Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread III

Given the stupendous amount of Stupid Luck & Happenstance ITTL, I would not be at all surprised if it turns out that Sophie & Sepp are brother & sister, due to the actions of her sperm donor, or that Sepp is the son of the new head of the Organisation.

As for that whole summer camp vibe, growing up in New Zealand, it always struck me as weird too.
 
Given the stupendous amount of Stupid Luck & Happenstance ITTL, I would not be at all surprised if it turns out that Sophie & Sepp are brother & sister, due to the actions of her sperm donor, or that Sepp is the son of the new head of the Organisation.
Probably :p
As for that whole summer camp vibe, growing up in New Zealand, it always struck me as weird too.
Yeah...

When I was a kid, summer was basically the time of year for beaches, climbing trees, visiting friends and (after I turned 9) playing video games :p My folks signed me up for a couple of organised things - kayaking and orienteering IIRC - but those were just for a week or two max and I went home in the afternoons, and they didn't just go 'you're doing this', they were like 'we saw this thing, this looks fun, would you like to do it?' I'd've hated being sent off to some camp in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of randomers.
 
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UK is much the same.
Summer school holidays are 5 or 6 weeks.
1 or 2 weeks holiday with parents, when I was a boy mostly somewhere near a beach in the UK, more recently (except the last 2 years) somewhere near a beach on the Mediterranean.
Rest of the time occasional trips to visit relatives, family outings, or shopping for school uniform and stuff, but mostly football (soccer for americans) in the park.
For one or two years I went with the scouts for a week camping under canvas, 6 to a tent, but that was fairly rare.

Summer camp as a concept was just too weird to be comprehensible.
So many things would need to change in order to make it feasible, that it isn't a thing here, and has no real chance of becoming one.
 
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Chapter Two Thousand Two Hundred Forty-One

…To Malcolm’s personal disappointment, his time at the School was coming to an end. In a few days he would be returning to his home unit and a note would be added to his personnel file saying that he had completed the training course. He would then go on the list of potential volunteers for upcoming Artic and Antarctic expeditions. There was the upcoming joint expedition to Baffin Bay, but he wasn’t expecting to hear about that for weeks…
Now if I was Malcolm, once I got my commission, I would surely have a big chunk of leave available. Would he use it by heading to visit the Grandparents in Canada, particularly his namesake Grandfather, using GF Malcolm’s connections in the RCMP to explore the ‘Great White North’ to follow in the footsteps of some of his heroes? Maybe there’s a book in it, or if his Dad (and Zella) can get him a ‘portable video camera and still camera, a photobook & a documentary for TV?
 
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Part 131, Chapter 2242
Chapter Two Thousand Two hundred Forty-Two



23rd August 1973

Tempelhof, Berlin

“I could say that we need to stop meeting this way” Peter said as he entered Kat’s home office. “Some of the things that you have been up to have been disturbing according to those closest to you.”

“I thought that you were retired” Kat replied, annoyed that someone had called Doctor Holz.

“You are lucky that I am” Peter said as he seated himself. “If I were active in my field of expertise, I would be legally compelled to report a patient who has met certain conditions, which you have.”

“Petia, Doug, now you” Kat muttered.

“And everyone is wrong but you” Peter said almost looking amused. “Some things never change.”

“I tried to make sure that everyone was out of the house before I dealt with the situation” Kat said angerly, “They refused to listen and made a mess of things.”

“If your plan had worked out the way you intended, everyone in the world would have seen your house become an abattoir with you at the center of it” Peter said, “Not even you had a chance in that situation.”

“Perhaps” Kat replied, “But it would have ended the cycle, my children wouldn’t have the curse that is following this family affect another generation.”

“That is a load of manure.”

“Is it though?” Kat said, “As we speak the man who sent those men into my house is not holding still. Care to guess what he will do if he gets another chance? Think that the house will be empty when that happens?”

“I think that you will find a way out of this situation that doesn’t end with your death” Peter replied, “Speaking of that. Where are your children?”

“Tatiana and Malcolm are off doing things that will advance them professionally” Kat answered, “Marie, Sophie, and Angelica are in a program I have sponsored for the last few years, getting disadvantaged children out of the City for the Summer Holiday. Sending them to live on the shore of a lake in the Spreewald and hopefully far away from the sort of trouble that they would get into on the streets. Sending my own children along with those of friends to be part of the program seemed like the right thing to do.”

“I see” Peter said, “Well clear of whatever you get up to here.”

They sat for a long moment in awkward silence.

“What do you intend to do?” