For your eyes only, Excerpt on the situation in the United Kingdom, early 2014
As in our last quaterly report, the situation of the United Kingdom can be summed up as good in several aspects, precarious in others.
Our Home Islands were not hit as hard by the changes as others, at least in complicating changes. In total numbers of changes in landscape, we have one of the highest amount, but as said before, these mutations we can live with. While in the first months the situation with many new lakes, woods, moors, and hills was a bedlam, infrastructure construction finally overcame the challenges of the new landscape. For comparison, the Merkins and the Chinese still try to find a solution to several inhibiting alterations wrought onto their lands by THE EVENT.
The economical situation is still near rock bottom and is expected to stay there for the time being. No matter what we thought of Germany, we feel the loss very keenly. The destruction of the Eurozone, which was dead the moment Germany was gone, we weathered well with our Pound, but the end of the EU is near. And it will hit us harder than we like to believe. We did not only lose our biggest trade partner, but a lot of our companies produced for Germany and her industries. Transportation on the continent is shot to hell, pardon my French, with Germany most of the important East-West and North-South routes are gone and it is still unclear when new routes can be build. The European economy, including us, tumbled down since THE EVENT, the only reason this did not have worse outcomes lies in the fact, that the world economy came to a screaming halt as well. Everyone suffers.
At least, the food situation is acceptabe. While the prices are up, we still can import enough to feed our population, something several other nations cannot and worse, not only the usual suspects.
Fields before Naggaroth, a day after the Battle
41,42,43…Areta Bane was a part of a team composed from various Druchii units that counted the enemy dead. As could be expected from the Druchii there were elaborate rules about distributing the loot. There were rules of seniority, of heroic deeds done, about the size of the units in question and many more.
Lord Silverhawk had chosen to apply one of the most basic ones, the loot would be divided by proportion of enemy killed or captured from the total. This time there was something new to the rule-all killed with bullet holes would automatically be counted for the Auxilia. And boy, where there a lot of killed by rifle fire. The loot would go to the Auxilia by a fraction of 80% if the count would continue to run as till now and there was no reason why it should not be so.
Of course they could not transport such a huge amount of loot, which meant that the Auxilia would sell a lot of what they could not carry to the other units at bargain-basement prices which would serve to keep them of being too resentful-and the fact that the Auxilia had an absolutely fearsome reputation by now, only enhanced by the body count.
The battle had also served to weld the Auxilia and the German heavy weapons platoon together to a much larger degree than before. The Auxilia had a healthy respect for the carnage the Germans had wrought and the heavy weapons operators were impressed that the Druchii had stood and defended them so ably. For those who were on the march to the 1st day battle there was also the shared experience of wanting to march the others into the ground. She already dreaded the way back-better boots were definitively high on the list of things she would buy from her share. One of the Germans had recommended something he called "Springerstiefel" (Paratroop Boots), she would look at it when she was back in Neustadt.
Temple of Shallya, Altdorf, at Night
Joakim Vos had a hard time sleeping-his arm and his ankle hurt despite the medicine he received. The screw-and- lever arrangement that kept the bones in his arm where they belonged looked horrifying and kept him from sleeping on his side as he would have preferred.
All of that was not so much of a hindrance to sleep as the thoughts that were running around in his head from in an endless loop. "If we would have been more circumspect we would not have been discovered. If I would have checked on that Klootzak Stumpy more we would not have flooded the Skaven and they would not have made the assault on Altdorf. A lot of people would be alive if I..
"Can`t sleep Joakim?"
"Hi Henrik, no, not really." Major Gerber, his friend and superior was in uniform instead of his preferred Heavy Metal outfit yet it showed the rumpling of clothes worn a long time in one go. Both men could have cared less.
"That thing hurts too much?"
"Yes, that too, but mostly…other things."
"Let me guess-you think all this is your fault, right?"
