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I loved that book as a kid too!
Welcome! I hope you enjoy the recent updates!
Improbable, Part 4
Milo’s house, Ratheim (Nicaea) - 10:30 AM
Mary opened the door for Angela, Annie, and Olga.
“Can I help you?” she said.
“X-Division,” Annie said, taking out her badge, “We need to ask you a few questions.”
“Uh, about?” Mary said.
“About your brother, Milo,” Angela said, “He’s killed three people.”
“Three people?” Mary said.
“That we know of, yeah,” Annie said.
“No, there must be some mistake,” Mary said, “Milo wouldn't kill innocent people.”
“I suppose he didn't think they were that innocent,” Olga said, “You know, after all, they were trying to cut off the medication making him smart. Right?”
Mary sighed and looked at the floor.
“Do you have any idea where he is now?” Angela said.
“He doesn't confide in me anymore,” Mary said.
Annie stepped into Milo’s room. “You mind if we look inside?”
“Go ahead,” Mary said.
Angela picked up a picture of Mary and Milo.
“Is that you?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Mary said.
“Milo and Mary,” Angela read the caption, “Sounds like a kids' book.”
“You're not the first person to say that,” Mary said.
“Ah, you seem close,” Angela said.
“We were,” Mary said, “He was older, but we liked the same cartoons, played the same games."
“I had the opposite,” Angela said, “My brother and sister and I were close in age, but... we fought over everything."
“Are you close now?” Mary said.
“Still close with my…sister,” Angela said.
She felt weird saying that. There was something about that sentence which just felt wrong. But it wasn’t supposed to feel wrong, was it?
“My brother Bill was killed while on police action in the colonies,” Angela said.
That also felt wrong to say.
“Oh, I'm sorry,” Mary said, “That must've been... really difficult.”
“It was,” Angela said, involuntarily forcing herself to say those words.
“When I was little, I used to always be scared that something would happen to Milo,” Mary said, “He'd forget to check for cars, just run right into traffic. I worried that he'd never be happy. He'd never feel like... like he belonged."
“Must've been hard watching him struggle,” Angela said.
“It was harder for him,” Mary said, “That's why I agreed to the drug study.”
“He isn't that helpless anymore,” Angela said, “He's dangerous, and I think you know that. So if there is anything that you can think of... we just don't want to see anyone else get hurt, including your brother.”
Mary handed her a letter.
“It's a... it's a goodbye note,” she said, “But it says where I can reach him.”
“Thank you,” Angela said, handing her a business card, “Call my number if you need anything.”
She motioned to Annie and Olga, and they left the house. Angela handed Annie the note.
“Patricia Hotel,” Annie said, “Seeholzstrasse, Westend.”
“That’s just a block away,” Olga said.
Angela took out her phone and speed-dialed Diana’s number, while Olga called headquarters.
“I'm calling backup, get them to meet us there,” Olga said, “They’ll bring oxygen.”
“Hold on a second,” Annie said, "What if that's what Milo wants? You know, that's his modus operandi to be always ten steps ahead."
“So what, you think he knew his sister would tell us?” Angela said.
“Listen, he knows we're onto him,” Annie said, “He knows his sister. What if he's setting us up?”
“Well, we can't just stand here,” Olga said.
“Hello?” Diana said.
“Hey, Di, I’m sending you our findings,” Angela said, typing on her smartphone, “Make some sense of it and tell us if we should go to that hotel.”
They waited for a few seconds.
“…I can’t answer that,” Diana said.
“Why not?” Angela said.
“Because there is no answer,” Annie said, “It's a mathematical problem without a solution.”
“Well, which scenario is more likely?” Angela said. “We go to the hotel, or we don’t?"
“Suppose he predicts you'll go there,” Diana said, “But then you'll predict he'll predict that, so you don't go.”
“So we shouldn't go?” Annie said.
“But then he predicts you predicted that,” Diana said, “And he changes his plan, which means you should go to the hotel. But then he predicts you'll predict what he predicted too. It's an infinite spiral.”
“Okay, well, thank you, Di,” Angela said, “We'll take it from here.”
She hung up and walked back to her car.
“Where you going?” Annie said.
“To the hotel,” Angela said.
“Angie,” Annie said.
“Look, Annie, he could be there now,” Angela said, “I'm not going to lose him. Are you?”
“Fine,” Annie said, “You drive.”
“Hello?” Olga said, pointing to the street corner, “I think he’s over there.”
Milo stood on the corner, watching them. Angela, Annie, and Olga looked at each other for several seconds. Then they ran after him.
Milo casually walked away from the X-Division agents, still calculating the probabilities and predicting his exact course of action to avoid capture. He first anticipated the agents running across the street starting when a nearby digital clock changed from 10:59 to 11:00. This would then be followed by a foot chase through the backstreets and alleys, which would take them into a construction zone in a heavily polluted part of the city, where the air quality was so bad it would require the agents to put on oxygen masks. The delay in doing so would cause Angela to run into an automated forklift carrying cinder blocks. The forklift would stop, and Angela would be crushed by the bricks.
Milo turned down an alley, and Angela, Annie, and Olga crossed the street just as the clock changed to 11:00 AM. Milo led them on his path through the alleys and backstreets into the construction zone, past a sign warning about the drop in air quality. Annie and Olga ran down two other alleys to Angela’s left and right, while Angela continued following Milo into a service tunnel and to an area where construction workers wearing air masks were laying down the foundations for an air purifying machine. Angela’s earpiece beeped urgently.
“Warning,” it said, “Air quality below acceptable levels. Please put on an oxygen mask.”
Angela replied by shutting off her earpiece and running faster, though her breath grew ragged and she gasped to get what little oxygen remained into her lungs. Milo rounded a corner, and she followed him around, seeing he had stopped a few meters away. She looked to her left and saw an automated forklift bearing down on her. It beeped frantically and flashed red lights, its brakes aggressively engaging to avoid running her over. Most of the cinder blocks flew off and tumbled toward Angela, but she dodged them and ran over to Milo, who could only watch in what should have been shock.
“Oh, that wasn’t supposed to happen,” he said.
Angela tackled Milo into a chain link fence and pressed her gun to his head.
“Don’t move!” she shouted. “Or I will shoot!”
Milo reluctantly put his hands up just as Annie and Olga ran over to them, oxygen masks on. Annie handed Angela an oxygen mask, and she put it on, relaxing as she tasted the oxygen.
11:15 AM
“Is equal value of six,” Milo said, “Six is the solution. What is a solution? Derives a gradient of 'Y'. Evaluate a 'Y4' and proceed. Isolate discontinuities and recalibrate. There's a 47 percent chance the King will take the Queen.”
Paramedics strapped him down to a stretcher while an ambulance backed into the alley and opened its doors. Angela sat on a nearby bench, watching as the paramedics prepared to load him into the vehicle. Annie and Olga walked over to her. Annie had her arms crossed.
“Since when do you break protocol?” she asked. “You passed by an Auburn Diamond, okay? Blinking Auburn Diamond, which you ignored. Compromised air quality."
“You need oxygen to breathe, in case you forgot,” Olga said, “And did you forget what city you were in?”
“Annie, I'm sorry,” Angela said, "I don't really even know why I did that.”
“Because you're a daredevil,” Annie said, “I get it. We’ve known that for twenty years. So if you don't mind... I'd appreciate it if we don't go through this again?”
“Yeah, sure,” Angela said, “What about Milo?”
“They’ll revert him, of course,” Olga said.
Angela sighed. “He’s special, you know.”
“We know that,” Annie said, “But at the same time, the law’s the law, and he’s a killer. He’s lucky charges probably won’t be filed. It’ll be too hard to prove he did it.”
“Did we do the right thing, Annie?” Angela said. “He just wanted to protect himself. He wanted to stay like this. Who are we to take it away from him?”
“Angie, are you okay?” Olga said. “The government does this all the time. The Emperor says it’s for the greater good. And we all know what the Bible says about that: what the Lord giveth, he taketh away.”
The paramedics wheeled Milo past them, and Milo locked eyes with Angela.
“Fourteen million possibilities,” he said, “You die in all, and you die again. In all of them, Earth will fall, Terra will rise. It reaches out, it loves us. What was shall…”
The paramedics loaded Milo into the ambulance and drove away.
Bruno’s lab, Ministry of Defense, Unification Island - 5:00 PM
Bruno was typing a report on his computer when Walternate unexpectedly walked through the door and paced around the lab.
“You know, sometimes I envy you,” Walternate said, “Being here, nothing to distract you.”
“Herr Minister, I didn't realize you were coming,” Bruno said.
“These are my daughter’s clothes,” Walternate said, picking up a child’s dress from a table.
“Yes,” Bruno said, “I thought if I used items from the other side, it would provide an associative link which would spark Angela to…”
“Cross over to the other universe,” Walternate said, “Yes, good thinking. When will it be ready?”
“We're very close,” Bruno said, “So far, all the test subjects I have hooked up to the chair, they’re experiencing a high level of anxiety, their stress is causing my readings to fluctuate. I've been tinkering with this thing all day.”
“The solution is obvious,” Walternate said, “Submerge the subject in water."
“Sensory-deprivation tank,” Bruno said, “Of course. The womb-like atmosphere naturally provides a state of relaxation.”
“Sometimes simpler is better,” Walternate said.
“Do you miss it?” Bruno said.
“Miss what?” Walternate said.
“Being a scientist,” Bruno said.
