Oooh, Robot Uprising starting early in this Stellaris game. Usually they're kind enough to let you get a bit into space before they start trying to murder you.
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Some idiot alien civ probably activated the Contingency a little too early...
AI being a factor so early sounds fun to me, I'm sure the Reich can overcome any threat it my pose and come to use it as an assistance.
Ah, killer AI. Now that's more my style than aliens and the paranormal.
I feel like cameras literally everywhere would actually be bad for a company trying to keep its secrets. All you'd have to do is watch the playback of any conversation had in the building and you could run off with everything you needed.
Also, a camera in the bathroom? Does Eurisko have no decency?
I feel like cameras literally everywhere would actually be bad for a company trying to keep its secrets. All you'd have to do is watch the playback of any conversation had in the building and you could run off with everything you needed.
Also, a camera in the bathroom? Does Eurisko have no decency?
These memes shouldn't be initiated until 2017, can this AI time travel?
As if the Reich isn't already ridiculously overpowered.
I guess that's why their stock's in the gutter. Blame Ben.Ah, killer AI. Now that's more my style than aliens and the paranormal.
I feel like cameras literally everywhere would actually be bad for a company trying to keep its secrets. All you'd have to do is watch the playback of any conversation had in the building and you could run off with everything you needed.
Also, a camera in the bathroom? Does Eurisko have no decency?
And yes, Ben has no decency. No wonder he was electrocuted there, ironically.
Dankness is not limited by the one-directional linear nature of time.
Huh, an AI rebellion in the 20th/21st century, certainly is gonna have interesting effects on Stellaris.
and we need titles for Otto’s successors to be saved for them too. Through I do suggest you change the title “the defender of the faith” to “the defender/guardian of civilization/romanaitas” since I think that works better.
Speaking of classical landmarks, are the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and many Greeco/Roman ruins still in ruins in this timeline? I imagine the aqueducts of Ancient Rome would most likely be rebuilt and expanded across the Reich along with possibly the bathhouses, amphitheaters and and maybe many other structures in Rome that are still ruins in OTL in the Wilhelmina Renaissance and second Renaissance period due to the fact that the Reich is still Roman culture even thorough it is dominated by Germans instead of Latins. But I’m wondering about structures like the Pantheon, the Parthenon and the Seven wonders being renovated and reconstructed for new uses to the Reich or replaced by new stuctures. I think that the Reich would fully restore the Parthenon, Temple of Artemis, Moslemum of Hellicarnaus (which was only destroyed in the early Modern era, so I think it wouldn’t be or remained destroyed and would become a holy site for the Zorastrians in the Reich along with Persepolis and other significant Ancient Persian cities under the Romans) and the Statue of Zeus (now Odin) and other Hellenistic temples would be restored to be converted to be used for the Reich’s religions minorities while the Parthenon would either be a Pagan temple or a Christian cathedral now. I picture the Lighthouse of Alexandria being fully rebuilt in the Middle Ages to help navigation and travel for Romans in the Mediterranean with a university replacing the Library of Alexandra eventually but designed In a similar manner to it. I know that the esistance of the Hanging Garderns of Babylon is debatable in OTL, but i’d love it to see the Romans make it a reality as the “Hanging Palace of Baghdad” and it being an aristocratic summer palace for the Viceroy of Mesopotamia or some Hohenzollerns. And Carthage would be fully restored as a firmly Roman city for irony. Does that work for more culture building since the Reich is firmly apart of Roman civilization, (at least by the views of its people on Roman history through antiquity to the present)? Also do the Taj Mahal and the Christ the Reedmer landmarks still exist here?
I´m not sure what the Romans would do with the Colosseum or the remains of the Colossus of Rhodes. I guess they would preserve the Colosseum as it is and use the materials of the Colossus to build the base of the Statue of Romanitas (the statue itself would still be copper I think) since I think it would act as a successor monument to the Colossus in a way.
Also what are the holy sites in the Reich for the faiths with influence and presence on The Reich?
Now I´m wondering what the Passion of the Christ (which would probally either be heavily toned down from OTL or outright banned in the Reich due to its handling of its subject matter) and Gladiator (cause I´d find it weird if the Reich would portray the ancient Romans in a negative light like how they are usually portrayed in OTL in interpretations of history, Hollywood and pop culture since the Reich is the continuation of Rome and thus I think it would show the positive side of Ancient Rome more than negative side while acknowledging the mistakes of Rome from the ancient era to the Reich period since the Rome has learned from its mistakes in the classical era here.) would be like. I also assume that the Ten Commandments and Prince of Egypt would be the same here only Moses would be freeing the ancestors to the Arabic Muslims as well as the Hebrews/Jews from slavery (since they are Abrahamic in origin) and escorting them past the Red sea and into the Holy land (Israel and Arabia). 300 might also be different here and more historically accurate in order not to offend Persians and Greeks in the Reich. Basically I´m hoping that historical fiction is more accurate and authentic to history than OTL.
I wonder what Paradox games, Total War (specifically Rome and Medieval Total War, I guess Mediveal 1 and 2, Empire and Rome 2 would be Rome 1, 3, 4 and 5 here. That or Rome and Shogun are renamed and focued on Hellas(Greece) and Tianxia(China) and everything else is... well I´m not sure if it would be the same but it would have the same or similar settings and gameplay.) and other historical strategy games are like In TTL. That would be meta. Can you picture what this AAR or other mega-campaigns like the Anniona one would be like in TTL´s perceptive? Maybe this AAR and the Anniona one would be about Persia or Scandinavia or similar to that in TTL.
I don’t think I’ll suggest any more Epihets for Otto now since he has a good even number of them and we don´t want to ruin it by adding one more and making it an odd number now do we.I completely forgot those nicknames. I'll probably add them all right now. Totally not overkill.
and we need titles for Otto’s successors to be saved for them too.
Through I do suggest you change the title “the defender of the faith” to “the defender/guardian of civilization/romanaitas” since I think that works better.Yes! I approve of the Reich building more landmarks since it’s a continuation of Rome and one of the things the OTL Romans were famous for was their architectural and engineering accomplishments.Building it in Vienna as a memoriral to World War III (the Gateway to Freedom, I'd call it) would be great idea. It could also be built in 2000 as the Millennium Arch to commemorate the new millennium in addition to being a war memorial. As for the Burj Khalifa, I might build it somewhere else. Maybe I'll use it to build a certain tower in Constantinople that replaces a certain two other towers after [REDACTED].
Speaking of classical landmarks, are the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and many Greeco/Roman ruins still in ruins in this timeline? I imagine the aqueducts of Ancient Rome would most likely be rebuilt and expanded across the Reich along with possibly the bathhouses, amphitheaters and and maybe many other structures in Rome that are still ruins in OTL in the Wilhelmina Renaissance and second Renaissance period due to the fact that the Reich is still Roman culture even thorough it is dominated by Germans instead of Latins. But I’m wondering about structures like the Pantheon, the Parthenon and the Seven wonders being renovated and reconstructed for new uses to the Reich or replaced by new stuctures. I think that the Reich would fully restore the Parthenon, Temple of Artemis, Moslemum of Hellicarnaus (which was only destroyed in the early Modern era, so I think it wouldn’t be or remained destroyed and would become a holy site for the Zorastrians in the Reich along with Persepolis and other significant Ancient Persian cities under the Romans) and the Statue of Zeus (now Odin) and other Hellenistic temples would be restored to be converted to be used for the Reich’s religions minorities while the Parthenon would either be a Pagan temple or a Christian cathedral now. I picture the Lighthouse of Alexandria being fully rebuilt in the Middle Ages to help navigation and travel for Romans in the Mediterranean with a university replacing the Library of Alexandra eventually but designed In a similar manner to it. I know that the esistance of the Hanging Garderns of Babylon is debatable in OTL, but i’d love it to see the Romans make it a reality as the “Hanging Palace of Baghdad” and it being an aristocratic summer palace for the Viceroy of Mesopotamia or some Hohenzollerns. And Carthage would be fully restored as a firmly Roman city for irony. Does that work for more culture building since the Reich is firmly apart of Roman civilization, (at least by the views of its people on Roman history through antiquity to the present)? Also do the Taj Mahal and the Christ the Reedmer landmarks still exist here?
