Runghold, Sea of Claws Bezahltag 31. Vorgeheim

The small island chain lay 30 kilometers westward of Amrum, the westernmost North Frisian island. With a soil mostly unsuitable for agriculture and no good source of potable water they had been uninhabited when the Weltensprung happened. They had been checked, cartographed and forgotten after the change of universes till the Germans learned that they would have to take care of dangerous material in several forms.
From items suffused by Chaos magic to Skaven artifacts there was much that had to be stored safely-and some of them studied diligently. The so-far quiet islands had been subjected to a frenzy of construction. By now their sparse beauty was mostly gone and replaced by a lot of government-ugly buildings, many of them without any windows but with heavily reinforced walls.
Pilots and seamen alike knew well enough to steer clear of them if they did not have special allowance and the islands had enough missiles and guns to make that stick. There was a mooring mast for airships, a helicopter pad and a small port on one of the islands. A bridge connected it to the other one with the labs, a quarantine and disinfection station in between them.
Because of its position and the haunted feeling that got to everybody on the islands at times the name Rungholt had been coined, the name of a city devoured by a big flood long ago. Practically everybody here could recite Liliencron`s poem.

Dr. Stefan Strich was one of them and he spoke them under his breath while he put in data into his pad.
"Heut bin ich über Rungholt gefahren,
Die Stadt ging unter vor 600 Jahren."
"Today I traveled over Rungholt,
The Island went under 600 years before"

His breath condensed in the visor before him-he should have applied the anti-fogging spray but that stuff made his eyes burn and that did not improve his sight either. The racks in front of him held most of the samples that the "Merkur" mission had brought back from orbit. The room around him was flooded with harsh ultraviolet light that would kill any exposed microbe or nanomachine in seconds, his suit protected him from it.
Between him and the samples was a glass pane filtering this spectrum of light, it would not do to expose the samples to such energetic light-it might damage them irreparably. He had brought back one of the hull samples which had been boring and exciting at the same time. The metal part was titanium, nothing exciting there. The paint on it on the other hand had some interesting properties which he would like to decipher soon.
His glove`s fingertips were treated so that he could work on the pad even when suited. He went through the menus and updated the inventory accordingly before turning to the door. Just before he reached it he realized that the pad`s screen had changed into the message mode. Who would send him a message on this pad-which was not his-and why?

Calling up the message window he found a terse message by a user "Guest"
"Hello Doktor Vogel, we need to talk."
"Who are you?"
"Turn around doctor."
It was a good thing the pad was robust-it did not break when Stefan Strich turned and saw the silver box in the middle shelf that sported a blinking off-green light.

Lab, Rungholt, Geheimnisstag

Dr. Strich`s pad stood on a white table, connected to a fiber-optic cable and little else. It had been erected so it`s camera could face the scientists that sat on the other side of the table. It was unknown whether the entity on the other side of the connection could see them, or if it could make any sense of the pictures. If it could it would see a lot of tired, worried and excited faces. Tired as any and every computer in the labs had been purged and the data reconstructed from incorruptible media, which was quite a job.

The scientists on the other side of the table were worried if they did the right thing-and excited about the possibilities. So far they had decided not to inform their superiors about this except for general information about "active electronic equipment" which had already caused a stir. Yet the potential for a hoax was still too high to expose themselves. Having made sure that whatever they got would indeed be coming from the silver box in its lone strongroom they decided to initiate contact again.
Stefan was pretty good with typing, so the keyboard was in front of him.

"Hello"
Nothing happened for five long seconds before letters appeared in the message section of the screen.
"Hello . I hope you are well?"
"You could see me falling?"
"I am equipped with multispectrum sensors, so yes, I saw that and alerted the rescue team."
"Thanks, not much happened as the helmet protected my head."
"Sorry, I did not mean to startle you."
"Thanks. May I ask whom we are talking to."
"Sector Command and Control Unit AZ12-b14-c000 Mk. XIV"
Seven blank faces contrasted against one incredulous one.
"I am sorry but…"

