DISCLAIMER: This story is based upon the series, Charmed, that was created by Constance M. Burge. All Charmed characters are the property of Spelling Productions. The character of Randolph Carter is the property of the estate of H.P. Lovecraft. Napoleon Bonaparte is, of course, real, but the character of Marcel Duvall is totally fictional.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Some of the events of this story are inspired by the H.P. Lovecraft story, The Whisperer In Darkness. This story refers to events from my previous R&H Chronicles stories, The Old Ones, The Dark Planet, and The Black Stone.
THE PLACE: FRANCE
THE TIME: NOVEMBER 20th, 1806
Napoleon Bonaparte smiled as he glanced down at the map on the table in front of him. Victory is mine. The Prussians are finished, he thought. He looked up as the door to his office opened. "I said I didn't want to be disturbed," Napoleon stated.
"Not even for an old friend?" the man, who had just entered the war room, replied.
"Marcel Duvall? Is that you?" Napoleon asked with astonishment. "I though you were still in the Ottoman Empire."
"I was," Duvall replied. "However, I had to return. Congratulations on your victory over the Prussians, my friend."
"Yes, all of Europe will soon be under my control. Tell me, Marcel, what did bring you back so urgently?"
"This," Duvall said as he held up a wrapped object. "I discovered it in an old shop in Damascus. I don't think the shop owner really understood what he had."
"I must admit, Marcel, you've got me curious," Napoleon said, smiling.
"Well, my old friend, you say you'll soon have all of Europe under your control," Duvall replied as he placed the object down on the table and began to unwrap it. "With this, you can go farther than just Europe. Much farther."
As Napoleon watched, the form of a very old book, with strange writing on it, was revealed. Interesting, he thought.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
THE PLACE, PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA
THE TIME: DECEMBER 18th, 2014
A job well done, Hannah Webster thought as she stepped back to inspect the Christmas tree she had just finished decorating. The tree stood in the living room of the apartment Hannah shared with her lover, Rex Buckland. The two former Warlocks were getting ready for Christmas, which was less than a week away.
"Well done, Hannah," Rex said as he emerged from the study.
"Thank, Rex," Hannah replied. "We're all ready for Christmas."
"Well, we might have to put that on hold," Rex said grimly
"Why?" Hannah asked.
"I've just gotten a message from Randolph Carter," Rex said.
"That graduate student from Miskatonic University that helped us with that Black Stone, back in October?" Hannah asked as she recalled the incident with the ancient race, called the Mi-go. The Mi-go had been created by the Old Ones and sent to Earth as advance scouts for their planned invasion, thousands of years ago. When the invasion had been stopped by the forces of Good and Evil, the Mi-go had gone into suspended animation. The Mi-go had set up many outposts on Earth, and the one that Rex and Hannah had encountered, was in the hills of Vermont. In the end, they had found a way to dispatch those Mi-go back to Yuggoth, the dark planet at the edge of the Solar System, from whence they came (and where the Old Ones had set up a colony). However, Rex had discovered that there were still other Mi-go outposts, scattered around the world in remote locations. Outposts that could still be discovered by unwary humans, who would have no idea of the danger they would be awakening.
"Yes, him," Rex said. "Remember when Mr. Carter stated that he would like to work with us again, in regards to the Mi-go and the Old Ones. Seems he's going to get his chance.."
"What's happened?"
"Well, for the last three years, Miskatonic University has maintained a science research base in Antarctica," Rex explained. "The primary mission of said base is to look for mineral samples and such. However, they have apparently made a major discovery, something they are keeping very quiet about."
"Didn't you mention, back in October, that the Mi-go had one of their outposts in Antarctica?" Hannah asked.
"Yes, Hannah, I did. That's what worries me. If those people have found that outpost, they would have no idea what they'd be dealing with."
"So you're saying..."
"I'm saying, Hannah, that we're going on a little road trip," Rex replied grimly.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
ANTARCTICA
DECEMBER 20th, 2014
The helicopter flew high over the last untamed continent on Earth. In the cargo section, three passengers sat, Rex, Hannah, and Randolph Carter. "I must say, Mr. Carter, that you have a way of getting things done," Rex said. "You sure organized this trip with astonishing speed."
"Well, let's just say that my family has contributed generously to Miskatonic University over the decades," Randolph said. "So, I can call in favours like this."
"Do you think they've found something to do with the Mi-go?" Rex asked.
"It's possible," Randolph replied. "We both know they had an outpost here in Antarctica. It's possible that the scientists may have stumbled across it."
"You know, Mr. Carter, I'm surprised that you know so much about the Mi-go."
