2 Volume 1 (RE) Chapter 2: Deutschland Once Again?
Justin rolled over. He groggily opened his eyes. He then sat up and listened. He could feel something was off.
He was used to hearing the sounds of city life, people, cars and music. Especially in the early morning where everyone is rushing to work, rain or shine.
Justin however was not hearing these things.
He forced his eyes open and sat up very fast.
The room was too dark to see much as large curtains covered the windows.
Small amounts of light made it through but was insufficient in illuminating himself.
Then three sharp knocks came from the door somewhere to Justin's right.
"Come in."
Justin called out, he assumed that his sister or mother was at the door to remind him that he has work.
""Wait. When did I get to my bed? Also why is my bed so large?""
Justin tried getting up but his vision underwent tunnel vision like a LSD addict (Justin saw a few druggies on the street stagger like that) and he fell back down.
His leg knocked into the bed which made a loud noise of muscle against wood.
This probably alarmed the person outside his door as it was forced open.
Justin was too busy clutching his leg to notice who entered.
A soft click echoed from the door and electric lights turned on. From there Justin could see a very luxurious room which he was in.
Through the pain of hitting his leg he was able to quickly glance around and take notice of his strange surroundings.
""What the hell? What's up with this absurdly nice room? Did I get kidnapped?""
"Sir! Are you okay?"
Justin looked up to a young man in military dress. Justin recognised this type of attire, German.A remanant of the Weilmar Republic, Feldbluse Nazi German M38 uniform. However this was a officer varient of the uniform.
The officer quickly rushed to fetch a towel and he soaked it in warm water in the bathroom which was added in the hallway as the original designs of the building did not have any..
"Forgive me for invading your space."
The officer dropped with his brochure with papers in it to give the towel to him.
""When was I such a celebrity? Also whats up with the cosplay?""
Justin took the time to observe his hands and feet. His hands were larger than he knew his hands were. His height was definitely larger than before. Overall his body was larger in proportions and more defined than before.
"Okay, okay. I am good now."
The officer excused himself and stood up. He collected his papers and cleared his throat.
"Ahem, General Rommel of the 3rd Army Group reports: Situation is strange. No obstacles to Berlin however the enemy has disappeared.'
The officer paused about halfway through the report.
"Uh, all signs of the 213th Infantry Division we were fighting disappeared about noon yesterday. Communications were cut so I had a runner send this report, please forgive my lateness."
The officer was struggling to read the cryptic report, Justin too was struggling to understand what was happening.
""What is happening? Why am I so tall and buff? Why does Rommel exist in the 21st centur…""
Justin paused mid-thought. The realization of what is currently happening to him finally sank in.
Stage one of grief:
Denial
""This can't be happening. Is this reincarnation from those unrealistic novels I read online? How! When? Was it from when I passed out? Is this the gift that old man 'gave' me before?""
Stage two of grief:
Anger
""I can't believe this! I didn't finish my game! I have a project due! Wait, I don't have to do it anymore!""
Stage three of grief:
Bargaining
""Unless this is all a dream. Wait… You can't feel pain in dreams.""
Stage four of grief:
Depression
""Wait! I can't just leave everything behind just like that? What about my bed? Air conditioning? Actually useful things?""
Stage five of grief:
Acceptance
""This sucks. I miss my family already. Maybe not Chloe. She's a bitch. At least I am taller now and my mom won't nag me anymore to drink more milk.""
While his thoughts rushed Justin realized that he just underwent all five stages of grief in seconds.
"Ahahahahaa… AHAHAHA!"
Justin couldn't help but laugh at his situation.
"Um, sir. Is there anything wrong?"
The officer was directly in front of Justin and asked with concern on his face.
"Should I notify the physician…"
"No, no. I am okay."
Justin was trying to play off his crazy moment. He forgot that he was in the vicinity of someone else.
The officer looked like he wanted to continue.
"Ah sorry, carry on."
