Chapter 20.

by Carycomic

SVERDLOVSK OBLAST, USSR (1962)

Doc Savage awoke to a terrible headache. But, he quickly used his yogic training to suppress the pain so he could look about his surroundings. Consequently, it only took about thirty seconds, at most, for him to notice that he was securely chained to what looked like a wheelchair for the criminally insane. . . in a room with padded walls.

"Welcome back to the Land of the Living, Dr. Savage," declared a voice that held a note of malicious glee.

The good doctor looked up and beheld a Russian army general entering the padded cell. Accompanied by his self-proclaimed aunt!

"I know this is going to sound patently absurd," replied the Man of Bronze: "But you seem strangely familiar. Have we met before?"

The Russian general grinned. "To the Soviet Red Army, I am Grigori Dikiy-Chelovek. But you may address me as Vandal Savage. Your paternal grandfather!"

He looked from the older man to the woman standing beside him. There was no longer any denying the family resemblance between these two, at least.

"So! You were telling the truth, Comrade Wahshia. How refreshing. . .for a Communist."

"American politicians are not the only ones who can bend the truth when it suits them," replied the woman in the East German alpenjager uniform.

"Enough bantering!" ordered the older man. "My grandson, I'm here to make you a one-time offer. Lend your considerable set of skills to help me. And I will let your friends live."

Doc Savage tensed up. "What have you done with them?"

"Nothing. . .just yet."

Whereupon Vandal Savage nodded to his daughter who, in turn, barked an order in German.

"Bringen Sie den Fenseher mit!"*

Whereupon, two of her East German subordinates wheeled in a wooden cart with a closed-circuit TV set trailing a rather extensive black cord. And on the set of that TV screen were five medical tables. Each one bearing one of his five brothers-in-arms. And each one's face. . .covered with some kind of huge parasite.

"Those creatures will eventually detach themselves once they have concluded implanting your friends with a certain kind of micro-organism. One that will commence enlarging itself until it is big enough to burst out of each man's chest! But, I can delay that emergence through cryobiological stasis. On the non-negotiable condition that you agree to serve me. Permanently!"

SOMEWHERE NEAR GOTHAM CITY, NEW JERSEY (2001)

"Mr. Data," whispered Jean-Luc Picard. "Am I really seeing what I think I'm seeing?"

The android nodded. "Yes, sir. I am afraid so. These are Phase II xenomorphic lifeforms (identical to the ones we encountered on Cor Caroli V*). Although, these have obviously had their growth rate cryogenically arrested."

"But, how the blazes did they get here?! And in these men. . . of all people?"

"It is evident that the location of their reported deaths was greatly exaggerated."

'Yes and no, Mr. Data," interjected the Traveler (who had been silently observing this discourse). "The Fearless Five did, indeed, die in the Himalayas on your Earth. But, not so, on this one."

"What are you talking about?" demanded Picard.

"This is a parallel Earth, sir," replied Wesley. "One where the Eugenics Wars never happened!"

"Fascinating," whispered Data.

"Incredible," countered Picard. "That you would withhold such vital information from us until this late juncture!"

"Your indignation is understandable, Captain," said the Traveler. "But, time travelers have their own version of the Prime Directive! And neither Wesley nor I could violate it unless and until circumstances warranted it."

Wesley elaborated even further. "When the Guardian of Forever telepathically contacted us, about what Sela had planned with that mind-controlled Yautja, we immediately teleported to its side so that we could augment the Guardian's power with our own chrono-spatial energies. You see, the Guardian's basic programming prevented it from refusing Sela's request to visit the 21st-century Earth location of Richard Grayson! But, there was nothing in that same programming that would prevent it from side-tracking her to a different 21st-century Earth. . . in a parallel universe. All that'd be required for that was a slight power boost!"

"Then, in effect," replied Data: ". . .you were merely (no pun intended, Captain) stalling for time."

Wesley and the Traveler grinned and nodded, as one. The good captain, however, was still less-than-amused.

"Whatever your initial motivations for not disclosing this, sooner, it does not change the fact that our original mission has just become more complicated. Because, in addition to bringing Sela and her pet Predator back to our proper time and space, we are now forced to keep this Earth from being potentially overrun by the Phase III form of these creatures!"

SOMEWHERE BELOW DYATLOV PASS (1962).

The disparate trio entered the Cold Storage Room. Vandal Savage, in front; his world-famous grandson right behind him; and the latter's self-proclaimed aunt holding the good doctor at gunpoint.

"Dr. Clark Savage, Junior? Meet Dr. Viktor Fries (nee Arnold Thurmann). Head of our cryobiological research department. You shouldn't have any objection to helping him thaw out Patient Zero. Especially when it comes to emergency extraction of the parasite within him!"

"What on Earth are you babbling about?" demanded the Man of Bronze.

His captor merely grinned and gestured with his right hand. Prompting Doc Savage to look in that direction. . .and involuntarily gasp at the sign at the base of the semi-ice covered tube.

"SAVAGE, CLARK

Patient # 0000"

"Dad?!"

tbc

GLOSSARY

"Bringen Sie den Fernseher mit" ("Bring in the television set").

". . .on Cor Caroli V" (see chapter 17).