MuvLuv Alternative Schwarzesmarken:Volume 1 Chapter2
Progress: 7/110 pages done --Gabgrave (talk) 11:26, 23 June 2013 (CDT)
Chapter two
The Girl from the West
+++January 13, 1983
++1100hrs
++The German Democratic Republic
++Cottbus District, Cottbus military base
When she came to, her entire vision was flooded with white.
“...A wall? No...maybe...the ceiling...?” Kate whispered in vague awareness.
She turned her head slowly, looking around her. An unfamiliar room. Furniture—a battered table. The pungent smell of disinfectant. Katia noticed that she had been put to bed, dressed in simple pajamas.
“But...I was fighting the BETA...”
At a glance, it was obvious that this place wasn’t a base which the United Nations forces had built. The glass window at the bed side rattled with a high-pitched howl, piercing her ears.
“Аh...!“
Holding her breath, she turned her attention out the window. Beyond it stretched a wide snow-covered field. The world was painted in only two colors—black and white.
(The engines of a jump unit? But that doesn’t sound like an F-4 or F-5G...)
“Is this...a DDR (East German Army) Tactical Fighter Base...?”
Just as that thought crossed her mind, Kate remembered the last memories she had. Why was she still alive?
“The MiG-21… so… it saved me …”
That single scene had remained with her as her consciousness faded away, a sight that would be forever scorched into her…
++1110hrs
++German Democratic Republic
++Cottbus District
On both sides of the highway, stretched endless snow-covered fields with coppices scattered here and there. The only man-made object in the rural landscape was a chain of giant electric transmission towers going beyond the horizon ... No, wait. There was more, five MiG-21s, walking toward the West.
"It's a bleak sight, as always."
Theodore sighed, looking at the back of his companions’ TSFs. They were on the way back from a salvage mission. The aim was to recover from the fields of battle any broken tactical surface fighters, tanks and other equipment for salvage – before they became the prey of the BETA. The squadron was followed by a convoy of trucks carrying the collected salvage.
The 666th Tactical Surface Fighter Squadron, "Schwarzesmarken", had taken part in repelling a major BETA offensive – a battle which had lasted three interminable days, but finally, ended. Looking again at the unfolding scene before his eyes, he drearily heaved a sigh. There was about an hour left before returning to base, and the landscape had not changed at all.
TSF pilots rarely have to perform marches on foot, using the legs of the machines. Even more so when in a totally secure area in the rear.
They kept silent most of the time. If a similar march had happen a month ago, Annette and the younger pilots of the squadron would have broadcasted cheerful chatter in the air incessantly, but now all of them had died in the fighting, except for Annette, and she was ordered to undergo medical treatment.
“By the way, Walter, have you heard of this joke before?”
Irisdine’s casual voice came through the wireless, breaking the painful silence.
“Hoh? Which one?” Walter asked with interest.
"At the dawn of the space age, the first satellites that both the Soviet Union and the United States had concurrently launched met in orbit. When communications with ground control were cut off, the two satellites began to talk:
‘Guten Tag, Freund, jetzt können wir schließlich in unserer Muttersprache sprechen.’ <Good day, friend, now we can finally speak in our mother tongue>”
Walter and Pham both burst into laughter. It was well known that the space program of both the United States and the USSR, grew out of the scientific and technological heritage of the Third Reich.
However, Theodore did not laugh. He had no wish to join in the merriment.
(What does she have in mind?)
Glaring at the face of Irisdine in the communications window as she tells another anecdote, he tightly squeezed the control handles again.
(That Eishi, what should I do......?)
+++January 10
++1310hrs
++Territory of the former Polish National Republic
++Approximately 26 kilometers from the West coast of the Neisse
++Krosno Odrzańskie Ruins
Pulling out from the ruins of Krosno-Odrzańskie which was swarmed with BETA, Theodore decided to move with boost jumps. The remaining amount of propellant was less than 10 percent. He could not afford another engagement with BETA.
Besides—
“Ahh, hot......”
A faint moan—He examined the state of the Bundeswehr (West German Army) girl, who was attached with a pair of straps in front of the seat. With every boost jump, the sudden acceleration twisted her body painfully. Theodore had to shoehorn the girl found in the broken F-4 into the cab of his own Balalaika. Since carrying the F-4 Phantom using a single MiG-21 was impossible, he was forced to abandon it in place. Most likely the fighter had already become the victim of countless numbers of Tank Class approaching from all sides.
