Chapter 4b: Listening in (Ray, Nat, Tobias)

[Cotton]

Believing that Julie is not in any immediate danger, and seeing that Nat needs a break from the headset, Ray asks Dr. Corman how she would feel about taking himself and Nat back to her office to take a look at her late colleague's notes. He asks Tobias if he would mind staying behind to continue manning the equipment, promising to return to relieve him should the stakeout continue into the evening.

[aine]

"Yeah, great idea - my head's going a bit loopy and I could do with a cold beer." Says Nat handing over the headphones. "Sounds like Julie's gonna stay for a while and she doesn't seem to be in any danger at the mooment; she's got her head screwed on, that girl."

[evil_scientist]

Tobias stays behind in the Investigators' main car, takes his turn at the equipment. Nat and Ray take Tobias' car and follow Dr. Corman back to Kane Spring. They stop at the Exhibition Hall: a large, single storey building, with a couple of ads and information signs on the front wall, announcing various exhibits.

A teenage boy is manning the ticket office at the entrance. He greets Dr. Corman with a smile. They exchange a few words... No visitors today, so far. Maybe later, after lunch?..

Dr. Corman leads Ray and Nat to a second entrance (Personnel only!). She then invites them into her office. It's a medium sized room, filled to the brim with papers, boxes, files... There's also some equipment, various microscopes and other impoements Ray or Nat don't recognize. Despite the huge quantities of stuff, everything seems neatly organized. The scientist offers them chairs, then quickly takes off a couple of files from the shelves.

"These are Dr. Vilard's survey notes from the area..."

She spreads out the papers. There are photos, too: rocks, boulders, stones, layers of ground; overviews, various angles, close-ups, sections... The documents are densely typed walls of text, data, sample references. Luckily, Dr. Corman shuffles through the pile and points out the main points of interest.

"In 1969, the compound was abandoned, without a fence. Dr. Villar took many samples and photos. Unfortunately, the photo stock he used was either low quality or got exposed to light: I couldn't get any pictures out of them. All I have is the one you see here which were originally developed by him, before the film deteriorated.

"This boulder with a huge fissure in it is located, according to my reading, somewhere under that new hangar. Or, rather, it was located there... Construction workers usually just dynamite rocks to free up space. Then use the fragments as filling material.

"As you see, Dr. Villar took samples from around the fissure,and found that they were slightly radioactive. Don't worry, it's not dangerous. Traces. According to the calculations of our radiologist collegues, the source of radioation was of course significantly stronger 350 millions of years ago. Which is exactly the period that interests me. Could be the answer to some of the fossil anomalies. Or just a random coincidence. Either way, it merits a cross check." [/color]

[aine]

Nat looks at the photos. 'You wonder why they didn't just build a bit further away to avoid that rock. But then I guess any excuse to blow stuff up. I don't remember seeing much rock debris in the compound though and the buildings are mostly old clapboard and tin. I wonder what they did with it all."
He looks at all the kit. "You sure have a big project going on here, what 're you hoping to find?'

[evil_scientist]

Nat looks at the photos. 'You wonder why they didn't just build a bit further away to avoid that rock. But then I guess any excuse to blow stuff up. I don't remember seeing much rock debris in the compound though and the buildings are mostly old clapboard and tin. I wonder what they did with it all."

"One can always hope that the boulder is intact and just obscured by the buildings. I wasn't let in there, when I was around. If I get into trouble (for intruding on private property), I might lose what little funding I get."

He looks at all the kit. "You sure have a big project going on here, what 're you hoping to find?'

"Unfortunately, this isn't much. You should see some of the real big projects. Right now, the Kane Springs Area Survey is just me, and sometimes a couple of students interning. I do preliminary sample analysis here, then take the promising pieces back to San Diego. The university lab is of course equipped much better.

"But it's a pity that this area doesn't get more attention. Look, let me explain quickly. We have a pretty good general picture of the wider region in the Devonian and the transitional period to the Carboniferous. But what we have here, in this small area, in the Salton Sea area, is different. Recognizable, but different. And a couple of new taxonomical groups, too, but the evidence is fragmentary. Something happened here, which caused a significant change in the landscape, the rocks, the flora and fauna. Hence my interest in the radiation traces. Perhaps some sort of cosmic event? An impact?

"Just none of that Chariots of the Gods or Velikovsky scam! I think this is all explainable in the realms of academic science."

[evil_scientist]

Headphones - only for Tobias (and for the others when they get back),The wire tap continues transmitting: [i]"Hi! "Nice to meet everyone. I'm Julie. Don't feel you need to stop on my account,"[/i] Julie says, entering a building. There is some incomprehensible stage murmur in reaction. Judging from it, there at least 5 other people in the room. Tobias sort of recognizes one of the voices, which introduces herself as 'N - the girl he met a few days back at the parking lot. [i]"We were just wrapping up, Julie. Take a seat! Why don't you tell us more about yourself?"[/i] Malcolm says. Some rustling noises, as Julie supposedly takes a seat. A slow, pulsating hum is heard in the background. [i]"Sure,"[/i] says Julie. [i]"Liz and I have been best friends since we were little. We grew up together in San Diego. She's always been the smart one. Me, I was never very good in school, but I've always been athletic, and a bit of a tomboy. My favorite sport is roller derby, and I'm pretty good at it."[/i]

[aine]

"Did you mean that the animals and plants are different round there too? Like two headed jackanapes and stuff? Man, that's too wierd! The people in that compound are pretty loopy too; maybe they're all eating the same space lettuce!" Nat looks at Ray"s expression, "Sorry, Boss. But it is odd." He grins at Dr. Corman.

[evil_scientist]

"No, no!" Dr. Corman interrupts sharply, shakes her head, mumbles something like "godddd, I'm so bad at public outreach", then tries again: "No, sorry, nothing so dramatic! What I'm referring to was hundreds of millions years in the past. Nowadays, as far as I understand, there are no such distortions or anomalies. The traces of radioactivity that Dr. Villar measured at the boulder were minuscule. Those hippies are loopy on their own accord..."

[Cotton]

Ray nods, "That's certainly true." Since seeing the boulder in the picture, Ray's been racking his mind for any reason the cult may have picked this spot. Knowing Cavendish's leaning towards Christianity, he comes up with two Old Testament stories; Moses drawing water from the rock and the binding of Isaac. Without more information, however, that's not much to go on. "Dr. do you happen to know anything about the relatively more recent history of the area? Perhaps they only chose this spot because it was cheap and a way from everyone else, but sometimes group's like this pick a spot because it somehow reinforces what they believe." He shrugs, "really anything could help."

[evil_scientist]

Ray nods, "That's certainly true." Since seeing the boulder in the picture, Ray's been racking his mind for any reason the cult may have picked this spot. Knowing Cavendish's leaning towards Christianity, he comes up with two Old Testament stories; Moses drawing water from the rock and the binding of Isaac. Without more information, however, that's not much to go on.

While Dr. Corman is talking about all thing geological, Ray's racking his mind for all things theological...

He had some time to listen to the tapes with Cavendish sermons he purchased back in San Diego. Now, thinking about rocks, he does remember something. Perhaps not a connection... who knows... But there was this moment, which now seems more significant.

There was one sermon, recorded at the laying of the foundations of the new church building in Alameda County, his earlier megaproject. Reverend Cavendish talked about the Exodus a lot (after all, this was the moment when he was bringing a group of his followers to a new land), and one of the pivotal points was the story of Moses drawing water. Cavendish quoted God's words: "I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink."

Ray now recalls Cavendish talking about the rock as something that's present during the sermon. Ray now puts it into context, and thinks that it's possible that this reference was not just a figure of speech, but that Cavendish was delivering the sermon either standing next to an actual rock or stone. He compared it to a source of knowledge, a fountain of pure, untainted water, an altar where God is present.

Ray also recalls the "Foundation Stone" in Jerusalem, but is not sure whether it's of any significance.