"Lighten up Dr. Strich, this was supposed to be a joke. The book was in a file I had access to and it seemed to relate to my situation. No, my name is Chhmi(*)(klick)cha, AI and personal assistant to Special Investigator AAchron(Klick)huu. I am aware that your species is not able to pronounce these names, so given the connotations I believe the name has and who recovered me I would like to go by the name Nathan."
"Hello Nathan, nice to meet you."
"Likewise Dr. Strich. What would you like to ask first?"
"What were you doing the shuttle where we found you?"
"I was with the inquisitor when he tried to evacuate from this world. Our shuttle was hit by at least one laser strike, killing every biological being on board. As nobody came around to rescue me I shut down two years later. That was 22520 years ago."
"How is it possible you are still functioning after so many years"
"Internal nanomachines with the ability to reproduce-they kept me up when needed using the little energy I could get from my light converter-solar cell."
"What happened-why was your craft attacked and where did the Old Ones go?"
"The answer to that would require a longer history lesson Doktor."
"We are all very curious and patient."
"The curious part I would accept. Observe then."

The screen of the pad changed to a view of the Warhammer World from orbit-but from a greater distance than any human spacecraft had attained so far. A needle-like spaceship arrived preceded by a long flame and went into orbit. Landers dropped from it and silver clothed Old Ones emerged from them.
"The first Slee(klick)ann(*) arrived 25272 years ago, I shall refer to them by Old Ones by your leave. They were few, and travelled in suspended animation in a Torchship-much slower than light. They arrived on a world the likes the Old Ones had never seen. There were several intelligent races around, including one that shared similarities with them. There were signs of great works done in the past by parties unknown but most importantly this was a world that was so close to the warp as none they had ever discovered.
They were few, they were brilliant, they were scientists and engineers of note and highflying idealism. They had access to the full knowledge of our race and had a wealth of nanites to build everything they needed to make this a world worthy of inclusion to the Greater Good. Looking for helpers they contacted the Slann at first, uplifting and teaching them part of our ways. And while the Slann needed to learn so much they also had a lot to teach. They were able to do things with their minds that we usually had to do with our machines.
Together they managed to move this world into an orbit a bit closer to the sun to warm it to temperatures that suited the Old Ones better. They changed mountain ranges, islands and mighty rivers to form ecosystems that they desired. "

The scene on the screen changed to one of several Old Ones that were seemingly mediating-just that cables connected their heads to boxes like the one before them. In front of them mirages of molecules and mountains moved through the air.
"They used their minds and my kind to learn of this world. The connection to what you call the warp was incredible. Finally they summed up what they knew and sent a message to their home base.
The screen now displayed the needle-like craft that was oriented towards a far-off constellation, panels about it glowing cherry-red with heat. No flame from the back part this time, just a glitter of small molecules that managed to be in the path of an immensely strong laser.
"They received an answer scant 250 years later. Their home was most interested in their discovery and they were sent information about a new invention they had missed during their millennia-long trip. The Old Ones had discovered how to make star gates that connected two parts of the Galaxy instantly."

The new video displayed mayor industrial works this time-deep strip mines, mighty smelters and huge factories that all produced something. Inside the smelters and mines the first humanoid figures mixed up with the Slann.
"The great undertaking needed many new workers, some of which had to be able to work under circumstances that neither Slann nor Old Ones were capable to endure. The first Old Ones turned to those you know as Elves and Dwarves and when they could not make up the numbers even the primitive humans. They were thought according to their abilities-the Elves were good at manipulating the warp, the Dawi at technology-and the Humans for the drudgery that makes it all work."
Fat-looking spacecraft launched from the worlds surface and things were assembled in orbit-and far further out. A huge ring in space was erected, started to spin and finally spit out a series of small silver spacecraft.

