Sad to lose Demetrios. He improved a lot of scenes, gave some good banter with Angela.
-
We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
He will be sorely missed. And without him, things are going to get much rougher for Angela.
Flight 549, Part 4
ITSB hanger - August 7, 1996, 10:00 AM
The plane was now almost completely reconstructed, at least in terms of each piece of wreckage being placed near where it once was. Mike talked to his team of ITSB workers.
"Recovery and identification of the deceased victims of Flight 549 is at 76 percent, which is far better than anticipated, given the kind of destruction we've all seen,” he said, "We've got a total of nearly 3000 man-hours logged already in this first wave of investigation... and I wish I could tell you folks that we've come up with something more concrete, but... the evidence... just doesn't support anything more conclusive than the KL's assertion that the cause of this crash was a midair collision... or a catastrophic near-miss.”
Mike looked at the faces of his workers, some of which looked as if they had a hard time believing the story. He looked at his folder.
"I'm going to ask you all to wrap-up your reports tonight, and then I want you to go home to your families,” he continued, "You've done a good and thorough job here. You'll be in touch with me or someone else from the ITSB on anything further. I just wanted to thank you all personally. Thank you.”
The workers filed out of the hanger, a few shaking hands with Mike. Mike looked through the crowd and saw Angela and Anders standing off to the side. He walked over to them.
"I wondered what happened to you,” he said, "I'd put in a call.”
“You had something you wanted to tell us?” Anders asked.
“No,” Mike said, "Just, just... just wanted to touch base. Thank you for your help in leading us to the fact of the military's involvement."
"I think the facts are still a matter of speculation, Herr Millar, and listening to what you just said, I think you do, too,” Anders said.
"The military's public claim of fault for the collision and their covert actions, including the murder of my fiancé, Dr. Papadopoulos, to promote that claim have raised some suspicions,” Angela said.
“Suspicions?” Mike said. "Of what?"
"The story the military is now promoting is a convenient deflection and cover-up,” Angela said.
"Of what?” Mike said.
“Angie and I agree on some of the motives, but not exactly on the facts,” Anders said.
"Do you have facts that I don’t?” Mike said.
"No, but I do have a story if you're willing to hear it,” Anders said, "Feel free to tell me it's bull, as Angie has…”
Angela punched him in the arm.
"...but I think it's as believable as any story I've heard floated, but at least it's the only one that can't be refuted by the facts,” Anders said.
Mike looked behind him for a second.
“Go ahead,” he said.
They started walking.
"There was one man who knew what brought this plane down, and he knew it even before he got on the plane, but he got on anyway,” Anders said, pointing to a seat, "He sat right here in this seat, 13-F. His name was Max Fenig. There are a number of possibilities for Max's suspicions, but I believe Max had been followed for some time before he boarded Flight 549. And I believe he was followed onto this plane by someone who wanted whatever it is Max had carried onboard with him. The object that ultimately brought down this plane, the cause which has eluded you.”
"And what was this object?” Mike said.
“Physical proof of the existence of intelligent extraterrestrial life,” Anders said.
Angela rolled her eyes.
"The person who followed Max on the plane may have been prepared to kill to obtain this object, it's value greater than one human life, greater than the lives of the 134 people on that plane,” Anders said, "Whether that plan was executed, we may never know because Flight 549 was intercepted by a second aircraft, an aircraft which did not appear on the military's or anyone else's radar screen. Max Fenig knew immediately what this craft was and that he would not be completing the rest of the flight as scheduled. Max would have recognized immediately all the signs of a classic abduction scenario...The craft taking control of the plane and all it's systems...Preparing to take Max. But something happened. Something went terribly wrong, something unimaginable.”
“Okay,” Mike said.
"A third aircraft, probably an M-15, was given the coordinates to Flight 549,” Anders said, "The flight controllers watched the fighter enter Flight 549's airspace on an intercept pattern...Not knowing what they had set in motion, no way of knowing there was a third craft which was not on their screen. Not knowing that for the next nine minutes, time would stand still on Flight 549, due to the effect of a temporal stasis field, as Star Trek likes to call them."
"You're saying the man sitting in seat 13-F was abducted mid-flight without any depressurization of the cabin, without any effect on the plane?” Mike said.
"If not for factors unforeseen, I believe Max Fenig would have been abducted and returned to Flight 549 without any loss of life, without a trace,” Anders said.
"Then what happened?” Mike said.
"Flight 549 and the alien craft which has taken control of it were intercept by the military fighter which had been given a specific set of orders... take down the UFO,” Anders said, "The missing nine minutes aboard Flight 549, the nine minutes which would have been erased from the memories of the 134 passengers on board, were the final minutes of their lives."
“You're saying that, that Flight 549 was in the grip of... sort of a UFO tractor beam?” Mike said.
"That's the Babelsberg term, but yes,” Anders said.
"And the KL shot down the UFO, thereby sending 549 out of control when the beam went off,” Mike said.
“Yes,” Anders said.
Mike stared at him. "Well, where I come from, that's what we call a ‘whopper’.”
“Now you know how I feel,” Angela said.
Anders smiled.
"Even if it were true, I could never in a million years sell that to Constantinople, and neither could you,” Mike said.
"Not without the object that Max Fenig was carrying,” Anders said.
"Look, I, I had the same reaction to the story as you, but there is one logical area that has yet to be explained and that is that the, the seats and the door did show traces of, of radioactivity,” Angela said, "Now, now you found nothing in the wreckage? No source of any emitter?"
"I did find something I think you should look at,” Mike said.
They walked to Mike’s car, and Mike opened the trunk, pulling out Max’s green bag.
"After you'd found the first traces, I had my team see if they could link the radioactivity to a cause,” he said, "They found no other evidence…except for this.”
He handed it to Anders, who opened it and pulled out a familiar object: Max’s NEKAP hat.
"That's it?” He said.
"That's all there was,” Mike said, "I'm going to have to make my final report. I'll include this if it makes any difference to you.”
“I thought I had his hat,” Anders said.
“Well, he had another, apparently,” Mike said.
Anders put the hat in the backpack and put it back in the trunk.
“Go ahead,” Angela said, “Include it, but not as a causal factor.”
Mike closed the trunk. "It's a good story. Maybe you can sell it to Marvel or something.”
He got in the car and drove away. Angela and Anders paced around the parking lot.
“Anders, I don't know what else you expect him to do,” Angela said, “It’s a good story, but it's, it's a house of cards built on a shaky foundation. We may never know what Max was carrying.”
"And we may never know who killed Demetrios,” Anders said, "And if we don't find out, what meaning did their deaths have? Or their lives? I mean, Max'll be remembered as a…”
He chuckled slightly. "Disappointing rummage sale or some kook on a home video."
"Well, where do we even start?” Angela said.
"How about Sharon Graffia?” Anders said.
Angela sighed. "She's a disturbed person, Anders. She wasn't even who she claimed to be.”
“Yeah, but she knew Max well enough for him to write her thousands of letters, well enough for him to call her and tell her he was going to die,” Anders said, "Do you know where she is?"
"In a mental institution, duh,” Angela said, “Eh, not really an institution, more like a clinic, but still…"
Anders’ eyes widened in shock. “You know what happened the last time we went to a mental institution.”
“I understand,” Angela said, “I know how you feel about them, so I’m not asking you to go. I’ll just go myself.”
Brubaker Corner, Stuttgart - 11:00 AM
Anders drove up to Max’s old camper, though he had already heard it from two blocks away, as its radio was blaring at full volume. When he arrived, he found the camper was a wreck. Its door was wide open, and everything inside was trashed. He got out and walked around, immediately turning off the stereo. He also ejected the tape and put it in his pocket so nobody could turn it back on. Plus, Angela was always looking for new music.
A man appeared in the doorway. “Hello. Are you a friend of Max’s?”
Anders took out his badge. “Sort of. My name’s Humboldt. I’m with the Athanatoi.”
“You’re kidding, right?” the man said.
“No, why?” Anders said.
“Well, I’m the landlord, I manage the park,” the man said, “I know Max had some weird friends, and I don't believe the Athanatoi sends men out cause somebody trashed a trailer.”
“My business here is not because his trailer was trashed, though I would really like to know who did it,” Anders said.
“I don’t know,” the landlord said, “Is Max in trouble or something?”
“No, Max is dead,” Anders said, “He, he died in the plane crash. You probably heard about it on the news.”
“Oh, God, I... I am sorry to hear that,” the landlord said.
“Uh, did, did he ever mention why he would leave or where he would go?” Anders said.
“No,” the landlord said, “But he disappeared sometimes. Had... stories. You're sure that's not what happened to him?”
“Yeah, I'm... yeah, I'm sure,” Anders said, “I had to identify his body in the wreckage.”
The landlord sighed. “Have you, uh, any idea who's going to be taking care of his estate, or whatever you’d like to call this?”
“I’ll check if he has any family,” Anders said, “If not, I’ll take care of it.”
“And where I should, uh, forward his mail?” the landlord asked.
“Oh, he has mail?” Anders said.
“Yeah, a small stack of it,” the landlord said, “I'll run and get it if you want.”
“Please,” Anders said, nodding.
The manager walked out. Anders turned on the TV and played one of the tapes in the VCR. It was another of Max’s rants, filmed in front of the camper. His eyes wandered to the window of the camper in the video, where he saw Sharon filming the video. The landlord walked back in with a small stack of letters.
“Here you go,” the landlord said, “Sure feel sorry about Max. He may have been a crazy fella, but he was our crazy fella, you know what I mean?”
“Oh, I do,” Anders said.
The landlord sighed and walked out. Anders flipped through the letters and found one with a return address:
He opened the letter and found a small plastic key, no, a tag like the ones he usually saw in luggage claim for an airport: "SYR 4832008."
St. Eudokimos Mental Health Clinic, Constantinople – 2:00 PM
Angela walked down the hallway and opened the door to a small room. Sharon sat on the bed, facing the window.
“Sharon?” she asked.
“Hello,” Sharon said.
Angela walked in and closed the door.
“How are you feeling?” Angela said. “Are you up to answering some questions?”
Sharon shrugged slightly, still facing the window. “I’m not Max’s sister.”
“I know,” Angela said, “I'm not quite sure why you lied to us, though, Sharon... or what else you might be lying about.”
Sharon looked at Angela. “It doesn't matter anymore.”
“Yes, it does,” Angela said, “If you know something, if you know anything about what Max was doing, about what he was carrying on that plane... it could matter a lot.”
“To who?” Sharon said.
“To Max,” Angela said.
Sharon stared at her for a second and then tensed up.
“I can't,” Sharon said.
“Why not?” Angela said.
“Because I could be in big, big trouble,” Sharon said, breathing raggedly.
Angela turned on the lamp and looked at the radiation burns on the side of her face.
“Max had those same blisters,” Angela said, “You both were exposed to something, Sharon. What was it?”
Sharon hesitated. “It was something I stole.”
“From whom?” Angela said.
Sharon didn’t answer.
“Max was trying to find physical evidence to prove that the stories about his abductions were true,” Angela said, “You worked as an aeronautical systems engineer at the Bureau of Defense. You stole something from your employer, didn't you, Sharon? Something radioactive.”
“Only because I believed in Max,” Sharon said.
“What was it?” Angela said.
“Max said it was alien technology, but I didn’t know how it worked,” Sharon said, “It was three interlocking parts. We divided it into sections. I had one part. Max had another onboard that flight...”
Sharon shook her head. “But they were taken from us.”
“There was a third part,” Angela said, “What happened to it?”
Pythagoras International Airport, Syracuse, Sicily – 6:30 PM
Anders handed the tag to the clerk at the luggage claim.
“I left a bag here,” he said.
“Big bag, little bag?” the clerk asked.
“Short bag, tall bag,” Anders said, “I, I don't remember. Little bag, I think.”
The clerk looked around. Anders glanced behind him, seeing a number of men in black, probably RSB agents, gathering at the end of the hallway, staring at in. The clerk handed him a brown bag.