"If I had been more careful with the relay or supervised the placing of the charges better nobody needed to die"
"I think the Skaven had something to do with it, quite a lot in fact."
"Still, I should have been better."
"Where? We do not know much about the reaction of electronics to warpstone radiation and using drones for the recon was the approved plan of the mission-forget it. We all knew it was risky and deemed the info gained worth the price. The charges are a different matter and really – the dwarf overdosed there and you should have spotted that. But it was extremely unlikely that you would actually let the Reik into that warren. I have talked to some people that should know better and they were amazed that the explosion did that. I think you missed something and went unlucky-so not do it again."
"And that is supposed to make me feel better? A great lot of people a dead because I missed something and was unlucky. Is that making them alive again?"
"No of course not and I am not saying that getting your head around that will be easy. But it can be done. And if you want to cheer yourself up: Imagine if the Skaven would have come up when it suited them, not when they were surprised. If all the bleeding rats that we killed outside Altdorf would have been inside the city for example we would have been in really dire straits and not claim victory with a city more or less intact. I of all people should know. And that is the opinion of everybody from Oberst Grube up to Reiksmarshall Hellborg himself. There is a simple truth in warfare-shit happens. Somebody still has to do the job, and I would prefer it to be you. Now my question is: Can you live with that and continue to serve?"
"Uff-yes, I think I can-provided that I get back together right."
"Speaking of that-how are you at present-physically?"
"Broke Ulna and Radius-in several places, that`s why I have this, Ankle is also bust up and some of the ribs need mending. One broke off pretty badly, they had to reinflate a lung. The good news is that the Order went after by broken vertebra big-time. Nerve is back together and they mended the bone so well that there is no need to stabilize it. Everything works as it should in the legs and my non-existent girlfriend will also not complain. A bleeding miracle-or better put, pure magic. By the way, do you know that one of the guys who did that is the same who helped to get your fiancé out of the brown matter?"
"No, I knew he worked here, but that he is in so deeply-he is a German after all and a man. What the fuck is he doing here?"
We`ll find out, he promised me another beer sooner or later."
"Do that-but we still need to talk."
Joakim drew in the breath-he had expected the bad news sooner or later. Nor only that he had fucked up-he would be in for a long haul of recuperation and his full recovery was not certain. The 1st Kaiserlich-deutsche Landwehr was an elite outfit-they had no place for the slow or crippled in their combat companies.
"We both know you will not be in any shape for quite some time and I have to plug the hole you left-somehow. In your team there is nobody who can take over in a flash-so I need to put in an outsider. Taking him out after a year or so would be a bad deal for everybody-so what am I to do?"
"Don`t play Henrik-you know already. Give me the straight news already."
"And bad news they are, you will stop earning your living in a honest way. The Landwehr will expand again and for that we need Officers. I would prefer somebody who has seen the elephant-and whom I trust. So of to berlin you go-in 6 weeks they start a new OCS course for warrants and you will be on it-if you want."
"Uh-me. Well, if you think so…."
"Yes, I do. And now I get some much needed beauty-sleep and so should you."
Joakim Vos still could not sleep-he felt a little bit better about himself, but really asked himself how life would be in a year or so. When he finally found sleep it was the first time since the battle he did not see the crib.
Tavern "Falcon and Hammer", same time
Jan-Eric Prelle felt great-and full. He had already a bowl of a good mushroom soup and some excellent Chicken. Others might think it a little long on salt and some spices and low on pepper but for him it was ok. He had used his own knife to cut on the bread that was put under each course and there was no fork-but the tavern had provided a wooden spoon for everyone.
"Another wine Medic?"
"Thanks Ellen, that would be fine"
The bar maid that bend forward to fill up the earthen mug was at the age when they were all beautiful if they were not seriously overweight or had a hunchback-and she had neither but a very nice cleavage that she used to advantage.
