Re: Blood and Iron-Chapter 464: Prophet, Angel, or Time Traveler?

Since coming home from the war, many men who became legends in battle were now forced to re-integrate into society — or continue serving in the armed forces. It was a tough decision for many, and how they fared depended greatly on the individual.

But some men had quietly vanished after achieving such distinction that they would be remembered forever. Manfred von Richthofen was one of these men — better known as the Red Baron.

He had been awarded nearly every medal a man could earn in the German Army, save for the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross, which was usually reserved for men like Bruno, whose feats won entire campaign-level victories.

In Bruno's past life, the man had been shot down over France — by who or what exactly remained disputed. Most experts believed the idea that an Allied ace had downed him was little more than propaganda; instead, it was largely agreed upon by historians, doctors, and ballistics scientists that the legendary Red Baron had been felled from the skies by a nameless anti-aircraft gunner firing from below.

However, in this life, not only had the Red Baron lived to tell the tale of his heroism — he had increased his already staggering kill count by two to three times over, even adding armored vehicle kills to his legacy.

But where was the legendary Red Baron now? Retired — living quietly back in his hometown of Kleinburg, Prussia. He had silently married and blended into the background: one of many heroes now living a life of peace, earned by the victory they had all fought so hard for.

Even so, he could not help but gaze upon the changing of time —especially as Russians and Germans alike worked together to reinforce and modernize the infrastructure of their two empires.

The rail system was being expanded in ways that cut through lands near his home, and whenever he went out for a drive on his motorcycle, Manfred could see the work nearing completion.

Germany and Russia, now enjoying an economic boom from their postwar cooperation, were investing heavily into projects: railways, industry, power grids, airfields — something big was happening behind the scenes.

Few had the eyes to see it. But Manfred did. And as he drove past a railway construction site again on this day, he noticed the workers talking about things — things he probably wasn't meant to overhear.

One of the construction workers, clearly a grizzled war veteran by his rough and vulgar tone, was berating a younger worker about the specifications:

"No, you moron! What the hell is this? This is too thin at the base, and not tapered enough to properly serve the demands of the Kaiser! Look — look here at this fucking sheet of paper! You can read, can't you? What does that say?"

The younger man, clearly a local just starting his life of manual labor, quickly read the sheet aloud:

"Category I Rails are newly built tracks specially constructed for high speeds, allowing a maximum running speed of at least 250 km/h (155 mph)."

The older man's glare said enough.

Manfred couldn't hear the rest as his motorcycle zipped past — but it was yet another sign. The Empire was changing. Something big was moving behind the scenes. He just didn't know the full extent of it yet. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

But Bruno did. And as Bruno sat in the Kaiser's office, outlining the latest series of developments occurring first in Tyrol — and soon across the entire Reich — the future was already taking shape.

Displayed before them was a mockup — a miniature replica of the city of tomorrow. Tesla's resonance towers, transference pylons, and backup energy in the form of modular nuclear reactors.

Bruno had, of course, not neglected nuclear physics, engineering, or its potential as a robust backup to Tesla's more brilliant — but inherently fragile — energy theories. When it came to long-term national investments, nuclear power was a linchpin for the Reich's future stability and survival.

Naturally, he had gone out of his way to secure the best talents in these fields, like he had so many others, and in doing so, give them the tools they needed to truly prosper. After all, his approach in life was often more hands off towards future development than hands on.

A little guidance here, and a lot of money there. But the end result was better than himself trying to micromanage every small detail. Not that such a thing would be remotely feasible for a man to do on such a grand scale.

Nuclear energy in particular was a major focus of his, because Bruno understood that Tesla's towers, as visionary as they were, would not be viable for space exploration, or reliable during the violent crises of war. And so, alongside Tesla's gifts, there were massive projects for:

High-speed rails

Reinforced power grids

Future-proof air travel hubs

From Bruno's perspective, even with nearly two decades of investment, this was only the first or second stage of a much longer plan. Tyrol would likely become the first "City of Light" —emerging from the coal-and-diesel industrial world sometime in the late 1930s.

From there, it would spread — across Germany, across the Empire's future acquisitions,even across Russia itself. The bones of the future were being built here and now. The Kaiser sat back, gazing at the intricate diorama — and for once, even Wilhelm II seemed speechless. Finally, he broke the silence with a chuckle:

"Honestly... had you told me five years ago that there would one day be a world without the suffocating smog of industry — yet still maintaining, if not surpassing, its power to produce — I would have called you either a liar or a madman. But from what you've shown me... I dare say this little model of yours may very well be the future of the world.I just hope I live long enough to see it..."

Bruno scoffed quietly, amused. He didn't dare mention the far more destructive aspects of nuclear physics he was also investing in. Not today. With the best physicists of Germany and Russia working together, Bruno preferred to speak of the dreams — not the nightmares.

"Well," Bruno replied casually, "considering the medical advancements I've invested into have already extended Franz Joseph's lifespan by a few years... and you're not exactly in the shadow of death as he is... I'd say you'll live more than long enough to see it, Your Majesty. In fact... it's already starting. You just have to look closely enough."

Wilhelm pondered this for a long moment, then laughed — shaking his head in disbelief. And finally, he said what was truly on his mind:

"Sometimes I wonder whether you're a prophet... or an angel of the Lord himself. Because after all you've done... it seems far too unrealistic for any one man to achieve in so little time."

Bruno didn't deny it. In fact — he leaned into it. With a sly smirk, he answered:

"You know... there's a third option you're overlooking."

Wilhelm raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Bruno shrugged, laughing lightly:

"I could be a man from the future, cast back in time."

The Kaiser broke into roaring laughter at the absurdity of it — and Bruno laughed along with him. Because to the men of that era, there was no idea more fanciful — more ridiculous — more impossible than the truth.