“Is this it?” he asked.
Anders took out his badge. “Actually, I'm an agent of the Kaiser. I need a security entrance to the terminal.”
“Right this way,” the clerk said.
Anders took the bag, and the two of them walked behind the gate and through a door. The RSB agents followed them through the door. Anders kept walking through the terminal as his phone rang.
“Humboldt,” he said.
“Hey, it’s me,” Angela said, “Where are you?”
“I took a flight to Syracuse,” Anders said, “Whatever is it that Max had, I have it now.”
“How did you find it?” Angela said.
“It’s complicated,” Anders said.
“Anders, what you're carrying was stolen from a military contractor, Tesla Dynamic Aerospace,” Angela said.
“Well, what is it?” Anders said.
“I don't know,” Angela said, “But I searched around, and it looks like TDA equipment was sold to KL Edinburg.”
“Well, I'm going to let you know in a minute,” Anders said.
“Anders, it is extremely important that you do not take it out of its container,” Angela said.
However, most of Angela’s words were covered by growing static. Anders kept walking, opening the bag as he went.
“What's that?” he said. “I'm having trouble hearing you on the phone here.”
“Did you hear what I said?” Angela said.
“No, hold on a second, I'm going to tell you what it looks like,” Anders said.
“No, no, no, Anders, listen to me,” Angela said, “Do not handle it with your hands. Whatever it is, it is highly radioactive.”
Anders reached the security checks and put the bag on the conveyor belt.
“Hold on a second,” Anders said.
He stepped through the metal detector and showed the guards his badge. He looked at the monitor as it scanned the bag. There was a container with a device that had four circles attached to each other, the two in the middle larger than the other two.
“It looks like a small superstructure with three circular pieces inside,” Anders said, “It's hard to tell on an x-ray, hold on.”
“Damn it, Anders,” Angela said, “I think what we've got here is high-tech industrial espionage.”
"More people are trying to get their hands on this thing than a ‘Tickle-Me Elmo’ doll," Anders said, “I'm getting on a flight.”
“What flight number?” Angela said.
“I think it's 501,” Anders said, handing his ticket to the gate attendant, “Yeah. I'm going to need a ride when I get there.”
“I don't think that'll to be a problem,” Angela said.
“Thanks,” Anders said, hanging up.
He boarded the plane and got into his seat.
Over Greece – 7:15 PM
Anders looked out the window, not noticing Sebastian sitting in the seat next to him.
“Excuse me,” he said, “You look like you have some room here. Do you mind?”
“No, go ahead,” Anders said.
Sebastian sat down. “Didn't mean to disturb you.”
“It's alright,” Anders said.
“You traveling by yourself?” Sebastian said. “You live in Constantinople?”
Anders noticed the bullet hole in Sebastian’s pants and quickly reached for his gun in his coat.
“There's a weapon pointed at you right now,” he said, “If I shoot you at this range, it wouldn't just hit you in the leg. If you so much as raise your arms off that armrest, I'm going to test that theory.”
“What if you miss?” Sebastian said.
“I won't,” Anders said.
“Do you know what happens when a plane suddenly depressurizes at 30,000 feet, Herr Humboldt?” Sebastian said. “After the cabin fills with fog and all light objects, anything not tied down and including your weapon, go flying toward the breach?”
“A pretty lady comes around with honey-roasted peanuts?” Anders said.
“Presuming the pilot... is even able to keep control of the plane, I put on the lightweight parachute I just stowed in the overhead bin and go out the emergency exit... with the knapsack you're holding,” Sebastian said.
“What if the pilot can't get control of the plane?” Anders said. “Then you die too.”
“A man, if he's any man at all, knows he must be ready to sacrifice himself to that which is greater than he,” Sebastian said.
Anders laughed. “I'm sure all the other passengers on this plane would appreciate dying for your noble philosophy.”
“Look out your window, Agent Humboldt,” Sebastian said, “You see the lights? Now, imagine if one of those lights flickered off. You'd hardly notice, would you? A dozen... two dozen lights extinguished. Is it worth sacrificing the future, the lives of millions, to keep a few lights on?”
“What is this?” Anders said.
“Stolen property,” Sebastian said.
“It's an alien energy source, isn't it?” Anders said. “What is it, cold fusion? Over-unity energy? Zero-point energy? Something that would make interstellar travel practical? What could be worth killing all those passengers on Flight 549?”
“The cause of that crash has been determined as human error,” Sebastian said.
“I'm going to see you pay for that error... along with you and your employer and the government that finances its contracts,” Anders said, “I want you to stand up very slowly and move to the back of the plane. We're going to go to the bathroom.”
Sebastian reluctantly stood, and Anders directed him to the bathroom. Anders pushed him inside and closed the door, pulling a drink cart in front of it. He picked up the airplane telephone and dialed Angela’s number.
“Hansen,” Angela said.
“Hey, Angie, you’ll never believe what just happened,” Anders said.
“Where the frak are you?” Angela said.
“I'm standing outside an airplane bathroom where I've got the man who shot Demetrios locked up,” Anders said, “Yeah, and it looks like I'm going to miss the in-flight movie. Shame, it’s a Star Trek movie.”
“Anders, did you get on that flight that you said you were getting on?” Angela said.
“Uh, yeah,” Anders said, “Everything's going according to plan, but I think you should alert Uncle Erich or Director Schulz anyway, just in case. I don't want to take any chances of getting this guy off the plane. And I don't think you do either.”
“Right,” Angela said.
Suddenly, a flash of light swept around the plane, shining through the windows.
“Uh, Angie?” Anders said. “I think there’s a UFO outside.”
“Wait, what?!” Angela said.
“I’m going to have to call you back,” Anders said, hanging up.
He approached a flight attendant and took out his badge.
“Excuse me,” he said, “I'm an imperial agent. I want you to listen to me very carefully. This plane is about to be intercepted, engaged and boarded. I want you to tell the captain to initiate evasive maneuvers immediately.”
“Wait, what?” the attendant said.
Anders noticed too late that the drink cart had rolled away from the bathroom door. Sebastian ran out of the bathroom, pointing his gun at Anders. People started screaming.
“Put the bag down!” he shouted. “Put it down on the floor!”
Sebastian slowly approached him. Anders put the bag on the floor and backed away. Suddenly, the light returned, and the plane shook as if it hit something. Anders and Sebastian both nearly lost balance, Sebastian keeping his gun on Anders. A loud buzzing started, and the power cut, with the engines shutting down. The light shone in from the right, focusing on the door where Sebastian was. As Sebastian picked up the bag, Anders drew his gun.
“Drop the bag!” he shouted. “Drop the bag! Drop it!”
Sebastian didn’t drop the bag. The door shook.
“Hey!” Anders shouted. “Let it go!”
Sebastian looked towards the door. Anders fired once, hitting Sebastian in the head. But his body didn’t move at all. The bag remained in his hands, and Sebastian remained upright. The door was pulled off its hinges, and the light engulfed the cabin.
Saint Wilhelmina International Airport, Constantinople – 8:56 PM
As the plane pulled into the terminal gate, Angela and Erich ran up the stairs near the gate and ran down to the plane, followed by four agents. The passengers collected their belongings and filed out. Angela pushed her way through the crowd to Anders, who remained in his seat, looking out the window.
“Where is he?” Angela said.
“He’s not here,” Anders said, getting up.
“What do you mean?” Angela said. “You said you had him on this plane. You said you had what Max Fenig had, the stolen part.”
Anders looked at his watch. “Uncle, what time do you have?”
“8:56,” Erich said.
“I have 8:47,” Anders said.
“Would you like to tell me what's going on here, Anders?” Erich said.
Angela rolled her eyes. “I don't think you want to know the answer, Dad.”
Anders opened the overhead compartment and looked at Sebastian’s parachute.
“Is this man on the plane?” Erich said.
“I think he got the connecting flight,” Anders said, shutting the compartment and walking out.
Brubaker Corner, Stuttgart – 11:45 PM
”Max Fenig” said:
Sharon turned off the TV. Angela and Anders looked at her.
“These tapes, you don't mind if I keep them?” she asked.
“No, I think you, you should consider yourself the sole curator of the Max Fenig Rolling Multimedia Library and Archive, and you should probably get tax-exempt or copyright status as soon as you can,” Anders said, “This stuff could be worth something someday.”
“I want to thank you for helping me out, for all you've done,” Sharon said.
“Max would have wanted it that way,” Angela said, “You lost somebody very close to you.”
“So did you,” Sharon said, “By the way, keep the music. I got no use for that anyways.”
Angela nodded slightly, wiping away a tear. Looking at Anders, she walked out of the camper. Anders ran out and joined her in the middle of the park, where she stared up at the stars.
“You thinking about Demetrios?” Anders said.
Angela took out the wedding ring Demetrios would have proposed to her with. It was a simple gold ring with no diamond or anything on it, but it was still a beautiful ring. She put it on her finger and showed it to Anders.
“I can’t get him out of my head,” she said, “He sacrificed so much for me, for us…and we just got him killed, like Melissa and our grandfathers. Maybe I’ll wear this, just to remind myself of who he was.”
“If it makes it any better, I remember a little of what happened on that flight,” Anders said, “Specifically shooting his killer in the face.”
She sighed. “I actually was thinking about, uh...the gift you got me for my not-birthday.”
She took out the keychain. “You never got to tell me why you gave it to me or what it means... but I think I know. I think that you appreciate that there are extraordinary men and women and... extraordinary moments when history leaps forward on the backs of these individuals... that what can be imagined can be achieved... that you must dare to dream... but that there's no substitute for perseverance and hard work... and teamwork... because no one gets there alone... and that, while we commemorate the... the greatness of these events and the individuals who achieve them, we cannot forget the sacrifice of those who make these achievements and leaps possible. We owe it to Melissa and Demetrios and Hans and Conrad to keep searching for the truth. It’s what they would’ve wanted.”
Angela sighed again.
“You know, I just thought it was a pretty cool keychain,” Anders said, “But you probably said it better than me. We need to continue our work.”
“What I really mean is everybody who is involved in this conspiracy, everybody who was involved in killing Demetrios and Melissa and Hans and Conrad, they will all pay,” Angela said, “We’ll make sure they do.”
They looked back up at the stars, watching them twinkle.
What would the Silent Hill games br like here? I suppose I could’ve asked about Resident Evil, but Silent Hill is a more psychological and character driven horror series (which is the kind I prefer) and Resident Evil is more well known than Silent Hill so I assume it’s already going to be talked about in the 90s summary.
What would Five Nights at Freddy’s be like here? Even though it’s been awhile since I’ve been into Fnaf (I lost touch with it after the fourth game) It does have the potential create interesting discussions here? I suppose rather or not Fnaf exists depends on rather or not Chuck E Cheese and Animatronics still exists considering the premise of the game. Also it would admittedly be hard to describe the game’s story and lore I think besides the basics considering that most of it’s in the background and fairly vague (hence Game Theory’s videos, through I lost interest in Game Theory too tbh).
Actually I know I mentioned it earlier, but what would Doki Doki Literature club be like here? I know you said you don’t know about it, but considering that it’s free and is pretty short I don’t think that should be an issue.
What is Cuphead like considering its aesthetic is specifically based on 1930s animation? Bendy and the Ink Machine is another game that comes to mind with Cartoon influences (through Cuphead and Bendy are in completely different genres and tones) so I’m wondering what that would be like here?
I know you said Multiplayer games aren’t as big as OTL here because of no Microtransactions and Loot boxes, but what would Team Fortress 2 be like here and does it still exists? I think it would never go Free to Play in that case but it still exists, same with Overwatch, through I’m not sure about Fortnight in this case. Maybe PUBG’s popularity continues since Fortnight most likely doesn’t exist.
