The Hohenzollern Empire 5: Holy Phoenix - An Empire of Jerusalem Megacampaign in New World Order

[CaptainAlvious]

That update did remind me a while lot of Exorcist, I wonder what that movie is like here.

And at the end of the book, Valentin would start World War III with China. I haven't read Joe Steele, so I don't know how to end my adaptation. Fatherland, due to its name, would focus more on Angeloi society after victory in World War II.


That would be hilarious.


Molotov might work as well, maybe as a spinoff of Valentin's Joe Steele.

What would we call Joe Steele through since I don’t know of any German names that would work with Valentin or Molotov?
Also I can’t remember if the Grasshopper Lies Heavy was discussed in depth even through you said it was mentioned in Hoi3 so I’m still confused about it. I guess it would follow an Angeloi dominated world since the Man in the High Castle covers the Rasas. Same thing for the Wolfenstein games most likely.

SJWs would be more moderate, because anything more would bring accusations of equalism. Antifa, like in real life, would remain a loose association of moderately left-wing organizations who protest (peacefully, because if they escalate they could be arrested as "equalist saboteurs") against members of the far right. There would still be far left terrorists led by splinter cells of the RAF, but Antifa would not be one of them (it doesn't even meet the requirements to be a single organization).

Tumblr would be a haven for the far right, unfortunately. Neo Angeloi groups would be more violent than in real life, but the government cracks down on them even harder than the far left. There are very strong anti-fascist laws in place to crush every group as soon as it is detected. But the religious right, though...

I guess 4 chan would be home to some Far left groups for irony then and because Tumblr now has far right groups. I wonder what social media sights would be used by moderate left groups and (on the cultural level) fandoms for TV, Movies, Video Games and Books among other pieces of fiction.

Sadly, Mark Twain does not exist. I don't know how to rewrite him into Roman society or any German/Greek author I could replace him with (except maybe Goethe, but he died three years before Mark Twain was born).

That’s ashame, through I might an idea for Mark Twain to exist if we have him be born in Hyberina, Caledonia or Britianina (specially Cornwall) since he did have ancestry to those areas and not every Roman figure has to be Greek or German necessarily. He could then move to the Rhineland so that we can have the Rhein act as sort of a replacement for the Mississippi River that influenced Mark Twain’s childhood. I guess Huckleberry Fin and Tom Swawer would be based on the informal discrimination minorities faced since he himself would technically be a minority I think due to being born in the British isles instead of Germania. Kind of like To Kill a Mockingbird.

While I’m on minorities, what happened to Jese Owens and the Muslim and Jewish athletes from the 1936 Olympics since Jesé Owens was mentioned in Hoi3 and in real life he was actually acknowledged by Hitlier and snubbed by FDR (him playing in the Olympics represented challenging both “Aryan supremacy” and American racism). I assume that in TTL Otto would praise Jese Owens in the olympics but he would probably be blocked by Angelos from shaking his hand and congratulating him.

I remember “Imperium Sine Fine” in Hoi3 so I assume it was the Angeloi’s equlievent of Lebensraum.

 

[Michaelangelo]

You're going to run out of the usual alien/ghost/clone/robot conspiracies at the rate Angie and Anders are going through these cases.

 

[zenphoenix]

That update did remind me a while lot of Exorcist, I wonder what that movie is like here.

It would be mostly the same, though there will be more Orthodox elements involved in the exorcism rituals.

What would we call Joe Steele through since I don’t know of any German names that would work with Valentin or Molotov?

Not really a direct translation, but I just chose place names that sounded similar.
Valentin Ivanovich Varennikov = Valentin Ivanitz (the name Valentin is also a German name)
Vyacheslav Molotov = Victor Moldau.

Based on how hard it was to find Valentin's Germanized name, I'd say we go with Molotov in Joe Steele. Plus Victor Moldau sounds much cooler.

Also I can’t remember if the Grasshopper Lies Heavy was discussed in depth even through you said it was mentioned in Hoi3 so I’m still confused about it. I guess it would follow an Angeloi dominated world since the Man in the High Castle covers the Rasas. Same thing for the Wolfenstein games most likely.

Since Man in the High Castle exists, the Grasshopper Lies Heavy also exists. While Man in the High Castle focuses on a Rasa-dominated world after an Angeloi betrayal, Grasshopper Lies Heavy focuses on a world in which the Axis lost, with some minor differences to "real life," notably that the main competition in the Cold War is between the Reich and China. I think Wolfenstein is best if it stays focused on the Angeloi.

I guess 4 chan would be home to some Far left groups for irony then.

The far right and far left would run 4chan like rival gangs would rule different parts of a city. They'd each control certain pages on 4chan, and occasionally they would go to war, launching troll attacks on each other's pages and sending users to take over "enemy" pages and kick out the other side's users. The moderators gave up long ago in the name of "fighting censorship."

I wonder what social media sights would be used by moderate left groups and (on the cultural level) fandoms for TV, Movies, Video Games and Books among other pieces of fiction.

Ironically, Reddit and Twitter would be used by the moderate left. Most fandoms would skew toward the left.

That’s ashame, through I might an idea for Mark Twain to exist if we have him be born in Hyberina, Caledonia or Britianina (specially Cornwall) since he did have ancestry to those areas and not every Roman figure has to be Greek or German necessarily. He could then move to the Rhineland so that we can have the Rhein act as sort of a replacement for the Mississippi River that influenced Mark Twain’s childhood. I guess Huckleberry Fin and Tom Swawer would be based on the informal discrimination minorities faced since he himself would technically be a minority I think due to being born in the British isles instead of Germania. Kind of like To Kill a Mockingbird.

