The following weeks were filled with a lot of work and wonderful progress as well. Due to everyone's hard work and effort that the team extended throughout the implementation of the project, several key advancements were realized. This made them start interpreting certain parts of the inscriptions on this artifact, which not only indicated astronomical information, but also stories about their civilization's beliefs, power structure, and routines.
One of the findings that intrigued me most was a piece of text on the tablet that can be associated with the rite linked to a rather unusual phenomenon, possibly an eclipse or alignment. The portrayal of this occasion was preceded by symbols that according to Gabriel was significant of spiritual ideas or gods, which implied that the actual society had an elementary form of science together with mythology intertwined.
Clara felt that there was tension even though the eagerness of the team was clearly expressed. Combined with their high level of activity, the factor that their interest in the project's success was still quite high, thus the pressure and nervousness were understandably visible. This picture's story also has some moments of irritation, missed connections, and concealed quarrels and tension.
The rivals, studying one time in the afternoon the more intricate piece of the tablet, the two young men argued over the meaning of certain signs. Ethan who was practical-minded and favored the material and technological aspects of the society presented a more practical meaning to the symbols. Gabriel on the other hand supported a philosophical or religious point of view, of the phenomenon in question.
Ethan just didn't get what Gabriel was saying, "You are not looking at the entire perspective here," Gabriel exclaimed. "It goes beyond tools and technology. These are marks of the essence of existence to them. "
Ethan frowned, looking visibly annoyed, "And you are reading too much into it, Gabriel. We have to make sure not to bring our assumptions to this. We need proof not assumptions. "
The dispute continued for a while and the tone of both men was getting more and more heated. Clara realizing that it was time to calm the furious Allen stepped in.
The moment turned heated and Tamara's bundle of nerves smoothed out her face, "Guys, let us not escalate this further." Chen said, we all love this project and there is nothing wrong with that, but everyone has his/her view, it is essential to explore all the probabilities instead of sticking to one idea.
Leo who had been watching quietly chimed one nod. As Clara said correctly, this artifact is a puzzle that has many sides, and it is possible to solve it only by having a complex approach we should integrate our results the task is to combine the results obtained.
The situation relaxed momentarily but Clara noted that Ethan and Gabriel were further than that, they were still angry. She then moved around to those employees, intending to clarify that the squabble of the day would not hinder their collaboration.
A few days later, when Clara got back to the facility from work, she came to the kitchen late one night when Ethan was fixing a snack. He turned to glance up at her and looked rather astonished but not more than mildly put out.
Finally, she had to start a conversation with him, so she attempted to make it sound casual: 'Hey, Ethan'. "Hi, I was thinking that I need to call you to see if everything is clear today was kind of tough and I need to know if we are all on the same page. Ethan wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand, then leaned against the counter and sighed. "Yes I did get a little carried away, it's just that… this project, I hold a lot of importance to, and so I wish that we are taking some empirical approach and not just conjecturing."
Clara just realized what he wanted to say. "I understand that, and I believe that too; however, it accepts Gabriel's discipline as well. It is not merely a piece of scientific evidence; it is the cultural and the spiritual as well. A balance must be made. "
Ethan gave a smile, although it seemed somewhat forced. "Yes you are right, I think it is about time I open up my mind and listen."
A little later, Clara saw that Gabriel was still by himself in the living room brooding over something. She followed him and felt he too needed her to calm him down.
'Gabriel, I know today was hard,' She said as she sat next to him. "But your thoughts are essential, we, as a society, should decipher these symbols and that is where you come in."
His face was warm and tender and he looked at her, whereupon she smiled at him and Gabriel smiled back. "Oh thank you Clara sometimes I feel like I focus too much on my theories but I think there is more to this artifact."
Clara nodded. 'Well that's why you are here, and everyone has something to contribute, so let us not lose vision of that'.
The next day the team was back at their work, being more focused as if they were reborn. They went back to the analysis and they tried to combine all their perceptions to arrive at a holistic perception of the artifact. The pro and anti-troubles tensions of the previous day appeared to ease a little bit, succeeded by thicker concordant tones.
What the two did find was a gradual change in their dynamics as they plotted and planned, for instance, Clara observed some changes in the women. The possibility to listen and recognize the worth of the opinion of the other party began to emerge. This was like the suffering that they underwent shaped a stronger bond on them as they focused more on the project and themselves.
That one evening, when they were preparing to make some stop, Leo took a glass and wished everyone: To us. He took the glass and looked around and though he did not look particularly happy, he gave a warm smile to his colleagues. "To our fantastic and amazing voyage and to the many more that are yet to come I thank you for being part of this team and I am looking forward to the future."
The others joined him by lifting their glasses, fully aware of what he was getting at. At that moment, as they said cheers and touched glasses, Clara felt a warm feeling towards her team members. They had traveled quite a distance, and she was happy for all they had achieved as a couple.
Eventually, after dinner when people continued to hang around in the common room Clara was able to be alone with Gabriel. They discussed what they both wanted in the future, the secrets of the relics as well as the journey that each of them had gone through to end up in the library at that point. For Clara, she started to develop certain symptoms of attraction towards him, that special bond that does not need to be explained or discussed.
They slept with little chit-chat as the night deepened which was completely complemented with the stars outside the window. This particular scene was one of the most intimate, one of the most equally 'safe' and promising at the same time, a perfect definition of a friendship turned into something more.
So when they were sitting together, Clara began to see that their travels were not merely about having mysterious sights to view. It was also about people's souls, the relationships that tied them, and the obstacles that were waiting for them.