An Alien Rescue (9 page)

Scott interrupted loudly, “That’s absolutely incredible.
Adolf Hitler was supposed to have perished in that bunker, alongside his mistress Eva Braun; and as far as I know, his dog Blonde as well. But as for an aircraft landing on Berlin’s roads, I’m not so sure. Did your mother say anything else about it?”

Phyllis gave it some thought. “It was some sort of bird… I think.”

Scott released a laugh, imagining a large crow carrying a bunch of fanatical Nazis across the sky.

“Nah! She must have been mistaken.” He said it with a laugh.

“No, she wasn’t,” Phyllis assured him. “She said it was a… it was a… a… stork. Yes, that’s it. It was a stork.”

“Bloody-hell, she was probably right then. There was a small lightweight spotter plane called a Storch. Crikey,
it sounds as if was true.”

Phyllis nodded, recalling the story from her mother.

“Yes,” added Scott. “The small aircraft was built by Fiesler. It was one of the first short take-off and landing aircraft, known by the abbreviated STOAL. I actually built a plastic Airfix model of one when I was a youngster. That’s unbelievable though.”

She agreed, nodding.

Scott ran a hand through his hair again, with a look on his face suggesting he was giving the entire story a lot of serious thought. “But as for Hitler’s death being believed, which it still is of course, an escape is quite another theory.”

“Ah-ha. And that’s what everyone was told.” She said, still nodding. “That Hitler had killed himself and was destroyed by fire. The official statement from those who thought they knew everything.”
Phyllis smiled at the knowledge of humans believing almost anything they were told, as long as it keeps them feeling happy and secure; such as, stray weather balloons as an excuse for reported UFO’s.

She
continued, “In actual fact, the man who died in the underground bunker was nothing more than an actor, a very talented man who was a close double of the German Reich Chancellor. Eva had been fooled into taking poison, along with the dog. They were both sacrificed to complete the deception. But there was a snag in the plan, and it caused a few problems. Hitler’s double had refused to lay down his life for his leader when the war was over, by all accounts. While trying to force poison down the actor’s throat there had been a violent struggle. The fight culminated in the man’s death while leaving him badly mutilated and disfigured, to the point where his likeness to the Fuhrer was questionable. The dead man was shot in the head as an attempt to prevent his facial injuries being seen, and also to appear as suicide. But this proved not to be the case because his body was so badly beaten with obvious cuts, bruises and broken bones. This was when it was decided by those left in command to burn the body with as much petrol as they could muster. The cremation would be carried out by someone who was not part of the deception, with their innocence and sworn testimony assisting the deviousness and success of the plot.”

“How do you know this is all true?” Scott asked with an expression of surprise on his face. He never expected to hear anything about the
last World War or especially the tyrannical Adolf Hitler. He was already aware that Martin Bormann had mysteriously disappeared towards the end of that war and no one knew where he had gone or what had happened to him. This was a revelation from someone who was indirectly connected with the conflict and its almost destroyed population. He could only wonder in amazement at what he’d just heard. This was one of the weirdest things he’d ever been told. His inquisitive mind wanted to know more, so he asked, “What happened to Hitler and Bormann then? Did they escape? And if so, where did they go?”