I understand what you're saying, but even if I make him a Hibernian/Caledonian/Britannian, I still need to give him a German name, and Samuel Clemens still sounds too American English to work. I already have too many English figures, mostly Babelsberg celebrities I couldn't find German names or replacements for (I explained it away by saying Babelsberg is mostly dominated by Anglo-Saxons).

While I’m on minorities, what happened to Jese Owens and the Muslim and Jewish athletes from the 1936 Olympics since Jesé Owens was mentioned in Hoi3 and in real life he was actually acknowledged by Hitlier and snubbed by FDR (him playing in the Olympics represented challenging both “Aryan supremacy” and American racism). I assume that in TTL Otto would praise Jese Owens in the olympics but he would probably be blocked by Angelos from shaking his hand and congratulating him.

That makes sense. Also, Angelos would try to bribe and threaten the IOC into revoking Jesse Owens' medal.

I remember “Imperium Sine Fine” in Hoi3 so I assume it was the Angeloi’s equlievent of Lebensraum.

Imperium Sine Fine was indeed their equivalent of Lebensraum.

Not the smoothest joint operation for Angela and Anders with the Inquisition. The Calusari aren't as cooperative as Anders' pals, at least.

But hey, at least they got the job done. Or did they?

You're going to run out of the usual alien/ghost/clone/robot conspiracies at the rate Angie and Anders are going through these cases.

Well, there's a lot of Supernatural lore I can still draw from.

 

[CaptainAlvious]

I understand what you're saying, but even if I make him a Hibernian/Caledonian/Britannian, I still need to give him a German name, and Samuel Clemens still sounds too American English to work. I already have too many English figures, mostly Babelsberg celebrities I couldn't find German names or replacements for (I explained it away by saying Babelsberg is mostly dominated by Anglo-Saxons).

I think Sigisumd Clemens works for Mark Twain´s birth name since Sigisumd sounds really close to Samuel and I think Clemens is a German or at least European name. But I understand if you don´t think that would work since that name does sound a bit too Noble for Mark Twain´s background.

That makes sense. Also, Angelos would try to bribe and threaten the IOC into revoking Jesse Owens' medal.

That makes sense, through I am wondering what happend to Jesse Owens and the Muslim and Jewish Athletes during the war and if they survived it since the Angeloi would most likely have their own equivalent of ¨Aryan Supremacy¨ like the Rasas.

Is it weird that I was expecting a parody of the most famous scene in the Exorcist in that update. You know, when the demon child spurs out some particular curses directed at one of the characters and their mother. I guess that since possessed Karl can´t say those curses in English due to obvious forum rules, I pretty sure he said those things in Latin or Dacian or some other old language.

 

[zenphoenix]

I think Sigisumd Clemens works for Mark Twain´s birth name since Sigisumd sounds really close to Samuel and I think Clemens is a German or at least European name. But I understand if you don´t think that would work since that name does sound a bit too Noble for Mark Twain´s background.

Samuel can be a German name, but Clemens doesn't really sound German. I might just make it French-sounding (Samuel Clemence) instead, but I'd rather not got through the trouble of Germanizing all of the American writers.

That makes sense, through I am wondering what happend to Jesse Owens and the Muslim and Jewish Athletes during the war and if they survived it since the Angeloi would most likely have their own equivalent of ¨Aryan Supremacy¨ like the Rasas.

A lot of the Muslim athletes were deported to India, where they were killed. Owens survived, as did the Jewish athletes, by lying low and avoiding trouble during the war.

Is it weird that I was expecting a parody of the most famous scene in the Exorcist in that update. You know, when the demon child spurs out some particular curses directed at one of the characters and their mother. I guess that since possessed Karl can´t say those curses in English due to obvious forum rules, I pretty sure he said those things in Latin or Dacian or some other old language.

I honestly haven't watched The Exorcist, so that scene never crossed my mind. If I do another story with an exorcism in it, I might try that, though.

 

[zenphoenix]

Syndicate, Part 1​

Eibar, Euskadi – April 9, 1995, 6:00 AM

The ground shook, and Alberto Garcia-Diaz woke up. The old man walked outside, where he saw his grandson Pablo getting on a motorcycle.

“Where are you going?” Alberto asked.

“Riding,” Pablo said, “I'll be back in a few hours.”

“Pablo, leave the snakes alone today,” Alberto said, “They'll be angry and afraid.”

“What is it?” Pablo said.

“The Earth has a secret it needs to tell,” Alberto said.

Pablo rode off into the hills, where he found a red rock pit. As he drove through the pit, he noticed the top of a buried metal object. Pablo got off and approached the object, wiping sand off to reveal a hatch. Realizing what he found, he got back on his motorcycle and drove back to the town.

“I found something!” he said. “Better come see!”

Alberto and six other people got in their cars and drove with Pablo back to the quarry, where they crowded around the object.

“What do you think it is?” Pablo asked.

“Don’t know,” another townsman said.

Alberto said something in Basque and went back to his car.

“What did he say?” Pablo asked.

“He said it should be returned,” the townsman said, “They will be coming.”


[REDACTED] – April 10, 1995, 10:00 AM

“The Thinker,” or Skye as she called herself, leaned back in her chair, reading “The 50 Greatest Conspiracies of All Time.” Her computer whirred in the background as it repeatedly input random passwords into a website. When she got to the page about Trotsky’s assassination (number 26 on the list), her computer beeped, and the seal of the Bureau of Defense appeared.

“Beautiful!” Skye exclaimed, connecting an external hard drive to her computer.


United Nations Headquarters, UN Island, Vienna – 10:03 AM

A diplomat walked down the hallway and knocked on a door. Someone cursed in Farsi.

“What is it, Reza?” the official said.

“Someone has broken into the MJ documents, Ali,” Reza said.

Ali opened the door. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Reza walked in and locked the door behind him. “I wouldn’t be here if I were kidding.”

