Бесплатный фрагмент - The Mystery of Untali

The Mystery of Untali.

Ernest woke up early in the morning. Ellea’s three suns were already shining brightly through the window. The Earthlings who had arrived here fifty years ago had long ago found a substitute for what they lacked: tobacco, tea, coffee, alcohol, and sweets. The young guy worked here as an assistant archaeologist. He trained in Prague and then became a candidate for relocation to Ellea. He had long been beckoned by adventure, which is why Ernest decided to go to another planet. On Earth, everything had long ago been found, resolved, and there were almost no questions left. It was great that the latest equipment was now available, which allowed even the smallest details to be kept intact. And the excavation droids always helped to determine the exact time of the burial.

The young guy, holding an imitation cigarette in his mouth, began to get ready for work. It was not good to be late on the first day. Jumping out of the entrance hall, he found his old, shabby speeder and drove to the Ellea Excavation Center. It took about twenty minutes to get there. Ernest pulled out his pass and let the security droid scan it. The excavation had been in full swing for a long time.

A long time ago there were several civilizations on this planet, fighting each other as usual. Untali was less fortunate, it was destroyed, so the locals were forced to emigrate quickly. No one had lived here for more than a thousand years. Still, they had an advanced society. There were a sewer system, an advanced infrastructure and even some sciences, like astronomy and mathematics. They valued articles made of precious metals and minerals. That’s why there are many different pieces of jewelry preserved in excavations these days.

Ernest began to analyze the data scanned by a droid. There were items found in the area that were used for religious purposes. Using them, as the ancient Untali believed, it was possible to raise the dead. This discovery will interest many. The book found there was made of precious metals, and the cover was beautifully lined with expensive stones.

The young guy approached the interpreter droid and asked him about the opening.

«DTM L22, how long would it take you to translate this book from Untali to Universal? Also, check it out in ultraviolet.»

Guy handed the book to the robot in a special container.

«The scanning begins… Three hundred and fifty pages and six thousand characters are found in this paper. Translation will take about three hours. Shall I let you know when it’s finished?» The droid spoke monotonously, as usual.

«I’ll wait for the report. I’ll contact the professors in the meantime.»

Walking along the small path, Ernest approached the archaeologists’ temporary abodes. These were small temporary buildings made of organic glass. There was a table inside, and a small computer on it, and next to it, there was a shelf with holo-modules.

«Good morning, Keelon!» The young guy greeted the Suurani, finally becoming accustomed to his appearance.