"Call me Randolph, and yes, I've made a study of the Necronomicon and other such old and obscure books. There are forces out there, Mr. Buckland, than humanity knows little about. I've always found it fascinating what you can learn, if you know where to look."
"Well, that's true, because I've made similar studies" Rex said. "By the way, you can call me Rex, and this, of course, is Hannah." He indicated where Hannah was sitting next to him, shivering.
I'll never be warm again, Hannah thought as she pulled the fur coat tighter around her. Why couldn't the Mi-go have settled in Tahiti instead of Antarctica? The helicopter the three of them were using was normally used for supplies and cargo, and thus not equipped with accommodations for passengers, such as proper heating.
"Hannah, are you okay?" Rex asked.
"Yeah, just a little on the cold side," Hannah grumbled.
"Well, once we reach the base, we'll get some hot coffee."
"It shouldn't be long now," Randolph said.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Ten minutes later, the helicopter reached the base and landed without incident. Rex, Hannah, and Randolph quickly debarked and headed into the base, where they were met by the head scientist, whom Rex and Hannah were quickly introduced to.
"I must say this is very irregular," Dr. Jack Armstrong said. "I don't care how many connections, you have, Mr. Carter. You can't just..."
"And let me remind you, Dr. Armstrong, who's family has contributed much of the funding to keep this base operational," Randolph snapped.
"Yes, but still..."
"Dr. Armstrong, Hannah and I have come a long way," Rex said. "We wish to see what you've discovered. We promise we won't tell anyone, but it's vital we see it."
"After we get some hot coffee," Hannah added, still shivering.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Soon, after some much needed coffee, Armstrong led his three visitors to the base lab. "Let me tell you all, when we made our discovery, we were blown away."
"How did you find it, whatever it is?" Rex asked.
"One of our teams was digging in the snow for mineral samples," Armstrong replied as he unlocked the lab door. "Let me tell you all, they weren't expecting this." He led Rex, Hannah, and Randolph into the lab where they were greeted by a frozen form, lying on one of the examination tables.
"Is that a man?" Hannah asked.
"It is," Armstrong replied. "Look at what he's wearing."
"Yes, quite," Rex said as he moved closer to examine the frozen corpse, who appeared to be wearing a crude fur coat. However, under said coat was a uniform of some kind. "I'd say this chap was French, Napoleonic Era, to be precise," Rex said after studying the corpse.
"That's the conclusion we reached," Armstrong said. "Although we have no idea how and why a soldier from Napoleon's time could have ended up here in Antarctica."
"Yet, here he is," Rex said. "He wouldn't happen to have a journal on him when you found him."
"Actually, he did." Armstrong went over to a table and returned with what appeared to be a journal, which he handed to Rex.
"What does it say, Rex?" Hannah asked.
"Give me a second here," Rex said and found the last entry:
January 13th, 1808
It has now been a full day since the sudden snowstorm caused me to get separated from the others, and my strength is almost gone. I can only hope they succeed in returning to France. The Emperor must be told that we have confirmed what his book revealed to him is true.
Let it be known that I, Gaston Petien, die proudly for my Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
A short time later, Rex, Hannah, and Randolph were in the recreation room of the base, drinking coffee, while Rex continued to pour over the journal. "Well, it's not the Mi-go, but it is interesting all the same," Randolph said.
"That's for sure," Hannah said and then looked over at Rex. "Any indication as to why that soldier was here, Rex?"
"None," Rex said as he put down the journal. "This poor fellow says he was here on an expedition under the command of a chap named Marcel Duvall. The expedition was organized and sent here by Napoleon himself. However, he doesn't say why they were here or what they were looking for."
"That's strange," Hannah said.
"Yes, it is," Rex concurred. "The only reason I can come up with is that they were under strict orders not to reveal their mission goal, whatever that was."
"Well, it must have been super top secret," Randolph said. "Dr. Armstrong has been in touch with the French Military Archives in Paris. They can't find any references to Napoleon sending an expedition to Antarctica in or around 1808."
"Yet he did, the proof is right here on this base," Hannah said.
"Yet it all comes back to why," Rex said. "Why would Napoleon said soldiers thousands of miles away from Europe to Antarctica. Don't forget, that there was no such thing as air travel back then. They would have had to come here by ship. France to Antarctica and back again, the trip would have taken well over a year. And when they got down here, they had no radio to call for help, and no G.P.S. to point them in the right direction. The whole expedition would have been a huge risk for all involved, there was no guarantee that they would make it safely back to France. Still, Napoleon took that risk. Napoleon never did anything without a reason, so clearly he had an objective in mind here. The question is just what was that objective?"
