THE FATE OF THE WORLD - Part 1
By JB57

“I told you that I’m not interested.” Brianna’s green eyes flashed with irritation, adding fire to her beautiful face. She stood in the center of the luxurious tent in a wide-legged stance, her hands on her powerful hips, her abundant boobs thrust forward angrily. The archaeologist was wearing a thin brown shirt, unbuttoned to expose an impressive amount of cleavage, and tied into a halter that sat high on her chest, so that her taut, tanned bare torso glinted in the light of the lanterns illuminating the inside of the tent. She was wearing some tight black shorts which fit like a second skin to her perfect, muscled ass, and thick, ankle-high boots. Her beautiful legs were bare. A well-worn fedora sat on her head, covering her long, honey-blonde hair, which was tied into a severe bun.

She was addressing a beautiful, long-haired redheaded woman who sat behind the desk that was set up against the back wall of the tent. The woman was leaning back in her chair, her long, powerful legs stretched out on the desk, her hands behind her head, her back arched. The pose pushed forward her impressive breasts, a pair of meaty, golden orbs that easily rivaled Brianna’s rack. The redhead’s blouse was also unbuttoned almost halfway down, allowing her remarkable breasts to swell out from the open collar. She was wearing long, skin-tight, camel-colored pants and knee-high leather boots. Her blue eyes glinted with amusement.

“That’s really a pity, Brianna,” the redhead smiled. She spoke with a plummy Oxford accent. Everything about her indicated wealth, power and breeding. She was physically beautiful, of that there was no doubt. Brianna found herself appreciating the woman’s extravagant curves. It was not often that Brianna encountered a woman as beautiful and voluptuous as she was, but she readily admitted that Lady Alexandra Dunnet was her rival in every physical way.

“I think that you and I could get along really, really well,” Lady Dunnet continued. Her blue eyes sparkled with charm and no small amount of lust. She had called Brianna in for an afternoon meeting and, once again, had brazenly propositioned the young archaeologist. Besides being beautiful, rich, well-educated and extremely accomplished, it also turned out that Alexandra Dunnet was very bisexual and very, very interested in getting into Brianna’s tight shorts.

Brianna simply scowled in reply. She had rejected Alexandra’s advances a number of times already and she would not keep repeating herself.

Ordinarily, Brianna would have found such attention flattering. Indeed, she was quite used to attracting sexual attention from men and women and Lady Dunnet was hardly the first woman to get wet just looking at Brianna. Brianna certainly appreciated the fact that Lady Dunnet was absolutely gorgeous and dripping with sexual magnetism and the truth was that Brianna had daydreamed about getting between the woman’s legs since the first time she had met Dunnet. Normally, Brianna was more than happy to indulge her sexual appetites with other beautiful men and women. She did not have to like her bed partners. She asked only that they be good lovers. But Dunnet, somehow, was something different. Brianna could not explain, even to herself, why she continued to resist her employer’s advances. But something about Lady Dunnet made Brianna extremely uncomfortable and she had learned to trust her hunches and her feelings. They had saved her life many times. So, she continued to resist her body’s desires. The more insistent Alexandra became in her pursuit of Brianna, the more Brianna’s instincts told her to avoid an intimate engagement with the other beautiful woman.

The two women locked eyes from across the expensive field desk. Brianna had the sense that Dunnet understood the battle being waged between Brianna’s body and her instincts. She suspected that Dunnet intended to wear her down. After a moment, Lady Dunnet smiled pleasantly, swung her legs down to the floor, and stood up. She stretched again, her braless breasts challenging her shirt, her nipples hard, her titflesh threatening to overflow from their tight confines. Lady Dunnet walked around the desk and breezed by Brianna, her smile never faltering. She crossed to the chart table a few steps inside the tent flap and motioned for Brianna to follow her.

“Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find me.” She looked up at Brianna, who had joined her on the opposite side of the chart table. “I don’t give up easily and I usually get what I want.”

Both women leaned over the table, giving each other full views of their respective impressive cleavage.

Brianna did not respond. Instead, referring to the chart on the table in front of her, she gave Dunnet a report on the work of the day.

“We’ve made a lot of progress today. We’re right here-“ she indicated a spot on the chart, just outside of a major chamber, “and we think we should get into the main chamber by tomorrow. If your map is right, then it’s a massive structure. All of our sonar and radar probes seem to confirm what is on this map, so I’m pretty confident we’ll find something interesting.”

