The young man shifted the sands slowly and quietly with care, watching intently for any sign of something important as he worked. He operated in small, soft, delicate strokes. His team had discovered many significant artifacts during this excavation, and he was excited about what they would find next. The savage wars had long been over, and now that peace ruled the land, the people had an opportunity to learn about the past. This one area had been a gold mine of discovery. It was outside the capital city of the empire, where the cemeteries were placed, since the graveyards had not been allowed inside the city limits. The cemetery had yielded many secrets, but he was confident she had many more to give. Many of the common people had been buried in this area. The discovery had given the research team insight into the daily lives of the empire’s citizens. You couldn’t understand a civilization by just studying the ruling elite. However, each discovery only whetted the team’s appetite for more information. They were never satisfied, and there was much more work to be done. The young man was proud to be part of such an important effort.
His tool hit something hard. It was stone, but it looked to be a sculptured one, not natural. It was too smooth. He carefully dug farther around the edges. As he meticulously removed the soft material from around the large rock over a two day period, it became obvious what he had found. Once enough of the earth around the stone was removed and the shape revealed, he called the rest of the team over to inspect the find. Over the next several days, they were able to remove the rest of the dirt from around the large, circular rock. He suspected it was another tomb, but there were no markings. It was a common, simple grave. His whole team was working on his find now. Several days later, they had made room for the stone to be removed. The dirt to one side had been extracted and they were finally ready. The moment was at hand. The young man quivered with excitement. He had studied for years about this place, and now he would witness the history for himself. He had heard of the wonderful and amazing things that happened here, long ago. How the civilization had formed a republic, and the people had ruled themselves for centuries, before being taken over by a corrupt dictator, and eventually overrun by the barbarians. He had heard of the magnificent discoveries and inventions this civilization had brought to light. Scientists in this age couldn’t even agree as to what secrets were lost when the empire fell. They only knew there was much to discover. There was so much to learn.
His superior was managing this part of the excavation now. It was too important a find to leave to a young researcher. Plus, the man wanted the credit for the discovery, which they all surmised would be a substantial one. The young man was okay with this. He was interested only in the science and the knowledge. He didn’t care who took the credit, or received the inevitable glory. And yes, there would be glory, as the find was significant. The young man was only dreaming of mingling with the souls of the past as he carefully excavated their bones and burial relics, saying a small prayer for each one as he did so. He felt connected to the remains in some way.
He was jerked back to reality as his boss called for all of the team to gather and help move the stone. Six of them now were ready to push the rock away and reveal the secrets of the tomb. He could barely keep his excitement in check. They began to collectively apply pressure and the stone moved, slowly but surely, inch by inch. Soon, the entrance was open before them. It had all happened so quickly! the young man thought to himself. The moment is here!
The team peered inside and shined a powerful search beam before entering on foot. There were safety precautions to be followed. It was indeed a tomb. Several white skeletons lay on stone tables, placed perfectly along the walls. They had obviously been carefully prepared for burial centuries before. However, one body lay on the floor, curled up near the opening of the tomb. The skeleton was in remarkable shape considering it had been lying there for several thousand years. The young researcher perceived it had been a female. After the technicians declared the tomb safe to enter, the young man stepped inside.
After a cursory walk-through, he turned to examine the interior of the rock that had guarded the tomb, for this piqued his interest. He carefully went over the entire surface, taking pictures, and then signaled his leader. His theory was right. There were scratches on the stone—most likely having been made by the female body that lay in front of them. She must have been buried alive and tried to claw her way out. What a horrible death. I wonder what was her crime? The young man looked at the carcass more closely, all the while taking more pictures. Then he noticed something else. There was an item that had been wrapped around her neck. It was a small, stone cylinder. He carefully removed and catalogued the find. The ends were sealed. He began to shake with excitement. This could be incredibly important! Perhaps this could be the breakthrough they had been looking for all this time! He forced himself to remain calm and to follow procedure. Meticulously, he prepared the item for removal and inspection.
Several days later, the team was in the laboratory at the university. Every possible procedure had been followed to ensure the item would not be harmed as they examined it more closely. The technician carefully removed the seal of the container with gloved hands. Inside was a delicate parchment, which he slowly removed with care and unfurled on the sterile table. One of them had a video camera and was recording the whole exercise. No one said a word as they stared at the remarkable words written on the parchment. They were amazed at what they said.
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America…
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About the Author
L. Todd Wood is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. He has been an aeronautical engineer and an Air Force helicopter pilot. In the Air Force, he flew for the 20th Special Operations Squadron, which started Desert Storm. He was also active in classified counterterrorism missions globally supporting SEAL Team 6 and Delta Force. For eighteen years, he was an international bond trader with expertise in Emerging Markets. He has conducted business in over forty countries. Todd has a keen understanding of politics and international finance. He is a contributor to Fox Business News, The Moscow Times, NY Post, and others.
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