The Path of the Icy Slide

Path of Icy Slide

jchinrichsen88a@gmail.com

Prologue, 1942 Aleutian Islands

A Japanese Submarine comes up in the snowy skies of the Aleutian Islands. Captain Saito wearing his Japanese naval officer suit spies the Aleutian islands prior to the only battle near North America outside of Alaska.

A young Japanese sailor wearing a parka and seaman's hat joins his executive officer. “Cap'n we are ready to depart for the hidden location that we are supposed to bury the Emperor's treasure..”

“Very good, seaman. Good travels and be safe. We will be back in a few weeks to replace your men for protecting the Emperor's treasure.” Saito bows to the seaman. The seaman and his elite unit of shogun leave the vessel on a life raft.

Thirty minutes later. Seamen Bi and his men all wearing parkas and carrying Nam-bu pistols, Gun-to swords, and either a Type 30 rifle or Type 100 sub-machine gun. Pulling a sled without that of huskies the team slips and disappears with the mysterious crates with the Emperor of Japan herald.

12 days later, One day before the battle of the Aleutian Islands. Captain Saito and his fresh team of shogun warriors begin to search the designated location of the previous unit. “Cap'n, we cannot find Seamen Bi and his men. They just disappeared along with the national treasure of our Great Emperor.” comments a seaman. Saito looks and hears the echoes of gunfire and shelling in the distance.

“Damn, the Gaijin is closer than I expected. Return back to the submarine we have another mission to attend to.” The sailors begin to board back on the submarine as Saito looks back at the icy barren and snowy wasteland. “ What happened here, Seamen Bi?”

Present-day, Aleutian islands. The USCG Icebreaker Polar Star travels in the snowy skies of the Alaskan coastline. Dr. Peter Jensen and Vanessa High-eagle are standing topside watching the snowy season of late March and early April. “Beautiful Coastline, Peter. Just as beautiful as the state itself.”

“No disrespect Nessa, but it kinda reminds me of Greenland. Your brother has the bonus to travel worldwide in the Plum Harvest.” Comments the bearded Jensen as he looks at the surrounding coastline.

The two are joined by Captain Nathan Elliot who wears a USCG Orange parka and seaman hat like his guests aboard ship in similar garb except for Vanessa who wears a muffled baseball cap. “Peter, got a message from HQ, something about a lost Japanese submarine going down here about five clicks from our position.”

“The Admiral wants you to take a look with our two man submarine if you are up to it. I have PO Noatak Ready to take you down.”

“Sounds good, Nessa, have the lab-ready if we find anything exciting if that;'s Okay with you?”

“Sure you have the fun diving and I have the annoying duty to prepare the lab I thought we were equal here, Peter.”

“The ocean is a man's mistress even though to me a mountain range is my mistress. I'll be back soon and if I see anything big I will have the P.O. Hold it for you. Okay?”

'Sure why not.”

Below. The mini-sub moves close to the Japanese submarine. The sub appears of your average size but not as big as the nuclear submarines used today. Turning on the outside floodlights the lights brighten up the surrounding dark sea. Moving closer Jensen and PO Noatak spot the name of the lost submarine known as The Flaming Shodo. The Shodo sits as a K-1 submarine and appears to have been sunk by a USCG frigate.

PO Noatak appears as an Inuit man with short black military cropped hair and wears a dry suit beneath his parka. “ Well Pick-ax it appears that our missing submarine”

“Do you think you can run that ROV inside to find anything maybe a captain's journal?”

Inquires Jensen as he drinks some coffee from his thermos.

“Shouldn't be a problem. Polar Star this is Lil Otter. Launching our pup into the target, Over.”

The pilot console squawks as Captain Elliot's voice comes back on the radio. “ Roger that you want a video recording up here PO?”

Noatak looks over to his partner Jensen. “ Pick-ax you want a video recording?”

Jensen puts his thermos cup down with steamy coffee. “ Go Ahead, Abe.”

“Command this is Noatak, the engineer wants a video recording. Holding a position as I steer her in the sub.”

“Understood, PO Godspeed.” Noatak tags a hold of the small joysticks on the console that controls the ROV (Remote Operating Vehicle).

The ROV passes through the narrow corridors and alleyways coming to the Captain's Office.