"Right away: General Beck of high command request orders since all Allied advisors have also disappeared. This is very strange since no enemy nor ally is in their places since 8 hours ago. I suggest martial law be re-announced and the state placed on high alert."
Justin's mind quickly raced. He recalled all of his actions and lore from his previous world or something like that.
He quickly deducted that he was playing as Kaiser Wilhelm X, a fictional KaiserReich leader from the Alt-KaiserReich mod.
From the uniforms and historical names of generals it was safe to assume that this was Germany.
He knew what the state Germany was in.
Justin's, no Wilhelm's army numbered several million combined from land forces (Heer) to the navy (Kreigsmarine) to the air force (Luftwaffe).
Their main forces were concentrated in the battle with the 3rd Reich while volunteers from occupied German zones helped defend locally against attacks.
"Tell the general to hold to forget the Allied advisors. Our main priority is taking Berlin. How are the occupied territories?"
"Um sir, I am not of position to answer your request. However I notify the secretary Leina later and she will get back to you."
The officer stood in place as several servants in black and white uniforms entered the room and tidied up the bed and opened the blinds.
The outline of Paris could be seen from outside with the Eiffel Tower looming in the distance.
"France."
"Jawohl, we are in France. More specifically the Palais-Royal which was lent to the SS who joined our cause against the 3rd Reich by the local people."
"Speaking of the French, what are the partisans doing?"
"Pardon but I do not recall being briefed over partisans. Did you mean Parisians?"
Wilhelm paused at this questioning. Did he stutter?
"Nevermind. Get me the highest ranking officer you can find and bring him/her here."
"But sir, we don't employ female officers."
Wilhelm blankly stared until the officer excused himself and hurried out.
Wilhelm stared the the view of Paris out of his window. He was spending the time collecting his thought about what had just happened.
He took several deep breaths before slapping both cheeks. Just then a man of large build who was dressed in black military dress walked into his room. Wilhelm checked the time on a clock in the corner, it has been several hours since the first officer left.
The man stopped several meters from Wilhelm and snapped to attention.
"Heil Kaiser!"
Instead of the usual altered Roman salute the officer balled his right hand into a fist and clasped it against his left breast. His left arm was snapped against his left leg.
""This is different.""
Wilhelm stood up and decided to return the same strange salute. He later learned that it was created to differentiate between them and the 3rd Reich.
The new officer introduced himself.
"I am Generalfeldmarschall Günther von Kluge of the 3rd Army in Western Germany. My headquarters is at the palace of Versailles. You requested for me?"
"Yes, I asked for you. Thank you for driving all the way from Versailles"
"My pleasure mein Kaiser."
Wilhelm revolved to act his part if he really was the Kaiser. Meeting the field marshal of an entire army group confirmed this.
"When I asked about partisans the previous officer did not know what I meant. Hopefully you have more information about this."
"Yes. Your secretary Leina contacted me beforehand. There are no partisans that you speak of. All of our lands are German lands. The people here may be called French but that is the just the region's name. France disappeared from our history books several centuries ago. They disappeared with the majority of their infrastructure and all of their people. We resettled their lands with German migrants at that time. Same thing with lands of what was Poland, Norway, Bohemia and Benelux. We call this period of disappearance as The Vanishing."
""What? This is starkly different from what he remembered history being. Maybe because I underwent from type of reincarnation it altered the timeline. At least I won't have the headaches of nationalism.""
"Okay, thank you for the explanation. So what about the United States and Britain?"
"With this I have some alarming news, mein Kaiser."
Wilhelm stopped and waited for the field marshal to continue.
"We have lost all connection with the outside world. We were at war with the Balkans, Italians, Russians and Nazis. Our allies the UK and USA helped us with material aid. However we could not confirm the locations of any enemy force east of the Rhineland nor could we contact out allies.
Reports from the southern theater are equally as alarming. The lands which made the borders of Switzerland, Italy and Hungary have vanished. The territory of Austria still remains but there is now a sea beyond its borders.
