To Last a Thousand Years
A Mass Effect AU/Alternate History by TallYapflip
Disclaimer: I do not support Nazism or Fascism in any way. I am merely intrigued by the idea of alternate history and wanted to put this idea down on paper. This is meant for entertainment purposes, and in no way reflects my real-world beliefs.
Chapter 1: Total War
Gunther read over the maps again and again, making sure the U-Boat was on a proper heading. Their destination was rather simple: Antarctica. His sub, U-521, had been hunting a convoy that was en-route to British South Africa to reinforce the weakened British lines. The Italians had been pushing hard, giving the British a hard fight, and Grand Admiral Raeder had seen fit to send a group of U-Boats to hunt it down, they succeeded. After his task was completed, he expected his group to be re-located to the Atlantic or the Channel. He was not expecting his new orders to involve investigating an anomaly in Antarctica.
The orders were vague, speaking only of an anomaly in the icy tundra of the Antarctic that had been noticed by a supply convoy that was returning from Japan. All that the report mentioned was a flash, a loud explosion, and a massive cloud of snow, not unlike an avalanche. Gunther had no idea what to make of this ordeal. He knew very well that Der Fuhrer was looking at the Antarctic as a possible base for the massive sub fleet of the Kriegsmarine, and it was highly unlikely that any of the Allies had anything to do with it. The Italians would have notified the High Command had they seen any Allied convoys making their way towards the far south. Many things were not adding up, and the Captain's stomach was knotting up with the sheer number of unknown variables.
"Kapitän!" His commander said, knocking him back into reality, giving him a quick salute in the process.
"What do you have to report?" Gunther asked, turning around.
"We've arrived at the staging ground." The Commander explained, his hand falling back to his side. "The transport convoys are a mere two hours behind, and there are no hostiles in sight."
"Excellent, surface and give me a report on what you see." Gunther ordered, causing the Commander to rush off to complete his assigned task.
The Captain turned back to the maps laid out before him. They were crude, very few people had ever been to the Antarctic, let alone explored it. This mission was a gamble, a very costly one should anything go wrong. There was a small convoy of two ships, each carrying 300 Waffen-SS soldiers that was a few hours behind. They were to land and investigate, then report their findings to Berlin. He had his reservations about sending the SS to march into the frozen wastes, but he also had his orders. After all, these were all volunteers from France. The way they saw it, it was better to be serving the Reich by marching, rather than sitting around Paris waiting for their next orders to come through.
"Captain!" The Commander shouted, catching Gunther's attention once again. "You need to see this!"
"What is it?" Gunther asked, walking over to the open hatch, seeing the Commander's head from the other end.
"I could not explain it to you if I tried, sir." The Commander said. "Best if you see for yourself."
Gunther sighed, climbing the ladder into the frigid Antarctic air. As he climbed up, the cold hit him like a wall. It was easily -10 to -15 centigrade, even in August. As he stood, he shivered involuntarily. "What is it?" He asked, turning to his Commander.
The Commander handed him a pair of binoculars. "Look out there, directly towards the bow." He said. "Looks to be about eight kilometers out."
Gunther decided to humor his Commander, and brought the optics up to his eyes. He looked in the general direction he was pointing to, scanning around for a moment. He almost had to do a double-take when he saw it. It was small, due to distance, but it was certainly metal. It looked like it was a light grey color, not unlike the side of a battleship. Based on the relative size it appeared to be at roughly eight kilometers away, he figured it to be rather large. "What the fuck…?" Gunther wondered.
"What do you think it is?" The Commander asked.
"I've not the slightest idea…" Gunther said, lowering the binoculars. "Send a wire back to Berlin, let them know that we've found something and will report as soon as we've investigated."
"Of course, Captain!" The Commander said, returning to the inside of the sub to fulfill his duties.
XXXXX
Gunther was sure that this was what Hell would be like. As short of a trek as it might be, relative to the size of the Antarctic, this was the closest to wishing to die that he had ever been. Upon landing, the entirety of the 600 man-strong SS company that was given to him begrudgingly began marching towards the strange object in the distance. The snow was deep, the cold was harsh, and everything stung.
They had more than enough provisions, the dogs were pulling sleds full of them. The men were warm enough to not freeze, but it was harsh. Any extended length of time out here would certainly be a death sentence, even when wrapped in some of the heaviest winter gear. He wagered that they'd have a single day to complete their objective at best before good men started dying.
They hand landed on New Swabia, an area of Dronning Maud Land that Germany had claimed, which was a more-temperate area of the continent. As they marched, the land remained relatively smooth and the weather rather consistent. According to his guide, a Nord by the name of Bjorn, this was surprising for the continent this time of year.
After three hours, they had covered almost all of the distance, and the object came into view. Gunther's jaw nearly dug itself into the snow as he looked upon it. It was certainly metal, and it was large. It was easily two hundred meters long, had massive struts extending from what was obviously the rear, and was very angular in design. In a strange way, it looked almost like an airplane without propellers. "Herr Standartenfuhrer!" Gunther called out over the wind, catching the attention of the SS Colonel in charge of the SS detachment. "Any ideas?"
