Prologue

Coexistence

 

 

        Every point in human history has a lingering question hanging over them: What If?

        Some are simple: What if i asked this girl i have a crush on instead of the girl next door who has a crush on me? What if i bought a tv dinner instead of ordering out? What if i watch this movie instead of the one my significant other wants to watch? What if i turn right instead of left?

        Some are more profound and philosophical: What if the Hindenburg didn't explode or the Titanic didn't sink? What if Caesar or Nobunaga weren't assassinated? What if the Crusades never happened? What if slavery never existed? What if irredeemable evil tyrant's like Hitler, Cortez, and the Borgia's were kind rulers who pursued different avenues in life?

        Life is filled with all sorts of what ifs.

        One such What If lies in our past: What if we were visited by a alien race?

        Well... What If we were?

 

 

 

 

        4200 years ago, the tyrant ruler of Babylon, Nimrod, began construction of one of the greatest, but ultimately impossible, technological marvels of his time: The Tower of Babel, a tower said to be so great and immense, it could reach the realm of the gods high, high above. According to legends, to teach humanity a lesson about their folly of forcing their way into his domain, God destroyed the ancient language, creating in its stead everything we use today: English, Spanish, German, Vietnamese, etc. This prevented proper communication between everyone and the Tower left abandoned as the peoples dispersed to all four corners of the Earth. 

        That's how the legends went, anyway... but What If... that is such a powerful phrase, even if it's just rhetorical. 

        What If the Tower of Babel was completed, but instead of entering the Realm of God, humanity instead encountered something... different? What If the construction of the mighty Tower tore open a hole that was trying to be torn for centuries from the other side?

        What If... Inter-dimensional aliens lived with us, all the way to this day?

 

        This is that What If...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        When the Tower of Babel completed its construction, a rip in space and time was formed in the central basin, creating a wormhole to another plane of existence. This was not the Heaven they wanted to find. Through the rip came the Mikazal, a mysterious animal-like race from a dying world that had been trying to enter ours for centuries, but without success. They wished to live alongside us, as the other side of the wormhole revealed a dying land in its death throes. One that would take thousands upon thousands of years, but it was on its death bed none the less.

        But there was a problem right out of the gate, figuratively speaking. The normal Mikazal form could not survive Earth's atmosphere or its gravity. The first to enter was killed within hours. Fortunately, they had a solution: the Mikazal's are shapeshifters, and so they took on forms that could survive our environment, forms similar to beasts found on our planet, both in the present day and in ages long past. From canines to dinosaurs, their new forms allowed them to survive our world.

        The Mikazals were technologically more advanced then us, back then and even today, and they shared with us an astonishing shock: they are us, but from a alternate plane where evolution took a much different turn. The way they explain it is that each being has within it a Soul Wavelength; to put it bluntly, its our cosmic fingerprint. Each being has one that is unique to them, yet a Human and a Mikazal share the same Wavelength. You could say each pair is like two halves of a medallion made whole.

        Over the next 4200 years, humanity and the Mikazal's would form a close, tight-nit bond. The Mikazals would eventually gain the nickname Soul Mates, given how they and us share the same Soul.

        But even with the advancements and the social bonds the Mikazal's provided, some events in history seemed destined to play out as normal, such as the crucifixion, the crusades... and the rise of a evil tyrant who plunged a people into a holocaust and ignited a global war...

 

        

 

 

 

        April 17, 1945. Seelow Heights, Germany. Day 2 of the Soviet Army push into Germany.

 

        Amidst the black night sky, the red and oranges of burning flames illuminated the clouds. Yesterday, the Red Army of Soviet Russia had arrived at Seelow Heights, a quaint country village and one of Germany's eastern-most domains. It was here that the Soviet Army made their push into Nazi Germany for the first time, and was one of the final major battles of World War 2.

        Driving in from the north, having made landfall at the German coast days before, a lone Diamond T 6x6 Transport Truck belonging to the Allied Forces, drove towards the battle, but it was not to render assistance. No... it was for a different reason, one they didn't want the Soviets to learn about.

        Back in the covered cab, a squad of six were checking their gear. Three of them were humans of varying builds and loadouts- one was checking his Springfield sniper rifle while another was hoarding magazines and ammo for his salvaged MP40, whilest the last was making sure his armaments were working properly. 

        The other three were Mikazal's; two had the form and appearance of lions of the Serengeti, while the third appeared like a sabertooth tiger. They were covered in armor, which was moot since their skin is tougher then their Earthly counterparts, but it helps distinguish them on the battlefield. Animals do tend to blend together, after all. All six of them were dressed up in Red Army attire, and there was a reason for this.

        The leader of the squad stood up and pulled out a clear-green gem, a product of Mikazal technology. It glowed, revealing the layout of the battlefield they were approaching. "We all know our mission..." He started to speak as the map updated with his words, providing routes and the location of their target. "According to our turncoat friend, the Nazi's have been working on a weapon underneath Seelow Heights, a weapon that can drastically turn the tide in the Nazi's favor, and one we don't want the Sovies to get their hands on. Our target is the town hall- he says there is a hidden entrance within the mayor's study. Once in, we make our way into the secret facility and destroy it."

        "So why are we in Russian uniforms?" One of the lions asked as it looked down at the distinguishable armband it was forced to wear.

        "To keep the Soviets from getting suspicious. They will not fire on their own comrades, which allows us to focus on Jerry's forces." For those unaware, Jerry is a nickname the American forces used for the Nazi soldiers. "Once we reach the insertion point, we split up into three teams. That way, we have three chances of reaching the target and completing our mission. We're leave the trunk at the insertion point to avoid suspicion. Once the target is destroyed, we rush back and get out of here. We'll be back in London in time for breakfast."

        "It's going to be a blood bath out there, isn't it?" One of the humans asked. 

        "Surveillance shows heavy casualties on both sides, with a lot of heavy firepower. Tanks, artillery, powerful Soul Mates- both sides have 'em and both sides are using 'em." The sounds of whistling artillery reached their ears. They were nearing the battlefield. "Try to avoid conflict as you go- this is a search and destroy mission, but if you have to fight, fight." The five others nodded. The truck screeched to a halt, but they all kept their footing. "Alright!" The three Mikazal's started to glow. "Let's get out there!" 

 

 

        A pair of old, tired eyes opened up to the sound of cop car sirens and shouting neighbors. A empty beer bottle in one hand and a remote in the other, this poor ol' sod closed them again, wanting to forget about that painful mission. It was supposed to be a simple smash... not the disaster that it was...

        He heard the door open, but didn't bother to look. He kept his tired eyes on the television, which was showcasing a tournament between Mikazal's.

        "Uncle Ike, i got food... and you are not going to believe what else." He moved his eyes, not wanting to get up.

        "What do you mean......?"

        "You need to see it to believe it."

        He sighed, forcing himself out of his seat. The television set continued to play as he slumped out. It showed Mikazal's and their human Soul-Mates fighting against each other in a commercial for the tournament. It showed multiple fights, and multiple victories for the duos. The commercial ended with a bright logo- the name for this global tourney...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chaos Theory