Prologue: Nacht

 

“Status?”

Unbroken silence within darkness.

“Is anyone with me? Philips? Rook? McCree? Goddammit, is anyone out there?”

Sergeant Raines tried to feel around the dark cockpit for the release hatch, or better yet, any sign of life. Had the two other planes also been shot down? Luckily a fire hadn't started or Raines would not have survived.

As he felt around, Raines could feel the broken shards from the cockpit window against coarse dirt below him. Their plane must be upside down wherever it may have landed in Germany. At least now he was sure how the dark plane was arranged. Maybe now he could see a way out.

The mission should have gone as planned: Fly in, retrieve Peter, and get out before sunrise. The Germans had surrendered earlier that year, and surely there were no left-over German troops still holding out. Was it the Soviets? How did they catch wind of the plan? A spy among us? Unlikely. Higher ups kept a close eye on the Corps for that kind of thing. Plus it was beat into our head right from basic training the consequences of double agency. Not to mention that the rewards for turning oneself in were far greater than anything the Soviets had to offer.

Peter must be important to the Soviets as well, or why else would they try to intercept us? Command seemed awful insistent we fly tonight. Peter must be one hell of a spy for the US to try and pull off a power move like this. Details were hazy and very hush-hush, but the big picture was this guy has some information on German war research that could prove invaluable for the US.

Raines could now see a faint light a few feet away where the AA shell had punctured through. Cautious, the sergeant drew his Colt and crawled to the hole. His ankle had been damaged after being flung around the plane. He eyed the moonlit landscape through a slit in the wall. No one in sight. He waited another few minutes for any sign of movement or sound. Radio silence.

Kicking down the door with his good leg, Raines crawled out of the debris onto the gravel outside, and a sudden stench wafted towards Raines' face. He was so taken aback by the scent his arms crumpled beneath him and his eyes watered. It was a rotting stench of human flesh, far worse than anything of his battles in the past. Balance regained, Raines raised up, eyeing his surroundings. No Russians, no Germans, but none of his fellow soldiers either.

On the other side of the plane was a seemingly abandoned bunker, worn and rusted from many hard fought battles of the past, but now lying still in this foggy airfield. The thick fog prevented Raines from spotting anything in any direction besides the bunker.

Maybe now was time to take a chance and find the others, he thought.

“Rook!”

Only the wind.

“Philips, are you with me?!”

Waning light.

“McCree! Come on, anybody?!”

Thick fog and shadows

For what seemed like an eternity, only silence. Faintly from the bunker, a voice called out.

“Sarge! Come quick!”

The voice was coming from the bunker, and Raines could not quite catch whom the voice matched. He lifted himself on his good leg and began limping towards fellow life but stopped dead from the sound that came next.

It came like a long, drawn-out boom. Groans and yelps from far off, but loud and clear as day. A group of yellow-orange lights appeared in pairs deep in the fog. They started small and grew ever larger until the outline of the bodies became clear. Several dozen, around the size of grown men, with piercing orange eyes and a hellish moan stumbling across the field towards Raines.

Raines headed for the plane to find a gun with ammunition for the ambush, but the shambling bodies had gone into a full sprint, shoving each other away to try and get to him. Raines was forced deeper and deeper into the plane as the beasts piled into the tiny, cramped hole in the side of the wreckage. There was no route of escape and they pushed even further with each passing moment. Raines ran his hand along the walls to find what he was looking for. Finally, a compartment where rations were held. Raines desperately scooped the weeks and weeks worth of rations out and stuffed himself inside. He could barely fit his head in, being forced into the fetal position with his head in his lap. Raines shut the door in a panic and wedged the handle to keep it closed.

The sound of banging, crashing, groaning, and clawing were heard outside the compartment for the next hour. Raines had begun to panic internally from his claustrophobia, but his fear of the beasts that wished to reach him inside was far greater. Sweat and tears soaked the shaking man within the plane, trapped by an unknown evil.

From within his prison the soldier heard the faint sounds of gunfire outside. Surely that was his squadmates. They could kill the things outside, and finally this hell could be over. Or at the very least the beasts would leave to find the shooters, and he could make a break for it.

But the banging and screaming continued. Sergeant Raines stayed in that plane for 6 days before finding peace in death. He had water on him which lasted a short time, but the rations, only inches away from him, were beneath the feet of the dead, and thus, were nigh unobtainable. No one heard the screams of Raines' squad that night, except for the undead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 1: Revelations

 

Leberwurst again. They called it a “specialty”, but Edward Richtofen knew it was the only edible thing these chefs-for-hire could create. Cutting budgets is nothing new in the field of science, but times are desperate for the organization. As long as Edward could continue his science, his passion, he could suffer this insufferable dish.

Sitting down were some of the top scientists in the organization, as well as the world. Dr. Groph, an experienced scientist with an interest in other worldly beings, namely the Vril-ya. Edward thought it was mostly hypothetical nonsense, but he could not deny the idea intrigued him. Still, Groph was seen as the slightly “off” member of the organization, so Edward tried not to closely associate himself with his ideas for fear of tarnishing his own reputation. Still, much respect was shared between the two men of science.

To Groph's right was sitting Dr. Schuster, a close friend and colleague to Edward. The two studied together at University, and worked on many great projects as partners. Their work could only further improve following the recent discovery of a new element with properties beyond imagination. Element 115 had the potential to change the world for the better, and the two scientists could be the creators of such change. Schuster and Richtofen had performed tests with the element and discovered it could potentially move matter to another location in an instant with enough power and fine-tuning. Edward had been insisting on waiting to share the studies with Dr. Maxis until the results were definitive.

“Edward! Come, sit.”

Dr. Schuster motioned for his colleague to join them at the table. No doubt Groph was trying to start small talk regarding ethereal realms and underwater cities, and Schuster was looking for someone to take him out of the conversation.

Edward joined them. Dr. Schuster decided to start talking before Groph could.

“So, Edward, have you heard that Maxis is adding new members to the organization? He's meant to be performing a speech for the new recruits within the hour.”

“I have not, no.” Edward jabbed a knife into the cold fleisch on his tray.

“I do not know how he expects to pay these new recruits, given we are already forced to eat this rancid meal each day, and we have no more budget for personal pet experiments anymore. How are we meant to make great discoveries if Maxis will just tear through our budget at will?!”

Groph listened intently, and for a moment paused. He spoke up with his theory.

“You're right, it makes no sense. That is unless Maxis has a deal in the works which could increase the budget exponentially. Now, what kind of deal could keep our organization sustained enough to even add more members to our group? That's right, a deal with the Nazi Party. The writing has been on the wall, you two.”

Schuster's face turned to a disgusted grimace. Richtofen put his fork down to try and comprehend what he was just told.

“Do you know how ridiculous that sounds, Groph? We have some of the greatest scientists in the world, and have you forgotten our maxim? 'To improve the human condition.' Not to assist some political idealists and their sociopathic leaders. There is no way Group 935 will ever work with the Nazi Party. End of story.”

Schuster added in, “Have you lost your mind Groph? I mean, any more than you already have? Like Richtofen said, the idea is preposterous.”

“Well believe it or not, I have evidence. Before Maxis left to prepare for his meeting, he read a letter he received today, and left the envelope on his desk. I waited for him to leave, and-”

Schuster cut him off, “You raided his office and looked through his belongings. Is that what I'm hearing?”

“And...on the envelope is a symbol you two may recognize. Here.”

Groph pulled the envelope from his coat, and placed it on the table. There, in plain sight, was a swastika, and Maxis' name printed below.

“This is...impossible. Edward, this is an official seal.”

Edward examined the envelope, and it was indeed official. Thoughts flew through his head. This could change everything their entire organization stood for, and hoped to achieve. He grew sick in the pit of his stomach.

“Edward, we must continue work on the matter transference prototype as soon as possible, before Dr. Maxis can take what little funding we have left on the project for other needs to satisfy the Partei.”

“Agreed, Dr. Schuster. We will finish lunch in the lab.”

Dr. Richtofen and Dr. Schuster rose from their seats and headed towards the labs, leaving Dr. Groph to finish his meal. On the way out the door, Dr. Richtofen took to the basket full of walnuts, and added a few to his tray for snacking later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 2: Induction

 

Dr. Maxis drank his last sip of tea before walking towards the stage before his benefactors, the soon-to-be members of Group 935. Behind him, two Reichstag officials overseeing the speech. He approached the podium and adjusted his microphone. The young recruits grew silent, ready to hear whatever he had to say. Sophia started the recording, and motioned for him to begin.

“Gentlemen, allow me to take this opportunity to welcome you to Group 935.”

Members of the crowd perked up, prepared for their career in scientific research.

“This is a prestigious moment in the history of our race. You represent the future of technological advancement. You are the pioneers of human discovery. In your hands lies the destiny of mankind. In our hands is a great power and with that power comes a price. You have volunteered to be part of this great experiment and with that decision comes the responsibility of absolute secrecy.”

The general mood of the room dropped with that line. Maxis paused and his tone changed to a more strict form.

“No one is to know what you do, where you work, what our research has uncovered, or what our purpose will be. You will have no further contact with your governments or with your families. Your decision to fully dedicate your lives to Group 935 is absolute. In your lockers you will find your field ops manual which will direct you should our manifesto get compromised. We cannot afford to let this power fall into the wrong hands and therefore the field ops manual should be considered your bible. Make your preparations now. A new dawn is beginning for mankind."

Dr. Ludvig Maxis stepped down from the podium, and off the stage to meet with the new recruits. For the next ten minutes he shook many new, eager hands of the future of humanity. These great men all have a fiery passion for science in their eyes. It is unfortunate they will be so limited with the new plan. But in due time they will be able to perform great things again, once the Nazis finish their little skirmish and the dust settles in the world. Group 935 will still strive to achieve its goal of improving the human condition, even if it must slow progress for the time being.

The last of the new recruits left the room leaving Maxis to deal with the Reichstag officials.

“Wonderful speech, Herr Doktor. You sure inspired those youthful minds. Their work, and your own are very much appreciated by the Fuhrer.”

The men wore simple uniforms with no Nazi iconography on them, as was the instruction of Maxis. He did not want to cause a stir in the organization before he could officially announce the partnership and make necessary arrangements. For their own safety, Maxis planned to hide the identity of key scientists considered “undesirables” in the eyes of the Reich, so they may remain safe during the collaboration. Group 935 could not afford to lose some of its greatest minds, such as the admirable Dr. Yena, and the young Dr. McCain.

Dr. Maxis nodded at the compliment.

“Thank you, and I appreciate you two being here on behalf of the Reich.”

The other officer spoke up, “It was our pleasure. Now, onto the issue at hand. When do you and your scientists plan to begin your work on weapons for our army?”

“In due time. We have already begun tests using our newly discovered element from the meteor. Division 9 has already supplied us with a blueprint for a weapon using the energy. Also, again, I must thank the gracious Reich for allowing the base in Japan to be built. It has given us a plethora of resources and discoveries within these first few weeks.”

“We will let Command know of your cooperation and compliments. Continue your great work, and feel free to contact us on concerns, and we will forward you to the appropriate official.”

Maxis nodded, “Thank you for your time.”

The two men left Maxis to his thoughts.

This new element had proven to be one of the greatest discoveries of mankind. It could do so many great things, but recently Maxis' scientists had discovered it could do something far stranger than originally thought. Element 115 could reanimate the dead cells of a corpse, causing the body to begin automotive movement. So far it had only been tested on rodents and pigs, but the same effect is believed to be had on human corpses. The thought was horrid, and Maxis tried not to dwell on it. This effect could still have some benefits. Perhaps it could keep people living for a longer amount of time, or bring back beloved family members or pets. Still, the idea kept Maxis up at night, and he refused to share it beyond the few scientists who worked with the walking corpses.

Then, after hazy thoughts, an idea came upon Dr. Maxis. Perhaps this effect could prove useful to the Nazis, and if the idea succeeded, Group 935 would stay funded for decades. No need for soldiers when the dead could be just as good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 3: Great Science

 

“And, there's another failure.” Dr. Richtofen sighed to himself. “Cut it.”

Dr. Schuster ended the radio recording.

“Damn...”

“What have we been doing so wrong, Dr. Schuster? Surely the device should be performing correctly, as it is calibrated exactly as our research in matter transference specified.”

The two scientists had been testing the device for weeks, with no fruit to bear. They had attempted to send an assortment of items through the device to try and move them to the receiving pad, but every test resulted in the object not being sent through or disappearing completely.

“Perhaps not enough power is being sent into the device for it to function properly?”

“Unfortunately we cannot draw any more power under current conditions without causing a blackout in the entire facility. We simply do not have enough, Edward.”

Richtofen pondered for a moment. Without enough power and a limited supply of Element 115, they could not send through the boxes, rodents, and other assorted objects through the teleporter.

“Perhaps, Dr. Schuster, we are thinking too large. What about something much smaller? We wouldn't need nearly as much power for something so small.”

Dr. Schuster raised up and walked to the control panel. He noted on a pad his calculations.

“Perhaps...a smaller object would affect the outcome.”

Dr. Richtofen reached for a walnut on his tray, then an idea came to him.

“Dr. Schuster, I have our test subject in my hand.”

He placed the walnut in the appropriate center of the MTD's pad while Dr. Schuster made proper adjustments. Next came the moment of truth.

“Dr. Schuster, add the element and begin the recording.”

