Inktober 2024 - 2 - Discover

Four people in their mid-twenties to early thirties are standing around in a dusty corridor, having a conversation which, judging by their expressions, must be serious.

"We have to tell someone," says the one woman in the group.

"Oh, come on! What good ever comes from things like this?"

The man who just spoke has his hands on his hips, and an incredulous look in his eyes.

"Don't you want to put your name on something amazing?" she pleads.

"Oh yeah? And end up like Rosalind Franklin, cheated out of it?" he argues pessimistically.

"She was acknowledged in the end," adds one of the other men, timidly.

The last member of the team is not really listening. He is busy risking furtive glances into a room further along the path. He looks a little worried, whereas his friends are completely engrossed in their discussion.

"Way too late, if you ask me," grumbles the contrarian in response to the previous remark.

"Recognition should not be the reason to come forward anyway," adds the shier man, reasonable.

"What other reason do you see?" asks the girl.

"How about… for the betterment of mankind?"

Based on his face, he is aware of how sanctimonious he sounds, but he cannot come up with a better wording at this particular moment. His more vocal friend keeps on ranting:

"Seriously? Can any of you name one human invention that hasn't been either weaponised or unreasonably monetised, when it didn't simply lead to disaster? Nuclear energy: turned into a weapon of mass destruction almost straight away. Insuline: price gouged eventually. Vaccines: as great as they can be, used for what is pretty much money laundering. Should I go on?"

"What of discoveries for the sake of discovery?" insists the other one, principled.

To that, his opposition rolls his eyes.

"You mean like untouched pieces of land or ocean, which end up being trampled soon after their existence becomes known? Or secret animal or vegetal species, who suddenly turn endangered due to exposure and the destruction of their habitat?"

"You're such a killjoy…" the one female among them admonishes him.

"Guys…"

At the intervention of their fourth teammate, the first three turn toward him, with questioning gazes.

"What?" they ask as one.

"I know none of us signed up for this. This was simply meant to be an easy trek among friends, not even off the beaten path. But the fact remains that we did come upon a – if not living – breathing mummy. And whoever they are or were or whatever, they don't seem to understand what's going on. And based on their behaviour right now, I'm not sure they're going to be particularly thrilled to have been awakened when they do make sense of things. So… none of what you said so far helps us deal with that."

"Right. That…"

Maybe they should shelve the debate on the benefits and drawbacks of discoveries for a time when they are not expressly faced with one as massive as the apparent success of a legendary ritual to raise the dead.