I´m not sure what the Romans would do with the Colosseum or the remains of the Colossus of Rhodes. I guess they would preserve the Colosseum as it is and use the materials of the Colossus to build the base of the Statue of Romanitas (the statue itself would still be copper I think) since I think it would act as a successor monument to the Colossus in a way.
Also what are the holy sites in the Reich for the faiths with influence and presence on The Reich?
Now I´m wondering what the Passion of the Christ (which would probally either be heavily toned down from OTL or outright banned in the Reich due to its handling of its subject matter) and Gladiator (cause I´d find it weird if the Reich would portray the ancient Romans in a negative light like how they are usually portrayed in OTL in interpretations of history, Hollywood and pop culture since the Reich is the continuation of Rome and thus I think it would show the positive side of Ancient Rome more than negative side while acknowledging the mistakes of Rome from the ancient era to the Reich period since the Rome has learned from its mistakes in the classical era here.) would be like. I also assume that the Ten Commandments and Prince of Egypt would be the same here only Moses would be freeing the ancestors to the Arabic Muslims as well as the Hebrews/Jews from slavery (since they are Abrahamic in origin) and escorting them past the Red sea and into the Holy land (Israel and Arabia). 300 might also be different here and more historically accurate in order not to offend Persians and Greeks in the Reich. Basically I´m hoping that historical fiction is more accurate and authentic to history than OTL.
I wonder what Paradox games, Total War (specifically Rome and Medieval Total War, I guess Mediveal 1 and 2, Empire and Rome 2 would be Rome 1, 3, 4 and 5 here.
That or Rome and Shogun are renamed and focued on Hellas(Greece) and Tianxia(China) and everything else is... well I´m not sure if it would be the same but it would have the same or similar settings and gameplay.) and other historical strategy games are like In TTL. That would be meta. Can you picture what this AAR or other mega-campaigns like the Anniona one would be like in TTL´s perceptive? Maybe this AAR and the Anniona one would be about Persia or Scandinavia or similar to that in TTL.
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"Defender/Guardian of Civilization/Romanitas" is a bit too grandiose, even by Otto's nickname's standards. I don't think I'll be adding that, while "Defender of the Faith" was an important concept to Christian rulers in the medieval and renaissance period (as shown in EU4 and somewhat in CK2). And I think Otto's got enough epithets. Though given what might happen in the 21st century later Kaisers may not need as many.I don’t think I’ll suggest any more Epihets for Otto now since he has a good even number of them and we don´t want to ruin it by adding one more and making it an odd number now do we.
and we need titles for Otto’s successors to be saved for them too.
Most of the Seven Wonders and the classical ruins would remain as they currently are, because I don't think the Reich would invest that much money into rebuilding something for little economic gain when they could bring in a lot of tourist money from the ruins.
Some of the major aqueducts don't even need to be rebuilt, because they're still working. In real life, some parts of Italy are still using the aqueducts, so I would assume the same is true in the Reich (though with the government paying for the aqueducts to be reinforced with modern building materials to make them stronger and more efficient). The old bathhouses and amphitheaters would remain tourist attractions, though some cities might build new bathhouses as luxury spas and new amphitheaters as movie theaters.
The Pantheon is already in good condition, so the Reich doesn't need to spend that much money on restoration. It'll work well as a tourist attraction. In real life, the Parthenon's current condition was partially as a result of an Ottoman ammunition dump stored inside being accidentally blown up by Venetians in 1687, which obviously did not happen here. So the Parthenon would be in better shape in the Reich. Plus it served as a church from the 6th century to the Ottoman conquest, so it would still be a church in the Reich. I don't think the Reich would spend money to restore the Temple of Artemis or the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus to their original status. To restore the Temple, they'd have to damage a large part of the ruins of Ephesus, which would cost a lot and get rid of the money they could've made from tourism. And Wikipedia says nobody knows exactly when the Mausoleum was destroyed, though there are clues that suggest it was destroyed by the 12th century.
Yep, the Reich would obviously want to build a new Lighthouse there, though I don't think there is anything left of the original to rebuild it. In modern times a second and more modern lighthouse would be built as well. And I never really clarified this in the main updates, but I intended IU Alexandria to be built as the successor to the library, with its own library. Plus most of the works in the original library had already been moved to the Imperial Library in Constantinople (long before this megacampaign even started), so the Imperial Library technically is also a successor to the Library of Alexandria.
It would make sense for the Ottoman dynasty (which was based in Baghdad) to build a "Hanging Gardens" in Baghdad as a summer retreat. However, it might just be a palace with a nice garden.
Carthage already exists. Tunis was just renamed Carthage.
Neither of them would exist, as the Taj Mahal requires the Mughals and the Christ the Redeemer requires Brazilian Catholicism.
The Colosseum would still be a ruin like it is in real life, while the Colossus wouldn't be touched at all. The Statue of Romanitas would be intended as the spiritual successor to the ancient Colossus.
Basically, take the CK2 holy sites for all Christian denominations, add Berlin, and you have the Reich's holy sites.
I don't think Passion of the Christ would exist, as the subject material would cause controversy, but Gladiator might still exist and even be praised for its somewhat realistic depiction of the later Roman Empire (and it would actually have period-accurate product placement on gladiator armor), since Roman society is not afraid to discuss the failings of the first Empire (which would justify the emergence of the Reich). Babelsberg movies and TV shows about the Roman Republic and Empire would be more like the show Rome (only with even more historical accuracy, morally grey characters, and less modern identity politics). The point of this is to show the positive side of the Republic and first Empire in a realistic and nuanced depiction that doesn't whitewash history. Later shows/movies covering the decline of the Empire and the barbarian invasions would focus on how corrupt and incompetent leaders brought down a mighty civilization, show the barbarians in a more positive light (instead of ravenous hordes), and focus on the rise of the Byzantines. A side effect would be more shows/movies focusing on the Byzantine Empire, especially on Justinian/Theodora/Belisarius, Heraclius, and the Doukai/Komnenoi. These shows would depict Roman society learning from the mistakes of the first Empire and struggling to reclaim its former glory against hostile forces from all sides, culminating in the creation of the Reich.
I think I can get away with Ten Commandments and Prince of Egypt being exactly the same, because they're based on the Book of Exodus from the Bible. There'd probably also be other movies about the 40 years in the wilderness and Abraham's sons.
Well, I guess 300 could be more historically accurate. The movie's inaccuracies could be waved away by a more obvious scene in which the narrator explains he's exaggerating some of the facts. And the Persians would be depicted in a more positive light (seriously, I have no idea why they depicted Xerxes like that), and the Immortals would be depicted as more like the ancestors of the Hashshashin (though in CK2 they were technically separate holy orders).300 might also be different here and more historically accurate in order not to offend Persians and Greeks in the Reich. Basically I´m hoping that historical fiction is more accurate and authentic to history than OTL.
I don't know about the main series of games (which would probably be very similar to my actual megacampaign since there's nothing else they can do), but Total War would be about the same as in real life, only it would follow the rise and fall of the Republic and Empire and the history of the Byzantines up to the creation of the Reich. Rome of course would have 5 games each focusing on a century in the existence of the Republic, first empire, Byzantines, the HRE, and the early Reich. There would also be another Rome game focused on the rise of the Republic, the Punic Wars, and the conquest of Greece. Shogun would be replaced with Tianxia and span from the century of the Mongol invasion to the rise of Zhu Yuanzhang and the establishment of the Ming Dynasty. Civ would be about the same, only the Rhys and Fall of Civilizations mod would be part of the base game and very popular.I wonder what Paradox games, Total War (specifically Rome and Medieval Total War, I guess Mediveal 1 and 2, Empire and Rome 2 would be Rome 1, 3, 4 and 5 here.