"Nein…" The Colonel responded, stepping forward. "This is well beyond me, and the markings are nothing I recognize. It looks like it crashed here." The Colonel gestured towards the long trench that trailed behind the object.
"Well, let's get to work." Gunther said, nodding towards the metal object. "The sooner we're out of this cold, the better."
XXXXX
As Gunther stepped through the small entryway that his men had created in the side of the metal object, he was absolutely floored by what he saw. The inside was all metal, the walls were covered in strange, alien glyphs and symbols, and everything looked… off. There were metal desks covered in strange knobs and instruments, not unlike the cockpit of a plane.
As he looked into the chair that was sat behind the nearest console, he saw a rather ominous sight. There was a skeleton, looking not even remotely human aside from the four limbs and head. The head was longer, more angular, and had these strange bony spines sticking out from the back. It was quite obvious, based on the fact that all of the flesh had deteriorated, that this creature had been dead for a long time. There was a small bundle of metal plates scattered around the floor, along with scraps of some sort of fabric. "Christ…" The Colonel said, ducking inside. "I don't know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't this."
"Soldaten!" Gunther shouted, noting how much warmer it was inside of the object. "Fan out, scour this object and grab anything of note. If you find anything to be living, put a bullet in its head."
*Three Months Later*
Gunther stood at rigid attention as the Knight's Iron Cross was pinned to his chest, a feeling of pride welling up in his chest as he received Germany's highest honor. What stunned him even further was who was presenting him with the honor. Grand Admiral Raeder personally bestowed the medal upon the Captain, giving him a crisp salute after stepping back. Gunther mirrored the salute, holding his right hand out, palm flat. "Congratulations, Captain." Raeder said, standing more at-ease. "You've done a great service for the Fatherland."
"Thank you, Admiral." Gunther said, bowing his head in respect. Ever since his return to Berlin, Gunther had been given a hero's welcome. He received a formal recognition before the floor of the Reichstag and was awaiting a promotion to Fleet Admiral.
"Germany thanks you, Captain." Raeder said, smiling. "I believe that there is someone else who wished to meet you in person."
Over the next fifteen minutes, Gunther was brought to a stunningly beautiful Mercedes, met with a driver, and was being driven through Berlin with The Grand Admiral. Their destination certainly left very little to the imagination: The Reich Chancellery.
After being led through long, ornate hallways guarded by black-clad SS guardsmen, Gunther was led into a large conference room. It had a long, rounded table with dozens of chairs surrounding it, a few of the chairs were occupied by people that Gunther was quite familiar with. Ferdinand Porsche and Wilhelm Messerschmitt grabbed his eye almost immediately. There appeared to be a few others, namely the director of the Henschel Company, Mauser, and Mercedes. Sitting at the head of the table was a man that nearly made Gunther double-take.
The leader of Germany, Führer Adolf Hitler, sat at the head of the table, wearing his normal brown coat. He looked to the stunned Captain, who immediately snapped into a salute."Mein Führer!" He said, his heels clicking together.
"You may relax, Captain." Hitler waved the gesture off, allowing Gunther to relax. "I must say, I had my worries when Admiral Raeder recommended that a group be dispatched to the Antarctic to investigate an eyewitness account. I am glad that my worries were misplaced." The Führer stood up, walking over towards Gunther with one hand behind his back. "Your promotion to higher command is well deserved, you have done our Reich a great service, and you have brought us some impressive equipment to say the least." He gestured with his free hand to the conference table, which was littered with some of the recovered devices from the Antarctic Object, which had since been named Das Geschenk. "I've ordered the object to be brought to Germany for more in-depth study, but these devices are very much beneficial to our cause while we wait."
"Mein Führer?" Gunther asked.
"Yes, Captain?"
"Have we… discovered the function of these devices?" That earned a smile.
"Indeed, we have… some are weapons, some are pieces of armor made of alloys that we never dreamed of, and some are machines whose function still eludes us. We are already working to replicate some of the technology used here, or create similar things if that proves impossible for the times. This will usher in a new era of technology, give us the power to better our people, and to secure the Reich's victory. All we must do, is wait."
"Wait?" Gunther asked.
"Wait for some of the more… intimate developments to take place." The Führer responded. "I believe that some of the pieces of Die Geschenk that we have brought back have already legitimized one of Messerschmitt's ideas for a rocket-powered aircraft." Gunther's eyes went wide at that. The Führer chuckled in response. "I believe that was Wilhelm's reaction as well."
"What of the creatures we found inside?" Gunther asked.
The Führer seemed to become far more serious at the question. He sighed before speaking. "Gunther Albert von Bayern… you have taken an oath to the Reich… do you recall?"
"Of course, Mein Führer."
"Since you have given me your word in oath that you are loyal to this Reich, then the information we have learned does not leave conferences like this, are we very clear?"
"Yes." Gunther responded.
"Good…" The Führer ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "Those… creatures you found inside were certainly not human, and they do not even share our most basic characteristics beyond the existence of a head and limbs. There are multiple sets of different bones that we've discovered inside, each of them differing drastically in appearance. Tell me, Gunther, have you read Wells?"
