17055/Living Monoliths

Living Monoliths
Date of Scene:	31 January 2024
Location:	Uxmal, Yucatan, Mexico
Synopsis:	Act 1. Kenesha and Alex work on the dig site in Uxmal.
Cast of Characters:	Alex Summers, Kenesha

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Alex Summers has posed:
Tink, tink, tink goes the tiny little hammers as they chip away at various sediment to slowly reveal the things trapped within. Swish, swish, swish goes the brooms as they use tiny little hand brooms to sweep away the loose rubble, dust, and pebbles (not Bam Bam) away from the thing they want to see.

The dig site is just off Uxmal's main corridor behind the governor's row where a lidar scan discerned something beneath the ground level. Work takes place mostly there. Yet there are tourists and other workers all over the city exploring and doing things that are expected of their station. The area where the archeologist unearth is perhaps 20x20 yards in size and has been cleared away, cordoned off, and kept secure from would-be-lookie loos. So about 10 people in the area do their tink-tink and swish-swish.

The many cenotes and limestone of the region make it necessary for the hiring of a geologist to ensure that the dig is safe. That person is Alex Summers. He wears a tan top and matching shorts with hiking boots. He wears no hat, his thick hair is mussed, and his skin is bronzed from the sun that he absorbs. He's got a backpack and carries tools and snacks within as well as water bottles strapped to either side. He can be found alone walking the parameter, tapping the ground with a pole mounted spike to listen to the sounds of the soil below. Listening for differences in the sounds.

The sun is high, it's hot (Alex is not sweating), and there's only a few clouds here and there in the sky. No breeze in the jungle of Mexico.

Kenesha has posed:
The lead archeologist on this particular project has been keeping herself intimately involved in every aspect of the dig. From helping to cordone off the site to monitoring the lidar scans to getting in the pit and helping scoop away dirt to checking in with the specialists at least once (usually twice) each day. Some might call her a 'helicopter archeologist' but she never seems to nag or press, just putting her money where her mouth is in terms of helping with the dig, and checking in with her team to make sure everyone is on the same page and that everyone is getting the most up to date information.

Dr. Kenesha Jones leans back on her haunches when the team she's currently in the pit with uncover what looks to be the capstone and lintel that denotes a doorway. "Okay, great! Alicia, Hank, I want you two working on uncovering more of this, see how far it goes. Be *careful*, we don't know if the ceiling is still intact in any of these spaces. George, Duke.. go grab B team. We want to start digging here," she lays out a strip of white wood where she wants them to start digging. "Excavate carefully to expose the doorway. Cautiously, we don't want to disturb any bones or items that might be around the doorway. If you find skeletons, radio me *immediately*. I'm going to update our specialists."

Moving at a brisk pace, Kenesha climbs her way out of the pit and starts towards the tents to let their tech team know so they can try some more sensitive sweeps, see if they can expose any potentially important items around the doorway. Once that's done, she'll start towards their geologist, to update him on their progress and get his opinion on the stability of the area.

Alex will see a woman of average height and athletic build striding towards him. Tall, oiled leather boots reach to her knees, somehow always managing to look impeccable no matter what she's been trodding through. Dun-colored riding style pants pick up from there. A sleeveless ecru button-down shirt tucks into the pants, open at the throat and about three buttons down, exposing her upper chest and leaving her arms bare. Brown leather gloves cover her hands to the wrist, a thick and expensive looking multi-function watch strapped to her left wrist. She lifts a hand as she approaches, calling out to him.

"Mr. Summers! Hey, hi. My team just uncovered what looks to be a capstone and lintel in the pit. What can you tell me about the geological stability so far? And could you come take a look, let me know if my people are in danger of suddenly plummeting through some non-existent ceiling?" Kenesha flashes a quick grin at him. Oddly, despite the open collar of her shirt, she doesn't seem to be sweating either. Just looking excited at the prospect of a new find.

Alex Summers has posed:
Her approach attracts his attention and he slows his walk, turns toward her and smiles hearing the progress. He glances over her shoulder back toward the site then to her again. He answers, "The Yucatan Peninsula has been a carbonate-evaporite platform since the Jurassic. During the late Mesozoic and Cenozoic, block faulting created a series of horsts and grabens along the eastern margin of the platform. We're close to that region and still suffer the limestone foundation intermixed with dolomite and granite bedrock covered in topsoil about 3 to 6 feet thick. There are several karst formations right along with the cenotes. That said, you're probably digging into a cavern system beneath our feet. Expect that it'll be pretty stable because of these solid structures sitting in the areas. Avoid disrupting stalagmite and stalactite columns as they provide support. Also expect to come across some really smelly air in the karsts. By smelly, I mean toxic until you can air it out. I hope you brought fans."

