H2G2 Storytime III: From Prussia with Love. Part LIII
Created | Updated Sep 23, 2007
Alpha Complex was made habitable by the geothermal energy that permeates the areas of the planet where the crust is at it's most turbulent. In this case, abundant sources of energy were available from the molten lava that flowed close the surface through channels inside the twin volcanoes Erebus and Terror. As the Cult had swiftly discovered as it had enlarged over the centuries: increased populations need increased space and expansion into dormant lava channels deep inside Mount Terror was a conveinient and necessary development in town planning.
However, dormant stands alongside active, and a constant watch on the state of the lava flow was kept from control rooms. It was from here also that pipes conveying water drawn from the ice descended into the active channels and where the water flashed into steam which was conveyed upward into huge turbines that powered the lights and drove the technology of Alpha Complex. Heating, of course, was free. Along each corridor, there were small vents that kept the inside of the mountain at a pleasant room temperature.
Annabel Smittington had by now departed from The Inner Temple; Mary was to be assigned quarters in the base, a rescue party had been dispatched down the one of the numerous rail approach tunnels to check for survivors, and more importantly the final resting place of the precious gem: The Turqoise Moon Diamond. Vandeveer was dead and currently being embalmed as was tradition. That just left The Coassak and Annabel had special plans for him.
She was currently marching smartly through the underdwellings of Alpha Complex in the Middle Quarter labelled simply "Corridor Q". She trailed in her wake a small coterie of advisors and minions, those who served the Grand Master. They knew to keep their distance. This new Grand Master was already famed for her ill temper. Like Mount Erebus itself, prone to violent awakenings and forever simmered just below the surface.
"Grand...err...mistress?" ventured a brave courtier experimenting with the unfamiliar nomenclature.
"That's Master!" she stated. "Don’t equivocate in future. Now speak!"
"Er...yes...sorry, I mean um... about the prophecy?"
Annabel snorted with derision and set off walking again, dragging the collected monks about her with her once more. "I have little patience for prophecy!" she announced to shocked gasps.
"You will find me a far more practical" and her eyes flashed steely blue "and efficient Grand Master."
One of the monks raised his finger and started an academic defence "Prophecy," he started - but was cut off.
"Prophecy!" Annabel spat. "Prophecy nearly had me killed. That Wicked, greasy-haired, monk!" and she shuddered and winced at the memory of Rasputin's casual disregard for her in the Monk's lair beneath Stone Henge.
She opened her eyes to a sea of faces aghast - one more so in particular.
"Not you Brother Sylus." He clutched to his chest a frazzled tome picked out in gold lettering "Prophecy Vol: 11."
"But Grand Master, it says so clearly in the fifth incantation of the 57th Order, verse 9. "...and two of our number shall be found amongst a great many livestock."
"See!" Annabel exclaimed, "What on Earth does that mean?"
"Err... The Dying Pilchard Bleeds under a Turquoise Moon?" the monk ventured quizzically.
"I give up!" Annabel exclaimed and left the monks standing in Q tunnel.
Her Robes trailing behind her, Annabel climbed a metal stairway to a gantry that took her into the Research and Development Labs. Here the imperious religious overtones of the inner Temple gave way to more functional steel and plastics, shimmering clean rooms where scientific research was conducted daily to further the Cause of The Cult.
Annabel was on her way to attend a special ceremony, she'd decided to invite the Russian along too and had sent out acolytes to locate him.
She entered a control room where monks were studying banks of monitors and controls and there was a sound of bleeping machinery. Never a moments peace: she was approached by a foreman and an apprentice.
"Excuse me Grand Master." he said formally.
"This has better be worth interrupting me." she scowled at the apprentice, who cowered behind a clipboard.
Tell The Lady what you've found then, Herbert." The Foreman prodded the shuddering figure to his left.
From behind the clipboard the apprentice pointed at the monitors. "We've detected a storm coming in your Highness."
Anabell studied the radar sweeps that showed a large depression moving in from the edge that eclipsed the continent from sea to sea.
"Close the perimeter." she snapped immediately.
"but..but" stammered the monk.
"But what?" she barked.
"but there are teams still outside mistress!"
"Three." The Foreman added stoically.
Anabell hesitated for a fraction of a second.
"Fine. Keep the gate open as long as possible before that storm arrives, and start recalling all the teams. The moment they are all inside, seal the entrances. I want to the outside to stay outside, unlike last time."
"My predeccessor was careless." the clipboard whimpered.
"Ample incentive then to see to it that you are not so."
"Very good Grand Master." The Foreman docked his hardhat.
But Annabell had already stalked across the room and vanished through the doorway in a flurry of robes.
Arthur led the way across the snowy plain. The mountains were closer now but still some way off.
The light was dimming as the Sun began to sink in the West, destined never to fall completly below the horizon.
But there was a different quality to the light.