"Mineral samples?" Hannah asked.
"No, not likely," Rex said, shaking his head. "They would have had no efficient way to dig them up in those days."
"Perhaps Napoleon wanted a military outpost down here," Randolph suggested.
"Again not likely. In those days, Antarctica was just too far from civilization to be of military value to anyone. No, it was something else." Rex picked up Petien's journal and looked at it again. "Mr. Petien made a reference to a book that Napoleon had, a book that apparently told the Emperor something about Antarctica. Mr. Petien says that the expedition was sent here to confirm that whatever information in that book was true or not."
"Didn't the last entry say that they had confirmed the information they were sent here to look for?" Hannah asked.
"Yes, Hannah, it did," Rex said as he glanced down at the entry in question. "It must have been an interesting book if it convinced Napoleon to send those men here 200 years ago. What I would like to know is just what that book was."
"I think we all would," Randolph added. "So, what's our next move?"
"I'd like to go out to the site where they found that poor chap. There might be more clues to find there," Rex said.
"Now?" Hannah asked.
"No, it will be dark soon," Rex replied. "We'll go first thing in the morning."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
FRANCE
MAY 3rd, 1809
Napoleon was having a strategy session, in his private study, when Marcel Duvall walked into the room. Quickly dismissing the others, Napoleon greeted Duvall. "Marcel, I had almost given you up for lost."
"It was a long journey, fraught with danger," Duvall replied. "We even lost one of our men, Gaston Petien. However, his sacrifice was not in vain, my friend."
"You mean it was actually there? You found it?" Napoleon asked.
"We did," Duvall said. "It was just as the book described. I wish you could have seen it too, my friend."
Napoleon walked over to his desk and took out the mysterious book that Duvall had brought back from the Ottoman Empire three years before. "When I first read this book, I didn't believe it. However, much has changed. I believe this book may lead to the salvation of my dream."
"Salvation? I don't understand, my friend. Europe is practically yours."
"That's true, but that could change," Napoleon replied. "Even now, my enemies plot against me. We must be prepared, we must have a plan. Your confirmation of what the book described has given me such a plan."
"And what is this plan?" Duvall asked.
"Listen..." Napoleon replied, smiling.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
ANTARCTICA
DECEMBER 21st, 2014
After a hearty breakfast, Rex, Hannah, and Randolph had borrowed an All Terrain Vehicle and headed out from the base to the site where Petien's frozen corpse had been found. "So what are we hoping to find out here, Rex?" Hannah asked.
"I'm not sure," Rex replied. "I just want to have a look at the general area, that's all."
"We might find something," Randolph added.
"Very true," Rex said. "Ah, here we are." Rex brought the ATV to a halt and the three of them got out. The sun shone down out of a clear sky, reflecting on the snowy landscape.
At least it's not a raging blizzard, Hannah thought to herself.
"So here is where the unfortunate Mr. Petien met his demise more than two centuries ago," Rex said as he examined an area that was marked with red flags, that had been left by the men in charge of the dig. The dig itself was a hole in the snow, which was about ten feet down.
"Dr. Armstrong did say they were digging for minerals when they found him," Hannah replied.
"Yes, but it's directions I'm interested in," Rex said as he did a 360 degree turn. "Right, the coast is that way," he said and pointed north. "That is where their ship must have been. Mr. Petien's journal said they had found what they were looking for down here in Antarctica. Therefore, I presume they were headed back to said ship when poor Mr. Petien got separated from his colleagues and froze to death. The question is what direction did whatever they were looking for lie in."
"I don't see anything," Hannah replied as she looked around. "It all looks the same to me. Just a bunch of nothing."
"Yes, but there must have been something here, Hannah."
"How could anyone in those days find anything down here?" Hannah asked. "As you said, there was no such thing as G.P.S. back then."
"Yes, but they probably had compasses. So..." Rex trailed off as he continued to survey the frozen landscape, looking for something, anything, that would give him a clue as to what Napoleon had sent those men to Antarctica to find. Suddenly, a distant mountain range caught his eye. "That looks promising."
"What does?" Randolph asked.
"Those mountains," Rex said as he pointed to the distant range.
"Really? Why is that, Rex?" Hannah asked.
"I don't know, but it is a place to start," Rex said as he headed back to the ATV with Hannah and Randolph following behind.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
It took a few hours for the ATV to reach the mountain range. By the time they got there, it was early afternoon. Very slowly, Rex maneuvered the ATV into the range, until the going got too narrow and they had to proceed on foot. "Rex, look at that," Hannah said and pointed to the ominous bank of clouds on the horizon.
"I see them, Hannah," Rex replied. "Looks like a storm may be headed our way. We'll have to make this quick."
"What are we looking for?" Randolph asked.
"Something, anything, that doesn't look right," Rex said.
"That's very vague."
"That's all we have for now. Let's get to work, " Rex said and the three of them commenced the search.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Half an hour later, they were no closer to finding anything, when the snow began to fall. We better wrap this up, or they'll be digging OUR bodies up, two centuries from now, Hannah though as she wrapped her protective garments tighter around herself.
"I think we better call it a day," Rex said as the snowfall became more intense. "The weather is getting a bit nasty for us to be wandering about out here."
"I agree," Hannah said. "Maybe we'll..." Hannah broke off as, from out of the blowing snow, a group of fur clad figures appeared and quickly surrounded the three of them. Where the hell did they come from?
"All of you, put your hands up!" One of the figures, who seemed to be in charge, called out. He produced an old looking rifle.
That was a French accent, Rex thought as he, Hannah, and Randolph raised their hands. What have we stumbled onto?
"Search them," the figure said in that same French accent. The other figures moved in and began searching the two former Warlocks and Randolph.
"Hey! Watch those hands, buster," Hannah said as the man searching her seemed a bit too eager.
"My apologies, Madame," the man replied and he continued to search her.
"Why are the three of you here?" the lead figure asked Rex.
"We were searching for something connected to Napoleon Bonaparte," Rex replied. "I thing we might have found what we were looking for, right?"
Instead of replying, the lead figure gathered his colleagues around him and they appeared to have a discussion.
"What do you think they're talking about?" Hannah asked.
"What to do with us, I would imagine," Rex replied.
"They're all French," Randolph said. "We're looking for something connected to Napoleon here in Antarctica..."
"And we find this lot," Rex said, nodding his head.
After a few moments, the discussion ended and the figures turned back to the three explorers. "You three will come with us," the lead figure said and raised his rifle. "I'm afraid I must insist on it."
"Well, since you put it that way, we'll be happy to accompany you," Rex said. And maybe we'll find out whatever it is that Napoleon was up to down here.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
The figures escorted the three of them deeper into the mountain range. After many twists and turns through very narrow crags, they came upon the entrance to a cave, which they all entered. The cave became a tunnel, which seemed to be leading downward. We seem to be heading underground, Rex thought.
"It is just me, or is it getting warmer?" Hannah asked.
"It's not you, Hannah," Rex said. "I feel it too. It's possible that..." Rex broke off with astonishment as they came out of the tunnel into a very well lit, vast cavern. All around them, tress could be seen, and a lake glistened in the distance.
"Are we seeing this?" Hannah asked.
"We are," Rex said. "Clearly, there must be underground volcanic activity that heats this environment."
"And the light?"
"Phosphorescence, Hannah. Although I've never seen it this bright before."
At this time, their mysterious escorts had begun to shed their fur coats. Revealed were soldiers, dressed in uniforms of Napoleon's time. The lead soldier gestured for Rex, Hannah, and Randolph to remove their own winter coveralls, so they did so. Once that was done, the group set off on a path that was carved through this underground forest.
"Where are they taking us?" Randolph asked.
"I imagine we'll find out soon enough," Rex replied.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Soon, the forest began to thin out and, to the astonishment of Rex, Hannah, and Randolph, a city could be seen. A city that would have been right at home in France, some two centuries ago.
"Welcome to Napoleonic France," Rex said. For all through the city, statues and murals of Napoleon Bonaparte could be seen. "Well, I think we know what Napoleon was looking for down here in Antarctica. It was this underground world."
"Yes, but how could he even have known about it?" Hannah asked as the three of them were led through the city. All around them, they could see people, dressed in early 19th Century clothes, staring at them. Now I know what a zoo exhibit feels like.
"That, Hannah, is the question of the day," Rex said as the three of them were marched into an important looking building which lay at the center of the city. Soon they ended up in what appeared to be a council room. A long table dominated said room, and, on the walls around them, words, written in French, could be seen. The Napoleonic Code, Rex thought as he gave the words a glance. No big surprise. On one of the walls, a huge portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte loomed over the table.
All this for one man's ego, Hannah thought, shaking her head. Geez, Napoleon, could you be any more obvious?
A few moments later, a door, at the rear of the room, opened, and a group of men came in and sat at the table. The man at the head of the table turned to the three explorers and said. "I am Gilles Duvall, leader of this colony. Who are you?"
"I'm Rex Buckland, and these are my colleagues, Hannah Webster and Randolph Carter. We come from the outside world."