Considering that the 4th of July occurred a couple days ago, I’m wondering that since we’ve shifted Hamilton to Metternich I’m wondering what the Metternich musical would go like in terms of characterization and character relations. I’m wondering how Metternich could be relatable to audiences considering I assume his background is different from Hamilton and I’m wondering how it could play out dramatically. Another thing is that I’m wondering what a few Hamilton songs would go here and I’m wondering if you can rewrite the opening song to see how it would go in TTL. Sorry if I’m asking to much. I’ll leave the song here through if you consider it.
What would Five Nights at Freddy’s be like here? Even though it’s been awhile since I’ve been into Fnaf (I lost touch with it after the fourth game) It does have the potential create interesting discussions here? I suppose rather or not Fnaf exists depends on rather or not Chuck E Cheese and Animatronics still exists considering the premise of the game. Also it would admittedly be hard to describe the game’s story and lore I think besides the basics considering that most of it’s in the background and fairly vague (hence Game Theory’s videos, through I lost interest in Game Theory too tbh).
Actually I know I mentioned it earlier, but what would Doki Doki Literature club be like here? I know you said you don’t know about it, but considering that it’s free and is pretty short I don’t think that should be an issue.
What is Cuphead like considering its aesthetic is specifically based on 1930s animation? Bendy and the Ink Machine is another game that comes to mind with Cartoon influences (through Cuphead and Bendy are in completely different genres and tones) so I’m wondering what that would be like here?
I know you said Multiplayer games aren’t as big as OTL here because of no Microtransactions and Loot boxes, but what would Team Fortress 2 be like here and does it still exists? I think it would never go Free to Play in that case but it still exists, same with Overwatch, through I’m not sure about Fortnight in this case. Maybe PUBG’s popularity continues since Fortnight most likely doesn’t exist.
Considering that the 4th of July occurred a couple days ago, I’m wondering that since we’ve shifted Hamilton to Metternich I’m wondering what the Metternich musical would go like in terms of characterization and character relations. I’m wondering how Metternich could be relatable to audiences considering I assume his background is different from Hamilton and I’m wondering how it could play out dramatically. Another thing is that I’m wondering what a few Hamilton songs would go here and I’m wondering if you can rewrite the opening song to see how it would go in TTL. Sorry if I’m asking to much. I’ll leave the song here through if you consider it.
Currently I don't have any references to Resident Evil in the 90s summary.
Silent Hill would be more inspired by traditional European paganism in addition to eldritch horror. Resident Evil would be the same.Animatronics of course would still exist, although Chuck E Cheese would be replaced with something else. The gameplay and plot would still be the same.
All I can say is that Monika will have more fourth-wall breaking and be even more violent. There would also be mechanics like those found in Eternal Darkness (sanity, "glitches," and meta references).Actually I know I mentioned it earlier, but what would Doki Doki Literature club be like here? I know you said you don’t know about it, but considering that it’s free and is pretty short I don’t think that should be an issue.
Cuphead would have more Angeloi influences. The Devil would look like Angelos, while the other bosses would act like equalists, fascists, and militarists.
TF2 would be moderately successful and have a cult following. There'd also be a campaign mode since that is what will make them money. Overwatch would also have a campaign mode but would be criticized for just being a resigned TF2. PUBG would again originate as a mod for ARMA 2, but instead of becoming its own game it would be released as a new installment of ARMA (with the same name). Fortnite wouldn't exist, but its "Save the World" co-op campaign mode would be integrated into PUBG.
I might be able to rewrite some speeches, but unfortunately I'm a terrible songwriter.Considering that the 4th of July occurred a couple days ago, I’m wondering that since we’ve shifted Hamilton to Metternich I’m wondering what the Metternich musical would go like in terms of characterization and character relations. I’m wondering how Metternich could be relatable to audiences considering I assume his background is different from Hamilton and I’m wondering how it could play out dramatically. Another thing is that I’m wondering what a few Hamilton songs would go here and I’m wondering if you can rewrite the opening song to see how it would go in TTL. Sorry if I’m asking to much. I’ll leave the song here through if you consider it.
Yes, Metternich would be of noble background, but emphasis would be placed on his being aristoi instead of dynatoi. The other major nobles would look down on him. He's torn between wanting to be accepted by the dynatoi and maintaining the trust and respect of the common people. Regional/ethnic music in addition to rap and pop would be used for different characters depending on where they came from (the Hohenzollerns, Mozart, and Beethoven would have classical and classical-inspired music, Italians would have opera, Arabians would have traditional Arab music, Metternich and Sigismund and major characters would use rap/hip-hop, and Konrad von Habsburg would use British pop).- 1
Faustian Bargain, Part 1
Trans-Eurasia Express Routing Center, Liesing, Vienna – August 27, 1996, 3:00 PM
Two postal workers, Jessica and Nadia, scanned and sorted packages on an assembly line. Jessica sighed and stepped back from the equipment.
“Cover for me in case Trottelgesicht comes back around, will you?” she said.
“Where you going?” Nadia said.
“I need a cigarette,” Jessica said.
“You had one 15 minutes ago,” Nadia said.
“45 minutes,” Jessica said.
“Why don't you get yourself one of those patches or that gum?” Nadia said. “Or maybe go try some weed?”
Jessica opened her mouth, showing the half-chewed gum inside. “What the frak do you think I'm chewing?”
Nadia recoiled in disgust. “Then maybe you should just quit. Ever think of that?”
“Look, just cover for me, okay?” Jessica said. “Tell her I've got a stomach bug or something.”
She went to the bathroom and sat down in a stall, where she got out her pack of Mosley’s. She took out and lit a cigarette while reading a popular culture magazine (the main article was about the disastrous Olympics taking place in the Choctaw Republic, which the Reich was still winning by the way). She was too busy smoking and reading to notice the thousands of bees flying out of the sink drain, covering the walls and floors in seconds. When Jessica put down her magazine, she gasped and tried swatting away the nearest ones. The bees swarmed her.
Out on the line, the supervisor walked by. Nadia became impatient and headed to the bathroom.
“Jessica!” she shouted. “Come on, you’re going to get in trouble!”
There was no response.
“Jessica?” she said, walking in.
She noticed Jessica slumped against the back wall, her entire body red and swollen with stings.
“Oh, scheiße,” she said.
Omar Mukhtar Building, Constantinople – 5:00 PM
Deputy Director Schulz sat at the computer, looking at a photo of Jessica’s body in the stall. He closed the window, highlighted the file icon and all others in the directory, and clicked the trashcan icon. A window appeared on the screen.
Schulz clicked yes, and the files were gone. He then went to the recycling bin and deleted them permanently there. Afterwards, he got up and turned off the computer. As he went to the door, he looked at the picture of Anders, Annie, and Angela on the playground and then at Anders’ nameplate on the desk. He looked down and took out his wallet, looking sadly at his late brother’s dog tags inside. He turned away and exited the X-Division office, closing the door behind him.
Trans-Eurasia Express Routing Center, Liesing, Vienna – 8:00 PM
Schulz arrived at the routing center. He had now exchanged his usual business suit with an all-black casual outfit and a satchel. He entered the building and went straight to the bathroom, where he peeled off a sticker that said “Do not enter.” It was after hours, so nobody noticed him walking into the bathroom where Jessica was attacked. He picked the cigarette up from the floor and flushed it down the toilet. He took out a small vacuum cleaner and used it to suck up debris from the floor. Wearing latex gloves, he sprayed detergent on the floor and walls and wiped them clean, along with the mirror. He saw an orange substance where the wall met the ceiling and sniffed it, then cleaning it up.
County Morgue, Liesing – August 28, 1996, 12:22 AM
Schulz picked a lock and entered the room where the bodies were stored. He found Jessica’s body and pulled it out of its vault, carrying it back to his car. He then drove to an industrial plant several blocks away and walked up a staircase to an incinerator. He opened the door and dropped the body inside. Then he closed the door and left.
Police Forensic Lab – 12:35 AM
Schulz, now wearing a baseball cap, talked with an officer at the counter.
“Bernhard, Jessica L.,” the officer said, “Yeah, we've got the pathologist's work, but the, uh, techs haven't been over the crime scene yet.”
“Let me see what you've got,” Schulz said.
“Your name?” the officer said.
Schulz showed him a forged Athanatoi badge. “Special Agent Anders Humboldt.”
“Working the late shift, Agent Humboldt?” the officer said.
“Yeah,” Schulz said, “Somebody's got to.”
The officer handed him a log. “You need to sign that.”
Still latex gloves, Schulz signed the log while the officer fetched a plastic tray with compartments holding a variety of samples. Jessica’s name was on the label of the tray. The officer set it on the counter and walked away. Making sure nobody was watching, Schulz switched a vial of blood with another one from his pocket, again using his gloves.
“I'm all set here,” Schulz said, “Thanks.”
“No problem,” the officer said.
Schulz left the building and walked across the parking lot. As he stopped to stuff the vial of blood into a dumpster, a man ran across the parking lot towards him.
“Agent Humboldt!” he said. “I'm glad I caught you.”
“Who are you?” Schulz said.
“Detective Thalbach,” the man said.
Schulz didn’t respond.
“Uh, Ernst Thalbach,” the man said, "I'm the one who contacted you, who e-mailed the pictures to your office. I ran into Officer Rohr. He said you'd come down here to take a look at some of the forensic evidence."
"Yeah, that's right,” Schulz said, nodding and walking away.
"So ... does that mean you think you found something here, something worth looking into?” Schulz said.
"I'm afraid not,” Schulz said.
Ernst stared at him. “Really?"
"I didn't find anything to recommend my or X-Division's further involvement in this case,” Schulz said.
"What about the woman?” Ernst said. "How do you explain what happened to her? She walks into a bathroom, a minute later, she’s dead by like a million bee stings ... You saw the pictures!”
Schulz reached his car and stopped. “Yes, I saw them.”
"I was told you were part of the X-Division, you'd look into stuff like this,” Ernst said, "So if there's really nothing to this, why come all the way down here in the middle of the night?"
"I'm just doing my job, Detective, same as you,” Schulz said.
He got into his car and drove away, leaving a surprised Ernst standing there. As he left the parking lot, he didn’t notice the crew-cut man watching from a nearby car.
Schulz’s apartment, Constantinople - 2:56 AM
As soon as he got back home, he took off his dark clothes and changed into pajamas. He stuffed the dark clothes into a trash bag and put his phone back on the hook (he had taken it off before he left). But when he opened the door to go to the dumpster, he found Anders outside, about to knock.
“Oh hey, Director, you’re home,” he said.
"Yeah, what are you doing here?” Schulz said.
"I was trying to reach you,” Anders said, "I think your phone's off the hook."
"Uh, I needed some sleep,” Schulz said.
Anders noticed the trash bag. "Is that why you're taking the garbage out at 5 in the morning?"
"What do you want, Agent Humboldt?” Schulz said.
"I want some answers,” Anders said, walking in.
Schulz closed the door.
“Concerning?” Schulz said.
"The unexplained death of a postal worker that somebody is apparently going to great lengths to keep unexplained,” Anders said, handing him a set of photos, "These photos were sent to me by a detective who thought I might have a fresh take on the case, but when I went to retrieve them from my e-mail, somebody had hollowed out the files."
"Then where'd you get them?” Schulz said.
"From his partner,” Anders said.
“When?” Schulz said.
"After he finished questioning me about the detective's death,” Anders said.
"Wait, what are you talking about?” Schulz said.
"He was killed, shot twice in the back head execution-style,” Anders said, “Ruled a suicide, too. His body was found near the precinct an hour ago ... possibly by the same person who forged my name to gain access to evidence from the forensics lab."
"What do you want from me?” Schulz said.
"Well, I'd like your help on this, sir,” Anders said.
"What about Agent Hansen and the Assistant Director?” Schulz said.
“Angie is in the hospital, and her father is taking some time off,” Anders said.
"Has something happened that I should know about?” Schulz said.
"She's undergoing some imaging tests,” Anders said, "Her, uh, her oncologist was concerned about some microscopy results that, uh, her tumor may be metastasizing. Anyway, I, I'd like you to take a look at those photos, please."
