Origins
'OUTLINE
The body of a Russian Archaeologist is found floating in the Caspian Sea.
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, ASTRAKHAN
The Rector is in a meeting with the Dean of the Department of Archeology and two other professors.
-I'm being pressure 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 monthly. 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, responds 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.
A RUSSIAN ARCHAEOLOGIST VANISHES