A Shift in Priorities - Sequel
- Thread starter rast
- Start date
Who am I? How did I come into the world? Why was I not consulted?
(Søren Kierkegaard)
Well, all right, Derby had been a miscue. One had found nothing useful, not even corpses. The samples, though, had still to be analysed. Perhaps, some mutations could be detected on cellular basis. But even if they should exist, they obviously had no effect on the overall creatures. It seemed that the impact of nuclear radiation was grossly exaggerated. There had been a tendency – in science and in the media – to decry the Chinese reports about Shanghai and Harbin as fairytales. Actually, the Derby results were supporting the Chinese conclusions.
There was no radioactive desert. Nature was simply ignoring radiation. Even in the crater, one had found mosses, ferns, ants – and mouse droppings… All the same, after diligent evaluation, the findings ought to merit a publication in the Physikalische Zeitschrift. It wasn’t exactly his core professional discipline, but close enough for him to author it. Professor Sigbert Ramsauer felt confident to be able to formulate several important improvements to the established science about the implications of radiation on cell junctions.
Yeah, there were many things one could learn here in England. Now that the pest had been neutered, research should be enhanced. Radiation was only a minor aspect; feralisation was much more important. Even studying the immunes ought to become possible now. – Only that the flipping space circus was, for real, attracting every available scientist and his dog. The planned colony would involve radiology, biology, agriculture, physics, chemistry, engineering, you name it. Finding people who took interest in merry old England wouldn’t be easy.
(Søren Kierkegaard)
Well, all right, Derby had been a miscue. One had found nothing useful, not even corpses. The samples, though, had still to be analysed. Perhaps, some mutations could be detected on cellular basis. But even if they should exist, they obviously had no effect on the overall creatures. It seemed that the impact of nuclear radiation was grossly exaggerated. There had been a tendency – in science and in the media – to decry the Chinese reports about Shanghai and Harbin as fairytales. Actually, the Derby results were supporting the Chinese conclusions.
There was no radioactive desert. Nature was simply ignoring radiation. Even in the crater, one had found mosses, ferns, ants – and mouse droppings… All the same, after diligent evaluation, the findings ought to merit a publication in the Physikalische Zeitschrift. It wasn’t exactly his core professional discipline, but close enough for him to author it. Professor Sigbert Ramsauer felt confident to be able to formulate several important improvements to the established science about the implications of radiation on cell junctions.
Yeah, there were many things one could learn here in England. Now that the pest had been neutered, research should be enhanced. Radiation was only a minor aspect; feralisation was much more important. Even studying the immunes ought to become possible now. – Only that the flipping space circus was, for real, attracting every available scientist and his dog. The planned colony would involve radiology, biology, agriculture, physics, chemistry, engineering, you name it. Finding people who took interest in merry old England wouldn’t be easy.
Always try to keep a patch of sky above your life.
(Marcel Proust)
On the way home! Kapitänleutnant Julius Nyerere was enjoying the look across the sea at sunset. The ocean was exemplarily calm; an advertising poster couldn’t be more scenic. Because of the preceding upheaval, handover had been limited to a handshake. His successor would have to learn the subtleties of the job from the comrades still not relieved. Well, the lad was an experienced submariner; there should be no reason to worry.
The ocean liner was the ‘Ukongo’, a former HAPAG vessel bought cheaply by UMS, the shipping company organising the transports to and fro the Caribbean. Nyerere had looked it up: UMS stood for Ulugewe & Mwabi & Sikuku. All three men were domestic tycoons also involved in the oil business. They had treated the ship a new coat of paint – blue-and-white, but not much else. Well, it wasn’t quite a floating coffin, but comfort was pretty much dated and dog-eared.
Okay, one was going to survive the six days in transit, no doubt. Tack was okay and booze abundant. Most folks wouldn’t sober until debarkation in Duala. Even on the officer deck, drinking seemed to be the main occupation for many. Nyerere had had a snifter on putting out of Willemstad; that was enough for him. Actually, he was busy subediting his notes on the mission in the Caribbean.
Indeed, it had been a remarkable tour of duty – for a humble submariner. And his sperm was still there… Would they indeed produce an army of little Julio-64s? It was an intriguing thought. – The conception of eugenics was attracting. It matched the Middle African position opposite the rest of the world. Nyerere had skimmed the library in Camp Bwana Obersti: eugenics was well established in Germany and in the US, but had not seen much attention in Middle Africa yet.
That was strange, because many principles were already exercised in Middle Africa. Had they been implemented by the Snowpushers? He needed to find someone who knew more about it.
(Marcel Proust)
On the way home! Kapitänleutnant Julius Nyerere was enjoying the look across the sea at sunset. The ocean was exemplarily calm; an advertising poster couldn’t be more scenic. Because of the preceding upheaval, handover had been limited to a handshake. His successor would have to learn the subtleties of the job from the comrades still not relieved. Well, the lad was an experienced submariner; there should be no reason to worry.
