“Well, it worked…” Carthage scoffed, craning her neck to survey the wreckage behind and below them. “Let’s hope we don’t need to leave in a hurry.” Dr Ngata murmured, looking straight ahead at the beacon. Thebes couldn’t help but think that amounted to quite an expensive maneuver, but needed to keep morale from dropping off a cliff. “We’ll make it work.” He asserted gruffly. “Everyone get ready, we’re close.”

They approached a cluster of mountains that they could see from the air formed a loose ‘X’ shape. Visibility was getting a bit spotty, but 595 could see flood plains surrounding most of this formation. The mountain in the middle was big, even by the standards set so far in this simulation. A broad, towering edifice of black rock, with a luminous beacon of white light on one shoulder about three quarters of the way up.

Now that they were closer, the Agent could see that something similar to snow coated the top of the mountain, including the area around the beacon. There appeared to be a white winding path leading up to a small plaza. And as they approached, the light dimmed so much as to allow them a good look at the beacon’s features with their night vision.

It was a tall, rectangular building made from ivory-coloured stone. Rows of snow-topped steps led from the plaza up to a plinth of solid stone. A row of massive pillars circled the whole structure, sustaining a large sloped roof with exquisite carvings and murals. Light spilled from an opening in the front and rows of large windows 595 spotted along the sides.

“That...was not what i was expecting.” Dr Wetherall remarked, breaking the stunned silence. “It looks like something from Earth.” Athena commented, as a freezing wind and flurries of snow whipped off the sides of the mountain and into their faces.

The fliers took them down onto the plaza and released them. Then, one by one they took off again and swept away. 595 stared at the structure, mountain on her right and open expanse of plains off to her right. She felt like she’d seen this building before somehow. “Lets scout the perimeter, make multiple points of entry if we can.” Thebes commanded. “Knossos, take Carthage and skirt left. Athena, Saddam, right. You’re with me, ma’am. Ma’am!” 595 didn’t respond, already creeping toward the front steps with her rifle raised.