Virtually Anywhere Episode 5
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ORIn this episode Geeta and Paul continue on their travels round the world via the Professor's virtual reality machine. Having narrowly escaped the Emperor's Tomb in China, they now find themselves at Teotihuacan in Mexico.
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Transcript
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!
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