by Dan Arnold
“Hello. Glad to see you made it. I’ll bet that was one of the more challenging routes you’ve driven, eh?” Jake called.
Tim nodded.
“Too right, Mr. Walker, I don’t remember one as bad. I’m not looking forward to driving that truck back out. At least it’ll be quite a bit lighter when I do. Wow, this is amazing. It’s like you’re camped in an outdoor museum.”
“Will you be going back to the station today?” The professor asked.
“No. Wally said I should wait till tomorrow morning. It’s too dangerous to try going back alone in this heat. If the ute got a flat or broke down, I’d be in serious trouble and nobody would know where I was.”
“I reckon he’s right about that. It’s at least forty degrees now. We’ve about got the camp set up. We’ll have an early lunch ready shortly. You’re very welcome to spend the night with us.”
“Ta, Professor, but I’ll probably sleep out in the truck. It wouldn’t be the first time. It should be cool enough come dark.”
“I don’t know. Those vehicles are sitting out there in the sun. Even after the sun goes down, it’ll take hours for them to cool.”
“We’ll see. As pretty as this spot is, it’s somehow unnerving at the same time.”
“I noticed that too.” Jake said. “I think it’s the complete silence here in the canyons. We find ourselves talking very quietly. It’s as if our being here disturbs the peace.”
“Well, I guess you’ve found what you came looking for.”
Jake shrugged.
“Not yet. This find is significant, but it’s just an indicator we may be in the right place to make a more important discovery.”
“What’s that?”
Professor Madison spoke up, “We can’t say just yet, but we’re going to start exploring right after lunch. Since you’re a contractor and not officially part of the research team, we can’t include you. I’m sure you understand.”
“No worries. I don’t care to go climbing around in these rocks in this heat. I’ll just hang out here in the shade.”
The professor nodded his approval.
“Did Wally leave? I thought I heard a motorcycle.”
“He did. He was in some kind of hurry too.”
The truck driver was watching Miss Nguyen approaching with a bottle of water. As she handed it to him, she said, “We were kind of hoping he would stay on. But he wouldn’t come into these canyons for anything.”
“So, he didn’t get to see any of this Aboriginal art?”
“No, we didn’t even get to tell him about it.”
“Too bad, maybe he could’ve told us what this stuff represents.”
“We’re familiar with much of the imagery. The rainbow serpent, the wildlife and so on, but some of this seems to tell a story. We just don’t know, yet. If we could upload pictures to the uni we could probably get some answers pretty fast, but…
“We’ve got no mobile phone or internet.” Jake concluded for her.
“Right, we’re no better off than the people who painted these walls. They couldn’t tell anyone their story, so they left it here for others to find.”
There was something about her last statement that bothered the professor. It reminded him of something, but he couldn’t quite remember what it was.
Miss Nguyen only had eyes for the truck driver.
“Well, since you’re going to be staying here with us, let me show around camp.” She said.
The trucker grinned.
“Thank you, miss...”
“You can call me Tina, mate.”
“Ta, Tina, I’m Tim.”
Twelve
As the assembled group was eating lunch Professor Madison called everyone to attention.
“It’s forty-two degrees here in the shade of these tarps. We need to get started locating the site before it gets much hotter. I’ve studied the satellite imagery and it suggests this canyon behind me splits and goes around both sides of the southern exposure of the mountain we need to ascend. Both branches show additional smaller gullies in the mountain itself, one or more of which may provide access to the summit.
We can’t be sure which of these canyons will give us the best access route, so we’ll divide into two teams. For now, to keep it simple, we’ll be the same teams as our work assignments. I’ll lead my team, and Dr. Walker will lead the other. Let’s clean up and be ready to move out at noon. Any questions?”
Mr. Overlander said, “I have a suggestion.”
“Yes?”
“I’ve got a small drone in my gear. We could fly it around and get a bird’s eye view of the terrain.”
“Brilliant, mate. I should’ve thought of that myself. What is its range?”
“About one and a half clicks. It can stay up for about a half hour.”
“Can we see the imagery on a tablet?”
“My laptop has a bigger screen and it’s all set up. Give me a minute to get my stuff.”
Five minutes later, with everyone gathered the around the computer to see the screen, the drone lifted off.
It was immediately clear Bob Overlander was skilled at manoeuvring the quadcopter and orienting the camera. As it rose above them, the screen showed the entire group gathered around the computer, many staring at the aircraft. They diminished in size as the vehicle rose higher and higher, now the view was from about one hundred meters above them, showing the intersection of the canyons and the colourful campsite.
Bob was seeing a much smaller image on the screen of the remote control unit.
“Can you fly it up that canyon there, Mr. Overlander?”
Bob nodded silently as he manipulated the toggle on the remote control.
The image swept away from the campsite following the course of the canyon.
“Careful, you don’t want to hit a canyon wall.”
“I’m pretty much above them, and the drone has proximity sensors.”
As the drone flew past an intersecting canyon, something caught Becky’s eye.
“Wait. Did you see that? Can you stop?”