The next round brought was a pork roast done with some bacon and a rich gravy sauce. The young medic thought he was in culinary heaven. The food cooked in the field kitchens was not really bad but after several days it paled considerably. That and the chance to dine at a restaurant so far away from home-something that they usually could not do had lured him and some other volunteers of St. Johns away into a tavern that Father Stein had recommended to them.
A flute player and a musician using something like a cut-down guitar were accompanying a bard who was from time to time singing one of the more popular ballads-"Valten`s Stand" seemed to be the current favorite and everybody dropped a few coins to the artists.
It was a great evening-after the first few mugs of wine and "Bärenfang" they had accepted that the locals looked a lot at the strangers and had some conversation with them, the food was great and they could tell another story at home about how they were in Altdorf. Some almond milk rounded off the dinner then it was time to go, tomorrow was another day of non-stop work. Holding his hand up, Jan-Eric signaled the Innkeeper, a 40-ish big man with a scar that went right under his eye patch.
"Master Weyland, how much are we due together?"
The dark look that he got made the medic fear for an exaggerated bill or a verbal blasting for having violated some tradition.
"You are the medics, right? The volunteers who came here to pick up the pieces?"
"Yes Master"
"And you think your money is any good here? After all you and your kind did? As long as you are here it will be an honor to invite you."
The sheepish look by the medics provided for a booming laugh and a lot of back-slapping and rounds of thanks. The volunteers were wise enough to leave a substantial tip when leaving and while they dreaded getting up in a few hours they all would revere the evening for a long, long time. They did not do their service for thanks-but when it was appreciated it was a high time. And like this, that was incredible.
The Tavern showed the photo of the helpers with their handwritten thanks for years and offer something they swore it was Maser`s original goulash for years. The volunteers would tell the tale for at least as long.
"Rancid Shark", Tavern in the Altdorf tavern quarters, same time
Wenn du durch die Straßen gehst
Sollst du leise sein
Wenn du tust wovon du träumst
Sollst du leise sein
Wenn du siehst woran du glaubst
Sollst du leise sein
Wenn du sagst was du denkst
Sollst du leise sein
Wenn du fühlst das du lebst
Sollst du leise sein
Wenn du küsst was du liebst
Sollst du leise sein
Wenn du weißt wer du bist
Sollst du leise sein
Wenn du spürst das du anders bist
Dann musst du lauter schreien
Freiheit
Ich will nicht leise sein
Freiheit
Ich will noch lauter schreien
Freiheit
Ich will nicht leise sein
Freiheit
Ich will noch lauter schreien
Wenn du weißt was du willst
Sollst du leise sein
Wenn du siehst was du hasst
Sollst du leise sein
Wenn du fühlst dass du hoffst
Sollst du leise sein
Wenn du spürst das du anders bist
Dann musst du lauter schreien
Freiheit
Wenn ich spüre, dass ich sterbe
Dann will ich leise sein
Wenn ich fühle das ich lebe
Dann will ich lauter schreien
Freedom
shhhhhhhht
When you're going through the streets
You should be quiet
When you're doing something you dream about
You should be quiet
If you see something you believe in
You should be quiet
When you say what you're thinking
You should be quiet
When you feel that you're alive
You should be quiet
When you're kissing somebody you love
You should be quiet
When you know who you are
You should be quiet
When you realize that you're different
Then you've got to shout louder
Freedom, Freedom
I don't want to be quiet
Freedom, Freedom
I don't want to be quiet
Freedom, Freedom
I want to shout even louder
Freedom, Freedom
I don't want to be quiet
Freedom, Freedom
I want to shout even louder
When I feel that I'm dying
Then I'll be quiet
When I feel that I'm alive
Then I want to shout louder
Freedom, Freedom
I don't want to be quiet
Freedom, Freedom
I want to shout even louder
Freedom, Freedom
I don't want to be quiet
Freedom, Freedom
I want to shout even louder
watch?v=KcrurFR8abI
The boom box blasted the song through a tavern lit by oil lanterns and candles. It blasted by Longshoremen, hustlers, toughs, whores and a small group of Cave Raiders. It had been the 3rd repetition called for by acclamation and by now a lot of guests were singling with the box. It enhanced the already good mood in the tavern but did nothing to enhance the musical qualities. By that time most of the patrons were too far gone or never cared at all.