“Oh, I am too, Brianna,” the redhead smiled. “You’ve done great work, as usual. Call it a night and we can get up early tomorrow and penetrate that chamber.” The Englishwoman’s smile seemed slightly sinister and predatory to Brianna. She smiled back and said goodnight. She walked away from Alexandra’s tent, heading toward her own tent on the other side of the camp. Her accommodation was just as big and comfortable as Alexandra’s tent, and she was grateful for the extra bit of luxury. When she arrived, she found her bathtub filled with steaming water. As far as she knew, Alexandra had a hot bath every night. Brianna usually bathed in the river. She did not ordinarily indulge in hot baths – it took a lot of time and effort from others to heat the water over a fire and fill her tub – but, tonight, she decided to celebrate and had apologetically asked some of the many servants to see to her bath. They were happy to do so, so Brianna did not feel quite so awkward asking them.

She stripped down, dropping her blouse on the floor, letting her naked breasts swing free. She threw her hat on the bed, then slid her shorts down her muscled thighs and sculpted calves. She was not wearing any underwear. Magnificent in her nakedness, she settled into the hot water, sighing with pleasure as the warmth crept into her bones and soothed aching muscles. Of course, it was steaming hot in the jungle and slipping into the tub felt like immersing herself in a sauna, but this water felt good and clean. She settled back in the tub and let her mind wander back five months, to her first encounter with Lady Alexandra Dunnet.

Brianna Olson was a world-famous archaeologist and explorer. She was often referred to by the press as a real life Lara Croft or a female Indiana Jones. She was, indeed, far closer to those two famous fictional adventurers than most people knew. She had long experience of dealing with ancient supernatural threats and entities. From when she was a child, her explorer parents had taken her around the world with them on their many adventures, some of which had involved encounters with the extraordinary. Now, she was 28 and with a well-established reputation in many different circles.

Five months earlier, she had been summoned to meet with Lady Alexandra Dunnet at Dunnet’s estate just outside of London. Brianna had only a passing knowledge of the woman and her activities but, as far as she knew, Lady Dunnet had no connection to Brianna’s world. Even so, the summons had been urgent and the woman had promised her an opportunity she could not afford to pass up. Brianna arrived at Dunnet’s palatial estate early one evening. It was already dark. She was admitted to a magnificent old house by a sharp-faced butler and ushered into a mahogany-paneled study.

Lady Dunnet was sitting behind a massive oak desk, examining a map, which was protected under plastic. She looked up when Brianna came in and seemed inappropriately pleased by what she saw. She came from behind the desk and approached Brianna with her hand extended, wearing a grin that Brianna could only interpret as “triumphant.” Maybe, Brianna thought later, that grin was what got her hackles up.

“Dr. Olson!” Alexandra greeted her warmly, squeezing her hand, sending a shiver through the blonde woman. Brianna was impressed by the strength of Lady Dunnet’s grip. She was also struck by the woman’s beauty and physical attributes. Alexandra was wearing a tight white blouse, a long, elegant skirt, and high-heeled boots. Her long hair was cascading over her shoulders. Dunnet’s blouse revealed a woman with a truly impressive rack, and her face was gorgeous. Brianna was sure the rest of the woman’s body would measure up to her impressive chest and face.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Alexandra continued. “I’ve studied your work and I’m most impressed by your accomplishments.”

“Thank you, Lady Dunnet,” Brianna replied, “but I’d be grateful if you could tell me why you need to see me at such short notice.”

“Please call me Alex,” the redheaded woman said. “Take a seat,” she said, gesturing at a wingback leather chair in front of the roaring fireplace. Brianna sat down and Alex took a seat in the matching chair directly across from her.

“Would you like a port? I’m having one myself.”

“Thank you, that would be nice,” Brianna responded. “And, please, call me Brianna.” A few moments later, the butler served each woman port in a rounded glass, then left the room.

“I’ll get right to the point, Brianna,” Alex began. “A few years ago, a map came into my possession. It purports to show the location of a previously unknown temple complex in Southeast Asia, deep in Laos. The temple is to a previously unknown god. If the story around the map is correct, the complex is more than 4000 years old. Are you willing to head up the expedition and supervise the excavation?”

Brianna’s head was reeling. If true, this was the kind of find that could easily make her career. However, she had to be sure. “May I see the map?”

“Of course, of course,” Alex replied. “Please, it’s here on the desk.” The women got up and walked over to the desk. Alex spread the plastic-encased map on the desktop.

Brianna studied the parchment carefully. It was made of some kind of wood substance. It was a relatively detailed map of the inside of an ancient temple complex. Brianna realized that the map also indicated a number of distinct geographical features, like rivers and hills and mountains. These unique features must have been used to locate the temple’s position in the modern world.

“It wasn’t easy figuring out the location,” Alex explained. “Some of the geographical features have changed over 4000 years. But we managed to use computer programs and maps that compensated for the changes and we pinned this place down in Laos. We’re about 90% sure we’ve got the right place.”

