Chapter 3: Expansion

Ritter Ernst Muller, vice president and investment manager of the Hanseatic League was reviewing documents when a flight attendant brought him coffee. the plane was slowly approaching the landing field in Delfi.

Through the window, the businessman could admire the modern buildings looming below, built in a Neo-Byznatian fashion. During the war, most of the ancient architecture Unfortunately, the city was destroyed, and its reconstruction was forbidden by order of Emperor Frederick VIII the Great. It was supposed to be a symbol of a new order, also expressed in a humiliating way moving the capital of the new province of the Reich to the insignificant Calcutta.
Recently, however, the city has begun to revive, thanks to the slowly approaching 100th anniversary of the Reunion and the laying down of arms by rebel troops in the western In China and central Africa, the imperial government began to soften its policy towards countries like India and China.
Delfi, as a large city lying on communication routes connecting Europe with China, was becoming an intercontinental center of trade and diplomacy. You can't see the locals there was already the poverty and dirt of years gone by.
But all this did not interest Ernst, reading in the reports as dumbfounded. He had seen a lot working in the Hanseatic League, but he didn't even think he would work on such things. Derived from the former union of cities on in the north of the Kingdom of Germany, the corporation was the oldest and most faithful trade organization in the world to the Empire. It grew step by step with the borders of the empire,
it took part in the colonization of new lands and during the war it financed many campaigns of the Imperial Army.

The best years for the Hansa are long gone, with the imperial edict banning the merchants' guild from owning its own territory, but a career in its ranks is still attracted young and talented people like Ernst. The company was famous for the fact that it predatory took advantage of the circumstances of the first years after the war, flooding new markets with cheap products and buying goods for next to nothing. However, they were not specialists in investments in new technologies, and this category undoubtedly included the case for which flew as far as Delfi.

when they landed Ernst in a great suit, squinted at the airport. There a man was waiting for him with a broad smile on his lips, which he was clutching He pointed his hand at the waiting limousine.

- Thank you for coming, Herr Muller. The rest of the delegation is here.
- It is an honor for us to be included in such a prestigious project. - they both got into the limousine which left the airport and into the street and headed towards the wealthy hotel where the meeting was held - Sorry to confuse you, I just read the brochure sent.
- Amazing, right?
- Exactly. - The profits will be amazing, Ernst thought, if it works.
- I tell you, Herr Muller, today we are building history. In a hundred years, children will learn in textbooks ...

The rest of the way was spent on the messenger's monologue, no doubt quoting the formula he had learned by heart. As a last resort, it had nothing but noble slogans surprise with the donation of funds by investors such as Hansa.
The hotel was conspicuous, as big as a palace and decorated like a luxurious brothel.
Despite a secret meeting being organized, the building was not shorn of the outside world in any way. Contrary to appearances, it was a sign of a really serious commitment secret services, because these apparently seriously did not want to attract the attention of civilians.
Before entering the conference room, Ernst was thoroughly searched for wiretaps, and then the door was opened by plainclothes bodyguards. Everything looked like an insignificant conference on the protection of the environment or animal rights, and yet it was here that the history of mankind was to be forged.

He knew by sight or hearing most of the people seated at the table.
Consul Theodora of Athens, representing the Constantinople banker syndicate known for financing mines on the moon. Rabbi Elijahu sitting next to him represented the Diaspora Jews, he got to know Ernst from several business meetings. They both nodded greeted, then Ernst looked elsewhere.
A few private entrepreneurs representing themselves, including Herr Tusk, the controversial rich man known for sending the electric Volckwagen to Mars.
Managers of investment funds, including those managing the estates of noblemen who lacked the sense to use their own money.
Ernst did not know a monk in a modest robe, with a smoothly shaven head, but he was certainly a representative of the Church, who, thanks to a generous donation from the faithful and emperors, was to become one of the largest capital holders in the world.
Until a few decades ago, he would have been surprised to see a few slanted-eyed businessmen representing the unofficial groups that ruled the former Chinese Empire on behalf of the Reich.
Despite flaunting the legitimacy of their power, these people were de facto gangsters, so Ernst was a little disgusted at the sight of them. An empire to maintain its power often it had to resort to dishonorable methods.
He was not surprised to see the Elector of Northern Barbarossi, one of the emperor's closest friends, sitting at the head of the table as chairman of the conference.
Next to the elector, however, sat a gloomy man in a navy blue uniform representing the ruler's personal guard. However, a wake-up symbol was sewn on the arm of his uniform the fear of the organization, Cerberus. On the chest, in turn, was attached to Thor's golden hammer, signifying a licensed telepath.

