Soldier of Will - Part 3: The Man from Below

Bischof's project the "Chisel of the Reich" utilized a strange black metal found inside a temple in the Harz mountains of Germany. A small amount of the metal was implanted into the frontal lobe of eight test subjects. These test subjects were hand-picked by Bischof for their ability to resist the negative effects of the metal. Bischof had personally experienced one of these effects when he became unfixed in time and traveled over a month into the future. The trip seemed to be instantaneous, but when he reachieved sync with this temporal plane he was close to death from starvation. It was at that moment when he realized the true power of the metal. The black metal allowed Bischof to subconsciously manifest a bowl of stew and a glass of milk to sustain him until he could get help.



By means of chemical sedation and hypnotic suggestion the eight test subjects were directed and controlled. In under a year they transformed the temple into a massive fortress and laboratory. But the Ahnenerbe scientist's crowning achievement was coordinating the eight to manifest the mythical substance known as Vril. Despite the Chisel of the Reich's resounding success, Bischof and the Ahnenerbe were ordered to focus their resources on the Vril. Hitler and members of the inner circle thought that harnessing the Vril could win them the war. The eight test subjects were kept in a chemically induced coma and periodically revived to produce more Vril. Bischof wished to continue experimenting and pushing the limits of the eight. But he was told again and again to focus on the Vril.

Soldier of Will - Part 2: The Gypsy's Daughter

Vandlo Hearn was respected among his people, the Romani, German Gypsies. He was known as a leader, a scholar and a source of hope. Unfortunately those qualities were not revered by those who looked to persecute his people. His powerful words often found him a beating within the work camp at Marzahn. Before the police crack-down Vandlo and his daughter made a decent living around Berlin trading goods and doing odd jobs. But in the camp he was forced to work in an armament plant. Aishe, his daughter would help tend to their tribe's needs when she wasn't pickpocketing the guards, or breaking into the supply shed. A girl of only eight years, she had a knack of understanding how things worked. She could pick almost any lock, Vandlo secretly admired his skill, but always scolded her for taking such risks. He would point to the scar above his eye, one he had gotten after they were first moved to Marzahn, and ask if she wanted to end up like him. Aishe was his world and he would do anything to keep her from harm.

Soldier of Will - Part 1: The Harz Expedition

Strange things were happening long before Müller arrived at the secret mountain fortress in the Harz mountains. The massive subterranean stronghold started out as a small excavation site, supervised by members of the Ahnenerbe. In charge of the original excavation was Wolfram Bischof, a talented archaeologist who joined the Ahnenerbe to further his research into a legendary artifact that foretold of immeasurable power. Naturally Hitler was interested in such an artifact and allowed Bischof to assemble a team to track down its whereabouts. Their research eventually led them to a small temple carved deep into the Harz mountains.

What Happened to the Robots?

To mankind, the fall of earth's robot society was a mystery. The island they inhabited, a giant waste processing facility in the middle of the pacific, continued to function. It was tended to by a force of giant lumbering robotic custodians.

Mankind had prospered much from their alliance with the robots. The planet was less polluted and the robot's scientific progress had garnered numerous technological advancements. The robot society was born of man's intellect but had surpassed it in under a hundred years, and then vanished two centuries later with no known explanation.

Preview: What happened to the Robots?

I am currently working on a slide show for my wedding social, and if I were to do another picture before finishing it I would be looking into permanent residence in the dog house. But I do have some thing in the works.

The next piece will center around what happened to the robot society that was created in "The Canary of Garbage Island". How a sophisticated society of intelligent robots could suddenly become simple drones completing menial tasks and maintaining the systems that once gave birth to some of the most advanced robots ever created on earth. In "The Canary of Garbage Island" alluded to the "Island of Robots" but this piece will draw a straight line of connection between the two, and explain how an advanced society could, without warning, be reduced to lumbering giants maintaining the island.

If you haven't seen the posts I am referring to click on the links above and take a look. I hope to have my next post ready by the end of the coming week.

Let me know if a preview like this is something you would like to see more of? Or is it better to just wait and see what comes next?

 

Exoskeletal Excellence

Science... never solves a problem without creating ten more. - George Bernard Shaw



In the midst of the deadly human cordyceps outbreak, scientists scrambled to find a cure, a vaccine or some way to contain the spores. It was not before half the world's population was overtaken that they finally discovered a way to stop the spread. The poor souls who were already infected would be lost. but at least the human race would live on. The discovery was a vaccine, the compound was produced en mass in the few CDC facilities that were still operational. Soon after clinics were set up across the entire world. United under the common goal of saving what was left of the human race, countries and governments cooperated without indecent. The vaccine was hailed as the savior of the human race, and the men and women who had created it were regarded geniuses. But our accomplishments are viewed through the eyes of those who come after us. Years after the cordyceps threat had ended, women who would have been children when they received the vaccine started having children of their own. In about fifteen percent of cases the infants were born with a new and aggressive bone disease.

The Headless Clone Fighting League

Born from military applications the Headless Clone Fighting League, or HCFL, dominated sports in the years following the war of 2099.



The war had seen rise of many technological advancements, but only one was credited with turning the tide. The headless clone battalions were elite trained troops who linked into cloned versions of themselves. The clones were genetically altered to be stronger, faster and tougher. They also were grown with a small protrusion where the head would normally be. This was known as the "cortical bulb". The cortical bulb was a simple organ responsible for involuntary actions such as breathing and sweating. After maturation of the clone the cortical bulb would be mapped and then merged with a computer equipped with a myriad of sensory inputs that would be attached to the spinal column. The DNA used to make each clone would be specific to one unique operator. The soldiers chosen for these elite battalions underwent numerous genetic, psychological and intelligence tests before being cleared. Controlled remotely, the clones were perfect for ground warfare. With the added benefit of learning from mistakes on the battlefield. The clones would die if the battle was lost, but the operator would learn. Clones couldn't be interrogated for information, and if they were captured they could lead troops straight to enemy hideouts. Additionally the neck mounted CPU was also equipped with a small self destruct charge for emergency use. The clone battalions ended the war swiftly and with less human casualties.