"The War of the Worlds? Of course." Gunther responded, nodding.
"We believe that these… creatures hail from similar origin as Wells' creatures."
"Mars?" "Possible… but unlikely. I fear that they may return to our world, looking for their lost comrades."
"All the more reason to discover their weaknesses, harness their technology, and improve upon it." Gunther finished.
"I see that you're thinking very closely along the same lines as me." The Führer said, smiling. "We will take what they have, and make it ours… In the meantime, none of that can be accomplished unless we are victorious here and now. The British continue to gather strength while an invasion of their isles remains very far into the future. They are not the true enemy, however… they lie East. We must secure peace with the British, even if just for a short time." The Führer continued. "I cannot afford to divert so many forces to protecting our northern shores when such a goliath threat to the Reich lies to the East… That's why… despite the near-loss of a close friend, I will be attempting to enter peace talks with Churchill."
"I heard about Herr Hess' flight to Scotland." Gunther said. "A wonder he was able to return home."
"The Bf-110 is superior in every way to the Spitfire." Wilhelm Messerschmitt spoke up. "It's not a wonder at all, with the British planes firing rifle rounds, while ours fire 20 millimeter cannons."
"Regardless, this must be done." Hitler continued. "I am granting you command of a very… powerful vessel. The KMS Tirpitz will be yours to command, along with the entirety of the Baltic Fleet." Gunther stood, stunned.
"T-Thank you, Mein Führer…"
"I have faith that you will perform admirably." Hitler said, smiling. "Your orders will be wired to you once you take the helm. Take to the seas, Admiral… and crush the enemies of Germany." "Of course, Mein Führer." Gunther said, saluting.
XXXXX
May 21, 1941: Following the near-crippling of the KMS Bismarck at the hands of a British torpedo bomber, the news of the Battleship's damaged state makes its way to Berlin. The KMS Prinz-Eugen and Bismarck successfully defend against a counterattack by the Royal Navy, returning to ports just outside Konigsberg to undergo repairs. The news of the HMS Hood being sunk at the hands of the Bismarck very nearly cripples the morale of the British people. German morale has never been higher. November 12, 1941: Fleet Admiral Gunther von Bayern takes command of the KMS Tirpitz, as well as the Kriegsmarine Baltic Fleet. The fleet's orders are to prevent a possible breakout by the Soviet Baltic Fleet.
December 4, 1941: Rudolf Hess makes a second flight to Great Britain. In an unexpected turn of events, Winston Churchill gives into the German request for peace talks in the wake of crumbling morale as the London Blitz has rendered the Royal Air Force heavily damaged, and British morale utterly crushed. As Hess lands in London, he immediately enters into talks with Churchill.
December 7, 1941: The Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor occurs, sinking or damaging much of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. The United States reels from the surprise, un-provoked attack. Due to the Japanese going directly against the advice of the rest of the Axis powers, the Empire of Japan is officially removed from the Axis, and condemned by Germany. Two days later, the United States declares war against Japan. Germany offers military support to the United States in the form of the massively powerful Kriegsmarine. The offer, made through discrete channels, is respectfully denied by FDR.
December 25, 1941: After weeks of debate between Germany and Great Britain, an armistice has been signed. No land exchanges would occur, Axis forces would discontinue their hostilities against Great Britain, and the blockade of Germany would end. The signing is immortalized in newspapers around the world, with Adolf Hitler and Winston Churchill shaking hands, cementing the Treaty of London. This would come to be known as the Christmas Treaty. Germany shifts its focus East, increasing military production and quietly moving more and more Wehrmacht assets East.
Research into the artifacts discovered in Antarctica continues, with breakthroughs in computational technology, ballistics, rocketry, electronics, and physics made almost weekly.
January 6, 1942: Operation Barbarossa begins with 3.9 million Axis soldiers, 6,000 Axis tanks, 4,000 aircraft, and 5,000 artillery guns. Deployed alongside the German infantry is the new Tiger pattern tank, sporting their heavy 88mm main cannons and thick armor. Soviet forces are horridly outclassed by the heavier German guns, more advanced German war machines, and the superior Bf-109 G. Alongside the MP-40 is the new German rifle, the Sturmgewehr 42. The advanced, lightweight, and powerful assault rifle fires 8mm Mauser rounds at 670 rounds per minute. The rifle becomes almost as widespread as the MP-40, and it is absolutely superior to Russian small arms. It is not uncommon to see German SS and Heer soldiers wearing body armor comprised of lightweight alloys. The new German weaponry and equipment outclasses everything the Russians can throw at the Axis forces. The German blitz seems unstoppable. Western Soviet villages cheer on the Germans as they march East.
June 16, 1942: German forces march into Moscow following intense bombardment. The city's outer districts are almost completely flattened, with Tiger E tanks, PorscheTigers, and Panther tanks rolling through the T-34s that stand in their way. German forces besiege the Red Square for days, having crushed almost all resistance in the city. After a few days of siege, Waffen-SS soldiers storm the Kremlin, killing any Russians that stand in their way. After twenty minutes of fighting, everything in the Red Square falls into silence. A few minutes later, Josef Stalin is led out of the Kremlin at gunpoint, bloodied and beaten. The next day, he is executed on the rubble of the Kremlin.