Ali cursed again and picked up his phone.

“Who would do such a thing?” Ali said, dialing a number.

“I don’t know, but they’re going to be in a lot of trouble,” Reza said.


Nanjing, China

The Chinese Minister of Defense picked up the phone and listened. Then he cursed.

“From where did you hear this?” he said. “Has everyone been told? … Alright, I’ll make the next call.”

He hung up and dialed another number.


Delhi, India

“Yes, I understand,” the Indian Ambassador to the United Nations said, “No, this is their problem. They must take care of it promptly.”

He hung up and dialed another number.


[REDACTED], the Reich

The smoking man answered his phone. “Yeah?”

“You are familiar with the MJ file?” the Indian ambassador said.

“Haan,” the smoking man said, “I have already taken care of it.”

“Good,” the Indian ambassador said, hanging up.

The smoking man turned back to the other men in the conference room.

“Gentlemen, that was the phone call I never wanted to get,” he said.


Skye’s apartment, [REDACTED] – 10:15 AM

Black-ops soldiers kicked down Skye’s door and stormed the apartment, their guns ready. They found it was empty.


Anders’ apartment, Psamathia, Constantinople – April 11, 1995, 9:00 AM

As Anders got water from his tap, he heard a knocking on his door. He opened the door and found the Lone Gunmen standing there.

“What are you guys doing here?” he asked.

“Can we talk inside?” Ragnar said.

“I'm not feeling well,” Anders said, “I didn't sleep last night. I'm really not in the mood for the three stooges.”

“I don't think we've been followed,” Rudolf said.

“Who would follow you?” Anders said.

“Multinational black-ops unit,” Ragnar said, “Code name Gebhard.”

“Trained killers,” Reinhard said, “School of the Imperial Alumni.”

“Have you boys been defacing library books again?” Anders said.

“They don't want us,” Ragnar said, “They want her.”

“Skye,” Anders said, “She didn't give a last name.”

“We think that's her real name,” Reinhard said.

“You've heard us refer to her as The Thinker,” Ragnar said.

“What did she do?” Anders said.

“Hacked into the Bureau of Defense computer network,” Ragnar said.

“WHAT?!” Anders said.

“Skye’s a snoop and the closest thing you could get to an anarchist without going equalist,” Rudolf said, “Whatever she got into has made her a very wanted woman. They've labeled her an equalist terrorist with ties to the RAF, armed and extremely dangerous. Customs and immigration are on full alert. Every port of igress is closed.”

“What are you coming to me for?” Anders said.

“In her last communique, The Thinker named a meeting place and a three hour time window,” Ragnar said, “She asked specifically for you.”

“The only problem is she may already be dead,” Anders said.

A shot rang out. They all rushed out to find neighbors standing around another apartment.

“What happened?” Anders said.

“She just shot her husband,” a woman said, “They'd been married since the end of the last war. It's like she went crazy. Gulf War Syndrome, I tell you.”

A police officer arrived. “Everybody go back to your apartment, we'll handle this.”

“Weirdness,” Rudolf said.


Imperial Botanical Garden, Kyparades Park – 2:00 PM

Anders sat on a bench and waited. After a few minutes, a young woman dressed in all black sat down next to him. Her face and hair were mostly obscured by a shawl and surgical mask, revealing only her eyes.

“How do you do, fellow truth seeker?” she said.

“Skye?” Anders said.

“That’s not my name... I don't want you to know my real name,” Skye said, “I... I just don't think it's that important that you know.”

“Sounds like a line I used in a bar back in freshman year,” Anders said, “You ever been to the Arcadia Bar and Restaurant? It's schnitzel is something to die for.”

“Look, I'm sorry about the wait but I kind of got this ninja party shaking my butt,” Skye said.

“Wow, rude,” Anders said. “Why? What've you got?”

“Well, if I'm correct, which I usually am, I got the original Bureau of Defense UFO intelligence files and reports,” Skye said, “Everything from the 1940's on.”

“Everything?” Anders said.

“Everything,” Skye said, “Agadir, Majestic 12—they call it MJ12—and beyond.”

“Sentinel?” Anders said.

“No, nothing on that,” Skye said.

“You've read them?” Anders said.

“Not entirely,” Skye said, “I downloaded all I could and then I split. I mean, I knew that these guys would be after me.”

“What makes you think they know who you are?” Anders said.

“I didn't take any precautions,” Skye said, handing Anders a package, “I mean I... I didn't even expect to get inside.”

“You know they always denied that these files even existed,” Anders said, “What do you want from me?”

“I want the truth,” Skye said, “And I want you to promise those rats answer to the people.”

 

[TheAnguishedOne]

And Skye walks up with the smoking gun Anders has been needing all this time. The question is whether or not he'll get to use it.

 

[CaptainAlvious]

Samuel can be a German name, but Clemens doesn't really sound German. I might just make it French-sounding (Samuel Clemence) instead, but I'd rather not got through the trouble of Germanizing all of the American writers.

That’s reasonable, through I wonder if that means other classic American authors like Edgar Allen Poe wouldn’t exist since those names don’t fit with German. It would be ashame if Poe didn’t exist here, especially since their are plenty of nice narrations of his stories by Christopher Lee in OTL like this.

I also wonder when did Hitlier here go from a court painter to an animator and film maker since during Hoi3 and Vicky 2 he was Otto’s court painter and Disney found his company in 1923 in real life. I assume during the thritees Hitlier (or Schkelgruber) would being drawing cartoons and then his first film in Snow White in 1937 after developing his art skills in his painting career. Then when WW2 begins, he would probably want to contribute to the loyalist cause even through he couldn’t fight in the war, so would probably become more dedicated to animation in order to produce loyalist cartoons and animations similar to Disney’s propaganda cartoons in OTL, thus beginning Hitlier’s animation company. After and during the war, I think he would go on to become dedicated to animation and film making, making him one of the most influential animators in animation in general. At least, that’s a general idea for what I think Hitlier would be like as Disney here.