OOC,Just posting a link if you want to read back on Cavendish's more "mainstream" activities: https://www.callofcthulhu.org.uk/pbp/viewtopic.php?f=428&t=6263&p=206427#p206427 (what Ray learned from the husband of an ex-devotee of Cavendish at a bar).

"Dr. do you happen to know anything about the relatively more recent history of the area? Perhaps they only chose this spot because it was cheap and a way from everyone else, but sometimes group's like this pick a spot because it somehow reinforces what they believe." He shrugs, "really anything could help."

"There used to be a ranch. I think the older buildings are from the 1910s. But it's been abandoned for many decades. I... I have little interest in anything more recent than the Cretaceous..."

Dr. Corman smiles, awkwardly. Then she points to a shelf in the back.

"There are some books on local history. Feel free to peruse them."

OOC,Library Use rolls, if you do!

[aine]

library,Roll:47 fail.

Nat eyes the books with reluctance. His stomach gurgles loudly.

[evil_scientist]

The only book Nat finds is on local cuisine.

OOC,At least it's not a fumble, like at the city library ;)

[aine]

"Man, I'm hungry. Look, Cajun Cooking." He holds up a book. "This is about my level of reading. I'm no good with books, Ma'am, but I could help in other ways."

[evil_scientist]

"Man, I'm hungry. Look, Cajun Cooking." He holds up a book. "This is about my level of reading. I'm no good with books, Ma'am, but I could help in other ways."

"Well, there isn't much you can help me with. Unless you plan to invade the compound and get me samples. But my funding doesn't cover clandestine operations."

Library roll for Ray,to move things along: [b]Library Use 20%[/b] [dice]0[/dice]

Ray delves into the small collection of local history.

At first he is drawn to a volume of the myths and folklore of the Cahuilla tribes that inhabit the region. The creation myth is quite interesting. It all begins with the birth of two twin brothers, Mukat and Temayawet, from the union of twin balls of lightning. Mukat created the Cahuilla people, while Temayawet became the ruler of the land of the dead. What Ray finds fascinating, is that unlike Native cultures in the rest of North America, the Cahuilla tribes of southeast California and southwestern Arizona do not consider their Creator to be a benevolent spirit or a friend to humankind. Mukat was capricious and dangerous, made the life of the ancients miserable, drove away their protector Moon, and was eventually slain by his own creations.

A detail catches Ray's attention, mostly because it lines up nicely with what he was already thinking about. Is about the creation of a certain staff of power. The twin gods try to erect this staff, but struggle, so they first create a foundation:

Myth excerpt,"Together they made a [i]who ya no hut[/i]. This is like a bishop’s staff, which is carried in the church today. This they tried to stand up, but it could not stand, because there was nothing for it to stand on. So they put a [i]tem em la wit[/i] (bedrock) to steady the [i]who ya no hut[/i], and yet it would not be steady, for it was growing up all of the time. Now this was the first beginning of the earth. It was the foundation-stone, and is in the middle of the world today. Then they created two kinds of snakes to hold it, but they could not hold it. They made a big pile of stones and put them around the [i]who ya no hut[/i], and yet it was not steady; so they created great spiders, black ones and white ones (not the spiders of today, but the ones that live in the ends of the world), to weave threads to help hold it steady."

And he also finds a quite "Moses-like" use for this staff of power in a later passage:

Creation of a water source,the head man,Tu to meet, was tired and sick and lame, so he took his [i]who ya no hut[/i] (staff of power), which he struck in the ground, He twisted it around, and caused the water of a spring to come out. He named it [i]Sec he[/i], meaning boiling water, which is up to the earth and on the earth, which is to be forever, never to dry up, never to go away, but to be there for ever and always for the sick."

"I like the part about the gods being born from lightning," Dr. Corman muses. "It reminds me of the 'primordial soup' theory. Do you know it? That life on Earth emerged from a mass of organic molecules interacting? One of the possible catalysts of this is, in theory at least, atmospheric electricity. Lightning. There were even some experiments in the 1950s to reproduce this process."