The Altdorf harbor was one of the first parts of the town to receive electricity as it was far too valuable in the loading and unloading business not to have-and that would have reduced the profits of Germans and Imperials both. That did not mean it was piped into every home and hostel, yet a little shunt was now taking a tiny little bit away and brought it into the tavern. It was sure to be noticed-and Jerremy Conelius would make sure that nothing would come from that. The Boom box and the electricity were the gift of a lanky German who sat at one of the better tables, enjoying himself grandly with his comrades, a floozy on his lap and a glass of mead in his hand.
Ambling over the mobster made sure he went into the Germans field of view far enough that he would not be too surprised. He had pegged this German as not so dangerous as the others with him and had revised this assessment quickly after the battle. He might be soft-spoken and more interested in his eldritch toys that in a straight-up fight but he had been death against the Skaven and the confrontation at the end of the Battle had left him knowing he came off second best-and lucky.
"Ah Cornelius, my favorite innkeeper, what can I do for you?"
"I wanted to that you again for your gift-it will enhance this humble sty beyond its station. You and yours will always be welcome here." The effect of the solemn speech was slightly taken off by the giggling woman attending to Neugebauer. Given where she had her hands she probably had a different idea about welcome.
"Don`t fash yourself Cornelius-I told you if the Grenades show up good things would happen to you-and this is the best way I could say thanks."
"No need, we went into combat together to save this quarter and to bury the rats. Tell you what-you bring new music the next time you come here and the visit is on me."
"Deal"
Kampfkunstcenter (Martitial Arts Center) Passau, South Germany, next afternoon
Jean of Dubois turned barely under the approaching quarterstaff and used both his upper body and his arms to move his wooden weapon into the gap that had been presented to him. It barely connected with the midriff of his opponent as he managed to turn his staff vertically so it slowed and diverted Jean`s.
Jumping backward and sliding the staff to 3/4th forwards the former Bretonian stabbed his weapon forward. This time it evaded any parry and connected squarely with his opponent`s chest.
Lifting the sparring weapon in one hand he claimed his hit and signaled the end to the mock combat. Both men shed the heavily padded training suits as fast as they could. While the staffs they used were padded their momentum could still break bones so they had to use heavily armored suits under which combat was doubly hard.
His opponent was past 40, towered over his 1,7 meters by at least 15 cm and showed all signs of having lost some weight during recently. The latter was not uncommon-while Germany was able to feed its population calorie-wise many foods were no longer available or rather expensive. On top of that fuel rationing had forced people to use bikes much more or simply hoof it.
"That was much better Andy. Before we finished you nearly had me, and that time before also."
"Nearly does not cut it-but we can train some more next Baekertag, right?"
"For sure. I`ll be here until the harvest season is back, then I will cut asparagus again for a while."
"A good thing. I thought I was already pretty good with the staff and then you show me different."
"Ah, come on. It is one of the few weapons the bleeding "nobles" allow us and when it is the only thing between you and a goblin or a wolf you are properly motivated to do it right."
"I thought so. I`ll take a quick lunch here, how about you?"
"Delighted to join."
30 Minutes later the two men were sitting in a small cafeteria close to the Martitial Arts center and were enjoying a Meat Loaf with mashed potatoes.
"So Jean, have you thought more about what we talked about?"
"Andy Thorpe, you are right, sorry, but I still think it is too dangerous. I am no hero for starters and it would put the serfs in great danger if we are caught."
"Did you think so when you ran away?"
"I did not think at all when I ran away, and I was dead luck, I recognize that now."
"Ah, can`t hurt by asking right. Is your DVD-player still working?"
"Yes, why?"