"I see," Duvall said, nodding his head.
"Are you any relation to Marcel Duvall?" Rex asked, remembering the name from Petien's journal.
"Yes, he was my ancestor," Duvall replied. "It was he that led the refugees here, after they fled France."
"In the wake of Napoleon's defeat," Rex added. "Or rather I should say, his first defeat. He did try to make a comeback, but it didn't go over so well, as he found out at Waterloo." Rex went on to explain Napoleon's ill fated attempt to regain his Empire, his final defeat, and his exile to the island of St. Helena, where he would spend his remaining years.
"That is tragic," Duvall said, once Rex had finished. "Yet, but, as you can see, the Emperor planned ahead."
"I can see that. Quite a little utopia you've built here."
"As it should be," Duvall said proudly. "We have kept the Emperor's dream alive."
"Listen, I came into possession of a journal that belonged to one Gaston Petien. Does that name mean anything to you?" Rex asked.
"Yes, he was part of an expedition my ancestor led here to confirm the existence of this hidden world, buried beneath the Antarctic wasteland." Duvall said.
"And just how did Napoleon know of this place to begin with?"
"Well..." Duvall said.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
FRANCE
DECEMBER 22nd, 1812
"I received your message," Marcel Duvall said as Napoleon entered the palace. "Is it as bad as they say?"
"Yes, I underestimated the Russian winter," Napoleon replied grimly. "Even now, Russia, along with my other enemies, are moving against us. We must move quickly. Are the ships ready?"
"They are," Duvall said. "Along with everyone who has chosen to go."
"Excellent," Napoleon said as he thought of those brave citizens who had signed on for this venture. You couldn't ask for more loyal citizens. "When do you leave?"
"Now," Duvall said.
"Wait," Napoleon replied and left the room. He soon returned with something in his hands.
"Is that..."
"Yes, it's the book," Napoleon said as he handed said book to Duvall. "The book that started all this, the book that told me of the secret world in Antarctica. I want you to take it, Marcel. Our enemies must not find it."
"They don't even know it exists," Duvall pointed out. Only Napoleon and a few trusted friends, Duvall included, knew about the existence of the book.
"Never the less, I can't risk it falling into the hands of our enemies. If they found out what we know, all that we hope to accomplish will be lost."
"I'll guard it with my life," Duvall said, holding the book close to him.
"Good. Now you must hurry, while there is still time. Godspeed, my friend," Napoleon said.
"And Godspeed to you," Duvall replied back at the Emperor and friend he had faithfully served for years, and would most likely never see again.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
ANTARCTICA
DECEMBER 21st, 2014
"...and my ancestor lead those brave citizens, that had volunteered for the journey, here. They gave up everything they knew, because they believed in the Emperor's dream. All the ships left France without incident," Duvall continued. "As you can imagine, the journey was harsh. They had to avoid all the regular shipping and trade routes."
"To avoid being spotted, no doubt," Rex said.
"Exactly, and when they finally reached Antarctica, they had to cross the frozen wasteland above. Many died, but they did make it here, and we've been here ever since, for over two hundred years now."
"Interesting story," Hannah said. "Yet you haven't answered Rex's question. How did Napoleon even know this place existed?"
"It was the book that told him that," Duvall replied.
"Yes, you did refer to a book in your account of the arrival of your ancestors," Rex pointed out. "Mr. Petien, in his journal, also made references to a book. What book?"
"The true origin of the book is unknown," Duvall said. "My ancestor found it in a shop is Damascus, in 1806, and brought it back to France with him. He gave it to the Emperor. The book was written in a strange language, but the Emperor was able to translate it. It told him many things, including the existence of this underground paradise."
"And when things started to fall apart for him in Europe, Napoleon decided to send you lot here, to keep his legacy alive," Rex concluded. "May we see this book? Old books are a specialty of mine."
"Very well. You may see it, but not touch it," Duvall said and gestured for some guards.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Rex, Hannah, and Randolph were escorted by Duvall and the guards into a back room, behind the council chamber. There, sitting on a dias, was a book, that looked very old. Slowly, Rex approached it and read the title. His eyes went wide.
"What is it, Rex?" Hannah asked.
"Hannah, this book... It's the Oban Compendium," Rex replied slowly.
"Well, that certainly clears things up," Hannah said, rolling her eyes.
"Sorry, Hannah, it's just that this book is so rare, I began to doubt it ever really existed. I've been trying to track down a copy for years without success. Now, here it is, perhaps the only copy left on the face of the Earth."
