INT. CREEK MOUNTAIN/LEVEL 18/COVERSTONE ROOM – TWILIGHT
The twin doors of the coverstone room swing open and Kawalsky escorts Daniel, Meyers, and Barbara inside. Seeing the immense room’s main attraction, their mouths go agape; there – beyond three long tables outfitted with various artifacts, documents, and advanced computer equipment – is the large sandstone coverstone recovered from the Langford excavation, secured high above on the far wall. Standing there, like a high priestess within the Holy of Holies, is Catherine Langford.
CATHERINE: (turns toward the new arrivals) I’m glad to see you made it.
The three scholars slowly make their way towards Catherine, their eyes transfixed on the coverstone.
DANIEL: Where did you find this?
CATHERINE: Giza Plateau, 1967. (beat) As you all can see, there are two rings of glyphs. The inner tract of writing is an extremely early form of hieroglyphics and we’ve managed to make preliminary translations of it, but the outer one has been giving us the fits. The symbols, as you can see, are unlike anything we’ve ever found before.
DANIEL: Could be some form of hieratic.
MEYERS: Maybe cuneiform.
CATHERINE: Like Champollion with the Rosetta Stone, we thought the two scripts might be parallel translations, but if they are, we can’t find the similarities. It doesn’t help that it’s written in a circle without any discernible punctuation.
DANIEL: Alright, I understand why Gary and I have been brought on board, but what’s Barbara’s role in all this? An astrophysicist’s expertise doesn’t exactly lie with five-thousand-year-old Egyptian tablets.
O’NEAL: (O.S.) My report says ten thousand.
The six people in the large room quickly turn towards the owner of the voice. Standing behind them, black folder in his left hand, is Col. Jack O’Neal. In his crew cut and immaculate uniform, he is the very picture of self-assurance and command.
KAWALSKY: (snaps to attention) Sir!
O’NEAL: At ease.
CATHERINE: (to Daniel) Barbara was brought in to analyze the concentric lines etched on the coverstone. There’s evidence they hold some geometrical significance. (to O’Neal) Do I know you?
O’NEAL: (opens his folder and withdraws a document) I’m Col. Jack O’Neal from Gen. West’s office. I’ll be taking over from this point forward.
Kawalsky walks over to the colonel, who hands him the document to look over.
DANIEL: (to no one in particular) Wait a second – ten thousand years?
MEYERS: (to Catherine) I’m sorry, but that’s impossible. Egyptian culture didn’t even exist –
CATHERINE: (her attention on O’Neal) The various dating methods we’ve used have all been conclusive.
DANIEL: This is a coverstone. Was there a tomb underneath?
CATHERINE: No, not a tomb. We’ve found something far more interesting. (to Barbara) There’s a secondary reason I wanted you for Project Giza, Barbara. There’s –
O’NEAL: (takes a step forward) Excuse me, but that information’s become classified.
CATHERINE: (surprised) What!?
BARBARA: Catherine, what the hell is goin’ on here?
CATHERINE: I’m not sure.
O’NEAL: (to Kawalsky) Effective immediately, no information is to be passed on to non-military personnel without my expressed permission.
DANIEL: We’ve all just come here from all across the country. What exactly is it you want us to do here?
O’NEAL: You’re all translators and analysts, so translate and analyze. (to Kawalsky) Colonel, I want all information not directly pertaining to this tablet to be removed from this workspace and brought to my office immediately. Until that happens, you are the only individual authorized to be in this room.
With that last command, O’Neal turns and leaves. Wasting no time, Catherine follows after him.
BARBARA: (smirks) Who was that masked man?
DANIEL: (walks up to Kawalsky) You guys can’t be serious about restricting us from information. I mean, if we’re going to have any chance of figuring out what this stone says, we’re going to need information. Otherwise, what the hell are we doing here?
KAWALSKY: (sullen) Your quarters are over there, directly across from the hall. If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask.
DANIEL: (angry) Didn’t you hear what I just said!? How am I supposed to decipher this thing without any information?!
KAWALSKY: (frowns) I have my orders.
Kawalsky points toward the double doors, silently ordering Daniel, Meyers, and Barbara to leave the room at once.
DANIEL: (shakes his head in disbelief) Do you always follow orders? Always?
KAWALSKY: As a matter of fact, I do.
INT. CREEK MOUNTAIN/LEVEL 18/CORRIDOR #2 – TWILIGHT
Col. O’Neal walks through the corridor at a brisk pace, Catherine keeping pace right behind him.
CATHERINE: Col. O’Neal, I think you owe me an explanation. I was personally assured by Gen. West that I would have complete autonomy.
Hearing her words, O’Neal stops. Turning around, he regards her with hard eyes.
O’NEAL: Plans change.
CATHERINE: Apparently. I’d appreciate some elaboration.
O’NEAL: The way I understand it, the folks at headquarters find things have gotten a little too loose around here. And now you’ve brought in more civilians.
CATHERINE: (stern) Colonel, they were approved.
O’Neal remains silent.
CATHERINE: This doesn’t have anything to do with them, does it? (beat) What’s this all about? Why’d they bring you in on this project?
O’NEAL: I’m here in case you succeed.
This time Catherine remains silent.