Author's Note: Here's a "RE:" rewrite story for the 1983: Doomsday Stories Hetalia AU, set in a world where the Cold War went horribly wrong in 1983. The idea for this came to mind after going through two old prequel fics on DeviantArt leading up to the very first Doomsday-verse story, the Austria-centric A Wasteland Melody. Somehow, it seems better to rewrite them all into a single tale, which while retaining some elements and dialogue of the old stories, is otherwise new. The other idea came from writing the events largely from the perspective of normal people in the know on the Nations...while a certain Magyar woman overshadows it all, if not outright lending a hand somehow. I'll leave you to decide. Especially since this also builds on the Hungary-centric An Ocean of Flame Above. Still, as a warning, a belated character death awaits. Hope you enjoy this!
I neither own Hetalia nor 1983: Doomsday. All rights belong to their respective owners.
Doomsday RE: The Expeditionary Report
A 1983: Doomsday Tale through Different Eyes.
Somewhere in the Sopron Frontier, Alpine Confederation. 2009.
Col. Reinhard Utreich listened attentively as the aide standing in front of him stiffly continued the briefing. The attention of the younger man, one Lt. Franz Steiner, was as much on him and his fellow officers as on the large, weathered map propped up at the very end of the briefing room. Most of the specifics were by then old news. Though it still concerned him how their rations and supplies were once more being limited. No doubt thanks to those Sicilian mobsters again, he thought somewhat impatiently as the other man finished up. Then again, this isn't the official briefing.
"Before you are dismissed," Lt. Steiner hastily added as he grabbed his notes. "Our esteemed guest has just arrived from Linz to have a word. As you know, he values his – privacy, if you will. I needn't remind that you are all under oath to keep this matter confidential. Understood? Sehr gut."
Then, as if to stroke his curiosity, the aide calmly stepped aside. A rather young-looking, bespectacled man in an old suit and greatcoat then walked into view. Aside from a peculiar strand of hair and a seemingly out-of-place cravat, their benefactor poised himself with the dignity and distinction of a nobleman straight out of a classic novel. The figure's purple eyes meanwhile seemed to belong to someone far older. And if those rumors are all true, he thought while carefully straightening his dress uniform's tie. It's literal.
"Grüß Gott, proud men of the Alpine Eastern Expeditionary Corps," Herr Roderich Edelstein greeted cordially as he turned towards them. "You needn't salute. Kindly reserve that for more formal circumstances. For officially, I am not here."
"With all respect," the officer finally replied with a light-hearted sigh. "When haven't you?"
A faint, almost strained smile seemed to line the benefactor's face briefly before sliding back into an unreadable stoicism. Then again, it was far from the first time he and his men met the figure. Not after the past 12 years, anyway. If not for that man's patronage, not even the top brass in Vaduz would be willing to provide the funding or supplies needed to keep the Corps running. And there's much more to it than that.
"You could say that, Oberst. In any case, you should all be aware of how valuable your brave ventures in exploring the Hungarian Wastes have been to both the Alpine Confederation and all Magyar refugees. Even the records of the WCRB acknowledge your efforts. But before you leave for your journey, I would wish to remind you of my one – request."
"To find her, ja?" Col. Utreich finished for him, glancing for a moment at the classified folder on his hand. Among the Corps, it had become something of an open secret that the "request" was another order in their mission. One they had sworn never to disclose, whether out of duty or to avoid any issues down the line. As if we're even close to even pulling that off. And yet… "Apologies Mein Herr. But how certain is it that this time will see more success?"
At this, the figure moved towards the map, his right finger resting on the official borders of the Frontier before trailing east. The officer couldn't help but notice how Herr Edelstein's voice seemed tense for a second. "Not too long ago, most people thought that the Japanese were lost to the fires of Doomsday, only to prove us all wrong. Before that, we were astonished that Prussia endured even as much of Germany burned." Sighing, his finger finally landed on a spot in the middle of the map marking their destination, labled Boden null. "I neither blame you nor your men, Oberst. And if my present obligations permit it, I would gladly join you. But bitte, consider this task. Surely she is still out there."