"There is also Herr Muller, representing Hansa," the elector said. "Welcome to the Lord in our modest upstairs." Please take a seat and we'll get to the point right away, because we all do we are tired after the trip, so today's session won't be long.

The Elector got up so that behind his back was the image of the reigning Emperor Sigismund III, looking at the rooms with a calm gaze. There were banners on either side of the painting Holy Reich, a golden double-headed eagle with a sword and scepter in both claws, with the arms of the 82 countries that make up the Reich on its wings, against a black background.

- You must have read the report on the events in Manchuria in 1961. The intercepted alien ship contained several bodies, photos of which were included in the report.
Whoever they were and wherever they came from, the beings did not survive. Our scientists have been trying to understand the principles of operation of the acquired technology for almost a hundred years, with rather poor understanding effect. But now that has changed. - the elector clicked on the screen that turns on the holographic projector on the table. A sample of some material is displayed.

- Recently, a breakthrough has been made in connection with the work of our physicists who, when studying the nature of space-time, came to the conclusion that there is another dimension next to ours.
This dimension, tentatively called "hyperspace", would enable flights at speeds well above the speed of light.

The Elector was silent for a moment so that what he said could sound properly in the hall. Rabbi Elijahu coughed to get attention.

"Sorry to ask, Your Excellency, but is he trying to tell us that we have just become an interstellar species?"

"Soon, gentlemen," the elector smiled as he answered the question.

- We have known about hyperspace for several years, but until now we did not know how we would get to it. But now we know, thanks to the invaluable work of our engineers,
that the alien ship was unable to travel independently through hyperspace. The prevailing view is that he used some external device or operated from a larger one mothership. We believe that the substance you see projected is the key to gaining access to hyperspace. This is Quantum-40, a substance that is in trace amounts found in a shipwreck, but there is not enough of it to think about building a hyperspace drive. From what we have established, they do not exist in our planetary system no Quantum-40 deposits.

- Then why did you bring us here, Excellency? Chancellor Theodora folded her hands on the table, clearly interested in the matter.

- There is no Quantum in our arrangement, but outside of it it's another matter.

At this point, the hologram from the sample changed to what looked like ... a giant fly-swatter.

- Scientists believe that small amounts of Quantum-40 are found in stardust that flies in interstellar space. Our plan is to send a huge drone who for a few years will grind the cosmic dust and obtain Quantum until it collects enough for experiments and returns to Earth.

- If the mission is successful, future generations of mankind will gain access to the unimaginable riches of alien planets, and ...

And the Reich will tighten the conquered countries even more with their shoe, added Ernst in his thoughts. Despite the fact that it was an empire, its system was quite decentralized on the level local. You can't just control milirds subject only to a whip, you have to negotiate with local authorities. It would be different if the emperor became the ruler of the galaxy.

- It sounds like a multi-decade investment with an uncertain return on capital - noted one of the fund managers - About what percentage of project share and profits your Imperial Majesty's government thinks?

- We are counting on collecting 100 billion reichguldens from noble investors, which translates into a 50% share in the project and a proportional share in profits, while these the latter will be expressed in patents and mining rights on newly acquired areas.

Ernst whistled over those numbers. His Imperial Majesty's Government counts on a partnership. The wages of a worker in Germany were 20,000 reichguldens per year.
He got up, determined to get into this business.

- The Hanseatic League can offer ...

30 years later

A round skeleton hovered in space around the earth, looking a bit like a puffed-up pufferfish, except with its spines pointing inward.

In the imperial winter residence in Palermo, in Sicily, the old emperor Sigismund III lay sick in bed, hooked up under an IV drip, with his last efforts staring at the screen transmitting live orbit image.

A small probe took off from a nearby space station, heading towards the structure.
Suddenly, sparks jumped across the spiers, and a small star flared inside the structure. After a while, only a blue vortex of energy hovered there.
The automatic probe passed its spiers and flew into hyperspace in a flash of power.

A tense moment passed after which a message from the control station was broadcast:

- This is Bucephał Dziewięc, we confirm that the probe exceeded the speed of light, I repeat, the probe exceeded the speed of light ...

At this point, the medical devices started beeping, announcing that the empire's heart had stopped beating. The emperor died with a smile on his face, knowing that he had fulfilled his mission.