Shadow Warrior: Destiny of a Mutant

by Larry Townley

  The captain also told his crew that for the moment they were trapped and captured, but any opportunity they had, they should attempt to escape and try to contact their home planet. Upon saying this, the captain knew it would be an impossible task, but he had to try and give them some kind of hope.

  Captain Goerner asked the female how many crew members were onboard and their current location. She explained to him that there were thirteen in all, but the eight remaining crew members were in a state of suspended animation in their emergency life support cocoons.

  In short order, Goerner and his men had secured the spacecraft and its occupants. Instead of trying to disinter the rest of the crew from their cocoons, he thought it best to get them to a secure location first as he did not know how they would react when confronted by him and his soldiers, or what their injuries or capabilities were.

  Their captives were handcuffed and taken back to their encampment on the transport trucks to await further orders from Berlin. Captain Goerner had his men secure the aliens as best as they could in the soldier’s quarters and posted armed guards outside of the three rooms he placed them in. He continued to leave the cocooned aliens inside of their life support systems in three of the other barracks rooms. Goerner wanted to separate each of the aliens into separate quarters. However, with the limited amount of space he had to work with, this was not possible. He also needed the female to continue translating, and it was easier to maintain a vigil on the five that were awake by keeping them in one central location.

  Once the captain and the other four were alone, they began talking in hushed tones to decide the best course of action.

  “What do you think they are going to do to us, Captain?” asked Tah’soon.

  “I would imagine that at this moment they are contacting their superiors for further orders. I doubt that a contingency plan for dealing with alien life forms was given to them,” he retorted sarcastically. “Afterwards I would imagine they will separate us at some point and try to obtain as much information from us as they can and will then turn their attention to our ship and weapons,” he said with a grimace.

  He knew from their research into the conflict between the warring nations on this planet, that the Germans and Japanese were considered the main aggressors, and he greatly feared what they could and would do with their advanced alien weapons if they could determine how they functioned. He blamed himself for not being able to destroy his ship before the Germans could take possession of it, even though it would have meant taking the lives of his fellow crew members as well.

  He knew the consequences of providing a way and means for an alien civilization to affect the outcome of a planet’s history and destiny, it was the one directive that the Council had unanimously agreed upon eons ago, and the one that held the strongest sanctions for those who violated it. Although he had not violated it intentionally, the outcome would be the same.

  All they could do now was wait for an opportunity to escape and somehow contact their planet and try and destroy their ship before its technology fell into Terran hands. But the captain realized that at present the situation was dire at best.

  C hapter 18

  Sagarmatha

  1480 A.D.

  Will had been climbing for a little more than four hours at a quick pace and had climbed more than 5,000 feet. Although the wind was blowing harder and colder the higher he went, and the oxygen became thinner, he did not feel more than a little tired.

  Will stopped long enough to drink some water and eat some of the dried beef he had brought with him. To this point, Will had done a fast free climb without snowshoes or the use of his rope and hook. After a ten minute break, he continued climbing.

  After climbing for another two hours, Will came to a twenty-five foot crevasse that extended to his left and right approximately two-hundred yards. As he was deciding which route would be the fastest to take him to the other side, he heard a deep rumbling above him. Will looked up and saw a small mountain of snow heading in his direction!

  Will looked around and weighed his options. He then backed up five or six steps, took a running leap at the edge of the crevasse, and cleared the twenty-five foot expanse easily. As soon as he landed on the other side, he began leaping and jumping to evade the plummeting snow that was closing on his location fast. Will leaped up to an outcropping fifteen feet above his head, landed on his feet, and ducked into an opening, which was barely large enough for him to get into, just as the snow barreled past his location. Part of the outcropping above the opening he had entered stuck out about four feet from the mountain, which kept most of the snow from following Will into the opening.

  After about fifteen minutes, the rumbling stopped and the falling snow had slowed to a trickle. Will waited another ten minutes before he shoveled the snow out of the way with his hands and exited the opening to continue his climb.

  Will continued climbing for another three hours. By then it was dark and cold; the wind was blowing the snow around briskly. The climb up the mountain had become considerably more difficult. Will estimated that at his current rate of ascent he was close to the 21,000 foot elevation mark, with his target elevation being 27,500 feet. Will estimated that he should arrive at his target location in a few more hours, as long as the weather held and there were no other unexpected delays.

  Will decided that he should get some rest and continue at first light. Fifteen minutes later, Will found a small cave in which he could bed down for the night. Will bundled up in his warm fur and drifted off to sleep within a couple of minutes of laying down on his straw filled bedroll.

  ***

  The next morning Will awoke to a beautiful, but cold, morning sunrise. After eating a quick breakfast of dried beef and dried fruit, he began the final leg of his ascent. Although the morning sun was gorgeous, it was almost blinding in its intensity. The wind was only a light breeze, but he knew this could change at any time. Will climbed quickly. There were only a few occasions in which he had to leap a wide chasm, leap up to a ridge above his head or use the snowshoes or metal hook with the rope attached to it.