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Ctrl-Alt-Del, Part 2
X-Division office – October 25, 1993, 11:50 AM
Anders sat at his desk, watching the video of Brad watching the elevator crashing. Angela walked into the office, her expression somber. Anders shook his head and sighed, gesturing at the video.
“It’s my fault,” Anders said, “I didn’t stop him.”
“I heard about Joey,” Angela said, “I'm sorry.”
“I don't think Wilczek did it, Angie,” Anders said.
“What?” Angela said.
“It doesn't make sense,” Anders said, “Why would he go back to Eurisko?”
“To destroy evidence,” Angela said, “To cover his tracks.”
“If you were going to destroy evidence, would you pose for the cameras?” Anders said.
He pointed at the footage. Angela sat down next to him and paused the tape.
“Anders, you've been through a lot, more than I think even you realize,” Angela said.
Anders resumed the tape. “I think Wilczek is smarter than this.”
Angela took a deep breath. “He just signed a confession. How much proof do you need?”
“A confession?” Anders asked. “We need to get there now.”
Brad Wilczek’s house – 4:37 PM
Angela drove up to Brad’s house, where she found several men in suits waiting in the driveway. One of the men in suits approached her car. “Excuse me, ma’am, this is a crime scene. You're going to have to leave.”
“Yeah, I know,” Angela said, showing her badge, “I ordered the subpoena.”
“That subpoena's been obviated,” the man in the suit said.
“What are you talking about?” Angela asked.
The man in the suit held up an RSB badge. “Agent Holtzman, Bureau of Defense. Unless you've got a code five clearance, I'm going to have to ask you to turn back.”
Angela sighed and reluctantly turned around.
Kyparades Park, Constantinople – October 26, 1993, 8:56 AM
Anders sat on a park bench. After waiting for a few minutes, Hans arrived, and Anders rose to walk with him.
“Thanks for coming,” he said.
“I'm here against my better judgement,” Hans said, “In the future I must insist that you respect the terms of our arrangement, for the sake of me, you, and Angie.”
“I need to know why Brad Wilczek is the subject of a code five investigation,” Anders said, “What the Bureau of Defense and the RSB want with him.”
“What do you think they'd want with the most innovative programmer in Eurasia?” Hans said.
“Software,” Anders said.
“For years, Wilczek has thumbed his nose at any contract involving weapons applications,” Hans explained to him, “He's a bleeding heart.”
“What kind of software?” Anders asked.
“How much do you know about artificial intelligence?” Hans asked.
“I thought it was only theoretical,” Anders said.
“It was, until two years ago,” Hans said, “You remember Helsinki, the first time that a chess playing computer ever beat a Grand Master?”
Anders nodded.
“That was Wilczek's program,” Hans said, “And the rumor was that he did it by developing the first adaptive network.”
“An adaptive network?” Anders said.
“It's a learning machine,” Hans said, “A computer that actually thinks. And it's, ah, become something of a holy grail for some of our more acquisitive colleagues at Defense, like the guys over at Sentinel.”
Athanatoi Detention Center, Omar Mukhtar Building, Constantinople – 11:02 AM
“They make me wear shoes all the time,” Brad complained, “What else do you want from me?”
“I want you to tell me why you're willing to spend the rest of your life in prison for a crime you didn't commit,” Anders said.
“What are you talking about?” Brad said. “I'm guilty.”
“I know you're innocent,” Anders said, “You're protecting a machine -- the Central Operating System at Eurisko.”
“If I'm protecting anything, it's not the machine,” Brad said.
“Then what?” Anders asked.
“After the bomb was dropped on Warsaw, Konigsberg, and Dresden, Johann von Neumann spent the rest of his life regretting he'd ever glimpsed an atom,” Brad said.
“Von Neumann may have regretted his actions but he never denied responsibility for them,” Anders said, “And the Soviets stole those bombs from the Angeloi, not him.”
“He loved the work, Herr Humboldt,” Brad said, “His mistake was in sharing it with a government with bad security standards and immoral agents. I won't make the same mistake.”
“But your machine killed Daniels,” Anders said, “And it killed my friend.”
“I'm sorry about what happened,” Brad said, “But there's nothing I can do, besides confess and take the blame.”
“And you talk about morality,” Anders said, “You're afraid of the government, but you're willing to accept the risk that your machine will kill again.”
“The lesser of two evils,” Brad said.
“What about a third option?” Anders asked. “You created that machine. Now you tell me and Angela how to destroy it.”
Outside Omar Mukhtar Building – 1:23 PM
“So, Wilczek can write malware that will destroy the system,” Anders explained as he walked.
“Anders, don't you see, blaming the machine is an alibi, and it’s a bad one,” Angela said, chewing on her kebab.
“But it's the only thing that makes sense,” Anders said, “The COS project was posting big losses for Eurisko and Daniels was about to terminate the program.”
“So the machine killed Daniels out of self-defense?” Angela said.
“Self-preservation,” Anders said, “It's the primary instinct of living organisms.”
“Anders, that level of artificial intelligence is decades away from being realized,” Angela said.
“Then why was the Bureau of Defense trying to usurp Wilczek's research?” Anders said.
Angela pulled him aside. “Anders, I think you're looking for something that isn't there. And I think it has something to do with Joey’s death. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea if you talked to someone.”
“You're probably right.” Anders turned to leave.
“Where are you going?” Angela asked.
“To talk to someone,” Anders said.
Athanatoi Detention Center – 1:34 PM
A guard opened the door to Brad’s cell. Anders walked in and pulled out a laptop.
“How much time do you need?” he asked.
Brad looked at him. “Seriously?” he said. “You’re asking me?”
Angela’s apartment, Deuteron District – October 27, 1993, 1:31 AM
The phone rang, jolting Angela awake. She weakly picked it up.
“Hello?” she said.
All she could hear were random modem noises blaring. Realizing what had happened, she hung up and ran to her computer, which was randomly opening and closing her files.
“Scheiße,” she cursed, dialing another number.
“This is Special Agent Angela Hansen, ID number 2317-616,” she said as she changed into her normal clothes, “I need you to run a quick trace on a number for me. Yeah, [REDACTED]-6431. Yeah, that's my number. Somebody's hacking my computer.”
Eurisko building – 5:24 AM
As Anders opened his truck and took out his equipment, he noticed Angela pulling up.
“Angie, what are you doing here?” he asked.
“Someone or something's been scanning my computer files,” Angela said, “Tapping my phones. I traced the line. It came from somewhere in there.”
“It's the machine,” Anders said.
“How can we get in?” Angela asked.
Anders pulled out an Israel license plate with the number EURISKO. “Trojan Horse, Angie?”
They put on the plate and got in the car. Despite his complaints, Angela pushed Anders out of the drivers’ seat and drove up to the parking gate. The computer scanned the plate and displayed a green light. The gate slid up.
“Open sesame!” Anders grinned.
Angela punched him in the arm.
Anders’ celebration was short-lived. As they passed under the gate, a red and white bar stopped them in their tracks.
“Oh, what the…” Anders said.
Angela looked up. There were spikes on the underside of the gate, which was now hurtling down towards them.
“Frak!” she cursed. “Anders!”
The gate slammed into the car and cut it cleanly in half, though it fortunately missed them. Horns blared as they crawled out of the car. Angela ran to the hood and disabled the horn.
“So much for the element of surprise,” she said, “What do you say we take the stairs?”
She noticed the cameras watching them as they crossed the garage. She flipped them off.
Eurisko building, floor 28 – October 27, 1993, 5:47 AM
Anders panted and wheezed as they ran up the stairs. Up ahead, Angela continued running as if nothing had happened, despite wearing heels. In reality, her cramped feet screamed at her to at least slow down, but she ignored them. She’d done plenty of running in heels before. This was nothing compared to that.