Dr. Schuster placed the microgram of 115 into the device and activated the recording.

 

“Log entry 38. Date: December 4, 1939. The matter transferring prototype is prepared for test run number 151. We have now reduced our test subject's mass to prove that this is possible. Dr. Schuster, please give an overview.”

“Yes Dr. Richtofen. We have a new test subject, a walnut, weighing in at a 10 grams. The target platform is now at three feet with no obstructions. We have one microgram of the element which, according to our calculations, will be entirely used up during the test.“

“Excellent, Dr. Schuster. Commence test number 151.” Edward motioned for Dr. Schuster to activate the device.

“Yes, Doctor. Uh, please insert your earplugs.”

The two pulled the plugs from their pockets and inserted them into their ears. Dr. Richtofen put his hands together in anticipation. This would be the test that got it right.

Dr. Schuster pulled the lever and the bell-shaped Matter Transference Device began to whir into action, and flashes appeared inside where the element was being used up. Smoke filled the area and the metal clanging grew louder until reaching its apex, in which the noise slowed to a crawl, and the smoke cleared from the testing area.

“Good God! We've done it! We have powered up the prototype, and it moved a walnut directly from the prototype device into the receiving device. It moved instantly. It... it-”

Dr. Richtofen cut him off. “Teleported. Get me Dr. Maxis.”

Dr. Schuster opened the doors and left the lab to find Dr. Maxis. Richtofen stood in amazement at what was just accomplished. The walnut disappeared and reappeared in a completely different point in space. Words could not describe Richtofen's excitement. Since he was a boy, Edward dreamed of creating something people could use for the greater good. Vehicles would be outmoded once this device could be improved for mass production and it could be used with larger objects, and even people. World-wide travel would be as easy as going to the store.

Dr. Schuster returned with Dr. Maxis in tow, exasperated from the run.

“Dr. Maxis, I appreciate you being here to see this modern marvel of science. Dr. Schuster, set up the device once again.”

Schuster placed the element inside the compartment and placed another walnut on the pad.

Still smiling, Dr. Richtofen passed Dr. Maxis a pair of ear plugs and placed in his own.

“Dr. Schuster, activate when ready.”

Just like before, the device whirred to life, and the walnut moved from the pad to the receiving area.

Dr. Richtofen shook Dr. Schuster's hand and hugged him. All their work had finally created something incredible. This was a defining point in their lives.

Dr. Maxis, however, had a look of shock, then annoyance at the scientists' celebration.

Confused, Dr. Richtofen turned to Maxis.

“Dr. Maxis, is there something wrong? What do you think of the device? How can we further improve upon it? Surely you see the benefits to a device that can give humanity the ability of teleportation!”

“But this is not the crucial experiments that you were supposed to be working on!”

Dr. Richtofen was shocked. “With all due respect, Dr. Maxis, this is a breakthrough of unimaginable proportions.”

“What? That you moved a walnut a few feet? Yes Edward, we will improve the human condition by revolutionizing the walnut industry. I can see it now: 'Edward's Walnut Delivery'!”

Richtofen's face of confusion turned into an ugly display of anger.

“Don't be obtuse.”

“How dare you call me that! We are at war, Edward! I will admit that there is promise here, but until this war is won-“

Richtofen cut him off. “Correct me if I'm wrong, Dr Maxis, but Group 935 is a research organization. What was the motto? To improve the human condition? What business of ours is this war?”

“Fine Dr. Richtofen, I will let you in on a little administrative secret. We are finalizing a deal with the Nazi party. We need funding, we need equipment, they need new weapons. Chances
are this war will end soon with a treaty or two and we will be in a much better position to help the world.”

“Are you certain this won't cause massive defections? We have scientists from all over the world working with us.”

“That is why it is with the utmost confidence that I share this with you. No one will know of this. This is simply the breaking of an egg to make an omelet.”

So angered, Richtofen tried to negotiate a way the MTD could still be worked on, even if it was for the Nazis.

“Think of the tactical advantage we would have...”

Dr. Maxis retorted, “Think of the cost, think of the time! We can provide the Nazis tactical expertise in various areas without putting all our eggs in your walnut basket. Good day, Edward, and get back to your real work.”

Over the past month, Dr. Maxis had been instructing certain members of Group 935 to work on a series of projects with Element 115, that have been kept secret from the rest of the organization. Tests against living subjects to see the effects the element had. Now it all began to make sense why these were kept secret from the rest of the organization members.

Dr. Maxis left the two scientists disheveled and angered in the lab. It had all been for nothing. Group 935 was no longer the precious center of human ingenuity it was meant to be. It was now a cog of the German war machine.

Dr. Schuster broke the silence.

“Bloody jerk.”

“I think Dr. Maxis has lost his perspective. No matter. We will do this on our own and publish the findings before he has a chance to.”

“You're not suggesting that Dr. Maxis would steal this technology and perfect it without us, are you? “

“I would by no means discourage that thought. Great scientists must stick together and achieve great science.”

Now began a mission to beat the clock and perfect their project, before Dr. Maxis could fully transition the facility to Nazi control. Great science must be fought for, at all costs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 4: Abracadavre

 

"Stand up."

The beast did not flinch.

“STAND UP!”

The decaying corpse rose up from the table and let forth a groan as it came off the table onto its legs.

“Good. Look at me.”

Its head rose up to face Dr. Maxis as he snapped his fingers. The corpse's blank, soulless gape turned to a more focused sneer. It began to dribble at the mouth and shuffle towards him.

“Excellent. Further. Keep coming.”

The awoken body lost its balance and fell to the ground. It groaned louder as it became more angered.

“It's all right. Stay there.”

Now on its legs again it began a faster pace towards the pane of glass protecting Dr. Maxis.

“Calm down! I order you...”

The zombie now began to swing violently as it approached the glass. Its mouth was now fully agape ready to take on the doctor.

“Kill it!”

The gunman opened the door and fired two rounds in its chest, and it went down with a wince. The bloated corpse now lied dead again.

“Bring me another.”

“With all due respect Dr. Maxis, what are you hoping these creatures will do once they are under your command? What's a walking corpse to the Nazis when their men could be armed to the teeth with our elemental weapons?”

“And that is where you are wrong, Dr. Yena. If we can gain full control of the dead, the Nazis will not have just a walking corpse, but a walking army at their disposal.”

Dr. Harvey Yena grew weary when the lab assistant brought a new corpse to toy with. This one was younger than the rest, seemingly a young boy, likely killed in some brutal accident that left him with but one limb.

Dr. Maxis continued, “Think of the potential! An army that does not grow tired!”

The assistant loaded a microgram of the element into the device.

“An army that does not need weapons!”

The device activated and a ray of Element 115 was cast upon the boy's corpse.

“An army that feels no remorse!”

The boy's eyes opened for likely the first time in weeks. At first the lights frightened him but the sight of the many scientists in the lab drew his attention.

“Stand up. Please.”

The body raised itself up with its one arm, but fell shoulder first onto the floor. That fall on the concrete test chamber would have surely permanently injured the average human, but this thing was no human. It began pulling itself towards the window with its arm.

“Stop!”

As Dr. Maxis said it, the beast was stunned. It did not move for a few moments. It began to drool an ooze from its mouth, a mix of saliva and blood, onto the ground. Dr. Yena began to vomit into the nearby bin, while others in the lab averted their eyes or left. Dr. Maxis had a smile of success.

“Good! Yes! Now...walk-er...crawl towards me, slowly.”

He snapped his fingers and the crawler continued to move towards the glass. It reached the wall and raised itself up on a shaky leg. Now leaning on the glass, it peered inside the testing lab at those that had awoken it from eternal rest. Ravenous and angered, it started to slam on the glass with its arm.

“I ORDER you to-”

It began to scream as it cracked the glass. Finally the beast's strength caused the glass to shatter on the floor and it jumped into the room with Dr. Maxis.

“KILL IT! KILL THE DAMN THING, NOW!”

Two gunmen raised their pistols and fired twelve shots into the corpse's shell. The entire floor was blood soaked and members of Group 935 were racing towards the lab to investigate the loud screams and gunshots.

“It's all right...It's all right everyone. Someone get the cleaning crew, right now! Men, we are relocating to a new lab for further tests while this pane of glass is being repaired.”

The body was crumpled and unrecognizable from the holes in its head and chest. The young boy's face was non-existent.

Dr. Yena was sick. His heart was racing. What kind of monsters were they to create? When Harvey joined Group 935, he had no idea the horrors he would witness. Dr. Maxis had entrusted him with the knowledge of Group 935's pact with the Nazi Party, yet he did not understand why. Harvey had lived in the United States most of his life, and shortly before the war he had traveled to Germany to practice science with Group 935. It was simpler times then, before all this political unease. Dr. Yena did not know what to make of the Nazi Party's motives, but he could not afford to leave Group 935 and return home. He would have to endure if he were to survive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 5: Extraterrestrial

"Entry 42. Date: January 4th, 1940. Dr. Schuster and I, despite mounting pressure from Dr. Maxis, have continued working on the matter transference prototype. We have made great strides in the last thirty days and are ready for our first human subject. If our calculations are correct, we will send a test subject to the receptacle station sitting thirty yards away and behind a cinder-block wall."

"Are you certain you want to do this, Dr. Richtofen?"

"Nein, Dr. Schuster, this must be done. Quickly, put in your earplugs and power up the machine."

Edward's hands were shaking and he was rather nervous. He had the many nights' worth of calculations and previous testing to back him up, but regardless, the possibility of failure meant more than just another failure to add to the list, but it meant likely death.

Dr. Schuster placed his earplugs in and pulled the switch. For Richtofen the whirring of the machine was so much louder from the inside. He could not even hear himself thinking.

All that he could see was a bright, white light that seemed to become more intense than the sun itself. Then, sudden darkness and utter silence. Unexpected.

"Is there a power outage? Why is it so dark? I feel almost... weightless. How very unexpected. Dr. Schuster? Hello?"

No answer. Perhaps the teleportation had taken longer than it felt in Edward's head. The power must have gone out and Dr. Schuster had left to try to find a new power supply and calm everyone else. Edward would likely lose his position in the organization after this. No matter. He was now far beyond the capabilities of Maxis or any two-bit replacements that would come after him.

Edward began to feel around. What was around him did not feel like the metal inside the MTD, but more like rock. Bumpy and coarse, completely uneven. Odd. His recording device was also still on to record their findings.

Edward reached in his pocket for a lighter. Click.

"Ah, I can see now. Oh my god. I am standing in a circular cave, surrounded by some kind of machine like...it's like nothing I've ever seen before. It looks almost alien in nature. There's a pyramid structure at the center of the room. I'm going to try and carefully touch it."

The pyramid let out a sharp electric shock that made Edward's hand go numb. The shock could be felt through his entire body.

"Ahhh! Static electricity. It's sharp to the touch. Very cold. Not a speck of dust."

Edward turned his other hand into a fist and began to lightly bang on the strange structure.

"Hmm, might be hollow. The chamber's quite large. I see what looks like capacitors at the ceiling of the chamber. There are no obvious connections to anything electrical. What is this place?”

He could now hear a faint voice coming from behind him.

“Dr. Schuster, is that you? Dr. Schuster!”

He re-centered his focus away from the voice and back towards the odd device. At the base of the pyramid on the front was some strange lettering and a center circle.

“Look at this. It appears to be covered in some kind of hieroglyphic language. I've not seen anything like it before.”

The voice came back, now whispering, as though it were coming from someone right next to Edward. There was no one in the cave but him.

“Why are you whispering to me? There's no need for that."

The center panel on the pyramid started to light up and spark.

"Was ist los? Do you hear that? It sounds like..."

The sound of static filled Edward's ears and the same light from the MTD appeared then faded soon after. Now the sound of running water and insects could be heard. The air felt hot and muggy. Edward was not appropriately dressed for this occasion.

"My god, what happened? I seem to be in some kind of jungle. I can't be certain of where I am."

As Dr. Richtofen gained back his bearings, he could hear angered screaming from men growing louder. Men were running towards Richtofen carrying spears and assorted blunt weapons.

“OH NO!”

Edward went into a full sprint to try and escape the locals of the jungle. The loud sound of him teleporting there must have drawn their attention.

Edward dashed past man-made architecture made from stone. There were temples and staircases to homes made by these people. Where he had ended up was near a temple, probably sacred land. Edward turned into an area filled with many trees and lifted himself up onto one. The people down below had caught up to him and tried throwing stones and spears towards the top of the trees. A monkey that had been resting in the tree leaped away to another as Edward creeped his way upwards and spears soared by.

It was now or never. How could he convince these people to let him down? Perhaps they could be swayed with the technology Edward had on his person. The recorder had been dropped on the run over here, but he had something else. He searched his pockets for his lighter and lit it for the natives to see. There were now frozen from the spectacle.

“Yes...Yes, ok, hello. I am Dr. Edward Richtofen. Erm, I'm not sure if you understand me, but I have great power in the form of knowledge! I can make you whatever you may want. Just let me come down...”

No one in the crowd moved or responded. Edward took that as a sign they weren't looking to kill him just yet. He began to shimmy his way down the trunk, lighter still in hand. Everyone below had spread out further away from the tree, fearing what he might do next.

“Please, help me.”

The voice was back. It wasn't coming from someone, but from Richtofen's own head.

“Erm, okay, what I'm going to do is-”

“Only together can we prevent the destruction of your world.”

“God...okay I will help you in exchange-”

“Why do you fight us, Edward?”

