The coming apocalypse. Awakening of the Dead Princesses

© Sergey Solovyov, 2026

ISBN 978-5-0069-0068-4

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

Prologue

The cutting of the submarine, even the cruising one, still seemed, in his opinion, very small, compared to a room in a good hotel in New York. Such a small and dull room, all made of metal, with an unpleasant source on top… Captain Dan Black was standing there, wrapping himself in a fur jacket, thinking why it was so damn cold. How they were brought into this Barents Sea! It would be much more pleasant in Florida, it’s warm and good there. And he looked with growing anger at the German, also a captain of the US Army, recalling yesterday’s conversation in the wardroom.

— Dan, the general told me that I should only bring you to the island. Radar does not know how to lie, and it is the long-awaited land in the sea. Cap, sign the check, I did my job, — the German said confidently.

— Nick, the chief warned you that you wouldn’t want to land on the goddamn island with us. But the general said that I could double the amount of remuneration in case of need.

— Dan, I don’t know how to say… Write an irrevocable check in the name of my wife, and that the radio operator would give the bank details as soon as we surface. Only so, in another way I do not agree.

— You don’t even trust me, Nick! — answered the blushing sailor.

— On the contrary, Dan. We’ll just die there together like true friends. I want you to live, but if these… creatures, you will be killed, you yourself understand, no one will give money to my family.

— Nick, you’re very businesslike for a former Nazi, ‘the officer laughed, slapping the German on the shoulder.

— I’ve had some very businesslike contacts here. Big lesson for life.

— Who did you see, Nick?” the American said, incredulously.

— Mr. Gatti. I flew to me in Britain, I was only captured then in 1942. There were harsh days…

— You surprised me, — Dan replied incredulously, “these people, they are just very influential. But you were a Nazi.

— You’re being fooled by your radio, Dan. The main Nazis, these are not those whom the allies want to hang, but those who unleashed the damned war. Krupp, Siemens and others, those who gave power to Hitler.

— Weren’t you a member of the NSDAP? Black joked.

— I was in the trade union and the Communist Party until 1933. We were against Hitler. But did they ask us???

— Don’t be mad… And are you not angry with the Russians that they drove the Germans out of Prussia?

— Not very good… We have done them great over the years. And the fact that we were kicked out of Prussia is understandable. But why were the Germans expelled from Czechoslovakia?

— Well, what was there, on the island, in 1942?

— Hell there, Dan. True Dante’s Hell, Tartar Homer. “Odyssey” read? The place where Ulysses reaches a Hyperborean island hidden by mists… The same place was described by Saxon Grammaticus in” The Voyage of Torquil.” Well, the egg-heads from Anenerbe, fought and deciphered the location of this place to our misfortune. Moreover, the book of Mavro Orbini, with a fragment about Alatyr Island, served as a beacon for them. Well, they decided that Hell and Paradise were nearby, and since Alatyr is Novaya Zemlya, they thought that this place, called the Russian Sannikov Land, was always hidden by fogs. By the way, — and he laughed — the Greeks called this place the Hidden Island. Well, we came up… Three minesweepers drowned on rocks… There, the bottom of the sea is covered with sharp rocks, like anti-tank hedgehogs… We had one… With his head not very it was, he showed the way, he, they say, dreamed so… You know, the giant is like… Fregatten, the captain shouted that he would be shot, and Hans only laughed, and shouted back that everyone was already dead in this place.

— And where is that Hans? Captain Black was alarmed, this guy would be useful here.

— The dead dragged him into the cave, — exhaled Nicholas Seedorf, — did not kill… Yes, Hans Van Wenden and it is impossible to kill. Although, I’ll tell you honestly, you would not believe that Hans is such a big man, thin, high…

“And the dead… — and Dan made an expressive movement, as if trying to bite — are they like vampires?

— No… — and Nick frowned, as if he remembered — very fast, do not speak at all, very tall — and showed, raising his hand above himself. They kill right away, they just beat them with clubs, so only the chop remains from the person.