"Yeah, I will, first thing when I get to my office,” Schulz said, “Or not. I don’t feel so well today."
Anders looked at the trash bag. "Want me to, uh, dump this on my way out?"
"No, I got it,” Schulz said.
“Alright,” Anders said, leaving.
Schulz sighed and closed the door behind Anders.
Apartment Parking Lot - 4:03 AM
Schulz walked into the garage and looked around. A minute later, a car rolled up and stopped in front of him. The crew-cut man was driving, while the smoking man got out of the passenger seat. Schulz immediately walked up to the smoking man.
“Was it you?” he demanded. "Did you pull the trigger, or did you have your driver do it for you?"
The smoking man calmly lit his cigarette. "I’m not here to answer your questions.”
Schulz grabbed the smoking man by his shirt.
"You murdered him!” Schulz hissed. "You killed an officer of the law!"
The smoking man took another drag on his cigarette. "I suggest you keep your voice down, Herr Schulz, unless you want your neighbors to know the hours and the company you keep."
Schulz let go of the smoking man. "I won't be a party to murder."
"I wouldn't get too comfortable on your moral high ground, Herr Schulz, especially in a country like this,” the smoking man said, "This only happened because you left your job unfinished."
"I handled him just like I've handled everything else you've asked me to do,” Schulz said, "I followed your instructions."
“But you failed to neutralize a potentially compromising situation,” the smoking man said, “That was included in your instructions.”
"You didn't have to kill him,” Schulz said, "He didn't have to die."
"You're in no position to question the terms of our arrangement,” the smoking man said.
"Then we have no arrangement,” Schulz said, walking away.
"You'll find it's not that easy to walk away from, Herr Schulz,” the smoking man said.
Schulz stopped. “No?"
“If a man digs a hole, he risks falling into it,” the smoking man said.
Schulz stormed off.
Schulz’s apartment - 5:43 AM
Schulz sat on his couch, dozing off. The phone rang, jolting him awake. He picked it up.
“Schulz,” he said.
“Her body's gone, sir,” Anders said.
"What are you talking about?” Schulz said.
"The postal worker in the photos that I gave you,” Anders said, "Her body was stolen from the morgue last night, along with any other evidence that might explain how or why she died. And yes, I’m in the morgue right now."
"Slow down, Agent Humboldt,” Schulz said.
"I'm sorry, but I can’t,” Anders said, "I'm playing catch-up here, and I'm already two steps behind. The man who impersonated me at the forensics lab last night, apparently he replaced a blood sample."
"How do you know?” Schulz said.
"I had them run a test,” Anders said, "The blood sample in the police forensics lab is B-positive, as is the postal worker's, but she suffered from a mild form of anemia characterized by a folic acid deficiency. The blood sample at the police forensics lab has a normal folate serum level."
Schulz rubbed his forehead and cursed under his breath.
"Are there any suspects?” he asked.
"No, but I do have a place to start,” Anders said, "The gun that killed Detective Thalbach, Agent Raum at ballistics identified it as a Sig-Sauer P228. I'm having ballistics run comps on all weapons registered to imperial agents and, uh, local officers.”
Schulz looked at his desk and saw a drawer had been pried open. Realizing which drawer it was, he ran over and found his gun was missing from it. He picked up the empty holster inside.
“Sir?” Anders said.
"Let me know what they find.” Schulz hung up.
He immediately threw the holster against the wall in disgust. Then he picked up his phone again and dialed another number.
“Yes?” the smoking man said.
"You can't do this!” Schulz protested.
"You sound agitated, Herr Schulz,” the smoking man said.
"Was it my gun?” Schulz said.
"Your gun?” the smoking man said.
"Used to kill the detective?” Schulz said.
"Well, if it was, I'd think you'd want to report it to the police immediately,” the smoking man said.
"Oh, don't think that I won’t,” Schulz said.
"Then why are you calling me?” the smoking man said. "Perhaps because you realize that you'd be admitting to the obstruction of justice, criminal conspiracy, and destruction of evidence? The consequences could be very serious for you, even in the unlikely event that you were able to persuade the authorities that you didn't kill the detective. Not even your boss, the Valkyrie, could save you from becoming this nation’s next Scheel."
"What did you have me cover up?” Schulz said.
"I think the less you know the better, under the circumstances,” the smoking man said.
"I need to know what that man died for,” Schulz said.
"He died for you, Herr Schulz,” the smoking man said, "He died so you could have what you wanted, a cure for Agent Hansen. Isn't that what you want?"
"Agent Hansen is still in the hospital,” Schulz said, "If you can do anything for her, I want it done now."
"I'm fully aware of Agent Hansen's progress,” the smoking man said.
"If anything happens to her, I will expose you,” Schulz said, "I'll turn Kaiser's evidence. I’ll call up Ludwig Angelos and his Basque friends. I don't care what happens to me, but I’m going to take you down with me, die a hero like my brother.”
"Agent Hansen stands to live a long and healthy life,” the smoking man said, "I would hope the same for you, Herr Schulz. Unless you want to end up like your brother.”
The smoking man hung up.
Trans-Eurasia Express Routing Center, Liesing, Vienna - 9:14 AM
At the routing center, Schulz walked and chatted with Jessica’s supervisor. They passed Nadia, who continued working on the line. Nadia nervously watched the supervisor and Schulz walk into the bathroom.
"Police said we could put the bathroom back in service,” the supervisor said, "But the truth is, no one wants to use it, not after what happened yesterday. You mind my asking what you're looking for?”
Schulz climbed onto the sink and felt along where the wall met the ceiling. He found a small amount of the same orange substance that he found last night.
“I need a hammer,” he said.
The supervisor handed him one, and he tore into the sheetrock with it. Behind it, he found large quantities of the orange substance, as well as a large honeycomb.
Smyrna - 1:15 PM
Schulz set down a jar containing the honeycomb on Dr. Savvas’ desk.
"Is there any reason you're not running this through the Athanatoi lab?” Savvas said.
"Uh, this evidence is classified,” Schulz said, "We've had some controversy over security at the Athanatoi. I'd appreciate your discretion."
Savvas looked at the honeycomb. "Oh, certainly."
"Can you tell what kind of bees made that?” Schulz asked.
"Uh, it's hard to tell with just the comb, but I might be able to give you an answer,” Savvas said.
"If I told you there was a chance that the bees that made that could be lethal, would that be helpful?” Schulz said.
Savvas opened the jar and poked the honeycomb with tweezers.
"Any kind of bee can be lethal, provided you get stung by enough of them,” Savvas said, "Even Africanized honey bees, the so-called killer bees, basically have the same venom as the European honey bee. It's just that they tend to attack in swarms. Ah, we may be in luck."
"What is it?” Schulz said.
"Royal jelly, a highly nutritious secretion of the honey bees' pharyngeal gland,” Savvas said, "It's fed to the very young larvae in the colony. Here, see for yourself.”
Savvas showed Schulz a larva under a magnifying glass.
“Will that hatch?” Schulz asked.
Savvas nodded. "Once they pupate, I should be able to give you some definitive answers."
"The minute you learn something, I'd appreciate a call,” Schulz said, turning to the door.
"Is this related to that other case?” Savvas said. "If you don't mind me asking …"
"What other case?” Schulz said.
"I got a call from another agent a few months ago asking me all about killer bees,” Savvas said.
"Who was it?” Schulz said.
"Uh, the name was Anders Humboldt,” Savvas said, "I wonder if there's any connection?"
“No,” Schulz said.
"Anyway, I'll call you,” Savvas said.
X-Division - 2:45 PM
Schulz went through Anders' files. He opened a folder and saw photos of a Scandinavian agricultural complex and a bee, reading a note referring to ground reconnaissance and "no evidence found of bee hives". The name on the note was “Irene Doukas, Roman Ambassador to the United Nations”. He replaced the folder and went to Anders' desk, looking through his Roladex and finding a card for Irene Doukas. He found a piece of scrap paper and started writing down the information when Anders appeared in the doorway.
“Sir?” He said. "You looking for me?"
"Uh, I was just writing you a note,” Schulz said, "Where've you been?"
“Imperial Bank of Austria,” Anders said.
Anders showed him a pair of grainy photos showing the parking lot outside the Liesing Police Forensic Lab. One of the photos showed Thalbach talking with a man in a baseball hat.
"What am I looking at?” Schulz said.
"The bank is adjacent to the police headquarters where Detective Thalbach was killed,” Anders said, "Their parking lot surveillance camera caught this image. That man there - that's Detective Thalbach. This man in the baseball hat - he was identified by the officer on duty at the forensics lab as 'Agent Humboldt’."
"Can you get a usable image of this?” Schulz said.
"I'm gonna hand deliver it to Agent Atsumi right now,” Anders said, "What did you want to talk to me about? You were writing me a note."
"I was, uh, I was just checking on your progress,” Schulz said, walking away.
Schulz’s office - 3:00 PM
Schulz dialed a number on his phone.
“Ambassador Doukas?” he asked. "This is Deputy Director Schulz with the Athanatoi.”
“Yes?” Irene said.
“I was hoping you could help me,” Schulz said, "I understand Agent Anders Humboldt has been in contact with you about a project."
"A project?” Irene said.
"A Scandinavian agricultural project involving bees and bee husbandry,” Schulz said.
"Yes, but, I wasn't able to give him any information,” Irene said.
"Why was that?” Schulz said.
"The project he cited turned up no viable evidence,” Irene said.
"Evidence of what?” Schulz said.
"Bee hives ... or bee husbandry,” Irene said.
"What if I told you I had access to that evidence?” Schulz said.
"You have access to these bees?” Irene said.
"I may, soon,” Schulz said, "Very soon.”
Smyrna
Dr. Savvas entered his lab. He tried the light switch, but it didn’t work. As he walked in, he didn’t notice the hundreds of bees covering the ceiling. He walked to his bench and inspected his experiment, but he found the mesh screen over the sample had been breached. He shone a lamp toward the window and saw the bees covering it. The bees swarmed him.
Smyrna City Morgue - 5:00 PM
Schulz entered the morgue and met Anders in the lobby.
“Agent Humboldt?” he said.
"Thanks for getting down here so quickly,” Anders said.
"What is it?” Schulz said.
"A break,” Anders said, "Maybe even a lead.”
He uncovered Savvas’ body, which was covered in gray discolorations.
"I wanted you to get a look at this body before somebody tried to steal it,” Anders said, "See these pocks and blisters? They're the same as we saw in the photo of the deceased postal worker."
"Symptoms of what?” Schulz said.
“Smallpox,” Anders said, "The first reported case in many years."
“Smallpox?” Schulz said.
"According to the coroner, an especially virulent strain caused by a mutated variola virus,” Anders said.
"Caused how?” Schulz said. "I mean, how could this man contract a disease that doesn't even exist anymore?"
"From these,” Anders said.
He handed Schulz a small bottle partially filled with a clear liquid.
"Bee stingers and venom sacs recovered subcutaneously from the victim's face, arm and neck,” Anders said.
"You're saying this man was stung by bees carrying smallpox?” Schulz said.
"He was a forensic entomologist,” Anders said, "I consulted with him several months ago about a similar fatality. Ironic. He could share information about smallpox-carrying bees, but he couldn’t use it to save his life."
"Then you've seen this before?” Schulz said.
"Yeah, but I've never had any hard evidence,” Anders said, "Not until now. I think that's what somebody's gone to great lengths to try to prevent."
“Why?” Schulz said.
"I can only guess,” Anders said, "But I think that somebody is trying to engineer a method of delivery ... for a disease that has killed more people throughout history than any other contagion known to humankind. If you want me to suggest an appropriate response …"
"Can they be stopped?” Schulz asked.
"How can we stop them?” Anders said. "We don't even know who these people are, and we won't until we know the identity of that shooter."
"How close are you?” Schulz said.
"Hopefully, very,” Anders said, “Leza's pulling an all-nighter on that surveillance video so she can show me something next morning. I told her that you'd authorize the overtime."