“I only know what my mother told me
,” Phyllis answered. “However, she also said she asked the same question when
she
first heard the story, just like you have - with the same answer that no one really knows for certain as it’s all unsubstantiated. It seems they just disappeared with the story of suicide within the Berlin bunker being widely accepted. However, the story does include another oddity. There had been a second double for Hitler; another look-alike who also refused to die for the lost cause. He had been secretly imprisoned in the Reich Chancellery, protected and pampered with all the luxuries he could expect by being the Fuhrer’s second closest stooge. However, the fact he was also refusing to die meant he might try to flee from his so-called protectors. To prevent him attempting to escape captivity both shoes were removed, leaving him to walk around with only socks on his feet. It had been considered that without protective footwear he would be unable to leave the building, especially as the city resembled a bombed-out battleground with masonry, glass and bodies littering the roads. But with time running out, the murdered double and Eva had been burned to nothing more than a smoking pile of cinders. His secretary and chauffeur were cleverly fooled into believing the burned pair were indeed the Fuhrer and his mistress, but it had taken all the available petrol to carry out the deed. A surviving double would have worked against the ruse, with his testimony and account of the entire episode ruining any potential escape plan. The second look-alike also had to be destroyed. That was when he was dragged from the Reich Chancellery and his SS guard were executed. There could be no one left to tell any stories! With no witnesses to the clever deception, there was no one left to reveal the Fuhrer was still alive. It was all a very clever trick to fool the allies into believing the Fuhrer
was
dead, giving his attempt of escape the best possible chance of success. The Reich Chancellery execution was not completed as planned though. The supply of petrol that was destined to burn the SS Guard and the second double, to render them completely unrecognisable, had been diverted to the bunker for
its
success. The original plan was for the Bunker-double to be recognised as the lifeless Fuhrer, thereby putting an immediate halt to any further searches. But the concentrated burning had prevented any form of recognition, where the sworn statements made by the fooled witnesses were the only method of persuading those who needed to be convinced. Advancing troops eventually discovered the group of bodies left lying in the Reich Chancellery’s fountain, all shot to pieces. The troops who made the shoeless discovery initially believed they had located Hitler and soon broadcast the find far and wide. They were confused by the fact he was only wearing socks on his feet, trying to formulate a reason for it. With two separate reports stating that Hitler
was
dead, with reliable independent witnesses swearing their sincerity to the occupying Soviet forces that his remains was destroyed in a fire outside the Bunker, the war was finally at an end. With the Nazi leader committing suicide and without a grave, there was no martyrdom - and no reason for anyone to continue fighting. The Third Reich was finished, gone for good, bombed off the streets and purged from the world forever. This suited the remaining German hierarchy who immediately surrendered to the occupying forces.”

Phyllis drew in a
deep long breath. “So there you have it, Scott. You have heard an incredible story that is widely accepted as the final demise of the infamous German leader. But there was in fact a much larger picture; although no one really knows the final and truthful outcome - including us! There has always been another question left in the wake of the mystery and that is the involvement of the submarine U977’s clandestine departure towards the end of hostilities. It’s most secret and final destination was Argentina, which is where it was eventually surrendered; but the reason for it sailing there under the most secret auspices has always been left wide open for rumour and conjecture.”

“That’s an incredible story,” stated Scott, while still piecing together all the facts and questions he had just heard. If he could remember all he had just been told and able to get it into print, he might be able to confound a few historical theories by turning them on their heads. Although without hard evidence, he reflected, he probably couldn’t. “Didn’t your mother try to speak to the escapees when she saw them?”

“My mother felt they were trying awfully hard not to be recognised. They were wearing wide brimmed hats while keeping their heads low and faces tilted forwards. She firmly believed her life might have been in great danger had she attempted to contact them in any way; and besides,” she said, “my mother lacked the confidence to speak to such important people at that time.” Phyllis clasped her hands, gently rubbing them together. Recollecting and discussing the stories her mother had only mentioned twice to her had been a little unsettling. She missed her mother who lived on their home planet a very long way away and wondered when they might next meet.

Scott caught sight of her rubbing her hands together, recognising she was in deep thought, and although he would have liked to know more about these atrocious German leaders who may have escaped to god only knows where, he wouldn’t ask anymore questions about it; yet.

“Anyway,” he said as he turned to face Belinda, “how about telling me more about the trouble concerning Frell and Drang?”

Belinda paused for a moment before replying as she recollected her thoughts, remembering all she had told him so far.

“Following your return to Earth, there was nothing else for them to do except return to the Mothership. Earth’s solar system is isolated from the rest of space with regards to communications, so any contact with them was impossible due to a communication filtration system. Anything that happened to them went unreported due to that restricting system, which is why we did not know anything had happened to them.”

“A filtration system? What filtration system?” asked a puzzled Scott.