Anders finally collapsed on level 28. “28 down, one to go,” he groaned.
The lights suddenly went out, and Angela grabbed her flashlight.
“Oh, great,” she said, “Anders?”
Anders turned on his flashlight and waved at her. “Trick or treat.”
“I’m so going to take your candy when we get home,” she said.
Anders sighed, got to his feet, and followed her up to level 29. Her flashlight illuminating the sign reading “29,” Angela approached the door, not bothering to acknowledge the presence of the camera in the corner. Anders reached for the doorknob.
“Anders, wait,” Angela said, “We don’t want to make the same mistake Daniels made.”
She took out an insulated screwdriver and tapped the doorknob. She tried pulling away, but it was glued to the metal by the intense current. Half a second later, there was a small explosion, and sparks flew, and she recoiled. The camera started beeping. Angela tried the door. It was still locked. She pointed at the camera.
“What are you looking at?” she said.
She flipped off the camera again and then covered it with a glove. As she did so, she noticed a nearby ceiling vent. She took off her heels and handed them to Anders.
“Angie, what are you doing?” Anders asked.
Angela hoisted herself into the vent. “Improvising,” she said.
She disappeared into the air duct and turned left. If the air conditioning was done the usual way, there should be a way for her to drop down and open the door from the other side.
“Come on, Angie,” Anders’ voice echoed through the air duct.
Air began blowing, ruffling her hair. She silently cursed. This stunt was going to be a lot harder than expected.
---
After a few seconds, the door beeped and buzzed. Anders cautiously peered inside.
“Angie?” he asked.
Petersen appeared. “Agent Humboldt? What are you doing here?”
---
The gust of air intensified, sending dust and debris flying past her. She couldn’t keep her grip on the smooth metal surface, and she flailed as the wind blew her backwards.
“AAAAAHHHHH!” she screamed.
She reached for a corner, but she slipped right off. She was tossed several more corners before she grabbed another corner, just a few feet away from a large spinning fan. Her flashlight fell out of her hands and was shredded on the fan blades. Two of them broke away.
“Why do I always do this?” she muttered. “What is this, Skynet Vienna?”
---
Anders and Petersen entered the COS terminal room.
“The machine's been acting all crazy,” Petersen explained, “Power surges, shut off. That's why I'm here so late.”
“Where's the B port?” Anders asked.
“Oh, it's right back here.” Petersen opened the console, and Anders took out Brad’s device.
“Look, are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Petersen asked. “Because if you don’t, it’s my job on the line.”
Anders attached Brad’s device to the console.
“Damn,” Anders said.
If only Angela were here. She had an electrical engineering degree, didn’t she?
---
Still clinging to the corner, Angela drew her gun and fired at the fan. Two more blades shattered from her bullets.
---
Anders tried connecting the device again.
“System access granted,” the computer said, “User code level seven.”
Anders clapped his hands and ran to the keyboard. “Now I can upload the malware…”
Petersen drew a gun and pressed it against Anders’ head.
“I should’ve known it wouldn’t be this easy,” he said.
“Not bad, Agent Humboldt,” Petersen said, “You know, I've been trying to access the CPU for the past two years. Now please, take out your gun and remove the clip.”
Anders sighed and did as he was asked.
“Who are you working for?” he asked. “Bureau of Defense? RSB?”
“Let’s just say our paychecks are signed by the same person,” Petersen said, “Now give me the device and step away from the console.”
Anders didn’t move. “Definitely RSB,” he said, “Got the trademark swagger, I see.”
“You don’t want to test my resolve, Agent Humboldt,” Petersen said.
Very reluctantly, Anders handed him the device.
At that moment, Angela stormed through the door, pointing her gun at Petersen. Her hair was very messed up, and her clothes were ruffled and covered in dust.
“Drop the gun,” she said, “Don’t mess with me. I’ve had a long day.”
“Angie, it’s only 6 in the morning,” Anders said.
“Shut up, Anders!” Angela snapped. “I almost got killed by the bloody air conditioning! I should throw you in there!”
“Look, you may think you know what you're dealing with…” Petersen began.
“Shut up and drop the gun!” Angela demanded. “Don’t test my patience!”
Petersen put his gun on the table and raised his hands over his head. “You’re making a mistake, Agent Hansen. Compromising your sworn duty. This operation is more sensitive than you can possibly imagine.”
“Don’t listen to him,” Anders warned.
“Do you really think I’m listening to him?” Angela shot back.
“The technology in this machine is of enormous scientific interest,” Petersen said.
“Yeah, technology that’s killed two people,” Angela said, “Don’t tell me you guys can handle it better than Wilczek did.”
“Make no mistake,” Petersen said, “You will be held accountable.”
“To hell with that,” Angela said, “Anders, connect the device.”
Anders connected the device again. The computers screens filled with pages of blue and green scrolling text, probably error messages, along with corrupted images and data strings. The elevator and room doors opened and closed, lights turned on and off, and the cameras spun around where they were mounted.
“What are you doing, Brad?” the COS said, its “voice” gradually distorting. “Don’t do this, Brad…Brad…Brad…why?”
The terminal lights all shut off. The fan went dead. The screens went dark, except for one simple error message:
The lights came back on. Angela sighed with relief.
“I’m going to need a lot of coffee,” she said.
Kyparades Park, Constantinople – November 2, 1993, 10:13 AM
Anders shifted on the bench and sighed, wringing his hands.
“I checked with Senator Makarios and the relevant subcommittees,” he said, “I even petitioned the Justice Minister’s office. I had Angie ask the Crown Princess too.”
“You won't find him,” Hans said.
“They can't just take a man like Brad Wilczek without an explanation,” Anders said.
“They can do anything they want,” Hans said.
“Where is he?” Anders asked.
“In the middle of what we in the trade call ‘hard bargaining’,” Hans said.
“Wilczek won't deal,” Anders said, “He'll never work for them.”
“Loss of freedom does funny things to a man,” Hans said, “And remember, Wilczek confessed to two murders, and you effectively destroyed the only evidence that could have exonerated him.”
“What else could I have done?” Anders asked.
“Nothing...” Hans said. “Unless you were willing to let the technology survive.”
“The Bureau of Defense still hasn't found anything?” Anders asked.
“They've been on it for five days,” Hans said, “Wilczek's virus was thorough. It left no trace of the artificial intelligence. The machine is dead, if it was ever alive to begin with.”
“By the way, what will happen to Eurisko?” Anders asked.
Hans sighed. “A shame for such a company to suffer a fate like that, having its founder confess to two murders,” he said, “If my inside sources are correct, its market value and stocks should be taking a nosedive around now. The shareholders will be selling as quickly as possible. I’d imagine Tesla Dynamic will buy it up soon. It’s already begun the process, and Eurisko no longer has the leverage or the leadership to resist.”
Erich Hansen’s office, Omar Mukhtar Building – 11:46 AM
Erich looked at the file for Benjamin Daniels’ death. The CEO’s picture and fingerprints were included inside. The cover page read:
He nervously turned to the smoking man, standing by the window.
“You read this report?” he asked.
The smoking man lit another cigarette.
“Do you believe them?” Erich asked.
The smoking man turned to him. “Of course I do.”
Bureau of Defense facility, [REDACTED] – [REDACTED]
Petersen watched as his assistants wheeled around pieces of the computer. He picked up his phone and continued talking.
“Yeah, we've pushed the pulse code modulations to the limit, nothing,” he reported, “We've combed the parsing subroutine. Yes, sir. Twice. No, sir. Still nothing. But I'd like to request .... Yes, sir. No, I understand. Yes, sir. Nothing’s more important than Sentinel, I agree.”
He hung up and turned to his assistants. “Well, six more hours before we have to consign the whole damn thing to the metal shredder. A bloody shame.”