"Rex, what IS this Obi Wan Kenobi whatever it is?" Hannah wondered.
"The Oban Compendium," Rex corrected. "It was a book, written by Sumerian mystics, who were under the influence of the Old Ones. Apparently, it was a blue print for the human servants of the Old Ones. Once the invasion of Earth was completed, said servants would have consulted the Compendium. It was supposed to help them, and the rest of humanity, acclimate to whatever world the Old Ones would have built, had their invasion of Earth been successful."
"The invasion that never happened," Hannah said.
"Exactly. Over the following centuries, copies of the Compendium, were tracked down and destroyed."
"Like what happened to the Necronomicon," Hannah said.
"Yes, exactly," Rex said and looked as if he wanted to say more.
Duvall stepped forward. "If that is all, we'll show the three of you to the inn. You can stay there for the duration of your visit here."
"Jolly good. Lead on," Rex replied.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
The inn, despite being two centuries out of date, was very comfortable. Rex and Randolph were given one room and Hannah got the adjoining one. Soon, the three of them were in conference. "Rex, what is it you were about to say back there?" Hannah asked.
"The Oban Compendium was said to include the locations of the Mi-go outposts here on Earth," Rex said. "Remember, Hannah, I said that the Mi-go had other outposts, besides that one in Vermont that we found last October."
"Yes, and you said one such outpost was in Antarctica," Hannah replied.
"And this might be it," Randolph added.
"Yes, that's it exactly," Rex said. "Ever since we got here, I've felt that there was something artificial about this place, that is didn't form randomly. That phosphorescence for example, how bright it is. There is no way that formed naturally."
"Which meant someone had to make it," Hannah said, nodding her head.
"Which would take a lot of advanced technology, far beyond the capabilities of Napoleon's lot," Rex said.
"So, what's our next move?" Randolph asked.
"I suggest we go for a walk in the woods," Rex said.
"Do either of you mind if I sit this one out," Hannah said as she yawned.
"No, Hannah, you stay here and rest. Randolph and I will only be gone a few hours, if even that."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
A hour and a half later, in her room, Hannah woke to see a young woman, dressed as a maid, bringing a meal in. "Hello," Hannah said.
"Bonjour, Madame," the maid replied.
"Do you speak English?"
"A little, Madame."
"First of all, forget this 'Madame' stuff. My name's Hannah."
"My name is Marie," the maid said slowly.
"It's nice to meet you, Marie."
"Where are the two gentlemen who came with you?" Marie asked.
"They're exploring," Hannah said as she began to help herself to the food that Marie had brought. "They should be back before long."
"Good, I will prepare a meal for them. Mad... Hannah, if you don't mind, is the British one..."
"Rex," Hannah said helpfully.
"Is Rex your husband?"
"No, he's..." Hannah began, but then realized she was speaking to someone no doubt raised with early 19th Century values. "Uh, it's complicated. How about you, Marie?"
"Me?"
"Do you have a husband?"
"No, I am much too old," Marie said, shaking her head.
"Marie, you can't be any older than twenty-five."
"As I said, Hannah, much too old."
Hannah realized she was confronting those same outdated values. A time when, if a woman was not married by twenty, she was considered an old maid. "Marie, it's not like that anymore on the outside."
"It's not?"
"No, it isn't. The world has changed a great deal in two centuries. Let me tell you..."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
While all this had been going on, Rex and Randolph had been combing the forest, outside the settlement. It took a while, but soon they had found what they had been looking for. A stone circle, like the one Rex and Hannah had seen in Verrmont, stood in the middle of the forest, almost covered over with vegetation. "This confirms it," Rex said. "This habitat was originally the Mi-go's Antarctica outpost."
"Yes, but something doesn't make sense. The Mi-go never liked it when humans got too close. How come they let the French come in and take over here?" Randolph asked.
"That's a good question," Rex said and looked around. He soon spotted the entrance to a cave, hidden in the underbrush. "Perhaps the answer can be found in there." The two of them slowly entered the cave and looked around. Bones of things that never meant to walk the Earth, were scattered all over the place. "And here's the answer, Randolph. The Mi-go in this outpost all died off for some reason, we'll probably never know why. When that happened, this outpost was left deserted for thousands of years."
"Until the French came," Randolph concluded.
"Exactly. Come, Randolph, we must tell Hannah of our discovery here."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Meanwhile, Hannah and Marie were continuing their conversation. "Hannah, I must ask. Does France still exist?" Marie asked.
"It does," Hannah replied. "Although things have changed a great deal since your ancestors left. For one thing, there is a tunnel under the English Channel that connects Britain to Europe. It comes out in France, and... Marie, what is it?"