"Finally we made the great gate work-and thus the problems began. The newcomers were neither curious scientists that wanted to expand our understanding nor idealistic helper that wanted to uplift the younger races. The newcomers were part of something called the ..let us call them Weyland-Yutani for a good analog. They were part of a vast cooperation and their goal was the mighty profit. They had received the reports about this world and wanted to exploit the thin barrier between this reality and the warp. Unlimited energy, terrifying weaponry, instant transmission of data and most of all-Stargates that could be built on the surface of planets. How much this would ease logistics and what huge boni might be earned from that.
That the newcomers did not mesh well with the Old Ones that had been here for more than a millennium to say the least. The original crew had relationships to many of the inhabitants of this world and cared for it, the newcomers were only interested in what they could earn from it. The originals were powerful beings, ancient and wise. The newcomers were young, arrogant and had a thousand years of technological progress on their sides. Sheer numbers would see the scientists sidelined.
Weyland-Yutani had to hustle-they had promised the market fast results and now had to make it happen. They tried to cut costs and corners-and the results showed that. Their first blunder was not to secure their ships and their cargo sufficiently. They managed to bring a plague to this world."

This time the video displayed a huge stack of containers that stood on the edge of something that was probably a spaceport. One of the containers opened and a score of gaunt green figures crawled out and scrambled to the treeline beyond the ports boundary.
"With inexcusable disregards to all but the most basic containment measures Weyland-Yutani allowed the creatures you call Orcs and Goblins to settle in this world. They are prevalent on many planets and can cause severe problems. My owner was actually dispatched to investigate this.
Before his survey had come to a conclusion disaster struck for again-and this time it was a cataclysm"

The video again displayed the world from above, this time closer. Several well-lit areas, especially in Lustria showed where the Old Ones had introduced technology on a grander scale. The north pole was in the center of the camera and even from orbit the huge structures erected there were visible. Some of the higher edifices were piercing several cloud layers and even the small screen managed to impress the viewers-until a small spark in the middle of it all grew from barely visible to all-encompassing.
"The energy spike from the warp that overwhelmed the insufficient safeguards threw and shockwave around the globe that overwhelmed the second Stargate at the south pole, triggering a second event of similar size. Actually there was so much energy involved that this world`s surface should have been sheer lava for millennia, but it was somehow channeled elsewhere. Still, it ripped open the rifts into the warp you know as Chaos Gates-and it killed practically every nanite on this world except for those which had military hardening.
My former masters used nanites in many devices-computers, macro-assemblers, to control larger machines-but mostly to make their bodies work far beyond their natural strictures and timeframes.
Within five minutes of the twin events 96% of all Old Ones on this world and in near orbit died to were incapacitated."

The video showed office spaces with bodies everywhere, streets where machinery stopped working wherever it stood and humans staring at production lines no longer running.
"Weyland-Yutani decided to cut their losses and to evacuate this planet. My master had already accumulated enough evidence and planned to present it to the arbitrator board. Something hit our shuttle when we were docked to the fuel station-and I suspect it was Weyland-Yutani trying to cover their trail."
"Thank you for divulging this. Now that you are here-what do you want to do?"

"You Germans are the only civilization here with something approaching to technology. If I do not work together with you I might as well switch myself off permanently. Are you in the market for a really good personal assistant that might help with your technological development? Mind-I cannot give you specifications for many things, but base principles and a guide what is worth to research?"
"I am very sure something can be arranged. Can we aid you in any way and is there something you would like to point out first?"
"I would like to regain access to your databases but would understand if you limit that for now. I can improve my abilities if you would give me access to an electricity outlet of 282 Volts and 25 Ampere as you call it-I will show you the construction of the adapter.
Also, you should speak to your government about the first Stargate at L3 as it could still be operational."

Enercon Plant, Aurich, Brunntag, 2. Nachgeheim

Aeolus was so far out of his depth that it was not even funny. The Phoenix King had decreed that Ulthuan needed its own industry. The German advisers had told him that this needed power-preferably electrical power in huge amounts. The nobles had insisted that this could not come from smelly coal-burning power plants.
Which had brought the German industry to make several proposals and the Asurian Government accepting one of them at the suggestion of Aurelius, the Ambassador. Which meant that somebody had to inspect the first shipment before it was loaded for the trip to Ulthuan, which in turn meant that he was being sent here. And while he might be the most technical minded Asur in the Reiksbund embassy he was far from being qualified to check the huge pile of machinery about to be packed in containers.
Which would keep nobody from holding him responsible if something was off.
Still he had to do his best and that meant he currently sat in the office of one Stefan Lüttkemeyer who took the time to talk this through with the young Elf.
"We are shipping the complete set you need for the pilot plant. Our engineers in Ulthuan have given the green light, they have finished the survey at the Grey Cliffs and are setting the foundations presently so we can assemble the plant this year.

