Editing City Series:Volume6a Chapter1 (section)

===Part 3===

“Why is he like this!?”

Schweitzer blew away the rubble of the used bookstore with his prosthetic arm, stood up, and ran out to the road. Berger was nowhere to be seen and his motorcycle was no longer parked on the curb.

He had gotten away.

Ignoring the sounds of the MPs crawling out of the rubble behind him and the curious eyes of the passersby, Schweitzer calmly brushed the dust off of his prosthetic arm and raised his left hand.

Less than the span of a breath later, a black military personnel transport vehicle drove up and began to stop in front of him.

Before its brakes could finish squealing, he opened the door and climbed in.

The passenger seat was positioned low and given a lot of extra space, but it was still cramped for such a large man with such a large prosthetic arm.

The vehicle immediately drove off, so it was already in second gear by the time he got the door shut.

He adjusted his position as if holding his prosthetic arm close.

“Why is this seat always so hard?”

“You complained that it had too much cushioning last time.”

He was answered by Bermark, the old soldier in the driver’s seat whose white gloved hands seemed oddly conspicuous.

“That is my personal problem, so do not let it bother you.” Schweitzer remained expressionless. “Where is Berger headed?”

“I arranged a network of hidden observers rather than directly pursue him. Convincing the Abwehr to act was not easy, though. He is currently travelling west along Kantstrasse with a cat on his shoulder.”

The questioner and answerer kept their eyes on the road ahead instead of looking to each other.

A city of stone and metal flowed past them as they drove.

Eventually, Schweitzer sank deeper down into his seat.

“Very well. Berger can wait. …For now, head to the general hospital.”

“We are already on our way. I had a feeling you would ask for it.”

“Then take a right at the next intersection for a shortcut, Bermark. Never mind. We just passed it.”

“That is a one-way road. Aren’t the Fräulein and his Excellency always insisting that we do not trouble the citizenry even in an emergency?”

“Fair enough. I am not one to argue with the leaders of our Geheimnis Agency.” Schweitzer looked up in defeat and let out a weary sigh. “Last night, I was certain we had finally tracked down the Messiah implant that Marsch made, but one day later and it’s escaped. The Panzerpolis Project certainly is off to a rocky start.”

“And the foreign rats have already learned the name of the project.”

“It won’t help them. Even we have only been told the name and…what will happen. But I do know one thing more: the Panzerpolis Project is guaranteed to rescue Germany from a future crisis.”

“Although we need the Messiah to pull that off. It was two weeks ago that Hazel Mirildorf was taken from that Heidenheim, transported to the general hospital, and implanted with the Messiah. And the doctors had hidden the Messiah implant for two months prior to that. We were fortunate to catch wind of this at all.”

“Well, let’s hope that fortune lasts. But do you think this will really lead to the birth of the true Messiah?”

“According to the Fräulein, if the prophecy is fulfilled, then the Messiah will come to lead us and ultimately save Germany. So I am sure the Messiah implant created by Sir Marsch will live up to its name.”

“And what if it doesn’t? If we fail to secure her in accordance with the prophecy, Marsch’s Messiah implant will be nothing but a name and we will once more be forced to continue to search out the true Messiah. We will remain a masterless order of knights.”

“If that happens, then that is what destiny has ordained. Also…Sir Marsch’s Messiah implant is important to us for a different reason. We must acquire it.”

Bermark turned to the right at an intersection without slowing.

“Let’s change the subject.”

“Please do.”

The view outside the glass rotated and then they could see out ahead once more.

Bermark returned the steering wheel to its neutral position, shifted up a gear, and accelerated while asking a question.

“Who exactly is Berger…or should I call him Sir Berger?”

“He deserves no honorific. As I am sure you can imagine, he is an enemy.”

“Then who is he?”

“An immigrant. His full name is Dog Berger. He was born in Aerial City – London, his mother was a human prostitute, and his father is unknown. He told me he arrived in Berlin around the end of the great war along with the various enemy forces.”

“What is his connection to you, Sir Marsch, and Sir Alfred?”

“We all went to high school together. He even went to university with Marsch, but he dropped out after three years. That was two years ago.”

“Why did he drop out?”

Schweitzer did not answer that question.

Silence fell over the vehicle as Bermark stepped on the gas even more to travel north over the bridge crossing the Spree River that split the city in two. Once on the other side, he entered the passing lane and asked a further question.

“Then has this Berger made contact with Hazel Mirildorf yet?”

“It didn’t seem like it. She is the daughter of former Major General Oscar, head of the Eisen Vogel, isn’t she?”

“Yes, the Eisen Vogel was meant to be the foundation of the 1st Aerial Fleet led by Lieutenant General Heiliger, but then Oscar Mirildorf suddenly retired last year.”

“Provide me with more details on the girl when you have some time. It is hard to keep track of my own memories and all the information I have learned in such a short time. I honestly feel like I am overlooking something.”

“Such as?”

“For one, the girl was taken to the hospital from a Heidenheim. Only those with Heidengeist blood are sent there. …Now, former Major General Oscar was human, but what kind of blood did the girl receive from her mother?” Schweitzer took a breath. “We have been so busy pursuing the Messiah implant that we have failed to consider the person who carries it. We know the AIF helped her escape last night, but could her power as a Heidengeist have also played a role?”

“Let us pray she cannot turn invisible. I will gather further information ASAP. …Oh.”

They approached a three-road junction and turned right, to the east.

The dark cedar woods to their left were part of the Tiergarten park.

Beyond those woods was the white general hospital.

A few trails of white smoke rose above the canopy formed by the trees.

Bermark kept his eyes on the road as he said one last thing.

“How ironic that the appearance of the Messiah meant to save Germany would bring such disaster upon us.”

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