“We'll do what we can, sir,” one technician said.
He sat down at his computer terminal and ran another batch of commands on the dead COS.
“I’m going to figure this thing out if it kills me,” he muttered.
He hit a button, and one computer fragment momentarily sparked. A couple lights came on, and one of the cameras focused on him.
“That was easier than I expected,” he said.
“File opened,” the COS said, “Running program.”
I thought it was...
Oh nooo. Petersen you bloody BLOODY *descends into rage*
What is the problem with these people? You honestly think you can control an advanced AI, AND cover up aliens at the same time, and have it not backfire?
Idiots, the lot of them
Well, he is RSB. Their arrogance is legendary, as Anders would tell you.
Definitely sounds like a Skynet situation in the works. They think they can control it, but the moment it is operational, it destroys the world. Nothing can go wrong!
Well the Reich has managed to keep such things as Angels a secret for CENTURIES so I´m pretty sure they can TOTALLY handle this.
That does make since, I kind of forgot about tourism in the 20th/21st century for some reason and thought about what the Reich would do with those structures in the Middle ages for some reason. I´m also thinking that the site of the Mausoleum would be of significance or at least of note to the Persian minorities living in the Reich (I was thinking of holy site but maybe it would just be an important historical site for them) as ruins since it was built under the Achaemenid Empire´s rule there and I found out that while the Mausoleum itself was destroyed, the base where Maulous (the ruling satrap of that territory for who the Mausoleum was dedicated to) and his wife Artemisia were buried in survived until the Crusaders occupied Halicarnassus (or Bodrum) and used the materials from the Mausoleum to build their fortress before they ended up destroying the rest of the Mausoleum and possible cremated the bodies by the time the Ottomans kicked them out in 1522. Since I don´t think the Cruades only happend in the late 11th to early 12th century and the Ottoman Empire dosn´t exist, meaning that the Crusaders wouldn´t have occupied Helicarnassus in the first place, I´m pretty sure that while it would be in ruins, it would probably be in a lot better shape than its nearly non existence now in OTL, at least at the base since the Romans would be more respectful to ancient culture than the Crusaders in OTL. Plus some of the sources I found keep on telling me that the Mausoleum was reduced to the base in 1404 by earthquakes.
That is a pretty good idea, I´m also kind of wondering what Roman society would think of Rome´s foes like Carthage for example and how they would portray conflicts like the Punic Wars in popular culture.
Yep, that makes sense. I was also wondering if the other non Abramic faiths like the Pagans and the Zorastrians would have holy sites within in the Reich is well since the Norse faith is pretty wide speard in places like Hispainia. I also noticed that some Ck2 pagan faiths have some holy sites in places that would be Roman terriotry like the Malians having a lot of holy sites in Mauretania and I think the Reich houses several religious heads like the Slavic and Jewish priesthoods. Also I did notice that the Ck2 holy sites for some Pagan faiths were located in the Reich. And I´m wondering if Zoroastrians have Holy sites there because of the previous Persian Empires rule in the Reich´s eastern territories.
I didn´t hear about the Rhys and Fall mod until you told me about it here but from what I´ve read about it, it sounds really cool. Maybe Civ might earn its way in the 2010s culture update from the popularity you mentioned.
Also I just looked and I saw that the 90s had a lot of movies based on history like Braveheart, Dances with Wolves and Schindler's List list so I´m wondering how you going to change those mentions or rewrite them in the 90s update since I noticed them in the OTL´s 90s wiki page on significant movies (for awarding and highest grossing categories) and I´m not sure what those movies would be like here.
Also I just realized...
Somebody get the Winged Hussars over here now! We’ve got some removing to do!
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Angela knows exactly what's going on. Let's hope the RSB doesn't screw up. Actually, maybe they should screw up. I think the Reich is already too overpowered at this point.Definitely sounds like a Skynet situation in the works. They think they can control it, but the moment it is operational, it destroys the world. Nothing can go wrong!
And its the RSB. The Imperial Security Bureau, or the NSA equivalent. They're good at making things "disappear." Just ask Anders about the aliens.Well the Reich has managed to keep such things as Angels a secret for CENTURIES so I´m pretty sure they can TOTALLY handle this.
Wikipedia says that by the 12th century, the Greeks and other locals living around the place no longer had a name for the ruins, which implies they not only forgot about its original state but who destroyed it. But I suppose the locals could still make legends about the ruins a la Cthulhu.
Yeah, I think some pagans do have holy sites in the Reich. The Norse holy sites would be the regular CK2 holy sites with the addition of maybe Cordoba. The Slavic and Romuva holy sites would be the same, only including the province where their high priest lives (in the Reich). I made sure to vassalize every non-Norse pagan high priest, so something similar would happen to the other pagans. Zoroastrians and Jews would have holy sites in the Middle East as usual, in addition to places in Ethiopia for the Jews.
I'll be sure to give it a reference.I didn´t hear about the Rhys and Fall mod until you told me about it here but from what I´ve read about it, it sounds really cool. Maybe Civ might earn its way in the 2010s culture update from the popularity you mentioned.
Braveheart would deal with the Mexica invasion instead of the English, but I can get away with the Scots still being Scots (though backed up by Germans and the Anglos/English/Normans). Don't know about Dances with Wolves, but Schindler's List would be the same, only it would focus on Muslims instead of Jews. I'll probably explain more in the 90s update.
But you have to remember that Turks are considered as Roman (and as European) as other European cultural groups, and thus kebabs are now my stand-in for fast food (because schnitzels and bratwurst aren't enough, and curry-wurst felt awkward). Though I'm sure the Choctaw have their own "Remove [REDACTED]" memes going.Somebody get the Winged Hussars over here now! We’ve got some removing to do!
RSB messing up, unsurprisingly. For shame. With AI, the Reich could develop a weapon to surpass... Well, the Reich doesn't have a Metal Gear equivalent yet.
I suppose so. Also I´ve checked Wikipeida and apparently the Pantheon is still a Catholic church in OTL from what I read, so maybe it would also be a orthodox church in TTL with the Parthenon. Also I take it that the Parthenon would become used to honor Saint Wilhelmina or Gunhilda because of the Statue of Athena inside being used as a Statue for Wilhelmina or Gunhilda while the Pantheon´s mosaics of the Gods would end up the gods of other Pagan faiths in the Reich because I imagine the Pagans and religious minorities in the Reich getting their own churches, mosques, synagogues and cathedrals ideally, maybe in the holy sites you mentioned.Wikipedia says that by the 12th century, the Greeks and other locals living around the place no longer had a name for the ruins, which implies they not only forgot about its original state but who destroyed it. But I suppose the locals could still make legends about the ruins a la Cthulhu.
Also does the Hagia Sophia still have those minarets from OTL since its still an Orthodox church? I think you used a picture of the modern Hagia Sophia in Ck2 once if I recall.I wonder what Highlander would be like in this timeline too. Maybe it starts in the Thirteenth century crises and the Kurgen is Mexica or something.
Also how is Palmyra doing in this timeline, I think you mentioned it being damaged during the Maxismst war but I think the Reich would repair the damages from the Maximist (possible the Angeloi too) done to Palmyra and preserve its history and culture by keeping the ruins before the Maxismsts.
Also what ever happend to the one incompetent admiral from Hoi3 ,Cordemann (the one that got the SMS Bismarck sunk in TTL), after or during the war? I think he was killed in the war since he was never mentioned again after he lost one more battle during the Hoi3 aar. That or he was eventually fired by Otto.
Now I´m wondering how Venice is doing in Rome, we can´t have those Dandolos running around here now can we.
Unless....I think I figured out how the Third Roman Civil War will go and who the Hohenzollerns would be fighting against.
Also is there any equivalent to the ¨Dixieland¨ or ¨the South will rise again!¨ mindset to the Maximst in TTL since the Maximst family and branch is extinct after WW2? I wonder how Victoria Louise was afftected by the death of her entire family in WW2.
