Chapter 3: A New Perspective
"In the grand theater of existence, the universe unfurls its cosmic tapestry, a boundless canvas of galaxies and stars. Yet, beyond this celestial stage lies the ineffable expanse of the multiverse - a symphony of realities, each a verse in the cosmic song of infinite possibilities."
Heinrich Dresner
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Heinrich Dresner, January 6th, 1963
Heinrich Dresner recalls how he harbored reservations about the harsh treatment Germany faced after World War I. He witnessed the consequences of the Treaty of Versailles and the nation's dire economic state, fueling a sense of disillusionment. With Hitler's rise to power promising restoration, Dresner hoped for a brighter future, albeit skeptical of the Nazi ideology. He harbored hopes that Hitler's rise to power might lead to a revitalized nation.
Dresner snorts with bitter cynicism. Oh, how naive he was back then.
Dresner found himself ensnared within the confines of a regime that clashed vehemently with his moral compass. His scientific prowess had drawn the attention of the Nazi regime, leading to his recruitment into their research programs, being enticed by the promise of resources and opportunities for scientific advancement.
However, as Hitler's regime gained momentum, Dresner's hope soured into disillusionment. He grew increasingly uncomfortable with the oppressive policies and pervasive brutality of the Nazi ideology. Despite his inner conflict, the safety of his family and the dire economic circumstances pushed him into silence, choosing to turn a blind eye to the regime's atrocities to ensure their well-being.
Daily, Dresner grappled with the internal struggle between his ethical qualms and the necessity of providing for his family. His scientific acumen made him a prized asset, and his contributions to the regime were a means of safeguarding his loved ones.
As the war unfolded and the regime's atrocities became impossible to ignore, Dresner's conscience gnawed at him. The weight of complicity bore down heavily as he struggled to reconcile his compliance with the regime's crimes.
When Dresner finally resolved to defect, to leave behind a regime he could no longer abide by, he was met with ruthless retaliation. The regime, aware of his scientific importance, held his family hostage to secure his loyalty.
He worked in the SS Abteilung für Spezialprojekte, better known as the SS Special Projects Division by the Americans, under the command of the sick vögeln (fuck), Wilhelm "Totenkopf" (Deathshead) Strasse, at his compound off the coast of Germany, close to East Prussia. He happily experimented upon captive Allied soldiers and Jews, taking out their brains to see if they could be used to create mechanical monstrosities and testing horrific weapons upon them.
Oh God, how they screamed...
One day, Strasse told him that his entire family perished in the hellholes that were the concentration camps, cruelly mocking him and his family for being sell-out huren (whores) and saying that they deserved their fate.
It took every ounce of willpower not to tear the man to pieces when he delivered the information with that arrogant smirk, knowing that it would be better to wait until he had the opportunity to destroy the compound and kill Strasse himself, fucking over the regime's plans for their "perfect" future.
Later, Dresner felt the weight of his guilt and was consumed by self-loathing. He blamed himself for their tragic fate. The naivety of thinking his silence could protect them haunted him incessantly. The loss of his family, the devastating price paid for his submission, and the tragic realization of his complicity left him in a state of profound regret and self-hatred. He one day contemplated suicide, but he realized that would be the easy way out, which he had taken multiple times, with his decisions leading him to where he was then. So, he resolved to continue, to live so that he may avenge the deaths of his family.
At first, he was worried he would never have the opportunity, given how Strasse made rapid progress in reverse-engineering technology from ancient civilizations, like the Da'at Yichud or the Chimera. Thankfully, the regime couldn't manufacture the advanced weaponry and armor immediately, as the technology was so advanced and the materials so exotic that Deathshead and other scientists spent a significant amount of time trying to replicate the technology using more common resources.
When William J. Blazkowicz and Echo Team arrived, and were captured, he took the opportunity to backstab Strasse, taking control of the countermeasures implanted in the prototype Supersoldats to blow their heads up. Unfortunately, while Blazkowicz and Echo Team killed the guards, Strasse was able to escape using a prototype Die Glocke outfitted with anti-gravity technology.
Dresner was angry that he couldn't personally kill Strasse, but he knew that the taking of the compound sealed the fate of the Nazi regime. After he helped free prisoners and gave them weapons, he explained his situation to Echo Team, who brought him back to their base, where he was thrown into a cell in the Paris DUSTBIN detention center, where the Enemy Personnel Exploitation Section interrogated him to determine if he was genuine in his desire to help the United States.
Dresner couldn't blame them for their paranoia, but it was still irritating. After all, he saved a group of U.S. Rangers from a fate worse than death and assisted them in the taking of Strasse's compound, where they recovered advanced technology lightyears ahead of what the United States possessed at the time.
Eventually, Dresner was flown back to the United States, where he was recruited as a part of Operation Paperclip with a heavy heart and a sense of profound remorse.
However, as he settled into his new life in the United States, Dresner found himself increasingly disillusioned and deeply disturbed by the unfolding events. The operation that promised an avenue for scientific redemption had taken a dark turn. He watched in horror as former colleagues and scientists, known for their sadistic experiments and unwavering loyalty to the Nazi regime, were recruited under the guise of scientific advancement.
The recruitment of those who had committed heinous acts in the name of science, their hands tainted by the pain and suffering inflicted on innocents, left Dresner morally repulsed. It was a betrayal of conscience and humanity. He witnessed the rehabilitation and integration of individuals whose scientific acumen was overshadowed by the shadows of their unethical actions.