[evil_scientist]

Headphones - only for Tobias (and the others when they get back),After Julie sits down with the Temple members and tells them about herself, Cavendish says [i]"Roller derby? Must be a great way to release tension, and to..."[/i] But his sentence is interrupted by an awfully loud distorted sound! Then there is the sound of commotion and coughing. [i]"Oh! That looks bad. You should see a doctor,"[/i] Julie says to someone. She sounds quite calm. [i]"Must have eaten something bad... Happened to Ria too a couple of days ago... We should really stop getting food from the dumpsters, go back to shoplifting,"[/i] comes an answer from the side. [i]"Do, Eli, please, help Sy. Take her back to her room, get her some water. I will bring around some pills soon,"[/i] Cavendish says.[i] "Me and 'N will clean up here."[/i] There is some movement and shuffling. Then Julie says: [i]"Here, I'll help you with her."[/i] Pause. [i]"Those are some bad burns on your skin. How did you get them?"[/i] Julie asks of somebody. [i] "It's alright, Sy. You just need some rest,"[/i] you hear Elizabeth say, quite close to the microphone. [i]"I'm sensitive to the sun... it's only getting worse, I get these rashes lately, they itch..."[/i] the girl, presumably Sy, answers. She continues mumbling: [i]"...shouldn't work in the sun... but I want the plants to grow..." [/i] Sounds of walking, then a door creeking. [i]"...Eli, wake me up later... I don't want to miss anything..." [/i] Julie asks, concerned: [i]"I know what you mean, Sy. With my red hair, I turn into a lobster in the sun, so I always wear suntan lotion. I've seen my share of sunburns, and this doesn't look like that. It looks like descriptions I've heard of radiation burns. Is there an old nuclear test site out this way or something?"[/i] Elizabeth answers instead of Sy: [i] "Radiation burns? Nuclear test site? No... no, I don't think so. I thought they were from, you know... bad hygiene," she says. "Like some of the people had at the shelter. But they do look a bit different. Still... radiation?"[/i] The door opens once more, and a low mechanic hum begins in the background. [i]"Here you go, Sy, drink this up. How are you doing, sister?"[/i] you hear Cavendish say. [i]"What are those pills?"[/i] asks Julie. [i]"Just some painkillers,"[/i] Cavendish says. [i]"And some activated charcoal."[/i]

[Cotton]

Ray smiles at Dr. Corman, "I had not heard that before. Its always interesting to me how ancient people made legends to explain the world around them, and how you run into similar stories across very different cultures. Like certain parts of this remind me of a story in the Bible where Moses draws water from a rock by striking it with his staff. I suppose in this instance the myth makers were referring to the Salton Sea?"

[evil_scientist]

Ray smiles at Dr. Corman, "I had not heard that before. Its always interesting to me how ancient people made legends to explain the world around them, and how you run into similar stories across very different cultures. Like certain parts of this remind me of a story in the Bible where Moses draws water from a rock by striking it with his staff. I suppose in this instance the myth makers were referring to the Salton Sea?"

"There are also some hot springs around, which might be referenced in myth.

"But, you know, another interesting thing: there used to be a much bigger lake here. The Salton Sea is recent. And, judging by its current state, it won't last long. But the original Lake Cahuilla covered the whole valley. We are in the basin of a prehistoric water mass!

"I'm not sure how this might aid you with your, uh, mission? Stake-out? Well, the thing you do out there."

[HelplessBystander]

Tobias is still manning the car and on listening duty, he wondered for a brief moment whether he should head back. It's getting a bit late.

[evil_scientist]

The time is passing. Nat and Ray should be going back to Tobias and the radio.

OOC,Welcome back, Helpless Bystander!

[aine]

Nat's stomach gurgles loudly. 'Man.' He groans. 'Shouldn't we be getting back to the old man? Maybe get something to eat on the way? Ma'am, if I did happen to get some samples, what would they be exactly?"