Arthur signalled the party to come to a halt and raised his snow goggles. X came up along side him. "What is it? What do you see?"
There was a bank of mist on the horizon to the East. It forged the sun's rays into shafts of light piercing through it.
Arthur sighed, "It's a blizzard." he said, his heart sinking.
"A Blizzard?" X said alarmed.
"We must reach the mountains before tonight or we'll be cut off. We cannot delay one second more - come on!"
"Sir I can't raise the south team on their radio" said a monk sat in front of a glowing monitor to his line manager.
"Where are they now?"
"They are on the ice field about a click from the gate."
"How close is the storm?"
"It should already be there."
"They should have noticed they were in trouble by now and started to make their own way back."
"Should I alert the medical team to stand by in case of survivors?"
"Yes but...see to it that the coroner is on standby to."
"Very good sir."
The Three Accolytes, who's fates were being discussed in Alpha Complex, had been given the task of replacing a fuse in a security node in the icy wastes oitside of Alpha Complex. They were Küld, Beezard and Fjurmalungavair. All three were busy inspecting a medium-sized hole in the ice in the manner of groups of relatives gather by a coffin during a wake.
"Oh bugger." A heavy Nordic accent said at last.
"Ve needed dat shovel." said another.
"It vas han haxedent - mein fingurs are frozen." The one called Beezard said.
"Ja I also am cold."
"Nein! I am Küld."
"Oh let's not start again with that pointless bickering!" demanded the last of them: the most senior accolytle present: Fjurmalungavair.
"Dat vas how we lost de compass!"
"I did not loose eet" complained Küld "sumvun must hof taken it."
Beezard began patting his sides against the shrill wind and puffing heavily.
"And the radeo?" Fjurmalungavair asked in a lawyerly cross-examination.
"It is here somver I just kno eet."
"b-b-b-b-balderd-d-dash!" Beezard stuttered.
"Beezard is hypothermic again!" Fjurmalungervair groaned.
"Dis Blizzard is getting me down!" Küld moaned.
"D-d-d-d dat ess not ur very nice thing to say to s-s-s-ome-vons f-f-face"
"BLeezard, BL-BL-BLeezard. Nincompoop!" Küld ranted franticly waving his arms in the air.
Just then the light went out.
"Oh n-n-n-no - now the l-l-l-l-lamp's bb-b-b-bust!" said Beezard
"Nein it has been shtollen!" exclaimed Küld
"How can you tell?" asked Fjurmalungavair
"Vell I cant shee it now can I?"
"Zat only proove it is dark. Fjurmalungavair said stoicly. "You know what your problem is don't you?"
"Oh spare me another disagnosis from you two quacks!" Küld exclaimed.
"He ha-ha-ha-has a p-p-p-p-ppoint." Beezard said through chattering teeth.
"I'm not paranoid!" Küld said defensivly.
"Yes you are!" Fjurmalungavair said, shouting to make himself heard against a rising wind "Vhy only did mornink you said a Blizard was to blame when the tent blew away!"
"Yeah - so?"
"I didn't do it. I don't care what he says." said Beezard miserably.
"No, no, no" Fjurmalungavair indicated Beezard was mistaken " I said a Blizard did it."
"So n-n-now your s-s-s--ideing with HIM?"
"I give up." Küld protested and turned to leave and shouted back over his shoulder "There is a blizzard. I know it!"
He paused suddenly.
"Um...ver are de horses?" he said after a moment or two has passed.
"D-do y-y-ou zink I t-t-took dem als-s-so?" Beezard said sarcasticaly.
The wind picked up noticably.
"It's a blizzard I'm telling you!" Küld shouted panicked.
"Oh shtopit already viz the b-b-b-b-lame games eh?" Beezard scowled.
Fjurmalungavair approached Küld on the ridge.
"You mean ve are standed out in ze middle of nowehere vizout ze, compass, the radio, the lamp, the shovel or our tent und wiv a blizzard bearing down on us?" Fjurmalungavair said sounding uncharacteristically worried.
"Good job we bought our good old Thermal Underwear." Küld observed bleakly.
"I don't see what's so great about him. You both hate me!" came the plaintaive cry from Beezard.
"Come to think of it - I think I left mine in the tent ..." said Fjurmalungavair, horrified - as a violent wall of wind-driven snow arrived to greet them.
Arthur and X rode separatly on two of the horses, Ody and Jamila shared the third. The were galloping fast over the ice.
"Awfully nice of those three to loan us this stuff." X remarked jovially.
"Do you think they saw us?" Jamila asked.
"I doubt it - Ody said from in front - They were so busy arguing with each other."
Underneath the snow googles, Arthur wore a look of concern.
"Everyone just ride - it's getting closer!" Arthur shouted...
Behind them, a largy and dirty cloud that hugged the ground was gaining pace on the group...
