by Ben Hammott
“If that's the case, it wasn't built by humans,” said Theo.
Deep in thought, Max studied the strange construction. “In my mind there can only be two possible explanations for this thing to be here.”
He had captured the others attention and all turned to face him.
Max continued. “Either someone tunnelled under the ice to build this thing, or it was here before the ice claimed it.”
“Maybe it's part of the secret underground base the Nazis were rumoured to have constructed in Antarctica during the Second World War?” suggested Eli.
“Wasn't that supposed to be in the Queen Maud region?” questioned Theo. “That's nowhere near here.”
“Perhaps that was a ruse so no one would find the real location?” said Eli.
Max shared his thoughts. “Though it's possible someone might have built this― whatever this is― the Germans, as an example, certainly had the incentive, manpower and resources, but I think it highly improbable. I don't even believe it was built by humans. It's a spaceship!” He pointed his light at the tip of the fluted cylinder construction whose opening they'd first encountered. “Look at that and what do you see?”
Jack glanced at the tube. “It could be some type of exhaust.”
“Exactly!” said Max. “And I believe if it wasn't entombed in the ice there would be a matching one on the other side.”
The stunned team fell to silence as each considered the possibility they were looking at something built by a species from another planet.
Max noticed their skeptical expressions. “I think at the bottom of the exhaust there'll be something to prove it's not of this world. The warm current of air must be coming from somewhere, and I think that somewhere is the spaceship, but I need someone to lower me down.”
Theo and Jack volunteered.
Max was soon wearing a harness attached to a rope held by Theo and Jack, and was slowly lowered down the tube.
Max examined the smooth tube surrounding him. It was free of any carbon build up or signs it had been affected by heat, causing him to wonder if it was an exhaust, what type of propulsion system powered the ship. He soon emerged from the bottom of the ragged edged tube onto level ground. A short passage through the ice led to the metal hull of the spaceship he guessed he would find, kept frost free by the warm current of air escaping from the remaining part of the exhaust still attached to the hull. He slipped out of the harness and glanced up through the tube at the faces gathered around the opening. “It's like I said, a spaceship. There might be a way inside. I'm going to take a look.”
“Be careful,” called out Henry, as he attempted to digest what Max had just said.
Max approached the dark patch in the side of the hull he had noticed. A metal support strut fixed to a torn back piece of two inch thick metal, connected to the part of the exhaust still fixed to the hull. Filled with excited anticipation, he poked his head through the breach and roamed his flashlight around the interior. Nothing stood out to cause him any immediate danger. Careful not to snag his clothing on the sharp-edged metal of the ripped hull, he climbed through the gap and savoured the moment of being the first human to set foot aboard an alien spaceship, which he had no doubts it was. His excited breaths formed small white gusts that drifted slowly toward the opening, through which the faint voices of the others, funnelled down the exhaust tube, could be heard speculating on what the strange discovery might be. Content to prolong his lone presence aboard the strange vessel a few moments longer, his eyes scanned the gloomy interior of what seemed to be the engine room, if indeed the strange apparatus covered in tubes and other unidentifiable machinery that hung from the ceiling was what powered the ship. His footsteps crunched on the thin layer of ice covering the floor as he crossed to the middle of the room.
The large machine filled the center of the vast chamber, stretching from the ceiling almost to touch the floor. Though there was no obvious sign the engine was operational― no moving parts or lights― the low hum it emitted was evidence it was active and the probable cause of the heat flowing up the exhaust tube. Max's eyes followed the light he moved over the incredible piece of machinery. It was covered with protruding parts that seemed to have been added at random with no thought to its aesthetic appearance. The engine was broader at the top, and in a rough manner, thinned to give the appearance of an upside-down pyramid formed of a mishmash of machine parts. An assortment of various sized tubes, thick and thin cables, and ducting linked to other sections of surrounding machinery.
Max walked around the engine and came upon a forest of transparent containers, three yards tall and one yard wide, fixed to the floor. Though some were empty and others contained a varying amount of turquoise liquid, many were full. His torch beam followed one of the single tubes that fed into the top of each cylinder. All connected to a slightly larger tube that ran along the ceiling to the central apparatus. It must be the fuel that powers the engine.
Startled when an air bubble gurgled to the surface of the glutinous fluid in the nearest cylinder, he realized how nervous he'd become. The craft had the atmosphere of a secluded, abandoned house rumoured to be haunted.
Henry's muffled voice drifted into the room. “What have you found, Max, and is it safe?”
Max crossed to the hole, climbed out and called out a reply. “It's safe and one hundred percent alien. Come and have a look.” He noticed the harness had already been pulled back up the tube. He waited by the opening for the others to arrive.
Lucy came down first, excitement plastered across her face. “What's it like?”
Max smiled. “It's fantastic, but after watching that Alien movie last night, creepy, damn creepy.”
Lucy smiled and poked her head into the ship. Even though her flashlight failed to reveal more than a small section of the gloom shrouded room, she sensed its vastness.