— Nothing, we have “Tommy Ghana” with us…

— Bullets do not take them, and blood from wounds does not flow… The smell from them, — he turned, — well, dead… They see in the dark, or smell simply, but navigate without problems. So lights, candles, everything should be taken with you. The dead beat with clubs until they beat them to death, from our two only minced meat remained… Well, on the case, remember Dan. They walk around the island fifteen minutes apart. It takes about eight minutes to reach the entrance to the cave, no less… But there is fog, such a rain continuously drops… You can’t see the sun. The grass is stunted, barely growing, not green, but colorless, flowers too… And there is another cave, with a crumbling vault, the dead do not approach it. But, I remember how Hans drove our boat. Well, then Baron von Wenden saved me, and helped to swim into the sea.

— We’ve got aluminium, Nick, so we’re spot on… Can I leave the boat on the shore?

— No problem. The dead are only looking for the living, they are indifferent to junk.

“Thank you, Nick.”

— Radio operator, pass the message, — shouted the captain, giving the completed sheet, — and let them send confirmation that the message is accepted.

— Ok, Captain.

Captain Black waited with his hands behind his back. Twelve men were at the ready, the team of the best fighters of the fleet was waiting for the commander’s order to start loading.

— Foreman, start loading. ‘he finally ordered.

“There’s a cap,” and the sailor saluted, putting his hand to the hood.

— Let’s go Nick, — called the American specialist.

“Let’s go Dan,” the German replied quietly.

Nicholas’s face was sad, he seemed to walk with everyone. But he wasn’t scared, no. Just knew he was going to die.

— Lieutenant Richardson!

— Me, Captain!

“You remain in command until I arrive. Remember. Don’t send a rescue team after us, if we don’t return in three days, then you are going home. I see?

“That’s right! The order to wait for you for three days!

“Let’s check the clock. We are waiting for us until the 17 day, exactly until 11 in the morning.

— We’ll follow orders, Captain, the lieutenant said firmly.

Captain Black had known his lieutenant for a long time, and he did not let him down. Neither in Sicily in 1943, nor in Normandy in 1944. But, they got into this for the first time… But he couldn’t refuse.

— Get the boat down!

The metal boat, with twelve rowers and two officers, Black and Seedorfor, moved away from the submarine’s hull and moved to a thick fog, as if stuck to salt water.

***

Nicholas stood on the bow, with a pole in his hand, the captain sat on the stern, held his hand on the steering wheel, and Captain Dan controlled the engine. The motor of the boat was barely audible, everyone was silent, only Nicholas gave simple commands:

— A little to the left!

— A little to the right!

The boat went forward in this terrible place, where like water hung in the air, the smallest drops of rain fell continuously, but it was incredibly warm. Sailors only wiped water drops from their faces. Dan thought it was 4 degrees Celsius and washes more. But they were approaching the target, although the sailors, whining with fear, heard the hull grinding against the stones.

— A little faster, Dan, — Nicholas shouted, — we must hide behind the ridge.”

— Understood Nick, — the captain replied, — you, most importantly, do not fuss!

— Almost gone, Dan!

And for sure… It seemed, or rather, as if it fell out of nowhere, the shore of this Hidden Island… To the right of the bow of the boat, a stone ridge towered, visible in this white fog. Dan turned off the engine, and the sailors quietly raked to the shore, then the officers rushed into the cold water reaching above the knees, and the sailors grabbed their boat and dragged them ashore. It’s good that everyone had rubberized pants…

— Duglas, — Black said quietly, — lead people behind the ridge, and quietly there… Look only through the periscope. I see?

— That’s right.

— Forward!

And the team ran past the surf, hiding and the ship behind the stones. Nicholas lay on a large sand, and pointed his finger at something, hitting Dan on the shoulder. Seedorf raised his finger to his mouth, calling for silence. Black turned his head, and took out binoculars, pointed the lens…

Damn it… In the fog, more like shadows, there were people in fur clothes with sticks in their hands. Their gait was strange, almost bird, and their height was enormous.

— It’s time Dan, you can’t rush here, said Nicholas.

Black nodded, and took out a notebook from the tablet, and looking at the clock, put the time on the sheet. Time dragged on, the captain looked at his watch, and exactly fifteen minutes later another patrol passed.

