Re: Blood and Iron

Over the course of the past few weeks, Bruno had been doing his best to overhaul the capital city of Tyrol on a practical miniature scale. He had enlisted the help of the German Armys’ Corps of Engineers best minds in the project.

This was simply a mockup, a protoype for the futue layout of all cities across Eruope. And it was progressing swimmingly with each passing day. But this was a distant future, Tesla had only just finished proving his prototype could work, and it would be another five years, perhaps even a decade before every city in the German Reich was powered by such revoluitionary technology.

It was perhaps because Bruno understood that this was a solution to a problem on a much larger timescale that while he marveled at the realization of these innovations which would soon be spreading across Europe, his thoughts drifted across the Atlantic. The United States, once a beacon of progress and innovation.

But In the wake of Germany’s triumph in 1916, the world found itself at a crossroads. The old empires of Europe lay fractured, their colonial grips loosening, while new powers emerged, eager to shape the future. Amidst this global upheaval, the United States remained steadfast in its isolationism, a sleeping giant unaware of the shifting tides that threatened to erode its influence.​

The decision to remain neutral during the Great War had spared American lives but at a significant cost. The nation’s detachment from global affairs led to a stagnation that was both intellectual and economic.

The “brain drain” saw luminaries like Tesla, who once conducted experiments in New York, seeking more receptive environments in Europe. Particularly the fertile pastures of the German Reich where Bruno poached them away from their homeland in return for ample rewards and a far looser leash to work with.

Without the crucible of war to drive innovation, American industries lacked the impetus to evolve, resulting in overproduction and dwindling markets.​ Politically, the landscape was equally tumultuous.

The absence of Woodrow Wilson from leadership meant the progressive movements that sought to position America as a global mediator never took root. Instead, a series of administrations, deeply entrenched in isolationist policies, focused inward, neglecting the seismic shifts occurring globally.​

In the power vacuums left by war torn European empires, nations in Latin America and the Caribbean seized the moment to assert their independence and redefine their identities. Mexico, for instance, perhaps emboldened by what they perceived to be weakness by the American Government made a push for a forgotten claim over the southwestern United States.

For the first time since the Mexican-American war had come to the shores of the United States, and it was once more from their southern neighbor. But the military of the United States had been neglected, without the foreign imperialistic policies of the progressive movement, the Great White Fleet had not received the funding necessaery to keep it capable of competing with modern adversaries, let alone receive proper maintanaince over the course of the last decade.

In addition to this, the American Army found itself woefully lacking in both machine guns, and modern artillery. Luckily for them they were contending with a southern neighbor that was not a major power, nor armed by one, lest they would have received a hell of a loss should they have come to blows.

Germany, recognizing the strategic importance of these regions, and the ongoing chaos within them, extended its influence through economic investments and political alliances. German banks, especially the one privately owned by Bruno’s family personally financed infrastructure projects.

All the while cultural exchanges became commonplace, weaving a tapestry of mutual benefit and understanding. The Monroe Doctrine, once a declaration of American dominance in the Western Hemisphere, now seemed a hollow proclamation as the U.S. watched from the sidelines.​

Bruno understood that the resonance towers were more than just technological marvels; they were symbols of a new era, one where energy was abundant and accessible. He believed that cities designed around this technology would not only thrive economically but also foster a societal renaissance, breaking down class barriers erected by energy monopolies and the nouveau riche who had built these Empires based not upon chivalry and noblesse oblige but avaricous intent.

He pondered the potential had America embraced such innovations. Cities like New York and Chicago, with their towering skyscrapers and bustling streets, could have been transformed into hubs of clean energy and efficiency. Instead, they remained tethered to outdated infrastructures, their growth stunted by a reluctance to engage with the evolving world.​

The silence from across the Atlantic was deafening. While nations rebuilt, redefined, and reemerged, America stood still, its potential energy dissipating into inertia. Knowing what happens when powerful men began to loose their prestige nad wealth, it was only a matter of time before this sleeping giant of industry shifted its gears towards the nation, and the man behind it which was making them obsolete.

For now, America continued to sleep, but it had already been provoked, Bruno had known this reality the moment he had dared to challenge its oil barons and titans of industry. The United States, or I should say those wealthy elite behind its failed “democracy” would not go quietly.

And because of this, Bruno needed to prepare for the future, a future capable of dealing with a threat across the atlantic. But plans were already in place that could address this, whether it be the introduction of turbopropeller engines to be used on all military aircraft, including long range bombers that could drop major payloads on the United States and its critical political, military ,and infrastructure assets with impunity.

Or in the form of free flowing, advanced electric power that could very soon replace fossil fuels entirely, Bruno knew that striking the United States, which was an impossibility and quite frankly the fever dream of a mad man in his past life, was but a stone’s throw away from reality in this one.

He just needed to continue to work towards this goal. Was war with the United States his goal? Not at all, it was an outcome that should be avoided at all costs. But should it manifest itself in the way of his goals in this life as a threat to be neautralized he would be prepared, and would be ready to face it head on.

As Bruno continued to stare at his mockup of how future cities could most efficiently function with the introduction of this new and revolutionary energy source, a call came to the desk beside him. Having been interrupted mid thought, Bruno was not in a very good mood when he ineviatably picked up the call.

That is until he heard the heavy breathing, and panicked yet instantly recognizble feminine voice on the other end.

“Your royal highness? Bruno it’s me! Marie-Adélaïde, the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg! For God’s sake, I know you’re there, I can hear you breathing, please say something!?!”

Bruno could tell something was seriously wrong by the fact that not only had this woman called his home personally, but she was also excessively anxious, almost as if the world was coming to an end, this implied she was in immediate danger, prompting Bruno to respond immediaetly.

“Tell me what’s wrong? Who is attacking you?”

Upon seeing how Bruno’s instincts had not dulled in the slightest since the war ended nearly two years ago, there was a slight sigh of relief in the woman’s tone upon hearing he was already thinking things through in a way that aligned with her reality.

“There are… I I guess you could call them brigands here, from France! They have begun to march through our territory in armored cars and machine guns! My gendarmes are fighting them right now, but i only have a small company, and nothing to deal with their overwhelming firepower they brought! I think they might want to take over Luxembourg, or God forbid take me hostage. I really don’t want to flee my home again Bruno, especiaslly in a time of peace? What do I do!?!”

Bruno’s tone was severe, and stern as he responded to the women with the best advice he could give.

“I need you to listen to me, and listen to me carefully Marie… The moment I hang up, you give the order to withdraw your gendarme to your palace, their sole responsibility at this point is to protect you and your family. To hold off the enemy at your home, lonmg enough for my men to come rescue you.

Once I hang up, I’m going to make a call, and I promise you, in six hours these brigands you are dealing with will be made an example of so brutally the entire world will know never to violate your sovereign borders again. Can you do this for me?”

Marie was practically hyperventilating at this point, but was quick to take control over her fear and panic as she found the resolve to do as Bruno told her.

“Yes… Yes I promise… Please get here quickly!”

After making sure Bruno had heard him properly, he hung up, and quickly dialed a private number, one that instantly got connected as he did not even bother with pleasantries.

“I have a job for you and your men, never mind about payment, it’s urgent, I assure you, however, you and your men will be paid in full. Are you in, or out?”

The vocie on the other side was cold, but stern, a man who had already spilled blood in the past for profit, a hound bound by Bruno’s leash. He was direct, and to the point as he asked one simple question.

“Who do we have to kill?”