The ocean liner was the ‘Ukongo’, a former HAPAG vessel bought cheaply by UMS, the shipping company organising the transports to and fro the Caribbean. Nyerere had looked it up: UMS stood for Ulugewe & Mwabi & Sikuku. All three men were domestic tycoons also involved in the oil business. They had treated the ship a new coat of paint – blue-and-white, but not much else. Well, it wasn’t quite a floating coffin, but comfort was pretty much dated and dog-eared.
Okay, one was going to survive the six days in transit, no doubt. Tack was okay and booze abundant. Most folks wouldn’t sober until debarkation in Duala. Even on the officer deck, drinking seemed to be the main occupation for many. Nyerere had had a snifter on putting out of Willemstad; that was enough for him. Actually, he was busy subediting his notes on the mission in the Caribbean.
Indeed, it had been a remarkable tour of duty – for a humble submariner. And his sperm was still there… Would they indeed produce an army of little Julio-64s? It was an intriguing thought. – The conception of eugenics was attracting. It matched the Middle African position opposite the rest of the world. Nyerere had skimmed the library in Camp Bwana Obersti: eugenics was well established in Germany and in the US, but had not seen much attention in Middle Africa yet.
That was strange, because many principles were already exercised in Middle Africa. Had they been implemented by the Snowpushers? He needed to find someone who knew more about it.
Hi @rast , I was wondering how the home situation in Germany on domestic economic front looks like currently.
With the overheated economy running in full gear and a lot of cash in hands of your ordinary Joe, won't it lead to inflationary results pretty soon?
Food Price Inflation should be manageable, but still hitting your pockets a bit more than usual for the commoners.
CPI would be also be a curve rather than a steep increase IMO, because of the limited number of commodities on the consumer market for the COMECON folks.
Or am I wrong and the situation is just a tinderbox waiting for a spark to blow up?
I am not well versed in economics btw, if you didn't catch that from my above post
With the overheated economy running in full gear and a lot of cash in hands of your ordinary Joe, won't it lead to inflationary results pretty soon?
Food Price Inflation should be manageable, but still hitting your pockets a bit more than usual for the commoners.
CPI would be also be a curve rather than a steep increase IMO, because of the limited number of commodities on the consumer market for the COMECON folks.
Or am I wrong and the situation is just a tinderbox waiting for a spark to blow up?
I am not well versed in economics btw, if you didn't catch that from my above post
Markets can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent.
(John Maynard Keynes)
Thrilling, that was the trenchant word to describe the current situation, thought Friedrich August von Hayek. Being in a position to monitor and analyse Strauß’s experiment was a great boon for an economist. However, making sense of it wasn’t easy – even for him. At the outset, most experts had predicted an immediate collapse – which hadn’t come. Quite the contrary had happened: the German economy simply kept booming. How was that possible?
First of all, ‘unpayable’ was not a valid criterion, thought von Hayek. The Hochseeflotte had been unpayable, but had been built nevertheless. Middle African emancipation had been unpayable, but had been implemented nevertheless. The space programme was unpayable, of course, but was going to be achieved nevertheless. – One had full employment – and was importing workers from all around. That meant the state was not wasting taxpayer money for welfare – and hence could invest enormous sums in space stuff.
At the same time, Strauß had deregulated and decentralised administration – and had made credits cheap. That meant he had unchained the capitalists. Potentially, this might raise havoc. Unfettered capitalism, the bogey of Karl Marx, would run amok. Was this really so? This space business was the fourth industrial revolution now; the results of the former three were set and firm. Therefore, the unchained magnates might turn Aether into a Marxian hell, but could not change much down here on earth.
Would the boom hold? Difficult to tell, economy was very much a matter of belief – and make-believe. So far, optimism seemed to be unbroken. Yet, any serious setback could still collapse the whole building. – Miraculously, a pest epidemic had been avoided. And Strauß had survived all attempts on his life. What else might go wrong? There was no threat of war. Energy was abundantly available and cheap. The rail-based transport network was excellent. Resources from Middle Africa had never stopped arriving.
The labour force was a major concern, indeed. Von Hayek reckoned that increased automation would solve the problem – over time. Importing unqualified labour aliens certainly would not solve it, but create a bundle of new ones. The German workforce was eminently well educated; unskilled foreign nonentities were better replaced by machines. Zusies offered a fair chance to produce machines that were far superior to uneducated migrant workers.
