Is it possible to do a hypothetical 3D can to recreate the face behind the ski mask by subtracting the mask? I’m thinking along the lines like a lidar scan-the kind that scans the forest floor and then removes the trees and other foliage and exposes ancient ruins etc.
First chapter of my Time Travel novel--Time Family Robinson.
A widowed deaf mother must find her way back to the present with her deaf-blind son and hearing daughter after finding herself ensnared in a secret time travel project that went awry.
August 18, 1916.
Oatman, Arizona.
Mitch Wicklow was jotting the gold totals in a leather-bound diary when Clint Farmington, the mine boss, burst into the ramshackle cabin that doubled as Mitch's office and home.
"We've had an accident," Clint said in a thick Australian accent.
"Who is it?"
"Eric."
Mitch's jaw tightened. "Daniel's kid? He's gonna kill me." He rehearsed the condolences he’d delivered a dozen times before. "You know the drill. Remove the body and order everyone back to work. I'll deal with Daniel."
Fear flickered in Clint's eyes. "I can't."
"A cave-in?"
Clint shook his head. "You need to see this, mate."
Mitch rubbed his temples at the growing headache. Mining accidents were a near-daily occurrence—today was no exception. He closed the diary and stored it in a small tin box marked 'biscuits'. He placed the box inside the desk drawer and locked it.
The oppressive Arizona sun prickled Mitch's skin as the men trekked along the dusty, worn footpath to the Wicklow Mine. A babel of German, Dutch, French, and English voices fell silent as the miners parted to allow the two men to approach the entrance adorned with signs that read Danger! and Keep Out!
A loud shout erupted over the crowd. A grizzled, dust-caked man pushed his way forward. Eric's father. Daniel. The look in his eyes was enough for Mitch to put up placating hands.
"We'll get him out."
"I promise his Ma I'd bring him home in one piece," Daniel said. He shrugged off the other miners holding him back. "If you don't bring back my boy—"
"I'll bring him back."
Mitch and Clint lit lamps and proceeded through the hewn 200-foot tunnel, stepping over scattered pickaxes and shovels. They sloshed through muddy puddles from the recent monsoon rains. A passable pile of scattered bricks blocked half the passage.
"We came up against a brick wall," Clint said. "We made a small hole and sent Eric through."
Mitch nodded. Eric worked 10 to 12-hour days crawling through tight passages. He picked up a brick and turned it over in his hands. It was like the ones he'd encountered among the Roman ruins while hiking across Italy. He tossed the brick aside.
"And?"
"When he didn't return," Clint said. "We tore down the brick wall."
Clint scrambled over the bricks, and Mitch followed. The passage opened into a vast chamber flooded with a hazy white light emanating from a glowing square at its center.
Mitch froze. "What the hell?"
Clint hung back while Mitch edged closer toward the glowing oddity. It was wide enough to swallow a steam wagon. He thrust a cautious hand through the glow, then jerked it back as cool air washed over his fingers. Incredulous, he spun to face Clint.
"We think Eric went through."
A cluster of dull-colored white and green pebbles lay under the oddity on the cave floor. Mitch scooped a handful. Under the lantern light, they appeared ordinary, yet their smooth, rounded shapes troubled him. Rounded pebbles were a sign of erosion by water. There was no evidence of running water in these mines. He stuffed them into his pocket and grabbed a discarded rope.
Clint's eyebrow arched in worry. "What are you doing?"
Mitch tied the rope around his waist and tossed the other end to Clint.
"God forbid something happens to the kid. Pull hard when I give a tug."
Mitch stepped into the portal and his foot plunged, sending him tumbling into an abyss of towering clouds layered in shades of black, pink, gray, and purple. Continuous tentacles of lightning splayed from the clouds, followed by rumbles of thunder. A roseate sky glowed in place of Arizona's vivid bluebell hue.
Cool, dry air filled his lungs. Thin but breathable. A shout made him twist toward the sound.
"Mr. Wicklow?"
Twenty feet away, young Eric Adams pinwheeled in place.
"Help me," the boy said.
Mitch kicked his legs and swam in place, unable to move toward Eric. Without leverage in the void, he was helpless—maybe doomed to a lifetime of drifting.
Eric pointed to the horizon. "Mr. Wicklow! Look!"
A burnished metallic monstrosity with eight tentacles and a bulb-shaped head emerged from the distant clouds.
Eric's eyes widened as the creature hurtled toward him. "Mr. Wicklow!"
Mitch's heart pounded as he gave the rope a few violent tugs that pulled him towards the portal. "I'll be back, Eric. I promise!"
A wash of white blinded Mitch, giving way to the familiar cavern floor as he landed. Clint helped him to his feet.
"Are you alright?"
Mitch clutched at the mine boss. "I found him. Give me slack." He backed against the rocky wall and tugged at the rope at his waist for good measure. "Pull as fast as you can when I give the signal."
"What—"
Mitch propelled himself off the cave wall and dove through the portal, the rope trailing behind. The momentum sent him tumbling through the expanse toward Eric.
The eight-tentacled anomaly bobbed and weaved to the stricken boy without visible means of propulsion, giving off a jangle of wind chimes warped by a faint grinding.
Mitch slammed into Eric, engulfing the boy in a bear hug.
The creature was now within a hundred yards and closing fast.
Mitch jerked the rope hard. It snapped taut, dragging them backward. The beast shifted its path and darted for its prey as the man and boy melted into the portal.
Mitch and Eric burst out of the portal and hit the ground, rolling to a stop at Clint's feet. A tentacle emerged from the milky haze, and Clint ducked as it whipped around the cavern, giving off a loud crack before retreating and vanishing. He ushered Mitch and Eric to a safe distance.
"In God's name, what was that?" Clint asked.
Mitch steadied his ragged breathing. "It's a portal. Dynamite the tunnel and seal off the entrance."
"What do I tell the men?"
"That the mine is unstable and reassign them to the other claims." Mitch clapped his hand on the trembling boy's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Your Pa is waiting for you. Never speak of what you saw today."
The boy nodded and sniffed as he wiped the snot from his nose.
"What's behind that thing?" Clint asked.
Mitch jabbed a trembling finger at the glowing portal. "If we don't blow the mine, all of Hades will follow us."