Even more worrying is the lack of communication between us and the USSR who was monitoring our situation. Operation Barbarossa was canceled and revealed to the world by us. This made the Bolsheviks our allies and they gave us aid as well. However our negotiations for acquiring the 'KV-1' blueprints have stalled since they stopped responding."
Wilhelm stopped to comprehend what was told to him. He got up and walked over to the window.
He didn't even get to change out of this white bathrobe he was wearing for his bare legs and feet were showing.
"The KV-1 is an interesting tank is it not?"
"Yes mein Kaiser, its defensive capabilities are outstanding. I worry our panzers will not do a thing to it."
"Yes. I saw the documents."
Wilhelm did not know what the hell the documents were. He was lying."
"The secret is the sloped armor and a single turret to limit weight. However I do not wish for tanks with more armor or a bigger gun. I need better reliability and suspension. This way we can have more tanks which are battle ready at once."
The field marshal pondered for a moment. He always advocate for bigger guns but never really looked at the other components of armored vehicles.
It would be useless to install larger guns if the tank couldn't move. At least if this issue was solved more armor and guns could be added.
"I agree with your ideas. Lets send them to the tank companies to complete for a contract for our own KV-1."
They discussed a bit more and Wilhelm began to understand the situation more.
After dismissing the field marshal Wilhelm started looking though his room looking for anything of use.
He had a large wardrobe full of clothes but that wasn't important. The dresser held many smaller objects. His desk was filled with small metal trinkets and paper. A small notebook was found which would be his diary.
However in his nightstand there was a P08 Luger pistol.
While gripping the gun Wilhelm fidgeted with it looking in its chamber, unloading and reloading and staring down the barrel of the gun.
After he was finished getting distracted he turned back around to the notebook. Wilhelm started to write what he knew and didn't know.
My Diary:
What I know:
I am not in NYC
I am the Kaiser like in my game
Many enemy and allied nations disappeared suddenly like the Vanishing
German settlements were made in old lands of Vanished nations like France and Poland
I lead the German Empire in our struggle against the Reich
I am buffed as hell
What I do not know:
Is this really Earth?
Why did history change?
Where did my allies and enemies go?
Did I really die?
Why am I here?
Wilhelm paused and lifted the pencil he was using.
"I guess I will stop here."
Wilhelm closed the notebook and placed it into the top drawer of his desk.
Just hearing the things were not enough to fully convince Wilhelm that he was indeed in Germany of the past. Well a version similar to it.
He then went into the wardrobe and picked out a grey military uniform. It was simple, with little to no badges which lined the collars and shoulders of soldiers and officers alike.
"Perfect. I always wanted to try one of these on."
Wilhelm put grey dress pants and white socks on as well. A gold chain hung on his right side and clipped to a brown belt.
He selected black dress shoes to go with this outfit.
"Looking good."
Wilhelm looked at himself in the mirror which was appropriately stationed in the wardrobe.
After doing a few poses and then cringing at himself, Wilhelm exited his bedroom and walked down the luxurious hallways of the French palace.
Guards who were stationed in the palace snapped to attention when Wilhelm passed by.
Wilhelm raised his right hand in a motionless wave as he passed.
When he reached what seemed to be a lobby, a woman at the large reception desk called out to him.
"Sir! Where are you going?"
"Ah."
""Who are you again?""
Wilhelm looked at her and read her nametag.
"Ah Leina. Thank you for sending for the generalfeldmarschall."
"Its my duty."
The bright reddish brown hair of hers were really distracting. She made no attempt to cut or style it so it just wildly hung down her back but still didn't seem improper.
Just then she shifted and her black side cap then fell off.
Embarrassed she quickly bent over and picked it up.
Wilhelm playfully chuckled with her before waving while exiting the building.
"Mein Kaiser, we are your escorts."
Not even a second after exiting the door he was stopped by officers in black stylish uniforms. Hugo-Boss SS uniforms to be exact.
Wilhelm noticed the Nazi swastikas was scratched off the metal pieces of the uniform and new patches were sown over old ones.
"SS I presume?"
"No sir. We were renamed the KST or Kaiserlicher Schutztruppe so we serve the Kaiser, not the Reich. Where are we heading?"
"Just a quick drive around."
The KST officer in front of Wilhelm respectfully bowed and opened the door to a sleek black car. It was a Mercedes-Benz 770k, a open top staff car which was both stylish and luxurious.
A convoy of three Leichter Panzerspähwagen Sd.Kfz. 221 armored cars and two other Mercedes-Benz 770k staff cars awaited him. A singular Opel Blitz truck idled behind them. It was probably also part of the convoy.
Wilhelm hopped into the back row of the second staff car as about 50 or so KST officers loaded into the armored cars, truck and other staff cars.
They started moving out of the roundabout and onto the main road.
Wilhelm could see German flags flying from many of the iconic French buildings as the convoy drove by. Not one French flag was flown. France really didn't exist in this world.
They passed pedestrians who waved and viewed parks and toured through iconic French locations.
The KST officer from earlier was in shotgun of Wilhelm's car. He answered questions Wilhelm had including about the France of old.
"So. Did a nation call France once rule this land?"
"According to our history books they were a great power who mysteriously disappeared after angering God. We as the chosen German people took the land they left behind or so the book says."
Thats odd. How could an entire nation just one day decide to disappear? This definitely smelled like supernatural forces were at play.
They turned a bend which led them straight into a street which led straight to the Eiffel Tower and Eiffel Tower Park.
As they drove past Wilhelm observed locals enjoying the sunny day and picnicking even during a civil war.
Wilhelm couldn't help but feel the effects of order the scene. A city untouched by a war consuming the entire nation.
They stopped at the base of the Eiffel Tower where Wilhelm and his guards got out and toured the tower.
The vast majority of the KST guards stood at the base while Wilhelm and the officer stood the elevator up.
"What a view."
Wilhelm was looking at Paris from the top of the tower. There were several buildings which were different or missing but it was more of less the same Paris from postcards and the internet back home in NYC.
"Mein Kaiser, you have a meeting in half a hour with the command of the 3rd Army. They are holding an emergency meeting and have requested your presence."
Wilhelm turned to the KST officer who spoke to him.
"Let us return immediately."
"Jawohl."
They boarded the elevator and descended to the base of the tower. A small group of spectators has gathered to observe the commotion of soldiers.
"Its the Kaiser!"
The crowd spotted Wilhelm as he exited the elevator and rushed to his location.
"Everyone get back!"
"Stop pushing!"
The KST jumped into action using their arms to push the crowd back as they formed a circle around Wilhelm.
""Oh shit. What is happening?""
The crowd was quickly pushed back and the guards stood in place forming a wall around Wilhelm.
He quickly got into his staff car but then Wilhelm decided to stand up and address the crowd.
This quickly quieted the crowd who now able to see him.
"Hello my fellow Germans. You know who I am so I can skip that. The war goes well. The tyranny and corruption of the 3rd Reich is at its end. Soon we can all enjoy the sun and play outside without a political officer hounding you at all times. Once this war is over I promise to enact reforms in the economy to increase jobs. Live, play, die. We live by this code."
Wilhelm waved a few times before leaving. The KST members jumped into the vehicles before taking off.
"We are several minutes late."
"I know."
The convoy sped past numerous building on its way to the Palace at Versailles.
Once they arrived Wilhelm quickly walked into the main lobby before entering a conference room at the rear of the palace.
The secretaries and lesser officers were in a rush delivering documents and yelling into phones.
"What do you mean we cannot contact the Soviet Foreign Ministry? I just spoke with the secretary yesterday!"
"How much food do we have stockpiled? Yes, okay. That's still not enough!"