Kenesha has posed:
Nodding along with his assessment, Kenesha doesn't seem to have any issue with following what he's saying. She smiles at his conclusion and gives a nod, "Excellent. We have masks and fans both. I make sure my people are protected. But with the capstone and lintel where it is, I have the feeling this is an antechamber... perhaps to a much deeper 'hidden' network of caverns and tunnels. I have the tech team setting up for a sweep right now. If there's remains of large statuary found, then I'll be proven right." She motions towards the pit, "Think you can pop over for just a moment, make sure we're not disturbing any load-bearing structures? I've got them mostly working on exposing more of the lintel to see how far the wall might extend, and starting excavation ahead of where the doorway should be. Thick enough space to keep any toxic fumes behind a wall of dirt and rock, but it will also help us uncover whatever type of space it might be."

Alex Summers has posed:
"Absolutely." Alex replies, very willing to do as she asks. She's signing his checks, after all. "I didn't realized you all got so deep already."

His stride is strong and full. He doesn't waste her time and will walk with intention and direction. As he approaches, he will unsling his backpack and pull out a hammer and a small flat bar. He drops the backpack and will pause a moment to look at the path down to the area where he's expecting to see a door. He glances around at the nearby structures, flat land, and anything around that may be weighty. Then back to the area in question.

Kenesha has posed:
"Time flies when you're having fun?" Kenesha chuckles and gives a shrug, "I have a very good team that are very good at what they do."

She'll manage to keep up with him despite his longer stride, somehow able to keep pace without really making any extra effort. Kenesha walks right up to the edge of the pit and sets her hands to her hips, looking down into it with a grin, "Doing great, guys! Alicia, Hank, that's good pickwork! B Team, any finds yet?" WHen they call in the negative, she gives a nod but seems undeterred.

What Alex will see is a pit about 6 feet deep with the crumbling edges of crude brick wall stick up here and there, with a focus on a ten foot square area near the western edge that's showing the edge of a wall.. and the stone lintel and captstone of a doorway that's being dug out without opening up the doorway itself. Toxic fumes are no joke! A team is working on excavating the dirt in front of the doorway so they can try to expose the rest of the perimeter of the room while a smaller team is using machines to take sweeps of what's beneath the dirt to help outline any artifacts that will need to be dug around.

"Not too bad for a site that's been largely picked through, huh?"

Alex Summers has posed:
"Oh wow." He states just before hopping down into the pit and moving to the capstone. He kneels down and touches the capstone, testing to see if it moves or if it's solidly imbedded or mortored into what is below. He finds it solid and calls back to Kenesha, "If this holds all the way down, you're looking at a good solid doorway. Don't go behind it. You'll dig it out and make it unstable." Then he'll stand and move away, giving way to the crew to do whatever they were doing before.

Kenesha has posed:
"Right?" Kenesha just smiles at the work being done and what's been uncovered while ALex goes to check out the stability of the doorway. She gives a nod to his assessment, "Think we can brace it up so we can try to excavate out a small section, find out if this is a room or a stairway?" One of the tech guys stands up and calls out, "Hey Doc! I think we got a statue here! Looks like it ended up in three pieces, but it must've been fifteen feet when it was all together!" Turning, she calls out, "That's great John! Mark the areas for us to dig around so we can expose it without risking the integrity of it!"

Looking back to Alex, she smiles, "Hey, I know you're only contracted through the initial dig.. but if this turns out to be a deep dive, we could really use a good geologist to help make sure we open it up right. Would you be open to extending your stay? We can renegotiate your contract at the end of day. I'll absolutely make it worth your while to stick around."

Alex Summers has posed:
Alex hears the call about the statue, glances that way and then his attention returns to Kenesha. He thinks for a second and says, "Yeah, I got nothing on my books. I'd be glad to stay on. Plus, I curious what you're digging up here. There's got to be some major find down there being that it's buried on top of being buried." He climbs out of the pit up next to her. Looks around at the site again and says, "I just hope it's worth your time here."

Kenesha has posed:
"Excellent. Well then. Discuss terms of your new contract over dinner tonight?" Kenesha blinks, then clears her throat, "Ah, sorry. That sounded... really bad. Business dinner. I just figured my tent would be a little more quiet than the mess hall tent with a group of rowdy, celebrating crew." She offers a quick smile and lifts a shrug.

Looking back to the doorway, her smile tugs up a little higher, murmuring, "Oh, it will be. I'm sure of it. There's something down there. Something big. I just.. don't know what." Kenesha looks back to Alex with a grin, "But we'll find out." Reaching a hand out, she offers it to him, "We have a deal?"

Alex Summers has posed:
There's a hint of reticence in his voice when he agrees, "Yeah, that sounds fine." He says taking her hand and righting himself. And then he'll add, "I'll be around. I figure it's going to take a few hours; if not a day before you start thinking about opening that up. I've got more soil samples and surveying to do. I'll be around." and he walks off.