Chapter 11: The Imperial Sanctuary

After an initial inspection, the guards stationed at the steel gate opened the coupling valve between the last car, which was loaded with firearms and ammunition, and the front cars. The Wehrmacht officer and Major Ziegenerk standing at the rear of the train watched calmly, evidently as per higher orders. After the last car was detached, the small train restarted, carrying the newly arrived German soldiers and sailors through the tunnel into another cavern. This cavern, though not as brightly lit as the dock, had guard posts with searchlights sweeping the area, revealing its vastness. It resembled a giant's abode, spanning the area of six or seven football fields, with a ceiling twenty meters high. Given that the dock was above sea level, this cavern was clearly at the base of the mountains. Based on Ziegenerk's earlier hints, Lin En guessed that the Germans had discovered these spaces and carried out expansions and renovations. It was hard to imagine such an impressive underground world existing in the cold north.

Even more surprising was the sight of dozens of brand-new Panther tanks and hundreds of various armored vehicles parked in the well-maintained cavern. Additionally, there were numerous anti-tank guns, howitzers, infantry guns, and stacks of weapon and ammunition crates. Though the equipment appeared plentiful due to its scattered placement, consolidating the spacing could fill only a corner of the cavern, with layers potentially holding an astounding amount of supplies.

The small train continued through the equipment warehouse and passed through a second tunnel-like entrance. The surrounding light dimmed rapidly until only the headlight of the train was visible. Unlike the night fighters, Lin En's eyes lacked night vision capabilities, so he could only see where the headlight pointed. This cavern seemed smaller than the previous one. To the left of the tracks was a grandstand-like area with many seats, now empty but adorned with numerous swastika flags, hinting at its use during grand events. To the right was a vast, flat space, capable of holding thousands of soldiers and tanks in formation. Could this be the projected capacity for the "Aryan Ark" plan?

As Lin En pondered, the small train entered a third tunnel. It had traveled seven or eight kilometers from the dock, a walk that would take at least an hour and a half.

Thanks to Watt, Stephenson, and those who built these tracks and transported the trains here. Lin En marveled at the immense engineering feat. Ziegenerk mentioned this place was discovered two years ago, implying that within two years, the dock, tracks, and electrical systems were completed—excluding unseen aspects. In light of the front-line troop shortages and severe domestic production deficiencies, where did Germany find the labor force for this?

The small train proceeded through a long, narrow, winding tunnel, reminiscent of a subway tunnel. In the narrowest parts, one could almost touch the ceiling. There were lights every few meters, most of which were illuminated. The high-quality facilities seemed beyond the capability of ordinary POWs, suggesting that German forces had retained significant troops in Norway for this secret facility's construction. Such foresight for a fallback plan seemed unlike Hitler's typical character.

After ten minutes, the train exited the tunnel and finally stopped at a platform similar to a large subway station. Everything was still underground, lit by numerous incandescent lights. The platform was comparable to Berlin's Friedrichstrasse station, but without multiple parallel tracks. After the train stopped, Ziegenerk and the Wehrmacht officer disembarked first, overseeing the assembly of the SS and submarine soldiers beside the train. Upon the officers' request, Mottkig and Weist checked the soldiers' numbers before proceeding unarmed.

The group left the platform and walked through a wide passage suitable for two trucks abreast. At a three-way junction, they took the rightmost path, walking about two hundred meters. The temperature and humidity rose quickly, and at a standard double door, the Wehrmacht officer beside Ziegenerk stopped and addressed the group: "Soldiers, this will be your first benefit in the 'sanctuary': a hot bath! Enjoy it, clean yourselves thoroughly, cut your hair, shave, and change into clean clothes! Don't worry about time; the hot water supply here is unlimited!"

Hearing this, the soldiers eagerly prepared for the bath, though the wounded worried about their injuries. Lin En, however, put his concerns aside, filled with questions: unlimited hot water implied geothermal resources. An underground space with a heat source made it an excellent retreat. Were the Third Reich's elites planning to stay here indefinitely?

Upon opening the door, warm steam and the sound of running water greeted them. Towels, soap, hot pools, showers—everything for a luxurious bath was available, except for attendants. Realizing he was still recovering, Lin En begrudgingly joined Tanza and other wounded soldiers for alternative cleaning at the nearby hospital. Medics cleaned their wounds and changed their bandages while the bathhouse echoed with different cries.

Over an hour later, the soldiers regrouped in the corridor, glowing from their baths. Lin En, having washed his hair, cut his hair, and donned a new SS officer uniform, cursed the Russian who shot him. He hoped Goebbels wouldn't forget the favor of shielding his daughter.

With everyone assembled, Ziegenerk led them back to the three-way junction. The patient Wehrmacht officer guided them down the middle path, leading to a massive steel gate where each soldier underwent strict security checks. No weapons or ammunition were allowed inside. After thorough inspections, the guards reported to the likely nearby control room. Once verified, the heavy gate slowly lifted from below. Even before seeing the inside, the light beneath the door hinted at a different environment, stirring the soldiers' curiosity. As the door fully opened, Lin En, at the rear, shifted slightly to glimpse what lay ahead. In the bright expanse, opposite the entrance, stood a row of neat buildings. Following the team forward, he soon heard the front soldiers' awed murmurs. Reaching the entrance, Lin En felt as if he had stepped into a giant beehive: the cavern dwarfed the submarine dock, equipment depot, and parade ground. The opposite stone wall rose thirty to forty meters high, with "buildings" embedded into it like hexagonal cells. Rows alternated, creating a beehive appearance. Bright light came not from an external source but from a colossal chandelier above, composed of numerous small lights, crystals, and mirrors. Gazing at this dazzling chandelier, Lin En was astonished: why create such a complex light fixture instead of focusing on arms production?

The surprises continued. Seeing the soldiers ahead looking left, Lin En turned to behold a grand temple-like structure. Modeled after the Reich Chancellery's facade, it featured twenty-meter-high columns reminiscent of a Greek temple, each draped with massive swastika banners. Atop the portico stood a giant eagle statue, its sharp gaze surveying the front, with stone steps sixty meters wide below. Together, these elements formed a stunning, dreamlike spectacle.

Lin En wasn't a tourist marveling at the pyramids. Distracted, he was reminded by Woflum to "stay focused." The team followed a straight corridor carved into the stone wall, circling the cavern counterclockwise. The other walls were also perforated with many openings, most yet to be built into rooms, giving the appearance of a true insect nest. Hundreds of gray-uniformed workers were constructing with scaffolds, cranes, and carts, resembling a typical construction site. Could these few workers with ordinary equipment have built the "hive" and the "Imperial Sanctuary"?

Impossible, absolutely impossible!

Entering the bottom layer of the "hive," several uniformed female soldiers registered the newcomers. After leaving the harsh battlefield and enduring a long, monotonous journey, the hot bath had relaxed the young men, who now exchanged playful glances and smiles. Captain Mottkig seemed indifferent, but Major Ziegenerk wore a stern face, clearly displeased with the unruly behavior.

Registration and accommodation assignments felt like a college orientation, but Lin En was preoccupied, ignoring the young women's looks. His gaze and thoughts were fixed on the scene outside the clear windows. The "Imperial Sanctuary" stood nearby, a real and imposing structure. Remembering Albert Speer's achievement of completing the Reich Chancellery in a year with 4,500 workers, Lin En wondered if this astounding building was also Speer's work. Under the massive chandelier, a thirty-meter-tall monument was under construction, using concrete, steel, and sand—was this the simple solution to a complex problem?