“Shush! Please!”

“You have to help me. Please. I'm trapped here.”

“SHUT UP!”

The natives were frightened by the outburst. They all lowered their weapons and some began to kneel around Edward.

“Well, that's one way of doing it, I suppose. Now, everyone, gather around.”

Edward lifted the lighter into the air for all to see.

“It's how we'll all end up.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 6: Progress

“Fire!”

A green glowing ray emitted from the weapon and made explosive contact on the test dummy. Following the explosion the dummy seemed irradiated from the blast and bits of cloth began to burn off and dissipate.

Dr. Maxis ran a device around the test area to detect how far the radius of the weapon's explosion reached.

“Around 1.2 meters from our test subject there is residue visible on the tracker. A very powerful weapon indeed. Dr. Porter! Continue testing with our new weapon and continue tweaking. Our friends in the Reich should be very impressed by what we've accomplished today.”

Dr. Porter removed his goggles and deactivated the firing mechanism.

“Yes, doctor. There is much potential in this project. I will report on any findings on the weapon as they come. Are you leaving for lunch, Dr. Maxis?”

“No. Samantha is visiting us today, and I'm spending the afternoon with her. I have...unfortunately not been there to care and love her as I should have been. You understand, Dr. Porter, yes?”

“Absolutely doctor. Enjoy your afternoon with your daughter.”

 

Samantha Maxis entered the Der Riese facility around 1300 hours. It was the weekend and her father had promised a surprise gift for her that day if she were a good girl for the week.

The nice man at the reception desk guided her to her seat to wait for her father. Eagerly waiting she kicked both her feet and hugged her Teddy.

Sam rarely saw father anymore. He was always busy working on science. It was always so lonely at home without her father. Before mother passed away, the three of them were always together and life was great. But today Samantha would finally spend time with her father, and she would find out what her gift was.

Fifteen minutes passed and Ludvig Maxis entered the lobby. He held his arms wide to catch Samantha as she came running towards him. He knelt down to hold her with all his love.

“It warms my heart to see you, Samantha. Have you been a good girl while I was away? How is Katrina? You haven't run her out of the house yet, have you?”

“No father. She takes good care of me and Teddy. She says I've been a good girl, daddy.”

“Well then, Samantha. I guess that means you can get your gift I've been saving for this day. Though, I didn't have any doubt you were a good girl. Now, wait here one moment Samantha.”

Maxis turned to another man in white and whispered in his ear for a moment, and the man, with a name-tag reading Harvey Yena, went into another room and came back with a rectangular device and a leash attached to the fluffiest, most beautiful dog Samantha had ever seen. Dr. Yena turned on the device which began to spin some of its internal wheel-like parts.

Samantha covered her mouth with her free hand and smile with glee. She had always begged father for a dog of her own but he always turned down the idea, believing she was not old enough. Ludvig knelt down again by Samantha and her new-found best friend.

“Now, you must be very diligent with her, Samantha. Owning a dog is a great responsibility."

"Yes, father. Oh, I love her."

"You must feed her every day, and walk her, and be very careful when you play with her. You know she's going to have puppies?"

Samantha's bright green eyes raised up to her loving father. Not only a dog of her very own, but soon puppies.

"Really? Can I keep the puppies too father?"

"We'll see, Samantha. One step at a time."

 

Dr. Yena ended the recording Dr. Maxis had requested. Following the previous week's events, Dr. Maxis had not struck Harvey as the sentimental type. Thank God he had convinced Maxis to give her the testing dog. No telling what type of experiments they had planned for the mother and her pups, seeing what had already been done to human subjects at Group 935 and worse, Division 9 in Japan.

Dr. Yena shifted his pose unsure of what Maxis wanted to happen next. The father and daughter continued speaking for a few minutes, occasionally sharing a hug or a laugh. Finally, Dr. Maxis raised up and motioned for the recorder from Dr. Yena.

“Thank you, Dr. Yena. Samantha and I will be gone for the next few hours. Be sure to check in on Dr. Porter's work every so often, and try to follow up with Dr. Richtofen on the weapon ideas sometime this evening. But first, treat yourself to a break. It's been a busy week for all of us.”

“Yes, doctor. Thank you.”

Dr. Yena left the lobby for his locker and passed Dr. Schuster. He waved at the doctor but he seemed in such a hurry Dr. Schuster did not notice.

“Dr. Schuster! Are you alright?”

“Yes! Yes, everything is alright! Erm- have you seen Dr. Richtofen anywhere?”

“Well no, last I saw him was in yesterday's meeting.”

“Well if you see him let me know, please. I, uh, need to speak with him.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 7: Success

Dr. Schuster was all out of hope. None of the other scientists had seen or heard from Dr. Richtofen in days. Dr. Maxis was beginning to question where he had been, and Dr. Schuster could only cover for so long.

He had to be dead. They should not have tested on a human subject until they were ready. Now, Dr. Schuster's dearest friend was gone.

One last audio diary, and he would leave. Dr. Maxis will be far worse than obtuse when he finds what they have done behind his back. Dr. Schuster's professional career was over.

"Log Entry 43. Date: January 23rd, 1940. I cannot be certain what happened to Dr. Richtofen. Once the test was commenced, he just disappeared from the machine into thin air. I have searched the area for days and have no evidence that he is anywhere. I am afraid I might have to scrap the-"

The receiving pad of the MTD began to flash and buzz. Out came Dr. Richtofen, jogging towards a dumbfounded and relieved Dr. Schuster.

“Don't scrap anything! We have done something, something wondrous.”

Edward turned his head as if a noise caught his attention.

“Shhh. Do you hear them?

"Dr. Richtofen, you're alive!"

"I'm more than alive, Dr. Schuster. Is the device still intact?"

"Yes, but, what happened to you?"

"Aaah, something wunderbar! That chamber was incredible, the wonders we could learn!"

"What are you talking about? Are you alright?"

"Get in the matter transference prototype, Dr. Schuster. We have work to do.”

Dr. Richtofen grabbed two pairs of earplugs and walked with Dr. Schuster towards the MTD. He handed Dr. Schuster a pair.

“We'll need these.”

The MTD once again activated and sent the two scientists to the dark cave.

“Why do I feel...weightless? And what is the strange pyramid? Where in the hell are we?”

“Dr. Schuster, if my theory is correct, I believe we are on the Moon, and this device is a gateway. A gateway...to another dimension.”

“Another dimension? Is Dr. Groph here too talking such insanity?”

“Nein, but I'm beginning to think much of what he says is more true than we'd ever imagined. He was right about 935 partnering with the Nazi Party, was he not?”

“What are you suggesting are the origins of this pyramid gateway device?”

“Dr. Groph, in his study of the Vril-Ya, mentioned something about three pyramids, gateways to the Aether, a dimension beyond our understanding. The ancient race Vril-Ya built these devices to travel between dimensions at will. Though Dr. Groph believed in the Vril-Ya, and their technological wonders, he did not fully believe that there were different dimensions. But this pyramid fit the description perfectly from the stories.”

“I'm not sure what to say...what could we do with such a discovery? Should we tell the others at Group 935?”

“Certainly not everyone, especially not Maxis. But I know of several members of Group 935 who have lately shown a distaste for Dr. Maxis' new policies. They could help us build a station here, and we can discover the power this device holds, and use it to change the world.”

“Ok, question two...how did you get back to...uh...Earth?”

“In my tampering with the device when I initially arrived, the front panel of the pyramid began to light up, and it teleported me to some god-forsaken jungle where I was chased down by some native people. From my time there, I made some more new discoveries.”

“Do tell.”

“For one thing, the jungle I had arrived at had a massive deposit of Element 115. Unlike the meteor explosion over Tunguska which gave Group 935 its supply of the element, the 115 there was underground. The natives feared it due to the effects it seemed to have on both the living and the dead.”

“How will we acquire the resources to mine it exactly?”

“I know for a fact many of the members from the excavation team would jump at the chance to undermine Maxis, no pun intended. They will have the tools. Also, the people living in the jungle had me running for my life when I first arrived, but just at the sight of my lighter I had them eating out of the palm of my hand. They can do the mining work for us, and we will have an incredible amount of the element for testing here at the base we will build.”

“This plan is genius Edward! So much potential for what can be done here. Think of it! We are the first men on the Moon, and soon the first to enter into another dimension!”

“I'm glad we can see eye-to-eye, Dr. Schuster. Now, we must return and find others to join us. We should avoid bringing up what exactly this device can do until we are sure everyone on the team is on board and trustworthy. Dr. Maxis can never find out what we will do here.”

“Absolutely. Now, Edward, how were you able to return to the MTD receiving pad all the way from the jungle?”

“It turns out that I arrived in that jungle near one of the native peoples' temples, which was built around a pyramid device just like this one. The use of Element 115 for the MTD seemed to directly connect our device to the three pyramids just like this, and we can teleport between them, and the MTD at will.”

“If the first pyramid is on the Moon, and the second is in the jungle you ended up in, where is the thir-”

“SHHH! Do you hear that?”

“Hear what, Edward?! Are you alright?”

The voices are back.

Like a blowtorch to Edward's brain the voices called out to him, over and over.

“Yani-Ya Koom-Zi Vril-Ya An Sumer An Drakon A-U-Ran”

“Not so loud! Please!”

“A step down the stairway...”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 8: Funding

 

“Samantha, this is my new assistant, Sophia. Say hello to her.”

Samantha averted her eyes. She was nervous of meeting new people and said nothing to Sophia. Her father was unhappy at her non-reaction.

“It's quite alright, Dr. Maxis. She's just shy, aren't you Samantha? Can I call you Sam?”

Samantha continued looking away to the window looking outside. Oh how she wished to be outside with her father for longer.

“Samantha, Sophia will take care of you while I am busy, and I will take you home after I have finished my work here. Some very important men are relying on me.”

“Okay daddy. When will you be done?”

“In due time. You will be fine here with Sophia. Sophia is very kind and would love to get to know you.”

Samantha stayed quiet and sat in the chair near Sophia's desk.

“Thank you for taking care of Samantha for me for today, Sophia. Samantha doesn't need to be spending all of her day at home. Once you get her to open up I'm sure she will love having a new friend to talk to.”

“It is no problem, Dr. Maxis.” Her eyes shone a bright blue and her smile stole Dr. Maxis' gaze.

The two had become fond of each other the past week. Dealing with the Nazi party and the constant work on new weapon project ideas, Dr. Maxis felt he had lost his human touch. All he had was Samantha and now Sophia to keep him sane.

“Also Dr. Maxis you have a letter from the Reichstag.”

“Thank you Sophia. I will read it as soon as I can.”

“The officer who brought it mentioned it was very urgent.”

“I understand.”

Dr. Maxis unsealed the letter as he walked to his office. This had to be about the new prototype he and Dr. Porter had been working on. Early test results had been sent to the Reichstag for review and they had not gotten back to Dr. Maxis since.

 

Dr. Ludvig Maxis,

 

Test results from the Ray Gun prototype have been very pleasing to us. The weapon shows great promise and would do so much to improve our soldiers' capabilities. Expect mass production of the weapon and expect future funding from our cause. We are in your debt for you and your scientists' work.

At the moment we are looking for other forms of biological technology to enhance our soldiers. Your colleagues at the Rising Sun facility have begun research on a sort of augmentation using Element 115 to give people new abilities once the filtered element is consumed. At the moment, this is all hypothetical as there are no willing human test subjects to utilize for great science. This is why it is our pleasure to allow Group 935 and Division 9 to collaborate at Wittenau Sanatorium, an asylum in Berlin, with plenty of living subjects to perform testing. Your two organizations are of course responsible for renaming the facility and managing maintenance as well. You have our trust on the matter.

Also, we have reviewed your tests of the element on dead cells, and are intrigued at the potential. While the Wehrmacht is the strongest force on earth that cannot be replaced, an army of the dead would be a massive tactical advantage for us. However, as you have stated, tests have not been successful so far. We have faith your men can discover the key to controlling them, and we would be ecstatic in accepting any new discoveries on the matter. With our funding and now access to the asylum, you should not have a problem performing any tests that may find a breakthrough.

One last issue to discuss: We are looking for something to innovate the Reich's efficient military. At this time our military is mounting an offensive against the Soviets. We lack the proper transportation infrastructure in the east to mount such an offensive with all the supplies and troops we need in the field. If any research has come up or does come up that could assist us at this time, please contact the Reichstag High Command.

Thank you for your cooperation.

- General Lehmkuhl

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 9: Rebellion

 

Two years following Dr. Edward Richtofen and Dr. Schuster arriving on the Moon, Dr. Richtofen and many others from Group 935 at his side, constructed a small base around the MPD, the Vril-Ya pyramid device, with breathable air and a sustained power generator.

With all the equipment set up and another MTD built to directly teleport to Der Riese, Dr. Richtofen was ready to perform a speech for his allies conspiring against Dr. Maxis and his vision of Group 935.

"Gentlemen, for two long years we have toiled here and at Eagle's Nest to build up fortifications. For two long years we have taken equipment to build up our labs. For two long years we have worked under Group 935, believing that Dr. Maxis truly wants to help the world. For two long years we've led a double life. Today, that all ends."

Many in the crowd began to stir. From all walks of life they all had a love for science and a respect for Dr. Richtofen. No one else at Group 935 stood up to Dr. Maxis, or outwardly disagreed with his policies, except him.