“I am still a scientist, Bruno,” Walternate said, “Only my laboratory is the entire Empire. Let me know as soon as the tank's ready.”
He turned and left.
Angela’s apartment
Angela walked through the front door and set down her stuff in the empty living room. She peeked in the kitchen, but it was also empty. She looked in Alexandra’s room, where her daughter was working on homework.
“Hey Alex,” Angela said.
“Hey Mom,” Alexandra said, “Just doing some Abitur prep.”
“Do you know where your dad is?” Angela said.
“He’s in his room,” Alexandra said, “He was called up.”
“Oh, no,” Angela said, “What about the dance?”
“I don’t know,” Alexandra said.
“I could go,” Angela said.
“It’s a father-daughter dance,” Alexandra said.
Angela grabbed the brochure from Alexandra’s desk.
“It says here it’s also a mother-son dance, and they’re fine with mothers going with daughters,” Angela said, “But not fathers and sons, for some reason. I’ll put in a word with the principal.”
“Mom, you don’t need to do this,” Alexandra said.
“I can and I will,” Angela said, “Let me talk to your dad first.”
She walked over to Demetrios’ room, where Demetrios was talking on his phone.
“I’ll call you back,” he said, hanging up.
“Who was that?” Angela said.
“Leza,” Demetrios said, “She was giving me an update on Erlangen.”
Angela looked at Demetrios’ suitcase.
“God, I don't know how you do it,” she said, “I'm never done packing until the Uber arrives."
“Well, I'm off to treat smallpox in Bavaria, so it's not like I have to look good,” Demetrios said.
“Oh, except you do,” Angela said, playfully tapping him on the shoulder.
“And besides, they’re all driverless,” Demetrios said, “Which means I can just carry what I didn’t pack into the car and keep packing on the way.”
“True,” Angela said.
“Are you sure you're okay with me doing this?” Demetrios said. “I can still call Fiken, beg him to cover for me."
“We have had this conversation,” Angela said, “It’s your career. This is your calling.”
“I know,” Demetrios said, “I know. It's just they haven't told me yet how long I'll be gone.”
“So just keep me posted,” Angela said, “Alex and I will be fine.”
Demetrios’ phone chimed.
“That’s probably the Uber,” he said, picking up his suitcase, “I should go.”
Angela lightly kissed him.
“Good luck,” she said, “Make us proud.”
Demetrios smiled. “I will.”
He walked out of the room, and Alexandra quickly hugged him.
“Good luck, Dad,” she said.
“Sorry I can’t make the dance,” Demetrios said, “But ask your mom, okay? I’m sure she’d be glad to take you.”
Angela winked at Alexandra.
“Sure,” Alexandra said, “Love you.”
“Love you too,” Demetrios said.
“We’ll miss you,” Angela said.
“I’ll miss you too,” Demetrios said, “I’ll be home as soon as I can.”
“Call me when you land,” Angela said.
“Alright,” Demetrios said, “Bye.”
He walked through the door. Angela walked into the kitchen to get something to eat. She opened the fridge and took out a small pastry. When she closed the door, she found Elisabeth Alexandra standing next to her.
“You know why you didn't die today, right?” she said. “You didn't know the protocol. If you stopped for oxygen, you'd be dead. But you did something he couldn't predict, you kept running. You know why you did that. It's why you thought you saw Walter back in the hospital. It's why you think you're seeing me now. You're not from here, Angie. You're not her.”
“You’re not real,” Angela said.
“Real is just a matter of perception,” Elisabeth Alexandra said, “I’m here. And I'm a part of you you have to hold onto. You can't forget who you are, Angie. You can't forget where you're from. You can't forget this.”
She held up the Walkman and pressed play. Alexandra tapped Angela on the shoulder.
“What's wrong, Mom?” she said.
Angela blinked, and Elisabeth Alexandra was gone.
“Nothing,” Angela said, “You just surprised me, that's all.”
“You alright?” Alexandra said.
“Yeah,” Angela said, “It's just I’m…going to miss your dad.”
Looks like both @TWR97 and I called it.
Also I just remembered that something simlar to this actually happended with TTL's Gavrilo Princip after Franz Ferdinainad died in WW1 if I remembered correctly, so does that mean does that mean both Gavrilo and Angela are distanly related to the Hohenzollerns are did they see the ghosts just because they were friends with those Hohenzollerns? Also what ever happend to Gavrilo anyway? I remember he willingly had the archangel, Wilhelm control him, but he sort of just dissapered after HOI3? Anyhow, next time Elizabeth Alexdra shows up, I kind of want her to bring Hohenzollernverse Demotrios along so that they can both troll Angela from beyond the grave. I can imagine the white stag showing up as a symbolic motif through the game and as an easter egg at various points, like the dream sequences where it would be there it in the background, but hidden so that players with a good eye can can notice it. I also imagine the white stag acting as a symbolic motif in the game and could possibly change depending on your choices and progress throughout the game, kind of like the spirt animals of Red Dead Redemption 2 for the sake of comparison. So players either with a high renegade scale or a low Readiness scale could have a much more foreboding and meancing white stag, while paragon players with high readiness could potentially have a white stag radiating with hope in a final dream sequence focused on it perhaps. Plus I can imagine players could see a White Stag when the final mission on Earth takes place (assuming Johan is a romance option, maybe they could watch it with him when Priority Earth takes place, I imagine the various characters you can romance throughout the game would have different and unique farewells in Piroty Earth, like Lirara or Garrus), at least thats how I think the White Stag could be integrated in the game as an easter egg and reflection on game progression, player choice and morality. I can also imagine players can attempt to shoot at the stag as either as a renegade option in Pirority Earth or just fire into the background during gameplay during the dream scquences, through they will never hit it and it will run away in both the dream scquences and Priority: Earth.
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That technically doesn't confirm Angela is a Hohenzollern. But it doesn't deny it either.
You'll have to figure it out for yourself. At least for now.Also I just remembered that something simlar to this actually happended with TTL's Gavrilo Princip after Franz Ferdinainad died in WW1 if I remembered correctly, so does that mean does that mean both Gavrilo and Angela are distanly related to the Hohenzollerns are did they see the ghosts just because they were friends with those Hohenzollerns? Also what ever happend to Gavrilo anyway? I remember he willingly had the archangel, Wilhelm control him, but he sort of just dissapered after HOI3? Anyhow, next time Elizabeth Alexdra shows up, I kind of want her to bring Hohenzollernverse Demotrios along so that they can both troll Angela from beyond the grave.
Gavrilo is still Wilhelm's vessel. I'll be mentioning him in future updates. Also, Wilhelm isn't technically an archangel.
I'm not sure if I can bring in Demetrios, as much as I like the idea (and I'll have to dig back to his updates to get a feel of his personality again). Force ghosts are generally Hohenzollerns.
And players with a very high renegade scale might get a black stag. There's a chance it could bring very useful short-term benefits, but it could equally cause negative effects.
I was actually refering to how @TWR97 and I predicted a Lion King style reunion between Angela and Elizabeth Alexderia than us theorzing Angela being distanly related to the Hohenzollerns. I mean Elizabeth Alexanderia did tell Angela to remember her identity just like Mufusa did with Simbia.
Damn, Gavrilo must be very old at this point. I mean even Kaiser Fredrich I was a vessel for Wilhelm too and he died a natural death at a normal age for that time.
Wait,isn’t it supposed to be What was will be (and what will be was)?
Nice reference to Deus Ex Anniona,by the way. Praise the Worm!
Nice reference to Deus Ex Anniona,by the way. Praise the Worm!
Remember her identity as Angela Hansen of the Hohenzollernverse, not the Angela Hansen of the Annionaverse. But you could also apply that to the Hohenzollern connection. Not going to complain either way.I was actually refering to how @TWR97 and I predicted a Lion King style reunion between Angela and Elizabeth Alexderia than us theorzing Angela being distanly related to the Hohenzollerns. I mean Elizabeth Alexanderia did tell Angela to remember her identity just like Mufusa did with Simbia.
Damn, Gavrilo must be very old at this point. I mean even Kaiser Fredrich I was a vessel for Wilhelm too and he died a natural death at a normal age for that time.
Although personally I'm not a fan of making literally every major character a secret Hohenzollern.He's already getting really old. I will be addressing that in the future updates.
I've seen it said both ways. "Shall" gives it a more biblical feeling too.
Also, I hid another reference in that dialogue line.
Mm, Milo definitely falls into a gray area for my morals. What he did is obviously wrong, but it was out of survival for who he is with the treatment.
At this point, I don't think Milo even has morals anymore. He's doing everything based on logic, using his extreme prediction skills to chart out future events. All of the emotion and feelings he originally had was suppressed by the treatment. It's not that he's immoral, he's amoral.
Running Blades, Part 1
Alsatian Bar, Strasburg, the Reich - June 8, 2010, 9:00 PM
The team gathered in the bar again after another hard day’s work. Olga was off sharing war stories with Jessica again. Anders and Diana remained with Angelalt and Anna by the counter, watching the younger patrons mill around. While Diana downed another shot, Anders constantly looked at his watch, making sure he didn’t stay too late.
“So?” Anna asked. “What else did you come up with? And you can't say 'pirate' again.”
Angelalt pointed to a nearby well-dressed couple. “Definitely bankers.”
“A banker?” Anders said.
“Yeah,” Angelalt said.
“Persian Kid Rock?” Diana said.
“Yeah,” Angelalt said, “His long hair is a link to his individuality. They work together, but they’re obviously on a date.”
“That, however, is truly impressive,” Anders said, pointing to another couple.
“He’s a little short for her, though,” Diana said.
“But not when you stand him on his money,” Anna said, “You can see he has a nice suit, which means money. I bet he owns that Lamborghini outside.”
“Careful, sis,” Anders said, “Your con artist’s showing.”
Anna laughed.
“I think I just understand transactional needs,” Anna said, “Each party has something the other party wants. She gets security, he gets her. We all draw our moral lines in the sand. And unless you can put yourself in their shoes, I don't think you can really judge their situations. You know, I had a really nice time tonight.”
“Me too,” Angelalt said.
“But unfortunately, if I don't get home, Walter’ll wonder where I am,” Anna said, “And then he'll probably start calling the emergency rooms.”
“We should get going,” Diana said, “We need to make sure Alex is still asleep.”
“Yeah,” Anders said.
“Alright, shall we?” Angelalt said.
Reinhard Makarios’ mansion, Nanzig - June 9, 2010, 1:30 PM
Senator Reinhard Makarios pulled his car over to the side of a quiet residential street and lowered his window to smile at the two little girls operating a lemonade stand on the curb.
“Hi, Senator Makarios,” one girl said.
“Hi, girls,” Makarios said, "You know, I've been looking for some lemonade all day. You know where I can find some?”
The second girl held up a pitcher filled with lemonade. “We have a lot to sell.”
“You are?” Makarios said. “Well, perfect! Frau Makarios has me running all over town today. I am parched. Oh, that looks delicious.”
He took a cup. “How much?”
“One mark,” the first girl said.
“One mark?” Makarios said. “For lemonade?”
The second girl shrugged. “We made it ourselves.”
“Well, I don’t know,” Makarios said, sipping the lemonade, “You know, this just might be the best lemonade I have ever had! I'll see you, okay?”
He tossed them a one-hundred mark bill.
“Bye!” the girls waved.
Makarios smiled. “Bye.”
He rolled up his window and drove away, but he didn’t get far before a heavy truck broadsided him in a nearby intersection.
St. Jean Hospital - 2:00 PM
Emergency medical personnel and paramedics rushed an unconscious Makarios down the hallway to the emergency room. An oxygen mask had been put on the senator’s face.
“Victim is unresponsive,” the paramedic said, “Possible head injury.”
The nurse felt Makarios’ neck. “I don't feel a pulse, Doctor. Charge D-fib?”
“Not yet,” the doctor said.
“But he has no pulse,” the nurse said.
“Then why is he still breathing?” the doctor said.
2:15 PM
Within fifteen minutes, Makarios’ friends and family had begun gathering in the waiting room. Patricia Makarios, Makarios’ wife, paced nervously around the room as Erich ran in through the front door.
“Frau Makarios,” Erich said.
“Erich,” Patricia said.
“I got your son’s call,” Erich said, “I was in the area, got here as fast as I could. How is he?”
“I don't know,” Patricia said, “They won't tell me anything.”
Erich walked up to the front desk and showed his badge.
“I want information on Reinhard Makarios now,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sebastian sauntered through the halls and into the emergency room, where doctors prepared to operate on Makarios.
“Prep for intubation,” the doctor said, “Get me a complete blood count and tox screen. What's his blood pressure?”
“I'm not getting anything,” the nurse said, “He has no pressure.”
“Start CPR,” the doctor said, “What the hell is going on with this guy?”
“Stand aside, please,” Sebastian said.
The doctor looked at Sebastian. “You can’t be in here.”
Sebastian took out a gun and shot everybody in the room. Outside, Erich heard the gunshots.
“Stay here, ma’am,” he said to Patricia.
Sebastian rolled Makarios out of the room and into the hall on a gurney. Two security guards drew their weapons.
“Stop right there!” they shouted. “Freeze!”
Sebastian shot both of them. Erich ran into the hallway and pointed his gun at Sebastian.
“Athanatoi!” he shouted. “Drop your weapon!”
Sebastian fired at Erich, but he missed. Erich fired back, hitting Sebastian in the stomach. Sebastian grabbed a nearby intern and pressed his gun to her head.
“Drop your weapon!” Sebastian ordered. “Or I will shoot her! Do it!”
Without warning, though, Sebastian pointed his gun at Makarios and shot him in the face.
“No!” Erich shouted.
Sebastian continued firing at Erich, forcing him to take cover behind a corner. He let the intern go and ran into a stairwell. Erich ran after him, only to see him jump down several floors and escape through a door at the bottom. He cursed and walked back over to Makarios’ body, only to find his wound was leaking mercury.
Tesla Dynamic, Frankfurt - 3:00 PM
“You can't seriously expect me to believe you’re okay with this,” Diana said.
“Well, Tesla’s last wish was for your father-in-law take over this company,” Mina said, “My personal feelings are not at issue. And since he has a controlling stake, there isn’t much the shareholders can do, short of the nuclear option.”
Under her formalities, Diana could tell she was frustrated.
“With a basement lab and a box of scraps, Walter was able to open a wormhole into another universe which essentially shredded all laws of science,” Anders said, “I can't wait to see what he's capable of doing with a trillion mark corporation.”
“Your father made some regrettable choices in the past, but his brilliance is undeniable,” Mina said, “It was that intellect Tesla believed in, more than the family name. And frankly, so do I. My mother would’ve made the same decision.”
“It's not his intellect I'm concerned about,” Anna said.
They walked into a briefing room, where Walter was in the middle of inflicting a disjointed and painful "motivational" speech on the young scientists that now worked for him. As he wrote random words on a blackboard and pontificated, the scientists looked like they would rather be somewhere else.
“So beautiful, it is absolutely breathtaking,” Walter said, drawing a circle, “Somewhere between pudding and foie gras. And why do I bring this up? You, with the red hair.”
“It's black,” the scientist said.
“I see red,” Walter said, “Answer the question.”
“I'm really not sure why we're talking about brain physiology,” the scientist said.
“Dear God, how can you be so limited?” Walter said. “When Nikola Tesla created this company a century ago, he knew one thing to be true. Brain and the mind are capable of so much. Don't you see that the brain is consciousness, hmm? The mind is God! There are no limits, except for those that we impose on ourselves. Open your eyes. Open, open. Inspiration is everywhere. Do you know how lucky you are to play in this sandbox? My heart is racing. God! Is anyone else hot in here?”
He began taking off his clothes.
“Uh, sorry to interrupt,” Mina said.
“Oh, Anders, Anna, you're just in time for the good—” Walter said.
“Time to put your pants back on, Walter,” Anders said, “We've got a case. We have to go."
“Of course,” Walter said, putting his pants on, “I'll just get my things.”
Mina turned to Diana.
“He's a bit unorthodox,” she said.
“He's also tripping his brains out right now,” Diana said, “You know that, right?”
“Eh…” Mina said.
St. Jean Hospital - 4:00 PM
The team gathered in the security room, where Olga played back security footage from the time of Sebastian’s attack.
“Makarios was admitted at 1400 hours,” Erich said, “Thomas came in fifteen minutes later and went on a shooting spree.”
Angelalt pointed at Sebastian shooting the guards. “Look at that. It's like he's got no fear.”
“Clearly, Makarios was one of Thomas’ operatives,” Kurtz said, “We can only assume Thomas knew Makarios’ identity as a shapeshifter would be revealed after he was injured in the crash."
“So Thomas came here to retrieve him,” Anders said.
“And when he couldn't, he shut him up,” Olga said.
Walter looked at Angelalt.
“Oh, in the right light, your hair looks like strands of lemon diamonds,” he said.
“He self-medicated this morning,” Diana said.
“Again,” Anna added.
“Don't worry,” Walter said, “I do some of my finest work self-medicated.”
“Good, because not only was Reinhard Makarios a sitting senator with a long career and top level clearance, he was a good man,” Erich said.
“Uh, what about RB 819?” Anders said.
“Anders, that was Novak,” Erich said, “Makarios was a pawn. I served with his son in the war.”
“I really don’t follow,” Angelalt said.
“He’s been of much help for the X-Division before,” Anders said.
“I want to know how long ago he was replaced and why,” Erich said.
“I want a full accounting of every committee he sat on, every classified briefing he had in the last twenty years,” Kurtz said.
“Okay,” Angelalt said, “Well, I'll make sure his office is locked down.”
“Uncle Erich, if they can get to a sitting Senator, the whole government could be compromised,” Anders said.
“They could’ve gotten the Kaiser himself,” Anna said.
“I mean, he had his own daughter killed in such a stupid manner,” Angelalt said, “Sounds like a shapeshifter to me. Though I don’t really like what she had to say.”
Everybody stared at her.
“What?” Angelalt said. “I’m just theorizing, like all of you.”
"Uh..." Anders said.
“I'm calling my friends at the ZKP and arranging blood tests for everyone in the Reichstag and Bukoleon.” Diana said.
“Walter, examine the body, see what you can find,” Erich said.
“Of course,” Walter said, “I think I'll go examine the body and see what I can find.”
4:30 PM
Walter hauled Makarios’ body onto a table and prepared his surgical tools. The junior agent assigned to watch him stared at the body, especially the mercury blood.
“So is it a machine?” he asked.
“No,” Walter said, “Where can I purchase some candy buttons? Those little candies attached to rolls of paper. Do they still make those?”
