Walking the streets of postwar Kiel was distressing, even for someone as hardened as Admiral Hipper, not to mention monotonous and dull. Everywhere the sights were more or less the same―rubbles and ruined buildings, empty rows of shops, empty-eyed people lining up for rations or whatever they needed to survive at the moment. The gray sky did not help to lighten the pervasive dark mood either.
But she didn't come all the way here to lament the city's fate, she reminded herself. She briefly cast a glance backward, making sure none of those blasted British soldiers were tailing her, before turning her attention to a piece of paper bearing an address in her hand. If she walks quicker―and if she's lucky―she would be able to reach the place before the rain falls.
Another day, another round of cheap coffee, Rudolf Meyer thought, somewhat amused as he watched the kettle boil. Considering the food shortages and the virtual absence of government apart from the occupation force, he was just lucky to get a hold of them in the first place. And after all, despite tasting more like blackish water instead of proper coffee, they did help him go through the many sleepless nights; he had been busy lately.
Ah, nobody has come since morning. Lucky me. All these jobs locating a missing relative are starting to get dull. The fact it's not paying much just makes it worse. Still, turning them down won't be right because I'm lucky to survive the bombings.
Suddenly figuring he wouldn't have anything to do for the rest of the morning, Rudolf changed his mind about coffee and walked to his desk; not long afterward, he had drifted to sleep.
If it hadn't been for the constant banging on the door, he would have slept through the morning. Bad manners indeed, but it was raining heavily outside; he could look the other way.
"I'm coming, I'm coming!"
The door opened, revealing a very drenched and angry-looking woman, who immediately stormed inside in the most ungraceful fashion, spreading drops of water on the floor.
"You dummkopf! What the hell are you thinking, letting a woman wait and get caught in the rain?"
Calm down, Rudolf; she is just like your first date. Nothing you cannot handle. That said, didn't she look familiar?
"Sorry, fräulein . I was...occupied at that moment. How may I help you?" Rudolf offered, putting on his best smile despite the woman having her back turned against him as she examined the mess that was his office, shaking her head as she did.
"Words are that you are a private investigator of some renown."
"Hmm, I guess? Mostly I only got jobs to seek information on missing people. Or tailing someone. But I did my best, even though people cannot afford to pay...much these days, and I can barely make ends meet. Sorry if I sound like complaining," Rudolf replied while searching his drawer for a clean cloth. Much to his relief, he found one, which he offered to the woman. She took it without saying anything and began drying her hair.
"Hmph. Someone I knew well spoke highly of you enough to convince me to come all the way here. You better convince me it would be worth it."
Who would be crazy enough to say that? Anyway, now, I remember why she looks familiar. She is that KANSEN, Admiral Hipper, isn't she? Goodness, she is as temperamental as her reputation made her be.
"Well, I am sure whoever that person is, they are exaggerating, but I suppose I at least would hear what you need," said Rudolf as he walked to his desk. Hipper responded to the casual remark with a scoff.
"...Fine."
Hipper took a photo from within her coat and shoved it to the man. "I need you to find information on the woman in that photo. I'm sure you know who she is."
Who doesn't? Rudolf thought as he saw the photograph; that person caused such a stir back then.
"This is...you want me to find the whereabouts of...Prinz Eugen?...Really?"
"Do I look like I'm joking...? I heard you are very well-connected. Shouldn't be too much of a problem for you."
Rudolf leaned on his chair, thinking. Was it really a good idea to accept? Sounds less risky than what he did back then, but he was not as desperate for money this time. Indeed, he would be arrested if he snooped around the military, but if one's careful enough, he figured it wouldn't be a problem, but still...
"...You do know that she is probably not in Germany anymore, don't you?" After a while, he asked, and when Hipper grudgingly nodded, he went on, "and you also know if I try to dig for information, the occupation force might take notice? A risky job, if you ask me."
"And here I thought you needed money? I can pay you a handsome sum; make it worth your while. I could be persuaded to pay more if you don't ask too much. So stop beating around the bush and name your price," Hipper replied, but much to her anger Rudolf decided it was a fair idea to pester her with more questions, especially the ones she didn't want to hear.
"...Sorry if I sound rude, but...Suppose you know where to find your sister...what will you do to her?"