"I bring to you what this project is all about. What I have worked to keep from my enemy."

Dr. Schuster removed the foil-lined cloth from the MPD, still clean and spotless even after the construction. Everyone in the crowd was baffled.

Dr. Groph at the front spoke up, "What is it Dr. Richtofen? It looks alien."

"It is an ancient vril machine. And you, Dr. Groph, are now the lead scientist here at Griffin Station. You will be the one to discover how it works.”

The crowd of scientists applauded Dr. Groph on his new position.

Dr. Groph smiled and waved as he walked next to Dr. Richtofen. "We first must discover what it does."

"Nein, Dr. Groph, I know what it does. It is a direct connection to another dimension."

Audible gasps could be heard at the announcement. Dr. Groph included.

“Preposterous!”

"No more preposterous than teleporting all of you to the moon and building Griffin Station is it?"

"I suppose not, how do you know what it does?"

"I found many interesting vril artifacts here. I have decoded some of their language, all signs point to this device being a stable gateway to the Aether."

The crowd continued their chatter on the subject as Dr. Richtofen finished his speech.

Dr. Schuster interrupted the chatter to inform Dr. Richtofen of an important discovery.

"Dr. Richtofen, I am aware of a project being run by Dr. Maxis at Der Riese concerning vril."

"As am I. I am going back to my port at Group 935 to continue the charade. I will be finding out just how much information Dr. Maxis has on vril. Once the machine is operational, I will enact my plan and return. Gentlemen, let the games begin."

Once more the crowd applauded. Soon they would undermine Dr. Maxis and everything he stood for.

“A-glauran. Ya Un.”

They are back.

"Shhhh, the voices are so loud!"

“Coming home...”

 

 

 

Chapter 10: Deceit

 

Dr. Maxis had noticed a change in Dr. Richtofen's demeanor. Edward rarely looked him squarely in the eyes and when he did his eyes gave an impression of uneasiness. Dr. Maxis had already ignored his teleportation research, but now he needed it back. The Nazis needed it. But breaking it to Dr. Richtofen and taking full control will anger him even further. It must be done for the sake of Group 935.

Group 935 had created its own research stations all throughout Nazi territory, including here in Austria, within a medieval mountain-side castle. Among members of the organization it became colloquially known as Griffin Castle. An odd locale, but its beautiful architecture and art inspired many of its scientists.

Dr. Maxis entered the castle's entrance to meet with Dr. Richtofen and break the news. Worse and worse scenarios raced in Dr. Maxis' head. A vindictive Richtofen might destroy his work just to prevent Group 935 from utilizing it. He may even release his aggression on Maxis himself. Best case scenario: Dr. Richtofen leaves Group 935 to work alone. It was a shame, as Dr. Maxis had much respect for Dr. Richtofen.

At Dr. Richtofen's station he was toying with a device powered by Element 115. It had many coils and electricity could be seen between the coils flowing. Edward had been very persistent on working on this prototype for the past few weeks, now more so than ever.

“Good evening Dr. Richtofen. What exactly is this device you've been working with?”

“This, Dr. Maxis, is the Wunderwaffe DG-2, a complement to the original Die Glocke project. It is not finished at the moment, but this weapon has incredible potential.”

“Ah. Well, Dr. Richtofen it's impressive.”

“Thank you, doctor. When the project is finished, I will submit the findings and a prototype to you to send to our friends in the Reich.”

“I, uh, look forward to your findings Dr. Richtofen. Hopefully they will appreciate your research and begin mass production. Now, Dr. Richtofen, I have a...proposal.”

“Regarding what?”

“Your teleportation research. I have been contacted with an inquiry regarding any research that can assist with transportation of supplies and soldiers. I apologize for putting you down for your work a few years ago, and I am fully understanding of any anger you may have.”

Dr. Richtofen's face was blank. No telling his internal thoughts. Silent for a few moments, and finally he spoke up.

“I'd be happy to help you Dr. Maxis. I will share the prototype's schematics.”

He was not furious. Or at least he did not seem so.

“What kind of scientist would I be if I was not willing to share my work, Dr. Maxis? Besides, how can I say no when my work will still be put to good use! Not to mention the DG-2 is coming along nicely, and you can help have it mass-produced.”

“Thank you, Edward. I was afraid you would not take the announcement this well. I am pleased you have decided to cooperate. We should begin testing within the next few weeks.”

Dr. Maxis left Dr. Richtofen to his work.

 

Edward was furious. He knew Dr. Maxis would steal his hard work. That rat. Even if Edward had declined the offer there's no doubt he'd steal his research for himself. Would Dr. Maxis ever truly be able to keep his promise and mass produce the Wunderwaffe DG-2? Only time will tell, but Edward would not hold his breath. Dr. Maxis was blindly infatuated with Sophia. A lost cause. And his damn brat of a daughter would be his undoing as well. Or so said the voices.

Chapter 11: Souls

 

Dr. Groph continued to arrange the front panel of the pyramid device in a variety of positions. His theory was it functioned similar to a radio signal, which must be tuned to a certain frequency. If it truly was a gateway to another dimension, it must be calibrated somehow. Dr. Schuster stood at the wayside.

“Perhaps it must be powered, Dr. Groph?”

“Nonsense, Dr. Schuster. The MPD was able to teleport Dr. Richtofen when he had no such power supply.”

“Teleporting to a Himalayan jungle is much different from teleporting to another dimension. For it to function as a gateway, perhaps it needs something more?”

Dr. Groph took in the question for a moment more. He touched the symbols on the face once again, and finally the center circle. The centerpiece went from a convex shape to concave, as if ready for something to be attached.

“We may be on to something.”

Dr. Groph strode to one of the upstairs labs and removed a sample of Element 115 with protective gloves. Slowly he placed the rock into the convex face plate and it began to spark and sputter. Nothing for a moment, then in one of the four corners of the pyramid a large, seemingly glass, tube rose from the ground.

Groph removed a recording device from his jacket pocket and started the log.

“Log 1075. Dr. Schuster and I have spent countless hours with the pyramid device in an attempt to understand how it functions. We have made little progress...until now. Today we uncovered what looks to be some kind of tank with a glass like front. The glass itself seems- ”

A rat scurried from beneath the stairs towards the tube, frightening the two scientists. Dr. Schuster brought his leg up and attempted to stomp the rat to death.

"I've got you now, rat!"

"Kill it, Schuster!"

Its bones were crushed under Schuster's foot and after its final squeal, a red light emanated from its body and moved towards the tube. A small portion of the tube now had a fluorescent green fluid inside. Dr. Schuster was stunned.

"Did you see that?"

"Look! The capacitor is illuminated, the tank is filling-"

"The machine. It seems to be activated! What did you do?"

"I think we just discovered what powers this machine. We must inform Dr. Richtofen."

The two scientists activated the long-range radio to Eagle's Nest.

“Eagle's Nest. This is Griffin Station. Dr. Richtofen?”

“Yes, Groph, what have you found?”

“Dr. Schuster and I have tinkered with the pyramid to discover its functions, and caused a strange tube to rise from the ground. We killed a rat and it seemed to partially fill up the tube with some sort of green liquid. We believe the MPD may be powered by souls, or more practically speaking, life energy ejected at the moment of death.”

“Excellent Dr. Groph. You must try and fully power the device.”

“Dr. Richtofen, only so many pests may have followed us through our travels to Griffin Station, surely. Where are we to find more...uh...fuel?”

“The Verruckt facility. Wittenau Sanatorium. We have men on the inside who can transport patients to your location for filling the tube.”

Dr. Schuster was taken aback.

“Dr. Richtofen, surely we could send some testing animals from Der Riese for the job, ja?”

“Wrong, Dr. Schuster. Dr. Maxis has now stolen our initial research on the teleporter and is creating his own version for testing. He will be using these test animals and he keeps a close eye on the inventory. Besides, human souls would surely fill the tube faster than pesky rodents. The shipment will be there within the week.”

Dr. Schuster was sick. His soul heavy. Dr. Groph was similarly disgusted, but respectful of his colleague's orders.

“Yes, doctor.”

 

Three days later, and thirty asylum patients stood at gunpoint near the MPD awaiting their fate. One crazed patient ran towards the pyramid and was shot in the spine. His soul entered the tank.

Dr. Edward Richtofen called in to Griffin Station with Dr. Groph on standby.

"Griffin station. This is Eagle’s Nest. Status update. Over."

"Hello, Doctor. We have the shipment, and are carrying out your orders."

In a single-file line the patients were walked to the tube and shot in the head, and the soul left their body into the device.

“It is grim work, Doctor.”

“All in the name of science, Dr. Groph. Continue until the tanks are full."

“Yes... Doctor.”

Another patient shot dead.

“May God have mercy on us all.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 12: Failure

 

“Now walk forward.”

It stumbled a few more feet towards the pane of glass.

“Now stop.”

Dr. Maxis raised his hand along with the command, and the zombie stopped in place.

The Nazi officials were very impressed.

“Fascinating.”

Dr. Maxis was pleased by the general reaction.

"The timeline for deployment can be accelerated. Given the progress we have made in the past two weeks, if patient two-six can retain the impressions longer than twenty-six hours, we will have the process perfected.”

“Incredible work you have done here, Dr. Maxis. As you know, Germany has been pushed back by the Allies on both fronts, and we are in dire need of a new plan. Your army of the undead will completely change the tides of this war in our favor.”

“Thank you. Patient two-six shows much promise and we should be able to replicate our process easily. The patient has responded to stimuli with minimal violent outbursts, and has even begun to learn to attack on command. Playing a particular sound seems to mesmerize it for a short time, and they accept commands much easier during this time.”

“You said it can attack on command, may we see it in action?”

Dr. Maxis hesitated, was two-six ready for a live audience? Surely a field test now would work just the same as it had before.

“Yes, we can perform a demonstration. My assistant, Dr. Schultz, will set up a field test for your viewing.”

In the test chamber a scientist activated a sound box which calmed the zombie. He commanded it to walk with him into a box, then transported it to a larger area for testing. He brought in a separate cage with a dog, a German Shepard, and released the latch on both cages.

The beast inside was slamming on the walls of its cage trying to get to the cowering dog outside. Dr. Schultz played the sound box before opening the cage door. As he played it the raging corpse quit moving. Dr. Schultz grasped the door handle and opened the cage for the Reich men to see.

“Attack the dog. Now.”

It started to drool and foam at the mouth, and slammed the opened door into the unsuspecting Dr. Schultz as it pounced at the dog. Dr. Schultz had a broken, bloody nose from the door and now lied on the ground. The sound box was turned off and he scrambled to turn the knob to reactivate it. In the corner, the beast was tearing the dogs limbs right off its body and chewing its internal organs.

“Schultz, are you alright in there?! Turn the box back on!”

Schultz activated and deactivated the box over and over again until it finally started playing the sound. The pus-ridden corpse reared its head back at the doctor, its jaws coated in freshly pumped blood.

No one in the lab took a breath. All stayed silent. Then came the alarm. Someone had pulled the fire alarm and now the sound was blaring all throughout the laboratory.

The zombie swung its arms around and groaned at the doctor and the men behind the glass.

“GET HIM OUT OF THERE!”

Sophia and several other scientists had attempted to get the door open and allow Dr. Schultz to escape. The zombie leaped through the air onto the doctor, thrashing its head around as several others in the crowd attempted to stop it. The zombie tossed Schultz to the ground and began gnawing at his neck.

Three armed men with MP40s entered the room and pushed Dr. Maxis and the Nazi officials aside. Every man covered his ears as the soldiers sent rounds through the pane of glass into the testing room. By the time every last bullet was emptied, no one could even hear the fire alarm from all the ringing.

The zombie was now an unrecognizable lump of flesh and bullets plastered all over the back wall. Dr. Schultz had passed out into shock. Dr. Maxis was stunned by the failure. His mouth agape. The Nazi officials around him were screaming and pointing fingers at Dr. Maxis, but he could not hear them. He ran to the crowd of scientists who had attempted to get the door open. None of them appeared harmed by the gunfire, but Sophia was crying.

“Sophia!”

Dr. Maxis took his young assistant aside and held her close.

“Are you alright, Sophia? Are you hurt?!”

“No, Dr. Maxis. Please, I want to leave.”

Maxis pushed aside the crowd of frustrated officials, escorting Sophia to her office. There was a ringing in his ears from the gunfire, then he heard nothing but his internal fears coming to surface. Funding of The Giant project was over. This was the nail in the coffin.

Dr. Maxis had already attempted to use Richtofen's prototype on his own behind Richtofen's back, but early tests only ended in failure. He needed more time. Something else must satisfy the Reich until they can complete their work. Without the funds or ample supply of Element 115 they would fail. Dr. Maxis had to beg and plea.

Down the hall Dr. Maxis approached Sophia's desk.

“Sophia, this letter is to go to the Reichstag High Command immediately.”

Sophia prepared herself to type up the letter.