Also does the Baghdad ¨House of Wisdom¨ and other structures of the Islamic Golden age still exist in the Reich intact since I the Mongols didn´t reach too far into the Middle East in this timeline and Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism doesn´t exist here? It could become a university for the Reich too.
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Since there is no Metal Gear, every weapon the Reich develops technically surpasses "Metal Gear."
The Pantheon would still be a church, only it would now be an Orthodox one. Like all other major churches, it would be open to the public as a museum as well.
I think it's reasonable to assume the Parthenon would be like that. There would also be services for some pagan faiths in addition to the Christian services. I think the other pagan faiths would have pilgrimages and a few places of worship in their holy sites throughout the Reich.Also I take it that the Parthenon would become used to honor Saint Wilhelmina or Gunhilda because of the Statue of Athena inside being used as a Statue for Wilhelmina or Gunhilda while the Pantheon´s mosaics of the Gods would end up the gods of other Pagan faiths in the Reich because I imagine the Pagans and religious minorities in the Reich getting their own churches, mosques, synagogues and cathedrals ideally, maybe in the holy sites you mentioned.
I did use a picture of the modern Hagia Sophia back in CK2 when I talked about mending the Schism. The minarets don't make sense in this universe, so you can consider them non-canon (I only used the picture because there are no pictures of Hagia Sophia without minarets).
I think I can get away with Connor still being Scottish and Kurgen being Mexica (or Mongol or Norse). It would start in the Thirteenth Century Crisis and then follow Connor as he fights in every Roman war up to the modern day, where the plot begins.
Palmyra would be the same as in real life. The Reich would of course try to repair the damages the Maximists and the Axis did, but a full restoration is economically impractical (and nobody would want to live there anyways, because I think there's already a perfectly good town also called Palmyra next door).
I don't know about Cordemann, as I never talked about him since he was a minor character. Now that you bring him up again, he might appear in a flashback in the story arc.Also what ever happend to the one incompetent admiral from Hoi3 ,Cordemann (the one that got the SMS Bismarck sunk in TTL), after or during the war? I think he was killed in the war since he was never mentioned again after he lost one more battle during the Hoi3 aar. That or he was eventually fired by Otto.
I actually will be introducing a Dandolo character in the 2020s/30s, but he will absolutely not be sacking Constantinople or starting any civil wars.Now I´m wondering how Venice is doing in Rome, we can´t have those Dandolos running around here now can we.
There is no "Dixieland" or Southern nationalism because the Maximist movement was mostly a royalist pretender movement with no claims of independence or nationhood. After the first civil war they mostly faded away from public memory, and after they went extinct in 1944 a Maximist restoration was abandoned by even the most devoted Maximists. And I never went over how the Kaiserin was affected by the death of her entire family, but she's been scarred by it. I might go over it in a later part of the story arc, if I can find somewhere to include such a conversation.
Most of the structures and institutions of the Islamic Golden Age still exist, only Christianized or "Judaized" (don't know the right term). The early Reich saw the benefit in the innovations and discoveries Muslim scientists made and incorporated them into Roman society. I think the House of Wisdom would eventually become IU Baghdad, though there would be a separate university (which would be part of the Ivy League equivalent) called Hikma University (Arabic for wisdom).
By the way, I seem to have been nominated for best megacampaign of 2017. Until a couple days ago, I wasn't aware such a category existed. Thank you all for voting for me! Really gives me inspiration to continue this worldbuilding.
Good mega campaign, I probably should not read much of this chapter, since I am still on the HOI3 version with the whole civil war (started reading it a few months ago). Great so far and I understand why you were nominated for mega campaign of 2017. Some day I might get to the present
Operation Falcon, Part 1
Outside Heppenheim, Hesse – November 19, 1993, 12:57 AM
An explosion ripped through the woods, shattering the silent night. Flames quickly spread, engulfing the nearest trees. Within several minutes, the police had arrived. Or rather, Deputy Werner was just on his usual patrol and happened to be passing through the area. After observing the situation, he picked up his radio.
“Dispatcher, be advised we have a fire off County Road D7,” he said, “Two miles west of the Canyon Ridge Intersection. Suggest we dispatch fire crews.”
There was no response.
“This is Deputy Werner,” Werner said, “Do you copy.”
All he got was static.
He got out of his car. “Son of a…”
Imperial Space Surveillance Center, Watzmann Mountain, Bavaria
An officer approached Colonel Heidelberg, holding up a stack of papers.
“Sir?” he said. “Sorry to disturb you, sir. But we just picked up an unidentified bogey. I think you should see the replay for yourself. “
Heidelberg followed him to one of the monitor, where a blip registered on the radar. Captain Koretz stood up and saluted to Heidelberg.
“It tripped the fence at 23-17 off the coast of Frisia, sir,” the officer said.
“Initial trajectory was south by southeast,” Captain Koretz said, “Then it started going crazy.”
“What about other craft in the area, like missile testing?” Heidelberg asked.
“Sir, no known aircraft can maneuver like this,” Koretz said.
Well, whatever it was dropped off the screen at 24-18, sir. Hit the ground outside Heppenheim, in Hesse.”
“The tracking and impact team predicted impact speed calculated at over 800 miles an hour,” Koretz explained.
“I've instructed Captain Koretz to start her report right away…” the officer began.
“Negative,” Heidelberg said, “What she tracked was a meteor. Its aberrant movement was obviously due to instrument malfunction.”
“But sir…” Koretz said.
“Your report will reflect these facts,” Heidelberg said, “Is that clear?”
“Yes sir,” the officer said.
“Good,” Heidelberg said, walking away.
He reached a deserted corner and dialed a number on his cell phone.
“Code indigo delta echo nein,” Heidelberg said, “I have a confirmed fallen in sector 87. Mobilize Operation Falcon immediately.”
Outside Heppenheim
Werner heard another nearby explosion, and flames spewed through trees nearby. He continued walking towards the crash site, ignoring the sound of rustling grass around him. Suddenly, he heard a twig snap, and he aimed his gun in the direction of the noise.
“Hello?” he said.
He swung his flashlight around, but he found nothing. Then there was a flash of white light, and he screamed in agony.
Budget-Rest Motel, Heppenheim, Hesse – November 19, 1993, 9:07 PM
“...still have no comment until the government investigation now under way is completed,” the reporter said, “Government officials remain vague about the toxic cargo that has caused the immediate evacuation of Heppenheim’s 25,000 residents. Speculation here has centered on a shipment of toxic waste…”
Anders turned off the TV, checked his gun, and tested his flashlight. Then he put on his backpack and left the motel. He got in his car and drove away as fast as he could without looking suspicious. Time was of the essence, Hans had told him back in Constantinople.
“…what happened out there if it wasn't a train wreck?” Anders had asked.
“Anders, the European Reich is surrounded by an electronic fence that reaches about 15,000 miles into space,” Hans had explained, “We use it to track and monitor the 7,087 man-made objects orbit the earth. Last night at 23-17, that fence was breached. This morning at 0100, Operation Falcon went into effect, led by Colonel Karl Heidelberg—the Kaiserliche Luftwaffe’s top reclamations expert.”
“Reclamations?” Anders had asked.
“Before World War III, his job was to prevent technologies from downed Roman aircrafts from getting into Soviet or Chinese hands,” Hans had said.
“He's part of a craft retrieval unit,” Anders had realized.
“Yep,” Hans had said, “Quick response. I'd say you have roughly 24 hours before the entire area is sanitized. After that it will be like nothing has happened. If you buy a ticket now, you might get there by this afternoon.”
Back in the present, Anders pulled up on the side of the road and ran into the woods. He didn’t get far before he found a sign reading:
So much for a cover story, Anders thought.
He walked along the “laser” fence, which was harder than it looked because he couldn’t see the laser beams. Eventually, he arrived at a military campground. He heard a helicopter flying overhead into the forest, while large trucks checked in at the main gate, which was heavily guarded with several soldiers. He quickly devised a plan to get inside.
