Souvenir: Letter from
Requiem
{$Hero}:
It was fortune alone that began this, a twist of fate that allowed you
to be the one to intervene. But that is the nature of fortune, to test
those who would be greater than those around them. When you disrupted
the strike against the document warehouse, I thought perhaps that
fortune was coming into alignment. I did not yet take steps to force
fortune's hand, however.
Your further tenacity was overwhelming to me, as you rescued all of the
kidnapped historians. It is also, I would guess, at this point that you
first head the name of Wolfgang Ubelmann from the men you rescued.
Now having seen a measure of your quality I decided it would be time to
employ your ability. A tip was sent to you anonymously on my order, and
enabled you to prevent the theft of more documents to be used in
Ubelmann's plans.
You needed no help from me to learn of the kidnap of James Bartlett,
known to you no doubt by the more colorful name 'Thunderhead.' However,
I sent aid to you in the form of his location. From him too, you no
doubt heard the name Wolfgang Ubelmann.
Once again, I gave you aid to stop Ubelmann from securing the devices
and data he sought. You performed admirably, a true credit to your kind.
Time was growing short, and fortune turned against both of us in ways
you did not know. It was a sacrifice, but I revealed Ubelmann's location
to you at great cost. Fate is often cruel, however, and Ubelmann
escaped. But the clues I left for you were enough to reveal his true
nature.
Now that you understood Ubelmann's true point of origin, I am sure his
motives were clear to you. A time traveler, he sought to glean knowledge
and technology from our present to return to the past and change his
future. Using my information, you were able to disrupt his plans by
capturing the equipment he depended on.
And so the final stage was set. Upon it you played your part, capturing
Ubelmann and ending his threat.
But you may wonder what were my reasons for betraying a man I knew so
long ago, for helping you to stop a victory by the Axis powers whom I
once served. It is no great surprise. Take but a moment and consider the
course of history from my point of view. If the Axis had won, if their
rule had extended across the Earth in a thousand year Reich, then
consider what place I would have held within it. Perhaps a mere
princeling of some minor state, perhaps forced to the periphery by those
with more voice in the halls of influence. My 5th Column, my power,
would never have existed. Ubelmann's presence was good for morale, but
his victory would have destroyed us, destroyed all of us utterly.
I cannot say that you have gained my respect, but I will acknowledge
that you fought well. Drink deeply of your success. Bask in the
adulation of your peers. Savor this victory. Know that you have saved
your world and this moment from the shadow of history. But you have only
saved it for now. Do not think that you have saved this world for your
future. Know that you have saved this world for my coming Dominion.
- Requiem
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