Instinctively gripping her left arm―and wincing as if she was in pain, Hipper shot a glare at the man, who balked at the furious look she gave him, though he regained his composure rather quickly.
"What is your business with that?!"
"Nothing, I know, I have no business with that. And I'm sorry if I offended you just because I'm curious. But you know, I believe in this whole 'blood is thicker than water' thing. Somehow I don't think you want to find your long-lost sister just for...revenge. I don't believe you are acting on behalf of the Kriegsmarine either. The way I see it, you cared enough for her to act on your own."
"Huh? Wh-who...You—don't talk as if you know what happened!"
"Oh, but as you said before, I'm well-connected. I heard things such as―"
"Che. You are annoying; I'm only interested in getting answers from her. But you are right about the Kriegsmarine . I'm going my own way in this. Are you going to help me or not?"
She waited for a response, but Rudolf stayed silent, as if deep in thought, the fingers of his left hand tapping the desk while his chin rested on his right. Hipper sighed at that—not one out of anger but more out of disappointment.
"Well, then. I suppose I'm just wasting my time here since you cannot help me. Goodbye." Hipper turned to leave, even with the rain still going about outside; just as she was about to reach the doorknob,
"Look, I can't promise you anything, but this I can say; I travel a lot, I heard a lot. Maybe, just maybe, I will come across something about your sister through some sort of luck. If I ever find one, I will let you know. A word of warning, though; don't expect anything."
Hipper looked back from where she stood; her frown remained, but she had a smirk on her lips.
"Heh. Just look for me in Kielhafen when you do. And..." Hipper took something else out of her coat and slammed it on the small table near the door.
"Consider that advance payment, you penniless detective."
"...Thanks, I guess?"
With one last huff, Hipper turned her back on the man once more, her body language indicating that she wouldn't take another question. Before long, she had already disappeared into the rain.
Rudolf waited until she was out of sight before going to the table to see what she had left. There were several wet banknotes stuck together because of moisture, scattered haphazardly. They were not the near-worthless Reichsmark either, but Great Britain Pound―God knows where she got them. Shrugging, Rudolf went to his desk and put the money inside the drawer before pouring himself a cup of coffee.
Well, it's about time to work.
Have I been asleep?
How long?
How come?
And what is this...pain?
Prinz Eugen managed to force her eyes open with great difficulty, if only slightly; that was all she could think of doing. Before, she had wished to return to that long slumber just so the pain would go away, but she could not.
Her vision was blurry, but she was aware that someone was currently fiddling with her left arm as she lay on the bed.
Odd, she realized, I couldn't feel any sensation there.
"Sto-stop that."
To her dismay, her voice was weak, but the person did leave her arm alone. He examined her entire being for a brief moment before turning to another occupant of the room.
"She's awake," was all the man said, his voice indifferent.
"Hmm, good. What about the extent of the damages?"
"Frankly, I'm still unsure; I need to run a few more tests, but now that she awakens, perhaps you need to talk her into going along with it. Maybe a psychiatrist could help too. Oh, one more thing, make sure she doesn't try to move that left arm too much, or my work will be ruined."
"Very well, doctor. You may go."
Test?
Damages?
By the time the other man left the room, Eugen had regained her eyesight. She noticed that she was in what seemed to be a hospital ward, which was strikingly empty; she also noticed that parts of her body were covered in bandages.
And lastly, she saw a man―a naval officer judging from his uniform and a high-ranking one at that―though he seemed too young for that position, she thought. But then again, promotions like that were not unheard of.
Eugen followed the man's every movement with her eyes as he walked towards her bed. She watched as he took a seat by the bedside, took his officer cap off, and set it aside at the end table before turning his attention towards her.
"Ah, hello. I'm sure you don't know me..."
Well, of course, I don't; I don't even know where I am.
"I'm Captain Jeremiah Halsey, US Navy; you can say I'm the commander of this naval base."
The introduction, Eugen noted, surprisingly lacked that sort of self-important tone she so very often heard from career officers―at least the ones she had the misfortune of knowing so far.
"Right now, I'm sure you have many questions, am I right?"
Damn right, I am.
She waited for him to speak further, and when he did not, she realized he was expecting her to ask something. Well, in that case, she had plenty.