“I wouldn't know,” the agent said, “I try not to eat sugar. So if it's not a machine, it's human?”
“It is neither and both,” Walter said, “Part machine, and part organic. A shapeshifter. Such an inspired creation. Frankly, I'm a little envious Willy thought of it before I did.”
Anders, Diana, and Anna walked into the makeshift autopsy room.
"How's it going in here?” Anna asked.
“You'll be happy to know that having something interesting to focus on is calming the vividness of my hallucinations,” Walter said.
“Where’s Angie?” Anders said, “Shouldn’t she be helping out with the autopsy?”
“She said she’d rather not,” Walter said.
“I think we’ll take it from here, Agent,” Anna said.
“Uh, thanks,” the agent said, walking away.
“So, Walter,” Anders said.
“I'm glad he’s gone,” Walter said, “Very negative energy.”
Anna looked at Makarios’ head.
“It seems pretty specific, don't you think, Walter?” she said. “One shot, right through the eye?”
“That's a good question,” Walter said.
“Assuming Thomas shot the shapeshifter to incapacitate him, perhaps this is the location of its power source,” Anders said.
“Exactly,” Walter said.
“So assuming you're right, could we fix it?” Anna said.
“Fix him?” Walter said. “We could try.”
Unknown
As he repaired his stomach wound by injecting more mercury, Sebastian answered his phone.
“Yes?” he asked.
“What were you thinking?” Angelalt said.
“Makarios was in a car accident,” Sebastian said, “He was a liability. I had to act quickly.”
“Okay,” Angelalt said, “What did he know?”
“He was a senior operative,” Sebastian said, “He knew everything.”
“Did he know about me?” Angelalt said.
“Of course,” Sebastian said, “Who do you think provided the information on Angela Hansen and the X-Division, especially those fifteen-year-old case reports? Don't worry. He's been disabled. Or as normal people call it, he's dead. He can't talk, and data recovery's impossible. Your cover's safe for now.”
“What do you mean, my cover is safe for now?” Angelalt said.
“I don't know what your mission is, and you've made it very clear it's none of my concern,” Sebastian said, “Whatever it is, I imagine it requires you to gain the Humboldts’ complete trust."
“What makes you think I don't already have it?” Angelalt said.
“Well, maybe it's because I'm looking in from the outside, but I'm willing to wager somewhere, deep inside their brains, Anders and Anna Humboldt sense something is not quite right with you, something has changed, and you're not their dear Angie,” Sebastian said.
“Okay, you need to remember who you're talking to,” Angelalt said.
“You're in over your head,” Sebastian said, “You're not fully committed to this task, and because of that, you will fail.”
He hung up.
Damn, that’s harsh and cold as hell. I know Angelalt is from a parallel universe, but that was still a mean spirited and horrible thing to say.
I’m honestly suprized she didn’t break her cover there, but that I guess the Hohenzollernverse X-Division could’ve just saw that as Angela expressing her frustration and anger at Elizabeth Alexandria’s death. I also expected a little more outrage for such a callus and insensitive remark.
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First things first, I'm already loving Walter running Tesla's business. That aside, got to agree with Sebastian here. I have expected Anders to tackle Angelalt for what she said about Elizabeth's death.
Really? Believing the Kaiser ordered his own daughter killed like the real Princess Diana conspiracies? Outright saying she doesn't like the Crown Princess and insulting the Kaiser himself? When she should know who both of them are like, especially the Crown Princess? X-Division's going through a lot of mental gymnastics to rationalize Angelalt's actions.Damn, that’s harsh and cold as hell. I know Angelalt is from a parallel universe, but that was still a mean spirited and horrible thing to say.
I’m honestly suprized she didn’t break her cover there, but that I guess the Hohenzollernverse X-Division could’ve just saw that as Angela expressing her frustration and anger at Elizabeth Alexandria’s death.
Anders still thinks Angela's disoriented from the dangerous trip to the Annionaverse. Despite being a conspiracy theorist, he still doesn't see the most blatant signs. When the truth gets out, he might just snap...
Looks like we're back to the usual shenanigans in the Hohenzollernverse. I like that bit on Walter adressing the company staff, makes it hilarious. Angiealt though, damn
Also quick question, since the Maximist Wars is the TTL version of the American Civil War would Chancellor Metternich have a novel based on his fictional life as a vampire hunter? (Ala Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter), cause I like to think a novel and a movie about Metternich's private life as a vampire hunter would be awesome TTL. Seeing the chancellor kill Maximist vampires with a Varangian axe is too badass to not exist. Plus Bismarck would continue his legacy of vampire hunting while spewing about Iron and Blood too
@CaptainAlvious @zenphoenix I like the ideas on the White Stag btw, the white stag will indeed be factor especially in acts 2 and 3 since Harbinger will frequently bother Shepard for their actions (Thus the indoctrination theory finally happens). The white stag will change in appearance depending on Shepard's morality and choices (Betraying Wrex and Mordin will have players get a menacing stag in the dream sequence before act 2 begins).
Also if Gavrilo is still alive I'm hoping he'll be able to see his kid again (Wasn't Mihailo a general back in previous X-Division chapters?) before passing on, the man deserves it after seeing his friend die and not being able to be there when his wife passed away.
I know this was not said before back in ME1 or 2 but Shepard has a default name, Nikephorus for Broshep and Gunhilda for Femshep
Now continuing off where we left with ME3, Act 2 begins with another attack on the Citadel as the fleet guarding the station (Whether the Council's or the Alliance 6th fleet) battles with another fleet with reaper tech infused in them, among the fleets attempting to defend the station is something that will surprise players as they are greeted to the all familliar sight of the symbol of Cerberus (Though the ships are colored blue and gold instead of white and gold), the Gibraltar is then hailed by the commander of the defense fleet (Whether the captain of the Destiny Ascension or Admiral Mikhailovich ((Long time fans will remember him as the rear admiral who inspects the SR1 should Shepard return to the Citadel after completing a plot related quest)) who stands as the one in charge of the Alliance Sixth Fleet) who instruct the commander to begin the evacuation of the council should things go south. The fear of a Reaper capital ship is in everyone's thinking. The Cerberus captain in charge of the small fleet also contacts the Gibraltar and gives Shepard brief intel on the situation sent by a cerberus team they had sent in the station as well as the 'Cerberus' forces that they call traitors. After Shepard replies with a relunctant or hostile tone the mission begins.
The cutscene then shifts to Commander Bailey and the survivors of C-Sec attempting to hold position near a shuttle bay leading to a command room that can either open or seal the Citadel's arms, just as Ascended Cultists and 'Cerberus' troops assault their position. Shepard's shuttle lands and a firefight occurs. After Bailey's team rally around a command terminal Bailey then comments on the two Cerberus forces fighting each other and makes a light joke on how even in space Roman tradition of civil wars was still being carried out. Shepard and his crew then proceed as they come across bodies of C-Sec officers presumably killed without them knowing it, convo from Bailey reveals they were assaulted from within by sleeper agents and traitors (If Johann was brought along he will comment on an incident where he and Admiral Anderson led an investigation that also led to a near takeover of C-Sec by the Cult that eventually led to Executor Pallin ((A recurring character in ME1 and 2 plus de facto commander of C-Sec)) killed in the struggle. Bailey would also offer his comment on this.). As Shepard's team push on they are contacted by both Thane Krios and the Virmire survivor via channel frequencies used by the Commander during both Saren's Mutiny and the Collector Crisis respectively, the Virmire Survivor then tells Shepard that they are helping the council's evacuation to a secure location via a landing pad while commenting that the Salarian Councillor/Liason's group got separated after an attempted ambush by Cultist-False Cerberus forces. Shepard then tells Thane to get to the Salarian Councillor/Liason's last location as they tell the Virmire Survivor to hold their position in the rendevous point as Shepard's team fight their way towards them.
Depending on whether or not Shepard reconciled with the Virmire Survivor before Act 2 begins, they will either respond to Shepard with a barely conceled hostile tone or with a reluctant one as they cut off, party members will comment on this thus letting Shepard (And the player) know that they will get involved in a tense situation eventually. After managing to reach a part of the Citadel ward, Shepard's team encounters the Cerberus team the fleet captain mentioned earlier (Like their ships the uniform of the squad are also blue and gold to distinguish them from the White and Gold of the 'False Cerberus'). One of the officers in charge then warns Shepard of one of the figures leading the attack on the Citadel codenamed 'The Enforcer' (Whose either a skilled weapons specialist, tech expert or powerful biotic) and was responsible for the casualties that occured before Shepard's arrival. Briefly talking with the officer reveals that the sudden change in color was due to the activation of the Pandora Contigency, should Shepard ask if The Illusive Man was in charge the officer will simply shrug and say he takes orders from someone called Pandora. If Liara is present, she will comment that the attack on the prothean archives were done by the rogue faction and not the ones Shepard were currently talking with. Both groups then assist each other, the Cerberus team covering Shepard's by drawing most of incoming fire towards them with Shepard radioing Bailey that the 'blueshirts' are friendly and that the 'whiteshirts' were hostile. In the wards and corridors there's broadcasts depecting an individual calling themselves as 'The Speaker for the Gods' (Players who have read ME: Invasion wil recognise this fella) and will have a speech on their 'rightful' war against the 'non believers' and 'infidels' who dwell the station that they claim are desecrating their 'gods'. Holograms of Shepard's face will be shown beside the broadcast where the speaker will go into a fiery speech against the Anathema that is Shepard and how they were leading a futile quest just to waste lives instead of accepting the blessings from 'the gods', party members will comment on this with Alliance members saying they bear resemblance to the Eimerican fundamentalists back in the early 21st century. Javik will offer his own unique insight of such a similarity to another dead faction from his cycle should he be present.
