Five of the Admiral’s executive officers stood. It had already been discussed, and the Admiral knew they were coming. Three engineers and 10 scientists stood. They too had already known what was happening and were expected to stand. Nineteen standing. Not enough. Silence.
Then, the Nazi commander that had asked the question about rank stood. His men took quick glances at each other, then stood, another 40 men. With almost 60 men standing, the momentum had almost turned in Nox’s favor. He still needed over 100 more to stand. Nox knew he could say no more. The officers and ranking scientists had to convince their fellow soldiers and colleagues. This is where advanced planning pays off. Many of those standing had previously agreed to stand and help convince the others.
The Admiral walked forward from the back of the room. Nox loved his little pet.
Admiral Armbruster took the position next to Nox and said, “It has been an honor serving with each one of you. Over the last several years, we have seen many of our brothers-in-arms fall. But, you have kept the faith, and for that I am proud of you. This is not an easy decision, and I will respect you if you choose to stay. But, for what are you staying? This city will fall; there is no escape. Many of you will die at the hands of the Americans and Russians. Many of your families have already been killed in the fire bombings. Many of you imagine that you will be able to stop the British soldiers from violating your wives and daughters, but this is foolhardy. They will kill you first and then take your defenseless women. What future do you have here? Will you stay and be a slave to the Allied conquerors that hate us? Or will you come with me, where you can start over, not as a slave, but as an important part of a new world order? I can’t promise you riches, fame, or even your families. But I promise that you will be a part of a movement that will make a permanent mark on the course of human history. The invaders will offer you chains and sorrow. Come with me and build a nation like this world has never seen!” Admiral Armbruster leaned back against the wooden table behind him. Seventy men stood up. Nox was so proud of his pet Admiral.
After a few more minutes of discussions, there were a total of 105 men standing, not quite what Nox wanted, but good enough.
Admiral Armbruster said, “All men that are standing, walk in a single file line to the submarine pen. Do not go back to your quarters. The rest of you wait here for further orders; I will be right back.” The Admiral knew he would never go back.
Nox stayed at the front of the room, carefully studying the faces of the men that had chosen not to get on the submarines. After the volunteers had made their way toward the submarine pen, Nox said, “I too would like to thank you for your service to the Nazi party. The rest of you will be manning this base until the British arrive. Once they are about to take the base, I need you to scuttle all the U-boats. I’m going to the Admiral’s office to gather your specific orders.”
Nox walked down the center aisle to the rear of the room. As he reached the back of the room, he stood directly in front of the only door and turned to face the seated men. He withdrew, from a compartment in his armor, two canisters. They were of his own design, hydrogen-cyanide grenades. He thought it was ironic that these men would die from Zyklon-B, the same poison the Nazis used to kill the Jews. He flipped the rings on the grenades with his thumbs and tossed the pear-shaped, metallic devices into the center of the room. He quickly exited and secured the door behind him. The men screamed for a few minutes, and then there was silence. There could be no witnesses; he did not need captured German soldiers telling the Americans about a seven-foot-tall, gray alien. This mission always had two goals: the first was to recruit talent for Antarctica; the second, to tie up loose ends.
Nox Bellator walked to the submarine pen where Admiral Armbruster was waiting.
“All the volunteers are aboard. The U-boats are ready to launch,” Armbruster said, “should we leave the Nazi insignias on the Boats?”
“We should keep the insignia on the boats. We still have a lot of Nazi controlled water to travel through, no need in having everyone target us. When you get to Antarctica, we can decide on a new uniform and emblem, for now, maintain the Nazi command structure,” Nox said.
“Will you be joining us?” asked the Admiral.
“I do not plan to go to Antarctica. The Ondagra will get you set up in there. I have a few humans to call on,” answered Nox.
The Admiral boarded the U-boat. Nox noticed the number on the side, it was U-196. Nox knew it was the Type IXD2 that had gone missing five months earlier. He watched as the last of the U-boats disappeared into the dark Elbe River, pleased with his success.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Berlin, Germany
April 30, 1945
Nox gently landed his antigravity fighter in the garden of the Old Reich Chancellery in Berlin. Even though his craft was equipped with optical stealth technology, and neither the Germans nor the Soviets could see the craft, he still radioed ahead to Hitler’s Bunker. No point in having them mistakenly shoot at him.
Hitler had taken to his bunker weeks earlier, when the Soviets began their non-stop bombing campaign. Prior to that Hitler had spent most of his time in the government buildings above the bunker. As Nox approached the square entrance of the concrete bunker, several Nazi guards came out of the small opening. Their weapons were ready, but not pointed at Nox; they were expecting him.
Nox was not concerned about the guards, he had been to the Old Reich Chancellery on several occasions to discuss matters with Hitler. Nox and the guards descended the concrete stairs to the bunker, 28 feet below the gardens. The bunker was protected by almost 10 feet of reinforced concrete that could withstand a direct hit from almost any conventional bomb.
At the bottom of the stairs, he was led into a conference room. There were several doors on either side of the room, leading to bed chambers, kitchens, communication rooms, and Hitler’s private study. For such a small space, the bunker was surprisingly decorated with rare oil paintings and gilded furniture.
Hitler, Goebbels, and Krebs stood at the other end of the cramped conference room. Their faces were easy to read: they knew the end was near. The German troops defending Berlin would run out of ammunition soon. Generals in the field were already engaging in unauthorized discussions regarding how to surrender to the Soviets.
The plan had been discussed. One of Hitler’s many body doubles would be shot and burned. The scene would be staged to make it appear that Eva Braun, Hitler’s new wife, committed suicide. The Soviets would find their bodies and, hopefully, assume the couple had committed suicide. The goal was to allow Hitler and Eva to disappear to Argentina and live the rest of their lives in anonymity. That was Hitler’s plan. Nox had other ideas.
“Are the look-a-likes in the bunker?” Nox asked. Introductions were not necessary.