March 15th, 1933
As the rain poured down on New York City, five strangers boarded a cargo plane bound for Bolivia. Their reasons for such a journey remained their own, but upon arriving some hours later in the humid air of that South American purgatory, where time seemed to stand still save for the movement of a thousand deadly animals and insects, the strangers disembarked, eager to begin this strange new chapter of their lives.
Hailing from the four corners of the globe, Gary Smith, Jessica DeLacroix, Warren Dmitriev, and Zdzisław Nowak were the newest recruits of the Caduceus Foundation, a world-renowned medical aid organization founded by Joshua Meadham of New York. The purpose of the foundation was to offer assistance to those in need whenever and wherever it could.
The Bolivia mission was organized to assist with the fallout of the Chaco War, a bloody conflict waged between Bolivia and Paraguay over the oil rich area known as the Gran Chaco. With civilian casualties mounting, the Bolivian government petitioned Caduceus for help and was granted it without question.
Led by Dr. Arturo Ursini, the new recruits set out toward an aid camp located deep within the jungle. Halfway to the camp, Dr. Ursini, who was clearly agitated about something, turned to the group and began to make a shocking confession.
“This is a breach of protocol,” he blurted out, “but I feel you need to know. You shouldn’t have been sent out here until you were brought into the inner circle. At any rate, Caduceus isn’t what it pretends to be, and we were really sent out here to—!”
Just as the doctor was about to reveal his secret, a bullet ripped through his head, spraying the new recruits with blood and bits of brain.
Now under fire from an unknown enemy, the group dropped to the ground, aimed as best they could, and returned fire. As the intense gun battle continued over the next few minutes, several losses were suffered on both sides, but the new recruits remained miraculously unharmed in the chaos . After a time, the aggressors abandoned their assault and fled into the jungle, but the uniforms of their dead revealed them to be members of the Bolivian Army.
Searching Dr. Ursini’s possessions uncovered a cache of antivenin, a bloodstained manila folder containing a map to the aid camp (with an area mysteriously marked “site of battle”), and a pair of letters detailing a “level 3 threat,” the exploration of an ancient temple, and the recovery of a mummy supposedly found within.
Also in Ursini’s possession was an introductory letter to one Dr. Gomez, the head of the aid camp. The letter mentioned the important work that the team would be conducting in the area but omitted any further
With the bodies of their allies loaded onto pack mules, the group continued their journey to the aid camp where they were to rendezvous with Dr. Gomez and begin their work. The camp was located in a village called Bamba Rumi (roughly translated to “place of stone”), consisting of small adobe buildings with tiny windows and thatched roofs. Many of the houses lay in ruins due to the conflict raging around them.
Also present were several canvas tents manned by a number of doctors and nurses, one of whom, Elena Barrai, excitedly approached the group and began moving the injured and deceased toward the makeshift hospital. When satisfied, the nurse turned to the group and said in adequate English, “Dr. Gomez will want to see you,” before leading them into a long tent.
Inside were many rows of cots. Almost all of them were filled with injured villagers and other locals who were attended to by beleaguered doctors. After a moment, a man introducing himself as Dr. Rafael Gomez approached the group and demanded to know where Dr. Ursini was.
After explaining that the doctor had unfortunately been killed in a gun battle, Gomez grew agitated and demanded to know where the man’s personal effects were. Suspicious of the newcomers, Gomez took possession of the bloodstained manila folder and began to page through it. With his misgivings fading, a somber mood came over the doctor and his staff. Dr. Ursini, as it turned out, was well-liked by the members of the camp, and his death was felt by all.
Sobering himself, Gomez demanded to know who was responsible for Ursini’s death. The group did not hesitate to explain that their assailants had been wearing military attire. Clearly angry, Gomez opened the tent’s flap and pointed to a group of soldiers milling about the camp’s edge. To no great surprise, the uniforms worn by these men were identical to those worn by those who killed Ursini.
Dr. Gomez explained to the group that the soldiers had appeared only a few days ago, and that the camp had been on edge ever since. The doctor urged the group to speak with the soldiers and perhaps persuade them to move on. He wanted justice for the death of his friend Dr. Ursini, but the safety of the living, he said, must come first.
Gomez then inquired if they had brought the radio, an important piece of equipment supposedly carried by Ursini. With the help of Elena and another aid worker named Sergio, the mules were quickly unpacked and the radio discovered.
The Friends of Prospero
Peru: Episode VIII • Peru: Episode VII • Peru: Episode VI • Peru: Episode V • Peru: Episode IV • Peru: Episode III • Peru: Episode II • Peru: Episode I
The Two-Headed Serpent
