Chapter 1: Reincarnation
"Not through speeches and majority decisions will the great questions of the day be decided - but by iron and blood." - Otto von Bismarck
Karl sighed heavily after reading this quote from a historical text displayed on his phone. He instantly shut down the device and stared out the window of the bus, which he used as daily transportation to and from work.
In the modern era, Germany's place in the world was different than it had been in the past. It was no longer a great military power, one which would take the combined efforts of the entire world to bring down.
Rather, it had become a wealthy and industrious nation. One which was at the head of an economic and political entity known as the European Union.
But with its repeated defeats in the prior century, it was Karl's belief that the German Nation and the people within it had lost something great. Something unique to their culture that would never again return to this world.
And as much as that may pain him, his beliefs were a minority in this new era. In his youth, he had decided to take up the path of his ancestors and enter the German Military, the Bundeswehr, which it was now known as.
While he had some minor combat experience in Afghanistan, in his old age, he now knew that waging wars on behalf of foreign interests, and those of international corporations was not an honorable experience.
These days he was well past the age of fighting, and was instead employed as an instructor at the Bundeswehr Command and Staff College where young officers were forged into capable leaders and hopefully one day generals.
Today's lecture was one of unimportance. Why would anything he had to say really matter? Germany was well behind the other major powers in terms of military capabilities.
And though Russia had been making aggressive moves in the east, it seemed like a mere fantasy that a global war would break out with them, one that would involve the mobilization of the Bundeswehr.
It was with these thoughts heavy on his mind that Karl sat on the bus, waiting for it to arrive at his stop. But something was wrong. The bus appeared caught in an unusual amount of traffic. With no signs of moving forward.
He was just about to get out of his seat and ask the driver what the commotion was when the sound of automatic gunfire echoed from not too far away. Automatic weapons? Here in Hamburg? There was only one thing this could possibly mean.