Germany declares a complete victory over the Soviet Union as the last of the Soviet forces are hunted down by Waffen-SS forces. Unconfirmed reports of a "blindingly quick and nimble fighter aircraft" begin radiating out of occupied Stalingrad. Germany remains quiet on the rumors.
September 15, 1942: The final Soviet Resistance is utterly crushed by the Wehrmacht, allowing Germany to annex all of the former Soviet territories. The Germans are widely considered liberators in Western Soviet States, with those in the East fearing their might too much to rebel openly.
Germany deploys the Me-163 Rocket-Powered Interceptor.
The Haavara Agreement is officially signed between Germany and Mandate Palestine, effectively creating a formal state of Israel. The fledgling country is declared as a protectorate of the Reich, and a mass exodus of ethnic and practicing Jews from Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas occurs.
Germany signs a non-aggression pact with the United States. The German Embassy re-opens in the United States, officially opening up formal diplomatic channels once again. Many ethnic Germans emigrate from the United States to Germany.
The British Silver Legion, a Fascist party in Parliament, begins gaining massive popularity among the British populace.
German atomic research begins.
December 15, 1942: Germany declares their full support for the American war against Japan. The Kriegsmarine begins sailing from their shared ports in Italian Somaliland, moving towards Eastern Asia. Germany no longer recognizes the legitimacy of the Japanese Empire as a state. The gesture is a surprising, and bold move by German diplomats. Among the vessels sailing East is the KMS Tirpitz, Prinz-Eugen, Bismarck, and Scharnhorst. The German Fleet is over 100 vessels strong, with an unconfirmed number of U-Boats.
The German Tiger-II is officially deployed into the Wehrmacht to replace the Tiger E and PorscheTiger. It was designed in a joint venture between Porsche and Henschel. The Panther-II is deployed to replace all Panzer IVs, Panzer IIIs, and Panther Ds, Fs, and Gs in the Wehrmacht. Night-Vision Optics make their debut in the Wehrmacht.
German industry, having access to Siberian and Balkan raw materials, booms.
December 20, 1942: Germany declares an official state of war against the Empire of Japan, stating their desire to assist the Americans in their reprisal against an unwarranted attack against a neutral nation. The Wehrmacht is mobilized from their staging grounds in Siberia, and begins marching into Manchuria.
The Me-262 and Ho-229s enter service with the Luftwaffe, and are to replace the Bf-109 and Bf-110, respectively. Due to them being rushed into service to combat Japan, they experience some issues with reliability.
The next-generation of Battleship, the H-42 Super-Battleship, begins construction in Konigsberg Shipyards.
Berlin is officially renamed to Welthauptstadt Germania, and begins massive renovations.
February 9, 1943: German forces have marched into much of Japanese-occupied China, with occupied Korea already liberated by the German forces. The Kriegsmarine Pacific Fleet has linked up with the American Pacific Fleet, and begins assisting in island-hopping operations. The battle of Midway is a crushing American victory even before the Kriegsmarine has arrived, and the small, weakened American garrisons in the Philippines are saved by the Kriegsmarine Pacific Fleet.
The British Silver Legion controls a near-absolute majority in the British Parliament, causing some alarm in the Churchill leadership. Germany officially enters into talks with Great Britain to regain its former colonial territories in East Africa, West Africa, and Oceania. The V-2 Rocket makes its first successful test launch.
April 12, 1943: German Forces liberate Beijing, with major Japanese resistance confined to South China and the Pacific Islands. The new German Super-Heavy Tank, the Panzerkampfwagen VIII "Maus" enters into combat alongside the rest of the Wehrmacht forces, sporting a main gun that outclasses anything else in the world. There is a rumor of an "Experimental, highly-advanced design" being built in Ukraine. It is known to the public as "Project Constantinople".
The Battle at Iwo Jima takes place, with the German Marinesoldaten and U.S. Marines launching a joint invasion of the island. After three days of intense fighting, American and German troops raise their flags over Iwo Jima. The famous moment is immortalized in print as photos of German and American Marines raising their flags next to one another quickly circulates throughout media worldwide. German-American relations continue growing more stable.
The Horten sees its first flight in the island-hopping campaign against the Japanese forces, proving the concept of intercontinental bombing to be a realistic one. The Africa-launched aircraft successfully completes a bombing run against Japanese-occupied Taiwan. It proves impossible to intercept when faced with all propeller aircraft. The Me-262 barely manages to intercept the aircraft during trial runs. It proves invisible to all forms of devised radar until 60 miles out from target. The first German Atomic Bomb nears completion.
The first computer for military use is completed in Berlin. It begins work to encode military communications. The Enigma proves to be uncrackable after this new development.
