Steven was a passionate drone pilot. With his latest drone footage, he aimed to step out of the amateur league and be taken seriously by major production companies.
He knew he needed something extraordinary. Therefore, he decided to embark on a journey to a legendary mountain tribe. He anticipated capturing breathtaking shots of nature. Little did he know that he would unintentionally uncover a centuries-old secret and find himself being chased by the police.
The 500-Year HistoryBased on his preliminary research, these people had been trying to dismiss the famous ancient mountain tale as a fable for 500 years. And now, it was up to him to prove to the world that it was all true!
The drone footage he captured left no room for doubt. And he was ready to share this bombshell with the world. But what exactly did Steven capture in his drone footage? What was this strange 500-year-old story, and why were the locals going to such lengths to keep the truth hidden?
A Documentary on Climate ChangeSteven could have never foreseen the impact his footage from that day would have. He ventured into the mountains to capture stunning aerial shots of the peaks, which surprisingly had no snow.
He was working on a documentary about climate change and intended to use these drone shots as illustrations for a section on the rising temperatures melting ice in normal and icy cold mountainous regions.
Into the MountainsLittle did he know that the footage would never make it into a film or documentary. Steven had gone alone into the mountains that day. He had a small crew in Nepal who were working on the documentary.
The rest of them had scheduled interviews with locals for the day, so Steven decided it would be the best use of his time. After a 3-hour drive into the mountains, he released his drone into the air.
Something Caught His EyeHe had completely modified the drone, enabling it to fly for about an hour. He needed to go as far and high into the mountains as possible to capture the best shots, so he spent 25 minutes on that flight path. He couldn't even see the drone anymore; all he had was the camera footage.
With only 10 minutes available to film as much footage as possible, there was no time to waste. Each shot had to be perfect on the first try, so Steven didn't have time to closely examine what he was filming during the flight. But something still caught his attention.
An Unknown Small Mountain RangeHe was looking for mountains with the least amount of snow, and a small range caught his eye from a distance because it had a lot of snow-free rocks visible. It seemed like the perfect setting for the film.
As the drone hovered over it, Steven noticed something else that made it even more peculiar. Steven was a man on a mission. He had made the trip with friends and colleagues, but he knew that each of them was eager to make their own discoveries.
This meant that he had looked at several aerial images to get a better understanding. But this one was like nothing he had ever seen before. Steven could hardly believe his eyes.
He scanned the camera lens and wiped it to make sure that the view in front of him was real. The more he wiped, the less convinced he became, but nothing changed.
It began to confuse himIt seemed almost too good to be true. The figure in front of him resembled a sleeping woman. A goddess, he thought, bewildered. He watched as the image sharpened as he moved his drone further, but nothing changed. The image remained the same. Now he was confused for an entirely different reason.
If he wasn't imagining things, why was this the first time he had ever seen it? Surely something so amazing would have been well-documented by now. But Steven was quickly drawn to something even more unsettling!
The battery was at about 40%At first, he was too engrossed in the image on the screen to notice the flashing red light, but the accompanying beep soon snapped him out of his thoughts. His battery was low!
It was a sharp jolt back to reality when he looked at the number, which read 40%. If his drone was going to make it back, he needed to turn off the camera and fly it back.
Sleeping BeautySteven couldn't contain his excitement as he steered the drone back. He had brought extra battery packs and would swap them out for further shots.
For the moment, the footage was overwhelming. Soon, he would share the evidence of his "Sleeping Beauty" resting above the mountains. He knew it would be incredible, but he never expected this outcome.
The drone landed in the snowSteven had turned off the camera to ensure the safe descent of the drone, but even that wasn't enough to bring it back to him safely. The battery was drained, and the drone fell into the snow.
Steven sighed in frustration but was relieved that he could make the climb up to retrieve it. However, what he saw after his arduous ascent left him even more flabbergasted!
Steven reached the summitIt took Steven about an hour to reach the top. He was exhausted and out of breath. He knelt down and took a moment to catch his breath before his eyes searched for his drone.
But instead of his expensive equipment, his gaze fell upon a middle-aged woman dressed in traditional attire. And she did not look pleased to see him up here on the mountain peak.