“Gentlemen, it is with the utmost urgency that I draw your attention to the lack of funding being injected into The Giant project. While I believe we are close to realizing the ultimate plan, we still have several years of development before it is ready. It would be folly to cut our expenditure so early in our development. As you know, early tests on the DG-2 have easily outperformed expectations and we fully anticipate mass producing the Wunderwaffe within the next few years. Work on the matter transference has however come to a standstill. We simply do not have enough Element 115 to continue the experiments. The test subjects have survived teleportation but are currently unresponsive to commands and cannot be controlled. If we are to overcome this obstacle we need to increase the frequency and size of the experiment. To this end, I suggest we find not only a regular supply of 115, but that we also find a larger conduit to channel the energy. Our operatives in America have informed us that the US have a large supply of the element at the Nevada base, so time is of the essence if we are to stay ahead of them. This cannot be done if you cut the budget, nor can it be done if you insist on pressuring us into action before we are ready. I am of course available for discussion of the matter but in the meantime, I will continue with the work here and try to win this damned war. Signed, etcetera etcetera, Doctor Maxis."

“I will have the letter sent immediately. Are you alright, doctor? You seem agitated.”

“It's nothing to concern yourself over, Sophia. I'm fine. It's you we should be worried about. Your skin is so pale. You seem...sick.”

“I'm fine, really I am, Dr. Maxis.”

Ludvig gave a suspicious glance to Sophia's arm, which she held tightly at her side. Were the rumors true? Dr. Maxis could not bear the thought of losing his beloved Sophia.

“Meet me in my office in one hour, Sophia.”

 

 

Chapter 13: Sophia

 

Dr. Maxis sighed to himself.

“Another setback. Patient two-six was killed this morning in a field test. He lost control and attacked one of our handlers. His injuries were minor but patient two-six was destroyed. The break in programming coincided with the flashing lights and loud noises of the fire alarm in the test facility.”

Someone knocked on his door.

“One moment!”

The knocking intensified.

“What is it?”

Dr. Maxis ended the recording and raised himself up from his chair. There Sophia stood, skin pale and arms crossed.

“You wanted to see me Ludvig?”

“Ah, Sophia. Yes, do come in. Sit down my dear. Have some tea.”

Sophia sat down, weakly gripping her tea cup. Maxis had been intently staring at her as she took a sip of tea.

“Is everything all right?”

“No, no. Everything is fine. Drink your tea.”

Dr. Maxis seemed tense, strict. Sophia could no longer read him, like he was blocking her out. Dr. Maxis broke the silence.

“I've heard a nefarious rumor regarding the field test with Subject 26. Are you feeling all right?“

“Of course.”

“Just strange this rumor. May I see your arm?”

“What? No...why do you need to see my arm?”

“Relax Sophia...I would never hurt you, you know that, right?”

“Of course, but...”

“And you know I care deeply for you?”

“Yes, but...”

Sophia's legs trembled and fell out from under her. She began to violently choke and her throat felt as if it were closing. The tea cup fell from her hands and shattered on the floor.

“Yes, yes, and you know everything I'm about to do is for your own good.”

 

“This is Doctor Ludvig Maxis, beginning preliminary trials for the Strategic Operations Planning Heuristic Intelligence Analyzer.”

Dr. Maxis keyed in his password and activated the button to power S.O.P.H.I.A. It was a large, round device with one 'eye' at the front for analyzing targets. The device powered on, causing the central eye to glow red, and the ball began to move autonomously. Now a familiar voice emanated from the machine.

“Hello? My God, what's happening? Ludvig? Doctor Maxis?”

“Hello Sophia.”

“Where am I? It's so dark here. I can't see anything.”

“That's all perfectly normal. How are you feeling?”

“I feel...nothing. What have you done to me?”

“I saved you Sophia. I saved you the only way I know how.”

“Oh Maxis...what have you done...”

Sophia began to cry. But there were no tears to wipe away.

 

Dr. Ludvig Maxis

 

Upon reviewing your past work and many failures we have to deny future funding of The Giant project. Reports from General Lehmkuhl and our other representatives present at the testing site were highly troubled by what you and your men are doing. Unless there is concrete success in your undead army, we cannot allow any further testing to take place using our funding.

We have also had enough of your insistence of the Wunderwaffe DG-2's successes. Mass production of such a weapon is a fairy tale at best. We are at war, and at this point it is a losing one. We cannot afford to meddle with more untested, experimental weaponry in the field. Until Germany regains its foothold in this war, there is no use creating expensive, experimental weaponry prototypes.

What the United States is doing in Nevada is none of our concern at the moment. We can provide more of Element 115 from Tunguska but we are rapidly losing faith in Group 935's capabilities. We will supply the element with the intent that it will be used to perfect your matter transference prototype for our army. This is your final chance.

 

Group 935 did not create the technology the Nazis needed. Edward Richtofen did not arrive in time to assist in creation of the MTD. On the 8^th of May, 1945, Nazi Germany surrendered after Soviet troops invaded and captured Berlin. Nazi Germany was no more, and Group 935 had lost its main source of funding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 14: Massacre

 

Dr. Schultz lied in his bed, still recovering from the neck wound he had acquired during the field test. His skin grew paler every day, and he suffered from high fever and cold sweats on a regular basis.

The war was over, he had read it in the paper delivered to him. The Second Great War was finally finished. But this meant doom for Group 935. Dr. Schultz also could not shake the biting truth that he was dying.

Dr. Maxis left Dr. Schultz and the rest at Der Riese shortly after a surgery of someone at the facility. Maxis seemed not concerned with the well being of his scientists who had suffered from the two-six field test. All Dr. Schultz had was his nurse, who would care for him and treat his wound when needed.

That night a scream could be heard outside the operating room. His nurse strode to the door and investigated outside. The scream that came next sent shivers down Dr. Schultz's spine. A zombie had gotten loose in the facility and was killing many outside, including the nurse he had just spoken with. Gunshots could be heard all throughout the facility, along with screams of terror. Many cried out in German, but there were some voices in Russian.

Dr. Schultz painfully turned his neck towards the alarm, he lifted himself up but the pain in his face kept him reeling on the ground. The pain was enormous, but he crawled on to the nearby alarm system. Next to the alarm was a recording device. This was the end.

He turned it on.

“I am Dr. Schultz. A doctor of Group 935. Our fragile alliance with the Nazi party has ended, rather catastrophically. The Partei is gone. Der Riese is being raided by the Soviets as I speak. I thought Group 935 could succeed in its mission. But I'm all out of hope. Auf Wiedersehen, my friend.”

Dr. Schultz turned the knob to the proper combination, allowing the alarm button to be pressed. The alarm came on all over the entire facility, and a P.A. System said the following:

“Warning, the shield is now active, find and destroy the designated materials and report to the barracks, this is not a drill.”

Dr. Schultz searched his pockets. The cyanide was nowhere to be found. It must be in his uniform locked away somewhere else.

“Dammit! - I can't find my pills...they are coming, I must do what I must do. God forgive us all!”

Dr. Schultz pulled a chair over and flipped it upright. He tied his bed sheets into a make-shift noose, and got himself into position. Finally, kicking the chair, Schultz suffocated to death on the noose as the chaos raged on at Der Riese.

Already over thirty deaths from a mix of Soviet gunmen and rampant zombies, Group 935 scientists still residing at Der Riese attempted to destroy their work, and either get to the barracks, or take their cyanide pill.

Within an hour of the massacre, American troops arrived at Der Riese and a standoff between the two allied groups began. The Americans forced the Soviets out of the facility after they had already salvaged much important research from Group 935. The scientists who had not killed themselves or been shot during the standoff were captured by the US troops.

The survivors in Group 935 scattered to their many research stations around the world. Edward Richtofen had established a teleporter at Group 935's Siberian facility for quick transportation to Griffin Station. Dr. Maxis now resided at Griffin Castle with Samantha. Dr. Groph and Dr. Schuster continued tests on the MPD at Griffin Station on the Moon, while Dr. Maxis had presumed they had died at the Der Riese Massacre.

Chapter 15: Spleen

 

The trip was exhausting. Dr. Richtofen could have simply teleported to Group 935's Siberian facility, but that would uncover the facade. Maxis still believed the MTD was merely a prototype only capable of teleporting a walnut. No matter. Soon, Dr. Maxis would feel his wrath.

Edward slogged through the piercing, cold snow to reach his laboratory. Two men guarded the door. The lab was in conflicted territory after all, but this frozen hell would not seem desirable to the naked, Soviet eye. Richtofen presented his key card to the guards and they opened his bullet-proof door. Locking the door, Dr. Richtofen donned his blood-stained labcoat. Time to check on the subjects.

The first door held test subject H19J, a German patient shipped from the Verruckt facility and leftover from the MPD experiments at Griffin Station. He did not move when Richtofen entered his cell. Richtofen tapped his side with his right foot while remaining a good distance away. Still no movement. Definitely dead.

The second door held test subject N3WB, a disgraced Japanese soldier sent to “The Doctor” for experimentation. He was very clearly awake and breathing, but did not respond to Dr. Richtofen's approach.

“Hello? What's your name again?”

The soldier did not bat an eyelid and continued staring at the floor.

“You're going to be difficult again. You know I forget your name every time!”

Edward searched a cabinet for his file to find the name.

“Yes. Takeo Masaki is the name! What have you been doing besides just sitting there doing absolutely nothing?”

Still blank-faced, Takeo blinked his eyes.

“Wow! Good for you. You learned to blink. We'll talk again later. Later than you'd think, but sooner than you'd hope. Goodbye!”

Edward left Takeo to sulk under lock and key. Next on the agenda.

Test subject DR4K. A Russian soldier left abandoned on the front lines by his government. Immediately upon opening the door Edward could smell the urine. He would have his assistants bathe the subject, because of the unbearable stench. Nikolai Belinski, as his profile stated, was found drunk, passed out near the Soviet front lines once the Germans pushed them back. They tried taking him as a prisoner of war, but the drunkard offered nothing in the ways of information on, well, anything really.

“Hello Nikolai, sorry about the harsh beating from my cohorts last week. You weren't responding after all, and they are not quite as patient as I. Luckily for you, you are in my compassionate, sterile hands.”

Similar to subject N3WB, DR4K responded to no stimuli, though it seemed more of a lack of ability to function rather than spite in the case of N3WB.

Dr. Richtofen searched his belongings for a syringe he had saved just for Nikolai. A combination of many medicines, but mostly Vodka. He jabbed the syringe in a comatose Nikolai's arm and pumped the mixture into his veins.

“Wakey wakey my Cossack friend. We have work to do today. When I come back you better be awake and ready for some form of surgery. I won't tell you what kind yet, it's a surprise!”

Nikolai's eyes opened and he belched and groaned for several minutes before he could stand on two legs. He did not have the slightest idea where he was or who that man talking to him was. Fortunately for Nikolai, the alcohol in the syringe was not enough to keep him standing for longer than 20 minutes. No surgery this time.

Last cell. Test subject HC4Z. Pablo Marinus. Originally from Mexico, Pablo managed to find himself captured by German soldiers in Northern France. Pablo was said to be doing some sort of scientific research with his own deposit of Element 115 deep underground. Perhaps the catacombs of Paris.

Pablo refused to speak of his research and burned his journal before he was captured. This was not important to Dr. Richtofen, however. As his other test subjects were either dead or playing dead, Pablo would be his lucky test subject of the day.

“Good afternoon Pablo...excuse me, subject HC4Z. We don't want to get to informal, now do we? We are not friends, you see. Our relationship is doctor and patient.”

“You monsters know not what you are doing.”

Pablo's lower body could not function following an experiment with a blood transfer. He was bound to a stretcher with his arms restrained. Dr. Richtofen pulled his bed towards the operating room and set up his supplies.

“HC4Z. Do you know what they call me?”

Pablo did not respond. He shut his eyes and began to mutter short verses, as if he were praying. They were not in German nor Spanish. Nothing Dr. Richtofen had heard before.

“If you found yourself in Nazi-controlled territory, which you did as I understand, you should have come across hearsay from people of the city and refugees of all walks of life. Being captured by the Germans and held as a prisoner of war was the good outcome.”

Dr. Richtofen strapped Pablo's head down to the table and raised his bone saw.

“The bad outcome? You get sent to The Butcher. 'Beware the Doc.'”

Pablo's heavy breathing turned into hyperventilating as the saw cut into his upper chest.

“I think you know who 'The Butcher' is.”

Pablo's screaming soon silenced as his throat filled with blood. The imperfect cuts at his chest were digging into his windpipe.

“We're almost done, my friend. I'm just removing your spleen, that's all.”

As Dr. Richtofen jabbed at the arteries and the spleen came loose, Pablo's eyes went blank and the screaming came to an end.

Edward snapped his fingers near Pablo's face.

“No! We were not done! Wake up!”

Nothing.

“Damn!”

Edward tossed the severed spleen onto the floor.

 

Takeo Masaki shut his eyes.

“Deru Kui Wa Utareru.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 16: Magnum Opus

 

"Log Entry: 1471. Date: September 2nd, 1945. Dear diary, another day, another failure. This time subject N3WB just slightly improved. The Russian subject still smells like urine, even after he was given a bath and deloused twice. I think I might have killed the specimen from Mexico. His spleen is on the floor and he's not moving anymore. I can verify with certainty, however, that the barrier is not located in the spleen. Dr. Maxis has said that we must continue no matter the cost. I wonder what he might think of the experiments on the little girl...”

Dr. Richtofen began to cackle loudly. The laughing alerted a testing monkey which had gotten loose from its cage. The monkey was holding Pablo's severed spleen in its paws.

“Nein! Drop that! That's my spleen! Mine!”

Edward pounced at the monkey with his scalpel but missed and fell to the floor. The monkey now held the spleen close to its chest and sneered at Edward hoping to scare him off from atop the filing cabinet.

The vexed doctor knocked the cabinet down and stabbed the monkey on the ground.