July 4, 1943: Japan officially surrenders completely and unconditionally to German and American forces, signing the armistice on the deck of the KMS Bismarck as all of her 20-inch guns are pointed towards the Tokyo Bay. The surrender came after the first atomic bomb, named "Erika" was dropped on Kyoto. The bomb was a 25 kiloton warhead dropped by the Horten bomber named "Franz Ferdinand". The dropping of the bomb stuns the world, and solidifies the German technological superiority over the rest of the planet.
German and American forces begin a co-occupation of all of Japan and much of the Pacific.
The former German colonies in China are re-integrated into the Reich, along with German New Guinea and the German Africa Territories.
Vichy France officially joins the Reich as a state.
The first German "Super-Carrier" enters service with the Kriegsmarine. Dubbed the "Graf-Zeppelin II Class", and stretching to an impressive 299.5 meters in length, with a top speed of 35 knots. It undergoes tests to launch Me-262s from its flight deck using high-tension deck catapults.
December 12, 1943: The H-44 Battleship, KMS Erich Raeder, enters service. It is the largest, and most powerful battleship ever devised. It is the first vessel ever created to have vertical launch tubes, capable of carrying 24 V-3 Rockets. Its impressive armament of 20-inch guns, 16-inch guns, 105mm flak batteries, 37mm flak batteries, and 53.3cm torpedo launchers makes it one of the most heavily-armed surface vessels ever built. An additional 12 hulls are laid down.
The Zeppelin Company completes the Graf-Zeppelin III, a new passenger Zeppelin. The first flight between Berlin and New York begins, in honor of the destroyed Hindenburg. It is widely regarded as "the most luxurious way to travel." A famous German author's quote over the Zeppelin soon circulates throughout media. "If you wish to arrive first, take an airplane. If you wish to arrive last, take a ship. But if you want to arrive in style, take an airship."
Debate between American and German leaders over the new leadership of Japan continues. Germany wishes to re-instate a shogunate, while the U.S. wishes to instate a democratic republic. After weeks and weeks of debate, it is left up to referendum. Overwhelmingly, with a 85 to 15 margin, the American Plan prevails. The Germans respect the wishes of the Japanese people, and begin hosting elections with the American forces. Following the first democratic election in Japan, Shigeru Yoshido is elected Prime Minister.
China is restored as a sovereign state by occupying German forces, and is declared to be a protectorate of the Reich until it is stabilized once again. The Chinese Communist Revolutionary forces are declared enemies of the Reich, and are hunted to the last. Mao Zedong is executed before the Forbidden Palace by SS Firing Squad. The Waffen-SS begins covertly hunting down communist sympathizers.
December 13, 1943: The Second World War draws to a close as the occupation of Japan ends. Germans and Americans maintain permanent bases in Japan and much of the Pacific. There is no clear ideological victor. Communism has effectively been eradicated, and German-Allied relations have been steadily improving.
August 16, 1944: The British Silver Legion secures complete power over the Parliament of Great Britain, calling a vote of no-confidence against Winston Churchill. Churchill is removed from power, and is replaced by William Southerton, leader of the Silver Legion Party. German-British relations improve drastically.
The American economy has completely recovered from the effects of the Great Depression, and has entered a period of economic explosion. Spending power that has never been seen before begins radiating throughout the country, and many have attributed the economic success to improved trade relations between Germany and the United States.
German research into the Antarctica Object intensifies, with breakthroughs in ballistics technology leading to the first working autoloader mechanism for tanks and warships.
April 12, 1945: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies, and is replaced by Harry S. Truman.
June 12, 1947: The United Kingdom holds a referendum to join the German Reich. Narrowly, Britain votes to remain independent with a 51-49 margin. Another referendum is planned in 1950. Nuclear reactors begin powering the civilian sector in mainland Germany, with plans to spread to the overseas territories by 1951.
May 17, 1950: Following a second referendum in Great Britain, the UK officially joins the Greater German Reich as a semi-autonomous region. William Southerton remains the Prime Minister of the British territories, but answers to Hitler and the Reichstag on many matters.
Germany extends an offer for America to join the Axis powers, an offer which is respectfully declined.
The first true Main Battle Tank, the German Leopard-I, enters service. Originally designed to serve as an all-purpose tank, it quickly begins to occupy the role filled by light and medium tanks, effectively merging the two classes of tank. The sound barrier is broken by a German interceptor aircraft.
January 17, 1953: Former General George S. Patton takes the office of President of the United States. Relations between Germany and the U.S. improve dramatically, with the U.S. being permitted to hold several bases throughout German African and Pacific territories. In exchange, Germany is permitted to house a naval base in Hawaii, and several bases in Alaska, Guam, and Puerto Rico. The American Nazi Party, under the new leadership of George Lincoln Rockwell, becomes a large political force in the American Southwest and East Coast. Their ticket for President, being Rockwell, secures 12 percent of the U.S. popular vote, with a voter turnout of 67 percent.
June 19, 1954: The first artificial satellite is put in orbit by the German Luftwaffe. The satellite, being a communications satellite, is put into low-orbit by a V-9 Rocket, modified to use solid fuel and multiple stages. Germany's next major goal is to put a man into orbit, and it is planned to happen by 1957.