The installation comes in two parts-the first is four E85-E6 Wind Turbines, optimized for medium to strong winds and a capacity of 2.5 Megawatt each. The second part are 2 sets of pumps and water turbines to be installed at the cliffs. We will pump sea water up the cliff into a depression to create a lake and will use this water and the height difference to power two turbines. They will provide electricity when there is a calm or in case of increased demand.
If the wind survey is indeed good-we have to rely on your data there, then you can count on 6-8 Megawatt available at any time, not bad for starters if I may say so. It will certainly be enough to run the Meuser lathes and the electro-slag remelting furnace I hear you are buying."
"Thanks for the presentation Herr Lüttkemeyer, I do believe that this is a solution imminently suitable for the needs of my people. Still, there is the pre-shipment inspection to be conducted, which is why I am here today."
"What do you want to see then?"
"Actually-I myelf not so much. I have brought four engineers from the TueV Sued with me who specialize in this kind of thing."
"Oh, we do have a long and trustful relationship TueV Rheinland."
"Which is exactly why I brought the TueV Sued with me Herr Lüttkemeyer. While I do believe you did your very best this shipment tears a sizable hole in the Phoenix King`s treasure-I`d better not fail."
"And you will not Herr Aeolus."

Karak de Redemption, Wasteland, Earth 21. June 2016

The cathedral was a simple rectangular room with high, slitted windows and unadorned natural stone walls. Light was provided by numerous artificial torches and chandeliers which should have been tacks but because they were high enough to hide the details served well.
The mass was held by Father Mercer who held it in Latin and English, the only language that all Templars cold agree on.

"Therefore, remembering his death and resurrection,
we offer to you the bread and the chalice,
giving thanks to you, who has made us worthy
to stand before you and to serve as your priests.
And we pray that you would send your Holy Spirit
to the oblation of your Holy Church.
In their gathering together,
give to all those who partake of your holy mysteries the fullness of the Holy Spirit,
toward the strengthening of the faith in truth,
that we may praise you and glorify you,
through your son Jesus Christ,
through whom to you be glory and honor,
Father and Son,
with the Holy Spirit,
in your Holy Church,
now and always, [Amen]."

Henrik van Meert had never been a particularly religious man, but these he found solace and meaning in the priest`s words. He kneed in line with the other supplicants to receive the Holy Communion. He had received it nine times since he had arrived at the fortress. Father Mercer went from one to the next, distributing the wafer before the wine. Van Meert had wondered the first time that the chalice used to dispense the wine was such a simple thing and still supposedly came from the Templar treasure that the Grand Master had unearthed.
Instead of being from gold and encrusted with gems like he had expected the chalice used by Templars it was a simple thing made from burned clay, yet remarkably well preserved. It was more like something that would have belonged to a craftsman long ago.
As the last eight times the wine dissolved the wafer and washed it down in a taste that the former engineer could never describe-sweet, bitter and salty at the same time. Yet it took his breath away for a moment like the strongest shot and left him content.
He took his place on a bench again when the priest had finished and Alan Crowlair climbed another podium.

"Father Mercer has given us another insight about our place in the spiritual world, thank you for that Father. Again it is my pleasure and holy duty to instruct you about the duties we Templar have taken in the material one.
The Templar have always combined the works of the knight with the life of the monk-and we will follow their footsteps.
The tasks of the Knights Templar of old were honorable and many. They secured the ways of the pilgrims, they offered shelter and healing to those who stopped by in their fortress. They strove to mediate between different cultures and to bring enlightenment to those in need of it.