"How goes the assault? Mhm. Okay. I will do that now."
Many small snippets of conversations were heard by Wilhelm as he power walked by.
The people quickly saluted him before returning to their activities.
The doors to the conference room were wide open so Wilhelm could see everything happening inside.
Two men were furiously arguing around a large round table.
"I hate to disappoint but this is clearly an ambush! The Reich is intentionally pulling back to lure our valuable panzer division into a trap! They know our tactics so this is an optimal strategy."
"No! General Rommel has assured me that the entire 213th Division is gone. They have no signs of retreat and a strategic pull back cannot be implemented in such a short period of time. Our reconnaissance aircraft would have picked them up if that was the case. We must push!"
"No we must hold the line!"
More back and forth continued with other military personnel arguing amongst themselves.
Wilhelm to could see generalfeldmarschall Kluge sitting in a chain opposite of the door. His eyes were closed as if he were trying to sleep with all of the commotion.
A single eye opened and he saw Wilhelm at the door.
They made eye contact for a bit and Kluge smiled. Wilhelm understood the intent, he wanted to end the rambling of the officers.
"ATTENTION!"
Immediately all conversation stopped and everyone turned to look at the field marshal.
Kluge was now standing up and saluted.
"SALUTE THE KAISER!"
Then everyone turned to the doorway.
There was a scramble of feet and soon everyone was up and saluted.
"At ease."
Everyone then sat or kept standing.
Wilhelm walked through the door and took a seat opposite of the field marshal.
He then turned to one of the officers who was arguing loudly.
"Speak. What is the problem."
"Jawohl! We are meeting over General Rommel's report of no enemy activity. This is impossible as we just incurred many casualties the other day during a combat maneuver."
"I agree. I didn't seem to understand what he meant when he sent that report."
The field marshal stood back up and interjected.
"Mein Kaiser. Remember the talk we had earlier? Our circumstances mirror the circumstances of the Vanishing two centuries ago. I believe that we too had 'Vanished' from our old world."
The the room exploded with chattering.
"Impossible! That was just a fairy tale of old!"
"How can it be? We didn't even notice anything?"
"Well it explains all of our communicational problems."
Wilhelm observed th officers using their intelligent minds to rationally figure out what was happening. If the marshal was right, they really did 'Vanish'.
Just then a messenger ran through the open doors.
"Reporting! To our west General Ludwig Beck reports that the Atlantik Wall has suffered damage to its west side! Where the Bay of Biscay used to be is now a giant land mass! Also from the far east in the territories of Poland General Erich von Witzleben reports that The land beyond our Polish borders are unrecognizable from the previous day!"
"What?"
A collective murmur began as all those in the room started talking amongst themselves.
Wilhelm went pale. The situation was really bad. Now that their enemies were gone (other Axis members) all of their previous intelligence gathering was for naught.
"What about the South?"
"Mein Kaiser, before you arrived we were discussing about the South first. All of our neighbors have disappeared when we 'Vanished'. Where Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the Balkans used to be is now all open water. This has caused severe flooding in the provinces of Tyrol, Rhone Alps and Baden-Württemberg. Our colony of Norway has responded to us but they too are suffering from minor flooding but the entire landmass which is Norway is now an island completely surrounded by water."
"This is a very precarious situation. Since we all agree that Germany has 'Vanished' that all of our old enemies in the Reich no longer exist. Send the order to all frontline troops to attack all at once. No artillery attack beforehand. I understand this is a dangerous move but we are in a very serious predicament. We have no intel of the land to the west or east. We must end this civil war now before a disaster occurs at our borders."
Wilhelm glanced around and saw a lot of nods. They have all resolved to an all-out assault.
"It will begin immediately."
Field marshal Kluge walked out the conference to order personally the attack.
Wilhelm then joined up with his convoy who escorted him to his palace.
Entering his room Wilhelm threw himself onto his bed.
"Ah, what a mess. Its only day one of this hectic life."