Because various types of intelligent species inhabit most of space, there is a vast array of communications. This includes some methods of technology that are completely unknown to earthbound humans. You would all be very surprised, Scott, if humans were able to detect and decipher the messages and data that is transmitted across galaxies. The entire secret of life beyond the stars would be known for certain. Humans are a deliberately isolated species and are to remain as such until a peaceful settlement is in place across your planet entire. Humans are one of the most aggressive organisms known to other intelligent species across space, with none wishing to be known about by the planetary-tied humans. Scott, I wonder if you realise how several other species wish the human problem didn’t even exist, and how both the planet and the rest of space would benefit without the damage it has sustained from your species’ greedy existence. The Grey Empire is anxious to take control of your planet, getting rid of humans in total. You are a member of an endangered species, and not only by your own hands, I may add. Your blue planet is a very desirable piece of real estate, which is a common enough earth phrase that sizes-up the importance of the planet to other species. Earth humans have become a disease, similar to a virus that alters its genetic structure through reproduction and mutation; very destructive!”

Scott listened to her words, imagining what she was saying by building little pictures within his mind. First of all, he imagined the blue planet hanging in space with an eye-catching neon sign stating, For Sale or To Let, loudly protruding from its curved surface to attract any prospective space traveller who might be passing by. Secondly, he recollected images from televised news bulletins where war and destruction went hand in hand with greed and cruelty. He knew she was right in everything she had said, which was also in his written story concerning Frell from the lunar abduction. Had he been told all or some of what he had just heard before
, he wondered?

A low mist hung restlessly above the floor forming a dense fog lower down, swirling into white whorls that briefly spun behind small grey figures for a few moments as they hurried along. Dust and fine-grit crunched sharply beneath little scuffling feet as the mist was brushed aside by small bodies as they went about their business. The heart-shaped heads of these tiny fellows appeared huge for the size of their bodies, where it appeared their scrawny necks must be under an enormous amount of supportive strain. Both eyes were almond shaped, glossy and as black as treacle or molten tar. The eyes were never seen to blink or shed a tear, and without an iris, cornea, or any kind of colour, there was no detail whatsoever. The skin of the outer eye was uniform, soft to the touch and consisting of thousands of hexagonal rods, similar in appearance to an insect’s compound eye. Each rod-end was bristling with nerve endings, all converging to give the individual exceptional vision and clarity. The entire spectrum could be distinguished, with radiation and physical sensations picked-up too. The Greys did not need lanterns or torches to see in darkness, their eyes automatically adjusted their sensitivity to suit any given situation. The synapses for each rod would fire a series of quick-fire signals, instantly conducting what was being viewed to the optical sensory section of the body’s nervous system. These highly evolved eyes saw everything in minute detail, sensitively capturing the smallest pieces of visual information while defining it. Each little Grey clone had a specific function with appropriate tasks to perform. They went about their business silently and always without question or complaint. Their main method of communication was by telepathy, although verbal dialogue was always an option, although considered inefficient as it was rarely used. Speech was only ever used when communicating with another species that lacked the mental ability of telepathy, with Earth-bound humans falling into this primeval and subordinate category. Each of the child-sized grey-coloured beings was identical to the rest, in every detail, all cloned from a common hybrid ancestor. They were artificially spawned and reproduced for individual and menial purposes, programmed to obey without question or complaint. Their not-as grey-coloured masters belonged to the
Empire
, an aggressively jealous species who firmly believed space and every other being was subservient to them and theirs to command at will. Their ancient religious texts, scripts and carvings stated that until their kind had been granted sacred life and substance there had been nothing; a complete void with only infinite darkness and cold. Space, its entirety and everything it contains was blessed upon them by a higher Grey entity for their pleasure and their rule, with all other beasts and dominion to be used for the benefit of
their
species. They were the evolved product from lizard-like ancestors, all cold and brown with a scaly skin. The scales were still evident, but were very fine in detail and extremely difficult to see. The Greys’ long evolutionary period had steered them away from the original amphibious reptilian creature to the evolved being of the present. They had become something very different to the original animal, which was supposedly given wisdom and great superiority from the very first day of creation by their gods. Grey masters looked down on all other lifeforms, taking exception to the fact that other species’ seemed to share some of their sacred beliefs. This infuriated the Grey elite. They would always try to steal a lead upon their adversaries, racing to newly discovered planets and claiming them as their own, insisting
their
god had led them to it, brushing aside the accusations of poaching property belonging to others with deliberate contempt. Always looking for an edge with which to give them a strategic advantage over others, the Greys wouldn’t entertain any other race or species as an equal. Only as an adversary – always!

