Main Page: Indiana Jones and the Saucer Men from Mars
Prologue
Moscow, 1949
MGB commissioner Sergei Ustinov had mixed feelings about his boring desk job, but on the whole he enjoyed the feeling of importance without too much actual risk. Yet he knew the field agents lived for that risk – often died for it, as well – and he felt sorry for them whenever they were reassigned to something comparatively dull by the whims of paper-pushers who didn’t understand their circumstances.
Vadim Cheslav was one such agent. After a string of relatively glamorous and dangerous assignments at which he had excelled, he was about to lose those opportunities thanks to the eccentricities of men higher up the chain. It was Ustinov’s job to inform him of that. He didn’t usually deal with the agents directly – few of them even knew who he was – but this new mission was being given top priority. Why, he couldn’t imagine.
“The liaison with our mole at White Sands has been compromised,” he told Cheslav, who was sitting across the desk from him already looking bored. “You are to replace him. This comes from the highest level.”
“Excellent,” Cheslav said, picking at his fingernails. “I haven’t been to America for a long time.”
“You’ll finish up your loose ends in Bulgaria, and then undergo some training to ensure that you’ll blend in,” Ustinov continued. “But we won’t be sending you right away. Keep your distance until he calls on you. We can’t afford any mistakes this time.”
“There won’t be any,” Cheslav said. “I could do this in my sleep. Are our other agents really that incompetent?”
Ustinov hesitated.
“What?” Cheslav demanded, unintimidated by his superior’s rank.
“Our mole believes the Americans are looking at more than simple weapons testing. There’s a mountain nearby that’s long been purported to be a site of... well... extraterrestrial activity.” He put out his hands, a bit chagrined at having to relay that information.
“And since we seem to be lacking a resident alien expert, I’ve been called to fill in,” Cheslav concluded. “Wonderful.” He didn’t seem as upset as Ustinov had expected, but not thrilled, either.
“I’m sorry, that’s just what I’ve been told,” Ustinov said. “Er – do you believe in aliens?”
“If Stalin does, then we all do,” Cheslav said, standing up and stretching. “I’ll be on my way then. Oh, one more thing – are you familiar with the American agent known as Indiana Jones?”
“Of course,” Ustinov said. “I don’t believe the stories about him, though.”
“You should,” the spy said calmly.
Ustinov scoffed. “Babylonian demons? Nazi zombie insurrections?”
“I don’t know about those details,” Cheslav said, pacing behind his chair, “but the man lives up to his reputation in every degree. And you had better believe that if anything unusual happens at White Sands, Dr. Jones will show up somehow or other. The man has a gift.”
“What are you saying? That we should be on guard?”
“And then some,” Cheslav said. “In my estimation he’s worth at least twenty average agents.” He smiled to himself. “But then again, I worked alongside him during the war, saw his strengths and weaknesses first hand. So maybe I’m exactly the right person to send.”
“I’ll see about getting you a partner,” Ustinov said, but Cheslav had already walked out the door.
Next: Chapter One
Vadim Cheslav was one such agent. After a string of relatively glamorous and dangerous assignments at which he had excelled, he was about to lose those opportunities thanks to the eccentricities of men higher up the chain. It was Ustinov’s job to inform him of that. He didn’t usually deal with the agents directly – few of them even knew who he was – but this new mission was being given top priority. Why, he couldn’t imagine.
“The liaison with our mole at White Sands has been compromised,” he told Cheslav, who was sitting across the desk from him already looking bored. “You are to replace him. This comes from the highest level.”
“Excellent,” Cheslav said, picking at his fingernails. “I haven’t been to America for a long time.”
“You’ll finish up your loose ends in Bulgaria, and then undergo some training to ensure that you’ll blend in,” Ustinov continued. “But we won’t be sending you right away. Keep your distance until he calls on you. We can’t afford any mistakes this time.”
“There won’t be any,” Cheslav said. “I could do this in my sleep. Are our other agents really that incompetent?”
Ustinov hesitated.
“What?” Cheslav demanded, unintimidated by his superior’s rank.
“Our mole believes the Americans are looking at more than simple weapons testing. There’s a mountain nearby that’s long been purported to be a site of... well... extraterrestrial activity.” He put out his hands, a bit chagrined at having to relay that information.
“And since we seem to be lacking a resident alien expert, I’ve been called to fill in,” Cheslav concluded. “Wonderful.” He didn’t seem as upset as Ustinov had expected, but not thrilled, either.
“I’m sorry, that’s just what I’ve been told,” Ustinov said. “Er – do you believe in aliens?”
“If Stalin does, then we all do,” Cheslav said, standing up and stretching. “I’ll be on my way then. Oh, one more thing – are you familiar with the American agent known as Indiana Jones?”
“Of course,” Ustinov said. “I don’t believe the stories about him, though.”
“You should,” the spy said calmly.
Ustinov scoffed. “Babylonian demons? Nazi zombie insurrections?”
“I don’t know about those details,” Cheslav said, pacing behind his chair, “but the man lives up to his reputation in every degree. And you had better believe that if anything unusual happens at White Sands, Dr. Jones will show up somehow or other. The man has a gift.”
“What are you saying? That we should be on guard?”
“And then some,” Cheslav said. “In my estimation he’s worth at least twenty average agents.” He smiled to himself. “But then again, I worked alongside him during the war, saw his strengths and weaknesses first hand. So maybe I’m exactly the right person to send.”
“I’ll see about getting you a partner,” Ustinov said, but Cheslav had already walked out the door.
Next: Chapter One
