On the shoreline down by the lake, Josh's party, still strapped onto the inverted glider, were struggling to get out of their harnesses. The landing had been anything but smooth, but at least the glider was still intact and all of her passengers having come through unscathed, if not with their heartbeats still skyrocketing from the terrifying ride.
Tossing down his survival kit, Josh drew his pocketknife and cut himself free from his harness, dropping onto the sand in front of the glider, which was now standing on its nose, the front half-buried in the sand. Getting to his feet, he reached up and helped the still-shaken Elizabeth down as well. Beside them, Brutus and Justin, who had also managed to free themselves, helped the dazed Ages down from the wing.
"Everyone all right?"
"We're all still alive, if that's what you mean," scoffed Brutus, clearly not keen on using flying as a means of travelling again any time soon, "In the name of Nicodemus, I thought you were going to get us all killed!" The others, however, finding themselves safely back on level ground again thanks to Josh, had a very different opinion. Josh was brushing some sand off his space suit, getting his breath back, when he suddenly found himself engulfed in a bone-crushing hug by Elizabeth.
"Thank you so much, Josh," the young widow muttered, still visibly trembling from her latest brush with death, "That's the second time you've saved my life since we met. Oh, my goodness, I thought I was going to die…!" Josh tenderly hugged her back, gently kissing the crown of her head.
"You're welcome, Biff."
"That was the bravest thing I've ever seen. Really impressive use of initiative in the face of peril," commented Justin, giving Josh a friendly smack on the back, "You've got cast-iron guts, Josh. You should have been a soldier in my garrison; I would have been honoured to have someone like you on my team…"
"That will be the day, when I have a human for a comrade," scoffed Brutus indignantly, yet, deep down, Josh could tell he too was impressed with how he'd saved Elizabeth from a nasty death, among the other dangers he'd overcome getting them here. Ages, however, already had his mind elsewhere.
"Gentlemen, this is a historic moment," he said triumphantly, "We the first ones to see Thorn Valley in countless generations! The glory of discovering the cradle of our civilization is now ours!"
"Assuming we can get back to tell our story," Justin pointed out, gesturing at the overturned glider, "It doesn't look like we'll be returning the same way we came." Josh had to agree on that. Although they hadn't trashed the glider on landing, the craft was only designed to take off from a freefall; here, at the bottom of the Valley, they were surrounded by inescapable cliffs on either side, with no high ridges to use for another fall. It seemed the glider had reached the end of the road.
With Justin's help, Josh grabbed hold of the glider's tail and pulled the craft back upright, inspecting the damage. There were several tears in the nylon skin on the starboard wing where the hawk had grazed them, but the framework and control linkages appeared undamaged. The Jeremy should still be airworthy – if they ever managed to get her off the ground again. Meanwhile, a new mystery was unfolding.
"Well?" asked Brutus, turning to Josh, "You said your friends would be here. So, where are they?"
The mention of his crew brought Josh back on track. Taking out his HHC, he saw the signal was now stronger than ever, and in very close proximity to them. But it still made no sense. According to his readings, the NIMH-One was right there, about five hundred yards to his five o'clock - but all he could see in that direction were the ruins of that strange temple. Josh was utterly baffled.
I don't get it. Are they inside the Temple? But that's ridiculous! There's no way a ship that size could fit inside those ruins…or could it…? There was only one way to find out.
Making sure the glider was securely moored with lines, the group of five set off towards the Temple of the Great Owl. Justin walked in front, cutting through the thick undergrowth with his sword, while Josh, walking alongside him, led the way, following the signal on his HHC, watching it getting closer and closer with every step, but still seeing nothing.
Thorn Valley appeared quite deserted; there wasn't a soul to be seen, much less any sight of a looming starship, which, Josh knew, resembled a massive truncated cone mounted on hydraulic legs when landed. Even the sounds of running rocket engines, humming EVA machinery, or even a human voice, were entirely absent. So where was that blasted signal leading him to?
Soon, they came to a clearing, gazing up in awe at the Temple of the Great Owl. Personally, Josh couldn't exactly describe it as a stunning sight. Seemingly cone-shaped originally, the Temple was now partially collapsed from age, lying crumbling and falling into ruin. Much of the outer walls had disintegrated over time from corrosion, leaving the structure honeycombed with holes; but most of the infrastructure appeared intact, distinguishable by those tilted, cone-tipped spires, yet Josh couldn't tell exactly what they were for.