The Greys operated mainly within the upper levels of th
is base, just beneath the rusty-red sandy surface of the planet Mars. Occasional bursts of fine dust and grit would filter through crazy cracks in the curved roofs of long tunnels and hallways, forced through by hurricane strength winds whose roar could be heard raging above them. The roaring sound worked its way down into the rooms below ground like a demented lion running wild amidst the corridors. The wind’s destructive force tore at the freeze-dried and barren sand that covered the Martian surface, changing the contours of the landscape with a tenacious frequency. The subterranean base lay in a basin where water once existed; using the high surrounding cliffs of what was once a deep abyssal plain as cover from inquisitive prying eyes and orbiting exploratory spacecraft.

The planet’s oceans and seas had long since disappeared, either shrinking because of its thinning atmosphere or as part of the monumental shipping project that transported a large proportion of it to Earth many millions of years before. Intelligent extraterrestrials had foreseen the Martian predicament long before it began, where its seas and oceans would eventually disappear into space because of its delicate atmosphere. The enormous project gradually moved a lot of the planet’s oceanic water in zeppelin-shaped balloon ships, gigantic flimsy vessels with the ability to contain extremely high volumes of liquid in the
freezing vacuum of space. These vessels were driven into Earth’s atmosphere, where the transporting ship’s fabric and structure was destroyed on entry while the water was vaporised into dense clouds of concentrated moisture. The side effects of these added clouds were that sunlight was reflected back into space, leaving the planet’s surface cold and dark. The project was carried out in several lengthy stages, so as not to drown the planet and its own terrestrial lifeforms. Each stage resulted in an ice age, with the latter only appearing as the heaviest of rainfalls. Animals and plants had to adapt to survive, while the planet’s topography was ferociously altered through its unprecedented raised levels of ice and water. Glaciers slowly reshaped the Earth, scraping mountain ranges from their higher than Everest summits, eroding them to the present levels of u-shaped valleys and boggy-flood plains. While some animals were able to survive by migration or straightforward adaptability, others simply perished. They were killed by the sudden freezing temperatures plus a reduction in available food supplies. Evolution played a valuable part in the survival rate of every species, and of course it's possible demise, but it was mainly its ability to quickly adapt to a rapidly changing environment that decided each and every animal’s fate. The periodic ice-ages persisted over countless periods, with the last effects ending only ten thousand of your Earth years ago. That was due to the last of the massive Martian water transports, but not the final. It also helped to mark the beginning of mankind’s domination. The final transported water supply was used to wash the planet’s mountain ranges and plains of the dead and ancient artefacts of previous lifeforms, burying them while giving the younger and newer a better chance of survival. Its generated lengthy period of rainfall cleansed the land for new growth, sweeping clean the surface from which human life would grow and learn. Humanity was allowed the opportunity to explode itself across the changed planet, altering the environment as it went forth. The use of the planet’s resources, whether through agriculture or restructuring by technological advancement, meant Earth would never be the same again. Atmospheric pollution would prevent another ice-age taking place, while melting ice-caps would ensure the flooding of coastal plains and a shrinking landmass. Marine organisms would flourish, while terrestrial animals would once again need to quickly adapt… Or perish! Just like before.

