An Untitled Novel

The last thing Lewis could remember was falling. The blizzard set in earlier than expected, and one wrong step had sent him plunging into the depths of a crevice hidden beneath the snow. His head throbbed and he could feel a great pain emanating from somewhere, but he couldn’t make out where the pain was coming from. He tried to feel around for his radio, but between the dark and his confusion he only managed to nudge a piece of gear. That piece of gear, whatever it was, plunged to some unseen greater depths. Was that good news or bad news? Being caught on a shelf was undoubtedly better than falling to greater depths, but was it really good to find out that bad could quickly become worse? He’d figured this out, he was of sure that, he just needed to rest his eyes for a moment.

Lewis awoke again, this time he was moving. He was falling? No, wait, he was flying? He felt too weak to do anything, even open his eyes, but someone held him. Yes, he was being held by someone moving him out of the crevice. Somebody, whose voice could barely be heard over the ringing in his ears, said something about him being unconscious. Oh crap, Christi and Earl were never going to let him live this one down. Oh well, a lifetime of mockery was a worthy trade for a lifetime that ended in the gorge.

He began to see some light at the top of the gorge. Wait, that wasn’t the sun; what was it? As his eyes adjusted he could see the seemingly infinite abyss of the crevice he was leaving, but the sky above was yet another infinite black abyss filled with a blinding amount of snow. A searchlight seemed haphazardly attached to something flying in the air. It wasn’t a helicopter, that would be too small, and he would have heard it by now. Besides, who would have a helicopter out here anyway? No, it was something big - breathtaking and ominous - with a gray green color pulling him and his rescuer up. Moments before Lewis lost consciousness he was given a vision of an indescribable aircraft, blinding lights under a backdrop of a blizzard and pitch black sky.

Lewis came to, warmth coming over him. He expected to open his eyes to Chrisi’s worried face, but only saw the night sky under the same blinding blizzard. He went to move and realized he crinkled, somebody having stuffed chemical hand warmers under his clothes before wrapping a mylar blanket around him underneath his coat. Not what they taught in school, but hey, he wasn’t a Lewisicle so no complaints there. “We need to get you out of this cold” said an unknown American in a parka. “Who are you? What happened?” Lewis asked, unsure of what was going on. “You fell down a hole and dented your noggin” the man in the parka replied coldly. Why the hell were they not already going someplace warm? Had this man just warmed him and left him in the cold instead of taking him back to wherever the parka man came from? Why the hell would he do that?

“Where are you from?” the parka man asked again, and even under that nasally accent, Lewis could tell the parka man was not good with bedside manners. He wasn’t angry, but he didn’t sound sympathetic either, just matter of fact. Maybe he used to be his soldier or cop or something? American cops were rude, right? Oh shit, maybe he was here about the mountain. Lewis looked into the parka man’s eyes, the only part of his body not covered. The eye seemed annoyed now, or maybe that was just his imagination. “Australia” Lewis replied, surprising himself at his voice’s weakness, his mind finally clear enough to recognize it. The eyes seemed concerned now. Lewis managed to eke out how he got there: a snowmobile ride and a short walk from an the Australian Arctic research outpost before ‘bopping his noggin.’

“Where is he?” Cristi asked as she paced. “The blizzard probably slowed him down, I’m sure he’ll be fine” Earl responded. After a brief pause Earl tried to lighten the mood a bit. “Remember that time when he sat on his radio, then got distracted sketching the landscape? You know Lewis, he’ll be back here when he gets around to it, and I can think of some creative way to get back at him for making me do his readings.” Christi didn’t seem to share his optimism. “He went to see the mountain, somebody could have hurt him.” Earl just rolled his eyes. “Really, you two are getting into that tin foil hat nonsense now? Mountains don’t just appear.” Christi shook her head. “Exactly, so when one does just appear that’s spooky to say the least.”

Earl glanced at the monitors, hoping to change the topic of conversation to whatever the readings would be. The sensors were all weird, though, as if some object was displacing air currents near the outpost. “Never mind, it must be some sort of malfunction” Earl said, Christi also seeing the readings and only looking more alarmed. “The mountain” she said under her breath before Earl pointed out the window. “Here we go, that’s Lewis’s snowmobile right there. The chore skipper lives to fight another day.” Christi went to the window ecstatic, but suddenly backed away aghast at something she saw. “That’s not Lewis on his snowmobile.”

“Grab something to use as a weapon” Christi shouted, picking up a chair and wielding it above her head. Earl stepped back, unsure of what to do; looking further uneasy as the makeshift weapon was displayed. There was a frantic knock at the door; handle moving on its own when there was no reply from inside. A parka wearing man stepped through alone, and for a fleeting moment the eyes beneath the mask were seemingly illuminated with an inhuman energy.