The ruins were completely overrun by hundreds of years of unchecked growth, leaving very few architectural details visible. In spite of nature's assault, however, the legendary Temple, a holy shrine for the Rats, still stood after all these centuries, real as day.
"Isn't it glorious, my friends?" said Ages, gazing open-mouthed at the Temple, "We stand on the threshold of immortality!" The Rats were also staring curiously at the ruins, not knowing what to make of it. According to their biblical scriptures, the Temple of the Great Owl was supposed to be a magnificent place, with floors paved with cheese and filled with treasures from the gods, not this crumbling ancient ruin, which seemed like the least likely place for their divine protector to reside.
As they approached the ruins, Josh realised the Temple wasn't made of stone as he'd originally thought; running his hand over the side of one of those spires, chipping away thousands of years worth of encrustations that coated the walls of the Temple, he saw it was made of some shinny metal, which, as an engineer, wasn't unfamiliar to him at all. It was that same sort of titanium alloy, like those bits of wreckage from Ages' lab. In spite of his missing crew and ship, Josh was stunned by what he was seeing.
Although long since decayed beyond recognition, he could tell this mysterious temple was far too advanced, compared to the simple subterranean dwellings his friends called their homes. Who could have perfected such advanced metallurgy and engineering craftsmanship on this medieval planet? Another mystery had just been added to the rapidly growing list of mind-bogging riddles fate kept throwing his way. If there was a place in the universe that made the impossible true, he thought, this planet definitely fit the bill!
Glancing at his HHC again, he saw the red dot marking the signal's point of origin was now almost aligned with the small white cross marking his own position on the centre of the screen, the distance between the two practically zero. It was as if he was standing with the NIMH-One literally within arm's reach! Yet, the only thing within his reach was this strange ruinous temple towering above him, which, oddly enough, seemed somewhat familiar… Had he seen it somewhere before?
"Ahoy!" he called out, "Anybody in there?" Silence. No Mouse, no Rat, no human being, not even a godly owl, answered his calls.
They circled the ruins, looking for an entrance. There didn't seem to be one; no windows, no doors, or any other entrances of any kind could be seen anywhere - just layers upon layers of corroded metal plating, overrun by vines and other vegetation.
Scrambling to the top of the semi-collapsed structure, using the vines as stepping-stones, they finally spotted a way in: a gaping hole in the roof caused by a collapsed chunk of the infrastructure, allowing the rusted metal plating to cave in. Inside, they could see nothing but darkness, filled with damp, putrid air.
Using his suit lights, Josh glanced down into the hole; he could see the floor of some sort of cavern about twenty feet down, overrun by muddy earth, rock and metal debris. His Geiger counter showed a few minute traces of radiation here and there, but nothing worrying; likewise, his atmospheric analyser came back positive. No toxic gasses. His inferred goggles showed no sign of movement inside; only what looked like eight sarcophagi standing in neat rows of four, resembling an ancient tomb. Curtains of dusty cobwebs trailed down from the ceiling to the floor, but, much to Josh's relief, there was no sign of the giant spiders he knew had woven them. Perhaps the Great Owl had eaten them?
"A burial chamber?" muttered Justin, staring puzzled at the sarcophagi below. Who would want to bury their dead in the sacred dwelling of their divine protector? Suddenly, Brutus' shouting caught them all off-guard.
"Hey, look what we have here!"
Turning, they saw the thickset Rat had found a length of rope tied around one of the Temple's tilted spires, which trailed over the edge of the hole. The ivy growing around it indicated it had been there for quite a while, but it didn't seem to be part of the architecture at all. In an instant, everyone's mind had turned to the one likely candidate who could have left it there.
"That's Jonathan's," gasped Elizabeth, running her hands along the reed strands that made up the rope, recognising her husband's familiar handiwork, "Oh, my goodness, so he did make it here…!"
"Then it wasn't the desert that got him," muttered Justin, as it suddenly dawned on them all that Elizabeth's missing husband might have actually reached his destination after all, "I knew old John was too crafty to perish in the desert!"
"Looks like the glory of discovering this place has already been taken, old chap," Josh pointed out to Ages, who huffed in annoyance at losing the credit, but, at the same time, feeling utterly baffled at Jonathan's fate.