(John Maynard Keynes)
Thrilling, that was the trenchant word to describe the current situation, thought Friedrich August von Hayek. Being in a position to monitor and analyse Strauß’s experiment was a great boon for an economist. However, making sense of it wasn’t easy – even for him. At the outset, most experts had predicted an immediate collapse – which hadn’t come. Quite the contrary had happened: the German economy simply kept booming. How was that possible?
First of all, ‘unpayable’ was not a valid criterion, thought von Hayek. The Hochseeflotte had been unpayable, but had been built nevertheless. Middle African emancipation had been unpayable, but had been implemented nevertheless. The space programme was unpayable, of course, but was going to be achieved nevertheless. – One had full employment – and was importing workers from all around. That meant the state was not wasting taxpayer money for welfare – and hence could invest enormous sums in space stuff.
At the same time, Strauß had deregulated and decentralised administration – and had made credits cheap. That meant he had unchained the capitalists. Potentially, this might raise havoc. Unfettered capitalism, the bogey of Karl Marx, would run amok. Was this really so? This space business was the fourth industrial revolution now; the results of the former three were set and firm. Therefore, the unchained magnates might turn Aether into a Marxian hell, but could not change much down here on earth.
Would the boom hold? Difficult to tell, economy was very much a matter of belief – and make-believe. So far, optimism seemed to be unbroken. Yet, any serious setback could still collapse the whole building. – Miraculously, a pest epidemic had been avoided. And Strauß had survived all attempts on his life. What else might go wrong? There was no threat of war. Energy was abundantly available and cheap. The rail-based transport network was excellent. Resources from Middle Africa had never stopped arriving.
The labour force was a major concern, indeed. Von Hayek reckoned that increased automation would solve the problem – over time. Importing unqualified labour aliens certainly would not solve it, but create a bundle of new ones. The German workforce was eminently well educated; unskilled foreign nonentities were better replaced by machines. Zusies offered a fair chance to produce machines that were far superior to uneducated migrant workers.
There are no dangerous thoughts; thinking itself is dangerous.
(Hannah Arendt)
The Sublime Porte had laboured and – after some serious in-fighting – had brought forth a new grand vizier. Mustafa Rüştü Erdelhun Bey – now Paşa – had come out on top. Accordingly, the days of Ferik Amiral Çelik Demirci Bey as head of OŞU were numbered. He was due to move on to ĺstanbul and become minister of the navy next week. A successor had already been named: Miralay Alparslan Türkeş, but would not arrive before July. For the interim, Doctor Hüseyin Yünbaş was going to be in charge.
Well, it could have gone worse indeed. There seemed to be continuity – and the Ottoman space effort was due to proceed. Wernher von Braun felt alleviated; no house moving required, no new employer to be identified. There would be changes, certainly; the volition of the grand vizier always had called the tune. Erdelhun was the head of a group called Bozkurtçular – Grey Wolves. They were Turks first and foremost – and Ottomans only thereafter. That might lead to rifts inside OŞU; many junior scientists and engineers were Kurds or Arabs. One was going to see…
With Yünbaş in charge, remodelling of Ucan Halı could be anticipated to continue as scheduled. That was fine. Von Braun was of course monitoring the progress of Ateş Kuşu, the NPP ship, but his heart belonged to the conventional rockets and the good old space station. In fact, Ucan Halı was going to precede Arx by several years. It would prove, von Braun was certain, the big wheel idea – and make life in space, normal life, possible. It would be his final triumph though. It was obvious: the future belonged to the brutal power of the atom.
(Hannah Arendt)
The Sublime Porte had laboured and – after some serious in-fighting – had brought forth a new grand vizier. Mustafa Rüştü Erdelhun Bey – now Paşa – had come out on top. Accordingly, the days of Ferik Amiral Çelik Demirci Bey as head of OŞU were numbered. He was due to move on to ĺstanbul and become minister of the navy next week. A successor had already been named: Miralay Alparslan Türkeş, but would not arrive before July. For the interim, Doctor Hüseyin Yünbaş was going to be in charge.
Well, it could have gone worse indeed. There seemed to be continuity – and the Ottoman space effort was due to proceed. Wernher von Braun felt alleviated; no house moving required, no new employer to be identified. There would be changes, certainly; the volition of the grand vizier always had called the tune. Erdelhun was the head of a group called Bozkurtçular – Grey Wolves. They were Turks first and foremost – and Ottomans only thereafter. That might lead to rifts inside OŞU; many junior scientists and engineers were Kurds or Arabs. One was going to see…
With Yünbaş in charge, remodelling of Ucan Halı could be anticipated to continue as scheduled. That was fine. Von Braun was of course monitoring the progress of Ateş Kuşu, the NPP ship, but his heart belonged to the conventional rockets and the good old space station. In fact, Ucan Halı was going to precede Arx by several years. It would prove, von Braun was certain, the big wheel idea – and make life in space, normal life, possible. It would be his final triumph though. It was obvious: the future belonged to the brutal power of the atom.
Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today.
(Mark Twain)
Left holding the bag, thought Generál Pavel Anatolyevich Sudoplatov. No doubt, Russia had drawn the shortest straw in the pest affair. The economy had suffered from border closure, although Russia was large – and populous – enough to soften the loss of foreign markets to a tolerable level. Nevertheless, once you stopped offering goods to someone abroad, the Nemetsky – or Zhyoltozhopi – salesman was promptly there to provide substitute. However, the main damage was political. One had lost ground. Curling up into a ball was not a good strategy – seen internationally.
It was Andropov’s fault. Panic was not a good counsellor. And the rest of the Rodinyadniki weren’t any better. Protecting Holy Russia was fine and dandy, but nearsighted defence didn’t win wars. – Even worse for the Rodinyadniki, any hope of attracting Russians living in the near abroad one could cross off now – after Russia had tightly shut her gates in times of peril – while leaving them on the periculous side of the moat. But ládno, the damage had been done. It would take many years to gain the ground lost in less than three months.
The space effort had suffered as well. Gridlock was no good method for achieving progress. But ládno, the Nyemtsi spacefarers had also suffered through several shutdowns in the past – and were nevertheless leading the pack. Sudoplatov had asked Viktor Abakumov, the Okhrana chief envoy at Achinsk. Being sidelined had been bitter for NASA, but no lasting damage had occurred. One was ready for whatever the Kremlin ordered. – But what did Andropov and his gang really want?
That was the problem. They were sitting on the pile of shards they had produced – and were accusing each other. So far, no constructive proposals had emanated from their midst. No doubt, they would come down soon – and perhaps send a scapegoat – or two – to Siberia. Yet, as a ruling group, the Rodinyadniki were a bitter disappointment. Could one please have Dmitri Shepilov back? Where was the lucky lad right now? Ah, Dalmatia…
(Mark Twain)
Left holding the bag, thought Generál Pavel Anatolyevich Sudoplatov. No doubt, Russia had drawn the shortest straw in the pest affair. The economy had suffered from border closure, although Russia was large – and populous – enough to soften the loss of foreign markets to a tolerable level. Nevertheless, once you stopped offering goods to someone abroad, the Nemetsky – or Zhyoltozhopi – salesman was promptly there to provide substitute. However, the main damage was political. One had lost ground. Curling up into a ball was not a good strategy – seen internationally.
It was Andropov’s fault. Panic was not a good counsellor. And the rest of the Rodinyadniki weren’t any better. Protecting Holy Russia was fine and dandy, but nearsighted defence didn’t win wars. – Even worse for the Rodinyadniki, any hope of attracting Russians living in the near abroad one could cross off now – after Russia had tightly shut her gates in times of peril – while leaving them on the periculous side of the moat. But ládno, the damage had been done. It would take many years to gain the ground lost in less than three months.
The space effort had suffered as well. Gridlock was no good method for achieving progress. But ládno, the Nyemtsi spacefarers had also suffered through several shutdowns in the past – and were nevertheless leading the pack. Sudoplatov had asked Viktor Abakumov, the Okhrana chief envoy at Achinsk. Being sidelined had been bitter for NASA, but no lasting damage had occurred. One was ready for whatever the Kremlin ordered. – But what did Andropov and his gang really want?
That was the problem. They were sitting on the pile of shards they had produced – and were accusing each other. So far, no constructive proposals had emanated from their midst. No doubt, they would come down soon – and perhaps send a scapegoat – or two – to Siberia. Yet, as a ruling group, the Rodinyadniki were a bitter disappointment. Could one please have Dmitri Shepilov back? Where was the lucky lad right now? Ah, Dalmatia…
But he who is hated by the people, as the wolf by the dogs – is the free spirit, the enemy of fetters, the non-adorer, the dweller in the woods.
(Friedrich Nietzsche)
The chancellor of the German Empire was busy fighting his heartburn. A first dose of bicarb hadn’t really helped. Should he toss down another one? Or rather wait twenty more minutes? Must have been the joint yesterday evening – plus the bloody wine… Yeah, and the coffee this morning had triggered it. Irksome!
How could you – calmly – read the press review when your gullet was burning like hell? Damn, he wasn’t prone to such boo-boos – normally… Anyway, he should tell Hanne to cancel all his appointments for today. No way he could stand an interview – let alone a meeting – under these circumstances. The nation would have to wait…
There were no urgent measures to be discussed. Everything was fine and running – except his health…
(Friedrich Nietzsche)
The chancellor of the German Empire was busy fighting his heartburn. A first dose of bicarb hadn’t really helped. Should he toss down another one? Or rather wait twenty more minutes? Must have been the joint yesterday evening – plus the bloody wine… Yeah, and the coffee this morning had triggered it. Irksome!