“I think it's the engine room,” Max told her, and then glanced at Henry who had just been ejected from the end of the exhaust to slide a little way across the ice. “Are you okay, old man?”
Henry climbed to his feet and detached the harness, which was immediately pulled back up the tube for the next person. “I'm fine. It's just like sliding down one of those chutes in water parks I should imagine, though obviously lacking the water or the soft landing.” He glanced at the opening Lucy's head was currently peering through. “Did you see anything interesting inside, Max?”
“I did. It definitely wasn't built by humans. The gap leads to the engine room and, incredibly, it seems to still be functioning, although perhaps in a standby state.”
Henry glanced at the small area of structure free from the ice, becoming more convinced of its unearthly origins. “If it's been down here for thousands of years, it's astounding that it's still functioning.” He glanced at the side of the black hull, slightly distorted around the hole. “What condition is the ship in, structurally?”
“I'm no expert, but it seems fine.” Max pointed at the opening. “That's the only damage I've seen. I think when the ship landed here the exhaust was torn off and the strut pulled away a piece of the hull plating.”
The others soon arrived and all eager to explore, they climbed inside.
The insect-size creature perched atop one of the many pipes and too small to be noticed by those below, studied the life-form with interest. Over the many years since the ship had landed on this planet, others of its kind had taken turns to act as sentry and warn of any changes that could affect them. The presence of these new life-forms was such an event. When more of them entered, it scampered along the pipe, up the wall and into an air vent. Its six tiny clawed feet barely made a sound on the metal from its hurried rush through the long tunnel. It turned a corner, headed toward the grill at the end and crawled out. It leapt onto the floor and crossed the small dark room. It climbed up onto a small control panel beside the bed chamber and jumped on a button. A door with a small window slid back to reveal the sleeping creature within. It clambered onto the creatures head a
nd morphed into the form others of its kind had taken during its hibernation, and sent out an alert to wake the Mimic.
The team spent thirty minutes exploring the engine room. All were now convinced they were aboard an alien vessel, and they all marvelled at the engines design and the incredible power that would be necessary to lift the heavy ship.
After exploring the cavernous room, Jane said, “I guess we've found the cause of NASA's anomaly.” She glared at Richard. “And it's not a meteorite!”
Unconcerned he'd been proved wrong, Richard shrugged. In this instance he was glad to have been mistaken. He couldn't believe his luck. Alien spaceship or not, he knew this discovery would capture the attention of the public far more than a meteorite. Even the subterranean cavern, the lake and any new life-forms found living in it were of more interest to the scientific community than the general public. This, whatever it is, would be front page news around the world. He imagined the headlines. Alien Spaceship discovered in Antarctica? or something similar. And to think he almost didn't come. He'd make certain he received his fair share― or more― of recognition as one of its discoverers.
“The spaceship must be giving off some sort of shielding to affect NASA'S scan and to prevent it from detecting something metal lying buried in the ice,” said Max.
“A force-field?” said Theo.
Max shrugged. “Or a cloaking device.”
“I'm not sure about force-fields or cloaking devices, but though I was skeptical at first, everything in here looks alien to me,” said Lucy. “I know the Germans made many technological advances during the war, but nothing like this. If they had, surely they would rule the world by now.”
“Or even the universe,” added Eli, jokingly.
“I agree with Lucy,” said Max. “This thing is far more advanced than anything we're capable of building today, and, unlike the Germans at that time, man has been into space. None of the rockets used have looked anything like this or on such a grand scale. I cannot even imagine the power required to lift this thing off the ground, let alone provide it with enough thrust to leave a planet's atmosphere. Unquestionably, it has to be alien technology.”
“It was probably never meant to lift off from any planet,” said Eli. “I imagine a craft this size, of which we've only seen a small part and I suspect have a lot more to discover, would probably have been constructed in space where weight and size would not be such a problem.”
“I'd like to know why it's here?” said Lucy.
Richard was becoming impatient, he wanted to move farther through the craft and start exploring. “Whatever speculations you come up with, until we investigate and take a look around, they'll remain just that. We need to begin our search. Only then will our questions be answered. Whether it's built by Nazis, someone else, or aliens, it's still the find of the century.”
“Though it pains me to say so, for once, I agree with Richard,” said Jane.
“But none of us are qualified,” argued Henry. “We're not space scientists or rocket engineers. Our fields of specialty are concerned with geology, ice and microbes, not spaceships.”
Looks of disappointment spread over the team.
“But we have to explore,” said Max. “If it turns out to be something constructed by an alien race, just imagine what advanced technology lies inside and the benefits they could bring to the scientific community. It could advance so many areas of our knowledge by hundreds or thousands of years.”
“What we might learn in the next few days might enable humans to travel to other worlds far sooner than anyone expected,” added Theo. “I believe it's our destiny to enter this spaceship for the benefit of mankind.”
“Or its destruction,” said Jack, realizing that exploring might not be such a good idea. “An alien craft might carry alien germs that could wipe out the human race.”
“Like the Spaniards did to the Incas,” said Lucy. “Around ninety-five percent of them died from European diseases.”
