Climbing up Kristy was careful as she tried the door. It of course was locked but the code to the door was easy enough for one of her training to over ride. The door slide open allowing her to move inside the vessel. She crept along hiding behind bulk heads and while there was light in the ship she could see that there was a dull green glow from one of the rooms accompanied by a soft humming.

"Did you need to strike her so hard?" She did not recognize the voice but it went on. "Kale, administer the smelling salts. See? See how it reacts to the temple, nowhere else but hear. The light, the harmonics, I know not what they mean."

There came some coughing, then the voice continued. "Careless of you. But your expertise is need, I need to know what this is."

"And why should I tell you, bastard?"

There was a falling or perhaps shoving sound. Boris' voice chimed in at once. "Don't speak to the boss like that."

"No, no, Boris, she's right there is nothing for you to gain. But if you assist me with this I'm willing to give you your freedom in return. Slaves are easy for me to come by, especially better quality ones. You did not cost me much and information at this stage is more valueable to me."

So...I was right...there boss needed the girl for information...poor girls so desperate she'll talk right away, Kirsty thought she knew the girl would quickly try and decipher it so she could be set free, but that wasn't her concern now, she quickly got as close as she dared to and tried to see the glowing Artifact that Mustafa was trying to get the girl to look at.

"What stops you from keeping me if I talk, you'd have the information and as you said you already paid for me."

The girl was smart enough, even in this sort of situation to see the obvious. Kristy crept forward, close enough to see into the room. Stephanie was there looking at a small bird-like creature that looked very similar to Kale minus the spectacles. He did have a monicle over his left eye and his shirt was of finer material. One of his legs had been missing too replaced by a cybernetic one. Kale stood near him and Boris behind the girl with his large hands on her smaller arms.

In the hands of Mustafa she assumed had been a green glowing pyramid the source of this humming. It was engraved from what she could tell with all manner of symbols.

"Yes, I could do that if I had a use for you. I could simply give you to Boris if I am going to get no use out of you then you're useless to me. You're not the only one with the knowledge I need, just the easiest to procure. I had learned of Goro's fortune and thus mine but if the later is not the case then I'll just have to get an expert and make the necessary travel arrangements.

"Boris, it looks as if you'll have another play -"

"No, I'll do it. What do you want to know?"

"Ah, excellent. Now I know that this is some sort of key but I am unsure of how to operate it."

Kirsty admired the girls head on her shoulders as she knew he could've just kept her after her usefulness ended, but she relented just to get a chance to get out, as she saw the strange Green Pyramid item in Mustafa's hands as she stayed quiet listening in for now.

A key? To what...secret treasures...ancient technology...or some kind of monster sealed in that temple... Kirsty thought seeing the size of the temple know doubt the reason the pyramid was glowing as Mustafa had said earlier as she watched Stephanie examine it.

Steph was released by the brute and took up the pyramid, turning it this way and that and examining it, her eyes scanning each surface. "Each facing is identical. It is a key that opens up a gateway to vast knowledge. Makes some since ... they were obsessed about knowledge ..." the last part said under her breath.

"It says that the stone opens the gateway of knowledge but you have to appeal to the aeons for that knowledge. She that symbol there? It commonly represents 'heart' and from this line it appears that this stone can only be used at the heart of the pyramid. But I know not what this passage here refers to, the void? Where did you find this stone it might assist me further -"

"I'm afraid not. That particular piece was liberated from the personal collection of a private collector. I know not where he got it, only that it was one of two stones, I have not located the other as of yet but was lead to believe that this was a key."

"It is, at least it seems to be some sort of key and I'm assuming that it can be used at the pyramid. Was there anything there, inscriptions? Chambers or the like?"

"Several, only one that seemed of any importance. It had a raised dias, steps on either side and in a way is a smaller replicate of the temple though there was a pedestal at the top with a hole at the top where this thing fits but nothing seems to happen. In the chamber too at one end is a circle of strange rocks capped by other stones and a circle of smaller stones inside this circle.

"There is writing there on the wall on various circular stones."

Kirsty listened to Stephanie's detailed explanation with interest more and more curious and almost excited at the prospect of a little adventure.

Hmm, not much I can say right now to report about Mustafa's slave tradings... She thought in her mind as she continued listening in for anything else, she was curious about what this key, the pyramid and everything else was about vast knowledge..

"Knowledge of the gods, isn't that what this here says."

"No, knowledge to rival that of gods."

"Close enough, Boris take here we're checking out that room again now that we have someone that can translate this stuff I might have better luck with it."

A grunt of confirmation from Boris as he grabbed Steph by the arm again and Mustafa took back the pyramid. Kale was heading towards the door in the lead, and it was perhaps best for his eyesight wasn't as great as noted by his spectacles. His species, despite evolving from avians, had poorer eyesight then most at least close up but had excellent vision for spotting things a distance off. He had not noticed Kristy just yet.

Kirsty quickly squeezed herself behind some equipment as they walked out, knowing if she was caught now it would be a disastor as she stayed perfectly still hidden for now unless they actually looked, course they where focused on going out to that temple with there captured translator to help them.

Stay still...wait until they leave.. Kirsty thought as she made low quiet breathings to keep herself unspotted yet watching the four of them leave the room quietly.

Nothing amiss, no one looked for her as she shifted though the quartet did leave the ship closing it behind them. The door being locked behind them though it would still open from the inside without any hassel.