Col. Utreich paused at that point. Glancing momentarily at the concerned, knowing looks on the other officers' faces, and then at the folder, he took a deep breath. Here we go. "I can't promise anything, Mein Herr. I can say however that we'll do whatever we can. If this woman is still in those wastes, count on us to bring her home."
A glimmer seemed to show in the figure's purple eyes. One that lasted only a moment yet seemed to convey a torrent of emotions too, for lack of a better word, unnerving to be human. And if those stories are right, who knows how long you've been holding them? Any further thoughts on it vanished, however as the Austrian slid into a cordial nod as though nothing happened.
"In that case, know that Austria's pride is with you. Good luck, gentlemen, and stay alive. Gott behüte dich."
As the man left, the middle-aged officer took one more look at the map before following the rest of his compatriots. Hopefully this time, the Corps would succeed. Yet something still seemed off, as he didn't want to know the answer. What could go wrong anyway? It was then that he voiced out a name that was never to be spoken right in front of their benefactor. One that he hoped would finally put that "request" to an end.
"Frau Héderváry, where in Ungarn are you?"
Outskirts of Gyor. 2009.
It was standard operating procedure for the Alpine Eastern Expeditionary Corps to stay cautious and ready at all times. Even with the cut funds, the men braving the Hungarian Wastes still had enough in the way of guns, safety gear and experience that anyone or anything that dared to hinder their journey would think twice. In fact, they had been at it for so long that it's practically second nature.
Otherwise no one would be back to tell the tale, Col. Utreich thought to himself as he looked out into the evening sky, a cold wind blowing through his dark hair. Even in their relatively secure camp, the officer made it a point to take his turn in making the rounds. Yet it wasn't the threat of wasteland bandits or radiation that were keeping him up as of late. Nein. Not even the damn silence.
Still, that gave him time to think. To be sure, it was far from his first time to lead the Corps. But the sights of Doomsday's lingering impact never got easier to bear. Having long gone past the official border of the Frontier, he and his men initially passed through a number of ramshackle villages, with the occasional humanitarian outpost or Alpine patrol to remind him that order was ever so slowly coming to those survivors' aid. The further they went however, any trace of civilization quickly vanished, leaving only sparsely populated hovels and petty bandits. And then, there's this place.
In the distance, far past the open flap of his tent, he saw the decayed, long-familiar husk that used to be Gyor. Once a city with a storied, lively past, it escaped the atomic fires that fell across the world one September day in 1983. Instead - from what they managed to gather, anyway - what had been the "City of Waters" burned in the hands of former Soviet armies, themselves survivors of a brutal, ill-fated attempt at invading Austria during the chaos. As far as we know.
The officer gritted. As with a number of other towns in the region, not many people from there managed to make it out alive. No doubt a handful of those cretins responsible were still alive to this day, lurking among the glorified, savage warlords who made the Hungarian Wastes a constant reminder of those dark times. And we still don't have enough to stop them! Groaning, he turned his attention away from the now worthless ruin towards the classified folder on his desk.
Of course, the request. Carefully, the officer took out two undated photographs from it. One was a faded image of a young-looking lady in a simple if well-kept country dress. Another was that of the same woman along a river, this time donning what appeared to be a military uniform. Both had just enough color and detail left for him to make out her long, brown hair as well as the peculiar flower nestled in it. And her green eyes… According to their benefactor, these were the only ones he could spare as so little remained that had survived Doomsday. Yet the more the man looked at them, the more questions they posed. And if the WCRB knew anything definitive, no one was talking. It's as if she's the same as whatever Herr Edelstein himself is…wait, hold up!
Col. Utreich suddenly felt as though he was being watched. Keeping his free hand on his pistol, he kept a sharp eye around for any intruders. Finding no one in the tent, he turned back only to find a bird standing on his table not far from the folder, as if out from nowhere. It didn't take an expert to notice that something was very off about the creature. In particular, its vividly green eyes. And what seemed like a faint sound that almost seemed like a whisper.
"Gott, what on earth are y-"
"Mein Oberst?"
Startled, he turned around to find a concerned subordinates speaking to him in a Swiss accent. Fixing his already weathered service uniform, the officer cleared his throat.
"What is it?"
"Were you asking for anyone, sir? Is something the matter?"
