If there was something similar between this place and the fallout shelter in the apocalypse, it probably would be the fact that it wouldn't keep anyone alive.
The symbol of Swastika was frozen in ice crystals as if it were trapped in a frozen tomb. A five-meter-wide iron gate rose up at the corner of the stone wall. It was buried by the eternal snow with only one edge visible.
This place didn't look like it contained any living people.
"There must be something wrong... Tell me, boss, we are now in the Alps in the northern hemisphere, not at the southernmost point on earth." Looking at the banner, a soldier whispered in the communications channel.
Garrett also widened his eyes and looked at the sign on the door in disbelief. He had heard of the story of Nazis and its Antarctic fallout shelter, but he had never really taken that story seriously. However, what he saw completely changed his world view and personal values.
"Treasure hunt is about the treasures of the Third Reich," Stepping off the polar vehicle, Jiang Chen opened the communication channel and said with a smile.
After a long time, Garrett could only respond with.
"How can this be?"
"No matter what, this is a fact." Jiang Chen shrugged. "It's getting late. If we don't want to stay here for too long, let's start working."
Although Garrett had many questions, he swallowed all of them.
Returning to the car, he and several soldiers took out the shovels. With the help of the kinetic skeleton, they shoveled the ground like windmills and quickly dug a hole through the hard as steel ice.
"Probably half a meter thick," wiping off the ice shards from his face, Garrett hit the iron gate with his shovel, and white mist blew out of his mouth. "It could be a meter... Hell, this door is no longer made out of steel."
"What is it made out of then?"
"Stone."
Leaning against the polar car, Jiang Chen laughed.
The raging wind was still screaming, leaving little time for everyone.
Without keyholes or grips on the gate, whoever shut the place didn't seem to plan to open it again.
Jiang Chen ordered the soldiers to the most primitive method against the iron gate embedded into the glacier
Explosives.
Yes, explosives. Although there was a risk of causing an avalanche, it was undoubtedly the fastest and safest method. And as long as the amount of explosives is controlled, this risk would be reduced to a minimum.
Garrett was confident in using explosives as he had served in Iraq and Afghanistan and he was not unfamiliar with them. However, even Garrett wasn't too confident using explosives in an icy and snowy environment.
Judging from the number of explosives used and the angle of blasting, Garrett carefully stuck strips of explosives on the iron gate. He gestured to his comrades next to him and pressed the switch.
There was a flash, then the sound of the explosion was muffled because of the deep snow, and the heavy door was blown apart.
Fortunately, it did not cause an avalanche.
The dark tunnel led to the innermost part of the snow mountains. Even when shone with a ray of light, there was no end. There was a stale smell inside, which made one wonder if there was air down there.
Soldiers of the Sea Lions Special Forces were ready to fight. They removed their combat equipment from the polar vehicles, started retinal imaging using the nanochips, and formed into fighting formation at the gate.
Garrett gestured to the soldier next to him. The soldier nodded and clicked on the touch screen around his arm to start the drone hive behind the polar car.
With searchlights, the Hummingbird drones rushed into the dark fortress. The tactical camera fed the environment inside directly into their retinas. Jiang Chen did not implant nanochips into his eyes, so he opened the hologram on his wristwatch.
"Is the air content normal? What a surprise... there are no traps inside nor any living people inside… Should we enter?" Garrett asked.
"Prepare to enter. Prior to this, move our cars inside and don't let them get buried. Garrett, follow me, and the rest of you stay at the door."
"Roger!"
The order was issued and the Sea Lions Special Forces immediately moved. They backed the two polar vehicles into the dark tunnel and guarded at the entrance.
They were the only things alive in the frozen kingdom. Not even a penguin could be seen. The reason why Jiang Chen ordered the soldiers to stay by the entrance was because he did not want to expose too much information. As for Garrett, Jiang Chen was confident of his loaylty. After all, he was now standing here all thanks to the titanium alloy bones he put inside him.
Just like this, the two men followed the pitch black tunnel. Garrett took control of the drones and responding to Jiang Chen's request, he turned off the camera permission of the soldiers.
"I feel it's too quiet here." Garrett scanned the dark corners with his rifle.
"Oh? I don't expect to meet a living person here. Few people could live for a century." Walking behind Garrett, Jiang Chen confirmed the structure of the fortress in the codebook through his watch.
There were many speculations about the whereabouts of the Fuhrer. Jiang Chen had consulted relevant sources before coming.
1943 was the turning point of the Eastern battlefield. The end of the Battle of Kursk, the Italian battle was in full swing, and the originally strong Germany collapsed almost instantly. It was also from that year that the genius of speech never made any more speeches.
Some people say that he really died. Along with his mistress and children, they were burned by 20 liters of gasoline. Some also said that he took the U-boat to South America and spent the rest of life in a town sympathetic to Nazi in Argentina. Others say he went to Antarctica with more than 200 scientists who disappeared along with thousands of soldiers loyal to him.
The first argument was recognized by everyone, while the latter two were thought to be conspiracy theories. But since the Golden Apple and the codebook both exist, what could be impossible? Anything may be hidden behind this door. Even if he was about to encounter the incredible technology of the twenty-second century or even something he had never seen before, he was mentally prepared.
But unfortunately, it seemed to be a smooth journey, and the expected traps did not appear. On both sides of the tunnel were many doors, some living spaces, while others served as garages. There were piles of tools, parked construction vehicles, and even tanks...
Although the living quarters were constructed, there were no traces of life.
At the end of the tunnel was a staircase. From there on, there was no more signal.
Garrett and Jiang Chen exchanged eye contact. After receiving instructions from the latter, Garrett transferred the drone terminal from the drone hive outside to the drone backpack behind his back.
The drone was still the first to explore, and then the two descended one after the other.
At the end of the stairs, there was a password door. However, the power system there had long collapsed, so Jiang Chen did not have to worry about the password. He immediately asked Garrett to set up the explosives and returned to the top of the stairs.
However, when the door was blasted open, there were two explosions.
An explosion came from below; Garrett successfully blew through the password door.
And another explosion seemed to be from the outside...