"Because I have something new for you"
"Oh thanks."
Some hours later Jean put the DVD in the small DVD player the Englishman had given him. A documentary-nice, he liked those. He was still trying to learn so much and feared that it would never stop. He was barely able to read and write now so learning by video had added charm.
It was a bio pic, about a woman called Harriet Tubman. He had to stop it several times as watching it was increasingly hard. Harriet Tubman had been black, female, small and ill for most of her life. And she had smuggled more than 70 slaves out of the US South than anybody else. If she could do it, he no excuse in this world or another one not to try.
Time to see if Andy Thorpe was really up to his words-and Jean suspected that he was.
Elysee, Paris, evening of the next day
Francois Hollande was looking at the reporter sitting on the opposite side of the diminutive antique table. He had seen the date for the interview which had been placed by his normally quite efficient Chief-of-Staff and was not sure what he was doing here. Writing for the Huffington Post? Anybody could do that. But at least he did not seem to be a risk, he wanted to talk about the economy and not about his mistress-or the change thereof again. Hollande`s approval rating were currently about 19%-if the data was from favorable sources- and so any chance to gain better publicity was highly welcome.
The reporter was a rail thin, bald as an egg and sported a goatee and mustache. The most remarkable feature about him was the piercing blue eyes and something about the iris was off. But enough of that, he had to present his side of things.
"Yes Mr. Crowlair, France has been harder hit that other EU members by the disapreance of Germany. Germany accounted for 16% of our imports and exports. The Event devastated the Netherlands and Belgium economically-also important trade partners. And on top of that the deep cooperation between Germany and France meant that a lot of French companies found themselves out of smaller or bigger parts that were manufactured in Germany before. Airbus for example had to reorganize most of their production while Boeing was not similarly affected.
France is reknown for the quality and huge range of agricultural products. With the reorganization of the EU`s finances the agricultural subsidies were slashed brutally-and 10% of all Frenchmen still earn their living in this field.
We faced other costs as well we would never have dreamt about-we have to place extensive armed forces at our border to the New Territories as beings we once thought to be right out of a fantasy book assault our citizens. And our armed forces have taken a lead in pacifying the Wilderness that now stretches clear to Eastern Europe. All of this costs money we can ill afford to spend.
On the other hand there is lots of good news as well. Our car makers put themselves into many slots that the Germans have vacated and I am sure that we will see genius car maker such as Citroen shortly launch worthy successors to the DS and the traction avant. We had to invest to take up the slack at Airbus left by the Germans, but soon this plane maker will be a French-only giant of the Skies. And when the road and rail connections to Eastern Europe are finished we will see a growth of trade again. I assure you that the talk about inflexible socialist France that cannot adapt to the world we find ourselves in is just that-talk."
The French President saw something in these deep eyes he had not seen in quite a while. Normally when he gave this speech-the "It will become better soon speech"-he was looked at with skepticism at best and amusement at worst. He knew himself that he was between a rock and a hard place-the French state had always taken a huge part of the National GNP and had to deliver both to its industry and the people. The reduction in income meant he could satisfy neither and whatever compromise he found satisfied nobody. The tendency for long, violent and often infrastructure-paralyzing demonstrations at the slightest sign of social services degradation did not help anything at all. But here he was believed-somebody took him for real.
"Monsieur Hollande, I have the greatest understanding for the challenges that France has to undergo and I am sure that you will be able to steer your great country into smoother waters. Let me ask you a final question: What do you want?"
The change in his interview partner was interesting to watch, such a question at this junction should cause incredulity or confusion-and it did, for about 2 seconds. Then you could see the back of his none-too-big conversation partner straightening and the fire going off in the eyes.
"What do it want-I want France restored to its former Glory as Le Grande Nation, as a power respected throughout the world. I want a strong economy that provides jobs to all people, well-paying jobs that that my countrymen can fill with pride and make a decent living for their families with them instead of flipping burgers or living on the dole. I want the means of making all of that happen."