How could you – calmly – read the press review when your gullet was burning like hell? Damn, he wasn’t prone to such boo-boos – normally… Anyway, he should tell Hanne to cancel all his appointments for today. No way he could stand an interview – let alone a meeting – under these circumstances. The nation would have to wait…
There were no urgent measures to be discussed. Everything was fine and running – except his health…
There was this SPD Berlin politician who died in 1964 the same date as OTL. No reason for Strauss to get a deadly heart attack 23 years earlier. Maybe the Okhrana are as proficient in poisoning aa in OTL ? Or he survives, becomes a vegetarian fitness freak, and lives to 2000.
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We live in the best of all possible worlds.
(Gottfried Leibniz)
Now that the Rechenknecht GmbH – Rechenknecht Limited, Advanced Business Machines – was firmly established as market leader in the COMECON, Gudrun noted that she was going off the boil. Willy Thüren was wholly capable of running the company alone; she wasn’t needed anymore. Her twin kids, Richard and Cosima, were four – and obviously happy in the Swiss boarding school she had chosen for them. It was the story of her and Siegfried all over again; the time at Salem had been great.
Yeah, indeed, she was ready for a new challenge. Starting a second career with forty ought to be no problem. She was rich already, gathering more riches didn’t attract her. Perhaps she should go into politics. The political situation hereabouts was… well, abysmally poor. This clown in the Wilhelmstraße, Strauß, certainly had abolished the hoary – and fossilised – structures created by Bismarck, but he obviously had no idea where to lead the nation. Just doing nothing and letting things drift wasn’t political leadership.
Did she have a vision? Did she need one? Or wasn’t it better to stay businesslike? She was progressive – in the economic sense, and conservative when it came to social structures. Hence, a realistic programme for the economy would be her thing. The space quest was okay, in principle, but needed to be pruned to realistic dimensions. She had to talk with her industrial peers. The current binge couldn’t go on forever. One had to return to reasonable conditions.
None of the existing political parties really suited her. The liberals of the LDP were perhaps closest to her perceptions, but also propagating ideas conceived more than a century ago. Well, did she need one of these established parties? She had created Rechenknecht GmbH. And she had received Richard and Cosima by artificial insemination, without even knowing the sperm donor, just trusting the physician that he had chosen the best. Pursuing new paths wasn’t foreign to her. Wouldn’t it be better to create a new – and unspent – political force?
(Gottfried Leibniz)
Now that the Rechenknecht GmbH – Rechenknecht Limited, Advanced Business Machines – was firmly established as market leader in the COMECON, Gudrun noted that she was going off the boil. Willy Thüren was wholly capable of running the company alone; she wasn’t needed anymore. Her twin kids, Richard and Cosima, were four – and obviously happy in the Swiss boarding school she had chosen for them. It was the story of her and Siegfried all over again; the time at Salem had been great.
Yeah, indeed, she was ready for a new challenge. Starting a second career with forty ought to be no problem. She was rich already, gathering more riches didn’t attract her. Perhaps she should go into politics. The political situation hereabouts was… well, abysmally poor. This clown in the Wilhelmstraße, Strauß, certainly had abolished the hoary – and fossilised – structures created by Bismarck, but he obviously had no idea where to lead the nation. Just doing nothing and letting things drift wasn’t political leadership.
Did she have a vision? Did she need one? Or wasn’t it better to stay businesslike? She was progressive – in the economic sense, and conservative when it came to social structures. Hence, a realistic programme for the economy would be her thing. The space quest was okay, in principle, but needed to be pruned to realistic dimensions. She had to talk with her industrial peers. The current binge couldn’t go on forever. One had to return to reasonable conditions.
None of the existing political parties really suited her. The liberals of the LDP were perhaps closest to her perceptions, but also propagating ideas conceived more than a century ago. Well, did she need one of these established parties? She had created Rechenknecht GmbH. And she had received Richard and Cosima by artificial insemination, without even knowing the sperm donor, just trusting the physician that he had chosen the best. Pursuing new paths wasn’t foreign to her. Wouldn’t it be better to create a new – and unspent – political force?
All knowledge degenerates into probability.
(David Hume)
The secret network was growing – albeit slowly. One had to be careful. Whom could one trust? This question wasn’t easy to answer. Seasoned party members – from the good old times before Strauß – should be trustable. But not all of them were; some had indeed cast their lot with the traitor. Hence, one had to operate on the basis of confidentiality. If those already inside the network proposed addressing a new individual, one would do it. If the insiders should advise against it, one wouldn’t.