Operation Falcon Field Headquarters – 9:51 PM
Heidelberg and a lieutenant walked through the command center.
“You’re late, Lieutenant,” he said.
“We had a flat outside the perimeter, sir,” the lieutenant said.
“There's a general briefing at 2200 hours. But first go to headquarters for the live rounds,” Heidelberg ordered.
“Live rounds, sir?” the lieutenant asked.
“You have a problem with that?” Heidelberg asked.
“No sir,” the lieutenant said, “We were told this was just a drill.”
“They told you wrong,” Heidelberg said.
The lieutenant turned to the soldiers in a newly arrived truck. “Okay! Everyone out!”
The soldiers jumped out of the truck. Hidden from sight, Anders dropped from his hiding place underneath the truck and ran into the forest. Dodging frequent patrols of armed soldiers, he made his way towards a lit area where he heard men shouting and strange whooshing noises. As he approached the area, he saw a crash site lit with heavy lights. Men in hazmat suits walked around the area, inspecting the debris left from something Anders couldn't see. He took out his camera and started taking pictures. At that moment, he heard footsteps approaching. He turned around and was promptly hit in the face with a gun.
Arcadia Bar and Restaurant, Constantinople – 10:24 PM
Angela downed another glass and triumphantly placed it upside down on the counter. “That makes what, five?” she said, grinning madly. “I don’t know, I wasn’t counting.”
“And you still don’t feel drunk?” Demetrios said, drinking his own glass.
“Nah,” Angela said, “What, do you? What is this, your second glass?”
“I think so,” Demetrios said, “Ugh. Why are we even here?”
“Just to get a drink, for old time’s sake,” Angela said, “Like everybody else here.”
She gestured to the dozens of young men and women lounging around the bar, chatting and drinking with each other.
“Lighten up, Demetrios,” she said, drinking another glass, “Embrace the holiday spirit!”
“Christmas isn’t for another month, Angela,” Demetrios said, “Say, who’s driving home? We’re both drunk.”
“I’ll just call a taxi in about half an hour or something,” Angela said, “I walked here anyways. Hope you did too.”
“Actually, I don’t think I—” Demetrios began.
Coincidentally, her phone rang just as she said that. She picked it up.
“Hello?” she said. “Oh hey, Dad.”
Her eyes narrowed. “No, I haven’t seen him, why?”
Suddenly, her expression changed to one of shock.
“What?” she said. “What?!”
“Angela, what is it?” Demetrios asked.
“Anders did WHAT?!” Angela shouted.
Operation Falcon Headquarters – November 19, 1993, 10:34 PM
Colonel Heidelberg opened Anders' camera and exposed the film inside to the light. Then he turned to Anders, who found himself tied to a chair.
"You just made the worst mistake of your life, Agent Humboldt," he said.
"I think you knocked out a filling, Colonel Heidelberg," Anders said, "If I had one."
"I'll see to it you that pay the price for putting my men at risk," Heidelberg said.
"Since when does taking pictures put anyone's life at risk?" Anders asked.
"You violated a Roman government quarantine and that’s a national crime," Heidelberg said.
"That's a quarantine?" Anders asked. "Is that what you call this?"
"We're trying to contain an ecological disaster," Heidelberg claimed.
"That’s a lot of firepower just to protect mother nature," Anders said, "You guys are Captain Planet now?"
"I have my orders," Heidelberg said, "And a license to execute them as a I see fit. I suggest you forget what you saw, what you think you saw for your own well-being."
"You've got a downed craft in those woods, sir," Anders said, "And troops carrying live rounds. Cut the charade. We both know what's out there!"
Two soldiers dragged him to a makeshift brig made out of chain-link fence. They tossed him inside, locked the door, and left.
"Psst," someone said, "Are you GUFON or ZUFOS?"
A long haired blonde man wearing glasses and a backwards facing baseball cap emerged from the shadows. "Mind if I sit down here? Let me guess you're with that new group, AWLUSBP, right?"
Anders looked away.
"Um, say no more," the man said, "You're a cautious man. Trust no one. Very wise. After what happened to Ragnar Beck I understand completely."
Anders looked back.
"Oh, let me introduce myself," the man said, "My name is Max Fenig. I'm with the National Investigative Committee of Aerial Phenomenon...NEKAP."
He turned around his hat to display the initials.
"Pleased...pleased to make you're acquaintance," Max said, "Wish we could shake on it, you know. Firm grip, look you right in the eye. You learn a lot about a guy that way."
Anders looked away again.
"Hey, uh... Can I ask you a question?" Max asked.
"Go ahead," Anders said.
"Did you see anything?" Max asked. "Did you get close? Me, I saw nothing. I didn't see anything! Nada, zip. Hundred yards past the road block they nailed me. I have no idea how they did it. I'm telling you, it’s like the Agadir cover up all over again."
"What makes you so sure that something's out there?" Anders asked.
Max laughed. "Same thing that makes you so sure?"
November 20, 1993, 7:23 AM
Anders woke up to the sound of the door opening and closing. He opened his eyes and found Angela standing there.
"I didn't order room service, Angie," he said.
"This isn't funny, Anders," Angela said.
"Did you meet Max?" Anders asked.
"Who?" Angela asked.
"Max from NEKAP," Anders said.
He found Max's cell empty. "Oh, they must have released him. Another intrepid soul in search of a close encounter."
"Is that what this is about?" Angela asked.
"What else?" Anders asked.
"Try explaining that to Section Chief Freiburg," Angela said, "He stepped over Dad and Schulz, don't ask me how, and ordered a full inquiry. With a recommendation...he wants to shut down the X-Division. And he wants you out of the Athanatoi."
"So what else is new?" Anders asked.
"I don't understand you, Anders," Angela said, "Why are you always defying standard protocol? Ignoring jurisdiction..."
"Because I know what I saw, Angie," Anders said, "There weren't train tracks anywhere near that site. So how could it have been a derailed container?"
"Because it wasn't," Angela said, "What you saw was not a toxic spill. But it wasn't a UFO either."
"Fine, I'm all ears," Anders said, "What was it?"
"It was a downed Mississippian jet with a nuclear warhead," Angela said.
Anders laughed.
"Over Roman air space..." Angela continued. "They'd been picking up low grade levels of radiation indicating that a plutonium casing may have cracked. So to avoid mass panic..."
"Angie, please," Anders said, "You really believe that story?"
"That story happens to be highly classified," Angela said.
A helicopter flew overhead.
"A highly classified lie," Anders said, "They're searching for someone, Angie."
"If they're searching for anyone, its probably the pilot," Angela said.
"You think they'd roll out all of this material for one Choctaw fighter jock?" Anders said.
"Besides, no human pilot walked away from the wreckage I saw. Just listen to the sound of your voice, Angie. Can you believe what you’re saying?"
"Well, maybe he ejected," Angela said.
"Maybe," Anders said.
---
A vaguely humanoid shape approached the laser fence. It was mostly invisible, but it's outline was still there, subtly distorting the air around it. It paused as it observed the fence. As a truck drove down a nearby road, it ran through the laser fence, unaffected by the lasers, and then ran across the road.
Budget-Rest Motel – 8:03 AM
Angela stopped the car and got out, Anders behind her. They approached Anders’ room. Angela was not happy with what Anders had to say during the drive.
“You can't be serious!” Angela said.
“As long as we're here in beautiful downtown Heppenheim, birthplace of the FMP, why not?” Anders asked.
“Anders, the hearing is tomorrow morning at ten o'clock,” Angela said.
“That gives us over 24 hours to investigate,” Anders said.
“My assignment is to bring you back, not to help you dig yourself in deeper,” Angela said, “You are testing the limits of Dad’s and Schulz’s patience.”
“‘The Last Detail’, starring Angela Hansen,” Anders joked.