"That is a worthy wish Monsieur la Presidente. I know people who share these wishes and I think some of them will contact you soon"
He walked out of the office of the slightly dazed looking French President after some meaningless pleasantries, efficiently guided by the Elysee`s aides. Just in time-it was very hard to dose THC just right and give Ml`kan enough of his mind to work the small miracles he was capable of. Like influencing the minds of the not-so-strong-willed or desperate. And his THC dose was just wearing off. Any more would not be good, the lesser servant of Tzeench had a serious like for laying beautiful women. While Alan Crowlair shared that he thought that simply taking that gorgeous secretary right then and there would have been socially awkward-and he had gotten another phone number anyway.
Imperial Palace, Altdorf, next Morning
The virtual sand under Emperor Karl-Franz`s eyes was gone by now, he merely felt totally exhausted-situation nearly normal. He had wedged in a meeting with his closest advisors before he had to face the joint disaster management staff again for preparation.
"So Gentlemen, give me the bad news, Marshall?"
"Actually-there are not so many bad news. As of yesterday evening we called the military operations off-we have detected no groups of Skaven either inside or outside of Altdorf. There will be some, that is for sure, but nothing the Watch cannot handle. The Bundeswehr wants to pull back their Paratroopers and I say let them. We should be able to handle any group of stranglers that will crop up.
Who really needs to stay are the volunteers-they house, feed and treat both the soldiers and civilians and without them we get problems. They will be needed for at least another week, after that we can slowly send them home.
As for our own troops, they present a very mixed picture. Wolf Dragoons got off extremely well with low losses and have made good their ammo expenditure already from the newly arrived stocks. The 1st Kaiserlich-deutsche Landwehr has incurred nearly 25% losses as they had to take up a lot of house-to-house clearing. Of these losses nearly 10% are either killed in action or crippling injuries, so the unit should be back at full strength in 2 months.
The Reiksguard Altdorf Detachment has suffered even worse, with some units suffering up to 50% losses while others were getting off nearly free. We will have to fold some units into each other, recruit and train new ones.
As an aside, I have received a glowing praise and recommendation for the 2/4th company from the Ulthuan ambassador. If this is not a first I do not know what is. It seems that his troops fought the Skaven together with the Reiksguard.
I will look up the ambassador after the crisis has quieted down a little bit, this is too good to let it slide.
Then I hear that the great Theogonist of Sigmar wants to hold some ceremony for the volunteers-I have no idea what has gotten into him, this is not his style. But he asks for your Highness attendance if possible.
The Germans are already calling for a "lessons-learned" meeting and we should prepare our unit reports accordingly."
"Not so bad as I thought, yes. I`ll talk to Volkmar and see what I can do. Johnsen, what can the City Administration tell me."
"Highness, as the fighting is over we can now inspect more and more homes for any remaining Skaven or their corpses. We have to remove these and disinfect the homes before anybody can return as the rats corpses are known to causes diseases. This is of course only necessary in the parts of the city where fighting was known to happen.
This will still take time, and we still have upwards of 10,000 homeless and this situation will only become better during the next weeks. Fortunately we can currently house them in a combination of tents, opened temples and warehouses and "Containers" which the Germans have lent us.
For food the situation is actually good-very few warehouses were burned or looted and the Germans have donated lots of food and are providing mobile kitchens to provide for those who cannot help themselves. Good drinking water is provided by the "THW" who operate freshly dug wells and drive water trailers to those parts of the town that so there are few problems.
The Germans are taking a lot of our more heavily injured; no matter whether civilian or military, into Germany for better treatment; this has lessened the pressure on the Order of Shallya and the other healers considerably.
We do face the problem that the fighting itself and uncontrolled fires have destroyed a lot of houses which will have to be rebuilt. This is going to cost serious money."
"There might be a solution to that-but before we get to Minher von Kluck-what about epidemics?"