As Shepard's team progresses further to the Salarian embassy a cutscene plays where one of the Cultists drag out a hiding Asari who attempts to fight back, her asari child also attempts to fight back as she is restrained by one of the Cerberus troopers. When Shepard's team spots this commotion they immediately open fire killing the cultist holding the Asari and the trooper restraining her daughter. A brief firefight occurs, and ends after all hostiles are dead. The Asari then thanks Shepard's team before Shepard radios Bailey in of civillians heading for C-Sec HQ as well as the Cerberus captain they talked with earlier of escorting the civillians back to safety. If Johann was brought along the cutscene changes as Johann will immediately recognise the Asari pair yelling the name 'Mina' as he open fires, this briefly catches both the Asari child's attention and the trooper's before he is shot in the head, the cultist is the next to die as a brief firefight occurs. It is here Johann's sudden attack is made known as he introduces the child's name as Willhelmina von Hohenzollern, crown prince Friedreich Augustin's daughter and Johann's niece, Shepard's other party members (Mostly the non-alliance ones) will comment on the odd name for the child before her mother replies that it was what her husband wanted. A brief conversation reveals that the few varangian guardsmen that the crown prince had assigned to both mother and child were overwhelmed before they could get to safety. After this Shep and crew head to the elevator leading to the Salarian embassy. A cutscene then plays as the doors close, with the last C-Sec officers attempting to barricade the entrance of the embassy, an unknown figure appears on screen, one of the officers aknowledges the figure before he is cut down in a swift motion. The other officers notice this and attempt to attack before they too are cut down. The elevator door opens to the embassy after this and Shepard and his crew move forward, Bailey then contacts the commander on something about false reports of Shepard having gone rogue, to which the commander replies that they were below fighting the intruders. Bailey confirms this is the case and advices Shepard's team to proceed with caution. Party members will comment on this predicament and that Shepard was being set-up.
A couple of the councillor/liason's guards then attempt to surround Shepard and his team, and it is clear the situation is tense as the guards are suspicious of Shepard after he allegedly killed the remaining officers before disappearing, Shepard csn attempt to dismiss the accusation or prove his innocence, regardless the situation escalates when whiteshirts start swarming the embassy, Shepard and his team then deal with the new hostiles as the guards fortify themselves around the councillor/liason. As the last whiteshirt trooper falls another cutscene plays as the Cpuncillor/Liason reveals themselves after cloaking.The area around the councillor/liason is suddenly shielded by a spherical barrier that blocks the view from outside as a figure in an advanced suit of armor descends from the vents, the Salarian guards are overpowered by said figure (Either by CQC mixed with gun mastery, biotics or tech attacks), Shepard and his crew open fire on the barrier just as the last of the guards fell, the councillor/liason then dodges an attempted attack just as they get into a safe distance near Shepard's team whom have suceeded in taking down the barrier, just as the figure points their hand cannon at the councillor/liason. Shepard then remarks on the 3 vs 1 advantage has against the hostile and tells them it was over. The helmet the figure is wearing then retracts back revealing a sinister face behind the helmet. That of Shepard's own face. Both Shepard's team and the councillor/liason stare dumbfounded at this as the other Shepard smirks, remarking that this was just the beginning.
Depending on who survived in previous games, the outsider who intervenes will either be Major Kirrahe (Who had cloaked himself and takes the round meant for the councillor/liason) or Thane Krios who manages to distract the other Shepard by aiming his gun at them. While Kirrahe dies during this intervention, Thane engages in a fist fight against the other Shepard as the real Shepard and his team surround the councillor/liason and attempts to get them to safety. Thane is momentarily stunned by the other Shepard who proceeds to fire at the real Shepard's team. A biotic throw from Thane catches the other Shepard outbalanced. Another round of fistfights occur but it is clear Thane's condition is a hindrance in the struggle and it is here the other Shepard overpowers the drell and wounds him. The other Shepard is forced to retreat as they spot more C-Sec officers storming the embassy, Shepard of course attempts to follow after getting Thane to safety. Bailey's second in command Sergeant Harron then personally takes charge in getting the councillor/liason and Thane to safety as he tells the Commander that Bailey had moved back C-Sec HQ, Bailey would then contact Shepard's team, urging them to get to the council before the assassin does.
If neither Thane or Kirrahe are alive then the other Shepard will succeed in killing the councillor/liason and retreats, Shepard radios Bailey in of the unfortunate circumstances, to which the C-Sec commander then urging Shepard's team to get to the council before the assassin does while providing Sergeant Harron's team as backup.
Shepard and his team then chase the other Shepard down in a shuttle of their own, with a brief gunfight being exchanged between both parties, to which ultimately ends with the other Shepard boarding the shuttle of the real Shepard and dislodges it, causing it to crash in a landing bay. After Shepard and their team regain conciousness they realize they're right near the rendevous point for the council. The elevator doors open and Shepard and his team aim their guns at the doors, the Virmire survivor is the first to come out, gun aimed at the team's direction, followed by Udina and the rest of the council, Crown Prince Fredreich Augustin is also there (Whether as the Hohenzollern representative, the de facto kaiser or both) along side his two guards and it is clear the situation has escalated into a standoff. The Virmire Survivor either demands or asks how Shepard and his team got to their position before the council did, Shepard tells the truth on the situation however there will be several factors that will affect the outcome of the standoff.
Should the salarian councillor/liason get assassinated the Virmire Survivor remarks of a holo-vid showing Shepard assassinating them, to which Shepard can diplomatically tell of what truly occured or outright state that it wasn't them. Unless Shepard has either reconciled with the Virmire survivor, has enough diplomatic skill or brought Johann along things will remain tense. This forces Udina to try and remedy the situation, alongside Crown Prince Fredreich. Should the council survive, Councillor Sparatus will remark that they doubted Shepard before. However before they could do that the other Shepard springs from where they hid and incapacitates the entire group with several flashbangs before killing off Udina and Crown Prince Fredreich then mortally wounding the Virmire Survivor and escaping. Sergeant Harron and his C-Sec forces then arrive too late to witness the spectacle as Shepard cradles the dying Virmire survivor in their arms, both exchange brief words to each other (This will depend on whether Players romanced the survivor and reconciled with them) before the Virmire survivor perishes.
Both the outcome for if Shepard succeeds in convincing the Survivor to stand down and if the councillor/liason remain the same as the Virmire survivor briefly relaxes before spotting the other Shepard quickly, before the other one can deploy the flashbangs the survivor open fires in their direction followed by Shepard and his crew. Bailey's arrival alongside C-Sec reinforcements forces the other Shepard to retreat but not before the commander briefly fights off their other counterpart snd rips their helmet off, exposing themselves to everyone. The other Shepard then deploys a smoke bomb and disappears. The second battle for the citadel was over.
If both are alive, Udina and Crown Prince Fredreich Augustin will thank Shepard for getting to them in time, with both Udina and Sparatus sharing the same mindset on never doubting the commander. The rest of the council will also express their gratitude (If the council died during the first gane the asari liason will be Matriarch Aethyta who will jokingly berate Shepard for getting everyone into a standoff), should Johann be present, both Hohenzollerns will have a brief exchange in the background as Shepard talks with Bailey.
The situation is much more somber should Udina, The crown prince and the Virmire survivor perish as the council express their regret for not helping ease the situation. If Johann is present he will remark on the uncertainty of the Roman sucession now that his brother is gone. A cutscene plays afterwards as the other Shepard (Helmeted or not) either says the mission was accomplished or that it only succeeded in some parts. A female voice replies that despite both outcomes the attack on the Citadel has shaken the council, thus providing them further oppurtunity to go forward with their plan.
The atmosphere of the Citadel also drastically changes after this (A remeniscene of ME1's act 3) as signs of battle are everywhere in the map with more soldiers being scene in all levels except for the hospital. Varios side quests for the Citadel are then unlocked here while visiting Thane will have players show him in critical condition, leading to his unconciousness, if Shepard managed to get Thane and his son to reconcile, Kolyat will be there keeping watch over his father, briefly thanking Shepard even for the second chance to meet his father again. Shepard can give words of encouragement to the sleeping Drell despite knowing his condition might worsen, they then tell Kolyat to watch over their dad and tell them should anything happen.
As Shepard heads back to their ship Garrus greets them near the docking bay and urges Shepard to find a way to contact the Quarian fleet (Whom news reports say disappeared in the early stages of the Reapwr invasion), Shepard agrees at this as both encounter the Virmire Survivor again. Garrus excuses himself and leaves Shepard and the Survivor to their own, the survivor then apologizes to Shepard regarding the standoff to which Shepard dismisses with ease. The survivor will then tell Shepard that Admiral hackett has assigned them to a team to which they can lend their expertise to but also considered rejoining Shepard's crew just like old times. Should Shepard either refuse or suggests taking up the offer, the survivor then takes up the offer (Thus making them a war asset and locking them out of the romance quest until priority earth). If Shepard accepts them the Virmire survivor thanks Shepard and from here becomes a party member (The romance quest would continue or be available for players).