The U.S.-run NASA begins working with the German Luftwaffe to design rockets for orbital launches. The first dedicated attack helicopter enters service with the Wehrmacht, dubbed the He-12 "Sparrow". It carries an armament of semi-guided missiles, a heavy 20mm autocannon, and has proven massively effective against tanks.
May 30, 1957: The first man in orbit, a former German tank commander during Operation Barbarossa known as Otto Carius, safely returns from his orbit around the planet. He completed sixteen complete revolutions around the planet, and landed safely in the Pacific Ocean in his Eagle-3 Capsule. He is celebrated as a national hero of Germany. The U.S. Presidential election ensures that Patton remains president until 1961, with Rockwell securing 18 percent of the popular vote, outperforming the democratic party candidate.
January 19, 1961: John F. Kennedy, in a national surprise, takes the office of U.S. President. Due to his campaign being the first televised one, and his unmistakable charisma, he secures the election in a landslide. Rockwell polls in at 19 percent of the popular vote. Due to Kennedy's election, German-American cooperation on space-going matters increases. NASA begins working with the German Luftwaffe to put a man on the moon. The Arminius Program begins.
June 12, 1965: Arminius-4, a manned mission to Earth's moon, succeeds with flying colors. Otto Carius, the first man in space, becomes the first man to walk the surface of the moon, followed closely by Neil Armstrong of America's NASA. The flags of Germany and the United States are pitched at the landing zone, with photographs of the two astronauts saluting their flags circulating throughout the media like wildfire. The human fascination with outer space becomes nearly universal, with Germany declaring "an unprecedented era of scientific achievement and worldwide brotherhood" to be dawning on the human species.
Adolf Hitler dies of age at 76, and is replaced by former Admiral Karl Donitz as Führer as per Hitler's last will and testament. A few months after the placement of Donitz at the head of the German State, the Reichstag and the Bundesrat approve the motion to bring back the political position of Kaiser. Louis Ferdinand of House Hohenzollern is officially declared Kaiser of the Greater German Reich. As per his request, Kaiser Wilhelm II's remains are brought from Doorn to Konigsberg for burial in the German Fatherland. Germany, mostly in name, is restored as a democratic monarchy. The Kaiser is merely a figurehead, much like the Monarch of the British Autonomous Region.
January 20, 1969: President John F. Kennedy is replaced by George Lincoln Rockwell of the American Nazi Party. Rockwell wins by landslide, citing his desire to increase relations with the German Reich and continue Kennedy's legacy of space exploration. He wins 46 out of 50 states, crushing Lyndon Johnson. America accepts an offer to join the Axis Powers under George Lincoln Rockwell. Germany and America begin work to establish a permanent scientific research station in Earth orbit. The project is codenamed "Jupiter-1".
Communistic revolutionaries initiate a coup against the Vietnamese government. Germany and America both deploy forces to assist the democratic Vietnamese government.
The German Leopard-2 MBT enters service, along with the "Tiger" Attack Helicopter. The Me-202 becomes the staple German air-superiority fighter, and the Me-20 becomes the staple bomber interceptor.
The first experimental railgun enters laboratory testing in the BMW headquarters in Germany. Derived from the Object's technology, the Railgun Mk. I requires an immense amount of power, making it difficult to shrink down. The Kriegsmarine expresses their desire to mount it on battleships.
June 19, 1972: Germany and America proclaim a complete victory over communistic forces in Vietnam, restoring the Vietnamese republic. The Vietnam War sees the first widespread deployment of women into combat with the German Wehrmacht.
October 2, 1979: The Axis Space Station is officially completed. It can house a population of 12 scientists, features complete atmospheric control, water recycling, and requires bi-annual resupply missions to be launched.
January 20, 1981: Ronald Reagan breaks the decade-long hold on the U.S. by the American Nazi Party. His economic policies prove attractive to the American People, narrowly winning him the election over ANP Candidate William Burke.
Railguns replace all guns over 14 inches on German warships.
Almost every German warship is powered by nuclear fission reactors.
December 12, 1997: The first Nuclear Fusion Reactor is developed in a joint venture between Lockheed-Martin and Porsche. It fuses Deuterium and Tritium. Its power output is almost thirty times that of a German Supercarrier reactor. Two are built, one in Welthauptstadt Germania and one in San Jose.
A permanent settlement is established on the Moon in a joint venture between the United States and Germany. Plans for a mission to Mars are drawn up.
Nuclear Power becomes the dominant form of energy production.
June 15, 2001: Mars-1 is launched from German Namibia. Its six month-long journey will bring it into Mars orbit, and will put American and German boots on Martian soil.
Work on the first Quantum Computer is completed, effectively increasing human computational power by several factors of ten.
Robotic prosthetics become widespread and commonplace all over the world. Militarized variants allow for wounded veterans to return to the battlefield.
The ANP continues its 20 year control over American politics.
December 21, 2001: Mars-1 lands on the Martian surface, causing widespread celebration all over the world. Plans for a permanent Mars Colony and terraformation of the Martian surface have officially begun.