 

[zenphoenix]

And Skye walks up with the smoking gun Anders has been needing all this time. The question is whether or not he'll get to use it.

You're assuming that is the real smoking gun...

That’s reasonable, through I wonder if that means other classic American authors like Edgar Allen Poe wouldn’t exist since those names don’t fit with German. It would be ashame if Poe didn’t exist here, especially since their are plenty of nice narrations of his stories by Christopher Lee in OTL like this.

Shelley would still exist (even though she's British), so I imagine she'll replace Poe.

I also wonder when did Hitlier here go from a court painter to an animator and film maker since during Hoi3 and Vicky 2 he was Otto’s court painter and Disney found his company in 1923 in real life. I assume during the thritees Hitlier (or Schkelgruber) would being drawing cartoons and then his first film in Snow White in 1937 after developing his art skills in his painting career. Then when WW2 begins, he would probably want to contribute to the loyalist cause even through he couldn’t fight in the war, so would probably become more dedicated to animation in order to produce loyalist cartoons and animations similar to Disney’s propaganda cartoons in OTL, thus beginning Hitlier’s animation company. After and during the war, I think he would go on to become dedicated to animation and film making, making him one of the most influential animators in animation in general. At least, that’s a general idea for what I think Hitlier would be like as Disney here.

Hitler/Schikelgruber (I may have forgotten how to spell his name, it's been a while) would have been drawing cartoons on the side during his time as court painter (and as an intern to the court painter of Otto's regency). He created Mickey Mouse in 1928 for the Kaiser's coronation, and the Kaiser encouraged him to draw more. He began developing feature animated films about people and events from both German folklore (brothers Grimm) and traditional mythology (Norse, Greco-Roman mostly) starting with Snow White in 1937. When World War II begins, he is quickly evacuated to Constantinople with the Kaiser, forcing him to the Loyalist side (though he already hated Markos Angelos for banning his movies from theaters in 1938 for "subversive themes"). During the war, like many Babelsberg producers he would release propaganda films promoting the Loyalist side, but unlike other filmmakers his films were also smuggled into Angelo-occupied territories by the Resistance as to provide morale and serve as a recruitment tool. This saw the beginning of his animation company in 1943. After the war, he'd retire from painting for the Kaiser and his family (his last portrait would be of an infant Elisabeth Alexandra with her parents) and work at his company full time, becoming one of the most influential animators in the film industry. His company would go on to become one of the largest entertainment firms in the Reich.

 

[zenphoenix]

Syndicate, Part 2​

X-Division – April 12, 1995, 8:00 AM

Anders looked at the tape and put it into his computer just as Angela walked in.

“Anders, Dad’s looking for you,” Angela said.

“Come in and lock the door,” Anders said.

“Why, what's going on?” Angela said.

“Are you familiar with the ten commandments Angie?” Anders said.

“You want me to recite them and the other 603?” Angela said. “Yes, Diana told me them all one day when I was visiting the Berlin office.”

“No, just number 4, the one about obeying the sabbath, the part about where God made Heaven and Earth but didn't bother to tell anybody about his side projects,” Anders said.

“What are you talking about?” Angela said. “Leviathans?”

“The biggest lie of all,” Anders said, clicking his mouse.

The screen showed the seal of the Bureau of the Defense and the words “TOP SECRET.”

“Did you finally find Sentinel?” Angela said.

“I wish, but this is just as good,” Anders said, “The Holy Grail. The original files. Hard evidence that the government has known about the existence of extraterrestrials for over fifty years.”

“Where did you get this?” Angela said. “X? Grandpa’s ghost?”

“Your friendly neighborhood totally-not-equalist,” Anders said.

He clicked to the next page, but the text was just gibberish. He threw another pencil at the ceiling and cursed.

“I don’t believe this,” he said, “This is just gibberish. Damn it. I'm so sick of this crap, BS and double talk. I can't believe this.”

“Anders, this may not be gibberish,” Angela said.

“It's a joke, Angie, it's a bad joke,” Anders said.

“I think it's just encrypted, and I think I recognize it,” Angela said, “It looks like Basque. It was used in the last two wars. Grandpa and Dad told me it was the only code the Angeloi, Rasas, Chinese, and Soviets couldn't break, I... I remember the large numbers of z’s and k’s.”

"Well can you find out?" Anders said.

"Well only a handful of people can decipher it," Angela said.

Anders got up and walked out. "Then find one of em."

"Anders," Angela said, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just haven't been sleeping," Anders said.

As he passed Erich's office, Erich walked out, a cup of coffee in his hand.

"Agent Humboldt, I need to speak with you," he said.

"About?" Anders said.

"In my office," Erich said.

Anders sighed. "Why? Is this another jerk off assignment where I end up doing the government's dirty work?"

"It's about a rumor that you may be in possession of some sensitive files," Erich said, "Schulz informed me the RSB's been alerted to a major security breach involving those files."

"I don't know anything about that, Uncle," Anders said.

He turned and walked away.

"Anders, listen..." Erich said. "Hey, I'm talking to you..."

He grabbed Anders' shoulder and Anders punched him in the face. Erich punched him back.

"Are we done?!" Erich said. "We're done."


April 13, 1995, 9:00 AM

Angela walked into a conference room with Erich, Deputy Director Schulz, Section Chief Freiburg, and several other directors.

"Agent Hansen, you heard about the incident here, in the hallway yesterday," Schulz said.

"Yes sir," Angela said.

"Do you have any explanation as to Agent Humboldt's bizarre behavior?" Schulz said.