And that's the opening prologue for Act 2, I wanted to divide this particular act since I will be going over the themes present in the second act. Search for Leviathan and the Rannoch arc will be the main quests here. Hope you fellas like it
Also quick question, since the Maximist Wars is the TTL version of the American Civil War would Chancellor Metternich have a novel based on his fictional life as a vampire hunter? (Ala Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter), cause I like to think a novel and a movie about Metternich's private life as a vampire hunter would be awesome TTL. Seeing the chancellor kill Maximist vampires with a Varangian axe is too badass to not exist. Plus Bismarck would continue his legacy of vampire hunting while spewing about Iron and Blood too
@CaptainAlvious @zenphoenix I like the ideas on the White Stag btw, the white stag will indeed be factor especially in acts 2 and 3 since Harbinger will frequently bother Shepard for their actions (Thus the indoctrination theory finally happens). The white stag will change in appearance depending on Shepard's morality and choices (Betraying Wrex and Mordin will have players get a menacing stag in the dream sequence before act 2 begins).
Also if Gavrilo is still alive I'm hoping he'll be able to see his kid again (Wasn't Mihailo a general back in previous X-Division chapters?) before passing on, the man deserves it after seeing his friend die and not being able to be there when his wife passed away.
I know this was not said before back in ME1 or 2 but Shepard has a default name, Nikephorus for Broshep and Gunhilda for Femshep
Now continuing off where we left with ME3, Act 2 begins with another attack on the Citadel as the fleet guarding the station (Whether the Council's or the Alliance 6th fleet) battles with another fleet with reaper tech infused in them, among the fleets attempting to defend the station is something that will surprise players as they are greeted to the all familliar sight of the symbol of Cerberus (Though the ships are colored blue and gold instead of white and gold), the Gibraltar is then hailed by the commander of the defense fleet (Whether the captain of the Destiny Ascension or Admiral Mikhailovich ((Long time fans will remember him as the rear admiral who inspects the SR1 should Shepard return to the Citadel after completing a plot related quest)) who stands as the one in charge of the Alliance Sixth Fleet) who instruct the commander to begin the evacuation of the council should things go south. The fear of a Reaper capital ship is in everyone's thinking. The Cerberus captain in charge of the small fleet also contacts the Gibraltar and gives Shepard brief intel on the situation sent by a cerberus team they had sent in the station as well as the 'Cerberus' forces that they call traitors. After Shepard replies with a relunctant or hostile tone the mission begins.
The cutscene then shifts to Commander Bailey and the survivors of C-Sec attempting to hold position near a shuttle bay leading to a command room that can either open or seal the Citadel's arms, just as Ascended Cultists and 'Cerberus' troops assault their position. Shepard's shuttle lands and a firefight occurs. After Bailey's team rally around a command terminal Bailey then comments on the two Cerberus forces fighting each other and makes a light joke on how even in space Roman tradition of civil wars was still being carried out. Shepard and his crew then proceed as they come across bodies of C-Sec officers presumably killed without them knowing it, convo from Bailey reveals they were assaulted from within by sleeper agents and traitors (If Johann was brought along he will comment on an incident where he and Admiral Anderson led an investigation that also led to a near takeover of C-Sec by the Cult that eventually led to Executor Pallin ((A recurring character in ME1 and 2 plus de facto commander of C-Sec)) killed in the struggle. Bailey would also offer his comment on this.). As Shepard's team push on they are contacted by both Thane Krios and the Virmire survivor via channel frequencies used by the Commander during both Saren's Mutiny and the Collector Crisis respectively, the Virmire Survivor then tells Shepard that they are helping the council's evacuation to a secure location via a landing pad while commenting that the Salarian Councillor/Liason's group got separated after an attempted ambush by Cultist-False Cerberus forces. Shepard then tells Thane to get to the Salarian Councillor/Liason's last location as they tell the Virmire Survivor to hold their position in the rendevous point as Shepard's team fight their way towards them.
Depending on whether or not Shepard reconciled with the Virmire Survivor before Act 2 begins, they will either respond to Shepard with a barely conceled hostile tone or with a reluctant one as they cut off, party members will comment on this thus letting Shepard (And the player) know that they will get involved in a tense situation eventually. After managing to reach a part of the Citadel ward, Shepard's team encounters the Cerberus team the fleet captain mentioned earlier (Like their ships the uniform of the squad are also blue and gold to distinguish them from the White and Gold of the 'False Cerberus'). One of the officers in charge then warns Shepard of one of the figures leading the attack on the Citadel codenamed 'The Enforcer' (Whose either a skilled weapons specialist, tech expert or powerful biotic) and was responsible for the casualties that occured before Shepard's arrival. Briefly talking with the officer reveals that the sudden change in color was due to the activation of the Pandora Contigency, should Shepard ask if The Illusive Man was in charge the officer will simply shrug and say he takes orders from someone called Pandora. If Liara is present, she will comment that the attack on the prothean archives were done by the rogue faction and not the ones Shepard were currently talking with. Both groups then assist each other, the Cerberus team covering Shepard's by drawing most of incoming fire towards them with Shepard radioing Bailey that the 'blueshirts' are friendly and that the 'whiteshirts' were hostile. In the wards and corridors there's broadcasts depecting an individual calling themselves as 'The Speaker for the Gods' (Players who have read ME: Invasion wil recognise this fella) and will have a speech on their 'rightful' war against the 'non believers' and 'infidels' who dwell the station that they claim are desecrating their 'gods'. Holograms of Shepard's face will be shown beside the broadcast where the speaker will go into a fiery speech against the Anathema that is Shepard and how they were leading a futile quest just to waste lives instead of accepting the blessings from 'the gods', party members will comment on this with Alliance members saying they bear resemblance to the Eimerican fundamentalists back in the early 21st century. Javik will offer his own unique insight of such a similarity to another dead faction from his cycle should he be present.
As Shepard's team progresses further to the Salarian embassy a cutscene plays where one of the Cultists drag out a hiding Asari who attempts to fight back, her asari child also attempts to fight back as she is restrained by one of the Cerberus troopers. When Shepard's team spots this commotion they immediately open fire killing the cultist holding the Asari and the trooper restraining her daughter. A brief firefight occurs, and ends after all hostiles are dead. The Asari then thanks Shepard's team before Shepard radios Bailey in of civillians heading for C-Sec HQ as well as the Cerberus captain they talked with earlier of escorting the civillians back to safety. If Johann was brought along the cutscene changes as Johann will immediately recognise the Asari pair yelling the name 'Mina' as he open fires, this briefly catches both the Asari child's attention and the trooper's before he is shot in the head, the cultist is the next to die as a brief firefight occurs. It is here Johann's sudden attack is made known as he introduces the child's name as Willhelmina von Hohenzollern, crown prince Friedreich Augustin's daughter and Johann's niece, Shepard's other party members (Mostly the non-alliance ones) will comment on the odd name for the child before her mother replies that it was what her husband wanted. A brief conversation reveals that the few varangian guardsmen that the crown prince had assigned to both mother and child were overwhelmed before they could get to safety. After this Shep and crew head to the elevator leading to the Salarian embassy. A cutscene then plays as the doors close, with the last C-Sec officers attempting to barricade the entrance of the embassy, an unknown figure appears on screen, one of the officers aknowledges the figure before he is cut down in a swift motion. The other officers notice this and attempt to attack before they too are cut down. The elevator door opens to the embassy after this and Shepard and his crew move forward, Bailey then contacts the commander on something about false reports of Shepard having gone rogue, to which the commander replies that they were below fighting the intruders. Bailey confirms this is the case and advices Shepard's team to proceed with caution. Party members will comment on this predicament and that Shepard was being set-up.
A couple of the councillor/liason's guards then attempt to surround Shepard and his team, and it is clear the situation is tense as the guards are suspicious of Shepard after he allegedly killed the remaining officers before disappearing, Shepard csn attempt to dismiss the accusation or prove his innocence, regardless the situation escalates when whiteshirts start swarming the embassy, Shepard and his team then deal with the new hostiles as the guards fortify themselves around the councillor/liason. As the last whiteshirt trooper falls another cutscene plays as the Cpuncillor/Liason reveals themselves after cloaking.The area around the councillor/liason is suddenly shielded by a spherical barrier that blocks the view from outside as a figure in an advanced suit of armor descends from the vents, the Salarian guards are overpowered by said figure (Either by CQC mixed with gun mastery, biotics or tech attacks), Shepard and his crew open fire on the barrier just as the last of the guards fell, the councillor/liason then dodges an attempted attack just as they get into a safe distance near Shepard's team whom have suceeded in taking down the barrier, just as the figure points their hand cannon at the councillor/liason. Shepard then remarks on the 3 vs 1 advantage has against the hostile and tells them it was over. The helmet the figure is wearing then retracts back revealing a sinister face behind the helmet. That of Shepard's own face. Both Shepard's team and the councillor/liason stare dumbfounded at this as the other Shepard smirks, remarking that this was just the beginning.