“Sure, what did you see? Do you want me to go back?”
“Yes, go up that side canyon.”
Seconds later the thing Becky saw came into view as the camera picked up its image.
“Oh, it’s just a goanna. Wow, that’s a big one.”
Jake caught Professor Madison’s eye.
“Yes, well let’s get back to the matter at hand.” The professor said.
“OK. I’ll just go up and over”
As the drone rose higher, more of the surrounding red sandstone mountains were revealed. In the distance something could be seen on the top of one of the highest peaks.
“There, that’s it.”
“I see it. Let’s get a closer look.”
Bob’s drone was soon circling above the structure on the mountain top. There was no question about it, what they were seeing was manmade. It appeared to be the remnants of collapsed stone walls.
“Are you recording these images, Mr. Overlander?”
“Yes, Professor.”
“Excellent! Circle out wider. Let’s see if we can get a better idea of how to get there from here.”
Looking at a still image on the computer screen, Professor Madison addressed the group.
“OK, people. Here’s what we know. The research site is only about a thousand meters from here, as the drone flies, but we’ll have to hike through these canyons to get there. It appears our best point of access will be this gully on the east side of the mountain.” He pointed at the screen.
“We estimate the climb to be nearly a hundred meters from the nearest point on the floor of the canyon. That’s roughly the equivalent of climbing the stairs of a thirty story building. In this heat a climb like that is dangerous. It’s about forty three degrees now. It will be even hotter as the afternoon progresses, too hot. I’m open to suggestions.”
Jake spoke first.
“I suggest a scouting trip to finalize the approac
h. The sun is merciless. We shouldn’t attempt to climb up to the site until its cooler, maybe this evening or tomorrow morning.”
“Man, I hate to be this close and not get a look at it.” Todd Franks said.
“We don’t all need to scout the route. Some of us can stay here in the shade.” Professor Madison observed.
“I don’t feel up to it. The heat has me feeling a bit crook. I have no desire to get out in that sun.” Miss Elliott said.
“Right, you should stay. We must all exercise caution. There’s work to be done right here. We need to capture images, measurements and characteristics of the rock art here at the campsite. Mr. Overlander, I’d like you to be the photographer. Miss Davenport can take measurements. Miss Enguyen will record and take notes as I direct.”
“I know I’m just the trucker, but I’ll be happy to help if I can.” Tim Quinn said.
“That leaves me and Mr. Franks to do some scouting. What do you say, Todd, do you want to go for a hike in this oven?”
Todd shrugged, indicating his ambivalence.
“Excuse me, mate. What am I, chopped liver?” Becky said.” I want to explore the route to the site. If she feels up to it, Miss Elliott can take the measurements.”
The professor’s jaw tightened, but he made no comment.
“Well then, we’d better grab some water and get going.” Jake said.
“Hey, look, I guess Wally was right. That wall isn’t fully in the sun any more. Give it three or four hours and there’ll be some natural shade here.” The professor said.
“Good thing, too. It’s too hot to get into one of those tents. They’re worse than being out in the open.” Tina Nguyen said. “I can’t imagine how hot those vehicles are now.”
“Wish us luck. We’ll back in time for tea.” Becky called, as she and the two men walked out into the midday sun.
Jake noted that at some point Becky had donned a straw hat, sunglasses and a long sleeved shirt. Smart. He liked that. He himself wore a long sleeved shirt, long pants, sunglasses and his straw cowboy hat. In contrast, Todd wore the uniform of the typical Aussie; shorts, a short sleeved t-shirt and a ball cap. Jake wouldn’t say anything now, but almost everyone in the group was acting like this was some sort of day trip or casual excursion. After seeing that giant goanna, he considered strapping on the big bowie knife he carried in his pack.
Thirteen
Hiking and climbing through the narrow canyons under the relentless sun was very much like being in an oven. The sun hit the surrounding rock walls superheating the air. Around one bend they found a gully with a strip of shade under a slight overhang. They took a moment to drink some water and lean back against the rock wall, out of the sun.
There was no respite from the heat because even though they were in the shade, they were still in the oven. Not the slightest breeze moved the hot air around them.
Todd kicked at a tuft of dried grass and weeds.
“There’s plenty of sandy soil. I wonder why there aren’t any trees down here in these canyons. I’d love to find a decent shade tree.”
Jake said, “Look at this gully; it took centuries of water runoff from the rains to erode even this much. When the monsoons hit, these gullies become channels for the runoff. The canyons become temporary rivers washing away anything in their path. Trees wouldn’t have a chance to get established.”
Becky knit her brows.
“So, everything that gets washed out of here gets dumped out on the plain, right?”
“Yep, or into one of the dry stream beds we drove through on our way here. Some of the deeper depressions in these canyons could hold water most of the year.”
“We found horse skulls in the brush out beyond where the vehicles are parked. Could they have washed out of the canyon?”
“Sure, I guess, but why would horses have died in one of the canyons? Are there wild horses in the area?”
“No. Wally said the nearest brumby herds are hundreds of kilometres from here.”
“Maybe they were horses that wandered away from the station.”
