Luke shot back.

As the group approached what they thought was a clearing, as that's what was marked on the map, the ground became more rugged. Tony attempted to calm the group's nerves, saying "Our luck is turning around here, I'm calling it. We're due for something good to happen" George started to express his agreement, but was cut off by the sound of a scream. Tony, distracted by his little speech, tripped on a tree root and started to roll down the hill. In a scramble, the group started after him, running as fast as they could while not tripping themselves. After a few seconds, everyone came to an abrupt stop at the bottom of the hill, and George immediately crouched down to check if Tony was alright. He was groggy and bruised, but that was about the extent of it. "Well, I guess that's one way to get down a hill" George joked, but Tony was upright now, staring at something in awe.

They were right in front of the very thing they came for, The Temple of Altair. It was rumored to be in this area, but no one as of yet had been able to find it in the dense forest it was nestled in. There were strange symbols painted all over the walls and floor of the Temple, and it was a breathtaking sight. The Temple itself was made out of what looked like carved stone, and was strikingly precise and ornate for what was thought to be an ancient society. "These savages sure new how to build a temple, I tell ya." Luke remarked, "But I don't get the symbols. What are they worshiping, a cloud or something?" This got a few dirty looks from the group, but George was the first to speak up, explaining how these 'savages' were probably more advanced than other societies of the time, especially considering their craftsmanship.

"The symbols on the wall I cannot explain... But they do look rather familiar" he continued.

Eleanor offered, "The only way to truly know anything about these people is to actually go inside the Temple. So what are we just standing around for?"

With this, the group restarted their forward movement, inching towards the grand temple cautiously. George led the way, which Tony was fine with as he could still feel the bruises all over his body from his last time leading. The doorway was astonishingly precise, far better than anyone expected, with carvings of the same strange patterns that were presented on the floor and walls. Opening the doors, the group was filled with a deep disappointment. All the stood inside was one large, mostly empty room. The only thing that stood out was a strange carving on the center of the floor. "Fractals!" George suddenly cried out in realization, "They're fractals!" The rest of the group nearly jumped out of their boots, as they were fearing traps in the temple already. "Dude! What are you even talking about?" Tony shot back angrily. "Fractals are a big part of the mathematics of Chaos. If the ancient people living here knew about fractals, well they were way more advanced than nearly anyone! This is astounding!" While Eleanor and Tony seemed somewhat excited for the new discovery, Luke felt differently, as he was there for his cut of whatever treasure they were supposed to find. "So we flew out all this way to discover that ancient people did math? What a waste of time! I can't believe I ever agreed to do this." He yelled, pacing around the temple as his words echoed within the large chamber.

Eleanor tried to explain the significance of this discovery, and pleaded that he not walk around the chamber so recklessly, but it was no use. Luke was fed up, and walked to the center of the room. "This is what we came for? In hundred degree whether, in the middle of nowhere, for a bunch of lines on the floor?" As he yelled, the floor began glowing beneath him. The group tried to caution him, but Luke refused to listen. As his rage and frustration grew, so did the light under him, until it was blinding. Luke finally noticed the light, and panic overtook him, but it was no use. He could not move from the tile, and all that was heard from him was a shriek as the light crescendoed and swallowed him whole. When the light finally faded, all that was left was another line on the tile, and no trace of Luke.

A deep voice boomed through the chamber, in a language ancient yet familiar to the adventurers. "You have been good disciples, and shall be sent back to your time now. This sacrifice has sufficed for all three of you." The light began to shine again, but this time it seemed inviting. Tony walked into the brightness, and his mind was flooded with memories of a past life. "We built this place!" He cried out. "This place is thousands of years old, how could we have?" George pleaded, but Tony only said "You must return to the light to understand." Eleanor began inching towards it, and George exclaimed, "Are we really doing this? Look what happened to Luke!" Before he could plead any longer, Eleanor grabbed his arm and led them both in. Their past lives, in an ancient village came back to them, and just like that the modern world vanished. They were home.