June 1, 2015: The Mars Colony Project nears completion with the launch of one of the final supply missions. The colony's projected population will be 500, with more added over the years. The colony will be completely self-sustaining and capable of housing its own industry and agriculture as of 2020.
May 11, 2026: The Mars Colony houses a population of over 4,000 people, mostly Germans and Americans. Industry begins creating a very thin carbon dioxide layer in the atmosphere, marking the beginning of terraforming operations.
Exploration of the Mars Surface grows in intensity.
The Mars Defense Force, a coalition of the Wehrmacht and U.S. Military, is created.
Genetic engineering of children becomes commonplace, drawing quite a few moral concerns.
April 2, 2029: Alien ruins are discovered beneath the Martian surface, shattering the human concept that they are alone in the universe. Religions rush to rewrite themselves, with many of the more fundamentalist faiths falling apart completely. The German High Command quietly goes on high alert.
After a few days of study, the German government officially translates the language used in the alien ruins. The creators of the alien ruins are known as Protheans, and built the facility as a place to store scientific data. It is widely accepted that this is the most important scientific discovery in human history. Germany quietly ignores that claim.
Mass amounts of data are run through human computers, attempting to understand the secrets locked away in the Prothean ruins.
September 15, 2033: Due to the revelation that Humans are not alone in their galaxy, and that they are woefully unprepared for a meeting with extra-terrestrial life, the United States and Germany draw up the charter for an international organization to be named "The Systems Alliance". Germany and the United States experience a near-complete political merger, creating a super-state the likes the world has never before seen.
Schematics for a new generation of starship engines are derived from the Prothean ruins, along with references to FTL travel. German companies scramble to create working models.
November 10, 2039: The first Systems Alliance warship is completed, christened under the named SSV Unity. It is small, less than 100 meters in length and armed with light mass drivers, but it is outfitted with experimental engines created by BMW. They are derived from the Prothean ruins.
The Unity begins working to explore the Sol system, with more and more orbital shipyards being built.
Construction of an orbital tether begins on both Earth and Mars.
March 18, 2045: During an exploration mission, the Unity discovers that Pluto's moon of Charon is not a moon, but rather an artificial object encased in ice. The Alliance begins digging through the Prothean ruins for any mention of the object.
The Mars Colony reaches a population of 1 million.
Element Zero is discovered on Titan by the SSV Unity, and samples are returned to Earth for intense study.
August 2, 2050: The first Element Zero-based FTL drive is created by Porsche, and mounted on the Alliance cruiser Weissenschaft und Krieg.
The object beneath the ice of Charon is activated due to transmission codes that were discovered in the Prothean Archives. The Weissenschaft und Krieg accidently enters into the range of the object, propelling the vessel several thousand light years in under ten minutes. The vessel is assumed to be lost for thirty minutes before it returns with sensor data, stunning scientists the world over. The object, according to the Archives, is known as a Mass Relay.
Every nation on Earth, with the exception of Iran and Saudi Arabia, sign into the Systems Alliance. Enlistment into the Alliance Joint Military Command skyrockets.
April 11, 2060: The Alliance Navy has reached 300 active vessels, with 4 considered "Dreadnoughts".
Exploration into the local Relay Network begins, with Humanity launching several colonization missions into nearby systems. Arcturus Relay is manned by the Alliance Navy, with a colony established on Terra Nova.
June 15, 2069: Colonies are founded on Demeter and Eden Prime. Terra Nova's population quickly reaches 20 million.
The Martian Atmosphere's growth is accelerated thanks to Prothean Archive data. The entirety of the planet is now livable, with the return of liquid water oceans and the importation of Earth plant life.
Arcturus Station is completed, and the Arcturus Relay is manned by a military force of 2 Dreadnoughts and 150 smaller vessels.
An accident exposes the populations of Arizona and Calais to Element Zero in dust form. There appear to be no negative side effects to open exposure.
May 12, 2078: Colonies are established on Alpha Centauri.
Human population reaches 20 billion thanks to massive colonization efforts and government support for multiple children.
Human children in Arizona and Calais exhibit minor telekinetic abilities. It is theorized that in-utero exposure to Element Zero is responsible. The Alliance launches investigations into the matter.
December 4, 2091: The L1 Biotic Implant is completed, experiencing moderate success. Some side effects include migraines, weight loss, muscle cramps, and seizures in the absolute worst case. Further research into the field of Biotics begins.
German culture becomes dominant all throughout humanity, with American culture taking second place. Almost every living human speaks German in some capacity, and ethnic Germans have become a majority of the human population.
The Alliance High Council declares the creation of the position of Chancellor, which will alternate leadership between the German Kaiser and the American President every 10 years.
February 19, 2100: The L2 Biotic Implant is created, improving on Biotic effectiveness by 33%.
The Alliance Navy now fields over 2,000 active vessels, with 24 coming in at dreadnought weight. Ten of those are aircraft carriers. Six more Dreadnought hulls are laid down in the orbital shipyards of Earth and Mars. Four more are laid down at Arcturus Station.