"Well, if he made it here, then what do you suppose happened to him?" asked Brutus with a frown, staring suspiciously around. Nobody answered him.
Elizabeth, meanwhile, was struck dumb with shock, looking as if she was about to faint. She had long since accepted that her husband was dead; but now, to find evidence indicating that things might not be what they seemed, had suddenly renewed her hopes.
"You don't think he might be…still alive?"
They all looked at her doubtfully; although the circumstances had undoubtedly changed now, the possibility of Jonathan having survived out here for so long was slim to none. But they couldn't tell her that, at least not until they'd found his body. Only Ages, still feeling disappointed for losing the credit for making the greatest discovery in history, which, he now knew, went to Jonathan, alive or dead, couldn't care less.
"This foolish talk is wasting time!" he said impatiently, "We've only just got here. First, let's get inside and present ourselves to the Great Owl…" His companions' reproachful stares at his lack of compassion were instantly replaced with expressions of fear. After all their excitement today, none of them were the least keen on disturbing the Great Owl from His eternal slumber by venturing inside… all except Josh.
"My crew's down there somewhere," he said, still trying to figure out that ridiculous tracking signal on his HHC. The only way to answer this crazy mystery was to go down there in person, and no godly owl, which was probably nothing more than ridiculous superstition anyway, was going to stop him now. He grabbed the end of the rope and tested its strength. It felt strong enough to take his weight.
"I'll go down there first and make sure it's safe. Then I'll signal the rest of you to follow." He was utterly glad when nobody dared argue – all except Elizabeth, who suddenly stood up.
"I want to go with you, Josh."
Although Josh wanted to protest, not knowing what to expect down there, he would still love her company, and nodded his permission. Feeding the rope through an iron ring in his utility belt, meant for securing safety lines during EVAs, he took Elizabeth into his arms, tying her securely to his waist with an extension harness from his kit. Making sure they were firmly strapped together, he lowered himself over the edge of the hole, sliding down on the rope and into the chamber below.
Elizabeth clung nervously onto him during the entire ride down, this time not so much due to her fear of heights, but rather from the thought of what they might find down there. Like all mice, she knew of the dietary habits of owls and didn't like the sound of them one bit.
Feeling his boots touch down firmly on the earthen floor of the cavern, Josh gently put her down, trying to ignore the goosebumbs of his own nervousness trickling down his spine. Could the Great Owl be lurking, unseen, in the darkness somewhere, waiting to snatch any unsuspecting victims away? And where were his crew?
Forcibly pulling himself together, he turned to get a better look at his gloomy surroundings. With the exception of the patch of sunlight coming down from the hole in the ceiling, the chamber was pitch-black, filled with the nerve-wracking noises of dripping rainwater echoing throughout the Temple. Lighting a glow stick, he held it into the darkness. The glow lit up the chamber, bathing the place in a chemical green light, revealing a spectacular sight.
Even the long-term effects of decay and corrosion couldn't mask the advanced engineering feat undertaken in the construction of this place. A framework of titanium ribs and h-section held up the domed roof of the Temple - which didn't look like a temple at all. Although ancient, Josh could always recognise an aerodynamically sound structure when he saw one. It was almost as if this 'temple' was actually a derelict flying machine of some description.
What the hell is this place?
Turning to examine one of the sarcophagi on display, he saw that, these too, although ancient-looking, were far too advanced for his friends' agricultural civilisation. Its transparent cover, clouded and cracked with age, was made of familiar Plexiglas – a material impossible to manufacture in a place like Ages' primitive workshop. More evidence of advanced technology on this planet unfolded before his eyes. Whatever this place was, he thought, it sure wasn't built by the Rats.
Meanwhile, Justin, Brutus and Ages had followed them down. Helping the crippled old scholar down from the rope and handing him back his crutch, the two soldier Rats also turned to look at their surroundings, fascinated by this strange place, yet, at the same time, utterly puzzled. Why had Josh led them here?
"No one has been here for a long time," said Brutus, staring around the ancient chamber and then back at Josh, clearly getting suspicious, "You said your friends would be waiting for you here…"
"But they are right here!" retorted Josh indignantly, staring in disbelief at the crazy reading on his HHC, which still made no more sense than this impossibly technologically-advanced place; now it read direct contact, a reading only found when actually standing onboard ship! He began to know fear. Why did his tracker keep pointing him to this mysterious tomb?