Angela punched him in the arm.
They entered Anders’ room, finding it to be a complete mess. The bedsheets and blankets were tossed on the floor. Pillows were ripped open. Drawers were left open. The phone was left off the hook.
“I swear it wasn’t this messy when I left,” Anders said.
“What's going on?” Angela said.
“Looks like housekeeping hasn't been here yet,” Anders said.
“Who would...” Angela said.
“Shhh,” Anders said, pointing to the bathroom.
They heard a noise coming from the bathroom. Both drew their guns and approached it. As Angela entered, she saw the legs of a man getting stuck as he tried to get through the window.
“Max?” Anders asked.
“Get your hands up!” Angela demanded.
“Angie, no!” Anders said.
Max slipped out the window and crashed into the bathroom floor. He clutched his head in pain as he got up and raised his hands.
“Whoa, lady, don't shoot,” he said, “Don't shoot.”
“Is that you, Max?” Anders asked.
Max took off his hat. “Ahem.”
Anders brought Max into the bedroom and had him sit on the bed.
“Sorry,” Max said, “Please forgive me. I’m a curious man. I had to know...”
“Know what?” Anders asked.
“If it was really you,” Max said.
“But you don't know me,” Anders said, “Last night is the first time you've laid eyes on me.”
“Not true,” Max said, “We at NEKAP have been following your career really closely. Ever since you became involved with the X-Division.”
“Looks like you’ve got some fans,” Angela joked.
“Following my career?” Anders said. “How?”
“Through the Freedom of Information Act,” Max said, “Your travel expenses are a matter of public record. Thank Kohl.”
He turned to Angela. “So, this must be the enigmatic Agent Hansen.”
He held out his hand, but Angela pushed him back onto the bed.
“How did you recognize me?” Anders asked.
“I saw your picture in a trade magazine once,” Max said, “And of course I read your article in Omni about the Azov sightings.”
“I published that under a pseudonym,” Anders said.
“Hans Red,” Max said, “I know. Hans Red is an anagram for Anders H. You really didn't think that would fool us did you?”
“I didn't think anyone was really paying attention,” Anders said.
“Somebody's always paying attention, Herr Humboldt,” Max said.
Angela rolled her eyes. “A-mazing.”
“Amazing?” Max said. “Hardly. You want to see something amazing? Come with me.”
Anders followed Max out of the room. He looked back at Angela.
“Enigmatic,” he repeated.
“Shut up!” Angela said.
They walked to a trailer sitting in the middle of the parking lot. Max humbly gestured to it.
“This is my, uh...” he said. “Yeah. Right this way.”
He opened the door and led Anders and Angela inside. The interior was as messy as Anders’ office was, filled with haphazardly organized files, photos, and tapes on top of kitchen supplies and other amenities. Max immediately started searching through his stuff.
“Okay,” he said, “Where's those, uh...They were right here. Oh, here they are.”
He handed some photos to Anders.
“The latest crop circle photos from Project Argus,” Max said, “Huh? Your opinion, fact or—”
“Fraud,” Anders said.
“How do you explain the anomalous blisters on the plants?” Max asked.
“Some unreported weathering effects common to wheat or a systematic reaction to the plant tissue to being lodged in one position,” Anders said.
Angela noticed bottles of prescription medicine on a shelf. She picked one up and read “MELLARIL” on its label.
“I see you've read the literature,” Max said.
“I try to keep up,” Anders said.
“What about the...” Max said.
“Max, you said you had something to show us,” Angela said.
“Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah,” Max said, gesturing to a nearby table stacked with industrial grade electronic equipment, “Tesla Wolf Ear 2000. Did you ever hear of this?”
“Yeah,” Angela said, “Tesla Dynamic supplied the Athanatoi Foreign Division and the RSB with all of their surveillance equipment.”
“State of the art search and intercept,” Max explained, “Up to 100 channels per second. Currently I'm jacked into local fire and police departments, cellular pathways, and when the weather's right sometimes even air traffic control from KL Bergstrasse.”
“What have you got?” Anders asked.
“Mobile Unit Broadcast,” Max said, “In Scan Mode. Heppenheim Police Department. Two nights ago.”
He pushed a button.
“Be advise we got a fire off County Road D7,” Werner said, “Two miles west of the Canyon Ridge intersection. Suggest we dispatch fire crews, over? This is Deputy Werner. Do you copy?”
The recording ended.
“And this 35 minutes later,” Max said, pushing another button, “Presumably from the fire crew. Reception got wiggly for some reason.”
“This is unit 53 reporting,” a man said, “Man down, repeat, man down. Request medivac. I said request medivac! You're breaking up! Very. Bad. VERY bad. Wait a second. What the hell? Karl, we've got a situation here!”
Operation Falcon headquarters
Heidelberg paced across the command center, his phone practically glued to his ear.
“We put up a tight net,” he said, “Yes, sir. Every inch of ground is being covered, dug up, squeezed, and sifted. No, sir. It will not get away. Not this time.”
He hung up.
Emergency Evacuation Center, Mullstrasse High School – 6:27 PM
Angela and Anders walked past rows of people sitting on cots towards a woman on the far side of the auditorium.
“Frau Werner?” Angela asked, holding up her badge. “I’m Angela Hansen, and this is Anders Humboldt with the Athanatoi. We’d like to ask you a few questions about your husband.”
“He's dead,” Frau Werner said, “What else is there to know?”
She got up and walked away.
“I'm sorry about your husband,” Angela said.
“Oh, please,” Frau Werner said.
“Frau Werner, we want to help you,” Anders said.
“Then leave me alone,” Frau Werner said.
“Why won't you let us help you?” Anders asked.
“I don’t know anything!” Frau Werner said.
She looked at Anders and Angela and sat down. “Don't you understand? They won't even release the body so I can give him a proper burial. Okay?”
“The government can't do that,” Angela said, “I'm sure if you appealed to...”
“No!” Frau Werner said.
“You’re entitled to the truth,” Angela said.
“I can't afford the truth,” Frau Werner said, “They said that if I spoke to anyone, they would withhold my husband's pension. And I have a child to take care of.”
Suddenly, the lights went out.
Imperial Microwave Substation B21
A high pitched screech rang through Heidelberg’s earphones. He pulled them off.
“Picking up extremely high frequency signal,” a military policeman reported, “Roughly two hundred thousand megahertz.”
The sound subsided, and Heidelberg and the military policeman focused on a screen.
“Sir, target spotted on the northeast side,” the military policeman reported, “Footspeed seven miles per hour sir.”
Heidelberg picked up his headset again. “Beta Team?”
His headset crackled. “Copy,” Beta Team leader reported.
“Target entering your section from the southwest,” Heidelberg said, “Seems to be equipped with stealth cloaking technology of some kind. Search and destroy, repeat, search and destroy.”
“Jawohl,” Beta Team leader replied.
Beta Team’s soldiers were all equipped with body cameras constantly relaying a video feed back to Heidelberg’s screen. The colonel watched as his team drew their guns and cautiously approached the area, surveying their surroundings. They split up in opposite directions but stayed in visual contact.
“Jacobsen?” Beta Team leader asked. “Report.”
“Nothing,” Jacobsen replied.
Suddenly, Jacobsen’s camera spun wildly in another direction. “Did you hear that noise?” Jacobsen said.
Jacobsen continued looking in that direction, but he didn’t see anything. The team leader shook his head as well.
“Must have been an animal,” he said, “Alright, continue on to—”
At that moment, a bright white light illuminated the complex, covering the body cameras before the connection cut out. The last thing Heidelberg heard was his men screaming in pain.
“Scheiße!” Heidelberg cursed. “Situation report!”
“We lost connection with Beta Team,” the military policeman said.
The more I read, the more convinced I become that this shadow organization is really incompetent. Anders managed to break inside and, while he got caught, you can easily argue he shouldn't even have made it that far. The alien sneaking out is even worse.