"No sir," Angela said, "Agent Humboldt told me he was having trouble sleeping."

"You may recall Agent Humboldt confided to me about the loss of his sister," Schulz said, "Do you think Agent Humboldt confides in you, Agent Hansen?"

"Of course, he's my partner," Angela said.

"Your partner and cousin," Freiburg said, "Weren't you originally assigned to Agent Humboldt to debunk his work?"

"Yes sir," Angela said, "I've been writing regular reports stating the validity of Agent Humboldt's work on the X-Division. I would be more that glad to discuss with you Agent Humboldt's insistence that the ash of burnt dried wood did not exist, despite it clearly existing and the scanning machines malfunctioning that day."

"Would you lie to protect him?" Freiburg said.

"Am I accused of lying?" Angela said.

"Agent Humboldt has been advised of a disciplinary hearing," Freiburg said, "If there's something we learn at that meeting that you haven't stated today, you could be subject to the same summary action."

"What action is that?" Angela said.

"Dismissal without chance of reinstatement," Schulz said.

Angela turned to Erich. "Is that all, Director?"

Erich nodded. "Yes, thank you."


Mainz, Rhineland

The doorbell rang. Conrad answered the door and found the smoking man outside.

"Hello Conrad," the smoking man said.

"What are you doing here?" Conrad said. "You know I'm retired."

"I've come on some pressing business," the smoking man said.

"We had agreed that you would never..." Conrad said.

"That was a long time ago, Conrad," the smoking man said, "There have been some unforeseen events."

Conrad sighed. "Maybe I should've stayed in the Inquisition."

He opened the door and let the smoking man walk in. They sat down at a table.

"Not a bad career choice, in retrospect," the smoking man said, "Heard they give a lot of great perks these days."

"Health care, dental, day care, religious services, retirement," Conrad said, "All I got were the Angeloi and the deaths of my friends. But I guess that's how they attract recruits in the age of Tesla Dynamic and Eurisko."

"Eurisko's dead, Conrad," the smoking man said, "Your grandson had a role in that."

He lit another cigarette. "But I'm not here to discuss the tech industry. Actually, I sort of am. You know our files? Somebody hacked our system and made off with most of them."

Conrad cursed. "No one was supposed to know."

"Who could have predicted the future, Conrad?" the smoking man said. "That the computers that you and I only dreamed of would someday be home appliances capable of the most technical espionage."

"The files should have been destroyed," Conrad said, "Especially after what happened to my granddaughter."

"They should have, but they weren't," the smoking man said, "Regret is an inevitable consequence of life. You can't win everything. I believe your late friend Engelbert told you that."

"How do you know my grandson has them?" Conrad said.

"A good spy never reveals his sources," the smoking man said, "And after what Anders got into these last few months, I wouldn't be surprised if he had them."

"You can't be serious," Conrad said.

"As always we maintain plausible denial," the smoking man said, "The files are only as real as their possible authentication."

"My name is in those files," Conrad said, "As are Hans' and Annie's."

"The files have been encrypted of course," the smoking man said, "We have a certain luxury of time. We endeavored to prevent that fact from ever coming to light."

"You wouldn't... harm him?" Conrad said.

"I've protected him this long, haven't I?" the smoking man said. "Your grandson has been provident in the alliances that he's created. The last thing we need is a martyr in a crusade."

"But if he should learn of my involvement..." Conrad said. "Look at how he treats Walter."

"You're your own man, Conrad," the smoking man said, "You always have been. You're not your son. But I strongly encourage you in that event, to deny everything. It's good to see you again, Conrad. You look well."

The smoking man got up and left.

 

[TheAnguishedOne]

The smoking man has been protecting Anders? Man, he's awful at his work then. Hasn't Anders nearly died about a dozen times?

 

[zenphoenix]

The smoking man has been protecting Anders? Man, he's awful at his work then. Hasn't Anders nearly died about a dozen times?

The emphasis is on nearly.

 

[CaptainAlvious]

I think I´ve found some cultural discussions between you and Spendabuck in pages 22-23, mostly on the Roman equivalents on US cities like Los Angeles and San Diego, maybe you can can put those in the table of contents as well even through they are brief. Also can we have biographies on Mussolini and Goebbels since I remember they worked together as journalists in HOI3 if I recall. Maybe Stalin too since I´m wondering how he became Eccumenical Patriach.

I also noticed the Alwine seemed to disapprove of the movie Casablanca during the End of history story arch and I´ḿ wondering how far did it deviate from her book and the history of the events at Casablanca their for her to disprove of it and still win Oscars?

 

[zenphoenix]

I think I´ve found some cultural discussions between you and Spendabuck in pages 22-23, mostly on the Roman equivalents on US cities like Los Angeles and San Diego, maybe you can can put those in the table of contents as well even through they are brief.

I'll take a look at those after I post the next update.

Also can we have biographies on Mussolini and Goebbels since I remember they worked together as journalists in HOI3 if I recall. Maybe Stalin too since I´m wondering how he became Eccumenical Patriach.

I'll think about it.

I also noticed the Alwine seemed to disapprove of the movie Casablanca during the End of history story arch and I´ḿ wondering how far did it deviate from her book and the history of the events at Casablanca their for her to disprove of it and still win Oscars?

Well, it just follows the traditional Hollywood formula of boy rescues girl and fights Angeloi, so it would be almost the same as the original Casablanca, which is already very different from what her book is based on.

 

[zenphoenix]

Syndicate, Part 3​

Anders' apartment - 9:00 PM

As Anders slept, someone walked up to him. He woke up and reached for his gun. Angela tossed a bag of sunflower seeds in his face. He rolled over.

"You didn't answer your door," she said.

"Oh, I took a pill," Anders said.

