Lost in Magadan: Extraterrestrials on Earth

“Yes, I was unsure if I could get them here, but I was able to convince some of the V-2 rocket scientists to defect with us.”

“I thought the V-2 scientists were relocated from Peenemunde Army Research Center after it was bombed by the British? How could you get them here from the Alpine Fortress?” asked the Admiral. If the Admiral was concerned with the word ‘defect,’ he made no mention of it.

Nox nodded. Nodding was a human gesture, but Nox had learned, not only the spoken language of humans, but also their body language. It seemed to put them at ease when he used familiar body language that they understood. He was also teaching himself to learn human facial expressions, not because he cared what they thought of him, but because sometimes he was forced to engage in diplomacy.

“After the scientists were moved from Peenemunde, they were taken to Mittelwerk in the Harz Mountains to work in an underground bunker. Some of my operatives were able to convince them to come with us. We helped them escape the Nazis when they were being transported from the underground base to the Alpine Fortress. Once in our custody, we could bring them here by boat, now on the Elbe River,” Nox said.

Admiral Armbruster understood the importance of having V-2 rocket scientists. German scientists and aeronautical engineers were the most advanced in the world. They were good to have, if only to ensure the Americans did not have access to their knowledge.

“Very well, what shall we do now?” asked the Admiral.

“Is everyone on the list I gave you present?” asked Nox.

“I received your list of 224 names. A few of them had been killed and few transferred, but I was able to ensure that 217 of them were present at the yard today.” Admiral Armbruster knew Nox did not appreciate failure, but, he was reasonably certain that he had come close enough to completing the assignment.

“How many of the persons missing from my list are dead?” Nox asked.

“Three.”

“Four have been transferred?”

“Yes”

“Very well, that’s close enough. Have them assembled in the briefing room in one hour,” Nox grumbled.

“Yes Sir,” The Admiral stood to attention and started to say Heil Hitler but caught himself.

“We can dispense with the ‘Heil Hitler’ at this point,” Nox muttered, and he waived off the Admiral.

Nox sat in the empty Admiral’s office for the next hour, contemplating what he would say to the 200 plus men. Nox was not only a warrior, but a cunning politician, as well. He understood that his alien forces were not strong enough to rule this world alone; he needed allies. He needed allies that were not so eager for war that they could wait for the perfect time. His plan was to rebuild, not the Third Reich, that brand was damaged beyond repair; no, he was going to rebuild in a new place, create a new world order.

The people on the list that Nox was assembling were not war hawks or greedy politicians; they were the best scientists and engineers he could manage to recruit. These were not just any scientists; they were scientists that he had either worked with or that knew of his existence. No one in that room would be shocked to see him.

Nox had 173 seats to fill on the recently reported missing U-boats. He hoped to convince 173 of the 217 men to join him. It would be unfortunate to launch the U-boats with empty seats. Nox did not need the scientists and engineers for their knowledge of human technology. Nox was more intelligent than any human that had ever lived, and understood the intricacies of technology centuries beyond what human scientists could even imagine. Earth’s technology had not even developed enough to create basic tools to fix and repair the equipment Nox had brought with him from his home planet. Nox had to train humans on the basic concepts of his technology so that they could start planning to build factories that could produce advanced equipment. When you are stranded on a deserted island, you must invent an ax before you can chop down a tree. Then, you must make rope before you can tie the timbers together to build a raft. In this little parable, Nox felt like he was still swimming to the island.

Nox walked into the crowded conference room. The room was hot and stuffy from having over 200 people jammed into it. The group was a mixture of Nazi officers, yard workers, welders, planners, engineers, shipbuilders, and scientists. The walls were dark gray concrete. The men sat on metal chairs with no padding. Nox walked down the center aisle between the men, toward the front of the room. He had not made the same mistake he made in the Vosges Mountains; he was wearing full body armor and an interactive helmet with head up display vizor. At the front of the room was a wooden desk and on the wall before the men was a nautical chart of the Elbe River and coastal Germany.