Chapter 520: U-900
By 1928, the world hadn’t caught up—nor would it, not in time. But deep within the shipyards of Danzig, Germany unveiled a weapon that made the Great War look like a schoolyard scuffle.
Nearly three more years had passed since 1925, and something truly spectacular was emerging within the German Reich. Over the twelve years since the end of the Great War in this alternate timeline, the Fatherland had become almost mythic.
There were rumors abroad of a modern-day Atlantis rising in Europe; a land of impossible advances, secret technologies, and prosperity so profound it bordered on the unreal. Yet within the borders of Germany, it was simply the result of meticulous planning, limitless ambition, and the guiding hand of Bruno von Zehntner.
The infrastructure was unlike anything else on Earth: mega-highways crisscrossed the empire, high-speed rail lines connected to capitals and towns alike, harbors teemed with new-generation vessels, and sprawling airfields dotted the countryside.
Power sources, once thought theoretical, nuclear, hydrogen, and advanced thermoplastics, had become realities. And while these advancements dazzled the public and terrified rival powers, the true marvels of German innovation remained hidden behind locked doors and iron curtains.
Military projects were a matter of sacred secrecy. Every facility was guarded by elite units, and every scientist monitored by the twin eyes of German and Russian intelligence.
Since the dynastic alliance formed between the betrothal of Bruno’s daughter Elsa and Alexei of the Russian Empire in 1917, a powerful research axis had been established. This joint-German-Russian development framework allowed every field of science to accelerate well beyond its natural course.
It was not mere progress; it was a controlled detonation of advancement.
And today, Bruno had been summoned to witness its most silent detonation yet.
Nearly fifteen years had passed since the first Type XXI submarines were rolled out for the Kaiserliche Marine.
Even by 1928 standards, the design remained cutting-edge. But with Bruno’s foresight and obsessive adherence to long-term retrofitting, these submarines were far from obsolete.
With routine overhauls, replacements of outdated systems, and structural upgrades, the oldest hulls, now sixteen years in age, had their lifespans projected to stretch well into the mid-1940s, possibly beyond.