Depending on who survived in previous games, the outsider who intervenes will either be Major Kirrahe (Who had cloaked himself and takes the round meant for the councillor/liason) or Thane Krios who manages to distract the other Shepard by aiming his gun at them. While Kirrahe dies during this intervention, Thane engages in a fist fight against the other Shepard as the real Shepard and his team surround the councillor/liason and attempts to get them to safety. Thane is momentarily stunned by the other Shepard who proceeds to fire at the real Shepard's team. A biotic throw from Thane catches the other Shepard outbalanced. Another round of fistfights occur but it is clear Thane's condition is a hindrance in the struggle and it is here the other Shepard overpowers the drell and wounds him. The other Shepard is forced to retreat as they spot more C-Sec officers storming the embassy, Shepard of course attempts to follow after getting Thane to safety. Bailey's second in command Sergeant Harron then personally takes charge in getting the councillor/liason and Thane to safety as he tells the Commander that Bailey had moved back C-Sec HQ, Bailey would then contact Shepard's team, urging them to get to the council before the assassin does.
If neither Thane or Kirrahe are alive then the other Shepard will succeed in killing the councillor/liason and retreats, Shepard radios Bailey in of the unfortunate circumstances, to which the C-Sec commander then urging Shepard's team to get to the council before the assassin does while providing Sergeant Harron's team as backup.
Shepard and his team then chase the other Shepard down in a shuttle of their own, with a brief gunfight being exchanged between both parties, to which ultimately ends with the other Shepard boarding the shuttle of the real Shepard and dislodges it, causing it to crash in a landing bay. After Shepard and their team regain conciousness they realize they're right near the rendevous point for the council. The elevator doors open and Shepard and his team aim their guns at the doors, the Virmire survivor is the first to come out, gun aimed at the team's direction, followed by Udina and the rest of the council, Crown Prince Fredreich Augustin is also there (Whether as the Hohenzollern representative, the de facto kaiser or both) along side his two guards and it is clear the situation has escalated into a standoff. The Virmire Survivor either demands or asks how Shepard and his team got to their position before the council did, Shepard tells the truth on the situation however there will be several factors that will affect the outcome of the standoff.
Should the salarian councillor/liason get assassinated the Virmire Survivor remarks of a holo-vid showing Shepard assassinating them, to which Shepard can diplomatically tell of what truly occured or outright state that it wasn't them. Unless Shepard has either reconciled with the Virmire survivor, has enough diplomatic skill or brought Johann along things will remain tense. This forces Udina to try and remedy the situation, alongside Crown Prince Fredreich. Should the council survive, Councillor Sparatus will remark that they doubted Shepard before. However before they could do that the other Shepard springs from where they hid and incapacitates the entire group with several flashbangs before killing off Udina and Crown Prince Fredreich then mortally wounding the Virmire Survivor and escaping. Sergeant Harron and his C-Sec forces then arrive too late to witness the spectacle as Shepard cradles the dying Virmire survivor in their arms, both exchange brief words to each other (This will depend on whether Players romanced the survivor and reconciled with them) before the Virmire survivor perishes.
Both the outcome for if Shepard succeeds in convincing the Survivor to stand down and if the councillor/liason remain the same as the Virmire survivor briefly relaxes before spotting the other Shepard quickly, before the other one can deploy the flashbangs the survivor open fires in their direction followed by Shepard and his crew. Bailey's arrival alongside C-Sec reinforcements forces the other Shepard to retreat but not before the commander briefly fights off their other counterpart snd rips their helmet off, exposing themselves to everyone. The other Shepard then deploys a smoke bomb and disappears. The second battle for the citadel was over.
If both are alive, Udina and Crown Prince Fredreich Augustin will thank Shepard for getting to them in time, with both Udina and Sparatus sharing the same mindset on never doubting the commander. The rest of the council will also express their gratitude (If the council died during the first gane the asari liason will be Matriarch Aethyta who will jokingly berate Shepard for getting everyone into a standoff), should Johann be present, both Hohenzollerns will have a brief exchange in the background as Shepard talks with Bailey.
The situation is much more somber should Udina, The crown prince and the Virmire survivor perish as the council express their regret for not helping ease the situation. If Johann is present he will remark on the uncertainty of the Roman sucession now that his brother is gone. A cutscene plays afterwards as the other Shepard (Helmeted or not) either says the mission was accomplished or that it only succeeded in some parts. A female voice replies that despite both outcomes the attack on the Citadel has shaken the council, thus providing them further oppurtunity to go forward with their plan.
The atmosphere of the Citadel also drastically changes after this (A remeniscene of ME1's act 3) as signs of battle are everywhere in the map with more soldiers being scene in all levels except for the hospital. Varios side quests for the Citadel are then unlocked here while visiting Thane will have players show him in critical condition, leading to his unconciousness, if Shepard managed to get Thane and his son to reconcile, Kolyat will be there keeping watch over his father, briefly thanking Shepard even for the second chance to meet his father again. Shepard can give words of encouragement to the sleeping Drell despite knowing his condition might worsen, they then tell Kolyat to watch over their dad and tell them should anything happen.
As Shepard heads back to their ship Garrus greets them near the docking bay and urges Shepard to find a way to contact the Quarian fleet (Whom news reports say disappeared in the early stages of the Reapwr invasion), Shepard agrees at this as both encounter the Virmire Survivor again. Garrus excuses himself and leaves Shepard and the Survivor to their own, the survivor then apologizes to Shepard regarding the standoff to which Shepard dismisses with ease. The survivor will then tell Shepard that Admiral hackett has assigned them to a team to which they can lend their expertise to but also considered rejoining Shepard's crew just like old times. Should Shepard either refuse or suggests taking up the offer, the survivor then takes up the offer (Thus making them a war asset and locking them out of the romance quest until priority earth). If Shepard accepts them the Virmire survivor thanks Shepard and from here becomes a party member (The romance quest would continue or be available for players).
And that's the opening prologue for Act 2, I wanted to divide this particular act since I will be going over the themes present in the second act. Search for Leviathan and the Rannoch arc will be the main quests here. Hope you fellas like it
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It gets worse.Looks like we're back to the usual shenanigans in the Hohenzollernverse. I like that bit on Walter adressing the company staff, makes it hilarious. Angiealt though, damn
I have some ideas about a vampire-hunting Bismarck. He'd start as Metternich's protege, but he'd get in over his head and lose his sanity as the novel progresses, eventually running around quipping madly about Iron (his axe) and Blood (from the vampires he decapitates), while Metternich reaches out to other vampire hunter politicians to stop him.Also quick question, since the Maximist Wars is the TTL version of the American Civil War would Chancellor Metternich have a novel based on his fictional life as a vampire hunter? (Ala Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter), cause I like to think a novel and a movie about Metternich's private life as a vampire hunter would be awesome TTL. Seeing the chancellor kill Maximist vampires with a Varangian axe is too badass to not exist. Plus Bismarck would continue his legacy of vampire hunting while spewing about Iron and Blood too
Maybe if Shepard makes the wrong decisions in the endgame which leads to the Reapers winning, the White Stag might appear to someone in the next cycle.
Wilhelm would probably want to return Gavrilo to the late 1940s, when he stopped following the natural flow of time and began jumping around the timeline. This would keep changes to history at a minimum (at least changes caused by a middle-aged Gavrilo being dropped off in the 21st century, decades after he should've died) and allow him to live out the rest of his life with his family. And I don't remember actually killing off Natalie Milosevos. I may have mentioned she passed away naturally at some point.
Mihailo has been Megas Domestikos since at least the 1980s. He was involved in one of the early X-Division cases where a Siam veteran wanted to kill him.
Running Blades, Part 2
5:00 PM
“Did you know, in the 1800s, hat makers used mercury to flatten the fur on hat brims?” Walter said. “Sadly, the mercury caused significant brain damage. Hence, where Ludwig Carroll got the term Mad Hatter.”
“I’ll take another Facts Only Walter Would Share for 800, please,” Anders said.
“Thank you, Walter,” Anna said, “That will be very helpful next time I'm on Jeopardy.”
“Eh!” Walter cursed. “I can't reactivate this shapeshifter. Not here. Perhaps if we moved the body back to my lab…”
“Sure, I'll have the body transferred back to Strasburg right away,” Anders said.
“No,” Walter said, “My other lab. The equipment of Tesla Dynamic is state of the art.”
“Okay,” Diana said, “I’ll call Mina right now.”
Walter looked down and saw the shapeshifter’s left hand twitching.
“Uh-oh. I think I might be peaking again,” Walter said, “Anna, some tea would help.”
“No, I see it,” Anna said, “Walter, what did you do?”
“I must have triggered something,” Walter said.
Angelalt walked into the room. “So how's it going in here?”
“You’re a little late to the party,” Anders said.
“Angie, good news,” Walter said, “It seems this tin can is still kicking."
Tesla Dynamic, Frankfurt - 7:00 PM
Olga left the elevator and showed her badge to a guard.
“Agent Olga Kirova,” she said, “I'm here to see Dr. Humboldt.”
The guard checked his clipboard.
“I’ve got an Olpest Kirova,” he said.
Olga rolled her eyes. “That’s me.”
The guard pushed a button, and the door unlocked. Olga walked inside and put down a box of supplies on the floor. Walter stood at an operating table, still dissecting the body.
“Where’s Angie?” Olga asked. “She usually helps with autopsies.”
“She is in Berlin,” Walter said, “Did you get everything on the list?”
“I don't even want to know,” Olga said.
“Which one are you referring to?” Walter said.
“Both,” Olga said.
“Ha,” Walter said, “Did you get the candy buttons?”
“Yeah, do you really think he’s—" Olga said.
“They're for me,” Walter said.
“Okay,” Olga said, “Now, do you mind telling me what all this stuff is for and why I’m not in Berlin with the others?”