Glancing back for a moment, the bird was gone, leaving only an untouched folder on the table. Great, Reinhard. The Wastes must be getting to me. Sighing, he put down the photographs. "Nein. I was just thinking aloud. You're dismissed."
With one crisp salute, the soldier returned to his post, rifle at the ready. But as the man found himself alone once more he couldn't help but wonder at what he heard from that creature. I think it did. Verdammt, I need some rest. Still, absurd as it was, it seemed to him like a distorted phrase. It sounded Hungarian.
"Keress nekem," he mumbled the words, mentally translating them. "Schauen Sie für mich."
They hadn't even reached Boden null, but already this expedition was growing stranger by the minute. And for once, Col. Utreich wasn't so sure if he wanted to know the answer. Just what are you?
47.4925° N, 19.0514° E. 2009.
"…If his lady is still alive, she couldn't have stayed here," Col. Utreich sighed over an old yet still reliable tape recorder as he saw the last of his men return to their vehicles. "Perhaps we'll be lucky next time. Orders are orders, I suppose. Reinhard, out."
*click*
Switching off the device, which proved to be more difficult with the radiation suit on, he took one more sweeping look at the sea of glass that seemed to surround them. Unlike the first time the Corps set foot here, there were faint signs of life if the few hints of greenery were anything to go by. I bet the WCRB would want to hear about that, he thought bitterly. Yet the sight still served to verify beyond reasonable doubt their initial reports all those years ago. That no one lives here anymore. Mission…accomplished? Nein, that's not it.
Jutting over the glassed surface was a handful of rubble just barely resembling the buildings they once were. The ground he stood on - which still cracked with each step - had traces of rusting scrap metal, its original form warped beyond recognition. In the distance meanwhile was a ruin-strewn hill overlooking the Danube, which continued to flow through this nightmarish landscape, a shattered bridge not far away. Save perhaps for a few barges heading for the Survivor-Nation of Partium further east, even the ancient river seemed dead.
The officer wondered for a moment whether those brave souls onboard those boats dared to look out into landscape he and his men had just recently explored. Whether all the photographs, records and archived films they had back in Alpine soil really captured how life was like here, let alone in wastelands elsewhere. Then again, few people these days saw Boden null as it used to be before Doomsday. Back when it still bore its true, dignified name. It must have surely been beautiful once. Perhaps Herr Edelstein would know. Or her… The suit seemed to grow heavier all of a sudden.
It was then that he saw a peculiar bird flying about. The strange creature, which was apparently some figure from Magyar folklore, had popped up here and there throughout the operation. But while it always seemed to keep its distance, its mereexistence in such a lifeless waste unnerved him. Almost as much the whispers his men allegedly heard or his own growing, perhaps insane suspicion that it's all linked to this place somehow. And to our unfulfilled "request." Gott, it has to be!
"To think anyone would want to set foot in Budapest like this," Col. Utreich finally sighed aloud, seemingly to thin air. "What do you want from us?"
"Permission to speak freely, sir. But we're all present and accounted for! Awaiting your orders."
Forcing back surprise, the officer turned around to find the Corps assembled and in full attention. Even with their radiation suits and bulky equipment, he knew every single one of them. Some were Austrian, others from Switzerland, Liechtenstein or even the Sopron Frontier. A number of them he had served with since the very beginning, others belonging to a generation born after Doomsday changed the world forever. All of them dutiful Alpines on the cusp of making history. One that may never be told. All while the strange bird started flying off to the west, its green eyes seemingly meeting his for a second. Nein, it's ridiculous. But just maybe…
"We await our orders, Mein Oberst." an armed engineer from Salzburg repeated.
"Ah, Sehr gut," he nodded before clearing his throat, glancing westward for a moment. "I won't lie to you, gentlemen. We've done what we promised to our superiors and benefactor. But all that happens from here on will not appear in any official or public record unless I say otherwise." He steeled himself. "Our return trip back to the Frontier requires a - detour, if you will. I suspect that we may find Herr Edelstein's answer there. But if I am wrong, I shall take full responsibility. Any objections?"
"Nein. Lead the way, sir."
Their slow, resolute nods from the rest were all he needed to know, which he couldn't help but smile at. It was a risky gamble, to be sure. It might send them to a mental institution if not into the blades or bullets of warlords. But this could be our last chance. As he dismissed his men and prepared to leave Budapest however, he noticed that the bird had vanished. Though not before leaving behind one more wispy sound. The man frowned. This time, the words were too clear, too feminine to have simply been the radiation or lack of sleep.