"I couldn't find you at work," Angela said, "I was worried about you. Dad and Schulz are, despite what they might say. Freiburg has it out for you."

"I came home," Anders said, "I must be running a fever. Maybe it's the threat of being burnt at the stake."

"Freiburg called me in today," Angela said. "Schulz couldn't stop him."

"What did you tell them?" Anders said.

That nothing was wrong," Angela said.

"Well you told them the truth then," Anders said.

"Anders, you opened the door for them, they're just looking for a good reason now," Angela said, "And this time, we don't have Grandpa to save us."

"Okay, I'll say I'm sorry," Anders said.

"Anders, these files," Angela said, "Who knows you have them?"

"Why?" Anders said.

"Because I had to lie today to Freiburg's face," Angela said, "And I put my job in jeopardy in order to do so. If they find out about those files..."

"How would they find out?" Anders said.

"Maybe they already know," Angela said, "The question is, is it worth it? Is this cassette worth risking everything?"

"I'll tell you when I find out what's on it," Anders said, "Now just tell me who I can talk to about breaking that code."

"I'm meeting with someone in an hour," Angela said, "I might know something later tonight, I just need some kind of assurance that they're not going to let us hang ourselves with this. That I'm doing the right thing."

"I'll try to find out," Anders said, taping an X to the window.

"I need to know one more thing, Anders," Angela said, "Why did you attack Dad?"

"I've thought of that, Angie," Anders said, "I honestly can't say."

Angela walked away.


Basque Office, Bureau of Minority Representation - 10:00 PM

"This is all you have?" Jose Emiliano de Leon said.

"Currently yes," Angela said.

"There are words I recognize, but you'll need an actual code talker to make any sense of this," Jose Emiliano said, "I know a man who might help. I could have him contact you."

"Yeah, thank you... er... can you tell me which words you do recognize?" Angela asked.

"This word, it means goods, merchandise," Jose Emiliano said, "And this one means vaccination. They're both modern words which is why they stand out."

"Thank you," Angela said, "You've been very helpful."


Anders' apartment

Anders' phone rang, and Anders picked it up, still lying in bed.

"Humboldt," he said.

"Anders it's me, I need to see you right away," Conrad said.

"Where are you?" Anders said.

"I'm at home," Conrad said, "How soon can you be here?"

Anders looked at the X on the window.

"Anders, it's very important," Conrad said.


10:30 PM

Angela entered Anders' apartment. She found it empty.

"Anders?" she said.

She walked to the window. A shot rang out. The bullet shattered the window and narrowly missed her head.


Conrad's house, Mainz – April 14, 1995, 3:00 AM

Anders walked inside and hugged his grandfather.

"Grandpa, what is it?" Anders asked.

Conrad locked the door. "It's... It’s so clear now. Simple. It was so complicated then. The, the choices that needed to be made."

"What choices?" Anders said.

"You're a smart boy, Anders, like your father," Conrad said, "You're smarter than I ever was."

"About what?"

"Your politics are yours, you've never thrown in," Conrad said, "The minute you do that, their doctrines become yours and you can be held responsible."

"You're talking about your work in the Inquisition, Foreign Affairs, and the Athanatoi," Anders said, "And maybe Sentinel."

"You're going to learn of things..." Conrad said, "Anders, you're going to hear the words and they'll come to make sense to you."

"What words?" Anders said.

"The merchandise," Conrad said, "Look I, I've been taking some medication. You'll have to excuse me for a moment."

Conrad went to the bathroom and opened his medicine cabinet. He closed it and noticed Pavel in the mirror, standing in the window.

“Agent Novak?” he said. "Is that—"

Pavel fired one shot into Conrad’s back. Anders ran into the room as Pavel disappeared into the buses. A few seconds later, he heard tires screeching.

"GRANDPA!" Anders shouted.

"Forgive me..." Conrad said.

He breathed his last breath. Anders backed away, still not believing what had happened, and picked up his phone.

"Hello?" Angela said.

"Grandpa's dead, Angie," Anders said.

“Scheiße, not again,” Angela said, “Where are you?”

“Where are you?” Angela said.

“They shot him and he's dead,” Anders said.

“Anders where are you?” Angela said. “Just tell me where you are.”

“I'm in Mainz,” Anders said.

“Who shot him?” Angela said.

“I don't know,” Anders said

“Anders, were you arguing?” Angela said.

“I didn't do it Angie, he was trying to tell me something,” Anders said.

“Anders, listen to me...” Angela said.

“You have to believe me Angie,” Anders said.

“Listen, I believe you, just listen to me, you've got to get out of there, Anders, you have to leave immediately,” Angela said.

“I can't leave the crime scene, it'll look like I'm running, make me look guilty,” Anders said.

“Anders, they're going to suspect you anyway, you've got no ID on the shooter, you, your behavior has been irrational recently, can't you see that everything is pointing directly at you?” Angela said.

“He was shot with somebody else's weapon,” Anders said.

“Damn it, you're an Athanatos,” Angela said, “You have access to weapons other than your own.”

“Alright,” Anders said, “Meet me back at my apartment.”

“No, no you can't come home,” Angela said, “Someone shot through your window tonight. They almost killed me, they might be trying to kill you.”


Angela’s apartment, Deuteron, Constantinople – 6:00 AM

Angela opened her door and found Anders, looking tired and ragged.

“Mein Gott,” Angela said, “Look at you. You're sick.”

"I'm okay," Anders said.

"No come on, you're going to sit down," Angela said, taking Anders' coat.

Anders wobbled towards the couch. "You have to find them, Angie."

"It's no use if you die in my apartment," Angela said.

"We have to find out who killed Grandpa," Anders said.

"Get in line," Angela said, "I'm still trying to find my Grandpa's killer. And you just killed my other grandpa."

"Just get some rest," Angela said.