All these talks and consultations consumed a lot of time. Therefore, growth was slow – and couldn’t be accelerated. That was creating a problem, because next year there were going to be held national elections – in case the traitor didn’t bung them in the bin. If one wanted to execute the plan, one would have to provide candidates – in all constituencies. Well, that obviously wasn’t going to happen…
Could one – at least – achieve a majority in any upcoming party congress? Well, there was still hope. One must not grow disconsolate. The ancient core areas in Franconia, Hesse, Swabia and the Palatinate were secure. And there were fair chances to gain vital parts of Prussia – and all of Austria. One might still carry off the prize. But one had to hurry up…
(David Hume)
The secret network was growing – albeit slowly. One had to be careful. Whom could one trust? This question wasn’t easy to answer. Seasoned party members – from the good old times before Strauß – should be trustable. But not all of them were; some had indeed cast their lot with the traitor. Hence, one had to operate on the basis of confidentiality. If those already inside the network proposed addressing a new individual, one would do it. If the insiders should advise against it, one wouldn’t.
All these talks and consultations consumed a lot of time. Therefore, growth was slow – and couldn’t be accelerated. That was creating a problem, because next year there were going to be held national elections – in case the traitor didn’t bung them in the bin. If one wanted to execute the plan, one would have to provide candidates – in all constituencies. Well, that obviously wasn’t going to happen…
Could one – at least – achieve a majority in any upcoming party congress? Well, there was still hope. One must not grow disconsolate. The ancient core areas in Franconia, Hesse, Swabia and the Palatinate were secure. And there were fair chances to gain vital parts of Prussia – and all of Austria. One might still carry off the prize. But one had to hurry up…
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Prejudices are what fools use for reason.
(Voltaire)
Getting drunk was considered a good old habit to be practised during DVP meetings. But because of her pregnancy, Gerdi currently had to abstain. Therefore, she had noticed something odd: the ancient party hacks, the traditional xenophobes, were clubbing together and whispering among themselves. That alone wasn’t odd, sure, yet their behaviour when an outsider approached their circle was. Secretive was the apt word to describe it. They were behaving like someone having something to hide.
Okay, the old hacks always had formed a special group inside the new DVP. Hence, Egon Schagalla wasn’t overly mystified. Let the old muppets flock together and whisper, why not? They certainly had a lot to complain about, now that Strauß had gutted the party – in their mind. Folks who believed that Groper Streicher had been the right chap to lead them, must be at odds with Strauß and his unconventional methods. These blokes were inveterate cranks anyway.
However, when – by chance – he shared a compartment with Herfried Stockmann on the way back from Berlin, he seized the opportunity. Stockmann was the leading old DVP muppet in the Ruhr Council. He didn’t live in Dortmund, but was a resident of Bochum. All right! Flask ready – and bottoms up! Getting Stockmann drunk would only work when he himself didn’t slacken off. But Egon was well accustomed to such gests. The trick, though, was to recall – later – what Stockmann had told him.
Fine, he knew now. What should he do? He had no issues with Strauß. The man had broken the eternal gridlock of the Bismarckian system. And he was offering the stars. So, transmitting a warning should be in order. Hanne, his former fiancée, was close to Strauß. Sending her a short letter ought do. Perhaps she – and Strauß – knew already. But just in case…
(Voltaire)
Getting drunk was considered a good old habit to be practised during DVP meetings. But because of her pregnancy, Gerdi currently had to abstain. Therefore, she had noticed something odd: the ancient party hacks, the traditional xenophobes, were clubbing together and whispering among themselves. That alone wasn’t odd, sure, yet their behaviour when an outsider approached their circle was. Secretive was the apt word to describe it. They were behaving like someone having something to hide.
Okay, the old hacks always had formed a special group inside the new DVP. Hence, Egon Schagalla wasn’t overly mystified. Let the old muppets flock together and whisper, why not? They certainly had a lot to complain about, now that Strauß had gutted the party – in their mind. Folks who believed that Groper Streicher had been the right chap to lead them, must be at odds with Strauß and his unconventional methods. These blokes were inveterate cranks anyway.
However, when – by chance – he shared a compartment with Herfried Stockmann on the way back from Berlin, he seized the opportunity. Stockmann was the leading old DVP muppet in the Ruhr Council. He didn’t live in Dortmund, but was a resident of Bochum. All right! Flask ready – and bottoms up! Getting Stockmann drunk would only work when he himself didn’t slacken off. But Egon was well accustomed to such gests. The trick, though, was to recall – later – what Stockmann had told him.
Fine, he knew now. What should he do? He had no issues with Strauß. The man had broken the eternal gridlock of the Bismarckian system. And he was offering the stars. So, transmitting a warning should be in order. Hanne, his former fiancée, was close to Strauß. Sending her a short letter ought do. Perhaps she – and Strauß – knew already. But just in case…
When I have clarified and exhausted a subject, then I turn away from it, in order to go into darkness again.