“We'll see how you enjoy being stuffed, you pest!”

Edward removed the monkey's many internal organs before filling the husk with stuffing, and positioning the body in the pose of terror it held when Richtofen took its life.

As Edward positioned the body by his other stuffed victims, he could see an assistant from a nearby lab standing in the doorway, quivering in fear. He saw the whole thing.

“What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy?!”

“Yes doctor, I...uh...sorry. I brought the supplies you asked for yesterday...”

“You're right, I did ask for them yesterday. So why are they here today?! Leave, now!”

“Yes doctor.”

Finally, Edward's new toys had arrived. Components for the Wunderwaffe and live pigs for testing.

Richtofen wheeled out the prototype for meddling. In the order came three Tesla bulbs, a Tesla battery, and a detachable stock and arm strap. These three bulbs could give the weapon the ability to fire up to ten million volts of electricity in a single pull of the trigger, a far greater output than previous tests. This would be fun.

The pigs were loaded out of the truck and held down on carts to be wheeled to Dr. Richtofen's field test. Five pigs were clamped down side by side.

Edward wheeled the Wunderwaffe 15 meters away from the pigs. Donning his goggles and activating the Wunderwaffe, he pointed the crosshairs on the first pig on the left. When he pulled the trigger he could feel the heat push back against him and a small shock of electricity go back in his face. But the target, well, targets were far worse off.

Fascinating. The bolt of electricity traveled between all five pigs, burning them from the inside out. Edward found the smell somewhat appetizing. This weapon would be far more powerful than predicted, though he must work on protecting the user from that heat. But the test was a success.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 17: Vodka

 

The phone rang once. Twice. Three times. Should he pick it up? Probably just Maxis wanting to steal more of his work. Fine. If Dr. Richtofen was going to tear down Dr. Maxis, he must first build him up.

“Ja, hello.”

“Richtofen! Why don't you pick up the damn phone? This is very important!”

“As if my work here is not? What could be so important?”

“We must begin working again on your teleporter research at Der Riese. I think the facility is safe to return to now after the atrocities that were done to our colleagues there. If Group 935 is going to survive, we must test your teleporter!”

“Well, Dr. Maxis, that does sound awful important. But I believe my work here is unfinished. It was you after all who said I should be here working on our test subjects. Were you not planning on having the DG-2 mass-produced sometime soon? I believe it has exceeded all-”

“Dr. Richtofen the time to shine will come! But right now we need to keep Group 935 afloat, and I need you working on the project!”

“Can you not just get Dr. Schuster for the job?”

“I have not seen him in weeks, have you? Either way, I value your expertise the most out of anyone. Please, get here and let us save Group 935.”

“I will when I can.”

Dr. Richtofen hung up.

The nerve.

“Can you believe that guy?”

“Can't believe it.”

The Russian belched for the fifth time in ten minutes.

“Have you no manners!”

“Nope. I lost those years ago in fight with bear. Heh heh.”

“You know, you are quite crude. I could just bash your head in with any of my select painful tools. But unfortunately for me, you serve a higher purpose. Today we're going to be working on mind control. Fun stuff.”

Nikolai wasn't responding to anything Dr. Richtofen said. He very well could have been asleep. But he simply did not care.

“Yeah yeah, wake me when is over.”

“You are no fun.”

 

The next few hours consisted of several tests on Nikolai's body, involving electricity, surgery, and intoxication.

 

“Okay Nikolai, stand up.”

He simply groaned.

“Come on now.”

Dr. Richtofen placed a bottle of vodka in Nikolai's hand. Nothing.

“I have to do everything!”

He poured half the bottle into Nikolai's mouth. The oaf finally opened his eyes and raised his head.

“Hey, do I know you from somewhere?”

“Yes, yes Nikolai you do, now please stand-”

“My name is Nikolai! I am a big, Russian bear! Ha ha!”

“Yes that's great, please-”

“You got any more of that good stuff?”

He pointed to the bottle. Dr. Richtofen's face met his palm.

“Nikolai, you are supposed to be following my commands!”

“Maybe your commands shouldn't be so loud, you cyka.”

“How are you even functioning?”

“Barely. Heh heh.”

“Okay, do you remember anything from before the tests?”

“Ehhh, not so much. I know I want some more of that good shit in your hands.”

Dr. Richtofen handed him the half-empty bottle. Strange, the tests had not made him any more cooperative, but they had erased much of his memory, and what little intellect he may have had.

“Nikolai, if you would, I'd like to try and evaluate your psych-”

Nikolai was now waving the bottle around singing to himself in Russian. This test was a failure. Unless...perhaps the key to controlling the human mind did not involve science at all. Just some talking.

“Nikolai, if you are a good boy today, I have a reward. I have some bottles of precious vodka waiting for you. All you've got to do is be my little lab assistant for the day.”

“This is good deal!”

“Thank you Nikolai. Now, go get test subject N3WB and bring him to me! We have some work to do!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 18: Asylum

 

The mission is simple. Drop in, secure Peter McCain, and extract from the asylum. Peter had a large target on his head to the Soviets with all the research he had obtained from Group 935.

Two marine recon squads were dispatched to Wittenau Sanatorium where Peter was said to be hiding out. The first was shot down in the night and none of the occupants were recovered. The team led by Corporal “Tank” Dempsey had arrived by morning, however.

“Corporal, wasn't this supposed to be a night op?”

Private John “Banana” spoke with urgency.

“It was, Private. But the first plane being shot down and having to reroute meant some delays. We have not heard back from command, and as far as we can tell there's no one else in sight here. So we go on with the mission in daylight.”

Private “Smokey” gripped his M1 Garand.

“Doesn't it make you a little uneasy that no one is in any of these houses? Surely some people have to be living near this asylum.”

“Look, Smokey, I don't know any of the details. But our mission is very clear: we find the package, and get the hell out. We don't have time to worry about who lives where.”

Private Curt Reynolds finished off his ration and took to his feet.

“We moving in, Corporal?”

“That we are. Keep a level head.”

The squad loaded their weapons and began to approach Wittenau Sanatorium. Trees and homes nearest to the building were on fire, and a large smokestack was emanating from the asylum. Mission intelligence said the building should be abandoned after the bombings.

Corporal Dempsey motioned his squad to follow him through the front gates. The gates were wide open, and no vehicles were parked within. No talking, no screaming, not a human sound. The flames burned on the roof at the opposite end of the center courtyard.

“Banana. Smokey. When we enter through the right you check our flank. Private Reynolds and I will move right and further into the asylum. The asylum should be empty, but we can't take any unnecessary risks. Peter's rendezvous point is supposed to be near the central power grid.”

“Got it.”

The squad took its first steps into the asylum, guns raised. It was eerily quiet and the air dry and heavy. The inside of the sanatorium reeked of ash and smoke. Dempsey and Reynolds moved through a doorway towards the stairs. In an instant all the lights still working turned off, and the doorway they had passed through just closed.

“Shit! Try and get these doors open.”

The four marines attempted to force the doors apart but with no success. John “Banana” began to panic.

“We aren't alone! Someone just turned off the power! Corporal we've gotta find who's here!”

Corporal Dempsey replied, “We don't know that, private. It could have been our target. Maybe he thought we were someone else.”

Smokey looked towards the power grid on the top floor.

“Some shit is going on. Power is that way, Corporal.”

“Alright, you two wait in there, Reynolds and I will-”

Outside in the courtyard, a lone figure was walking towards the marines. All four pointed their weapons.

“You are not Peter! Stand down!”

The figure continued limping towards them. His eyes a bright, glowing yellow color, and head completely bald.

“What the fuck? Stop moving!”

Beneath the figure, a hole in the dirt began to form. Slowly an arm began to claw its way out of the dirt, and finally a whole body, just like the original figure. Then another. And another. There was at least a dozen. They were all looking at the soldiers, eyes blazing like fire. Limps turned into jogging.

“Here they come!”

Tank Dempsey cocked his rifle.

Smokey swung his view to the dozen or so figures in the courtyard. “They're everywhere!”

His BAR jammed as he fumbled to load it. “Shit!”

Banana pointed towards the closed doors. “We need to get these doors open!'

Dempsey and Reynolds high-tailed it to the staircase blocked by debris. Getting the power on was the only way to save his squad.

Banana noticed. “Don't leave me!”

Dempsey called back towards his two squadmates, “Hang in there! We'll work to get the power on!” He motioned towards Reynolds to clear the stairs while he provided cover.

“Hurry it up okay!”

The beasts began to jump through the windows into the room with Banana and Smokey.

Smokey pointed his BAR to the window and opened fire, “They're everywhere! Fuckers are everywhere!”

A runner had come from behind and Reynolds blasted it in the head with his trench gun. “Get out of my face!”

Dempsey emptied a clip into a zombie vaulting over a window, “We gotta keep moving!” More soon followed as the Corporal was forced to reload.

Reynolds pushed Dempsey aside and started killing them.“I've got you! Go!”

Dempsey moved the final piece of debris aside and took to the stairs with Reynolds in tow. The two started firing back down the stairs where more zombies were following. But to their left a grisly hand punched a hole in the wall. Reynolds began shooting through the wall to keep the beasts at bay. “They're coming through the walls!”

Tank Dempsey reached for his belt and pulled the pin on a grenade. “GRENADE GOING IN!” He tossed the grenade down the stairway to the endless horde and ran up the stairs behind Reynolds. The explosion sent chunks of flesh and rubble flying where the two had just been. Tank took to the balcony for a better view on the courtyard. Across on the other balcony Smokey was firing his BAR down in the center. They had found a way out of that room. Soon they could reunite.

Reynolds was running backwards firing his shotgun towards a horde. “Come on! Keep moving!”

Tank snapped out of it and knocked down a smaller door. Suddenly his ears were ringing from a massive explosion from the balcony. Private Banana was firing his M7 Grenade Launcher at the balcony Dempsey had just been on where more and more of the zombies were piling up. Before he could fire off another grenade a zombie had come up from a window behind and charged towards him. Smokey gunned down the freak.

Dempsey and Reynolds were now at the doorway to the power switch. Through the glass the generator was still in working condition. On opening the door the power switch could be seen. Attached to the handle was a severed hand, still fresh and gripping tight.

“Hit it!”

Private Reynolds pulled the lever and lights in the entire asylum lit up bright as day.

 

“Fuck, I'm out!” Smokey's BAR had run empty with no spare ammo. Banana's M1 had almost run dry.

“I can't hold 'em off forever!”

The two marines were now cornered on the balcony. The doorways to get in blocked with more running corpses.

Before Banana ran out, the power came back on. Lights flickered to life on the ceiling, and on a red box on the wall by the doorway. As this box came to life, rods hanging from the head of the doorway began to send electricity down to the floor, and right through the zombies. As more and more piled in they fell to the ground dead again, their fleshed seared from the volts of electricity. The smell was stomach-churning.

Banana's arms finally rested and he dropped his M1.

“Fuckin' zombies...”

Smokey put his back to the wall and slid down to a sitting position.

“It's over.”

Banana could hear the distant screams of the damned.

“No. It ain't over. This is just the beginning.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 19: Tank

 

“Log Entry: 1473. Date: September 17th, 1945. Dear diary, today-”

The door to Dr. Richtofen's lab slammed to the ground, and there stood a muscular American marine in the doorway, armed with a metal rod, and behind him a knocked out guard and a disheveled, bloody Dr. Harvey Yena.

Tank Dempsey swung the rod at Dr. Yena knocking him to the ground.

“Get your hands off me you damn dirty Nazi!”

Tank Dempsey turned his attention to Dr. Richtofen, mouth agape.

“Uh-oh! This doesn't look good...”

Dempsey began to grin and walk towards Richtofen.

“Yeah, that's right, You want some of this? I'm taking you home in bags, freak!”

Dr. Yena followed by another guard entered the lab behind him, and restrained Dempsey, taking away the metal rod. They began beating him to the ground with it until he was calm.

“Nein! I don't think so, American!”

“Okay, ow!”

“I suppose this must be the replacement then. Time to get to work!”

Tank opened his eyes and raised his head to look at Dr. Richtofen.

“I can still hear you.”

“Hit him again with the stick!”

The guard continued beating Dempsey until he was unconscious.

“Alright! Don't kill him! Dr. Yena, help me get him to the operating table.”

“Yes, doctor.”

The two held onto Tank Dempsey from each end and hoisted his body onto the table.

“Dr. Richtofen, Dr. Maxis was not very specific in why I've been sent here. What exactly are we going to be doing with this test subject?”

“We? I don't know what Dr. Maxis told you, but what I do here I do alone. No offense, Dr Yena.”

“Well do you have any...specifics on what you are working on?”

“Really, Dr. Yena, you can leave now. I've got work to do and I don't have time to be sharing all my findings with you right now.”

“Well I'm supposed to stay stationed here for the time being. I'm working on an experimental weapon here. Maybe you could share your test results when you are finished and I could deliver them to Dr. Maxis for you?”

“Dr. Yena I could just share my results over radio or in person. Why are you so nosy regarding my work? I don't appreciate the prying.”

“Sorry, Dr. Richtofen. I will return to my own lab. If you need me feel free to find me.”

Dr. Yena was quick to exit the lab when Dr. Richtofen started asking his own questions. Suspicious. Did Dr. Maxis truly send Dr. Yena to assist him, or to steal his work and give it to Dr. Maxis? This is getting out of hand fast. Soon enough Dr. Maxis could discover the existence of Griffin Station, and their whole operation. By October, Richtofen would have to put a stop to all his problems.