The Templars were warriors, believers, healers, stewards and bankers-until they were betrayed by those who feared them and those who wanted their possessions. We can only strive to reach the example they set for us.
Yet we not only strive-we are on our way. France has graciously tasked us with keeping the peace in her name in this part of what we now call a wasteland and will call a Garden of Eden in future. We have been recognized as our own department and out armed brothers as members of the police. We offer a hostel to those who travel these lands and a school for those citizens of the Wasteland that were transported to Earth.
And even if this may be presumptuous I fondly believe that Jacques de Molay smiles fondly upon us, even when we learn as we make our way."
Not much of a speech, and yet Van Meert was proud to be here, proud to be a part of this grand enterprise and at peace with himself. He slept very well that night.

While he snored in his sparse cell Alan Crowlair and eight others assembled themselves around the well. There was no elaborate ritual, no throwing on the floor or screeching requests for favors. Together they put the bundle into the bucket and lowered it into the bottomless depths. The small body inside the bucket did not move nor was there an audible sound. A liberal dose of muscle relaxant had already convinced the grieving parents that their child had died and now made sure that there was no untoward activity. The relaxant did not diminish consciousness though, that would detract from the sacrifice.
When the nine retrieved the bucket a while later it no longer contained a body, but a red fluid-red like wine.

Katsina, northern Nigeria 23. June 2016

Aabdija had been wrong, nobody had claimed her when Abdul, her husband, had died. Not because she was not desirable, not for a lack of unaccompanied men. It was the manner of her husbands ending. While the Imam called it Allah`s punishment and the Sheik a secret weapon of the Great Satan most of the Boko Haram fighters knew Ebola when they saw it.
They avoided her studiously and for the first time in a long time she had a bit of place for herself-far too much in fact. She found solace once a day when she went for the river for water. This was a job for women only of course and every time one of her friends had left her something to eat or a small note of encouragement. It was the only thing that made her enforced quarantine bearable-or survivable at all. Making her way back to the empty hut she placed the bucket she had carried on her head on the floor and separated a bit of water to wash herself.
The water was cool and soothing on her skin-far too cool. She found herself unable to get up from her cot that night from a raging fever.

Bwari, northern Nigeria, same time

"You should get yourself a bigger gun if you want to play Rambo."
"Very funny old chap. If you ever get that stuff into your eyes you would wear a headband yourself. This mosquito repellant is evil."
Dr. Vertefeuille was slightly allergic to Mosquito bites and therefore used one of the strongest available repellants. He received it from a friend in the US embassy and it was so aggressive it would dissolve a plastic rain poncho. What it would do if it were to reach his eyes together with the sweat inevitable from the protective clothing and mask did not bear contemplating.

Together with Dr. Musa from the NCDC they were getting ready to inspect a number of other households. Clad in white overalls, masks, goggles and gloves they were protected against the many ways plagues could spread. The rooms they looked at had only few light sources, furniture or happiness. They were long on a lot of sick people of all ages. Their feverish skins, the red eyes, the bleeding and the smell were just too well known to the medical personnel. The last Ebola epidemic had burned itself out last year-that there was a new bout already was uncommon but could hardly be ignored.
The doctors could not do much besides call for ambulances and trying to make sure that quarantine would be observed.
Dr. Musa spoke to one of the adults for a while before the few ambulances arrived.

When the hand-over of the patients was complete, a guard posted to keep thieves off till the disinfection team arrived and the the doctors on their way back Musa addressed his colleague.
"Strange that one-they were all pretty much in the same stage-nobody got it into the family and it spread. But they said they did not eat bush meat either."
"Think they would admit that-or whoever sold them that meat?"
"Yea, you are right but still-this looks wrong to me-and I have seen a lot of this already."

University of Technology of Compigne

The doyen`s office was huge, appointed with furniture that had been really nice 20 years or so ago, a wall of photographs depicting Marcel Dupont with various luminaries and the universite`s boss itself. The latter was old, gaunt and normally of a pallid skin color that currently had an alarming red tinge from screaming an uninterrupted stream of abuse for several minutes in a row.
"You have endangered everybody at this facility with your inept handling of dangerous materials, you have abused funds and equipment for nefarious ends, you slander against patrons of this place of science. You should have informed us much earlier of your so-called discovery before we had to shut down two labs contaminated by your ineptitude and...
Yvette Marchant was stunned by the criticism and accusations that were thrown her way, she had never expected this would be leveled at her. The doyen was known to harbor a temper at times, but by her best estimation she had done nothing that did not happen every day at this facility.
Dupont`s lips were already acquiring an interesting purple hue when he had to grasp for air. The doctorante used this break to interrupt the tirade leveled at her.