Above and outside the base was an extremely hazardous environment, with precious little oxygen to breathe combined with freezing temperatures
. The dangerously strong winds could strip the flesh from bones in a matter of seconds with the remains being sand-blasted to flakes followed by dust. No living creature could survive for any length of time without protection, even though the atmosphere’s density was low. Two polar ice caps consisted of frozen carbon dioxide as ordinary water was almost completely absent on the surface. Except for a number of deep subterranean lakes, where the planet’s internal temperature and constant pressure allowed their existence, the planet was largely desiccated. A few indigenous examples of Martian life continued to thrive in these warm lakes where no sunlight shone, mainly surviving by cannibalism. A few species of fish-like beasts miraculously survived, scavenging the lake’s bottom for detritus, while often eating its own kind before it too would be devoured when age and disease would take its toll. As food was scarce, most would painstakingly search with effective mud-raking feelers and grabbing tentacles for anything worth eating. The low levels of available food kept the numbers of animals to a minimum, thus maintaining a healthy balance. One particular animal used a form of sonar for seeking its prey and communicating;
it
was at the top of the food-chain and would never be ousted from its ferociously guarded throne. This horrendously large beast lived a solitary territorial lifestyle, except during a brief moment for mating. Its protective armour consisted of a heavily segmented exoskeleton, leaving no part of its soft under-flesh vulnerable to attack. Apart from its many pointed claws and spines, its main weaponry consisted of a muscle-bound mouth armed with extremely large, pointed and serrated teeth. They would snap and tear at the flesh and skeleton of their prey and enemies, ripping them apart and devouring them within minutes. It was common for the female to kill her carefully selected mate, a much smaller but necessary gender. These beasts were the royals of the underground seas, with the females being the ultimate ruler while the menial males took a back seat. She would eagerly devour the father of its unborn offspring to sustain her through the long gestation period, not showing concern or consideration for her short-lived partner. Her increased proportions and pregnant bulk meant she would not only be at a disadvantage for hunting and fighting, but also susceptible to being hunted herself. This was the reason she had to eat well before she dived to the deepest depths of a lake, hiding among the gigantic rocks on its bed where cover meant safety; not returning to her former territory until after giving birth. Once the young had left the safety of her belly they were on their own, cast out to survive on whatever luck they had. The mother would leave them to their own devices and credibility, allowing them to survive on their limited yolk sacs until they learned to fend for themselves; or to be devoured. There were no friends in this hidden world, no allies to ask for support or help when danger or starvation threatened. It was a world where no smiles or mercy was given, a place where chivalry and kindness was a weakness and a deadly flaw.

The highlands of Mars sometimes saw frost developing on the highest ground, but only under exceptional circumstances. A low atmospheric depression with a sharp rise in humidity was essential for its chilled appearance; otherwise it was always dry, cold and inhospitable. For this reason there was very little activity on the rocky and boulder-strewn surface. Mars had long ago been surveyed with the plan of inhabiting it as a secondary base from which to observe and visit planet Earth. Its extreme weather patterns meant any bases had to be underground, buried to escape the inhospitable and lethal elements above. Mars once
had an abundance of water, great oceans and seas that covered much of the surface to enormous depths. Life had prevailed in its own blue liquid, where clouds would gather moisture, giving rise to precipitation over mountains where lakes would form in their shadow. It resembled the present Earth in its heyday, where forests gave shelter to animals and massive plains allowed herbivores to graze and migrate. The solar system’s solitary star had proved to be unstable in the earliest of times, where its temperatures and radiation levels fluctuated malevolently, without stability or consistency. Both Mars and the Earth fell foul of its frequent alterations, where changes caused the ambient temperatures and sea levels to alter with disastrous results to life and landmass alike. Mass extinctions would remove many species at once, with new specimens regularly appearing to take the place of those that disappeared, almost as if a continuous fashion parade. Any one particular model could be lost for whatever reason, with another variant appearing not long afterwards. The latest design would adapt and evolve to suit the environment, while the least fit animals faded with inefficiency or as food. Earth’s singular moon had also been utilised as a forward base at a very early stage in humankind’s development. It was the perfect platform for observation and visits because it does not rotate about its own axis as viewed from Earth. It was also beyond the reach of the then present evolving and inquisitive mammals that roamed freely. But increasing leaps and bounds in technological advancements meant gradual and intricate exploration was guaranteed. The more recent and accomplished lunar exploration meant all extraterrestrial bases and equipment being removed, including magnetically disorientated material. Should any kind of anomaly be discovered on the lunar surface, or below, there would more than likely be suspicious speculation and theorising to why and how this might have occurred. The Greys were especially interested in keeping the human occupants on Earth ignorant, as far as evidence for extraterrestrial species was concerned. It was in their
own
personal and greedy interests to keep the human factions on the blue planet divided and fighting each other. This, they hoped, would bring about an end to humans’ unrepented destruction and their war-like dominance by extinction. The Grey Empire would make a dramatic entrance and take over without hesitation or concern, quickly neutralising any resistance to prevent organised hostility from any surviving human authority or government, while appearing to be saviours or deities from space. Grey gods to govern the meek. They would move in and take over under the pretext of helping holocaust survivors, eventually ruling with a merciless Grey-coloured iron grip.