— Douglas! — whispered Dan, — let the sailors take a double dose of pervetin. Everyone will recover, and check all the equipment, especially the flamethrower. Time-ten minutes

— That’s right, cap, — the sergeant answered, and went to the subordinates.

The sailors began to pull up and check the ammunition, examined everything from each other, even laces on their boots. One at a time ran behind a distant stone, relieving need. They were applied to the flasks, drinking courage pills.

Finally, the watch of the islanders disappeared into the distance, Dan looked at the chronometer, and finally raised his hand, and the team of Americans ran, not sparing their boots, rushed to the entrance to the dungeon. The sergeant closed the detachment, watching that no one would be behind.

The soldiers’ legs were imprinted in small stones with thin sheets of grass and blue and white buds of northern flowers. Everyone ran fast as they could, and as soon as amphetamine could help them. The distance was a little less than a mile, and damn it, they had to meet this devilish standard!

The first to drop into the opening was Dan, then Nicholas, with his face covered with sweat, and the sailors ran in one by one, followed by a sergeant breathing like a driven horse.

— How are you, Sergeant?

— Great, cap!

— Save the batteries. Sergeant, light the lantern at the tail of the column. Nobody, nobody, sailors, do not leave the formation! Whatever you see! Douglas, look, no one would be behind!

— We’ll do it, Captain.

— Forward, Black commanded, lighting a flashlight, and led the column.

Dan illuminated the cave walls, and the floor, polished almost to a mirrored sheen, glistened like the finest Bohemian crystal. The granite of the cave passage was also processed, as if in a precut granite workshop at a cemetery somewhere in Cleveland! They passed by three doors, which became black from old age, but upholstered with gold plates still shiny in the rays of the lanterns. One of the sailors, looking around, took out a knife, and picked up the plate, and hastily hid the prey in his pocket.

— Keep up, — Douglas hissed in fury.

Captain Black trembled with impatience, hiding fear and horror from the place, and dreamed of a cramped submarine cabin. Previously, he simply hated desalinated water and the stuffiness of the ship, now he considered his ship just the best place, if not on earth, then at least on water.

— Nick, how long to go?

— Around the bend, Dan… You’re about to see Sleeping Beauty.

The American did not believe himself, seeing here and now the delighted face of Sendorf. Damn, what was there to rejoice? Only Nick was smiling, and I think he was happy.

Black just shook his head, feeling the pitch darkness ahead of him with the light of a lantern. Here, and the long-awaited turn, and the stone vault of these terrible chambers.

“Here, Dan,” Seedorf whispered, lighting the room with a lantern.

One of the walls had a high white throne and the walls had eight crystal coffins… At the far wall, everything was in the dust.

In seven of them lay seven men of gigantic height, and in the eighth — a woman, or rather, a girl of extraordinary beauty, and considerable growth. Her hair was white, the dress was decorated with jewelry. She was not dead, with a disfigured face, but as if she was sleeping, covered with an ice openwork cover. Dan came up, took out a camera with a flash. and began to quickly take pictures of the hall. In excitement, he removed the camera, and hid the cassette in his boot, then shot more, scoring the last cassette with frames.

Nicholas smiled, and stroked the smooth lid of the crystal coffin, and without shame, admired the features of a beautiful virgin.

“Nick, then kiss her…” Dan whispered.

— Already, already Captain Dan, already… She did not wake up, — the German answered sadly, — it means that I am not worthy.

Black did not believe such words, and only shook his head. The heart pounded terribly, and so I wanted to get out of here. Fear and horror seemed to hang under the arch of this pesher.

One joy, it was easy to go, there was no dirt, as if they were cleaning here… Dan once again examined the floor of the room, and shone a lantern… Damn it, there was no dust!

— Nick, we’re finished… — and he pointed to the floor of the hall.

Seedorf first frowned incomprehensibly, glanced from Black to the coffin, then to the granite floor. Dan would not believe that you could turn so white, literally…

— Captain Black, we have to get out while we’re safe… Cleaners… They clean up dust here…

Dan nodded, and went to Douglas, who was staring at miracles, and took his hand.

— Sergeant, we leave, and faster. Ahead is a machine gunner, followed by a flamethrower.