  The sun lasted until the third hour of his climb, when the clouds rolled in like the wave of a tsunami. Within fifteen minutes, the weather had depreciated severely. The winds were steady at a blustery thirty knots, with gusts reaching forty or fifty knots, and increasing by the minute. The snow had reached the point of being whiteout conditions. Visibility was less than ten feet. Will’s pace had slowed somewhat. At times it was difficult to keep his bearings, but somehow Will felt that he was being led to where he needed to go. Higher and higher he climbed.

  Another three hours passed. Will felt he was getting close to his destination, but the wind had increased to a steady fifty knots, with gusts nearing sixty-five or seventy knots. Visibility in the snowy, barren landscape had diminished to less than six feet. It seemed as if the mountain was alive and angry that a mere human had dared to reach its heights. A few times Will was almost knocked off Sagarmatha by an unexpected gust of wind and snow, but his quick reflexes and preternatural abilities kept him safe and moving upward.

  Finally, Will came to a small plateau that was about twenty feet wide and fifteen feet deep. Will sensed he had reached his destination, but he could see nothing except the snow that was dropping from above like a heavy white rain. The wind and snow had chilled him to the point where his toes and fingers were starting to feel numb. Will looked around and saw a small ledge to his right that was covered with snow. He moved forward but saw nothing except the snow and ice on the rocks. He moved to his left and saw more of the same: rocks, snow and ice.

  After several minutes, Will was about to give up and continue climbing. However, before doing so, Will stopped and closed his eyes to concentrate. He shut out everything from his mind - the wind, the snow, the cold. He allowed nothing to interrupt his concentration. A full minute passed. Then two. Then five. Will was about to open his eyes and continue climbing when a strong, inexplicable feeling came over him. In hi
s mind’s eye he could see the opening. He could see the symbols on the rock in the same unknown language as before and a place to put his hand.

  Guided by this feeling, Will moved back to the right where he had originally moved upon reaching the plateau. As he moved his hand just over the snow and ice that covered the rocks in front of him, a sensation came over him in one particular area, just above his shoulder area. He passed his hand near it again and then away from it. Each time he came close to the same area, he had a tingling sensation.

  Will scraped away about six inches of snow from the rock with the grappling hook, and at first didn’t see anything. Then his eye caught what he had been seeking. The symbols in the rock! Will smiled: he had found the entrance marker!

  Chapter 19

  Clandestine Anti-Aircraft Battery Placement

  August 1942 A.D.

  Captain Goerner was still in shock at having not only captured an alien spacecraft, but at having captured thirteen living beings from another planet. He had contacted Berlin, and when he had initially explained the situation, they at first had threatened to have him arrested and placed in a home for the mentally insane. He had to go through several levels at German Army Headquarters in Berlin, because no one wanted to take the responsibility of believing such a ridiculous story and sending headquarters personnel on a wild goose chase.

  Finally, Goerner reached an old friend, Wilhelm Koenig, who was now an Oberst of some standing in the Luftwaffe. Koenig, too, at first, thought his old friend had gone crazy or had drank too much beer or schnapps, but the details he gave him regarding the ship and the aliens made him take a chance and authorize a team to be sent to contain the area and interrogate the aliens.

  “Don’t worry, Fritzie, a team will be on its way soon. They should arrive at your location first thing in the morning. I hope you appreciate how much I’m sticking my neck out for you.”

  “I do, Willie. I do and…”

  “But,” said the colonel in a less than jovial tone, “if you’re bullshitting me, I’ll have your ass court-martialed and your balls removed with a pair of dull scissors. Do we understand each other?”

  “If I’m lying, I’ll cut my own balls off, Willie.”

  “If what you’re saying is true, it is incomprehensible as to what we can learn from them. Just think, if they are sufficiently advanced enough to travel so many miles through space, they probably have weapons that we cannot imagine. I can see another Iron Cross in your future, Fritzie, and a nice promotion as well, my friend. Or should I say, General Goerner?” said the colonel with a chuckle.

  “Yes, perhaps you will be working for me soon, Willie,” said Goerner laughing as well.

  “One never knows my friend. As you know the Führer is an ardent believer in the occult and in the existence of alien civilizations. If this is what you say it is, he will be most pleased.”

  “It is, and he will be, my friend.”

  “Listen, Fritzie. It is paramount that you maintain security on this and make sure there are no leaks.”

  “Do not worry, Willie, my men and I have this contained.”

  “Very well, Herr General. Keep me posted. Congratulations on a job well done, and a well deserved promotion. Heil Hitler!”

  “Jawohl, Herr Oberst. I will not let you down. Heil Hitler!”

  The two men then disconnected the line. Koenig then leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.

  This is unbelievable, thought Koenig. My old friend has actually captured thirteen live aliens from another planet, and their ship, which could mean the difference in not only winning the war, but helping the Führer achieve his goal of dominating not only Europe but the entire world! Yes, my old friend is much deserving of a nice promotion and to be hailed as a hero by all Germans for generations to come. Pity.

  Koenig then picked up the his secure telephone and dialed a number known only to very few people, of which even less had the authority to call the person at the other end of the line. After a few rings, a male voice answered only by saying “Hallo.”

