01-10-2015, 06:07 PM
Declan's life became complicated in the days following Noah's death. The terrible burden of having witnessed his friend's, and colleague's, deaths was that there was no way to confirm their demise. The satellite connection Noah used to contact Declan in the first place died minutes after the accident. Their devices had a two-year battery life, an important distinction for anthropologists working the fringes of the earth. This left Declan to conclude that they were desrtoyed by the same weather disturbance that killed the team.
Thus, when he called Soren, there was a weight in Declan's voice that his friend immediately identified. "I know there was nothing I could do,"
Declan told him. "I listened to my colleagues die. Their bodies are a ten hour trek from the nearest camp. Noah has family here. I can hardly face them."
Declan wasn't personally responsible, he didn't need Soren to reassure him of that. "The reason I called is this. Before the transmission ended, Noah said he'd discovered something in the lake. Let me send you a file, one moment."
Declan forwarded Soren the report on the region. There were details about the history, culture, and past discoveries, but a summary page would tell his insightful friend all he needed to know. "There shouldn't be anything left at the site except the skeletons and we already have samples of those. I guess nobody thought to look in the lake?"
The next thing that Declan sent him several tickets. "Meet me in New Dehli. From there we'll head to Pantnagar airport. Then a short, overnight train to Kathgodam. Finally, we can go by bus to base camp. After that, its an easy 8 kilometer hike to Roopkund lake."
There was silence on the other end of the line.
"Soren? What do you say? The least I can do is retrieve the bodies. I'll need your expertise. I've been around the world, but no where this remote."
Edited by Dane Gregory, Jan 10 2015, 06:08 PM.
Thus, when he called Soren, there was a weight in Declan's voice that his friend immediately identified. "I know there was nothing I could do,"
Declan told him. "I listened to my colleagues die. Their bodies are a ten hour trek from the nearest camp. Noah has family here. I can hardly face them."
Declan wasn't personally responsible, he didn't need Soren to reassure him of that. "The reason I called is this. Before the transmission ended, Noah said he'd discovered something in the lake. Let me send you a file, one moment."
Declan forwarded Soren the report on the region. There were details about the history, culture, and past discoveries, but a summary page would tell his insightful friend all he needed to know. "There shouldn't be anything left at the site except the skeletons and we already have samples of those. I guess nobody thought to look in the lake?"
The next thing that Declan sent him several tickets. "Meet me in New Dehli. From there we'll head to Pantnagar airport. Then a short, overnight train to Kathgodam. Finally, we can go by bus to base camp. After that, its an easy 8 kilometer hike to Roopkund lake."
There was silence on the other end of the line.
"Soren? What do you say? The least I can do is retrieve the bodies. I'll need your expertise. I've been around the world, but no where this remote."
Edited by Dane Gregory, Jan 10 2015, 06:08 PM.