“Federal Archeology Division,” Andy said, and jerked a thumb at Matt. “And a languages guy.”

Matt went to stick his hand out.

“Bullshit.” Frank waved the hand away. “Pardon my French, Captain. But I’ve been on sites where you guys have turned up, and at most you get some pencil-neck with a mobile ground-penetrating radar and a clipboard, and that’s about it.”

Tania held up her board and shrugged. “That makes me the pencil-neck, I guess.” She motioned to the work going on. “Gentlemen, we can cross a river, a deep gorge or burrow through a mountain if circumstances demand it…and we think they demand it here.” She turned back to Andy. “Mr Bennet, your report brought us here, that, and the hundreds of these holes opening up right across the country.” She stared down into the pit. “We’re looking for answers, and I think you are too. You said in your report you wanted to excavate.” She pointed to a rack of suits. “Put those on, gentlemen, and then let’s go excavate.”

*

Matt leant against the cage wall in the elevator and let his eyes wander over to the other occupants, which wasn’t easy to do with the HAZMAT suit’s hood over his head. Andy Bennet was pretty intense, but seemed professional. He noticed that the geologist rarely took his eyes from Tania, and guessed he was smitten.

He admired the guy’s fortitude. Matt had a problem with caves, though perhaps once, a long time ago, he could have descended by himself. But not any more. Andy’s partner, Frank, looked ready to explode, and that wasn’t just the from the ill-fitting suit. Matt grinned, and looked across to see Tania, ice cool and smiling back at him. He nodded in return.

Matt doubted that the glyphic writing Andy had discovered in the sinkhole had anything to do with the land drop, but as he had been only a few hours away, it was worth having him come and look them over. If they were anything like the image he had seen in the newspaper, he doubted he’d be able to help. But he was interested, and he still he got paid whether he could help or not – money for old rope, as his father used to say.

He noticed that Andy held tight to the railing in the five-man cage and listened to Tania deliver a continuous stream of information as they slowly descended. She explained the different machines, people involved, and what their overall expectations were based on his report. At one point she had Andy point out to them where exactly he had found his samples, her voice piped to all their suits via a two-way radio.

Matt pulled at his visor. Tania had explained that for now they would need to use what was termed a Level-A suit – the highest grade of protection against vapors, gases, mists, and particles. Even though it was warm outside, and he was encased in a single piece whole-body garment of thick, impermeable material, the suit contained a personal canister of breathable air that was ice-cool against his skin. Fresh air and air conditioning: bearable, he thought as he adjusted the hood again. Apart from this stupid visor. He held it in place for a second or two.