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	Mobius Raider
		by Jim Doe


	DEEP WITHIN the recesses of the planet, a spark flew out of the
darkness.
	This spark was followed by an intense flaring of light,
accompanied by a loud hissing noise.  The light died down slightly, as did
the hissing, but it was still enough that the light's summoner could see
about the area with ease.
	Lightly making her way around the large rocks and other pieces of
debris littering the corridor, she gradually came closer and closer to her
destination, an ornate doorway that towered in the far wall.
	When she finally reached the door, the flare had begun to sputter
and die out.  After taking a moment to curse not only the company that put
out such cheap field equipment, but the idiot merchant who had sold said
equipment to her, she lit another flare and began to study the door's
framework.
	Ornate in design, she thought to herself, but simplistic in
defensive measures.  There were none of the tricks and traps that were
common to structures such as this, no poison needles or trap doors.
Either the door's architects made their traps a bit more elaborate than
what she was used to . . .
	. . . or they were realy, really gullible.  Slowly, she slid the
key that she had . . . appropriated the other day from her hip pouch.
From what information she had been able to garner, it was the key to the
door she was currently standing in front of, the key to an amazing
stockhold of treasure and artifacts.
	She began to slip the palm sized key into the corresponding key
hole, but just in case the door's makers WEREN'T gullible, she unholstered
a pistol and prepared to jump back the second something looked out of
place.
	The key slowly turned in her hand.  She felt the first tumbler
begin to shift out of position.  She turned harder as rust caught the key.
Slowly, ever so slowly . . .
	"MISS CROFT!"
	Lara Croft nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of the high
pitched voice.  She turned the key back and pulled it out of the door.
She holstered her gun and turned around with a sigh.
	The young man running up to her was typical to the region she was
in.  He had darkly tanned skin, brown hair, and eye straining multicolored
garments.  He was babbling something at her in his native tongue, only one
of a few languages that Lara had not mastered over the years.  It was very
unfortunate for her that the only English word the boy knew was "miss".
	She did understand, however, when the boy finally reached her and
shined his flashlight at an envelope he thrust at her.  Grabbing the
envelope from the boy, she shooed him off.  He smiled and babbled a bit
more before obliging her.
	She ran a hand through her brown hair and studied the paper in her
hand.  It had her name on it, and the words "The Temple of Ankan Wa"
underneath it.  Very interesting, as Ankan Wa was the very temple she was
standing in and she had not told anyone she would be down there.
	There was no return address, so she opened the envelope up to see
if any more light could be put on the subject.  Inside was a letter and a
map.  The map was topographical, showing rises and falls in the terrain.
The letter was typed in English, two very strange characteristics for the
current locale.

	"Dear Ms. Croft,
	"I must apologize if my messenger caught you at a bad time.  He
is, quite unfortunately, a very excitable fellow and generally enjoys
spending his time running about like a hooligan.
	"This is not what I have written you to talk about, however.  I
have heard much about you, Ms. Croft, and wish to procure your services.
I am well aware that you generally turn down offers such as this, but I am
also hoping that you find it in your heart to help me in this small task.
	"With this letter, you should find a map.  On the back of this map
are directions on reaching the area detailed.  What I wish of you is very
simple.  I want you to simply explore the entire area to the best of your
abilities and report any and all information back to me, no matter how
insignificant it may seem."

	The rest of the letter detailed instructions on picking up half of
her payment, well near five hundred thousand credits, from a bus locker.
The other half was payable upon successful return of the to-be-surveyed
area, as well as were any expenses incured on the trip.
	Great, thought Lara as she placed a hand on her shapely hip and
raised an eyebrow.  Sounds like a bore and a half, but at least it'll pay
well.  What the heck.
	She folded the paper and map and placed them in her hip pouch.
Just before she started back down the corridor, she decided on a whim to
put the key back in the keyhole and turned.  Hard.
	Her laughter rang out even louder than the heart pounding thuds of
the falling stone columns she was outrunning.