  “This is Koenig. Let me speak with the Obergruppenführer immediately! It is urgent!” After about a one minute pause, the general came on the line, and although the line was secure, he spoke in code. “Sir, we have a Code Alpha 7 Alert. Repeat. We have a Code Alpha 7 Alert. This is not a drill. Preparations need to be made for securing thirteen survivors and the bus they were driving.” Koenig then gave the Obergruppenführer the location of the aliens and Goerner‘s men. “Also, the good Samaritans who helped them need to be rewarded.” Another pause while the Obergruppenführer spoke on the other end. “Yes, sir. All of them.”

  Koenig then stood up from behind his, walked to his coat rack and put on his tunic, which was not the gray coat of a Luftwaffe Oberst, but the black coat of a Standartenführer, replete with a red Hakenkreuz armband and the double "S" Sigrunen on the collars, worn by Hitler’s feared Schutzstaffel, and walked out of his door to meet with the Reichsführer in person regarding this matter.

  Chapter 20

  Sagarmatha: The Entrance

  1480 A.D.

  Will’s heart skipped a beat as he grinned broadly at his find. Will removed the glove from his right hand, placed it on the symbols on the rock, and….nothing happened. Will tried again twice more, but he was met with the same results. It was then that he noticed that although the symbols were similar they were not exactly the same. Will translated the symbols, which read: To Enter, Place Both Hands on the Body of Sagroth. Will re-read the inscription. Body of Sagroth, Will thought. What the bloody hell is that?

  Will looked around, but all he saw was more snow, ice, and howling winds. Once again Will concentrated, and this time he was lead to the left side of the plateau. His hands passed over several areas, but he did not get any sensation as he had before. At the edge of the plateau, he was drawn to a rock formation made up of five rocks that appeared to be stacked on top of each other but were actually one rock. It was about ten feet high and looked like an oversized snowman, with each layer being slightly smaller than the one below it.

  Will walked around the rocks and felt no sensation. I have to concentrate and focus more, Will thought to himself.

  Will concentrated and focused, and on his third pass he picked up the same sensation as before. His eyes moved upwards on the rock formation, until he saw what he was looking for: the symbols. This time the inscriptions were located on opposing sides of the fourth rock in the stack: eight feet in the cold air.

  If the rock formation was anywhere but on top of a mountain covered in snow and ice, with a sixty-five knot wind, the climb would have been relatively easy. However, with the prevailing conditions, it was extremely difficult and treacherous, especially since the rock formation was so close to the edge of the plateau. Will thought for a moment and considered his options as to the best way to climb the rock formation. After pondering this for several seconds, he came up with an idea. He took the rope and looped it around the rock formation and then around himself. He tied the rope behind him, and by leaning back he started to climb. As he climbed higher, he moved the rope up by letting it go slack and then snapping it up from behind the rock formation to a higher level.

  After a few seconds, Will reached the symbols and brushed the snow and ice off of them. Will read the inscriptions, which told him to place both hands on the symbols at the same time. As Will began taking his gloves off to accomplish this task, he heard the ominous sounds of another avalanche. Will looked up and saw another mountain of snow heading in his direction. He had to work quickly; he knew there was nowhere to hide this time, and he would be swept off the mountain to his death.

  The rumbling almost knocked Will off of his perch. As he started placing both hands on the opposing sides of the rock formation, the rumbling increased and he slipped about two feet. Will held fast and did not let go. The mountain of snow’s speed increased. Will knew it would be on him in seconds! He quickly climbed back up the rock formation and placed bot
h hands on the symbols. Almost immediately the symbols glowed as before. Will looked to his right and saw the side of the mountain open before him like a door!

  Will quickly shrugged out of the rope, dropped to the ground, and ran towards the entrance. Will reached the doorway just as the mountain of snow hit the plateau. With a last ditch effort, Will dove into the entrance from a distance of about ten feet, tucked himself into a ball, and shoulder rolled into the entrance - which shut just as he entered and the snow buried the entrance. As the entrance was closing, Will saw the avalanche take the rock formation with it.

  I guess I won’t be leaving the same way I entered, Will thought sarcastically.

  Once the entrance shut, Will was thrown into pitch darkness.

  At this realization, Will’s next thought was, Shit!.

  Chapter 21

  Clandestine Anti-Aircraft Battery Placement

  Near Stuttgart, Germany

  August 1942 A.D.

  Less than three hours had passed since Goerner had contacted Colonel Koenig. In the distance, Goerner heard what sounded like an airplane. He grabbed his binoculars and looked towards the east to see what he had heard. After a few seconds he spotted a black Luftwaffe transport plane heading in his direction.

  Now why did he send a plane when he knows it can’t land within forty or fifty miles of this location? Goerner pondered to himself.

  Just then his question was answered when he saw the side door of the plane open, which was quickly followed by a group of twenty paratroopers bailing out of it. One group was obviously going to land at his location, while the other was landing directly at the crash site. Goerner figured that the paratroopers were being sent ahead of whatever equipment they would be transporting into the area to secure and recover the spacecraft.