Disgusted by the compromise of principles and the blurring of moral lines in the pursuit of scientific progress, Dresner grappled with inner turmoil. His defection had been driven by a desire to distance himself from the evils of the past, only to find that the darkness had followed him, masquerading behind a veneer of scientific innovation.
Haunted by the specter of his former colleagues' inclusion in the scientific community, Dresner questioned the cost of scientific advancement and the moral compromises made in its pursuit. His disillusionment grew, and his faith in the redemptive nature of Operation Paperclip was shattered by the recruitment of those whose hands were stained with the horrors of their past actions.
Dresner felt stuck, paralyzed, and shackled by a sense of powerlessness. The haunting realization that his voice held little sway in a system that seemed determined to overlook the moral stains of the past left him feeling suffocated.
Day after day, Dresner wrestled with the tormenting dilemma of being unable to prevent the integration of scientists responsible for unfathomable atrocities. He felt trapped in a cycle of regret and helplessness, unable to erase the past or prevent the resurgence of those who perpetuated it.
However, one day, he was approached the Director Faulke with the offer of working with less... callous individuals.
Dresner decided to accept, wanting to get away from his former "comrades" who showed nothing but disdain for him. There, he felt a sense of comfort, working alongside people who did not practice nor believe in cruel and pointless abstract concepts of superiority, who genuinely cared about the lives of civilians, no matter their color or sexuality, and who tried to protect and aid them whenever they could.
Dresner tried his best to help those affected by the Sleepwalker Virus, to finally use his knowledge to help, rather than destroy. Ultimately, with the help of Nico DaSilva, he was successful in creating a "cure" (in reality, a method of safely disconnecting individuals from Mosaic and shorting out the nanites within them, but he doesn't need to go into the specifics).
He felt at peace. So why does he feel a knot in his stomach?
He hears Alan Weir mutter something in front of him as he writes another long equation on a large notebook, noticing how he hasn't eaten his breakfast for hours.
Oh right. Weir has begun neglecting his physical and mental health so he could record his advanced knowledge on paper in the rebuilt Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, which has become XCOM's new headquarters.
Dresner sighs. "Weir, you need to take a break."
Weir doesn't even turn to face him. "I can't. I'm busy."
Dresner frowns. "You haven't eaten your breakfast for hours. It's gone cold."
Weir continues to write. "Dresner, I'll take a break after I finish writing this equation around manipulating gravitational fields in such a manner that it would expand space in its area of effect similar to singularities, creating a cloak of normal spacetime that would theoretically be impenetrable-"
Dresner interrupts him. "Weir, you are sleeping for only three hours every night ever since you have been bonded to the Ethereal. You need to take a break."
Weir ignores Dresner. After a few seconds, he stops writing his equation down. Before turning to face Weir, Dresner takes a peek at Weir's notes, before realizing that he barely understands any of the basic principles behind the equation itself. "There. I'm done," Weir says with a calm, yet slightly annoyed tone. "Now, can you please leave? I want to take my break alone."
Dresner's eye twitches, before he sighs. "Weir, what happened to you?"
Weir pauses as if trying to process how he should respond to the question. Then, he smiles. "I have experienced an unprecedented enlightenment. My bonding with the Ethereal allowed me to perceive the fabric of the universe in ways beyond human understanding. Concepts once considered elusive were now crystal clear. I could see the entire electromagnetic spectrum, Dresner. I could see atoms, little clouds of possibility. I could see the fundamental forces of the universe and understand how they were connected. I know I can propel science eons ahead of what we humans could ever dream of, and yet..." Weir trails off, looking uncomfortable and uncertain about something.
Dresner's frown grows deeper. "And..."
Weir sighs as if he was exposed to a great cosmic truth (which he probably was). "The Ethereal's potent senses have exposed me to the grandeur and vastness of the universe, making humanity's accomplishments seem minuscule amidst the stars."
Dresner takes a moment to comprehend Weir's words, thinking of the best way to respond, before ultimately deciding to nod in agreement. "Yes, in the grand scheme of things, we're mere specks in the vastness of space. Our knowledge is a droplet in an ocean of cosmic mysteries. It's paradoxical. The more we uncover, the more we realize how much lies beyond our grasp. Yet, it's that pursuit of the unknown that drives us forward."
Weir chuckles. "I suppose so. I hope one day, we might reach the level of knowledge the Ethereal possessed."
Dresner smiles, for the first time in many decades, feeling hope for humanity's future. "Continue hoping. Hope fuels our relentless pursuit of knowledge, igniting the spark that propels us to explore the unknown. It's the beacon that beckons us toward enlightenment, urging us to learn, to evolve, and to be better. In hope's embrace, we discover the courage to seek understanding, to transcend limitations, and to strive for a world where every discovery becomes a stepping stone toward a brighter tomorrow."
Weir's smile grows bigger. "No truer words could be said, my friend. All right, do you want to have some coffee together in the break room?"
Dresner lets out a laugh. "Sounds nice. Let's go immediately."
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Author's Note: As you can tell, I expanded Dresner's backstory so that it would be more realistic other than "I didn't know about the Nazis committing atrocities" which is blatantly ignoring how the regime was open about its genocidal intentions from the beginning. I also included parts from Wolfenstein and Resistance that will be expanded upon in later chapters. I'm not trying to sympathize with the Nazi regime, I'm just trying to give Dresner more emotional depth than he had in the game.