Dana
We uncovered one of the most baffling pieces I’ve seen.
Dana
Haven’t seen any artifacts, Mayan or otherwise, that looks like this thing.
Dana
Looks like a pair of ancient goggles or something similar. But get this, the insides are lined with crystal.
Dana
Well that’s actually the crazy part. Nobody has ever seen this kind of crystal. It’s completely unknown to modern science.
Tim
What the hell… what’s it look like?
Dana
You’re not going to believe this…
Dana
It’s translucent and lavender-pink. But Tim the insides of it seem to be um...alive?
Dana
Yeah, there appear to be darker pink clouds within the crystal that move around sort of. They respond to movement and sound.
Dana
Yeah you’ll be seeing it. In text books.
Dana
Thanks. Gotta go for now. Final stretch before break.
Tim
You back at base camp?
Dana
Good. Finished excavating the goggles with no damage.
Tim
You pack them up and send to the lab?
Dana
They’re actually here in my room. Wanted to examine them personally first.
Tim
So what do they look like? Besides the crystal.
Dana
They’re stone. Sort of the shape of ski goggles...
Dana
...with what looks like a head strap made of a brilliantly preserved fibrous plant.
Dana
At first I thought the goggles may be for eye protection during battle, but you can’t actually see past the crystal.
Dana
I think they might be a wearable looking glass of some kind.
Dana
The oils on my skin could cause deterioration.
Tim
How can you assess their purpose without trying them out?
Dana
Suppose that’s a valid point.
Dana
Haha! I’ll think about it. Going to go to sleep. Long day ahead.
Tim
Thought you went to sleep?
Dana
Insomnia. Kept thinking about the goggles. So…. I tried them on.
Dana
And Tim….when I did….something happened.
Dana
A hallucination of some sort.
Tim
Were you half asleep or something? Maybe you were dreaming?
Dana
I was perfectly awake. It startled me so I took the goggles off. And when I did, the hallucination went away.
Tim
What the hell. What did you see??
Dana
I’m not really sure. My head is spinning. I don’t feel that well.
Tim
Get some rest. You’ll think more clearly.
Tim
Yeah. Feeling better?
Dana
Still couldn’t sleep so tried the goggles on again. I left them on for longer.
Dana
I hallucinated longer.
Dana
Only I’m not sure ‘hallucination’ is the right word. It’s more like these things were actually happening.
Tim
Jesus. What did you hallucinate?
Dana
Hard to describe. I was somewhere else entirely. Somewhere unclassifiable. Beyond description and imagination.
Dana
I believe it has something to do with the crystal.
Dana
But listen. While I was inhabiting wherever it is that these goggles brought me, I encountered, for a very brief second...
Dana
...what I can only describe as a deity. A god.
Tim
Are you kidding me? A GOD?
Dana
I only use these words for lack of better terminology. Whatever I encountered was not of this Earth.
Dana
Not of this reality, and certainly not something capable of being imagined by a human mind. Something utterly alien.
Tim
I can’t believe this.
Dana
I think these goggles were used by the Maya to communicate with this being. And perhaps other beings.
Dana
They are meant to show us a reality beyond our own.
Tim
Do you think these beings are the foundation of Mayan mythology? We have to figure out what this crystal is...
Dana
Maybe. Did some research after and whatever I saw had a vague resemblance to the Mayan deity Itzamna who created all things.
Dana
The universe. Matter. Everything.
Dana
I’ll text you in a bit. I’m going to put the goggles on again.
Dana
I want to see if I can possibly see whatever this was for longer. Maybe communicate with it.
Tim
You don’t know what you’re dealing with. Just send it to the lab.
Veronica
Tim, this is Veronica Ullman I work with Dana.
Tim
Have you seen her at all???
Veronica
Are you able to speak on the phone?
Veronica
I’m going to call you. I prefer to tell you over the phone.
Tim
???? What’s going on????? If something has happened just tell me here.
Tim
I don’t think I can bear to hear whatever it is over the phone.
Veronica
Tim, I am so sorry. Dana is dead.
Veronica
Tim, are you still there?
Veronica
Yes. We found her in her room wearing an artifact that we’d uncovered the previous day. It was strapped to her head.
Veronica
Her face was contorted into an expression of pure horror.
Tim
Please make sure nobody else puts on those goggles.
Veronica
Do you know anything about what happened to her? Was she in communication with you?
Tim
I believe I know what happened. I believe that Dana’s mind was exposed to something it simply could not comprehend.
Tim
I believe she probably went insane and died of shock.
Veronica
What did she tell you?
Tim
Veronica, you are not going to believe this...
