NARRATOR: Geeta and Paul are final year archaeology students who, with the help of a mysterious character called the Professor, have used a machine called Virtually Anywhere to virtually transport themselves around the world. Having narrowly escaped the Emperor’s tomb in China, they now find themselves at Teotihuacan in Mexico.
PROFESSOR: Is everyone OK? Breathing? Good! Everyone’s breathing! Well, that was very interesting indeed!
GEETA: Interesting? We nearly died!
PROFESSOR: No! No ... Look, we’re all fine.
PAUL: Fine? Fine! If this is just a computer program, then how come the mercury made us feel so ill? What’s going on Professor?
PROFESSOR: Paul, Paul, Paul! First things first – get up off the floor. Look, to answer your question: Virtually Anywhere will simply try its best to make any situation feel exactly like it would in real life.
GEETA: Well, when we were trapped in that tomb, you sounded like you were panicking too!
PROFESSOR: Well ... I wouldn’t say panicking – I was just excited! Anyway, we’re all here and we’re all fine, so welcome to the ancient city of Teotihuacan! Follow me!
GEETA: Come on Paul, let me help you up.
PAUL: I still feel sick.
GEETA: Me too.
PROFESSOR: You two – over here! Come and look at this!
PAUL: What a view!
GEETA: Yes, I’ve read about this place. This is The Avenue of the Dead; it’s a large street that runs right through the middle of the city. It was the centre of life in Teotihuacan, and there would probably have been a huge market all around, full of people making and selling all sorts of things. These days it’s all very peaceful and quiet – just a handful of tourists wandering around. We can only imagine what it would have looked and sounded like in the past ...
PROFESSOR: Well perhaps I can help! I can program Virtually Anywhere to show us what it would have been like back then. There we go!
PAUL: Wow! How is this possible Professor? Is that the actual market? It looks so real.
GEETA: Yes, how is it possible Professor? Considering that no one actually knows for certain who originally built and lived in Teotihuacan.
PROFESSOR: Without getting too technical Geeta, Virtually Anywhere looks at all the information it can find and then makes a best guess as to how it would have looked at the time.
GEETA: OK, I guess that makes sense. It is pretty impressive!
PAUL: Shall we have a look about?
GEETA: Have you seen the birds for sale over there? I’ve not seen any like them before!
PAUL: They’re amazing.
GEETA: Have you noticed that food stall? What are those vegetables?
PAUL: I’ve got no idea. And look, Geeta – check out the masks and bowls that these craftsmen are making.
GEETA: Yes! I’ve read about this as well, they were made out of a special kind of rock ...
FERNANDO: ... called obsidian.
GEETA: Where did the market go?
PROFESSOR: Something disrupted the signal. I think it was this chap right here.
FERNANDO: Fernando, at your service! I am your tour guide for today! As I was saying, many of the items discovered in the city were made out of obsidian – it is a type of glass that comes from volcanoes, and the ancient people of Teotihuacan used it for making all kinds of things.
PROFESSOR: Fascinating stuff. It’s very nice to meet you Fernando, and I’m sure my archaeological student friends have lots of questions to ask ...
FERNANDO: Archaeology students? Very cool – you already have some knowledge then. So tell me, have you noticed anything interesting about this road we’re standing on?
GEETA: Paul!
PAUL: What? What’s happening to me?
GEETA: Paul! He’s disappearing! Paul! Paul! Professor, what’s happening? He’s ... He’s gone!