— That’s right, cap, — Douglas trump, and went to build his team.

— Next time, Princess, ‘and Black blew a kiss to Sleeping Beauty.

The detachment went to the exit, the captain looked at the chronometer, and they seemed to be in time. Dan wiped away the cold sweat, already dreaming of a litre of whisky and then gin.

But then luck left them… At the very exit, they saw three dead men with brooms… Even these panicles were enough to beat the machine gunner to death, the flamethrower burned them quickly. The detachment fled to the boat, but halfway they were surrounded by the Dead, they attacked in groups.

— Hans, Hans! Nicholas shouted, seeing his comrade in the crowd of the dead, — run to us! Baron, come back!

But von Wenden turned around when he heard Nicholas’s voice, but quickly disappeared behind the stones. Seedorf remembered the face of a friend. And here since 1942 the face of the giant has not changed at all.

“What, Nick,” Dan shouted, reloading the gun with a machine gun.

— Hans saw, among the dead… Exactly he, — said Seedorf, and again threw up Baby Garand and began to fire at the Dead.

“Can’t it be, Nick,” Black doubted, “called out?

— Dan seems to be the end of us… We must try to break through to that rubble.

“Exactly,” Black replied, reloading Tommy Gun, “Douglas! We go to the rubble!

— Yes, Captain! Only the cartridges are running out!

Sailors shot and shot, but they could not kill anyone, and the flamethrower exhausted resources… The three dead were able to approach and Dan realised how fast they were… They mowed down six before their arms and legs were shot off, and these arms and legs crawled towards the Americans. The squad ran to the stones, but it was impossible to escape from the Living Dead, they did not know fatigue, and there were many faster living people. One person after another became victims of the clubs of the island’s guards, and now, only Nick and Dan alone, climbed over the stones, while hundreds of three dead stood below.

“Run Dan,” Seedorf said, planting the captain on a stone plateau, “But I kissed Sleeping Beauty!” Remember that!

— Give me your hand! Black yelled, his hand, and he reached down, trying to catch the German by his convulsively splayed fingers.

— Goodbye! Nicholas shouted, dodging the club, and shoving with his foot an unkillable opponent who could not resist on slippery stones.

Dan even breathed a sigh of relief as he retrieved the rope from his backpack. But then Nicholas was knocked down, and Black closed his eyes, not wanting to see what would happen next.

***

The captain sat in the corner, directly on the bare rocks, with Tommy Gun and a gun in front of him. For a submachine gun, there was only one horn, but there was one clip in the pistol… The sailor looked almost lovingly at the smooth, and slightly rounded pointed bullets. He sat between ice columns, from which needles protruded, as if sawed out of rock crystal. Dan drank a couple of tablets of pervetin more to cheer up. He shook wildly, he took out a bar of chocolate, cut off the paper, and began to quickly swallow this food, completely without taste. It became a little easier, and he was able to catch his breath.

The American was looking at an old newspaper, and heard that they were climbing stones. There was no strength to run, but in the aisle they would catch up with him anyway, and the cap was about to die, all his people died, and it’s time for him to see… He only looked where higher in this cave to hide the documents, just to find them. But he did not notice any holes or crevices in the rock.

The dead climbed into the cave, but stood rooted to the ground in front of the columns, as if woozy. They tried to go ahead, but as if something was not allowed, and they stopped. The American looked at it for a long time, then laughed, and slapped his knees.

“Well, I’ll go then, since you’re not going,” Captain Black said quietly, “my way there, obviously,” he said aloud, pointing to the tunnel leading like a fairy tale, no one knows where.

The American pulled up his backpack, and putting the lantern on the weakest light, and went, slowly and carefully into this tunnel. There was still no way back. At first, the move was ten feet high, and it was comfortable to walk. Black took off his satchel and took out a can of sausages. I had to eat, although I did not want to. He took out a flask of whiskey and drank half a cup for all his comrades. and ate this food. He sat and trudged on. Soon the ceiling seemed to have dropped, and he doomed and crawled forward, and only the pervetin gave him strength. Soon, the ceiling of the cave began to grow and grow, and finally reached eight feet in height, but, he rested against the rock. Captain Black frantically threw his hands around the stone, and simply settled down, unable to move anymore. Damn, you still have to die of anger, as Black already thought. In exhaustion, he covered his mouth, and was forgotten.