"I have talked to the Head of Disaster Management and to our own healers-if nothing extremely sinister happens then we have avoided that bullet. As decent food and water was available very early, as nobody needs to freeze and the bodies are buried or disposed of-were this not such a serious matter I would be on no epidemics."
"That would be a miracle-even if a mostly man-made one. Von Kluck?"
"We got the latest tally from the German Red Cross who coordinate the donations given to the Empire from Germany. Ever since the Storm of Chaos there are donations from Germans towards the Empire so we can help the needy. Since the rats emerged there has been a surge in such donations and the current available amount is 531 Million Euro, roughly 443 Million Crowns. On top of that the German government has made additional funds available and is willing to extend another credit at favorable rates. A lot of this money will be used by the German charity organizations and we will be expected to use German companies in reconstruction too, but on a purely monetary basis we are better off than we were 6 months before."
"Sigmar wept. What poses the Germans to grant us that much money-that should exceed our annual taxes by quite ab bit."
"The Red Cross told me that this is not so uncommon in Germany-they have granted more 10 years ago when a "Tsunami" a great flood killed my people in a faraway country."
"Von Kluck-make sure that this money is used as intended-if the German media ever gets a whiff that some idiot "reconstructed" his palace with this money we are so fucked."
"That will be difficult."
"You spot it-I`ll handle it."
Kanzleramt, Berlin, roughly the same time
In the Germany of 3 years ago there had been no such things as a regular "Science Briefing" for the government. Now that Germany had switched Universes new developments turned up every other day and many had repercussions on the nations survival.
Having a doctorate as a physical chemist Angela Merkel enjoyed them far more than most cabinet members and was known for the more intelligent questions.
Dr. Ingo Pforr was usually given the briefings as his presentation skills exceeded the bone-dry lecture-style performances by his predecessors considerably and so far had not send any cabinet member into an early sleep.
The screen in front of the audience showed a huge knife of strange proportions and material but obviously excellent craftsmanship.
"This knife was obtained on Christmas Eve by Paratroopers tasked with evacing the Sami which went with us in the Weltensprung. It was given to one of the soldiers as a gift by somebody taken to be a Primarch of the Space Wolves-here we talk about another universe if it is true. The steel part of this knife is a single iron crystal, giving the blade an incredible strength, flexibility and heat resistance. Actually we did not know that such a thing can be done-there are some interesting components in the alloy-and we currently investigating how to copy that.
We originally thought the blades edge were a synthetic diamond-but we found that to be wrong. The whole edge is a single carbon atom, the biggest Buckminster Fullerene we have ever seen. Actually some of my colleagues still argue whether this thing can exist. This thing cuts through literally anything and the simple fact that we know it can be made allows us to steer research into that direction.
In the long run even more interesting the equipment that is below the Norsca cave should hold a lot of interesting lessons for us. I hear that the local tribes would be amendable to an alliance with Germany-we really should take that opportunity."
"Thanks Dr. Pforr, we see what we can do about this."
"Dr. Reis, your turn."
We also had our share of samples from the Paratroopers, in our case a blood sample of this "Leman Rus". It will certainly need years to study but it is highly interesting. The biggest surprise were the erythocythes. The cells normally transport oxygen and carbon dioxyde. They should not have cell nucleii or their own DNA. These ones have. The DNA is also very different what we would expect from a human and heavily engineered. Some of these changes should, simpply put, not work but so. This is an opportunity for a lot of research.
Also there is one issue popping up which we still need more time to study and research for. But numerous reports from doctors and hospitals from all over Germany point to the same thing: For whatever reason there will be a huge increase of births. It is as if anybody who had intercourse around Christmas is now expecting, even when the likelihood was very low for conceiving. Also there seem to be an unusual number of twins-and we see far less failures than could be expected.
This is very early to say so, but from the data we already have something made sure there will be a lot of children come September-this is not a crisis of any sort, but we have to be aware.
