The Mummies of Blogspace9: Chapter Thirteen

June 18, 2011
Seville, Spain
Hanson                http://www.historyismine.blogspace9.ex

////auto-refresh///   connection re-established

battery at 1%, connect to power supply to prevent data from being lost

voice activation mode: enabled

indiv 1:  <yelling>    

<background noise excessive>

indiv 1)  “Help me, someone.  Anybody.”

battery low; preparing to hibernate

 

June 18, 2011
Cupertino, CA
Administrator      http://www.admin.blogspace9.ex

Our analysts have recently detected an unauthorized user on your account.  Pursuant with your contract, all users must be identified and processed in advance.  Yet we have no paperwork on the individual identifying as ‘Perdido.’  Please advise.

Our analysts are also concerned about the safety of your project personnel.  Mr. Segovia shared with us, via satellite phone, some of the details of your intruder last night.  He has indicated that he will continue his investigation, and that he can continue to guarantee your safety.  Our confidence in Mr. Segovia is absolute.

It would appear, however, that Dr. Hanson, is under some duress.  His connection was briefly reestablished this morning.  We lost it in under a minute, but were able to locate his position.  He is still in Seville, no more than 500 yards from the Archive.  Be advised that our search for Dr. Hanson is already underway.  Pursuant to section 6.1.29 of you contract, we are activating several additional software modules which may be of use:

1) Latin to English language translator
2) long-life backup battery activator to restore power
3) GPS tracking
4) Eavesdrop – an embedded code that allows us to log in remotely while the computer appears to be off
5) Mayday – the emergency responder packet that you were advised of in the contract.  When the Mayday login credentials are entered, the user is incapacitated.

June 18, 2011
Seville, Spain
Hanson                http://www.historyismine.blogspace9.ex

////auto-refresh///   connection re-established

long-life battery at 100%

Eavesdrop: enabled

“…when we have satisfied ourselves that you are telling the truth.  Now answer my questions.”

“I’ve already told you everything I know.  Why am I tied up?  Where am I?” 

“How did you come to learn of this book?”

“What book?”

“The journal from the Gota archive – Sebastiano Gota’s personal account of his time in the Americas.  It is not in the public domain.”

“I told you, I was investigating names from our excavation documents.  Can I get some water, please?”

“Who have you told about the book?”

“I posted the name to the blog.  Probably a couple of hundred thousand people know about it by now.”

“I doubt that.  Who are you working with here in Seville?”

“I’m not working with anyone.  Look, I don’t know who you are, but I am an American citizen.  People are looking for me.”

“They won’t find you.  These documents you refer to, who else has seen them?”

“My colleagues in Peru.  Can you at least tell me where I am?  The man who came in earlier is a policeman.  I recognize him from when I was at the police station.  Am I under arrest?”

“No.  Can those documents be brought here?”

“Where is here?”

<sound of bottle breaking>

“I don’t think you fully understand the severity of your situation.  You will be detained here until you have answered my questions or until you die.  You are researching a very sensitive subject that interests my employer.”

“Then let me get back to the Archive so I can do more research.”

<sound of laughter>

“Those days are over for you, my friend.  You should know that the police are looking for you.  There’s the matter of the murdered guard at the Archive.  The gun was found in your backpack.  Apparently you were trying to steal a priceless document.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Your picture is all over town.  Even if you were to escape from here, you wouldn’t get far.  No airports, no train station, no bus station.  No, Dr. Hanson, you’ll be staying with us here in Spain for some time.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“We’ll have a TV brought in later; you can watch the news.  You killed a family man.  You’ll go to jail for a long time.”

 “You know I didn’t kill anyone.  This is a set-up.”

“You mentioned you had already been to the police station, do you recall?”

“Yes, I went there because I had a run in with a gypsy.”

“I have your statement right here.  You were detained by the police after concerns were raised by Archive personnel.  You were planning to steal a document.”

“That’s a lie.”

“We believe you contracted to sell it to a known criminal, a Mr. Melchor Sacramonte.”

 “That’s a lie.  That’s the gypsy guy I was complaining about.”

“We have a copy of the police report.  It was signed by the officers who detained you.”

“I was not detained.  I went on my own.  I filed a complaint.”

<sound of papers>

“Is this your signature?”

“Yes…..but that’s not what I signed.  No, I signed a complaint about…”

“You signed a confession.”

“But….”

“You were advised to leave Spain, but instead you returned to the Archive.  You waited until it closed, killed the guard, and tried to leave with the document.”

“None of that happened.”

“Perhaps you’re right.  It will be up to a jury to decide.”

 “What do you want?”

“I want the documents your colleagues have discovered.  I want the exact coordinates of the hoard, and I want the Malleus Momias book.”

“The hoard?  What hoard?  What is Malleus Momias?  What the hell are you talking about?”

<excessive background noise>

“…if you insist on pretending you don’t understand, I will cut your fingers off.  We’ll begin immediately.  Please excuse me while I retrieve my pliers.”

 “Wait…”

<sound of door being shut>

<sound of door being opened>

<sound of crash>

“Oh, god.”

“You know who I am, young man?”

“You’re one of those gypsy guys who pushed me into the room with the dead man.”

“I am pleased you remember.  You are a man with few friends.  I am one of those friends.”

“Did you just kill the guard outside the door?”

“Very likely.  You must come now.”

“How do I know I can trust you?”

“I am cutting the restraints from your wrists.  Let me show you something.”

“There’s nothing written on that card.  It’s just a green wagon wheel.”

“He is the only person who can keep you safe.”

“Wait, you mean Sacromonte?”

“Will you come with me now?”

“Yes.  Let me grab my computer.”

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