Kövess engem.
"If you say so, whatever you are."
Undisclosed Location. 2009.
The Sopron Frontier wasn't too far off. At least that much was certain, Col. Utreich mused as he glanced outside his tent. Apparently, they were over two kilometres from the present Alpine border. The weather had definitely taken a colder turn as of late, though it hadn't stopped he and the Alpine Eastern Expeditionary Corps from doing their duty ever since arriving here. Ever since we followed that blasted creature here, he added with a hint of disbelief.
In the distance, past the equipment and vehicles, he caught a glimpse of his men surveying their surroundings as though it were standard procedure, which in most circumstances it would be. Indeed, there seemed at first to be nothing much out of the ordinary. If anything, it looked like most other abandoned sites in the Hungarian Wastes.
A decaying, overgrown ruin of a tenement block dominated the scenery. It seemed to have been abandoned for decades. Yet his men found signs that some survivors inching their way to Austria might have used it as a shelter, perhaps from passing warlords not long after Doomsday. Even if much of what they've found so far were rusted barriers, rotted clothes and even a few cans of long-gone food, such evidence from those chaotic times was valuable for posterity. None of which is taking us any closer to finding her. Was it a mistake going here?
Frowning, the officer turned back to his cluttered table, adjusting his field uniform and dark hair as he did so. The confidential folder laid wide open, the heavily filtered documents inside covered by the two faded photographs their benefactor could spare. Not far were his trusty voice recorder and a rusted firearm still fresh from the ground it was found on. Or what's left of it. There was just enough left to know what it was, but whoever or whatever broke it did so with a force that didn't seem human. Guess we're too far gone to stop now. No harm recording this.
*click*
"Right now I'm looking at a rusting pistol that was recently dug up. Seems like it's badly damaged," he said over the recorder as his other hand fumbled with the remains, smirking wearily at how understated what he just said was. "If there were any fingerprints on it, I doubt they'd have survived this long. Though it doesn't seem to have been used. There's still a bullet in the chamber-"
Before he could say anything else however, he heard a growing commotion outside. The man turned around just in time to see a subordinate rush in, clearly exhausted.
"M-Mein Oberst?" a Swiss-accented subordinate panted. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but we've found something! Medical team says it's a corpse, sir. And it's apparently female!"
Female?! "Are you serious?!" he demanded. "Scheiße. This had better not be another false lead, Hauptmann."
The look on the new arrival's face spoke volumes however, which made the Alpine officer uncomfortable. "Bitte, follow me, sir. You have to see it for yourself. A bird led us to it! The same one that we've seen back in Budapest, sir!"
Without another word, both men rushed out of the tent, ignoring the increasingly cold winds outside. Briskly moving past the suddenly abandoned vehicles and equipment, past the crumbling ruin, Col. Utreich was quick to notice a massing crowd coming into view. Seems like the entire Corps is here. We've all gone mad! And yet… He felt a growing sense of excitement and dread the closer they went. Before long, the soldiers surrounding the site parted, briefly saluting him before forming a wider circle.
"I hope you all have a decent explanation for all – this."
Before him was a nigh, skeletal corpse still in the middle of being recovered, an arm stretched to the general direction of Sopron. It couldn't have been here any earlier than 20-25 years ago, if not Doomsday itself. But what he saw was enough for the moment. Shreds of rotted clothing. Some strands of brown hair still clinging to the skull. A wilted flower nestled on it…Nein! This can be it! For a moment, those photographs suddenly sprang to life in his head. Faded reminders of a lady who wasn't human in the same way anyone else was. And could die all the same. All while a familiar bird stood perched close to the body, its green eyes staring right into his. It seemed to whisper something before vanishing altogether. A single word.
Sajnálom.
But...why?! Frantically, he shook his head.
"Mein Gott, is that-"
"At this moment, sir, we can only assume that these bones were Elizaveta Héderváry. We've found her."
