Chapter 5

authors note: the format of this chapter is more of a continuation of the previous chapter because that is really what it is. On with the tale.

Professor Kent was particularly fascinated by the stories revealed in the logbook of the estate, especially linked to the carvings and runes I had discovered in the old cellar. He insisted on me that local universities would be glad to send archaeological teams to study the obvious history behind the structure. The next morning he requested that we return to the cellar and apply the full manpower of our team into exploring, lighting and mapping the cellar. I agreed on the condition that no one must go down the tunnel, not until we had more manpower and perhaps a greater knowledge of what was really going on down there. We woke up much before dawn and went without breakfast so as to start setting up lights until every inch of the main area of the cellar was lit. This took several hours using traditional gas lamps, and it was generally agreed that one thing we should do when we went about purchasing more equipment that a generator and electric lamps would be a good expenditure of money. As it stood we had enough gas canisters to last us only a few days because we had planned to use daylight in as many areas as we could. This former strategy was successful in that we did not have to devote much energy to hauling fuel and had more room for food and other essential items. The new revelations however would force our hands to outfit our expedition with more expensive lighting and probably invest more in communications and more high tech equipment. Up to this point our most complex equipment had been cameras. As we went through these items we required we wrote them down to include in our proposal to present to the local university. Professor Kent spent most of the morning after setting up some lights obsessed with photographing and recording what he could about the cellar. The rest of us performed a general survey of the cellar. We found the pantries we had known were down there, as well as many store rooms some of which were stacked ceiling high with boxes. The group decided to move our base of operations to an empty store room was obvious when considering that we did not want to go up and down stairs every time we had something we wanted to bring into our base of operations for study. Outside the store room we set up two lights that would remain lit at all times that anyone was in the cellar.
At about this time the professor completed his photography of the carvings, and I was satisfied with my contributions towards the exploration of the cellar. After having a quick lunch with our team, the professor and I packed some examples of our findings and headed into the town of Garfunkel. The Garfunkel university was our first stop. Professor Kent had a solid reputation with them having taught at the college in the past. He gathered a few deans and professors of archeology to discuss our findings. Needless to say they were impressed. The deans had the power to immediately grant us the funding to obtain better equipment and five graduate students. They required of us that we document the explorations as completely as possible, and that if artifacts of historical significance were acquired that they either be donated or loaned to the school for at least 5 years. We agreed to the requirements, and signed contracts saying that we represented the university at the site. After that we did inform the university that we could not absolutely certify the safety of the site, but every precaution possible would be taken to protect the members of the expedition. Their enthusiasm was such that they shrugged that off, and told us that "Such dangers are always present when advancing the cause of knowledge and science." We asked the new members of our expedition to go prepare their bags, and we gave them directions to the property. We then cashed the check from the university and obtained all the provisions we needed. The university had loaned us a larger truck capable of moving larger amounts of equipment and we found it necessary to fill it to the brim with the various items we needed. In addition to electric lighting and gas generators, we purchased computer equipment sufficient that every member of our team would be able to document their experience. The university had provided more specialized camera equipment of the type used by professional photographers, as well as measuring devices that covered the whole spectrum from air quality indications to accurately determining the age of various samples. There was no worry in my mind as to our being prepared to document what we found. I sent Professor Kent to the property, I had one further purchase I didn't want him with me to see. I went to a local hunting supply store and purchased a shotgun to keep at the base as well as a pistol that I intended to keep on me at all times. The man at the shop advised me to practice with my weapons so I would be well prepared when the time was right. I also purchased the ammunition I needed, telling myself it would be better to be over cautious than unprepared for the worst.
It was almost dark as I drove back up the path to the lodge, but when I got there I found it well lit, and that the entire team was awaiting my arrival. After moving the provisions from my vehicle to our base downstairs we sat down and had a meeting. Everyone was introduced to the new members of our team, our arrangement with the university was explained to those that had not been there, and a plan of action was formed. It was decided that the students would be far better used at the base analyzing our findings, being led by the professor. I would head up a team exploring the tunnel, followed by the surveyors and survival experts. I privately noted that the survival experts were armed as they had expected to be exploring wooded areas, and thus had prepared for the dangers of facing hostile wild animals. After the meeting I discussed that it would be wise to bring their rifles with them, just to be prepared. I suspect they thought me silly to worry about hostile creatures underground, but I didn't care if I looked silly if it saved our lives. Every member of the exploration team was outfitted with a jumpsuit and dust mask to protect us from any environmental health hazards we might face. We were also required to wear head protection at all times in the tunnel. Though it was dark outside, time really had no meaning below ground. Our team was anxious to begin our work, and many of us were familiar with working through odd hours to get what we were after. Therefor we decided to not wait until morning but to start out that very night to explore the tunnel. The man at the back of the group was tasked with hanging mine lights as we went, so that the students could later come behind and examine the tunnels after we had approved them as safe. I let the survival experts take the lead, as they had the best reflexes if dangers were encountered. We were forced to walk in a line, as there was no room to walk side by side.  As we neared the first turn we heard a large amount of noise echo up the tunnel ahead of us. First a sound like shouting, then more inhuman clicking. Finally a great hum punctuated by the previous sounds growing fainter and fainter until at last it blanked out. The silence was now thick, and our group started talking just to make noise. We had stopped walking when the noises had come to listen, but now we continued our descent.
We took plentiful pictures, but we felt that the carving would be better documented and perhaps even copied in person. as we rounded the last turn, I felt unease settle in my stomach. Though I had not counted the turns on my previous trip, I knew that we were fast approaching the chamber I had visited on my previous trip. I think my discomfort was communicated to the other men, as we all stopped talking. The chamber seemed much different than the last time I was there. The biggest difference was the glow, which was almost absent, and not enough to even be seen a few feet away. The silence also made it different. The only sounds came from members of our team as we gathered at the mouth of the chamber, right outside of the tunnel. We tried to examine the chamber from where we were but had little success, as the last of our group moved into the chamber we began setting up lights so that the entire chamber would be well lit. Only after the chamber was lit did our team begin to document it. As the chamber filled with light I forced myself to examine the alter at which so much unholy evil had been present on my previous visit. gathered around the base of the altar was a pile of bleached bones several feet high. The alter was washed clean of any body fluids or flesh. The only thing found on top of the alter was the torso and skull of the unfortunate person I had witnessed being victimized before. I had one of the survival experts bag it to be examined at a lab to see if the dental records matched either my father or one of the men I had lost. Though saddened to find the bones, I was much more relieved that we did not find anything more of the horrors I had witnessed. The many other tunnel mouths were closed up with doors constructed of a metal that I am not familiar with. This metal seemed to be soft and forgiving, but when trying to bend or pry our way past it, it displayed a rigidness unfamiliar to any of us. There appeared to be some sort of lock on each door, and we determined we would attempt to pick or undo the locks at a future point. We set up both conventional and night vision cameras, and set the lights so they could be controlled remotely. We also set up an intercom between the base and this chamber, so if we needed to communicate back and forth we could. At that we decided we would call it a day, that there was much work to be done in unraveling the secrets of what we had found thus far, and that any secrets beyond those doors would keep while we slept. We used our new intercom to communicate that we were headed back up, and upon reaching base camp collapsed into our beds and slept a dreamless sleep.