“We're making a treasure map,” Walter said, “Somewhere inside this thing is a data storage unit, And now that he's alive, I'm going to find it. Using those items as visual stimuli, we are going to map its neural pathways—well, what we would think of as its brain.”
“And what are we hoping to find?” Olga said.
“Its memories, Olga,” Walter said, "Everything it knows. Who it was working for. If there were others with it.”
Makarios’ office, Berlin - 9:00 PM
“Looks a lot like his old office,” Anders remarked as he flipped through Makarios’ bookshelf, “Missing the phonograph, though.”
“It was probably destroyed on November 9,” Anna said, “Along with the rest of that office.”
“Which makes our task harder,” Anders said, “We don’t know how much he has here.”
Diana took out a large storage container and set it down in the middle of the office.
“Senator Makarios’ Heimat Security briefings,” she said, “Going back all the way to 2001. Many of the older files were lost in 11/9.”
“Great, we don't have that many to look through, then,” Angelalt said.
Anders stared at Angelalt again. Angelalt turned to Anders and Anna.
“You know, I can handle this, if you guys want to go check on Walter and see how he’s doing,” she said.
“Olga’s there,” Diana said, “She’ll call.”
Anna and Anders began searching the desk, while Angelalt and Diana looked through the security briefings. Angelalt picked up one briefing and skimmed it.
“Sentinel?” she muttered, before tossing it away. “Not what we need.”
Anders stared at her again in shock, but then he shook his head and went back to searching through the desk. He secretly picked up the file and put it next to him.
“Okay,” Diana said, “Senator Makarios requested classified intelligence 29 times last month.”
Anders got up from the desk. “There’s nothing here.”
“Found nothing either,” Anna said.
“Well, if he's like the other shape-shifters, he’ll be careful,” Anders said, “He won’t leave anything here that would tell us he wasn't Senator Makarios.”
“Except for one thing,” Diana said, “He didn't know he was going to die today. Unless he had someone come in here and clean up after him, there's got to be something.”
Angelalt’s phone rang.
“Uh, it’s my mom,” she said, “I should take this.”
She walked into the hallway and answered Sebastian’s call.
“Hello?” she said.
“Do you know it's customary to leave one message, and the caller will get back to you?” Sebastian said. “Not thirty! It's the same on both sides, I imagine!”
“He's alive,” Angelalt said, “Makarios is alive.”
“That's impossible,” Sebastian said.
“You underestimated them,” Angelalt said, “He's on Level 23 of Tesla Dynamic. Dr. Humboldt’s working on him now.”
“I'll take care of it,” Sebastian said.
“You better,” Angelalt said.
Anna knocked on the desk, and Anders and Diana gathered around her as she pulled out and forced open a lock box.
“Hey, I think I found something,” Anna said.
Angelalt walked over to them.
“What is it?” she said.
Anders took out several files, all copies of X-Division case reports.
“It’s us,” Anders realized, “All of our newer cases. And some older ones.”
Ray’s house, outside Frankfurt
Lisa tried getting her seven-year-old son to stay in his chair and eat his vegetables.
“You want to pretend the train's going into the station?” she said.
“I'm seven and a half, Mom,” Nathan whined.
“You forget you're dealing with a very mature young man here,” Ray said.
Someone knocked on the front door.
“Ah, I'll tell them we don't want any,” he said, getting up, “Come on Nathan, eat the asparagus, it's great. And it'll make your pee smell funny. Real funny.”
Nathan reluctantly chewed on his vegetables. Ray opened the door and found Sebastian outside. His smile disappeared.
“Hello, Ray,” Sebastian said, handing him a file on Makarios, “I have an assignment for you. The objective is to neutralize a body of one of our fallen comrades and wipe its data. The body's in the lab on the 23rd floor of Tesla Dynamic in downtown.”
“You expect me to break into Tesla Dynamic?” Ray said.
“Oh, you don't have to,” Sebastian said, “Just shift into a new body assigned to you still, someone with clearance. It shouldn't be a problem. Is it? I mean, you took this man’s identity without any problems, right?”
“No, I'm just surprised,” Ray said, “I haven't seen you in five years.”
“Oh, you know, that's the way it works,” Sebastian said, “After this mission is over, you'll take on a new identity. And Ray? No traces left behind. Nothing that can expose us. Understood?”
Ray nervously looked at his family. He turned back to Sebastian.
“I'll contact you when it's done,” he said.
“Good,” Sebastian said.
First off, I'm starting to think Angelalt is very incompetent at this undercover agent thing and she's only maintained her cover by sheer luck, and second, I am getting more frustrated with the Hohenzollernverse idiocy more and more. The signs are becoming more and more clear Anders and the rest don't see it. All of these people have known Angela for an entire lifetime at this point and yet they don't see signs of her acting suspicious! Idiots, all of them.
Apologies for the rant Zen, I just needed to vent a little since my suspension of disbelief towards the Hohenzollernverse's ignorance is cracking a little.
Also nice work @TWR97 as always.
I would share some more Mass Effect thoughts but I am a little sick at the moment, so please enjoy the soothing voice of Sovereign mixed in with nice music (and applogies for any indoctrination that might occur to you.
)
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The final nail in Anders' suspicion is if the Lone Gunmen show up, if they do I think Angiealt just might blow her cover. Her dismissing Sentinel ought to make Spooky Anders suspicious already.
Also since we kinda established that Himmler is the Colonel Sanders of TTL, can we at least get a cameo of his food franchise? We got one for Moseley's cigarette product so why not the master race chickens?
Speaking of that is Huey Long present in TTL's Kaiserreich and Führerreich? Cause if he is I kinda imagine hom being governor of Neurhomania. And Hugo Doukas will definitely have the American Ceasar/Cincinnatus (Though it'd probably be called the modern Ceasar/Cincinnatus) focus tree in TTL's Führerreich.
Oh and don't worry about Harbinger, he'll have a bigger prescence in Acts 2 and 3 (TIM's prescence ought to give you a clue), and lke I said, Harbinger's role will have similarities to Agent Smith's hatred for humans (This will be explained in the Search for Leviathan arc)
Also since we kinda established that Himmler is the Colonel Sanders of TTL, can we at least get a cameo of his food franchise? We got one for Moseley's cigarette product so why not the master race chickens?
Speaking of that is Huey Long present in TTL's Kaiserreich and Führerreich? Cause if he is I kinda imagine hom being governor of Neurhomania. And Hugo Doukas will definitely have the American Ceasar/Cincinnatus (Though it'd probably be called the modern Ceasar/Cincinnatus) focus tree in TTL's Führerreich.
Oh and don't worry about Harbinger, he'll have a bigger prescence in Acts 2 and 3 (TIM's prescence ought to give you a clue
), and lke I said, Harbinger's role will have similarities to Agent Smith's hatred for humans (This will be explained in the Search for Leviathan arc)
Muahahahaha, just as I intended.First off, I'm starting to think Angelalt is very incompetent at this undercover agent thing and she's only maintained her cover by sheer luck, and second, I am getting more frustrated with the Hohenzollernverse idiocy more and more. The signs are becoming more and more clear Anders and the rest don't see it. All of these people have known Angela for an entire lifetime at this point and yet they don't see signs of her acting suspicious! Idiots, all of them.
Apologies for the rant Zen, I just needed to vent a little since my suspension of disbelief towards the Hohenzollernverse's ignorance is cracking a little.
Jokes aside, everybody still thinks Angela's disoriented from her trip to the Annionaverse. I know, I've said it plenty of times. But Diana's busy with Mina and her family, Anna and Olga are busy with Walter, and Erich and Kurtz are busy with the Athanatoi, so they don't have much time to notice many of the serious incidents. That allows them to chalk up the most serious incidents to disorientation. I mean, Angela could've just tossed away the Sentinel file because it technically wasn't exactly what they were looking for at the time, and they could've just picked it up later since there is no way Makarios is going back to his job and that office. Her references to the Crown Princess's death could've been her referencing the conspiracy theories, and she didn't share much about her friendship with the Crown Princess, so it might be possible the others think there was a falling out near the end. But there's no excuse for Anders. He knows Angela best, and he's the conspiracy theorist of the group. I made all of these incidents way too obvious to show how much Anders has changed since 11/9. The old Anders of the 1990s might have figured it out immediately. I mean, he found out about Pavel's role in his grandfather's death and the original Syndicate very quickly. But being forced out of the Athanatoi and into the wilderness for eight years tempered his paranoia, in a way. He's more trusting now. That's why he let and actually helped Erich and Kurtz set up their own conspiracy about the true nature of Jansen's terrorism, the shapeshifters and their experiments, and now the Annionaverse. He's no longer a conspiracy theorist. And he hasn't realized it yet. He's still clinging to the 1990s and his old identity when both he and the world have changed since then.
I don't think the Lone Gunmen are showing up anytime soon. They're basically fugitives like Anders and Angela were, but they were never Athanatoi agents, so they couldn't receive the same dropping of charges as everybody else.
I'll see if I can fit a reference in somewhere.Also since we kinda established that Himmler is the Colonel Sanders of TTL, can we at least get a cameo of his food franchise? We got one for Moseley's cigarette product so why not the master race chickens?
I don't think so. I'd rather have him replaced by an original character as I've got too many historical and real life figures already. But Hugo Doukas would definitely be the equivalent of the American Caesar/Cincinnatus, though he would actually take more inspiration from Caesar/Cincinnatus because they were ancient Romans.