(Carl Friedrich Gauß)
Routine duty in Hammerhorst, now that Mars bug quarantine and home leave were over… You couldn’t call it boring, but it was uninspiring. The scientists were now busy analysing their samples or their data. The big brass was planning something or other. But the ordinary craftsmen were left to polishing their instruments and attending the physical fitness programme. All the same, the exercise schedule included heli rides and jet flights for the pilots; that was better than nothing.
Sigmund Jähn, recently promoted to major, had just returned from simulator training. The gizmo had become truly good. The Telefunken scientists and engineers must have worked wonders – while the Feuerdrache had been touring Mars. Yeah, zusies… Would they replace pilots one day? They were excellent at calculating movements in space. And they wouldn’t beef about ennui on long trips through the void…
What was going to be the Feuerdrache’s next mission? Arx was too far away in time. Raumkolonie was still pending enhancement, but Jähn had looked it up: no supplies for this were in store – nor had any been ordered. So, that option certainly dropped out. – Venus? Well, landing on the Morning Star certainly was doable with the Feuerdrache, but without a second ship for backup it should mean running a considerable risk. Jähn didn’t think Direktor Kammler would ever authorise it.
What else remained? A trip to Mercury? Would be better than sitting here on Ireland and becoming moss-grown. – Catching an asteroid? That should be fun. But it would be a pilots’ mission. And as a space jockey you were just service personnel; nobody was going to design a mission only for you…
(Carl Friedrich Gauß)
Routine duty in Hammerhorst, now that Mars bug quarantine and home leave were over… You couldn’t call it boring, but it was uninspiring. The scientists were now busy analysing their samples or their data. The big brass was planning something or other. But the ordinary craftsmen were left to polishing their instruments and attending the physical fitness programme. All the same, the exercise schedule included heli rides and jet flights for the pilots; that was better than nothing.
Sigmund Jähn, recently promoted to major, had just returned from simulator training. The gizmo had become truly good. The Telefunken scientists and engineers must have worked wonders – while the Feuerdrache had been touring Mars. Yeah, zusies… Would they replace pilots one day? They were excellent at calculating movements in space. And they wouldn’t beef about ennui on long trips through the void…
What was going to be the Feuerdrache’s next mission? Arx was too far away in time. Raumkolonie was still pending enhancement, but Jähn had looked it up: no supplies for this were in store – nor had any been ordered. So, that option certainly dropped out. – Venus? Well, landing on the Morning Star certainly was doable with the Feuerdrache, but without a second ship for backup it should mean running a considerable risk. Jähn didn’t think Direktor Kammler would ever authorise it.
What else remained? A trip to Mercury? Would be better than sitting here on Ireland and becoming moss-grown. – Catching an asteroid? That should be fun. But it would be a pilots’ mission. And as a space jockey you were just service personnel; nobody was going to design a mission only for you…
Well, experimenting with asteroid mining would certainly seem like what the industry and politicians would focus on next.
Landing on Venus shouldn't be feasible unless the spacecraft is explicitly designed for it. Conditions on the surface are far in excess of what regular ship components would have been built for. It's not something you would risk such a big asset for unless you had lots of experience with probes in any case.
Did the madlads at Russian NASA try landing anything on the surface like OTL?
Landing on Venus shouldn't be feasible unless the spacecraft is explicitly designed for it. Conditions on the surface are far in excess of what regular ship components would have been built for. It's not something you would risk such a big asset for unless you had lots of experience with probes in any case.
Did the madlads at Russian NASA try landing anything on the surface like OTL?
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Venus is basically planetary Hell. Even marines which have gone to deepness of Marianes couldn't survive from conditions of Venus. There should be lot of work making such ships which could land to Venus and suits for astronauts that they are not roasted, boiled, poisoned by sulphur acid and crushed by massive pressure simultaneously.
Probably they find way to go to Mars before they can figure technology which would make Venus trip safe.
By denying scientific principles, one may maintain any paradox.
(Galileo Galilei)
Yes indeed, what should one do next? Helga von Tschirschwitz knew how things had developed: apart from enhancing Mondstadt and supporting construction of Little Phönix, there had been no plans for employing the Feuerdrache. Hans Kammler had wanted to wait until the Four Sisters were ready. It had been the chancellor who had initiated the Mars mission. But now, as the situation had evolved, it would be unwise to remain inactive. One had to do something.
Sharing NASA’s fate wasn’t desirable. They were effectively grounded. That must not happen to RRA. – Discussion, in the interim, had arrived at catching an asteroid. Venus was out of bounds. Mercury was too unremarkable; it wouldn’t thrill the audience. But seizing an asteroid and sending it to an orbit near Earth would have public appeal. And it could be done with the means at hand. One just needed a handsome supply of chemical rockets – solid fuel, of course – and the show could begin.