The American opened his reddened eyes hard, not understanding what had happened, thinking that he had turned on the lantern in a dream. A ray of sunshine hit my eyes! Dan laughed with joy, and tapped the floor of the cave with his hands and feet, unable to restrain himself. So, he quickly opened his backpack, throwing away a couple of cans of canned food, and a rope with a hook! The sailor carefully turned the rope, and began to study the move up with the help of a lantern. He noticed half-rotten steps that could not be climbed. Before the exit it was ten feet, only something, but in height. Black thought, and decided to risk everything…

He pulled out a handful of pervitin from his backpack, washed it down with a sip of whiskey and threw the rope up… The hook caught on the third time. Dan pulled a rope with knots, took off his backpack, put the gun in his pocket, and a submachine gun behind his back. I climbed, well, the pills helped… I got out with difficulty, and the cold burned my face, Black wrapped himself in a blanket, and began to fish out his backpack from the bottom of the cave with a hook. He took out his goodness, wiped his face with snow, and smiled happily… Damn, he felt so good now, as soon as the day his parents took him to the fair, rode the carousel, and then bought ice cream.

I looked around, nothing was visible, and tried to climb the hill. I could still go, but I was afraid that I was about to get cut down… But in the distance, he noticed a rising haze, this could not be confused with anything. Yes, on the other side, but people are here!

Black just sat on the snow for joy… I didn’t think I would be so happy with the Russians! Next to the mountain, not far from the mountain range, there were barracks, and next to it, on the mast, a red flag with a hammer and sickle flew. Dan discharged the machine gun and pistol, threw the cartridges into the backpack, and moved towards the camp. I thought, and took the documents in my hand, and raised them above my head.

He walked slowly, smiled with happiness that he got to people, did not bend down and did not hide until he heard a cry:

“Stop!

***

Dan Black sat opposite the border guard officer, as far as he understood and remembered the course about the ranks in the Red Army. The gaps are green on the border guard, three small stars and one enlightenment — senior lieutenant. In Russian, Black understood, but his accent was wild, but all early the captain arrived in a good mood, in his hand with a glass of hot tea with sugar, even a slice of lemon, in a beautiful cup holder. Warm, roof on your head. The main thing is that now he is among people, living people who smell like human, for example, tobacco… That’s right!

— Senior Lieutenant, help yourself, said the American, putting a pack of Camel on the table in front of the Russian.

— Thank you, — the border guard did not become fashionable, — But, Mr. Captain, how did you get to Novaya Zemlya? Territory of the USSR!

— Yes, he was insane. I did not trust the sailor to inspect the skin of the submarine, I myself climbed into the rubber boat, and then the wind hit, carried away. In the boats, according to the charter, we have weapons, even NZ, in case of an emergency. That’s how it is now. I was lucky that everything was in place, otherwise I would have died of hunger. Day in the sea chatted, then brought to the island, I walked among the mountains until I went to your outpost. My personal number… Report to the U.S. Embassy.

— Good luck, Captain. Against polar bears, the machine gun is weak, if only the white bear was teased.

— Of course, lucky, — smiling, the American agreed, remembering how lucky he was! — I am, in general, a happy person!

“Yes, you would know, Russian, how lucky! — Dan thought, looking at the Russian, — and how unlucky you are, to live next to such neighbors, the living dead and their lords”.

— The plane will arrive in three days, Dan Black, — said the Russian officer, noting the dates in the notebook, — and you will fly to Arkhangelsk on it.

April month 1946. Dan was napping, sitting in the seat of a passenger Douglas, with a newspaper on his lap. The plane landed in Arkhangelsk, a day later flew to Moscow. The central airport of Moscow, the Airport metro station, where people stared at the American, everyone tried to say hello to an ally in this difficult war. I went out to Mayakovskaya, walked a little, looked at the Zoo, but only sighed with regret, and quickly went to the embassy. The guards trumped at the entrance, and now, he was already inside, they brought coffee, and one of the workers, judging by the winters, a scout, took him to his place.