“Let her Ride, Abe.” The ROV continues into the office and spots a small gray lock-box on the desk of the captain.

“Looks like we might have some luck, here, Pick-ax.” Comments Abraham Noatak raising his brown eye at the small lock-box.

“Let's hope so, Abe.” Noatak uses the claws on the ROV and picks up the small gray lockbox.

“ Command this is Jensen we are coming up will be there in a few minutes. Tell Dr. High-eagle to prepare her archaeology lab we have a gift for her.”

“Understood, Dr. Jensen.”

The little recovered submarine returns to the surface. As a dredging crane is lowered to grab a hold of the mini-sub.

Topside. Jensen and Noatak are joined by Vanessa and captain Elliot. Using gloves and placing the box in the salt-water cooler. The party takes the box to the laboratory as snow falls from the skies above. “Snowy weather still, is this normal Cap'n?”

Captain Elliot looks over to Jensen who now wears snow trousers over his dry-suit. “ Even though we are in the Aleutian Islands the weather seems to be sticking around. I will contact the

Weather service when I get the chance. Let's see what you found in the sub.”

Laboratory. Stepping through the lab doors, Jensen and the others watch as Vanessa sets up a modified x-ray machine to examine the contents in the lock-box. Vanessa types away on the computer and uses a joystick to open the lock-box. Once opened she finds four gold bars marked with an Emperor of Japan insignia and the classic German Nazi insignia In addition the journal of the captain. Using the joystick Vanessa pulls out the journal and places it in a modified heater x-ray. Typing a few keys the journal in Japanese is translated by the language interpreter.

Scanning it quickly she finds a comment and types it on the screen. The content reads:

October 12, 1942, Received orders about carrying the treasure of the Emperor. A location designated somewhere in the Aleutian Islands.

October 23. Have dropped off Seamen Bi and his elite guard to hide treasure for an emergency.

November 13. Have returned to find Seamen Bi and unit d disappeared last location Aleutian island longitude 23 degrees by latitude 73 degrees. Storm picks up. Order the crew to leave until a later date.

Late November. Battle of Aleutian islands I fear this last notice. American Coast guard bombing our submarine.

For the Emperor. Captain Saito.

Jensen and Vanessa look at one another concerning this clue Jensen turns to.

Captain Elliot. “ Think we can sweep by here, Cap'n.”

“Though I am always game for a treasure hunt we can only go there for three days before I have to get our supplies from the quartermaster. I will have PO Noatak prepare a pair of snowmobiles.”

Five miles away below the Sea of Japan. Captain Burke Mayer an albino Afrikkan man in dark cobalt blue-gray jumpsuit and tactical harness is joined by Adina Mao a long dark-haired Mongolian woman in a similar dress as Burke continues to observe the USCG Icebreaker. “Cap'n do you think we can head to 23 degrees longitude by 73 degrees latitude.”

“I will make it happen, Dr. Jensen,” comments Elliot.

Burke looks over to the attractive Adina Mao. “ It seems Dr. Mao, Herr Drake, and Dr. Shihik was holding out on you. Interested for a treasure hunt.”

Dr. Mao looks hard at Drake with her crimson brown eyes. “Michael always has a motive for telling me most things. I believe it was Shihik is the one holding out on Drake. But I crave for a little excitement, Skipper.”

“You heard the lady, Ensign engage the engines and follow a good distance from that American vessel.”

“Aye Skipper comments another Afrikan man.” The submarine engages is engines and continues to track the USCG icebreaker.

Three hours later. The Polar Star floats about two miles from the intended target. As an RHIB travels across in the snowy waters. It lands quickly on the coastline of the target. PO Noatak

looks over to a pair of snowmobiles and a snow-cat being guarded by a pair of Inuit tribesmen. Noatak looks over to Jensen and Vanessa. “I called my cousins and they were nice enough to drop off a pair of snowmobiles. Since our helicopter is in the shop. Did you need me to drive them or be security?”

Jensen and Vanessa now in their plum-orange parks look at the former Marine Recon operative.” I think we could use you Abe since you grew up in these lands and we don't know your cousins that well.”