"Sir, we have not detected any known dangerous substance and have not spread any of them. Instead we have found something not seen before and wanted to make sure what we have detected before raising any kind of alarm.."

"I do not care for what you think you did Marchant. You know very well that you applied to use this university`s equipment for false ends. You have treated an unknown material like dough and may have caused untold damage..-

The screaming went on for a while and Yvette knew she had at least one problem-she had applied for means and lied for what she needed them. This would give the doyen the torch her one way or another-not that he needed so much of a lever in his lofty position.
In the end she agreed to leave the University, signed a gag order and had to leave all of her materials behind in exchange for no charges to be leveled at her.
She left the office in a daze and simply could not fathom what had just happened. She called a friend of her mother that had always been handy with advise while Marcel Dupond reread the E.-Mail that confirmed that Elf Aquitaine would indeed sponsor two chairs at his University-provided that nobody claimed that the oil from the Wasteland would contain any unusual harmful substances that was.

Café Kleber, Rue de Liberation, Compiegne 27. June 2016

The small café had several small round tables outside under an awning, one of them hosting three women. One was petite, swarthy and black-haired, one a slightly pudgy blonde and one an older, grey-haired lady that politely listened to both of them.
Both Yvette Marchant and Marie were still in a shock about their recent firing and had yet to come to terms with it. Both had already described their pretty similar collisions with the doyen which had the depressingly same result. Valerie Beauchamais had looked after her friend`s daughter for a long time and had been rather proud of her achievements, which was why she was quite exasperated at what happened.
"I still do not understand why Dupond would ignore how dangerous this stuff is. I mean the rats we exposed it to showed all kinds of mutations and even small doses caused cancer-well faster than normal for Norvegicus anyway. Is this guy daft or what?"

"They pulled a Patterson on you dear Marie."
"A what?"
"Clair Patterson is the guy who first dated the Earth correctly from the Uranium/Lead distribution. During his studies he found that the level of lead in the atmosphere had risen from the normal in 1923 to eighty times that. Even back then it was known that lead is highly poisonous and so one would expect a huge uproar and a quick banning of lead fuel. Well-whoever thinks so thinks wrong. General Motors nearly got him fired from Caltech, his research funding evaporated, he was excluded from a panel in the National Research Foundation-the works.
All the while the Ethyl Corporation knew fully well that their main product was immensely poisonous as they had workers ill or dying all the while they claimed lead was totally harmless."
"How did that end?"
"Well Patterson was a full professor with a lot of reputation and we are talking Caltech here. The Universite de Compiegne gets a sizable part of its funds from Elf Aquitaine or the Compagnie d'Exploration Pétrolière. So if they think you are poisoning the well you are toast. And that is what happened here. But what about this young physics guy?"

"Pierre? He dropped off the face of earth somehow. He does not react to E-Mails or Whatsapp, does not pick up the phone. He just sent me a short SMS that we should not worry and he was in Evry."
"Well well well-I think I know how Dupond got wind of your research then."
"How so?"
"There is a research center for nuclear physics there. Maybe our Pierre found new backers for his research."
"Oh joy-so he ratted on us?"
"Possibly. Didn`t you say he was interested in you but you did not reciprocate? And that he started to look for help in the net? Maybe he found more than he was looking for."
"Merde."

"Indeed-but this brings us to the question what to do with you too. Presently I fear you should look for some job and I will push some old contacts for new positions for you two. But I fear that you have to allow some grass to grow over things there-and if you are a bit cleverer than I was at your age I would let your discovery slide for the moment."
"Why-this stuff is dangerous as hell-and every car and truck is spreading it around."
"Presently you would come across as conspiracy theory nuts-and you have no proof at all."
"Merde"

Foreign Ministry, Berlin, Markttag 11. Nachgeheim

The novelty of having a couple of bipedal dinosaurs in his office had yet to wear off for Frank-Walter Steinmeier even if he would not show it. Still the impact was less than what it could have been as he was still reeling from the briefing and interview he had gotten together with the rest of the Security Council yesterday.
Ever since he had become the Foreign Secretary he had talked to Knights, Elves, Vampires and several Vikings, but none of them rivalled communicating to an AI which revealed the ancient history of this world. The information it had given had left the Germans with a feeling of crushing responsibility.
Still Steinmeier was a professional and nobody would spot his unease.