April 14, 1995, 11:00 AM

Anders woke up and found the apartment empty. His gun was gone.

"Angie?" he said.


Firearms Unit, Omar Mukhtar Building

Agent Raum fired bullets into ballistics gel. He put down Anders’ gun turned to Angela.

“I'll run a comparison as soon as they send me the bullet removed from the victim,” he said.

“How long will it take to determine if there a match?” Angela said.

“They’re both 9mm rounds,” Raum said, “Run the specs compare the stray. We should know pretty much right away.”

“Thanks, Agent Raum,” Angela said, “Didn’t know you were in ballistics.”

“Just transferred,” Raum said, “I’m more of a tech guy than an action guy, actually.”

Several minutes later, as Angela walked down the hallway, her phone rang. It was Anders.

“You took my gun,” he said, “You think I did it don't you?”

“I took your gun to run it through ballistics to try and clear you Anders,” Angela said, “And Agent Raum’s one of the few people who aren’t out to get you right now.”

“Well why didn't you ask me?” Anders said. “I’m your cousin!”

“You had a temperature of 102 last night I didn't want to wake you,” Angela said.

“What were you afraid that I was going to shoot you too?!” Anders said. “We’re family! Family doesn’t shoot each other!”

“Anders, I'm being called into Dad’s office this afternoon,” Angela said, “Freiburg and Schulz will be there, and they're going to want answers. I'd like some good ones to give them. Because as much as Schulz wants to help you, you’re making it hard for him.”

“So you can clear your conscience and your name?!” Anders said. “You've been making reports on me since the beginning Angie, taking your little notes! This is not what family does!”

“Anders, you're sick, you're not thinking straight,” Angela said, “I'm always on your side. You know that.”

“Look you have my files and you have my gun,” Anders said, “Don't ask me for my trust.”

“Anders—” Angela began.

Anders hung up.

Angela got in her car and drove to Anders’ apartment, where she dug the bullet out of the wall. As she did so, she saw an unmarked truck parked outside. On a hunch, she went down to the basement and looked at the water supply units. She found a filter on one of the tanks and quickly took it off.

Outside, Anders got out of a taxi cab and saw someone walk around a corner. He ran through the building and out the other side, where he stepped in front of the person and punched him. It was Pavel Novak.

“I'm going to kill you anyway, Novak, so you may as well tell me the truth,” Anders said, “Did you kill my grandfather?! Answer me!”

Anders punched him again as Angela ran up.

“Anders, don’t shoot him!” she said. “Back away!”

Anders punched him again, and Angela drew her gun.

“He killed Grandpa, Angie!” Anders said. “He might have killed Uncle Hans too!”

“I have him, Anders,” Angela said.

“No, Angie, you don’t—” Anders began.

Angela shot him, and Pavel ran away.

 

[zenphoenix]

Andreas Mussolini was born in 1883 to a blacksmith and a schoolteacher in a town in Romagna. His father had named him after a prominent local socialist who would go on to become one of the founding members of the SPR. As a child, Andreas would help his father in the smithy. His mother, a devout Christian, sent him off to a boarding school run by monks against the wishes of his father. He did well in school and upon graduating in 1901 he received a license to teach. However, he couldn’t find a job, and after a year he moved to Helvetia, where he took up a job as a journalist for a newspaper in Lausanne. He held this job until 1914, when he was drafted into the army during World War I. He served in the trenches until 1917, when he was wounded by a mortar blast and honorably discharged. After the war, he returned to Lausanne and became editor of the Helvetian Daily News, a respected regional newspaper, where he wrote articles in support of the SPR. His work as editor attracted the attention of journalists from the newly established IBC, which hired him in the late 1920s to report on the coronation of Kaiser Otto. His reporting during this national event would become his big break, as his distinct voice and objective reporting quickly became recognized by millions of Romans, making him into a household name. He would be a mainstay on IBC news reports throughout the 1930s and the war years. By the time he retired in 1947, he would be considered one of the most trusted people in the Reich, despite some accusations of infidelity. He would pass away in 1984 at the age of 101, shortly after being interviewed by Walter Cronkite and Tom Brokau about the outbreak of World War III.

 

[zenphoenix]

Paul Joseph Goebbels was born on 29 October 1897 in Rheydt, an industrial town south of Mönchengladbach near Düsseldorf. Both of his parents had modest family backgrounds. His father Fritz was a factory clerk; his mother Katharina (née Odenhausen) was ethnically Frisian. During childhood, Goebbels suffered from ill health, which included a long bout of inflammation of the lungs. He had a deformed right foot that turned inwards, due to a congenital deformity. It was thicker and shorter than his left foot. He underwent a failed operation to correct it just prior to starting grammar school. Goebbels wore a metal brace and special shoe because of his shortened leg, and walked with a limp. He was rejected for military service in World War I due to his deformity.

Goebbels was educated at a Gymnasium, where he completed his Abitur (university entrance examination) in 1917. He was the top student of his class and was given the traditional honor to speak at the awards ceremony. His parents initially hoped that he would become a priest, and Goebbels seriously considered it but ultimately decided against it. He studied literature and history at the universities of Bonn, Würzburg, Freiburg, and Munich, aided by a scholarship from the Albertus Magnus Society. By this time Goebbels had begun to distance himself from the church.

At Imperial University Heidelberg, Goebbels wrote his doctoral thesis on Wilhelm von Schütz, a minor 19th century romantic dramatist. He had hoped to write his thesis under the supervision of Friedrich Gundolf, a well known Jewish literary historian. Gundolf was no longer teaching, so directed Goebbels to associate professor Max Freiherr von Waldberg. Waldberg, also Jewish, recommended Goebbels write his thesis on Wilhelm von Schütz. After submitting the thesis and passing his oral examination, Goebbels earned his PhD in 1921. By 1940 he had written 14 books.