The abyss reached out, tentacles clawing at his mind, demanding a violent resolution to such a threat. Basil froze in the door frame, forcing out the abyss until his breath was visible in the frigid arctic air seeping into the building. “There’s a man named Lewis, says he’s from here. He’s hurt and I need somebody to help me move him without aggravating his injuries.” Basil could see the look on the small statured woman’s face change from that of terror of him to terror at Lewis’s potential state. The woman ran past Basil, not even dressing for the extreme cold, Basil following suit. “Hey” Lewis said, some strength recovered in his voice. “What happened?” The woman asked in concern. “I think I fell down a hidden crevice, but things are a little blurry.”

“He’s broken an arm and at least one of his legs, as well as suffered a head injury. We need to get both of you inside now.” Basil said, barely audible over the roar of the wind. Though he mainly remained monotone and apathetic, he surprised himself as he heard hints of concern in his voice. The two picked up Lewis and carefully carried him into the little outpost, right past the man putting on winter gear, who quickly pivoted his priorities; throwing off his coat and clearing the table before issuing a command. “Christi, Parka, keep Lewis from falling off the table.” The two put Lewis on the table, who groaned before speaking to the man who was returning.

“Hey Doc, you got anything to dull the pain?” Lewis asked the returning man, but Basil spoke in response. “If he had any major internal bleeding he would be dead by now, so you’re probably safe, but I would defer to your judgment.” The woman did not appear to appreciate Basil’s bedside manner, but the man playing medic seemed to appreciate the information. “This is Christi and Earl” Lewis said as if trying to distract himself from the approaching needle.

Lewis winced as the needle poked him, quickly becoming visibly relaxed, and before long Earl was taking inventory of Lewis’s injuries. “You’re the best Doc” Lewis said before switching his attention to Basil and asking a question. “So what, you a doctor? And I never did get your name or why you’re out here.” The parka man responded. “Basil, and not a doctor, at least not the stitch-you-up kind.” Lewis looked as if he would have been annoyed at the dodgy answer had he not been on pain meds. “So, what kind of doc then? And why are you out here?” Basil, still wearing his parka and mask, replied. “Particle physics, and that’s about as much info as I can divulge.” Basil paused momentarily, adding “I really should get going. Stay away from that area in the future, Lewis; it’s bad luck.”

Christi sprinted in between Basil and the door he was walking to. “Hey, how are you going to get back? It’s a blizzard out there, and unless you plan to steal our snowmobile, it’s a long walk back to wherever you came from.” Basil shook his head. “I’ve got a friend who will pick me up on the way back.” Christi looked worried. “The blizzard will be over in less than a day; stay here. I don’t care what macho secretive bullshit you’re up to; you’ll freeze to death like anybody else out there.” Basil could see the whole group still looked somewhat suspicious of him, but saving Lewis was apparently enough to get Christi genuinely worried about him. “Come on, man, at least let me have a chance to properly thank you for saving my ass out there” Lewis said, sitting up against Earl’s protest. Basil stood silently for an awkwardly long time before lifting his hands in mock surrender. “I guess the cold can wait, you all got anything to drink?”

Christi opened the cabinet full of bottles and Basil began to take off his face mask and parka. Lewis raised his hand as if also requesting a drink, but Earl nearly smacked it down in disapproval. However, as Basil unzipped his coat, Earl’s eyes locked on his side as he stepped back. Basil looked down and saw his handgun hanging off his shoulder. “He’s not staying in here with his American death machine” shouted Earl angrily. “It’s Austrian” Basil replied, monotone voice returning, and Christi looked at the two - suspicious of Basil but seemingly annoyed with Earl as well. The two’s attention returned to Basil seconds later, pistol and magazine in one hand, racking the slide with his other; chambered round flung into the air. As the action slid back Earl jerked back in surprise, but Basil dropped the now unloaded handgun onto the parka lying on the floor. “Better?” Basil asked and Christi nodded, Earl remaining silent momentarily before giving Basil a suspicious glance and returning to treating Lewis.

Christi laid out some liquor bottles that implied they were brewed at the station and poured three shots. “Well, you’ll be fine” Earl said to Lewis before turning to the table. “Come on, gimme” Lewis requested as drinks were poured, sounding loopy from the pain meds. “Sorry, I’m taking yours. It’s the I repel down a ravine to save your ass tax” Basil quipped, smiling for the first time since his death.