"Of course,” Schulz said.
"I'm going to head back to the office right now,” Anders said.
"Tell me what you find,” Schulz said.
Trans-Eurasian Express Routing Center, Liesing, Vienna - 8:15 PM
Nadia was getting a snack when Schulz approached her.
“Nadia Nagata?” he said, flashing his badge, “I’m Deputy Director Schulz with the Athanatoi."
"I was just getting up,” Nadia said, "They only give us a 10-minute break, and my supervisor's pretty strict."
"I need to talk to you, Nadia,” Schulz said, "About your co-worker."
"If this is about what happened to Jessica, I already told the police everything I know,” Nadia said.
“Everything?” Schulz said.
Nadia paused and lowered her voice. "I don't want to lose my job."
"You're not going to lose anything,” Schulz said, "I'm asking you to cooperate in a criminal investigation."
“Jessica?” Nadia said. "What do you mean?"
“Jessica's death may not have been an accident,” Schulz said.
“What?” Nadia said. "She was my best friend."
"I'm sorry,” Schulz said.
"We worked it out so our vacations overlapped,” Nadia said, "We were going to Naples. Both of us were trying to lose weight so we could buy new bathing suits. The men who came here, they said if I talked to anyone, I'd lose my job."
"Did these men say who they were?” Schulz said.
"No, and I didn't ask,” Nadia said, "They just wanted the package."
"What package?” Schulz said.
"Damaged packages are routed here for inspection before they get reshipped,” Nadia said.
"The place where the damaged packages are kept - how close is it to the restroom where you found Jessica?” Schulz said.
"It's just the next door down the hall,” Nadia said, "They've got a storage room."
"The damaged package that they wanted - do you remember where it would be sent?” Schulz said.
"No, not off-hand,” Nadia said.
“Is there any way of finding out?” Schulz said.
"I can look up the tracking number,” Nadia said.
"That would be a big help to me, Nadia,” Schulz said, "And maybe to Jessica."
Leza Atsumi’s office - August 29, 1996, 8:00 AM
"We went through every inch of that tape to find the best angle for identification purposes,” Leza said, "Now remember it was videotape, shot at a distance under extreme low light."
"So this is the best you can do?” Anders said.
“This isn’t Law & Order, but it's better than I thought it would be, believe me, I tried every trick that …” Leza said.
"I'm not trying to be difficult,” Anders said, "It's just this is very important to me. I need to be sure.”
The image on the screen became clearer, and Anders recognized Schulz. His jaw dropped, and he rubbed his forehead.
"I need you to print out a hardcopy of that for me,” he said.
Syndicate conference room, Kaiserstrasse, Frankfurt
The smoking man held up a small jar with a bee inside.
"This is the last remaining specimen,” he said, "The bees from the scientist's house - it's been contained and destroyed."
"And the body?” The first elder said.
"It also has been sanitized,” the smoking man said.
"How did this happen?” the first elder said.
"It's been taken care of,” the smoking man said, "The details are unimportant."
"Details are everything, you idiot, especially to Strughold,” the first elder said, "Much more important than your vague assurances."
"Well, you'll have to trust my assurance that any other breaches have been handled,” the smoking man said.
"Handled by whom?” the first elder said.
"I have a man in place,” the smoking man said. "A man with no other choice but to succeed."
"What assurance can you give us that he can be trusted?” the smoking man said.
"We can't risk even the slightest exposure,” the first elder said.
"He has nothing to expose ... except his own duplicity,” the smoking man said.
"Should we assume the trial run is proceeding as planned?” the first elder said.
"It's already begun,” the smoking man said.
Konrad Adenauer Elementary School, Dorylaeum, Central Anatolia
Young children played on the playground. As the kids swung on monkey bars, a bee flew about them.
"Hey, it's my turn!” David shouted.
“No it isn’t!” Billy shouted.
He fell off the bars. “Ow!”
“Frau Kemper!” David shouted. "Billy got stung by a bee!”
Kemper was tending to another girl stung on the leg. Two other girls ran toward her. As Kemper stood, she saw several bees swarming her.
"Everyone get inside!” she said. "Everyone inside! Move it! Move it! Come on!”
The kids ran towards the school. David tripped, and his glasses fell off. Kemper looked back and saw him left on the playground. She ran back to him.
"Oh, my God!” she said. “David!”
David found his glasses and got to his feet just as she reached him. She pushed him toward the school.
“Quick!” Kemper said. “Run!”
The bees swarmed around her. David ran into the school and turned to see the bees stinging Kemper. Kemper fell to the ground and writhed in pain.
It seems the piper has come to make Schulz pay before he even got his reward. Bees carrying smallpox? That's a unique take on a biological weapon.
Would the Mackinac Bridge still exist in this timeline? Considering that the Reich’s Michigan parallel has never been mentioned, where would it be in the Reich?
Would Bill Clinton still exist in this timeline? Considering that Hillary doesn’t exist, would it be the same?
What would the Persian concessions have been a parallel to? I imagine that they played a role in 1920s and 30s culture, as they were majority-German and were integrated into the European Reich.
What would Die Zeiten be like, compared to other Roman newspapers? Just wondering, as you never discussed Die Zeiten that much.
Would Bill Clinton still exist in this timeline? Considering that Hillary doesn’t exist, would it be the same?
What would the Persian concessions have been a parallel to? I imagine that they played a role in 1920s and 30s culture, as they were majority-German and were integrated into the European Reich.
What would Die Zeiten be like, compared to other Roman newspapers? Just wondering, as you never discussed Die Zeiten that much.
You're assuming the smoking man even has a reward to give Schulz.
I think the closest analogue would be a bridge on the Scandinavian-Roman border. Don't know where exactly to put it or how big it would be.
Bill Clinton himself wouldn't exist, but I gave Kohl some elements from his personality and administration. And of course, Monica still exists, though she won't be interning for Kohl.
The Persian concessions were mostly an original creation, but there are some similarities with the European concessions in China. I never intended to do much with them because I wanted to focus on other stuff like the Angeloi.
Die Zeiten would be a respected, popular, and unbiased newspaper (generated mostly from its reputation as the first major Roman newspaper and the ridiculously delayed coverage of poorly chosen events in its first few decades), but it wouldn't have the prestige and international appeal of Frankfurter Zeitung (my New York Times analogue).
Faustian Bargian, Part 2
Dorylaeum City Hospital - 2:00 PM
A nurse removed the breathing mask from David, and his mother kissed him one last time before the nurse pulled a sheet over his head. The ward was full of other children being treated. Schulz entered and approached a doctor.
"Dr. Linzer?” Schulz said, showing his badge. “I’m Deupty Director Schulz with the Athanatoi. The administration office informed me you were overseeing the treatment of these children.”
Linzer walked away from him. “Yes."
"I think you'll want to hear me out,” Schulz said.
"I'm right in the middle of it,” Linzer said.
"You've been treating these children for bee stings,” Schulz said, "You've misdiagnosed them."
"Then what should I be treating them for?” Linzer said.
“Smallpox,” Schulz said.
"Is this a joke?” Linzer said.
"Every child in this city who hasn't already been infected needs to be vaccinated immediately,” Schulz said.
"We don't vaccinate kids against smallpox anymore because there is no smallpox,” Linzer said.
"Run whatever tests you need if you don't believe me,” Schulz said.
"I don't need to run any tests,” Linzer said, "Smallpox has an 8-day incubation period, and these kids were stung just a few hours ago. How do you reconcile that?"
"I can’t,” Schulz said.
Several UN peacekeepers walked into the room, Irene leading them.
"Let me know when you come up with an answer,” Linzer said, walking away, "In the meantime, I've got things to do.”
Irene walked up to Schulz. “Herr Schulz?”
"How do you know who I am?” Schulz said.
“You contacted me,” Irene said, "I'm Irene Doukas."
"What are you doing here?” Schulz said.
"Your call about those bees prompted me to make some inquiries,” Schulz said.
"Into what?” Schulz said.
"Seven packages that were sent from northern Norway through Helsingborg, Scandinavia to a PO box here in Dorylaeum,” Irene said, "I came here to find out what was in those packages."
Schulz gestured around the ward. "You’re a little late to do anything about it."
"So are you, apparently,” Irene said, "What brought you here? You came to me for information, Herr Schulz, but you still haven't told me what you know about this. My office has to answer to both the Kaiser and the Secretary General of the United Nations. This is a very serious matter. I need to know what's going on."
"I think it's an experiment,” Schulz said.
"An experiment?” Irene said.
"Using bees as carriers,” Schulz said.
"That's what was in those packages?” Irene said. "Have you told Agent Humboldt this?"
"Not yet,” Schulz said.
"Why not?” Irene said.
"I can’t,” Schulz said.
“Why?” Irene said. "Are you involved in this, Herr Schulz?"
"I didn’t,” Schulz said, "I'm not involved."
"Then what are you doing here?” Irene said. "What aren't you telling me, Herr Schulz?"
“Nothing,” Schulz said.
"If you know who's behind this, you have to come forward, Herr Schulz,” Irene said, "No one else can."
Megarevhma, Constantinople - 11:02 PM
Schulz returned to his home and picked up his phone. But before he could dial, he noticed his desk drawer was ajar. He put down the phone and opened the drawer, finding his gun had been returned. Anders appeared behind him and pointed his gun at Schulz.
"Put the gun down and move away from the desk,” he said,
"I was just calling …” Schulz began.
"I said put the gun down!” Anders shouted.
Schulz put down the gun. "You don't understand."
“No, I do now,” Anders said.
"No you don’t,” Schulz said.
"Is that the gun you used to shoot Detective Thalbach?” Anders demanded.
“No,” Schulz said.
"How's it feel to shoot an innocent man in the head?” Anders said.
"I didn't kill that man!” Schulz said.
"You're a liar!” Anders said. "You’ve been working with the Smoking Man, Cigarette Guy, all along. You knew when he had my grandfather killed, and you knew when they took Angie. She even said you were with her when Cigarette Guy assigned her to X-Division!"
"Listen to me!” Schulz said.
"I've heard enough of you,” Anders said.
"He set me up!” Schulz said. "He stole my gun and then he put it back! Which means the police are probably on their way right now."
"I don't believe you,” Anders said.
"Look at my desk drawer, Agent Humboldt, look at it!” Schulz shouted.
Anders looked down, seeing the marks on the drawer where it was pried open.
"Why would I force my own lock?” Schulz said. "If I lied to you ... I have lied to you, and I won't make excuses for those lies, but there's a reason that I did what I did - one that I think you're in a unique position to understand. I advised you against a certain course of action some time ago ... concerning Agent Hansen. I didn't follow my own advice."
"Give me the gun,” Anders said.
Schulz handed him the gun.
Ballistics Lab - August 30, 1996, 1:00 AM
Agent Raum fired a gun into a water tank. He fired six rounds while Schulz and Anders stood nearby. After Raum finished, they removed their hearing protection.
“How soon will you be able to determine if that's the weapon that killed Detective Thalbach?” Anders said.
"As long as it takes me to put one of these slugs under the scope and run a comp,” Raum said.
Raum showed a closeup of the slugs on the computer monitor. "Now, this is the slug that we recovered from the detective's body. See this stria here and here? They're rifling patterns imprinted from the barrel of the same gun."
"So this is definitely the murder weapon?” Anders said.
"If I were called to testify I'd say without a doubt,” Raum said, "So where'd you find it?”
Schulz stared at the floor. Anders looked at Schulz for a moment.
“In a sewer grate around the corner from the crime scene,” Anders said, "Sometimes you get lucky."
"Sometimes you don't, right?” Raum said.
"What do you mean?” Anders said.
"The serial number - it's been filed clean off,” Raum said, "Well, unless forensics pulled a print, this gun is virtually untraceable.”
Schulz looked at Anders again. Anders rolled his eyes, half faking it. Schulz left the room, sighing to himself.