Steven knew that some tribes lived up in the mountains, isolated from the rest of the world. He wanted to explain himself, but she started yelling in a foreign language.
Steven didn't understand a word of what she said, but it was clear from her tone that she was very angry. She reached out her hands, and that's when he saw it! He recoiled in shock.
His drone was torn to piecesIn her hands was some kind of stick, and she swung it and screamed. But that wasn't what caught Steven's gaze. Steven's gaze fixated on the object behind her.
His drone was crushed into tiny pieces in the snow! This strange woman had just destroyed months of his savings, and he had no idea why! He felt sick to his stomach.
Now things had escalatedAt this point, Steven had lost his composure as well. The two of them were now screaming at each other in languages that were foreign to the other. But neither of them backed down. Steven was angry about his expensive equipment, and the lady was angry about his presence. But things took an unexpected turn.
The lady pulled out an axe! Steven fell silent in astonishment. This had gone far beyond an angry argument, and he felt his life was in danger. Seeing no other way out, he made a leap of faith, ducking into a ball as he slid down the snow from the edge of the cliff. He prayed that he would make it down safely.
Luckily, he didFortunately, the mountain was heavily snowed. Steven had a bumpy but still safe ride down. When he reached the bottom, Steven had lost his drone, the batteries, and admittedly, some of his male pride.
But he was safe, and fortunately, the footage from the drone was safe too because he had set it to automatically upload to the cloud.
Why did she destroy his drone?The journey back to his lodge was stressful, and Steven felt exhausted. He still wasn't sure what had upset her so much. Perhaps he had intruded into her private territory?
He admitted that it had probably worsened the situation to yell at her in a foreign language. But that was a puzzle for another day. For now, he had one goal in mind.
It had been a long dayThe cabin was warm, and Steven was relieved to be back in town with hot water and without angry women wielding axes. He still couldn't believe the turn his day had taken!
As he reviewed the footage on his laptop, he was glad it had been saved. It had been a long day, and he needed some rest, but not before taking care of one final thing!
Steven dragged himself out of bed the next morning as someone pounded loudly on his hotel room door. He had specifically requested not to be disturbed as he wanted to sleep in.
So he assumed it was one of his colleagues coming to discuss something important. He was already looking forward to trumping their discovery with his own. But these were unexpected guests.
Many policemenAs Steven glanced through the peephole, he saw a large group of local police officers waiting outside his door. He felt a jolt of alarm as they did not seem happy at all.
From the expressions on the uniformed officers' faces, Steven could tell they were under immense stress. One of the officers even had his hand on his weapon, ready to shoot.
He didn't want to open the doorFeeling somewhat anxious, Steven asked the police officers through the closed door what they wanted. He was determined not to open the door unless they revealed their intentions.
But the police officers didn't waste time. Steven received a clear warning that they would break down his door if he didn't voluntarily open it within five seconds. He had no choice.
Jumping out of the hotel windowIn a split second, Steven had to make a decision. He quickly grabbed his pre-packed To-Go bag and jumped out of the hotel room window onto the fire escape.
He hadn't expected the jump to be so high. His ankles hurt significantly upon landing. But for the time being, he had managed to escape the furious police officers!
EscapeHe made his way down quickly, hearing his door being smashed open behind him. He had no idea what the police officers wanted from him, but it couldn't be good.
Could it have something to do with the drone footage he had taken yesterday? Did the woman who looked like a recluse end up having a cell phone and calling the police?
What was going on?First, the strange woman, now the local police. Something was happening here, and the only way to find out was to carefully examine the footage at peace.
Then Steven's heart skipped a beat. Did he take his phone with him from the hotel room? Panicking, he patted his pockets. Thankfully, he had it with him. Now he could review the footage on his phone.
Hidden PlaceSteven stumbled upon a hidden spot and began replaying the footage from the beginning. He carefully scanned the surroundings, ensuring he remained unnoticed.
Initially, there was nothing remarkable, so he rewound and played the recording again. It was only on the third viewing that something suddenly caught his attention, eliciting a startled gasp.
