29

The German’s Story

Agent Hessman broke the uncomfortable moment with a more practical observation. “Not out here. Sue, secure the hardware; Ben, put the device away. We owe Claire an explanation, but right here and now is not the time nor place.” He pocketed his own device while the other two did the same with the computer and gun.

“Exactly what kind of device is that?” Claire asked Professor Stein. “And, Sue, I’ve never seen a gun like that.”

Then she noticed something about the German. “You . . . you’re not on their team, and yet you aren’t any more shocked by these devices than they are. You’re enemies and yet both in on the same conspiracy.”

“No,” Ernst said, “not enemies. That is not the intent at all, I assure you.”

“Someplace less out in the open first,” Agent Hessman repeated. “Ernst, you can carry your teammate there; Sam, the Japanese guy.”

A look of momentary horror crossed the sweaty physicist’s face, an objection forming then quickly dismissed as Agent Hessman continued. “The dignitaries are all securely inside city hall so no one’s getting to them for a while. Night’s coming soon, so first good alley we can find. Until then, no one says a word‍—no matter how much Miss Hill screams. And, Sue, make sure she doesn’t go running off.”

“Are you kidding?” Claire said. “I’m staying around for every last detail of this story.”

In silence they made their way away from City Hall Square with the two bodies before the chaos of the search for more shooters might die down enough for someone to notice them. They navigated down a darkening street and thence into an even darker alley, until a nod from Agent Harris confirmed their location was about as good as they were going to get. They carefully lowered the bodies to the ground while Agent Hessman made some quick introductions.

“I’m Lou, team leader. That’s Ben, Sam, Robert, and Sue. And that’s Claire Hill, local reporter.”

Ernst responded with a brief nod, then faced Agent Harris. “Are you sure that was Major Greber you saw shooting at both teams?” he asked.

“Absolutely,” she replied. “Your man went rogue. So what’s going on?”

“We came back here because of a TDW we picked up,” Agent Hessman explained, “and best we can make out, that’s part of the reason why the Japanese came back as well‍—to stop you guys from whatever you’re up to. That means that you people are the original cause of the TDW, and the rest of us are along for the ride. So, what’s the story?”

For a moment Ernst said nothing, just looked at his dead companion with a sigh as he organized his thoughts. Claire, though, was very attentive. She wasn’t sure what she would hear, but she was not about to miss a single word.

“Yes,” he began in his accented English, “our mission is to kill Congressman Henry Cabot Lodge and Gustav Noske. It is for everyone’s good, however. We hope with these deaths to stop the Second World War and the Holocaust.”

“Wait,” Claire interjected, “what’s this about a second World War?”

“Claire,” Ben whispered into her ear, “not now. I’ll explain later.”

“Then you better get Jules Verne to help you guys out, because this is sounding more and more like something he’d dream up.”

Ben laid a hand to her shoulder to lightly restrain her, then nodded to the German to continue.

“When our machine came through final testing, we saw this as an opportunity, a way to avoid the coming horrors as well as to put Germany in a more favorable position without harm to anyone else. Think of it: no Second World War, no Holocaust. All that gets avoided.”

“And all it cost were the lives of a couple of scientists at the symposium,” Agent Hessman ventured to say. “Or am I wrong in that assumption?”

Ernst nodded. “Yes,” he continued, “it was a German who killed the two scientists at the symposium, but that was to protect the mission, to silence the discovery of how to more accurately trace our efforts back in time. At least until the mission was completed and the new, better world had settled in. Two lives for the lives of six million lost in the Holocaust, not to mention their lost potential descendants.”

“Wait, six million people?” Claire interjected. “What kind of‍—‍”

“Claire,” Ben began.

“Claire,” Agent Harris said, her tone and look far more direct, “if you aren’t quiet, I’ll drop you and you’ll never know what’s going on.”

The reporter shut up with nary a sound more, just a brief glance to Ben for support and a cough.

“Anyway, that is the basis of our mission,” Ernst finished. “Two targets in the hope of saving millions. Six million from the Holocaust and some eighty million from the war itself.”

Hearing those numbers, Claire’s eyes bugged out, but a look from Agent Harris kept her silent.

“Major Greber is a member of our team, yes, but he has the same orders as the rest of us. I can’t understand why he would want this mission to fail, if that’s what’s going on. As I said, this is for the good of the world.”

“Is it?”

This time it was Dr. Weiss who spoke up. Agent Hessman gave him his attention.

“You got something, Sam? Sam here is our physicist,” he explained briefly to the German.

“Simply that time may be self-correcting. If not Hitler, then who else in his place?”

“He’s right,” Professor Stein agreed. “Even setting aside the ones that I know of who might be in a position to take Hitler’s place, there may be others lost to the eye of history who would have been in the right position if not for Hitler. We might avoid the Holocaust as we know it but end up with something far worse than the thousand-year Reich.”

“Or we could avoid all that and end up with a world in peace at last,” Ernst countered.

“So many questions,” Claire said to herself.

Agent Hessman put up a hand for quiet and paced slowly with lips pursed. Four paces out then four back, he then paused to eye the two bodies before speaking again. “Both very good points, and before I continue on this mission, I want to know exactly what I’m getting into.”

“Lou,” Captain Beck began, “the mission is to—”

“See what’s going on, then by my best judgment take action,” Agent Hessman finished for him. “I cannot make my best judgment if I do not know all the facts. So, as long as we have a nice comfortable alley here and some time to burn before we need to take action against any possible targets again, I want to hear all of it. Both sides, pro and con. Ben, why don’t you lead off the discussion, and don’t hold back on account of Miss Hill’s presence anymore. I need this thoroughly hashed out before we take any more action.”

The look on Claire’s face brightened as she silently mouthed the words “At last.”

Agent Hessman gave her a direct look. “Miss Hill, you may want to pay close attention. I’ve a hunch I may want to hear your input as well.”

And so the discussion began, with Professor Stein speaking first and Claire paying particular attention to what she suspected the future of her world might depend upon.