[REDACTED] - 2:00 AM
The smoking man entered his home and reached for the light switch. He found Schulz seated in a chair, a gun pointed at him. Schulz stood up and approached the smoking man.
“Leave it off,” he said, “I’m starting to get used to the dark.”
"Is this part of our deal?” the smoking man said.
"We never had a deal,” Schulz said.
“No?” the smoking man said.
"Agent Hansen is dying, her father is tearing himself apart over her, and you haven't done a damn thing about it,” Schulz said.
The smoking man smirked.
"You think that's funny?” Schulz said.
"I'm just enjoying the irony, Herr Schulz,” the smoking man said, "Only yesterday, you said you wouldn't be a party to murder and now here you are. Yours isn't the first gun I've had pointed in my face, Herr Schulz. I'm not afraid to die. I never was. But if you kill me now, you'll also kill Agent Hansen."
"You have no intention of saving her,” Schulz said, "You never did."
"Are you certain?” the smoking man said. "I saved her life once before, when I had her returned. I may save her life again. But you'll never know if you pull the trigger, will you?”
The phone rang.
"Now, unless you intend to kill me, I'd like to answer my phone,” he said.
Schulz fired three shots into the wall beside the smoking man’s head. He then stormed out of the apartment. After Schulz closed the door, the smoking man swallowed hard and answered his phone in a shaky voice.
"Yes ... He was just here,” he said, "He threatened to kill me. I'm sure Humboldt will be contacting you. He'll want to know if Schulz's seen all there is to see.”
[REDACTED]
Irene Doukas listened to the smoking man’s words.
"I'll tell him what you want me to tell him,” Irene said.
"Tell him what he wants to hear,” the smoking man said.
I'm beginning to think the smoking man doesn't so much have a network of spies and informants as that he's got a handful of blindspots in what is otherwise nigh omnipotence.
Rewind, Part 1
Conference room, Omar Mukhtar Building – September 19, 1996, 3:00 PM
In a room with low level lighting, senior Athanatoi agents sat around a table. A door opened, and Angela walked in.
“Agent Hansen, please have a seat,” Schulz said.
Angela sat on the other side of the table.
“Agent Hansen, we've been having a brief discussion that will you restate the matter we're here to put to rest?” Section Chief Freiburg asked.
“Yes sir,” Angela said, “Four years ago, Director Schulz assigned me to a branch you all know as the X-Division. As I am a doctor with a background in hard science, my job was to provide an analytical prospective on the work of Special Agent Anders Humboldt, who's investigations into the paranormal were fueled by a personal belief that his sister, my cousin, had been abducted by aliens when he was 12. I come here today, four years later, to report on the illegitimacy of Agent Humboldt's work. It is my scientific opinion he became over the course of these years a victim. A victim of his own false hopes and of his beliefs in the biggest of lies.”
Swiss Alps – September 16, 1996, 5:00 PM
A helicopter flew over a snow-capped mountain. Inside, an older man, Kaminsky, talked with a younger man, Balthazar.
“We're meeting the guide at base camp,” Kaminsky said, “He'll take us to the site.”
“Has he seen it?” Balthazar said.
“Oh, yeah,” Kaminsky said, “He said it's unbelievable.”
Balthazar looked out the window and saw yellow tents, the base camp, below them. The helicopter landed in the middle of the camp. A man ran up to them, taking Kaminsky’s bags. The helicopter flew off.
“How soon until we can get to the site?” Kaminsky said.
“Right now?” the man said. “We'd be pushing it to get to the camp by nightfall.”
“I'd rather sleep seeing it than lay awake all night wondering,” Balthazar said.
“It will take some work,” the man said.
“I've waited all my life for this day,” Kaminsky said.
“Let's do it,” Balthazar said.
9:00 PM
The three men hiked up a mountain and trudged through a narrow crevice to get to a mini camp inside a cave.
“We’re here,” the man said.
They shook hands with the other men and women already there. Kaminsky and Balthazar were led to the cave’s north wall, which was completely covered in ice. Encased inside was the body of an alien.
“My God,” Kaminsky said, “It's beautiful.”
Omar Mukhtar Building – September 19, 1996, 3:05 PM
“Agent Hansen, I presume you have a basis for this break from Agent Humboldt,” Freiburg said.
“Yes sir,” Angela said, “Recent events have shed new light on the factual and physical evidence that would serve to prove the existence of extraterrestrial life, which was the foundation of Agent Humboldt's consuming devotion to his work.”
“What factual evidence?” Freiburg said.
“Agent Humboldt was recently contacted by man whose pursuit of this evidence seemed to coincide with his own,” Angela said, “In his intense desire to believe, Agent Humboldt was duped by this man. He was fooled by an act of scientific sleight of hand calculated to perpetuate false truths, a larger lie. I am here today to expose this lie. To show the mechanism of deception that drew him and me into it. And to expose Agent Humboldt's work for what it is.”
Schulz sighed.
Magda's house, Athens – September 17, 1996, 6:00 PM
Magda lit the last of the candelabra candles and walked towards Angela’s voice in the living room, where she talked with Erich and some guests.
“And he pushed me out of the way,” Angela said, showing the guests her ring, “Demetrios gave his life for me. I wear this to remember him. His funeral was—"
“Hi,” Magda said.
Angela turned to her. “Speaking of Bill and Angelo, are they coming?”
The bell rang, and Magda opened the door, revealing Angela’s brother Wilhelm ‘Bill’ Hansen, dressed in his white Kaiserliche Marine uniform.
“There he is!” she said.
Angela walked over and hugged him. “Look at you, little brother.”
“Sorry I'm late,” Bill said, “My ship got stuck in traffic.”
Everybody laughed.
“You got my birthday card?” Bill asked.
“My birthday was in February,” Angela said, “But thanks for remembering. At least you’re not like Anders.”
“Well, once a decade…” Bill said.
“Okay, worse than Anders,” Angela chuckled.
Erich greeted someone at the door. Angela looked over to see him greet Father Kirill, their family pastor. Her smile faded.
“How are you feeling?” Bill said.
“I'm fine,” Angela said, “Let's get some dinner, huh?”
“Yeah, I’m starving,” Bill said.
They walked to the dining room, while Angela looked at Erich and Father Kirill. Everybody sat down at the table, and Erich filled their glasses with Lombardian wine. Angela sat between Bill and Father Kirill.
“Dad, I'll open some more wine,” Bill said.
“Sure,” Erich said, handing him the empty bottle.
Bill got up and went to the kitchen.
“I feel awkward sitting here,” Kirill said, “I'm sure you do too.”
“No, I'm sorry,” Angela said.
“I've known your family so many years,” Kirill said, “Ever since you moved to Athens from Nantes. Your parents asked me to come. That I might have a word with you. I know it's been some time since we've spoken ourselves, since you drifted from the church...”
Angela looked at Magda and then Erich. Erich nodded.
“Father Kirill, I haven’t really drifted...” Angela said.
“But a time of personal crisis, a threat to your health, as well as a terrible loss, going back to your faith is important and essential,” Kirill said.
“Father Kirill, I appreciate my parents’ concern, and yours,” Angela said, “But I'm being treated for my cancer and taking every precaution. And I have grieved and mourned like the rest of you for Demetrios Papadopoulos.”
“Faith can make you stronger,” Kirill said.
“I know,” Angela said, “But I already have strength, and I'm not going to come running back now. It's just not who I am. I'd be lying to myself, and to you. I’m sorry.”
Bill walked in, holding up a phone. “Angie, it’s for you.”
“Excuse me,” Angela said.
She got up and took the phone from Bill in the kitchen.
“Hello?” she said.
“Hey Angie, sorry to interrupt your dinner,” Anders said.
“You better have a good excuse for this, otherwise my dad’s going to—” Angela began.
“Well, I need your help on something,” Anders said, “I was just contacted by Dr. Kaminsky from over at the Imperial Library.”
“Contacted you about what?” Angela said.
“About something he found on a mountain in the Swiss Alps yesterday,” Anders said.
“What?” Angela said.
Bill sighed.
“I'd rather not talk about it the phone, I just need you to meet me over at the Imperial Library,” Anders said, “Right now.”
Angela looked at Bill, who left the kitchen with a new bottle of wine.
“I’m on my way,” she said.
Imperial Library – 9:30 PM
Anders and Angela walked up the stairs of the Imperial Library. She always had trouble with the place’s name, because it was more than a library. Yes, originally it was a library, one of the best in all of Europe, built as the worthy successor of the Library of Alexandria (with many of the texts from the old library too). But as the Reich grew, more and more books and then other items were added to the collection. By the 19th century, the Imperial Library had as many antiques, artifacts, and paintings as books, and Franz Joseph enacted a decree establishing several museums within the Imperial Library. By the present day, the Imperial Library had expanded to 19 museums and art galleries and even one park, the Imperial Zoo. Eleven of the museums and the Imperial Zoo were situated around Kyparades Park, while two were located in Frankfurt, another in Vienna, and a twentieth was under construction in Berlin. The Imperial Library’s collection included over 300 million artifacts, artworks, and specimens, 20 million digital records, and 400 million books and other printed materials. Angela remembered coming here often as a kid, after Erich started working for the Athanatoi. Erich would usually drop her off in the main library at the start of the day and would pick her up in the evening. When she went to college, she would often spend whole nights here doing research and studying for exams. But she never thought she’d have to come back here for her work.
“You're going to have to apologize for me to your brother and parents,” Anders said, interrupted her line of thought, “This is something that just couldn't wait though.”
“It's okay. Who's this... Kaminsky?” Angela said.
“He's a forensic anthropathologist that I've been in contact with since ’92,” Anders said, “Several years ago he was involved in an embarrassing UFO photo enhancement scandal. But he continues to profess his innocence.”
“What am I coming to see?” Angela said.
“I'm not going to tell you,” Anders said, “I'm going to let you decide for yourself.”
Kaminsky’s lab
Kaminsky turned on the projector, and a picture of the frozen alien appeared.
“By my rough estimate from the sediment in the ice core sample, the body you're looking at is over 200 years old,” Kaminsky said.
“Perfectly intact, too,” Anders said.
“Yeah,” Kaminsky said.
“That doesn't make sense,” Anders said, “There should be signs of gradation.”
“The position it was found in, stuffed in a crevice at high altitude, he may have frozen fast enough to avoid being eaten,” Kaminsky said.
Anders looked at Angela, who rolled his eyes.
“Does that fit geologically?” Anders said.
“The area where it was found, is in the terminal moraine of a glacier that has since receded,” Kaminsky said, “Over 200 years ago, where the alien was frozen was in the tree line, and historical records indicated there might have been a thaw.”
“Who found him?” Anders said.
“A geodetic survey team,” Kaminsky said, handing Angela the paperwork, “Along with a colleague of mine, Balthazar. They're all still up there on the mountain.”
“Who all knows about this?” Anders said.
“I know what your first thought was,” Kaminsky said, “But the Alps? It's an awful long way to go for a hoax.”
“If you're going to go, why not go all the way?” Anders said.
“I circumspect myself,” Kaminsky said, “But the ice core samples that I took, they couldn’t have been faked.”
“You have the ice core samples here?” Anders said.
Kaminsky took one out of a fridge. “Yeah, one taken from each side of the body. 360 degree matching the integrity of the sediment. It's my sincere belief that what we have here is the complete corpus of an alien. Absolute and unable to be refuted.”
“Qualitatively indefensible,” Anders said, “You go public with this, nobody is going to believe you. You also risk never knowing for sure because the same people who bury the truth so assiduously will be in charge of its authentication.”
“That's why I came to you,” Kaminsky said, “I need to get the specimen out so I can authenticate it. This body means everything to you, Agent Humboldt. You have the proof you've been searching for in your hands.”
“And what do you want?” Anders said.
“I just want some credit,” Kaminsky said, “Plagiarism is bad, kid.”
Outside the Imperial Library – 9:45 PM
Anders and Angela put on their coats as they walked.