"The Emperor. He wanted to build such a tunnel," Marie said.
"Well, I guess he was ahead of his time," Hannah said.
"Yes, but we're not," Marie said sadly. "From what you have told me, it sounds like we're made very little progress in two centuries."
"Well, Marie, all of you have been cut off from the rest of the world for that long," Hannah said. "Perhaps it's time that changed."
"In school, I was taught, we all were taught, that the outside world would destroy the Emperor's dream, if we revealed ourselves."
"What dream?" Hannah asked. "No offense, Marie, but this whole thing seems more like a monument to one man's ego."
"I have though the same thing, Hannah," Marie said. "That perhaps the Emperor thought that he was protecting us, but he was really imprisoning us."
It was at that point that Rex and Randolph returned. "Ah, Hannah, I see you've made a friend," Rex said when he saw Marie.
"Rex, this is Marie," Hannah said. Introductions were made.
"Hannah has told me so much about the outside," Marie said. "Carriages without horses, flying machines. Is it true that men have walked on the Moon?"
"Yes, they have," Rex replied, and was about to mention Jules Verne, when he realized that Marie would never have heard of the famed French author of From The Earth To The Moon.
Marie's ancestors had already left France by the time Jules Verne had been born in 1828. "Do you have any books here, Marie?"
"Yes, we have some our ancestors brought with them from France. Also, there are books that some of us have written. They're in our library."
"Take us there, please," Rex said. "I'm curious to see what..." Rex got no farther as the room began to shake. Living in San Francisco, both he and Hannah knew what that meant. "Earthquake! Everyone down." The four of them dived to the floor, until the shaking stopped.
"That was close," Hannah said as she got to her feet.
"Don't worry, Hannah, this happens many times," Marie said. "Over the past few years, every so often, the ground shakes. We're used to it."
"Marie, if I may ask, does steam sometimes come out of the ground," Rex wondered.
"Yes, occasionally. Why?"
"I don't suppose any of you lot here know about vulcanology."
"No, why?" Marie asked.
"Rex, I don't like where you're going with this," Hannah said slowly.
"Neither do I, Hannah," Rex said. "I'm speculating of course, but I think that, when the Mi-go created this place, they diverted some lava tubes to heat it. They must have set up some kind of system to monitor and control said tubes. However, since they all died off, there was no one left to do this task. Somehow, the volcanic pressure in those tubes is increasing."
"The Mi-go that were here died off?" Hannah asked.
"Yes, Hannah, they did," Rex replied and went on to explain what he and Randolph had found.
"What are these Mi-go?" Marie asked Hannah.
"Believe me, Marie, you don't want to know."
"So you're saying that whatever the Mi-go left in place here is malfunctioning," Randolph said.
"Yes, and we must do something about it."
"Or?"
"The volcanic pressure will no doubt continue to build and build until this whole place explodes," Rex said grimly.
"Explodes?" Maria said, her eyes going wide.
"Yes, but there is a chance," Rex said. "The Oban Compendium. Since it mentions this place, it might also mention the ways the Mi-go used to build it. Come, we must speak with Mr. Duvall at once."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
It took some doing, but another severe quake convinced Duvall to let Rex borrow the Oban Compendium. With the book in hand, Rex, Hannah, Randolph, and Marie (who had insisted on coming, she seemed to have attached herself to Hannah) headed for the cave near the stone circle. Gingerly, they made their way through the skeletal remains of the long dead Mi-go and moved farther into the cave. "Hannah, I am frightened," Marie said, shuddering.
"It'll be okay, Marie. Trust me," Hannah replied, holding hands with the trembling young woman.
"I do trust you, Hannah," Marie said.
Seems Hannah has made a friend, Rex couldn't help but think as he led them still deeper into the cave.
"Hey, look at that," Randolph said and pointed to something ahead of them. It seemed to be a control panel of some kind, on which brightly coloured crystals could be seen. Some of said crystals seemed to be blinking erratically.
"This could be it," Rex said as he opened the Compendium and began quickly skimming through it.
"It looks like one of those crystal things from that old Land Of The Lost show," Hannah said as she studied the crystals. "I'll explain later," she said to the baffled Marie.
"Yes, there is a diagram of this control panel here in the Compendium," Rex said as he showed the others said diagram.
"Rex, how did you figure it out so fast?" Hannah asked.
"As you know, Hannah, I've been studying and translating the Necronomicon for some time now. Fortunately, the language in the Compendium is similar," Rex said, as an ominous rumbling filled the cave. He quickly moved over to the control panel. "Right, now all I have to do is press these crystals in the right order."