“ No problem, I will leave the RHIB here with them and I will take Vanessa on my snowmobile since you have mentioned you spent some time with DARPA up here in the Arctic. You never told me did you ride the dog-sleds, Pick-ax?”

“ Yes, I did kinda a bumpy but fast ride and I was not steering the sled I was a passenger.

I think that is where we met, Abe”

“ Yep, I was the competition of your dog-sled master. Since then we have been good friends.”

“ You need to tell me your side of the story, Abe. I heard Pete's story once or twice.”

“I will when we get back Nessa. It's quite a story especially after Pick-ax and I got in a bar-room brawl. But we are now friends.” Abe walks over and greets his cousin one who appears to be a tribal park ranger in his white camouflage battle dress. He soon returns with a hunting rifle and a bandoleer of ammunition.

Jensen adjusts his ice ax and Rug-er black-hawk pistol. Abe hands a hunting rifle to Vanessa.

“ I heard you are a good shot Nessa, so I asked my cousin to bring a scope hunting rifle for you just in case we come across a polar bear.”

“Thanks since only one of us was allowed to bring a firearm aboard the ship. Freaking male chauvinist in the military at times.”

“ Sorry, Elliot's rules Nessa. Not mine. Even though he has woman crew-members.” comments Jensen. The three soon hop aboard their snowmobiles and take off.

Burke and his team spot the trio leaving the Inuit standing guard by the snow-cat. Burke signals to a long hair and bearded Inuit tracker in a white camouflage dress. Moments later shots are fired by the Inuit tracker known as the Arctic Fox. Striking down the tribal police officer and his two deputies.

POP POP POP

The volunteer deputies and tribal police officers collapse to the ground by the snow-cat. Several white camouflage troops rise up from the snowy banks and unhook the trailer from the snow-cat.

The Snow-cat takes off from its location leaving the RHIB behind.

Forty-Five Minutes. The snowy skies blind the heroes as the snowmobiles start to slow down in the designated location. Pulling to a stop, Jensen raises his snow goggles and spots a pale of whale bones on the location mentioned in the journal.

Taking point Jensen leads the way followed by Vanessa and Abe. The team walks about 250 yards before the icy tundra base opens up and the team slides down a huge ice-like slide and arrives outside an old whaling village built from possibly 1902. But after years of glaciers melting the whaling village now appears as a lost city like underground New York City or

Atlanta, GA. Rising from the ground Jensen and the others touch their backs and body to make sure there are no broken bones or ribs. Abe looks at the others and touches his buttocks. “ This certainly was unexpected and a pain in the ass.”

“Where are we, Peter?” Comments Vanessa as she gets up from her fall off the slide

Helping Vanessa up Jensen and his team starts to advance on the slippery paths outside the abandoned village. A howling scream is heard deeper into the village. Drawing their weapons the team advances into the village continuing panning for trouble. Shots are heard ahead of them and they begin to run in the direction of the gunfire. They come up to a pair of Burke commandos fighting off a ghostly spirit of an Inuit woman. Burke and Adina stay in the distance protected by the Arctic Fox. The commandos advance firing sporadic shots at the spirit but little damage is put on the spirit. Soon the spirit screeches another scream as the ground behind the heroes rises with a group of frozen ghouls that appear to be former Japanese soldiers along with a few whalers of Inuit descent.

The ghouls charge the heroes as the heroes return fire with their modified ammunition known as HCS2 shells. Realizing they are outnumbered, Jensen and his team take a tactical withdraw.

Meanwhile, Burke, Adina, and the Arctic Fox start to back off from the Specter. Adina raises her hands and a mystical cloud surrounds them. Moments later the specter passes into the misty fog and sees her enemies are gone. Turning she joins her ghoul army and begins to chase down Jensen and his team.

Fleeing like a squadron of vampire bats from a cave in Mexico, Jensen and the others flee from the haunted whaling village. Searching for an exit, Abe finds a path and directs his friends in another direction to avoid the specter and her army of ghouls.

Epilogue:

The team of USCG treasure hunters find their way back to their starting point and board the RHIB undamaged by Burke and his men. Turning back Jensen shows a questionable look on his face but realizes that his quest for that missing treasure in the whaling village over is far from over. Next time he will be prepared and have more training to fight the supernatural guards of the missing treasure..

To be continued.