“You think it's foolish?” Anders said.
“I have no opinion, actually,” Angela said.
“You have no opinion?” Anders said.
“This is your holy grail, Anders,” Angela said, “Not mine. And I’m dying anyways.”
“What's that supposed to mean?” Anders said.
“It just means proving to the world the existence of alien life is not my last dying wish,” Angela said, “Not when I’m running out of time to decide what my last dying wish should be.”
“What about Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny?” Anders said. “This is not some selfish pet project of mine, Angie. I'm as skeptical of that man as you are, but proof... definitive proof of sentient beings sharing the same time and existence with us, that would change everything. Every truth we live would be shaken to the ground. There's no greater revelation imaginable, no greater scientific discovery.”
“You already believe, Anders,” Angela said, “What difference would it make? I mean, what would proof change for you?”
“If someone could prove to you the existence of God, would it change you?” Anders said.
“Only if it were disproven,” Angela said.
“Then you accept the possibility the existence of God is a lie?” Anders said.
“I don't think about it, actually, and I don't think it can be proven,” Angela said.
“But what if it could be?” Anders said. “Wouldn't that knowledge be worth seeking? Or is it just easier to go on believing the lie?”
“I can't go with you, Anders,” Angela said.
“Can you at least take a look at those core samples?” Anders said. “Tell me if they're a lie? That's all I'm asking.”
Swiss Alps – 10:00 PM
Workers cut the alien body out of the ice with chainsaws. One man walked to Balthazar’s tent, where he found Balthazar loading a gun.
“What's that for?” the man asked.
“I don't know these men well,” Balthazar said, “Do you?”
“Well enough,” the man said.
“I'm going to be up here alone until you get back,” Balthazar said, “I hope I don't have to use it.”
Another man walked into the tent. “I think you’d better have a look at this.”
They walked to the alien body wall.
“We were doing a lateral cut in the back quarter when I saw something in the ice,” the second man said, pointing to a small hole in the ice, “Right here.”
“What do you think that is?” the first man said.
“I don't know,” Balthazar, “A bubble... a weak spot...”
The second man lifted up a chunk of ice with marks on it. “Or a casing channel. A pour hole. Liquid poured in from the side or above somehow.”
“Poured from where?” Balthazar said.
“I don't know,” the second man said.
“The angle wouldn't make sense,” Balthazar said.
“Yeah, you're right,” the second man said, walking away.
“We'll never know until we get it out of there,” Balthazar said.
Paleoclimatology Lab, Pandidakterion
Dr. Vitagliano looked at the ice core sample on a slab. She gestured at parts of the core to Angela.
“The iron concentration density and temperature profiles are all consistent,” Vitagliano said, “There's a tight matrix of crystals of approximal center. Suggesting the quick freezing scenario we mentioned. Here at the terminus, you've got some particular hydrocarbons, jet fuel pollutants found just about everywhere in the world.”
“But not in old ice,” Angela said.
“Don't misunderstand, this is old ice,” Vitagliano said, “This sample has numerous levels of sedimentation like the rings on a tree essentially.”
“So it hasn't been tampered with?” Angela said.
“No, not that I can see here,” Vitagliano said, “Can I ask why you're having this ice sample tested?”
“Another agent asked me to,” Angela said.
“Do you know where this sample came from?” Vitagliano said.
“From a site in Helvetia, why?” Angela said.
“Some cellular material within the matrix...” Vitagliano said.
“Plant or animal?” Angela said.
“I don't know,” the lab tech said, “It's what I'd have to classify as a chimera. A hybrid cell.”
“From what?” Angela said.
“As I said, I don't know,” Vitagliano said.
“Is it capable of cell division?” Angela said.
“I don't know that either,” Vitagliano said, “I just now found them. I'd like to get them under our electron microscope, if that's okay.”
“Sure,” Angela said.
Swiss Alps – September 18, 1996, 7:00 AM
A helicopter landed, and Anders and Kaminsky got out. The helicopter flew away. Anders looked around and saw nobody.
“I thought you said there was someone meeting us,” Anders said.
“Yeah, a guide named Rostock,” Kaminsky said.
They walked towards the tents. Still nobody approached them. Kaminsky walked into the communications tent and took off his gloves, putting his hands near a stove.
“I don't get it,” Kaminsky said, “This had all been arranged. I don't know what to do.”
They walked up the mountain to the base camp.
“We should be able to follow this track all the way up to the site,” Kaminsky said.
On their way up, they found a lying on the ground.
“Funny place to take a nap,” Anders said.
“God, it’s Rostock,” Kaminsky said, running to his side.
“He's been shot,” Anders said.
Vitagliano’s lab
Angela walked into the lab, but she found it was dark and empty except for an unfamiliar man sitting at a computer.
“Excuse me, I'm looking for Dr. Vitagliano,” Angela said, “Dr. Vitagliano, is he here?”
“No, I'm afraid not,” the man said.
“I'm supposed to meet him here,” Angela said, “Actually, I’m a little late.”
The man picked up an ice core tube and walked out. “Sorry.”
Angela noticed the fridge with the samples was opened and empty. She immediately ran out the door and saw the man leaving through a staircase. She ran down the stairs and tackled him, but he punched her in the face, knocking her down. As she lost consciousness, she saw the man leaving the stairwell through another door.
Swiss Alps – 8:00 AM
Anders and Kaminsky reached the base camp. It was quiet. They left their packs outside, turned on their flashlights, and entered the cave. They saw dead men in the tents.
“Oh, my God!” he said. “They're all dead! They've been shot.”
They looked in the tents. Kaminsky went to Balthazar’s tent and found his body. Then he ran out and to the wall where they found the body.
“The body!” he shouted. “It’s gone! They took it.”
Anders cursed.
“No one knew,” Kaminsky said, “We didn't tell a soul.”
They walked back to the tents.
“They had radio communication,” Anders said, “Maybe it was being monitored.”
“AAAAHHH!” Balthazar groaned. “Somebody help…me!”
They rushed back to Balthazar’s tent, where they found him now sitting up.
“Get him some water,” Anders said, pouring water in Balthazar’s mouth, “Looks like he took a shotgun hit, but it didn't open him up too badly. The bleeding stopped.”
“Who did this?” Kaminsky said. “They took the body, Balthazar.”
“No, I buried it,” Balthazar said.
“Where?” Anders said.
They moved Balthazar’s tent and pushed some snow away, finding the body buried underneath.
Have the deposed Viceroys in the Occupied Territories been restored to power? Just wondering, as it’s never been mentioned.
What happened to Theodora Doukas? She was mentioned as the Diet’s first female senator and a prominent woman’s rights activist back in the HOI3 portion, but was never mentioned again. Was she part of a cancelled story arc or something like that?
Was it always the plan for the Soviets to take the Occupied Territories, or did you decide to do that when the Angeloi were slowing you down in the Balkans? Just wondering, as a key part of the Loyalist campaign towards the end of the Civil War is that they won’t stop until they liberate Berlin, which never happens as the Soviets wipe out the Angeloi, preventing the Loyalists from liberating Berlin themselves. Sorry if this is spoilers, I’m just wondering.
What happened to Theodora Doukas? She was mentioned as the Diet’s first female senator and a prominent woman’s rights activist back in the HOI3 portion, but was never mentioned again. Was she part of a cancelled story arc or something like that?
Was it always the plan for the Soviets to take the Occupied Territories, or did you decide to do that when the Angeloi were slowing you down in the Balkans? Just wondering, as a key part of the Loyalist campaign towards the end of the Civil War is that they won’t stop until they liberate Berlin, which never happens as the Soviets wipe out the Angeloi, preventing the Loyalists from liberating Berlin themselves. Sorry if this is spoilers, I’m just wondering.
Those who were least associated with the Angeloi were allowed to keep their titles after swearing oaths of loyalty to the Kaiser again. Those with Angeloi connections were either replaced with less tainted relatives or had a lot of their assets seized. Those who refused to renounce the Angeloi were simply purged and replaced with pro-Loyalist viceroys. Like the western viceroys, they were stripped of their political power and pushed into ceremonial roles. Their responsibilities were taken over by state governors, and the concept of provinces became mostly symbolic and cultural.
Honesty, I only included Theodora Doukas as a cameo for my character in idhrendur's The Empire Strikes Back iAAR. If she was the same age as my TESB character, she would've been old in HOI3 already and wouldn't live long into NWO. I forgot about her since then (if I remembered, I would've included her in the Shirley Tempel and Osterhild Anniona bios), but Irene Doukas (also based on an identical character from TESB) is intended to be her daughter.
Actually, I came up with that plan all the way back in World War I during Victoria 2.
While I was planning how the war was going to go and how to setup HOI3, I realized I left nothing for Russia to do, and the only thing I could think of was either a KR-style nationalist dictatorship (which I wouldn't be able to do much with, since I already had too many Axis and Kaiserreich nat-pop analogues) or Soviet knockoff (the easier path but more derivative of real life). I then came up with the idea to have the Soviets take the Occupied Territories as a way to drive the first half of NWO (which was why I went with the Soviet knockoff), but I only came up with the idea for World War III in early NWO. Originally, the Occupied Territories would've been peacefully liberated in 1989 similar to in real life, and the Soviets would then collapse in 1991.
Rewind, Part 2
St. Eudokimos Hospital – 9:00 AM
Angela put on her coat just as the door opened and Bill walked in.
“Angie?” he said.
“Bill,” Angela said, “What are you doing here?”
“I picked up the phone when you called Mom's,” Bill said, handing her a light blue blouse, “Dad said you could use a change of clothes.”
“Thanks, Bill,” Angela said, “Um, where's Mom and Dad?”
“I didn't tell Mom what happened,” Bill said, “So, what happened?”
“I was knocked down a flight of stairs, but I'm okay, luckily,” Angela said.
“You're not okay, Angie,” Bill said, “I know about your cancer.”
“It’s not my cancer,” Angela said, “I literally just fell.”
“Why?” Bill said.
“No, it's very personal,” Angela said, “I don't want sympathy.”
“You think you can cure yourself,” Bill said, “Dad tells me you've gotten worse, that your cancer's gone into your bloodstream. What are you doing at work, gettin' knocked down, beaten up? What are you trying to prove? That you're going out fighting?!”
“Oh, now come on, Bill...” Angela said.
“Do you know what Mom and Dad’s going through?” Bill said.
“What should I be doing?!” Angela said.
“We have a responsibility!” Bill said. “Not just to ourselves, but to the people in our lives!”
“Hey, look, just because I haven't bared my soul to you, or to Father Kirill, or to God, it doesn't mean that I'm not responsible to what's important to me!” Angela said.
“To what?!” Bill said. “To who? To Demetrios? To Anders? Well where is he, Dana? Where is he through all this?”
Angela grabbed the blouse and went into another room. “Thank you for coming.”
“Angie!” Bill said.
Kaminsky’s warehouse, Skoutarion – 10:00 AM
A truck backed up to the warehouse door. A man opened it, and another man pushed a crate out and inside, where Anders and Kaminsky opened the crate with crowbars. They took out the block of ice with the alien and lowered it into hot water.
“We should be able to do a good enough examination of the body here to remove any doubt,” Kaminsky said.
“We won't know for sure until we do a carbon dating test,” Anders said.
“Well, I'm betting his physiology alone will be telltale,” Kaminsky said.
“The Piltdown Man Hoax wasn't uncovered for forty years until it failed the carbon dating test,” Anders said, “And that wasn't even very good.”
“If this were a hoax, there are 6 dead men up there on that mountain,” Balthazar said, “There sure as hell is somebody else who believes it wasn't.”
Leza Atsumi’s lab – 11:00 AM
Leza sat in front of her computer while Angela stood behind her.
“You well imagine it's a heavily traveled stairwell,” Leza said, “We went back to the Bio Lab where we found an anomalous prints. We found a partial match in the stairwell just four centimeters from one of yours.”
“Did you run it through the criminal database?” Angela said.