(I picked up a troublesome package......)
Members of the NPA (Nationale Volksarmee; National People’s Army; East German Army) were strictly forbidden to have contact with the soldiers of the Bundeswehr. Officially, the ban was to prevent information leakage from the East German army and infiltration of spies in its ranks, but the real reason was to prevent the defection of soldiers to the West. So far, countless soldiers who were suspected to have contacted the West German Army to seek asylum to the west have been executed by the army and the Stasi.
Seen in that sense, for Theodore who has special circumstances, this would be indeed in an unfavorable situation, although it was only a coincidence that he had rescued a Bundeswehr soldier. If he took the wrong step, it was likely that he will again be under the eye of the Stasi. In the Socialist East Germany, just thinking of reconciliation with the capitalist West would get you marked as a person with dangerous ideas.
"Damnit, I was just following orders...... whatever happens is not my responsibility......"
The shock as the machine’s legs pounds the ground causes the control unit to jolt. The belt around her small shoulders and back constrains the girl, causing her to breath with difficulty. The personal belongings of the girl should be inside the medical kit storage space taken from the F-4’s control unit.
(I’m carrying the personal properties of those western guys in my cockpit......)
Such discomforting words scorch my mind.
“Katia C. Waldheim......”
With the girl’s face, which still held the childishness of youth, in mind, Theodore quietly muttered to himself the name written on her ID record.
Theodore linked up with Irisdine, having arrived at the rendezvous point simultaneously.
“—You made it safely, Unterleutnant”
The view of Irisdine’s TSF projected onto his retina made Theodore breath in sharply. Most of the fuselage was smeared with pieces of flesh and body fluids.
“—Were you able to rescue the pilot of that F-4?”
“...... Eh? Ah, Yes.”
Momentarily taken aback, Theodore gathered himself and answered.
“The pilot is secured inside my control unit. Currently unconscious but there seems to be no injuries”
“—Affiliation?”
“—The Bundeswehr. A girl......”
“—I need a confirmation. Forward the data to me.”
I guess it’s reasonable that an oral report would not be trusted. After all, I had abandoned a comrade in battle earlier--.
“Transmitting video. See for your—“
Theodore glanced at Irisdine as he spoke— and his tongue froze in mid-sentence.
Irisdine was staring at the projected image intently, looking genuinely astonished.
“Err—“
In the next moment, Irisdine suddenly fixed her eyes on Theodore, openly meeting his gaze. Pinned by her eyes, Theodore lost awareness of his surroundings. He gulped. It was the first time that he had seen Irisdine show such a humane expression.
“—I’m sorry. She looked like the splitting image of my little cousin in Berlin.”
“Ahh...... verstanden.”
Certainly, anyone would have blanched if they saw their relatives in the Bundeswehr—.
“—Have you found out what's her unit?”
“According to the ID record, she is from the 101st Tactical Surface Fighter Battalion, Second Company.”
“—Her unit must have just arrived on the west bank of the Oder river. Indeed, they must have been attacked by the BETA while in the middle of mop-up...... Her name?”
“Katia C. Waldheim.”
“…During the rescue, there was only the one machine?”
“Yes. A single unit. I believe she was not able to escape because of the damage to the Jump Unit.”
“—And the fighter?”
“Abandoned. There was a swarm of Tank Class drawing close at the time—“
“—Is that so.”
Irisdine gave an approving smile.
“Well done, Unterleutnant.”
Theodore nodded with mixed feelings. He had been freshly reminded of the fact that his fate lies in her hands in the recent dispute with Irisdine.
Nothing would change the fact that the commander is a monstrous devil, a ‘Heroine’ of the Stasi who would willingly selling out her own blood and family— besides, the enmity arising from the recent altercation wouldn’t recede just like that.
“—Unterlejtenant Eberbach”
Irisdine suddenly asked with a serious face.
“—What are your thoughts on the current state of the company?”
“State… of the company…?”
Theodore repeated the question reflexively, wondering about its intent.
“—Indeed. I’m not talking about our recent conversation. I just want to hear your opinion as a pilot.”
In the midst of bewilderment, Theodore considered the question. Even if he did not want to reply, he could only answer the question as ordered.
“I think that we are in a fairly dangerous situation.”
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