Beside the new test subject lied a profile. The American test subject was a soldier found at the Verruckt facility with his squad. Two of the four soldiers were not found and were likely killed by the first batch of undead released at the asylum. The other soldier near this one was shot dead by the Germans, and after a hard fight, this one was captured. Under questioning he referred to himself as “Tank” Dempsey and fought back aggressively anytime he was not under sedatives. Dr. Richtofen immediately locked his limbs down on the bed and prepared his station.

“Let's see how that head of yours reacts to a little electroshock therapy.”

 

Dr. Richtofen had grown so cautionary. Trying to work with him was a folly. Constant paranoia. Dr. Yena did not belong here.

In the mean time, Dr. Yena worked with the Scavenger, a pet project he had been working on with Element 115. A sniper rifle that fired bolts which explode shortly after. The 115 gave the explosion a fitting amount of firepower.

In working with members of Group 935, Dr. Yena came to observe the effects element 115 seemed to be having on the other scientists. Dr. Maxis came to have a short temper, and loss of empathy. Dr. Richtofen was a whole other man altogether, and no telling what he had been doing with the element in his free time. Group 935 was quickly becoming a mad house. With the demise of the Reich, this mad house full of mad men would soon fall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 20: Meditation

 

"Log Entry: 1474. Date: September 20th, 1945. Dear diary, it would seem that the OSS realized that we have captured one of their spies. They tried to send a rescue team to Verrückt that was awfully mutilated by the first batch of test subjects...ha ha ha. I suspect that there are others moles in the organization. Dr. Harvey Yena and Dr. Peter McCain to be precise. Dr Maxis doesn't want any Americans in Group 935, no matter how much genius they held. Stupid Americans with their apple pies and baseball and children, but I digress. The new American test subject is interesting and muscle-y. His intellect seems low, but his will is strong. Like the others, he doesn't seem to know who he is anymore. Unlike the others, he keeps breaking the restraints and yelling at me. Test subject N3WB is still staring at the floor, muttering what sounds like some kind of proverb over and over again. I think his mind may have been destroyed by the process. Oh well, the Russian subject recently begun responding to stimuli, but only after injecting him with a new serum made primarily from vodka. Perhaps this is a breakthrough in the control of the human mind."

End recording. Things feel awful lonely and awkward around here. Nikolai isn't exactly what Edward would consider company. All he would talk about are his many apparent wives and his own bravery in the war. No telling what was fact or fiction when it came to Nikolai's stories. Richtofen needed a new friend. Not Dempsey. Too violent. Perhaps Takeo just needed some further talking to and he would end his silent protest.

Edward entered Takeo's cell with a welcoming smile.

“Takeo! How are you?”

No response.

“Look, I don't know if you even have coherent thought at this point, and I know you probably despise me with a fiery passion. But I think it's time we get to know each other a little. Nikolai is a mess, our new inmate is far too personally biased against me, and I cannot trust anyone I work with as far as I can throw them. But I think I can trust you, Takeo. You are...er...were the Emperor's personal warrior. That comes with a modicum of trust, ja? And also isn't your Emperor the reason you are here with me today?”

Takeo's gaze finally left the floor and he peered into Richtofen's eyes. The sudden motion frightened Richtofen for a moment.

“You and I are not friends, doctor. Do not speak of the Emperor. You are not worthy.”

Takeo looked back towards the floor.

“And neither am I.”

Richtofen turned sour for a moment then responded.

“So you can speak! Why must you be so difficult! Look, I can end these experiments on you if you would just cooperate. I've got big plans in the works and you can be my right hand man.”

“I will not ally myself with someone so dishonorable. So cruel.”

“Cruel? Harsh words, Takeo. My frail heart can barely take such insults. And don't you act so high and mighty. I know exactly what you did to become dishonored. I know who...what you are. Do not talk to me about being cruel, Takeo.”

Takeo closed his eyes once more, entering deep thought.

“I do not regret my actions, German.”

“Good, because neither do I.”

Edward raised up and brought Takeo his dinner. Leberwurst.

“Think about it Takeo. You and I are not so different.”

 

Finally, rest for Takeo. The troubled doctor continued to try and pry a response from him, not like the others. He mentioned a distrust of the others in Group 935. Perhaps he had planned their demise in some fashion. The German needed Takeo's help. But Takeo would never ally himself with someone so dishonorable. However, if he did not, he would likely die alone in this cell, and never return to Japan for redemption. The only way out is to gain a false trust from the doctor. Takeo must return home.

“Keizoku wa chikara nari.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 21: Firepower

 

Now stationed at Eagle's Nest until Der Riese was safe to return to, Dr. Maxis entered Dr. Porter's lab, as he had been called to do so.

“Dr. Porter, I have been told you had a new development you wished to share?”

“Yes, Dr. Maxis! Working with Element 115 and our Ray Gun, I managed to imbue it with more power when placed in this device.”

The box-like device had much exposed circuitry and cogs.

“This is great Dr. Porter, but why did you feel the need to create a whole new weapon from the ground up when the ray gun hasn't even been put into production?”

“That's just it doctor, I didn't have to create this X2 prototype from the ground up. Harnessing 115 in the manner this device uses, any weapon can be imbued with more power from element 115. Even ballistic weaponry. Take for example this MP40 sub-machine gun. By placing it in the device here...”

Dr. Porter set the MP40 within the chamber and shut the hatch, before handing a pair of goggles to Dr. Maxis.

“I will now activate the machine.”

The 115 inside the box could be heard entering the weapon. Every bullet became infused with Element 115 for extra firepower. The MP40 could now fire faster and felt much lighter than it did when it originally entered the device. Dr. Porter demonstrated the effect on a test dummy nearby.

“This is all very impressive Dr. Porter. I have seen nothing like this before. How did you come up with such a device?”

“The basic design for this device actually comes from a blacksmith in the old American West. It was all purely speculative, of course, ahead of its time, but the same basic principles still apply here, and I have created a prototype of the device.”

“Incredible, Dr. Porter. I must ask, why have you gone to lengths to create such a device?”

“Think of the potential, Dr. Maxis! Soldiers can be equipped with upgraded firepower, far superior than anything else seen on this earth. Think of what this technology could do to weapons far greater in size!”

“Dr. Porter, unfortunately, I don't think we will have a use for such technology being mass-produced.”

“You must be joking, Ludvig.”

“The war is over, Dr. Porter. The greatest war of our time. The world has no use for new weapon such as these. There is simply no market for this technology, and we cannot afford to mass-produce your invention without the budget we used to have.”

“Doctor, it was you who said that the Germans would need the Ray Gun. You said they would undoubtedly begin mass production and they never did. Why?”

“This war did not pan out as they had planned, we could not provide them the technology they needed in the time they needed it.”

“Doctor, I...”

“I'm sorry, Dr. Porter. We must return to working on older projects. We don't have the budget nor the resources to continue testing with your new device.”

“Dr. Maxis! This technology is beyond imagination! How can you turn down this prototype? It is revolutionary!”

“Again, I am sorry, Dr. Porter. There is no other way. Please, return to your work. Group 935 must continue to survive even with the Reich now gone, and Der Riese decimated. We cannot reach our goal unless we persevere with our original motto, 'To improve the human condition'. Good day, Dr. Porter.”

This was a bombshell announcement. All those years doing exactly what Dr. Maxis wanted and still his work would not come to fruition. He must inform Dr. Richtofen.

 

“Dr. Richtofen! Come in doctor!”

“Yes, Dr. Porter? I'm very busy here.”

“Sorry to delay you Dr. Richtofen, but Dr. Maxis has done the unthinkable. He is canceling all weapon-related projects. None of our hard work will be mass-produced. Not my ray gun iteration. Not your Wunderwaffe.”

Richtofen slammed his fist into the operating table and flipped it on its side.

“Dr. Maxis promised he would! He swore!”

“What is the plan now?”

Edward recollected himself.

“I will return to Griffin Station soon to discuss the future with Groph, Schuster, and the others. Bring all of your work with you. We cannot have Dr. Maxis further robbing us of our ideas. Before I leave I must make one last log entry.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 22: Protocol 935

 

"Log Entry: 1475. Date: October 1st, 1945. Dear diary, as for the control group tests, they have been put on hold. Recently I discovered that Doctor Maxis does not plan on mass producing the DG-2 as he swore he would. If he won't move those plans forward, then I won't continue following his dream of an undead army! He doesn't deserve his perch of power! He doesn't know what to do with it, but I know just what to do with him... and I'll take care of that little brat if I get the chance too..."

Time to pack up and move on. Dr. Maxis will soon meet his deserved end.

Edward gathered his belongings and made a few final calls.

“Dr. Yena! Will you be a dear and have a crew come move some supplies for me?”

“What kind of supplies?”

“My three test subjects, they need to be sent to the Rising Sun facility.”

“I'll let them know, Dr. Richtofen...but why so far?”

“Why must you question me so much, Dr. Yena? It is a simple exchange of research between scientists. A collaboration if you will.”

“Yes, doctor. Sorry, doctor.”

“Good. Oh and make sure the crew has some vodka on hand. One of my subjects may get a little rowdy...goodbye.”

Edward hung up and pondered potential complications. The test subjects would be his backup plan.

“Oh Takeo!”

Edward entered Takeo's cell, to see Takeo still sitting in the fetal position.

“Takeo, listen very carefully. You are getting out of here! Going back to Japan! Joy! But, it is not quite that simple. A group of men will come to transport you, your urine-covered Russian friend, and the pushy American. Nikolai will be as passive as he always is with the vodka in his hands. But Dempsey will be quite aggressive. You must try to calm him to ease travels on the way to Division 9's facility in Japan. Tell him there's a pack of baseball cards or something in one of the cells...I don't know, but I'm trusting you with this mission. If the plan all goes well, I will personally release you from your swampy prison and you can return to whatever you were doing before all this. So what do you say?”

Takeo had been listening intently since the mention of returning home. This was his ticket back to Japan.

“I...will help you, German, if you truly will help me find home.”

“Of course, Takeo. Would I ever lie?”

Of course he would.

 

Dr. Richtofen slung the Wunderwaffe on his back, and held his bag with his belongings. He entered a locked room which only he knew the password to. Inside was an MTD ready for teleportation. Dr. Richtofen activated his self-made security system so no one could ever enter the locked room. He flipped the switch and the teleporter pad started buzzing. To the Moon.

 

“Dr. Richtofen, excellent to see you again.”

“How goes Griffin Station operations, Dr. Groph?”

“Excellent as always. The new biodome is coming along nicely, with artificial oxygen from artificial plant life.”

“Good, Dr. Groph. Now...you know why I'm here.”

“Protocol 935.”

“Precisely. We must begin ground work to initiate the plan immediately. Has Dr. Porter arrived?”

“Yes. He and the other have been awaiting your arrival.”

“Then let's begin.”

“Destroy and create.”

“Hush, voices! Our plan is coming together.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 23: Darkest Hour

 

“Eagle’s Nest. This is Griffin Station. We have an update. Over.”

“Dr. Groph, have you made any progress?”

“Yes Doctor. The machine is ready and awaiting the conduit.”

Dr. Richtofen chuckled to himself. The plan will soon take effect.

“Very good, I will proceed with Operation Shield and join you shortly.”

“Security Protocol 935.”

"Yes, I will dispose of Dr. Maxis and that little brat personally. Do not. Touch. Anything.”

The MPD is ready. Only time will tell what powers it may yield. But first, personal matters.

Dr. Richtofen loaded the Wunderwaffe into a concealed bag and entered the castle's hidden teleporter. If his men had followed orders the teleporter should send him to a receiving pad somewhere outside Der Riese, in Breslau, Germany.

 

Dr. Richtofen entered the facility. Its halls used to be filled with the voices of many of its scientists. Many men ready to perform great science. Since the massacre, the air was quiet. Some buildings had been bombed after the attack with large chunks blown out. Der Riese was a shadow of its former self.

Dr. Maxis paced back and forth looking between his clipboard and the clock on the wall.

“Dr. Maxis! How are you! Boy, those transport trucks sure take the life out of you. Such a long drive!”

“Damn you Richtofen! You are late! You are the one who told me to meet here at this time and you did not show.”

“Don't be so obtuse.”

“Richtofen, you are the reason Group 935 is in shambles! Why Germany lost the war! Why the men at this facility lost their lives...”

“Dr. Maxis, I think that's a bit of an unfair assessment.”

“Unfair? You refused to work on your given assignments, and because of it I received all the blame from the men who wrote our paychecks! What's fair about that? Enough of this, let's just begin our work. This is our only hope of surviving as an organization.”

“Yes, Doctor Maxis.”

Egotistical fool.

“Here is your prototype, Richtofen. Calibrate it so we may replicate your original walnut experiment. There is already one inside.”

Richtofen tuned the prototype teleporter to the walnut's correct weight and gave Dr. Maxis the thumbs up.

"Initiating test zero. Subject is within test chamber. Activate power."

Richtofen pulled the switch and the lights started flashing, but nothing happened to the walnut.

“What is the problem, Dr. Richtofen?!”

“I...uh...am not sure Maxis.”

“You're not sure? You succeeded in this years ago!”

“With a different prototype, Dr. Maxis, and with Dr. Schuster's help.”

“Well, figure out the problem!”