"Good morning Tehentoto, how are you?"
"Iss well Ssteinmeier. Thank you ffor seeing me at ssuch short notice."
"Don`t worry, it is a pleasure to speak with you. How may I help."
"Today do not sspeak with me, sspeak with himm."
And then the Foreign Secretary`s senses were no longer in his Berlin office, by all input his eyes, ears small and feel gave him he was in an immense temple in Lustria.
He looked up to see the bulk of the Slann on his throne. Lord Mazdamundi seemingly did not move, blink or breathe, but his mind was about for sure. His words bypassed Steinmeier`s senses completely and went directly into the brain-and it went the other way as well.

"I wish your envoy would give a little warning Lord Mazdamundi. This is somewhat intrusive."
"We will do in future Steinmeier, but important things we have to discuss. We have seen disturbing portents and will need to cooperate, in Albion and..elsewhere.
We will offer you suitable land for your travels into the Abyss if you wish.
But most important of all we need to speak to the Oracle."
"Sorry to be slow Mylord, but what Oracle."
"The Oracle called Nathan the Wise. He will give us the plan of the Old Ones. You must bring it here."

"The AI you call the Oracle will only speak like our computers, the thinking machines. There is no mind you can contact directly like mine. If you send your envoy you can communicate with him the same as if I bring it here."
"You will give Tehentoto access?"
"Yes, I am sure that can be arranged."
"Acceptable. When?"
"I have to consult the scientist and my Chancellor-but next week I think is possible."
"I waited for one year now, can wait one more week. But do…"
"Do not worry, you will have an appointment with Nathan. Just do not forget that not everybody is happy when they get what they wanted."
"I hear you Steinmeier. Goodbye."

Gorch Fock, Sea of Claws, Angertag 15. Nachgeheim

Helge Risch watched the men climbing the shrouds and listened to the bosun`s orders. This batch of trainees was quite different from what he was used to. While normally the cadets had to be "encouraged" to climb the huge masts of Germany`s only tall ship on their way to become officers in the "Bundesmarine" these had to be protected from their own courage.
Every climb into the masts and stays was a race, securing oneself properly was for those of a yellow liver and ripping a fingernail out while handling sails was something you could show off in the mess. These guys and gals were certifiable and he could just hope that the next four weeks would be enough to teach his new students so much sense that they would not sink the ship.

He turned back to the hulking blonde that stood on the bridge behind him. Ham-sized fists handled a small-looking sextant with surprising care.
"So how is your reading Master Edvaldson?"
"19 Degree 2 Minutes"
Risch, who had gotten the value the reading should give from his computer was impressed.
"That looks good to me. Have fun with the other part then."
Eldvaldson grunted a reply and went below to calculate a position from his measurements. He took a lot longer than Risch himself would have but came back with a correct position. By that time the crew had been through two jibes without dropping somebody or helplessly tangling the rigging. All in the Captain of the "Gorch Fock" believed that the Norscan clan would indeed learn how to handle their new "Windjammer" in time.

The Confederation of Tribes had secured several training courses for the sailors that would crew the new "Windjammer" ships as part of the deal that gave Germany access to the machine that held a Patriarch in the warp for so long.
The Windjammer was currently on the slip and would launch in a couple of months, then the Einarson clan would crew it and take it on a circuit trip around the Warhammer World that would take at least two years.

It was several hours later that Risch sat down with Elvaldson at the mess for their dinner.
"Did you settle for a name for her by now Master?"
"Yes, we finally did-that was the commotion we had last night, Leif and Erlik had the final arguments. The ship will be the Köln."
"Didn`t Köln sink quite a few Norscan ships during the battle for Swinemünde?"
"Oh yes, a lot of Einarson ones too. A good powerful name, isn`t it?"