“Yep,” Leza said, pointing to her screen, “This is your assailant, unfortunately he doesn't have a criminal record.”
“Try the government database,” Angela said.
Leza hit some keys, and the computer chimed.
“I'll be damned!” she said. “How did you know it would be a government employee?”
“Where does he work?” Angela said.
Leza hit some more keys and brought up a picture. “Right here in Constantinople. Michael Kritschgau... formerly of the Army... now attached to the Pentagon Research division in Potima. Is that the man?”
“That’s him,” Angela said.
Kaminsky’s warehouse – 12:00 PM
Kaminsky cut into the alien body, talking to Anders while Balthazar filmed them.
“The body is 147 centimeters long,” Kaminsky said, “Weighing 24 kilograms deliquesced. Derma is hairless, grey with an elephantine texture. There are small eruptions on the surface of the skin most likely due to the presence of iron phosphate in the ice. Otherwise, there appears to be no scarring... no identifying marks... the circumference of the head is 64 centimeters. There are four digits on each hand. Three on each foot. Sex is... undeterminable. The eyes are black covered by what appears to be a thin membrane which I am now removing. The tissue underneath seems to be semi gelatinous with a fine network of veins throughout. Examination of the chest cavity confirms the presence of what appears to be a cardio-pulmonary system... heart, lungs, all identifiable, within a mass of white string like tissue that doesn't appear to correspond to human physiology.”
Bureau of Defense High Containment Facility, Nicomedia – 1:00 PM
Angela didn’t want to come here again, if only to wait outside, but she had to. As she waited in her car across the street, she saw Michael leave and enter the garage. She turned the car on and drove after him, flooring the throttle. Inside the garage, she barreled down on Michael, slamming on the brakes inches from him. He recognized her and ran, but Angela got out and pointed her gun at him.
“STOP!” she yelled, running after him. “IMPERIAL AGENT! HOLD IT! MICHAEL KRITSCHGAU, YOU ARE UNDER ARREST! Identify your location!”
She heard a car started and ran to it. Michael sped away in a car, but she stepped in front of it, and he screeched to a halt.
“GET OUT OF THE CAR!” she ordered. “NOW! MOVE!”
He got out of the car with hands raised.
“Please don't shoot,” he said, “I didn't mean to hurt you. I had no choice.”
“Put your hands on the car,” Angela said.
When Michael didn’t respond, she slammed him to the side of the car and started frisking him.
“If you arrest me, they'll kill me,” Michael said.
“I don't know care,” Angela said.
“They’re the same people who are trying to kill you,” Angela said, “The people who gave you your cancer.”
2:00 PM
Kaminsky stepped back from the body.
“There's tissue culture to be done,” he said, “DNA sequence and then analysis. And it would be wise to run a gas chromatograph and that carbon dated you suggested. But if this isn't alien, I don't know what it is.”
Anders’ phone rang, and he answered it.
“Humboldt,” he said.
Omar Mukhtar Building – September 19, 1996, 3:15 PM
“I had reached Agent Humboldt at a warehouse just outside of Constantinople in Skoutarion,” Angela said, “They had moved the frozen corpse by helicopter down the side of the mountain and across the Reich in a refrigerated truck. After conducting a limited physical examination, Agent Humboldt was ready to believe that the body was that of an alien. That he had finally found the proof which had eluded him. Which would confirm not only the existence of alien life but of my cousin Annie’s abduction.”
“You were contacted by a man who claimed that he worked for the Bureau of Defense,” Schulz said, “A Michael Kritschgau. He told you that Humboldt had been taken in by a hoax.”
“He told me a story which detailed, point by point, the systematic way in which Agent Humboldt had been deceived and used and how I as his partner I had been led down the same path,” Angela said, “Losing two family members and my fiancé due to my allegiance and contracting a cancer which I was told was engineered by the men who responsible for Agent Humboldt’s deception.”
“Were you able to convince Agent Humboldt of these facts?” Freiburg asked.
“What I couldn't tell Agent Humboldt, what I had only learned myself, was that the cancer which had been diagnosed in me in July had metastasized,” Angela continued, “And the doctors told me, sort of a miracle, it would continue to aggressively invade my body, advancing faster each day toward the inevitable.”
Kaminsky’s warehouse – September 18, 1996, 2:10 PM
Anders went to his car and drove away. The crew-cut man watched him leave. Afterwards, he cocked a shotgun and walked into the warehouse. There, Kaminsky and Balthazar were covering the alien in ice. The crew-cut man opened the door and walked in.
“What the hell is this?” Kaminsky demanded.
“Right there, Pork,” the crew-cut man said.
He turned to Balthazar. “How's the wound?”
“I'll live,” Balthazar said, “But it hurt like hell, damn it.”
“But that’s what happens when you’re shot with a shotgun,” the crew-cut man said.
“What is this Balthazar?” Kaminsky said.
The crew-cut man shot Kaminsky in the head.
“Where did Humboldt go?” the crew-cut man asked.
“He got a call,” Balthazar said.
“Is he a believer?” the crew-cut man said.
“Oh, yeah,” Balthazar said.
“Then we're the only ones who know,” the crew-cut man said.
“Right,” Balthazar said.
Anders’ apartment – 2:45 PM
Michael Kritschgau sat on a chair across from Anders on the sofa. Angela leaned against the doorway between the dining and living rooms.
“The lie you believe, that they have cleverly led you to believe, Agent Humboldt, is that we have had contact with intelligent life other than our own.”
“So you're saying this has all been orchestrated?” Anders said. “A hoax?”
“Which you've been used to perpetuate,” Michael said.
“You come by this knowledge how?” Anders said.
“Working for the Bureau of Defense,” Michael said, “Watching a military industrial complex that operated unbridled and unchecked during the Cold War and especially after the war, create a diversion of attention from itself and its continued misdeeds by confabulating enough believable evidence to convince passionate adepts like yourself... that it really could be true.”
“And just by chance, you run into Angie?” Anders said.
Michael snorted and smiled. “I was just like you, Agent Humboldt, suspicious of everything but what you should be. I ran the BOD's agitprop arm for a decade. I can show you records of disinformation dating back to the Mitteleimerican War, before you were even born.”
“Why come to me now?” Anders said. “Why not four years ago?”
“I have a son who's very sick,” Michael said, “He served in the Gulf War... The lies are so deep the only way to cover them, is to create something even more incredible. They invented you. Your regression hypnosis, the story of your sister's abduction, the lies they fed your grandfather. You wanted to believe so badly. And who could have blamed you?”
“And the thousands of UFO sightings?” Anders said.
“Above top secret military aircraft, concept designed by KL Edinburg to feed hysteria,” Michael said.
“Evidence of alien biology?” Anders said.
“Unclassified, but naturally occurring biological anomalies science will eventually explain,” Michael said.
“The body that was found?” Anders said.
“Meticulously constructed out of biomaterials created through the hybridization of differentiated cells, what are called chimeras,” Michael said, “Frozen into place over the course of a year using sentiment and materials that would bear out its age, poured through a small channel drilled in the rock above.”
“They would have known that the body would be carbon dated, that it would be proved a fake,” Anders said.
“The body will never be tested, Agent Humboldt,” Michael said.
“What do you mean?” Anders said.
“You were only meant to see it, to make you believe the lie, so that you might finally commit and go public with the news,” Michael said.
Anders turned to Angela. “This man is a liar.”
“You can see for yourself, Agent Humboldt,” Michael said, “The body is already long gone.”
Kaminsky’s warehouse – 3:30 PM
Angela and Anders walked in, and Anders cursed when he saw the empty room. The alien was gone, replaced by Kaminsky’s body.
“Frak, they killed Kaminsky,” Anders said.
Angela pointed to Balthazar’s body floating in the hot water tub. “So is this guy. Who did this, Anders? Anders?”
“What we had here was proof, Angie, there's no way it could be anything else,” Anders said.
“You said it yourself, Anders,” Angela said, “More tests needed to be run.”
“Yeah, but, the ice core samples checked out,” Anders said, “If the ice hasn't been tampered with, how could the body within be a fake?”
“Cellular material found in the ice core samples were a direct match for what this man Kritschgau described,” Angela said, “Hybrid cells, chimeras within the matrix.”
“Do we know for sure that those cells are not extraterrestrial?” Anders said. “Do they have more than four nucleobases?”
“Anders, everything this man described, you can't just guess at these details,” Angela said, “I'm sorry, but the facts here completely overwhelm any argument against them!”
“Facts overwhelmed by the lies created to support them!” Anders said.
“Anders, the only lie here is the one that you continue to believe,” Angela said.
“After all I've seen and experienced, I refuse to believe that it's NOT true!” Anders said.
“Because it's easier to believe the lie,” Angela said, “Isn't it?”
“What the hell did that guy say to you, that you believe his story!?” Anders said.
“He said that the men behind this hoax... behind these lies... gave me my cancer to make you believe,” Angela said.
Anders stormed off.
Anders’ apartment – 9:00 PM
Anders sat alone on his couch, watching a RANA lecture at IU Strasburg.
“What we generally mean is, of course, intelligent life, something resembling our noble selves,” a woman said, “It's entirely probable that there ARE such intelligent forms of life throughout this galaxy, in other galaxies, in the universe. And it is even more probable that many of these forms are vastly more intelligent than we, or vastly less intelligent.”
“I think there's no question but that we live in an inhabited universe, that has life all over it,” a man said.
Anders started crying.
“By finding out what the other planets are like, by finding out whether there are civilizations on planets among the stars, we reestablish a meaningful context for ourselves,” Karl Sagan said.
Anders writhed and cried in pain. It wasn’t physical pain, but something even worse than that, a sharp emotional pain only felt when one realized he had been betrayed, lied to, led down the wrong path.
“I don't think we should wait until the encounter occurs, but that we should do all in our power to prepare ourselves for it,” the woman said.
“I can conceive of no nightmare as terrifying as establishing such communication with a so-called superior or, if you wish, advanced technological civilization in outer space,” Isaac Asimov said.
Anders’ apartment – September 19, 1996, 6:47 AM
Angela pushed her way through the police officers and investigators milling around.
“Excuse me,” she said.
She walked from the foyer to the living room where there was a passenger taking pictures. She walked in to see a body covered in a sheet on the floor in front of the couch. A detective got up and approached her.
“Detective Rempulski, Constantinople P.D.,” he said, “Thanks for coming down to do this.”
He lifted the sheet over the face and looked at Angela. “It him?”
“Yeah,” Angela said, leaving the room.
Omar Mukhtar Building – 3:30 PM
“Earlier this morning, I got a call from the police, asking me to come to Agent Humboldt’s apartment,” Angela said, “The detective asked me ... he needed me to identify a body...”
“Agent Hansen, could you please—” Freiburg said.
“Let her speak,” Schulz said.
Angela took a deep breath. “Agent Humboldt died late last night from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.”
And I'm emotionally devastated. Not even joking. I know there's chance it's a body double, but assuming it's real... Anders giving into despair might be the worst outcome I could have imagined for this arc.
And we're not even talking about how this affects Angela. She's lost so many people over the last few years, plus she's dying of cancer. I'm not sure if she could take this anymore.
What American cities would Mecca, Jerusalem, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Doha, Aden, and Baghdad be a parallel to respectively? Just wondering, as their parallels have never been mentioned.
What nation would be the North Korea parallel? Originally, it was supposed to be the UOM, but the UPM annexed that, thus destroying that plan. Now, what is the new North Korea parallel?
Will Mittagsland ever become independent? Just wondering, as it’s far away from the European Reich.
What nation would be the North Korea parallel? Originally, it was supposed to be the UOM, but the UPM annexed that, thus destroying that plan. Now, what is the new North Korea parallel?
Will Mittagsland ever become independent? Just wondering, as it’s far away from the European Reich.
None of those have direct analogues and would just be similar to what they are in real life.
There isn't one anymore.
I set up a separate tag for an independent Mittagsland, but I didn't write any events. I don't think it will become independent.