The quartet went to the ziggurate walking up the numerous steps there until reaching a passageway near the top and vanishing inside. Whether it was dark inside or not Kristy could not determine though thesoft green glow was spilling out of that passage and growing brighter.

Kirsty sighed as they left the ship, "That was close..." She whispered and headed to the exit of the ship quickly waiting a few moment before opening the door quickly, and peeked outside seeing the quartet heading into the temple, the glowing green light from the artifact glowing strong, "Now then...in we go," She said dashing after them quickly and slipped inside sticking to the walls for now as she followed them silently.

'Impressive structure to say the least...' She thought as she walked ahead glancing around silently.

It was dark inside the passage way only the light of the pyramid ahead showed her any signs of guidance as she stuck closer to the walls as she moved to follow. A half minute later she was plunged into darkness, the green light dimming greatly. The sunlight silohetted the end of the corridor to which she came into the place of course though without a light source as strong as the artifact it took a bit longer to make any progress. When she had the passage turned around a corner and went straight up to a large chamber.

It was the one to which Mustafa described, a raised dias in the center and strange green stones in two rings one inside the other. Stephanie was looking at the circular stones on the wall reading the inscriptions there. Mustafa standing at her side with both Boris in the circle of stones and Kale sitting on the steps of the dias.

"... this doesn't make any sense, the translation of these passages here are from the religious texts of the people but these here make no sense, 'one that walks in the field of flowers', 'the rich man truimphs over the poor one' and 'frosty fingers cause chills' have no meaning ..."

Steph strained as she looked at the words.

"What kinds of backwards knowledge is that? Boss, this is just a waste of time, there's no treasure here, no gate, nothing." Boris interjected as he looked over his shoulder at them.

"Backwards ..." Steph muttered to herself as she stared at those words. "Religious texts ... wrong ... backwards ... there's got to be something to it all."

Kirsty slowed down her steps knowing her shoes would make echoey clacking noises if she jogged taking slow silent steps as she followed them using the darkness to stay hidden for now, using the walls as guidelines she turned a corner and headed to the chamber staying in the shadows for now, as she heard Stephanie's translations confused.

"Hmm...yes something's missing," She muttered to herself as she watched confused about what this little riddle puzzle meant as she glanced around the chamber for any signs of what to do..

Kale looked uninterested and Boris outright bored as Stephanie mulled over this puzzle, one arm pressed to one of the circular stones a finger tapping against it as she thought puzzling over things for a moment, a long moment.

She went to push herself from the wall when the stone circle moved, barely but noticeable. It seemed to be some sort of wheel and Steph looked at it puzzled for a second then pressed against it moving the circle around 180 degrees, stopped then looked at it.

"That's it!" She did the same to a few other sections of the wall, at the completion of the last there was a clicking sound. "It's a lock, like a combination ... if you're versed in their religion you can spot the areas that don;t make any sense. The symbols mean something entirely different when turned upside down, these phrases are coherant. Something happened, try placing the pyramid now ..."

Eagerly Mustafa climbed the dias when he got to the top he looked in her direction, pausing as if he had seen her there in the shadows, looking for a moment then either seeing nothing or dismissing whatever he saw as nothing he inserted the pyramid inverted into a slot on the pedestal causing the symbols on it to light up one after another, the stones glowing as the hum increased, Boris hurrying out of the circle of stones casting his gaze at it, waiting for something to happen.

All eyes were drawn to the circle awaiting whatever was happening to take effect.

Kirsty smirked Smart girl figuring that one out Even she was impressed by the girls problem solving, if she could somehow rescue her, she might make a good ADD agent if the chance aroze as she stepped slowly closed through the shadows for now trying to get a closer look without being detection watching Boris and Kali incase they looked her way hoping the reaction from the Pyramid object kept them at attention.

For the time being their attention had focused on the stones, green electricity jumped and danced between the stones before there was a wave of blinding green light that dissipated a moment after it arrived revealing a large creature in the center of the ring of stones.

It's flesh was rubbery and mauve and while it had a humanoid frame it had no legs instead having a series of tentacles that served that purpose. It was large too, seven feet tall or so with white piercing eyes and a ring of mouth tendrils that swayed.

It seemed to appraise the situation quickly then slowly moved to the edge of the ring of stones but not passing it as if it were some sort of barrier. Then words flowed into her mind, its voice a chilling mental one.

Who disturbs me? I had been unaware that there were still stones of calling in existence.

"I call you," Mustafa called from the dias gazing down at the creature as he descended the steps, his eyes locked on the thing as he studied it and the situation. He was as surprised as the others to witness the appearance of the creature. "I seek the knowledge of the gods ..."

Ahh ... most ambitious ... and what exactly do you offer for this?

"This," he grabbed Steph and shoved her forward toward the circle. The girl broke the plain of the stones and the creature immediately seized her up with tentacles, inspecting her carefully then looked back at Mustafa. Is this all? You do not offer much in exchange.

He lifted a tentacle up and pointed in Boris' direction. That! I want that ... of course I'd get it myself but ... He glanced at the circle of stone then back in Boris' direction. Mustafa drew a weapon and pointed it at Boris catching the larger creature by surprise.

"Boss ..."

No, I want that ... He pointed again, Kristy only realizing then that it was not pointing at Boris but rather in her direction.