“Even though I'm reluctant to explore further, I'm sure that won't be the case here,” said Henry. “If an alien race was advanced enough to build a craft capable of crossing the vast reaches of space, I'm certain they would likewise be advanced medically. I would think if any germs were going to harm any species, it would be ours harming them.”
“I understand your concerns, Henry,” said Jane, “but this discovery has been thrust upon us all. The raging storm above prevents us from calling in outside experts or help. The ice rift that at any moment could break off and take this ship with it until it slips beneath the sea forces a time limit upon us. If we don't document as much as we can in the limited time available, no one will and then it'll be lost forever.”
“Perhaps you're right, Jane. Don't get me wrong, I'm keen to discover more about this vessel and its secrets, but I know how quickly events in the Antarctic can turn against you. However, if we're all in agreement to explore the ship, then I'll be a willing participant.”
Everyone was and they searched for an exit to lead them deeper into the interior.
Jack wandered to one end of the room, wondering what they'd find when they explored the craft. His eyes darted to every new piece of strange machinery he encountered and each time he wondered as to its function. He reached a wall and moved along it, halting at a large shape set in the wall. It looked like a door and the exit they searched for. The door, segmented into four parts, was three yards high and two wide. He found the button to operate it set in a panel beside the door, slightly higher than the normal height for humans, an indication along with the door size that the crew was taller than them. Though he didn't expect the door to open, he pressed one of the buttons. The four parts of the door slid back into the wall with a metallic rasp, loud enough to capture the others' attention and lure them over to investigate.
Before they entered, they all stared for a few moments through the large opening that led to a four-yard high by three-yard wide corridor. Their lights invaded the darkness that had for so long remained trapped behind the door, but failed to reach its end.
Jane, as astonished as the others by the size and unknown length of the revealed passage, said to no one in particular, “Just how big is this thing?”
The excited expression painted on Max's features revealed his enthusiasm to find out. “From the little we've seen, I think it's going to turn out to be a lot bigger than any of us can imagine.” He was first through the door.
Dwarfed by the large corridor, abnormally oversized by human standards, eight pairs of eyes roamed over its bizarre architecture. Light beams revealed ribs of dark metal with bone-like forms set at regular intervals along its walls, which gave the appearance of looking through a strange creature's ribcage.
Henry stroked a hand over one of the shiny, black, skeletal struts. “Though a little weird, it's amazing architecture.”
Theo wondered at the strange design. Why fashion the supports in such a weird form when a simpler straight or rounded design would have sufficed. It convinced him even further of its alien origin. “If there were any doubts before, there can't be now. No way was this thing built by humans.”
Lucy was in total agreement. “Perhaps the size of the corridor reflects the size of the crew who used it?”
Heads turned to gaze at the high flat ceiling.
“Giants!” said Theo.
Lucy peered along the corridor and wondered what planet the craft had originated from and the species of its crew. If any were still aboard, perhaps preserved by the extreme cold, she would receive an answer to one of her questions. She felt both excited and apprehensive by the prospect of coming face to face with an alien species. All thoughts of the planktonic dinoflagellate that had caused her such excitement a short while ago had been forgotten.
Jack's eyes roamed over the corridor. He'd never seen anything like this other than in science-fiction movies. The cave-like subterranean atmosphere reminded him of a tunnel system he'd explored in his youth. The difference between these two expe
riences was the cave had already been explored, while here in this ship there was only the unknown. Though he shared some of Henry's concerns, this was a once in a lifetime experience he was more than willing to participate in.
“I suggest we head for the front of the ship,” said Max. “There must be a control room and it makes sense it would be at the front. Perhaps we'll be able to power up the ship to turn on some lights, if that's still possible.”
“Though it would be good to have some light,” said Henry, still not convinced exploring the ship was a sensible thing to do, “we must be careful of what we touch. Pressing buttons willy-nilly might prove dangerous.”
“Given the length of time this thing has been entombed beneath the ice, I very much doubt anything is working,” said Richard.
“The heat extruded from the exhaust and the functioning door we just passed through, indicates something is,” argued Theo.
“How about we move along?” said Richard. “Why speculate when we can find out for certain what is and isn't working?”
Excited and a little apprehensive, the team moved through the strange alien vessel. The vast weight of the surrounding ice squeezed the hollow shell. The hull creaked, groaned and amplified every sound of the ice's movement, like some immense, empty coffin crying out for corpses.
A short walk along the corridor brought them to a door set into the side wall. To find out what was behind it, Max pressed the nearby button to see if it would open. With a protesting groan of long misuse, the four door segments juddered, but refused to open more than a finger width. Stale, musty air tainted with the odour of wet metal whooshed from the gap with a screech, as if relived to be free from its long confinement. It rolled along the passage into the engine room and out through the hole.
“The room must have been pressurized,” said Eli.
Max hooked his fingers around one edge of a door segment. “Let's try forcing it open.”
Theo, Jack and Eli each hooked their fingers around one of the two lower segments and pulled. With a grinding of metal, the doors moved a short distance, but then stuck fast.