"And if you get it wrong?"
"I think you know what will happen then, Hannah," Rex said and turned his attention back to the control panel. "Right, here we go. Red." He pushed the red crystal. "Blue." He pushed the blue crystal. "Green." He pushed the green crystal. "And, finally, yellow." Rex pushed the yellow crystal and, after a few moments, the rumbling stopped. On the control panel, the crystals had stopped blinking and all we now glowing steadily.
"Rex, you did it," Hannah said, smiling.
"For now, I did," Rex replied. "However, this could happen again someday. There is no guarantee how long this system will last, since it's been left unattended for thousands of years."
"Can you help to make sure it doesn't?" Marie asked.
"I can, but it will mean big changes for your people," Rex replied. "Changes you lot will have to adjust to."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
DECEMBER 23rd
"It's incredible," Jack Armstrong said as he and the rest of the research base staff stood in the French settlement. "These people have been cut off from the world for two centuries."
"Yes, and now that must change, for their own survival, " Rex said. "Fortunately, this lot seem open to the idea."
"Well, we'll be happy to help them," Armstrong said. "The university will send teachers, advisers, and others to help them prepare to re-establish contact with the outside world. It will take some time, but when it happens, this will be big news."
"Yes, and I must ask you, when that happens, could you keep Hannah and my name out of it."
"Why?"
"We have our reasons and leave it at that," Rex said. He knew that he and Hannah had made enemies in their insurgency against Demon rule. Thus they felt it was best not to draw too much attention to themselves.
"Very well," Armstrong said. He wished them well and moved off to talk to Duvall and the rest of the council.
"I guess this is good-bye," Randolph Carter said as he walked up to Rex and Hannah. "I'm going to hang around here myself."
"If you don't mind me asking, why?" Rex wondered.
"I'm going to explore," Randolph replied. "Who knows what else the Mi-go have left behind here." Randolph shook hands with Rex and Hannah and headed off.
"Hannah," Marie said as she walked up to them. "I wanted to say good-bye too,"
"Well, you have our address in Palo Alto," Hannah said. "When you're ready, you come visit us. We'll show you around San Francisco."
"I'll look forward to that. Good-bye, Hannah." Marie gave Hannah a hug and a kiss on the cheek, before heading on her way.
"I think I'm really going to miss her, Rex," Hannah said sadly.
"Well, Hannah, she did take a shining to you," Rex said. "I'm sure it won't be long before she takes you up on your offer to visit."
"And I'll show her 21st Century life, Hannah promised.
At that point, Duvall walked up to them. "I want to thank you two," he said.
"I'm just glad you accepted what I had to say," Rex replied.
"I must admit, I was reluctant at first," Duvall said. 'However, I realized that it would be better to see the Emperor's legacy changed, than destroyed outright."
"That's true," Rex said.
"Here," Duvall said as he held up the Oban Compendium. "Take it. As a token of my thanks to you."
"Oh, I couldn't. That belongs to you and your people."
"You've shown us how to work the device that keep this place safe, and our new friends from the outside can help us as well," Duvall said. "We no longer need this book. Take it, I insist."
"Well, if you put it that way," Rex said as he accepted the Compendium.
"Safe journey, my friends," Duvall said. He and Rex shook hands, before Duvall turned and walked away.
"Come, Hannah," Rex said. "We have a long journey home."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
PALO ALTO
DECEMBER 25th, 2014
"Christmas morning," Hannah said, smiling.
"Yes, it is. I guess I have my Christmas present," Rex said.
"The Oban Compendium, no doubt." Hannah said.
"Yes, it makes a fine addition to my collection of rare books," Rex said.
"Do you think they're going to be okay?" Hannah wondered. "The world of the 21st Century is going to be quite a shock to them."
"Yes, but they'll have Dr. Armstrong and that lot from Miskatonic University to help them," Rex replied. "They're a brave and hearty group, Hannah, ever since their ancestors made the journey to Antarctica two centuries ago. They'll make it, Hannah, trust me."
"I suppose you're right," Hannah said. "I can't wait to show Marie how we live in the 21st Century."
"Speaking of which, I have something for her," Rex said. "I picked it up yesterday.
"What is it?" Hannah asked.
"This," Rex said as he held up a copy of Jules Verne's book, From The Earth To The Moon. "I figured you can hold on to it, Hannah, until Marie comes to visit."
"I will, Rex," Hannah said as she took the book. "Merry Christmas, Rex."
"Merry Christmas right back at you, Hannah."
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!
REX AND HANNAH WILL RETURN IN 2015!