“How did you get the map?”

“Darndest thing. I found it enclosed in a secret drawer in an antique desk that I bought. Not this one,” Alex said quickly, noting how Brianna looked at her desk. “It’s one I have in my bedroom upstairs. Would you like to look at it?”

“Not right now,” Brianna replied. “But I will want to see it before I accept your offer. I want to check out this story and what the map seems to show. This kind of expedition could take months. I need to know that it’s not a wild goose chase.”

“That’s certainly fair,” Alex replied, leading Brianna back to their chairs and port. She sat down gracefully and sipped at the sweet liquor. “I will cover all the expedition’s expenses. I also have one condition: I want to accompany you.” Brianna raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “Oh, I’m not a soft aristocrat, Brianna,” Alex continued. “I have quite a bit of experience working on archaeological digs. It’s a hobby of mine. I’m actually working on a graduate degree in the field. I don’t have the expertise to lead this myself, but I can be useful and I need to be there.”

Brianna nodded. “Well, that sounds fine to me. One question: why come to me? If you are knowledgeable in the field you must have your own professors and other colleagues. Why not approach them?”

“Well, I don’t know anyone who has the kind of experience that you do. You’re familiar with the region and have been going back and forth there since you were a child. And, from your reputation, you’re resourceful. I don’t want an academic, I want someone who has a proven record in handling unexpected circumstances.”

Brianna nodded and sat back thoughtfully. These were all good reasons. “I’ll need to look at your literature on this. But I think that you have hired yourself an expedition leader. There are some things I want to check out and I’ll have some more questions, but as long as things check out, I will accept your offer.”

“Wonderful!” Alex exclaimed. The women shook hands and Alex saw Brianna out.

It wasn’t until Brianna was deeply involved in the expedition and too committed to back out that she discovered that Alex was, in truth, a spoiled rich bitch who abused other people and insisted on getting her own way in everything. It was also around this time that Alex started to proposition her. So far, Brianna had managed to resist, but she wondered how much longer she could hold out.

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Finding the tomb complex had not been difficult. The map was astonishingly accurate. Indeed, after a while, Brianna began to suspect that Dunnet had been there before. The redheaded woman showed a familiarity with the region that was startling and Brianna sensed that the woman knew far more than she was telling.

They swiftly started the difficult process of excavation. Now, three months into the process, they were finally making real progress. Alex had hired a team of 30 men, mostly local people. She also brought along a number of servants. Alex proved herself to be a hard worker and a knowledgeable colleague. But she also proved to be an obnoxious and difficult woman, a woman who fully believed in her own class superiority. She was frequently rude and dismissive to her servants and the workers. Her attitude was not so bad that it created real problems, but it certainly made her unlikable. Still, Brianna had worked with difficult people before.

The next morning, Brianna got up early to return to the excavation. The team had found the outline of the temple and begun the process of clearing away the earth covering it. They had concentrated on finding the opening to the temple and working in. Brianna and Alex were both determined to get into the central chamber of the temple. Today, they would finally break through.

It was in the late morning that the workers managed to clear enough rubble and stone to access the door that led to the inner chamber. Soon, Brianna and Alex were standing in front of the door, as a group of men slowly pried it open. As the gap opened, the rush of stale air from inside the temple grew stronger. Finally, the opening was wide enough to allow Brianna to squeeze in. Taking an LED lamp, she slipped into the space and was surprised to find herself in a long, narrow corridor. As far as she could see, it was stable and clear and angled down about 20 feet to another wall or door. As she walked carefully down the corridor, looking for signs of booby traps or other dangers, Alex squeezed into the hall behind her. She was carrying a small shoulder pack.

“Be careful, Alex,” Brianna said. “This place may be booby-trapped, and it may be unstable.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s not,” Alex said, smiling confidently. Before Brianna could question her certainty, the redhead slipped past her and walked down the hall to the onyx door at the end. She ran her hand over the smooth, featureless surface. She turned back to Brianna, her gorgeous face lit with excitement, her eyes glittering with anticipation.

“We’ve done it, Brianna!” Alex exclaimed. “And, now, it’s time to go inside.” She pulled a golden necklace out of her pack and slipped it around her neck. The pendant at the end of the necklace settled into the hollow at Alex’s throat. Brianna was puzzled by this action. She noted that the pendant had a strange, ornate symbol on it. Alex held out another necklace to Brianna.

“What is this?” Brianna asked, taking the necklace to examine it. The symbol on this necklace seemed slightly different from the one on Alex’s necklace, though Brianna was not immediately sure what the difference was.

“These necklaces are ancient charms. They will protect us and allow us to enter the chamber.”