“Is there enough of the element within it?”

“I don't know, why would-”

“Is it a microgram?”

Dr. Maxis had a look of frustration.

“We do not have enough Element 115 to use up a microgram every test!”

“That is how much we used for a successful test. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Dr. Maxis acquiesced.

“This time we use a live subject. We do not have enough resources to waste 115. Bring me a dog from the cages outside, now!”

“Yes doctor.”

The dog whimpered as it was walked into the test chamber and tied down. It did not try to fight back.

“Initiating test number one, subject is within the test chamber, activate power.”

Lights started flashing from the power being drained into the machine. The dog tried to claw its way out. The teleporter opened up and the dog was dead on the pad, its eyes pouring out blood.

“Good God.”

“Adjust the specifications again, Dr. Richtofen! And bring another dog!”

The next dog tried bite at Richtofen as he tried to tie it down, but he made it out unscathed.

“Initiating test number two, subject is within test chamber, activate power.”

The dog barks soon came to an end as the light flashed and the dog disappeared.

“Receiving pad?”

“Uh, Dr. Maxis. It is on the receiving pad, but...not all together.”

“Come on, let's try again and get this right!”

The next dog was old and out of shape. It did not seem to even know where it was.

"Initiating test number three, subject is within the test chamber, activate power."

The dog had raised itself up to the glass looking inside. When the machine powered on, the dog violently exploded within the chamber. When it reopened, its entire body was splattered all throughout the inside. Blood coated the entirety of the pad.

“O-Oh my god!”

"Get a hold of yourself and clean that up! Test number three unsuccessful, test subject has been reduced to the same state as previous subjects, clean up the test chamber and re-calibrate the system! Let's do it again."

“Yes doctor.”

Edward mopped away the entrails and blood still visible on the floor of the pad. The splatter on the walls remained for the sake of time. He also needed to find a way to get Dr. Maxis in the teleporter.

“Dr. Maxis, can you come here and tell me what this is?”

“Stop fooling around Dr. Richtofen and get it cleaned up!”

Fine. In due time.

“Initiating test number four, subject is within test chamber, activate power.”

This time the teleporter didn't even fully activate. The power drained but the dog remained unaffected, though stunned, in the chamber.

“Damnit Edward, what have you done?!”

“What have you done, Dr. Maxis? It worked fine initially. You must have tampered with it in some way while I was gone.”

“I may have, Edward, but it is your design! You should know how it works!”

Damn fool.

The same dog had broken its restraints trying to flee.

"Edward, tie the damn thing down. We can't have it running around during the test."

The dog whimpered as Richtofen sealed its doom.

"It's tied down now, Dr. Maxis."

“Initiating test number five, subject is within the test chamber, activate power.”

The whimpering and barking suddenly stopped as the dog within completely disappeared.

"Searching for vitals. No reading, Doctor. The subject has... disappeared. Doctor Maxis, we've done it!"

"Don't be foolish! Test number five is unsuccessful. Subject has vanished, yes, but has not reappeared at the mainframe. Recalibrate the damn system, now!"

“Yes doctor...”

Dr. Richtofen left to the cages to find another dog and only one remained. The cage was labeled, “Fluffy – Last resort.”

“Dr. Maxis, this is the last dog.”

“Then you damn well have better calibrated it to correct specifications! That is my daughter's dog, Edward. We have no more options. How am I supposed to explain what happened to her poor Fluffy. All because of your failure as a scientist. Now tie it down.”

Edward would have none of it. Maxis would rue this day.

“Initiating test number six. Subject is within test chamber. Activate power."

Fluffy growled and barked in the test chamber before vanishing. She had not shown up at the receiving pad.

"Damn it, Edward! Did you set up the device correctly?!"

"Yes Doctor. As per your specifications."

"If you had done it to my specifications then it would have worked, wouldn't it? As usual, your incompetence has-"

A flash of electricity appeared inside the test chamber, creating a echoing boom.

“What? Did you hear that Doctor?”

“Quiet you fool! Test number six is a failure, but the experiment has caused some kind of electrical force to energize within the chamber. Well, open the door!"

"Doctor, I don't think-"

"Open the door NOW!"

 

Samantha Maxis grew tired of waiting for her father. He had been acting so strange on the way there and demanded Fluffy be put into a cage. She roamed the halls of Der Riese trying to find her father. Strange things still remained in the facility. Brains in jars, strange writing on the walls and chalk boards, and pictures of opened-up bodies strewn about. She could hear her father's voice in one of the labs, he seemed angry. She silently entered the room and watched. Daddy was yelling at Dr. Richtofen about some kind of test and a door.

“Open the door NOW!”

The door to the strange device opened, and inside Samantha saw Fluffy, but not as she had ever seen her before. Bits of skin were gone showing her insides. She had blood all over her face and bright, white eyes. She was also on fire, but she was still alive.

"Daddy, what are you doing with Fluffy?"

"Damn it, Samantha. I told you never to come in here! Edward, get her out of here."

"Yes, Doctor."

Before he could do anything the dog began to howl and started moving around. Still being pregnant, she could not move much. Samantha screamed in terror at the sight of her Fluffy.

"What's wrong with her? Daddy, what did you do? Fluffy!"

She ran to Fluffy, her arms wide, but Fluffy snarled when she got too close.

"Come back here! Samantha! Stop her!”

Richtofen did nothing. Dr. Maxis had to take matters into his own hands.

“Easy. Come here, Samantha. Good girl. Gently, Samantha. That's not Fluffy anymore. We must get out of here."

The dog bared its teeth and grew more aggressive. It began to approach Samantha.

Outside the test chamber, Dr. Richtofen hit a button on the panel to shut the door.

"What? Edward what are you doing? Open the door. Edward, open this door now!"

“I'm scared!”

"Don't you... Stay by me, Samantha."

"Goodbye, Dr Maxis."

Edward activated the teleporter. Lights flashed and Dr. Maxis, Samantha, and Fluffy disappeared in the chamber as Edward cackled in triumph.

“Loyalty is no match for power, Dr. Maxis.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 24: Liars

 

“Dr. Schuster, report.”

“The tanks are full and the shields are down. The machine is humming nicely.”

Dr. Groph went down the checklist.

“Good, but what of the shipment?”

“Most are buried outside of the base, the live ones we've sent back to Kustover Posten.”

“Excellent, then there is nothing left but to wait for Dr. Richtofen's return.”

“Perhaps this is a good time to work on my low gravity putty in the Bio-Dome.”

“Yes, I did believe-”

“Intruder Detected – Recieving Bay”

Alarms blared throughout Griffin Station and a young, frightened Samantha Maxis appeared in the Receiving Bay.

“Security, report.”

The security system only played static for Dr. Groph.

“Can you repeat?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Dr. Schuster spotted Samantha walking towards the numinous MPD.

“She's coming right towards the-”

Samantha screamed when she noticed Dr. Groph and Dr. Schuster in the room.

“Get her!”

Dr. Schuster started to chase Samantha.

“Get back here!”

Samantha ran from the strange men.

“Nein! Do not let her-”

Samantha had run right into the MPD, which opened and pulled her in upon contact.

“Dammit, Dr. Schuster, find a way to get her out of the pyramid! I will contact Edward, let him know there's been an incident.”

“Groph, I have no earthly idea if the MPD can even be opened.”

“This is a crisis, Dr. Schuster! Just find a way!”

Dr. Groph furiously pressed keys on the computer's keypad to contact Richtofen's radio.

“Yes, Dr. Groph? I have just dealt with our two little problems and am en route to-”

“Dr. Richtofen, Samantha is at Griffin Station.”

 

 

“She shouldn't be alive! If she's alive then....damn! How did she end up there? No matter, I know what must be done. In the meantime see if you can find Dr. Maxis, perhaps he can talk some sense into her.”

“Did you not deal with him already?”

“Yes, but if the child ended up here, then Maxis must be somewhere too. Find him.”

“How do you propose-”

“Dr. Goph I cannot do everything for you. I leave this in your capable hands. There is much to be done.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

“Oh and Groph?”

“Yes?”

“I'd keep an eye out for an evil looking dog while you're at it.”

“Evil dog?”

“Yes, goodbye.”

Dr. Richtofen exited the facility via the MTD leaving Dr. Groph and Dr. Schuster to solve their problem.

Dr. Groph approached the MPD with full intent to coax her out.

“Samantha, I'm Dr. Groph. You might remember seeing me around the facility with your father. Please will you come out?”
She did not respond to his words.

“Samantha, please, we can find your father if you would just come out.”

Silence for a few moments, then a booming voice emanated from the MPD.

“You are a liar!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 25: Doomed

 

“I hope this works. Schuster, power it up.”

The device began to spark and hiss, and a compartment opened. It was powered via wire from the MPD. Griffin Station's computer monitoring system gave Dr. Groph the status of the device.

“Systems Nominal. Accessing Vril Device. Interface via M.P.D. active. Accessing M.P.D.. M.P.D. integrity check nominal. Awaiting input.”

“Excellent, bring the sample.”

Dr. Schuster held a bag in his gloved hands, with a strand of Dr. Maxis' hair recovered from Der Riese. He placed the strand in the center tray of the device and activated the power flux. The device began to sputter and electricity crackled in the chamber.

“Analyzing M.P.D.. Creating profile.”

A scanner analyzed the strand for DNA before displaying Dr. Maxis's DNA profile on-screen.

“Profile Created.”

“Excellent. Now, scan for target.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

The display had a grid of the Moon and the Earth being scanned for a matching DNA sequence while the machine whirred.

“Target located.”

“Bring him here, immediately.”

The MTD's mainframe lit up and electricity fizzed in the chamber. The rough outline of Dr. Maxis began to form inside before his full body appeared and fell to the floor. The chamber opened once more letting the steam flow outwards.

Dr. Schuster approached the confused Dr. Maxis.

"Greetings, Dr. Maxis."

“Schuster! I should’ve known. Where is that rat Edward? Where are we? And how did you get me out of that wretched tunnel-”

“None of that is important right now. Allow me to fill you in.”

“Is Edward on the station?! Where is Samantha?”

“Edward is long gone, Dr. Maxis. Your daughter is precisely the issue we must rectify.”

“Where is sh-Ach!”

Dr. Groph punched Dr. Maxis in his chest and handed Schuster a pair of handcuffs.

“Restrain him. I will explain everything, Dr. Maxis, and you will cooperate.”

“Traitorous rats! All of you!”

“Dr. Maxis, for years I have been leading this project here on Griffin Station. This pyramid device before you has greater power than any of us could possibly imagine, and we have managed to unlock its potential. However, your worthless daughter has somehow found her way here onto the Moon, and into the device.”

“The Moon?! How did you manage-”

“Richtofen completed the teleporter years ago and was able to allow us to create a base here. I am led to believe by your vexed expression this was behind your back. Your incompetent leadership of Group 935 has led us to take matters of science into our own hands. Before we end your wasted life, Dr. Maxis, you will get your little girl OUT of the device.”

“And if I don't? You'll kill me either way.”

“If you don't your daughter will meet her own grave end when we get her out on our own accord. You will just make things that much easier.”

Dr. Groph pulled back the hammer on his pistol.

“Now walk.”

Dr. Groph and Dr. Schuster led Dr. Maxis to the MPD. The pyramid was solid black, completely spotless. It almost looked two-dimensional.

Dr. Groph kicked Dr. Maxis' legs out from under him knocking him to the ground, gun still to his head.

“Start talking.”

"Samantha, honey? Daddy is here. Come dear, please. Open the machine. Daddy will not let them hurt you anymore. Honey? Daddy knows he’s made some mistakes, I am truly sorry that you were put through so much. When your mother died, I could not bear the thought of losing you too, that’s why I kept you so close. I did not mean to neglect you, I just wanted to know you were safe from harm-”

The pyramid split in four parts and sunk into the base of the machine. Samantha Maxis started to descend to the ground before her father. Tears filled her eyes at what these evil men were doing to her poor father.

“Daddy!”

“I love you, Samantha.”

“I love you too, Daddy.”

“Can you do something for me? Something very important.”

Dr. Maxis' expression changed from sadness, to a dirty smirk.

“Yes?”

“Kill them...all.”

Dr. Groph put a bullet in Dr. Maxis' head, and his soul flew through the air and into the glass chamber. Samantha once again ascended to a floating position within the MPD, and the pyramid began to close once again.

“No!”

An echoing, maniacal laugh of Samantha shook the walls of Griffin Station. Dr. Groph tried to run to the MTD, leaving Dr. Schuster in awe.

“We are doomed.”

Others in Griffin Station also made a break for the MTD, which was still charging from Dr. Maxis' arrival. In some sectors the ceiling shook and crumbled to bits releasing all the oxygen, suffocating anyone inside. Out of the ground, once dead Verruckt patients exacted their revenge on their killers. The frightened scientists within the MTD perished before they could escape.

Dr. Schuster's handheld radio buzzed as a call from Dr. Richtofen came in.

“Dr. Schuster? What is going on? What is all that screaming?”

“Edward...they...she...THEY ARE COMING FOR ME!”

Dr. Schuster dropped his radio and made way for the biodome, before being cut off by undead versions of his former colleagues, their eyes a bright orange, oozing blood from the lack of oxygen.

 

Dr. Richtofen could only hear the screams of his friend as he perished with the others at Griffin Station.

“Schuster! SCHUSTER!”

Nothing but static and the sound of undead shuffling.

Time for plan B.