Free Project Solaris 2: Hero Rising by Chris Fox Page B

how significant this is? This single image redefines our entire history."
    "Slow down there, sparky," Marcus said. It was the first time he'd looked up from Summers in a while. "What are you going on about?"
    "This image proves several things," Steve said, excitedly. "The Sphinx is clearly much older than modern science believes, and in fact wasn't originally carved to be a Sphinx. It was a lion, as this image demonstrates. That explains something I've often wondered. The Egyptians were famous for their precision, yet if you look at the Sphinx, you'll notice that the head is far too small for the body. It's too small, because they re-carved the lion into the image of one of their pharaohs."
    "What about the pyramid?" I asked, moving the light from my phone to focus on that part of the image. "That thing is immense, and I doubt it just got up and walked away. Where the hell did it go?"
    "That I can't answer," Steve said, eyes alight with wonder. "What I can say is that the Great Pyramids, the ones less than a mile from here, were probably built here to ape that thing."
    "Summers?" Marcus said, sitting up straight and returning his attention to the comatose blonde. Summers gave a low moan, and Marcus reached down to stroke her hair. "I think she's waking up."
    "Waking up? With all due respect, she was shot half a dozen times. She needs a hospit--" Steve trailed off when Summers' eyes fluttered open, and she rose slowly into a sitting position.
    "Ugh," she said, running a hand through her hair. It was matted with blood, as was a lot of her clothing. "I feel awful."
    "You were shot," Marcus said, pulling her into a surprisingly gentle hug. "We're safe, for now at least."
    "What the hell is that thing?" she asked, nodding at the scarlet hologram.
    "
Oobaka con tiky
," the figure said, looking at Mom's hologram. It gestured up the chamber toward the far end, which was still cloaked in shadow.
    "He wants us to explore this place," Mom explained. "I can sense a lot of his thoughts. He wants this place to be rediscovered, and its knowledge to be used once again. The exact phrase, he wants to share the light of the Builders once more."
    "I'm not sure I like the sound of that," I replied, and I sure as shit didn't. "What is the light of the Builders, and what is this place, exactly?" 
    Mom was silent for a moment as she communed with Ra. She finally turned to speak to us. "I'm not sure I understand it all, but this place is a repository of knowledge. Ra built it to hold everything they learned, most of which was discovered in something he calls the Ark of the Cradle. That's the pyramid in the image on the wall there. He claims that the Builders created it, and that he used it to forge a great empire in their honor. But that's not this place's only purpose. There is a gateway, he says, that leads to the sky. It goes into the heavens, where one can commune with the Builders."
    "That's it," I said, snapping my fingers. "That's got to be the Black Knight satellite. We just need to find and activate this gateway."
    "Black Knight?" Steve asked.
    "I think it's time for Doctor Galk to say goodbye to everyone. He isn't a part of this," Jillian said, nodding in Steve's direction.
    "Like hell I'm not," Steve said hotly. He turned to me. "I'm part of this, and there's no way you're sending me away without--"
    "Can you 'port him to the hotel and get back here quickly?" I asked, as if Steve hadn't spoken.
    "Consider it done," she said, grinning. Jillian took two steps, then touched Steve on the shoulder. He was still sputtering when they disappeared. 
    Marcus helped Summers to her feet, and she leaned heavily against him. I felt more than a little bad that we hadn't had time to deal with her wounds, especially after she'd spent so long in a coma. Summers had given a lot for the cause, and I owed her more consideration at the very least.
    "Okay, let's get to exploring this place," I said, turning back to Mom. "Can Ra tell us if there are any traps,