It was only then that Col. Utreich realized that his voice recorder was still on his hand. And still recording. Have we completed our mission? The evidence could be destroyed right there and then, with none the wise, including their benefactor. He could just as easily say they found nothing and take the truth with them to the grave. But even if he wanted to believe otherwise, the answer Herr Edelstein had waited for so long was right in front of him, here in a country long dead. Her name just other casualty. He sighed as he motioned the men forward. Does it matter now?
"Ja. We found her..."
*click*
Somewhere in the Sopron Frontier. 2009.
Stowed away in the Alpine Eastern Expeditionary Corps' headquarters was a small, cordoned-off warehouse officially for autopsies and other findings from the wastes. But as Lt. Franz Steiner found to his growing shock, it was also where the recently returned expedition had store a discovery that would finally put Herr Roderich Edelstein's long-awaited question to rest. Literally, he thought, shakily holding a bundle of documents as he continued to gaze at an open, rectangular crate. Over 20 years too late.
Even after having asked the Corps and looked into their accounts on what happened, the young Austrian aide found it difficult to take it all in. No doubt their observations on the journey and the "sea of glass" that was Budapest would end up in the hands of the authorities in Vaduz as well as the WCRB. A part of him wouldn't be surprised if some film or book were written about their brave exploits into the desolate wastes left behind by Doomsday. Much of it would be saved for posterity, another success story for the Alpine Confederation.
But the strange omens and whispers leading to them finding the rotted corpse before him would never see the light of day. All this punctuated with the seemingly absurd claim that a peculiar bird was present in some form, which some might call a Turul. A mythical messenger. Mein Gott, this is madness!
Still, he couldn't look away from the body of his liege's beloved. To think my family answered to her too, once upon a time.Something about it, from the bones and tattered shreds of clothing to the wilted flower and strands of brown hair on its skull seemed to conjure up unnervingly vivid images of green pastures, horsemen and a centuries-long history filled with struggles, victories and hardship. All that borne by one Magyar woman. But while his lineage knew enough of Herr Edelstein's kind not to think too deeply into such things, he could only imagine what must have been like for her to die such a painful, undignified death, nearly forgotten. Unless she...
"Still here, Lt. Steiner? You ought to know that visiting hours are over."
He turned to find Col. Reinhard Utreich of the Corps approaching him, the man still in his service uniform. But as the aide tried to salute, more out of reflex despite his status, the older officer waved him off.
"I take you're here to retrieve the body, ja? Then feel free. All this is off record, after all. Besides, Herr Edelstein would want his request fulfilled."
"O-Oberst," Franz stammered as he tried to regain his composure. "Are you absolutely sure this is her? Will I just tell him that a generation of waiting and searching's all been for nothing?!" Deep down however, he knew what the answer was. And from the looks of the older man, it seemed like neither of them wanted to know, no matter whether it needed to be done.
"Perhaps we've been looking at this the wrong way," the figure replied as he paced around tiredly. "Perhaps those tall tales surrounding our benefactor and his kind are correct, though I wouldn't be surprised if you're in on it. But if there's one thing that makes sense at all, it's this: Jeder stirbt für sich allein.." He sighed before taking a classified folder from his suitcase. "Whoever Herr Edelstein really is, he must have seen countless lives pass by. For all I know, he might have taken a few ones in his time too."
"T-Then you must know that his sanity is on the brink!"
"That's not the point. Thing is, everybody dies. And in that respect, she and their lot are no different from us. Nothing we've done can change that. After all, many of us have lost someone in the ashes of Doomsday and the insanity after. I'm afraid he'd just have to live with it." The officer shrugged, smirking wearily as he passed on a pair of faded photographs to the aide. "He might also like to have these back eventually. Whatever their history was, they much have really loved each other."
"They were divorced," Franz replied with a melancholy smile. "Like that matters now. Danke schön."
He watched as the older officer nodded and turned away. Once the aide was certain that he was alone, he turned back, if somewhat reluctantly at the corpse. For a brief moment, he thought he heard the sound of wings flapping and the faint trace of a female, Magyar voice.
Tedd meg, kérem.
"I can only guess what you must have gone through," he solemnly muttered to the body as he quickly, but almost reverently tried to close it shut for the final leg of its journey. "Whatever you were planning, Frau Héderváry – rest assured. He will know. Count on it."