"Aren't you too young to be a captain, herr kommandant?"
If it weren't for the pain, Eugen would have laughed at his somewhat surprised face as if he didn't expect her first question to be something like that. He recovered remarkably quickly, nevertheless.
"I got that a lot. But really, fräulein Eugen, I'm turning forty-six this year. I suppose you can say I aged well."
"Heh. Why did I even ask that; damn old habits die hard. You said this is a US Navy base? How did I get here?"
"True. This is Naval Station Pearl Harbor-"
"Ah, the one that the Japanese attacked..."
"...Sadly, yes. But let's not talk about that. Now, as to why you are here..."
"No-Wait. No. It's not important. Tell me. Where is he?!"
Even with the sudden shift, Halsey was hardly surprised.
"... It's about your...captain, is it...?"
"You...You know...?"
"News travels fast, fräulein Eugen, despite the ongoing war. What your captain did, even we in the Pacific knew."
"Then you tell me where he is! Ugh..."
"Please, don't move around too much. Your body has not fully recovered yet."
"Don't tell me what I already know! Tell...me...where is kapitant...?"
Seeing that Eugen was on the verge of breaking down, Halsey reached forward and held her hand gently. He didn't know whether the gesture would calm the woman before him, but it was worth a try. After all, it seemed to work for Enterprise even after the hell that was Midway.
"I'm sorry; I wish I could provide an answer...But I can't."
It took a while, but Eugen finally calmed down―or at least appeared to be. She did stop trembling; however, she's yet to stop staring blankly at the door. Halsey held her hand a little longer for good measure.
"He is dead, isn't he?"
"Well, not necessarily; let's not make a hasty assumption like that."
"...And to think, he'd always say, 'you'll be the death of me someday, Eugen.' Haha. If only I hadn't begged him to take me along, he wouldn't have...he wouldn't have...to..."
"Fräulein, stop. He might not be dead, okay? I will try...I will try to find information regarding his whereabouts, alright? Stop beating yourself up for it; it'll help nobody."
Eugen turned her gaze away from the door to the man beside her. She looked rightfully skeptical, but for just a moment, there was a glint of hopefulness in her eyes. Halsey wondered if it was the best course of action to make promises like that; from what little he knew of her situation, he assumed even his small circle of informants, including those in Great Britain, would not be able to help him on this matter.
Then again, he only promised he would try, not a success. There should be no harm in that.
"...And why would you do that much for someone like me? Why..?"
Halsey withdrew his hand, rose from his seat, and then walked to the window, casting his gaze to the open sea. He was silent for a moment before finally speaking.
"Oh, well, I suppose that's because I just sympathize with you."
Eugen blinked, just blinked. That would be the first time she heard something like that in years, and she honestly didn't know what to make of it. Sympathy? For her? Before, she would just dismiss that as a bad joke and perhaps respond with her own sarcastic retort.
But he did sound sincere about it, infuriatingly so, even.
"Oh, don't look at me like that; I am serious."
"Oh. Sorry. It's just..."
"Not a lot share the same sentiment, yeah? I know. I'll be honest with you. With this...war over, my colleagues, my superiors, hell, maybe a lot of people, believed the Siren threat to be over. And with that, there is a growing sentiment that you...KANSENs like you are most likely no longer needed. That you pose as much threat as the very beings that you were born to fight...or maybe it's always there...unseen...I don't know."
"But what does that have to-"
"Oh, allow me to tell a little story. Years ago, I had the honor to meet three people who... let's just say they changed me, so to speak. Perhaps you know about Yorktown, Enterprise, and Hornet? KANSENs just like you. I was just fresh out of Annapolis when the first war against the Sirens broke out; they eventually put me in the Pacific Fleet, along with them...the so-called 'secret weapons,' humanity's last hope against these...invaders. But the problem is, the more I spent time with them, the more difficult it was for me to see them as...well, that. They'd sometimes cry; they'd at times laugh; they could feel pain, no different than me."
"...You are saying you see KANSENs as human beings...?"
"Exactly; otherwise, do you think I would trouble myself with your predicament? Let you...die?"
"..."
Halsey waited for a response, but all Eugen gave to him was a derisive snort; she just couldn't help it, even though that simple action caused jolts of pain to run through her body.