Just a MythThe shape of the mountain range reminded him of something. It triggered a faint memory, but he couldn't place where he had seen it before. He knew he had encountered this figure previously, but where? And then, it clicked.
It resembled the mountains described in a local folklore that had been passed down for at least 500 years. Although the people in the area had always dismissed it as a myth, Steven wondered if it could be more than that—a hidden reality.
The Cave's ExistencePerhaps the melting snow finally revealed the mountains that were believed not to exist. And if the story was to be believed, there was said to be a cave near the "head" of the mountain. Steven had to find out if it was true.
The fact that the locals reacted so intensely, most likely because they had been captured by the mountain, made Steven believe it even more. They had probably known about it all along. He had to investigate further.
Winter Attire PurchaseHowever, Steven realized that mere stories and footage wouldn't make anyone believe him. He needed more evidence, and the only place to find it was within the "Head" cave. Yet, reaching that cave would be an arduous task. He had to prepare himself thoroughly for the long journey through the icy plains.
He purchased new winter attire and supplies from a non-local store and set off towards the mountain. It could take several days, but Steven didn't care; he was determined to reveal this secret.
Local Police AuthorityGetting back into the mountains wasn't easy. The local police now protected the area much more rigorously than before. Steven hoped his new clothing would allow him to go unnoticed.
Luckily, the police didn't have the manpower or resources to control the entire area. Nevertheless, he steered clear of the busiest roads to avoid detection.
A Clear PathSteven managed to sneak by without much trouble, and once past the local village, he had a clear path towards the mountains and, hopefully, the mysterious cave. But then, something he thought he was well-prepared for happened.
One of his big toes began to freeze slightly. He paused for a moment to warm his toe. Luckily, he succeeded and continued his journey. However, cold was not his only concern. Steven constantly feared being discovered and arrested by the locals or, worse, the police.
The CaveBut luckily, that didn't happen, and Steven managed to reach what he believed to be the "head" of the mountain range. After more than twenty hours of trekking, he arrived at the mountain, now needing to search for the elusive cave.
He didn't have to search for long. Just as the story had told, there was indeed a cave here. Steven could hardly contain his curiosity as he laid eyes on it. He was eager to enter. However, he wasn't the only one who had made it here so quickly.
Making a ChoiceIn the distance, he could see a large group of people approaching, dressed in traditional regional clothing. The group consisted of at least fifteen individuals, with the exact count still unclear from this distance. But it seemed like they were coming towards him. They were undoubtedly coming to secure the cave.
Steven had to make a choice now. Escape while he still could or enter the cave to uncover the truth, knowing he would likely be captured by the locals. The right choice was obvious, but Steven simply couldn't let go of this opportunity.
The TreasureHe dashed into the cave, immediately hearing the commotion behind him. The locals had spotted him and were giving chase. He had no time to think. It was now or never. He couldn't turn back anymore. Despite barely being able to see, he decided to proceed further into the cave.
He ran deep into the cave for about 5 minutes before finally stumbling upon what he had been searching for. The story was true. He shined his flashlight into the darkness, and there it was. He couldn't believe his eyes. The hidden golden treasures of the indigenous people!
No NetworkAs he heard the locals' footsteps drawing closer, he took a quick photo and prepared a post to share his discovery with the world. But his phone had no network signal in the cave.
He locked his screen and unlocked it seconds later. Fortunately, it worked. The phone found a network. Now all he had to do was send the image, but then he heard something behind him.
Locals enterThe locals burst into the room and came to a stop when they saw Steven standing there with his phone. "Don't send the picture," they shouted. "Haven't sent it yet," Steven replied. As Steven explained his intentions, they were immediately willing to negotiate.
They only wanted to ensure the safety of their ancestors' treasure. They didn't even want to sell it for profit or anything like that. They just wanted to protect it. And Steven understood that. In the end, they struck a deal.
An Incredible StoryThey arranged for Steven to leave, on the condition that he promised not to publish the photos. The locals now wanted to secure the treasure in a safe place, ensuring no one would ever find it again.
Steven left the cave and began the long journey back. Although he didn't have any pictures or treasures anymore, he had an incredible story to share with his friends and family.