Glancing frantically around the dimly lit chamber for any sign that his crew might be here – a footprint, a discarded chewing gum, a cigarette stub, anything -, his eyes suddenly fell upon something lying half-buried on the floor nearby, which, from afar, resembled an ugly statue's face. Bending down and pulling it out of the cake of mud obscuring it, he realised it was a skull. Not mouse or Rat, but human. The skeletal grin of whoever's head it once was seemed to mock his expression of shock at finding human remains on a planet light-years away from Earth.
"By Jupiter, where did that come from?" gasped Mr Ages, staring in amazement at the skull. He had expected them to come across the remains of past seekers of Thorn Valley here, but never in his wildest dreams had he ever dreamed of finding evidence that humans had been here in ancient times! Their history as they knew it seemed to go right out the window.
Like Hamlet, Josh stared at the skull resting in his palm; the bone was cracked and yellowed with age, long since cleansed of all traces of soft tissue, looking as ancient as the Temple itself. It was obvious now that some humans, long gone now, had once inhabited this place, maybe even built it in the first place… But what humans?
Could it be...? Oh, no!
Suddenly, struck by an impossible and utterly horrifying realisation, Josh turned back to one of the 'sarcophagi' nearest to him. The loose pieces of the puzzle suddenly seemed to fit into place: the electromagnetic storm that had brought him here; the inexplicable terrestrial-like environment of this planet; and his friends' inexplicable connection to NIMH. It all boiled down to one horrifying explanation.
Wiping away the dirt and grime obscuring the lid, Josh saw a faded, but very familiar-looking logo on the glass: a majestic owl with its wings extended, perched atop a panel spelling the telltale name NIMH-One. Time seemed to slow as the truth finally hit poor Josh…hard.
"No…it can't be…that's impossible…"
Suddenly, a scream of terror from Elizabeth caught them all off-guard. Anxious to find out what had happened to her husband, she had wondered off, into another adjacent chamber. Hurrying through the split in the wall where she had entered, they found themselves in another chamber. This one was entirely dome-shaped, its walls made of some shinny, smooth material resembling black glass. Suddenly, the explorers were bathed in a electric-blue light as the glass walls lit up all around them. Then a deep booming voice, slightly distorted like that of a dusty old pipe organ, called out.
"You are trespassing on restricted NIMH property! Please state your name and business…"
Staring, they saw the mirror-like surface of the dome, partially obscured by centuries' worth of dust and grime, glow electric-blue again, as it lit up with thousands of beams of multi-coloured light, which filled the chamber. As the beams interconnected, the ghostly form of a familiar hologram began to materialise out of thin air.
The group all stared in awe at the Great Owl, towering monstrous big before them, staring down at them from atop his gold perch. The projection dome, only partially functional after all these years and obscured by dust, distorted the hologram, which faded in and out of sight, creating a ghost-like optical effect, but not making it look any less intimidating. Elizabeth, who stood at the clawed feet of the beast, was utterly petrified at the sight, clutching her face in terror, as she stared up at the creature.
Noticing the rest of his visitors, the 'Great Owl' turned and stared at each of them in turn with a stern expression, almost as if considering whether or not to devour them all right there and then for trespassing in his domain. As those great looming yellow eyes came to rest on Josh however, the Owl's expression suddenly softened, recognising a familiar face.
"Welcome back, Captain Anderson. Resuming mission, awaiting further orders…"
They all turned to stare at Josh in amazement. The Great Owl, their divine protector, knew who their human friend was? What's more, He actually seemed to regard Josh as His own master! What in the name of Nicodemus was all this about?
Josh, meanwhile, stood transfixed with horror, his suspicions finally confirmed: he was staring at OWL, the A.I. hologram from the NIMH-One's Observation Room! This 'Temple of the Great Owl' was nothing more than the wreck of his ship, having aged hundreds of years since he'd last been onboard only a few days ago! The secret to the origins of this strange world had just been unravelled.
Author's note: For those who watch movies regularly will know that this story is following along the same lines as Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes. However, never fear, we still have a long way to go and, I promise it won't be a carbon copy of the film. Enjoy, review, and have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!