"Look at me; everything I ever cared about was gone. And now here I am, awake in a strange place, covered in wounds I don't know from where...and have to hear such sweet lies from someone I've never met before. Life is as strange as it is cruel."
Eugen turned again towards Halsey, expecting him to look offended, but to her surprise, he did not, or at least he hid it well.
"Well, I can understand if you feel that way. But personally, I'm not too keen on lying; that's more the Congress' job, you see."
"Ha. Then surely, you...want something in return? A kiss, perhaps? Or..."
Halsey made a note to call the base psychiatrist later—or at least a counselor—before shaking his head.
"No, that wouldn't be necessary. But..." he stroked his chin for a moment, hesitating, "...if I will need your aid in the future, will you consider it? That's all I ask."
"Aid...you say? As in, in war, is that it?"
"Not necessarily. But then again, as I said before, I believe the Siren threat is far from over."
Eugen gritted her teeth to endure another bout of pain. "Patch me up, and you might have a deal," she finally said.
"You sure know how to bargain. I take it I have gained your trust now?"
Returning the smile with a smirk of her own, Eugen replied, "...maybe. At the very least, I won't give you a hard time."
"I see. Thank you. Perhaps you want to know something else before I leave? Sorry, but I need to go in a moment," said Halsey as he returned the pocket watch he was looking at earlier back to his breast pocket.
"...You said something about the OSS earlier...What are they?"
Halsey leaned back on his chair; this might take quite some time to explain. Still, he could afford to be a little late.
"Office of Strategic Services, our intelligence agency. They were established for various purposes, like assisting the Army and Naval Intelligence. Their closest partnerships among the Allies are with the Secret Intelligence Service and the Special Operations Executive. Are these names familiar to you...?"
"...No...?"
"I'm not surprised. They're the British intelligence services; here's where you...and Captain Reiner enter the picture. You don't remember anything from the past year, do you?"
Eugen pressed her right hand to her forehead and realized she did remember nothing.
"No...But how...? I remember coming along with kapitant ...he...we...are planning to defect to the British to try to broker at least a truce...and then...and then what?"
Halsey sighed, unsure whether she would take what he wanted to say well, but he decided to do it anyway; she deserved to know, he told himself.
"Well, does the Denmark Strait ring any bell?"
"...!"
"Yes, fräulein. The Royal Navy has many excuses to screw you over, particularly Operation Rheinübung. Here's what I know―their Directorate of Naval Intelligence arranged for either the SIS or SOE to hand you over to the OSS as a prize when the war was over."
"But how? I would've known..."
"Not when you are in what was basically a coma. Standard fail-safe procedure for KANSENs, little-known among them... It'd render your Wisdom Cube inert for an unspecified amount of time. Thankfully, our civilian collaborator knows how to reverse the process, but you might feel a little weird for a few days."
Oh. That explains it. Why I can't remember anything, can't feel anything before I woke up. Do I want to know how I got these wounds, though? Somehow I got an inkling how, but...
"...And what about these...wounds?" Eugen noticed Halsey hesitating again before continuing.
"From what I could gather...while the OSS ostensibly support the war efforts of both branches of the military, they also, in secret, conduct research for the Army; on how a KANSEN operates—maybe they want to make their own, I don't know. And the British, not wanting to get their hands dirty, had you handed over to be dissected and eventually dismantled," Halsey finished, noticing Eugen gripping the bedsheets and the fury in her eyes.
"...I see. I've been wondering just what that strange feeling I have had since I woke up...So it's really a feeling...that I've been violated...those schweinehunde ...And you...how did you..."
"Let's just say it helps to have friends in the right places; I'm sorry, I have to go now. I will arrange for the Nurse Corps to attend to your needs. And don't be shocked if Dr. Keppler comes to check on you; he's a bit...odd, but you can trust him. I hope you rest well," Halsey said as he rose from his seat and put his officer cap back on before taking one last look at Eugen; she seemed okay for now, possible trauma notwithstanding. From the way her lips quiver, it's apparent she's struggling to say something; Halsey gestured for her to get a rest and left without another word.
Now left alone, Eugen felt a little regretful that she didn't get to thank him before, but she would say it anyway; she would rest easier that way.
"Vielen dank, herr kommandant."