“How do you know this?” Brianna asked, deeply suspicious and irritated. Obviously, Alex knew far, far more about this temple than she had admitted.

“I know more than I’ve let on, Brianna. I’ll explain why later, but you have to trust me…these necklaces will work to get us into the temple and it will be worth it.”

Brianna did not trust Alex at all, especially with this abundant evidence that the other woman had been withholding information. But she had not gotten where she was by being timid or overcautious. Carefully, she slipped the necklace around her neck. When it touched her bare skin, she felt a frisson of electricity run through her body. Alex smiled at her, then walked up to the large onyx door. She put her hand on the surface. Then, slowly, she sank into the stone, disappearing into it as though it were a piece of floating darkness, not solid at all.

Brianna gasped as Alex vanished. Slowly, she approached the onyx block. She put her hand on the stone and touched it. It seemed to give, like a sponge, then she felt herself sinking into the stone, almost as though she was being sucked in. She fought back panic and decided not to resist. She disappeared into the darkness. A moment later, she was on the other side, standing in another corridor – maybe the same one. But there was a clear end to the corridor another 20 feet down and a light shining up from the room at the end. Alex was nowhere to be seen, but Brianna looked at the ground. By the light from the room, by the light of her lamp, she could see Alex’s footprints in the thick dust, leading down to the chamber.

Brianna walked down the corridor, her hackles rising. There was a great deal here that was very wrong. Where was the light coming from? She could hear the sound of trickling water. She stepped into a vast chamber. It was formed as a giant circle. The ceiling arced more than 50 feet above her head. In the center of the circle was a massive stone altar, a long, smooth onyx slab, seemingly made from the same material as the door she had just passed through. Looming over the altar was a giant stone statue depicting a horrible-looking demonic figure, with huge horns and massive, curved fangs. It towered almost 20 feet over the floor. Its enormous paws, adorned with formidable claws, seemed to be holding the massive black slab on either side. The altar was surrounded by a series of concentric circles. First was a circle of sand. Giant braziers with blazing torches formed the second circle. Finally, the entire area was surrounded by a narrow moat, filled with clear water. An ornate spout in the wall seemed to be the source of the water, but where it drained was not clear. Just across from the entry passage, a series of stones set in the water formed a stepping bridge to the circle in the center. Mirroring the concentric circles leading away from the altar were circles in the ceiling. The ceiling was molded in such a way that it seemed to radiate from a central point which looked like an oval eye. As Brianna examined the architecture, she realized that the eye was positioned directly above the stone slab of the altar, not the statue.

Brianna saw Alex, now making her way over the stepping stones toward the center of the room. Brianna hurried to catch up.

“Alex, be careful,” she called out. She did not shout; something about this place made her feel that they were not alone, that they were being watched or somehow in the presence of some other awareness.

“Don’t worry, Brianna,” the redheaded aristocrat called back. “I know exactly what I’m doing.”

Alex walked up to the altar and dropped to her knees in the sand in front of the onyx block. She sat back on her haunches and raised her hands over her head, arching her back, her massive tits jutting out, and began to chant in an ancient language. Brianna recognized the language, even if she did not understand the words. She had heard this language once before, when she had stumbled upon an ancient sorcerous ritual in the mountains of Tibet. A chill ran up her spine. At the same moment, a dull red glow appeared in the stone eyes of the monstrous god on the altar. A rumble rippled through the ceiling and Brianna had the distinct impression that the circles in the ceiling had shifted.

She rushed up to Alex, who had stopped chanting, but was now smiling excitedly up at the ominous stone statue. The redheaded woman’s face seemed almost deliriously happy.

“What are you doing? What are you saying?!” Brianna shouted. She grabbed Alex, pulling the redhead to her feet, and shook her roughly. Alex tits bounced exuberantly. “You had better tell me everything you know about this place, right now!”

With a surge of strength, Alex pushed Brianna’s arms away. But the English woman did not seem angry. “Alright,” she said. “I’ll tell you all I know. But first, I want to show you this.” She reached into her pack and pulled out an ancient parchment and handed it to Brianna. Brianna took the scroll and unrolled it, holding it in front of her face to read it. It depicted the altar that they were standing beside. Lying on the slab was a figure of a woman; beside the slab was the figure of a man. She could see that the man was sporting an erection and that the woman seemed to have her legs spread. Brianna’s first thought was that she was looking at ancient pornography. There were glyphs beneath the image and she began to read them. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her arm. She looked down to see a needle protruding from her lower shoulder. Her eyes turned, wide with shock, to Alex. The redhead smiled, a grin of malice and lust and triumph. Then Brianna felt her world falling away under her feet. Darkness raced up to envelope her as her beautiful body collapsed to the sandy floor.

TO BE CONTINUED