-o-
That the young aide risked the ire of his Nation no longer seemed relevant. Not with this, he muttered silently as he stopped the car, hurriedly bringing his cargo towards the house. So many thoughts rushed in all at once. He wondered if his father Heinrich, and all those who preceded him in this position would be proud of what he was about to do. He knew at the back of his mind no one would agree to set up even a small funeral ceremony for these particular remains. Not the local Churches or the Alpine authorities. Or even you. But would you still remember her as she was?
After fixing his composure as best as he could, Franz made his way inside, exhausted yet resolute. Already he could hear the sounds of his aristocratic liege's piano grow increasingly frantic and disjointed. It did little in starving off the faint wisps that seemed to come around the package. Neither did it shake off the strange feeling that they were all being watched. Just do your duty. Then, with one deep breath, he paused at a door.
"Herr Edelstein?" he called out somewhat hesitantly, pausing enough for his superior to turn towards him. You have to know..."Have – I interrupted something?"
"Nothing at all, Franz," the figure known as Austria replied with an emotionless tone that seemed more forced than measured. "Though I take that it is of importance to interfere with my privacy?"
"Ja. The expedition just returned, and…"
With one brisk motion, he brought the crate yet to be unsealed into view, reuniting a couple far too late for it to be of any meaning.
"…I think you should see this."
-ENDE/VÉGE-
As for some trivia and info:
The Alpine Confederation is a partnership, alliance and federation between Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, with the latter two being the more predominant (the central capital is in Vaduz), which emerged in the AU's version of 1997.
"Lt. Franz Steiner" is the full name of Austria's aide in the Doomsday-verse.
The WCRB is a reference to the "World Census and Reclamation Bureau" from the 1983: Doomsday source material. Originally set up in 2004 by the ANZ Commonwealth (Australia-New Zealand), it's an international, neutral organization whose mission is to explore and document the post-Doomsday world, reconnecting survivors out in the wastes along the way. In the Doomsday-verse, this extends to keeping tabs on certain "confidential" records.
In 1983: Doomsday, Japan was for the longest time cut off from the outside world as a result of Doomsday. As a result most people believed that the entire country didn't survive, until a Siberian expedition made contact in 2004.
The Kingdom of Prussia is what ultimately became of East Germany after Doomsday. Berlin escaped the destruction seen elsewhere, but with the Communist government largely wiped out and the remnants overthrown, the East Germans turned to the Hohenzollern survivors and rekindled their former identity as Prussians. Their kingdom was formally renamed Prussia though in 1992. Contact was made with the Austrians in 1994.
Partium is a Survivor-Nation in 1983: Doomsday, originating from the city of Debrecen the second largest city in Hungary and not far from Transylvania. In the Doomsday-verse, the city was lucky to escape both the nuclear bombs and the chaos that destroyed the rest of the country.
The Turul is an important bird in Hungarian mythology, associated with being a divine messenger/witness/spirit.
47.4925° N, 19.0514° E is also known as the map coordinates for Budapest, Hungary.
The Turul is an important bird in Hungarian mythology, associated with being a divine messenger/witness/spirit.
The background events of Hungary's suffering were taken almost entirely from the source articles, in turn based on Cold War-era scenarios on the country's survival, considering how the Soviets had many soldiers and silos in Magyar territory.
Perhaps in matching the decidedly dark tone of the story, there are references to the historic relationship between Austria and Hungary that give a nod to the more hard-line nationalist perspective (the resentment against Austria), while at the same time showing the lighter "romantic" flipside. You could call it a "love-hate" relationship, though it's more on the love bit.
Grüß Gott - "Greetings/Good day." (Austrian German)
Boden null - "Ground zero" (German)
Gott behüte dich - "Godspeed" (Austrian German)
Oberst - "Colonel" (German)
Hauptmann - "Captain" (German)
Schauen Sie für mich - "Look for me." (German)
Bitte - Please (German)
Jeder stirbt für sich allein - "Every man dies alone." (German) - a nod as well to a 1947 German novel.
Sehr gut - "Very good" (German)
Keress nekem - "Look for me." (Hungarian)
Kövess engem - "Follow me." (Hungarian)
Sajnálom - "I'm sorry." (Hungarian)
Tedd meg, kérem - "Do it, please." (Hungarian)