“Maybe, but the skulls were very old. There wasn’t much left of them.”
Jake shrugged.
“I don’t know, but we’d better get moving.”
A few minutes later, the GPS informed them they’d found the gully they’d seen from the drone images.
As he studied the terrain, Jake said, “Hmm, this is interesting. This first part should be an easy climb, but about half way up it becomes very steep. Look up there, do you see those indentations? They could be manmade steps.”
Cupping her hands around her sunglasses, Becky said, “It could just be a trick of the light. It’s hard to tell through the heat waves. We didn’t see anything like that on the drone images.”
“I don’t know, mate. It could be just wishful thinking.” Todd said.
“Well, there’s only one way to find out. I’m going to climb up there.”
“In this heat, are you crazy?” Becky said.
“I just want to see if those are really manmade.”
Jake set off up the steep gully, bent low. After a few yards he was on all fours, using his hands to make the climb.
He didn’t go far. Turning around, he half slid his way back down the gully.
“I barely made it twenty yards up. The rock is too hot. I need gloves. The rock was burning my hands and knees even through my pants. We can’t climb this until it cools off, maybe tonight or in the morning.”
“Is it do-able?”
“Not now. It will be, when it cools.”
“Man, is this ever the wrong time of year to be here.” Todd said.
“Archaeology is a competitive field. If Professor Madison waited for more pleasant weather or the winter break, there’s a good chance another university would’ve made this discovery.” Becky said.
“I’m starting to wish they had gotten here first. This heat is brutal. I’m feeling about half sick and my nose won’t stop running.”
“We’d better get you cooled off, Todd. Becky, get the rest of our water out of my pack. You’ll find a vest in there. Pull it out, too.”
Becky examined the vest.
“No, mate, it’s too hot to add more layers…” Todd mumbled.
“This is a cooling vest. The fibres are designed to expedite evaporative cooling. The last couple of days you’ve been hitting the beer, but not drinking enough water. You’re probably a little dehydrated. Here, put this on.”
Jake handed one bottle of water to Todd, instructing him to drink it. He opened another and began pouring it on the vest and over Todd’s head. He spilled out about half the bottle.
“This will evaporate pretty quickly, helping to cool your core. We need to get you back into the shade. You and Becky may have to take turns wearing the vest until we get there. Your ball cap isn’t much help. The next time you have to be out in the sun, wear a long sleeve shirt and better headgear. It’s important to keep the sun off your skin.”
He made the last comment as he glanced at Becky’s shaved legs.
After they’d helped Todd to his feet, they all started working their way back down the canyon.
After a few minutes, Jake said, “The only way to survive in this heat is to drink copious amounts of water, stay out of the sun and lay low during the hottest part of the day.”
“So why did you insist on this little trip?” Becky asked.
“It’s only twelve forty-five. We’ll be back in camp in a few minutes. The hottest time of day will be this afternoon, from about two o’clock to five or so. I wanted to get this done before then. Now, I think we’ll be better off not getting out in the sun in the afternoon, at all. We can work in the evening until dark.”
“The coolest time of day will be first thing in the morning. We can get a lot done in the six hours before noon.” Becky said.
“Your right, we can, and then we’ll rest all afternoon.” Jake agreed. “I’d like to get another run at climbing that mountain this evenin
g. I’ll be interested in seeing how quickly the rock cools.”
Fourteen
When the three explorers walked into camp, Todd immediately lay down in the shade under one of the canopies.
His girlfriend, Sarah Elliott asked, “Are you right, mate?”
“Yeah, just some heat exhaustion. I would’ve been in real trouble if Jake, I mean Dr. Walker, hadn’t helped me. That vest Becky is wearing is a life saver. Jake had it in his backpack.”
“There’s still a little ice in the Eskies, mate. Do you want me to bring you a cold one?”
“No, thanks, Sarah. I’ll wait till this evening. We need to drink a lot of water. We’re sweating it out faster than we’re taking it in.”
“Yeah, we’re going through the bottled water faster than I would’ve imagined.”
“No worries, we’ve got more in the jerry cans and there’s a whole water truck just outside this canyon. Good planning. You reckon?”
“I reckon. Check it out. It looks like our fearless leaders are about to have another meeting.”
Jake, Becky, and the professor were talking. While he wasn’t happy about the situation, the professor had to agree that waiting for cooler temps was important.
“Let me show you what we found while you were off exploring.” He said.
He picked an object in a plastic bag off the table top. Jake recognized it at first glance.
“That’s a British cap and ball percussion pistol, an old one. I’d say it’s from the mid Nineteenth Century. Where did you find it?”
“Here. Right here, in fact. I was moving the table to get it out of the sun and the leg dragged this up out of the sand. And, that’s not all. Look at this.”
He pointed at a rusted piece of bent metal about fifteen inches in length with a ring on one end and a point on the other. It was made of heavy, forged iron.
“What do you make of that?” He asked.
“Did you find this here, too?”
“No. Miss Elliott stepped on it over there.”
“Did it appear to have been hammered into the ground?”