There would be, however, no immediate use for the boulder. The Russians had prepared NSÓ for such purposes – at least in principle. But Raumkolonie was still in the good old primitive lookout mode. The industry said they were interested – at least in principle, but lacked all means. Well, that could be fixed. Preparing for the space station upgrade would take about the time needed for the Feuerdrache’s sally.
The chancellery had already signalled that – this time – no inputs were to be expected from the Wilhelmstraße, but that an RRA designed mission to the asteroid belt could be regarded as implicitly endorsed. So, things were shaping rapidly, without that an asteroid proper had already been identified.
(Galileo Galilei)
Yes indeed, what should one do next? Helga von Tschirschwitz knew how things had developed: apart from enhancing Mondstadt and supporting construction of Little Phönix, there had been no plans for employing the Feuerdrache. Hans Kammler had wanted to wait until the Four Sisters were ready. It had been the chancellor who had initiated the Mars mission. But now, as the situation had evolved, it would be unwise to remain inactive. One had to do something.
Sharing NASA’s fate wasn’t desirable. They were effectively grounded. That must not happen to RRA. – Discussion, in the interim, had arrived at catching an asteroid. Venus was out of bounds. Mercury was too unremarkable; it wouldn’t thrill the audience. But seizing an asteroid and sending it to an orbit near Earth would have public appeal. And it could be done with the means at hand. One just needed a handsome supply of chemical rockets – solid fuel, of course – and the show could begin.
There would be, however, no immediate use for the boulder. The Russians had prepared NSÓ for such purposes – at least in principle. But Raumkolonie was still in the good old primitive lookout mode. The industry said they were interested – at least in principle, but lacked all means. Well, that could be fixed. Preparing for the space station upgrade would take about the time needed for the Feuerdrache’s sally.
The chancellery had already signalled that – this time – no inputs were to be expected from the Wilhelmstraße, but that an RRA designed mission to the asteroid belt could be regarded as implicitly endorsed. So, things were shaping rapidly, without that an asteroid proper had already been identified.
The trade of governing has always been monopolized by the most ignorant and the most rascally individuals of mankind.
(Thomas Paine)
Okay, the pest emergency was over, obviously. Heine had given the all-clear signal. But Seppel Mobutu was still ruling the nation. Was that good or bad? Max Sikuku thought it might perhaps be good for Middle Africa, but surely would be bad for MALU. Elections were due in spring of next year – and Seppel might reap quite a quintessential victory – for the Pinkos. He was that kind of elemental socialist leader.
Yeah, and there was the curious story Hermann Kizwete had told him. It taught that – below the surface – Seppel had built a very efficient secret spy network, undoubtedly based on his StaPo – but reaching further and deeper than anything hitherto known hereabouts. It was unprecedented indeed. Max had looked it up. The Bolsheviks in Russia had tried to install something like that, but had never succeeded. And the Okhrana, the tsarist secret police, had never really attained the Cheka’s ruthlessness.
Max had his own networks and knew quite a lot of what was going on in the country. Nevertheless, Kizwete’s report had surprised him. That was alarming. He needed more information about Seppel’s activities. Could one buy StaPo dudes? It had to be tried. Kizwete would handle it. – It should be fun to leaf through Seppel’s file about him… Could that be arranged? Being rich did have its advantages. He was ready to bet that he could easily beat Seppel when it came to acquiring information, once his ambition had been aroused.
(Thomas Paine)
Okay, the pest emergency was over, obviously. Heine had given the all-clear signal. But Seppel Mobutu was still ruling the nation. Was that good or bad? Max Sikuku thought it might perhaps be good for Middle Africa, but surely would be bad for MALU. Elections were due in spring of next year – and Seppel might reap quite a quintessential victory – for the Pinkos. He was that kind of elemental socialist leader.
Yeah, and there was the curious story Hermann Kizwete had told him. It taught that – below the surface – Seppel had built a very efficient secret spy network, undoubtedly based on his StaPo – but reaching further and deeper than anything hitherto known hereabouts. It was unprecedented indeed. Max had looked it up. The Bolsheviks in Russia had tried to install something like that, but had never succeeded. And the Okhrana, the tsarist secret police, had never really attained the Cheka’s ruthlessness.
Max had his own networks and knew quite a lot of what was going on in the country. Nevertheless, Kizwete’s report had surprised him. That was alarming. He needed more information about Seppel’s activities. Could one buy StaPo dudes? It had to be tried. Kizwete would handle it. – It should be fun to leaf through Seppel’s file about him… Could that be arranged? Being rich did have its advantages. He was ready to bet that he could easily beat Seppel when it came to acquiring information, once his ambition had been aroused.
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