Origins

OUTLINE

The body of a Russian Archaeologist is found floating in the Caspian Sea.

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VOLGA DELTA, ASTRAKHAN OBLAST, RUSSIA

A fishing boat sails up the Volga Delta at dawn when the crew notices a body floating in the water. A fisherman pulls the body towards the boat with a pole and flips it face up. The body is bloated an disfigured. The Captain kneels down and extends his hand to reach the body's jacket.

-Closer. Hold it there... Shit...

The Captain lets go of the body and catches his breath.

-I can't take the smell. Okay, bring it closer.

The fisherman squeezes the body against the boat.

-Why don't we just tow it to the port.

The Captain holds his breath and reaches the inside pocket of the body's jacket. He pulls a zippered wallet and opens it.

-VASILY DMITRIEV...

He sorts through number of other ID cards and pulls several thousand ruble notes.

-Let it go.

The fisherman looks at the Captain in disbelief.

-What do you mean? We can't leave it here to rot.

-We have a nearly one ton sturgeon carrying at least ten kilos of eggs aboard. You wanna trade for this dead man and go to jail. Let him go, there's nothing we can do for him.

RECTOR'S OFFICE, ASTRAKHAN UNIVERSITY

The Rector is in a meeting with the Dean of the Department of Archeology and two other professors.

-I'm being pressured by the Waterway people to pull all our stuff from the site so that they could start digging next week.

A professor intervenes.

-It's not even been a month. We have to give him a chance. He could be abroad. Who knows what he found.

-You know that these searches were not authorized to starts with, claims the Dean.

-What do you mean not authorized! It only involves Vasily and five of his graduate students. It's not as if they were draining the University's budget, replies the other professor.

-Seven days. That's all I can do. Figure it out by then, saids the Rector before standing up, signaling the end of the meeting.

ITIL EXCAVATION SITE, ASTRAKHAN OBLAST

A female graduate students is being helped by her brother to gather tools and objects from the excavation site. The brother looks towards the banks of the Volga.

-Why does all of a sudden, the path of the new waterway has to go straight through this site. Doesn't make sense. Why would someone dig all these years knowing it would end up being flooded.

-Don't know, replies the female student, I don't think he knew.

-That's weird. He's from Moscow?.

-Yes, that's what he saids. Though I don't know if he was in contact with anyone else apart from us.

-Did you look in his office.

-No. I don't have the key.

-Well...

PROFESSOR VASILY DMITRIEV'S OFFICE, ASTRAKHAN UNIVERSITY

The student and her brother open the door to the professor's office to find piles of articles, books, and ancient Khazarian artifacts. The brother grabs a stone on which a Star of David if engraved.

-He worked in the Middle East.

-No, we found this at the site, like two years ago?

The brother looks at his sister...

CAPE CHERSONES AIRFIELD, SEVASTOPOL CITY

Najwa and Evgeniy turn their car around as they reach the end of the runaway and stop the engine. Evgeniy pops a cigarette out of his pack and offers one to Najwa who answers in Russian.

-No thanks.

-Sorry... I didn't know...

-It doesn't bother me. I just don't smoke.

Evgeniy hesitates, then looks at Najwa.

-Are you allowed to smoke.

-What do you mean.

-I mean, because of this, pointing to her hijab.

-Of course. It's got nothing to do with it. I just never started.

Najwa's phone beeps. She checks the SMS.

-10NM S

She shows the phone to Evgeny who turn on the head beams.

-10 Nautical Miles South. They should be here in 2 minutes.

Najwa smiles anxiously and steps out of the car leaving the door open. A light breeze from the sea blows her hijab to the side as she holds it in place. Evgeniy stars flashing the head beams.

COCKPIT, EPIC VICTORY JET, OVER THE BLACK SEA

Alexander points to the flashing lights as the pilot watches a night vision monitor displaying the landing strip ahead.

-You want to go over once?

-No...Too many eyes on us in the area. It'll look suspicious. I'll drop you in the middle of the runaway and take off right away. No one will notice we even stopped.

The pilot stops talking to concentrate on his instruments as he land the 4 seater plane in this pitch back night. Alexander unbuckles his belt, pads the pilot on the shoulder and grabs his backpack as he exits the plane through a side door opening behind the pilot.

-See you in a bit.

The plane's engine roars back at full steam as Alexanders shuts the door, leaving him alone in the middle of the airfield.

A few hundred meters further, Najwa's bends as she hear the jet taking off right over her head. She starts walking towards the middle of the runaway.

POSSIBLE THREADS

A RUSSIAN ARCHAEOLOGIST VANISHES

ALEXANDER LEARNS OF DMITRIEV'S DISAPPEARANCE AS NAJWA READS ABOUT ONLINE

THIS COULD FEED AN LVA THREAD

CARLA READS ABOUT DMITRIEV'S DISAPPEARANCE AND MENTIONS IT TO URI...

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