German and English are declared the official languages of the Human Species.
April 11, 2120: The L4 Biotic Implant is created, causing minimal side effects for users and improving on the effectiveness of the failed L3 program by 200 percent. Human Biotics are a common sight within the ranks of the Alliance military.
The first sentient artificial intelligence has been created. It is self-altering, learning, and fully aware. It has been named Otto, and has been attached to the Dreadnought and flagship of the 1st Alliance Fleet: SSV Watch on the Rhine.
Seven more Human colonies are established on varying garden and barren worlds throughout Alliance space. Terraforming efforts begin on the barren worlds.
Research into weaponized plasma throwers begins on Earth.
Welthauptstadt Germania is declared the Capital of Humanity. The Alliance High Council is moved there, along with the newly-formed Alliance Parliament.
The Human population nears 29 billion.
July 12, 2152: The Human colony of Shanxi is founded.
November 11, 2157: Humanity makes violent first contact with alien life in the Shanxi system. Alien vessels open fire on unarmed scientific vessels that attempted to activate a dormant Mass Relay. A single vessel managed to return to Shanxi and warn the garrison.
Two days later, a fleet of 35 warships moves through the Shanxi Relay, firing upon the massive Shanxi garrison of 60 vessels, two of which were dreadnoughts. The Bismarck, flagship of the defending 1st Fleet, downed 10 of the alien vessels with its spinal-mounted mass driver, using firing solutions derived from the ship's artificial intelligence. The defenders of Shanxi crushed the attacking aliens, only taking 7 casualties in the process.
The Turian Hierarchy prepares for all-out war against the Systems Alliance, drawing the attention of the Council, which quickly intervenes before tensions explode into all-out war. Humanity learns of the existence of the greater galactic community, and enters into talks with the Council.
The Council is stunned by the strategic cunning and military might of the Human species.
December 12, 2164: Following years of negotiations with the Citadel Council, Humanity joins the Citadel through an embassy. They negotiate the continued use of artificial intelligence for the Human Military, the lack of naval restrictions on the Alliance Navy, and rights to colonize systems that are otherwise unclaimed.
Tensions between the Batarian Hegemony and Humanity escalate as Humanity begins colonizing the Skyllian Verge.
June 6, 2170: The fledgling Human Colony of Mindoir is attacked by Batarian slavers. Thousands of Colonists are slaughtered by the invaders, with hundreds captured by the slavers and brought to Batarian space.
In protest of the Council's lack of limiting the Human expansion into the Verge, the Batarians withdraw their embassy to the Citadel.
April 11, 2172: Gabrielle Shepard, German-born Biotic, enlists with the Alliance Military and is selected for specialized training under the N7 Program.
August 12, 2176: The Human Colony of Elysium is attacked by Batarian Hegemony-backed slavers and pirates. The attacking pirates and slavers are utterly crushed by the highly-trained Alliance ground forces and defending fleets, but thousands die in the defense.
December 7, 2178: In retaliation for the Skyllian Blitz, the Alliance launches a major offensive against the Batarian moon of Torfan. The First Fleet is ordered to crush all resistance and burn the pirate bases to the ground.
Lieutenant Gabrielle Shepard singlehandedly holds a beachhead for sixty four hours against Batarian counterattack with nothing more than her superior position and her STG-70. She is later awarded the Knight's Iron Cross with Oak Leaves by Kaiser Manfred Ludwig von Preußen admid controversy about her unit's slaughter of surrendering Batarians.
Eight more major offensives are launched against Batarian pirate anchorages, effectievely crushing any threat to Human fringe colonies.
May 12, 2183: In a Joint Human-Turian venture, the Stealth Frigate known as the SSV Normandy enters service with the Alliance Navy, captained by David Anderson with Gabrielle Shepard as the ship's XO.
Artifial Intelligence becomes standard for all Systems Alliance Naval vessels.
A Prothean artifact is discovered on Eden Prime, and the Normandy's maiden voyage is to retrieve it and bring it to the Citadel for study.
June 1, 2184: Present Day
Author's Note: Alright, I kinda had this idea around 2 A.M. while I was playing vidya games with some friends. It all started with a discussion on prototype WWII weapons and vehicles, and kinda spiraled out of control from there.
I know, I took A LOT of liberties with history here, and made a LOT of guesses, but I think most of it is rather fair from a historical standpoint. I'll admit, Germany declaring war on Japan is a bit of a stretch, but it makes a bit more sense than them fighting a needless war against America because, much to the surprise of many people, Hitler actually did not want a war against America. His main goal was the destruction of communism.
Sidenote: I can't believe that the Haavara Agreement was actually a thing, but it was.
Sidenote Two: Fuck yeah, can't sink the Bismarck now, Johnny Horton.
I do plan to write more for this soon, so please let me know what you think, if I should alter anything, or if anything should be added. I also do in fact have a plan to do a pairing between F!Shep and another character from Mass Effect. So please, since I'm hilariously uncreative when it comes to things like that, give me some ideas.
Gott Mit Uns,
-TallYapflip
