“I don’t think we’re the first ones in here,” Bogan said at length.

Neilos looked up from Dragovic, who had once again slipped into unconsciousness. “What?”

“It was too easy to get that door open, and it was the closest to the shelter. It should have taken a plasma cutter, not just brute force. And this interior, in here. It’s too clean.”

Thoughts whirred behind Neilos’s furrowed brow. “You hadn’t heard of this expedition, even though you’re a wonk about this stuff,” he said. “They weren’t authorized. Grave robbers.”

“Yeah,” Bogan said. “They opened this tomb, but not much more. Then they shut it again.”

“Left?” Neilos whispered. “Took the loot and ran?”

Shaking her head, Bogan pointed to the open almond case, its contents still scattered on the floor. “They would have taken that. If we can open it, so can they.”

“Then what…?” Neilos started to say. Then, as the wheels kept turning, his eyes widened.

“Those tombs, they’re just too big for what’s inside them, aren’t they?” Bogan said, smiling ruefully. “And those things in there, what are the chances they’d look so much like humans?”

  • Like what you see? Purchase a print or ebook version!
Advertisement