They had a secret: a forgotten OK.ru group called “Susa 2010: Echoes of the Elamites.”
Reza tried to close the OK.ru group. The “delete group” button was gone. The settings page was replaced by a single counter. It was ticking upward: Objects catalogued: 1... 12... 144... susa 2010 ok.ru
OK.ru, the Russian social network, was an odd choice for Iranian students, but its private video feature and robust file storage made it perfect for sharing high-resolution photos of cuneiform tablets without attracting the attention of local censors. The group had 47 members—archaeology nerds from Tehran to Tbilisi. They had a secret: a forgotten OK
Reza laughed it off. “Trolls. We’re famous for ten minutes.” It was ticking upward: Objects catalogued: 1
“It’s not Elamite. It’s not Achaemenid. Look at the script.”
The last post on the “Susa 2010” OK.ru group, before the site finally crashed for good, was from @Elamite_Keeper. It wasn’t a threat or a curse. It was an invitation.
“It’s counting something,” Arman said. “The bricks? The vessels?”