Goebbels then returned home and worked as a private tutor. He also found work as a journalist and was published in the local newspaper. His writing during that time reflected his growing concern about the Angeloi, who had radicalized many of his friends and arrested many of his other (mostly Jewish and Muslim) friends (including at least two girlfriends and his future wife).

He continued for several years to try to become a published author. His diaries, which he began in 1923 and continued for the rest of his life, provided an outlet for his desire to write. The lack of income from his literary works (he wrote two plays in 1923, neither of which sold until much later in life) forced him to take jobs as a caller on the stock exchange and as a bank clerk in Cologne, a job he detested. He was laid off from the bank in August 1923 and returned to Rheydt, where he became editor of the local newspaper.

He remained at this job until 1929, when IBC recruiters discovered him through a brilliant article he had written discussing the ongoing conflicts in North Eimerica. He was soon hired as a reporter for Kaiser Otto’s coronation, where along with Andreas Mussolini he would receive his big break. Like Mussolini, he would become an anchor for IBC’s primetime news, reporting on everything from the rise of the Angeloi to World War II to the atomic bombings in the east. The two anchors proved to be the perfect duo, the older Mussolini’s social meritocratic views balanced out by the younger Goebbels’ Christian humanist outlook. Listeners of their reporting would later state that the most memorable thing about the two of them was their banter, which added to their image as reporters for and by the common people, adding to IBC’s popularity among the people of the Reich. Goebbels didn’t mind Mussolini taking most of the fame (especially the epithet of one of the most trusted people in the Reich), because he preferred to stay out of the spotlight.

After Mussolini retired in 1947, Goebbels remained IBC’s star anchor until 1968, when he announced his retirement in protest over the network’s coverage of the Siam War and the student protests that had turned violent that year. In retirement, Goebbels would continue giving speeches for Christian humanitarian organizations. Though he was a registered CMU member and consistently cast points for them whenever he was selected as an examiner, he refused to give endorsements to any party and turned down all offers of noble titles and awards from the government, as Mussolini did (though he was a registered SPR member). He would remain close friends with Mussolini until Mussolini’s death in 1984. Goebbels would give the eulogy at his funeral. After the end of World War III, Goebbels and his family frequently visited the former Occupied Territories and set up a charity to help struggling families there. He peacefully passed away in 1992 at the age of 95 and was buried in a simple ceremony in his hometown. Goebbels would be remembered as a man who overcame his physical handicaps and became one of the greatest reporters in modern Roman history, becoming an inspiration to disabled people across the Reich that they too could overcome their disabilities and become something greater.

 

[TheAnguishedOne]

Another relative dead, and Anders and Angela's trust in each other are at an all time low (fair, given the circumstances). As always, we wait to see the fallout.

Like the mini specials on Andreas Mussolini and Paul Joseph Goebbels. Excellent world building, as expected.

 

[Sir Dippingsauce]

George Lucas: What have I done?

Only what was necessary to save the franchise.

No, no, no, no, YOU WILL DIE!

dracula summons army of bats

*blocks using a big ol bible*

J a !

N E I N

Da.

xaxaxaxaxa

“Hi, Anders,” Annie Humboldt said.

Anders stared blankly at her.

“WHAT?!” he sputtered.

NINGEN WHAT

we are already dead.

N-nani!

 

[CaptainAlvious]

Ouch, that got to put a dampener on Anders trust with Angela there, assuming it was a non fatal shot. I’ll say through, as much as I like Anders character, he was kind of a jerk to everyone around him this update, and that was before Conrad was shot which I understand his anger in that situation. Anders says that Angela isn’t giving him the trust of family, but I’m pretty sure family members don’t punch their uncles either and they aren’t paranoid of them either!

However I will say this. Remember when you said I was being too harsh on Pavel after we figured out he was working for the conspiracy since Olga killing his parents pushed him into the conspiracy and accepting the smoking man’s offer. Well Pavel can’t use Olga killing his parents as a excuse anymore, in fact it’s worse than that since he also killed the grandfather of one of his coworkers and a fellow agent and betrayed him. Olga was also a trained assassin and Pavel’s parents were enemy combatants that didn’t surrender and she didn’t know the truth about Prague at the time, so it wasn’t even a war crime and she had right to kill them legally even if she did kill them in a brutal and horrific fashion. Now her executing unarmed and surrendered combatants was a war crime and she probably did commit other war crimes since she was an espionage agent for a trryanical dictatorship, but the deaths of Pavel’s parents weren’t war crimes and it was a time of war, so for Olga it was kill or be killed. Now Pavel legimatley murdered a man and tried to find frame his grandson for it which is worse than how Olga killed Pavel’s parents. In other words, looks like I wasn’t harsh enough on Pavel.

Forgive me if I’m asking too much, but can we also have mini biographies on the Annionas (Osterhild and Siegfried) and maybe Shriery Tempel since Siegfried is this TTL’s Christopher Lee and he did fight in WW2 in OTL. I like to know what happened to Osterhild after the war besides becoming UN repesenative and I remember Shirley Tempel had a career before WW2 so I’m wondering how did she fair during the war. This might sound weird too, but I kind of want to see Markous Angelos’s backstory and how he came to develop his radical ideology and how he listened to Gandhi when he started the Holocaust. You don’t have to write long detailed description if you don’t want to. Just some short and brief summaries would be good.

Also what ever happened to Albert Speer since he was one of the few Nazis who admitted guilt and remorse towards the crimes of the Nazi regimes and he refused to carry out Hitlier’s Nero decree (which would’ve basically had Germany burnt to the ground) in OTL.

I also think they were discussions in page 35 of the Hoi3 segment on Angeloi fascism and the Roman civil war and I recommend you check those out.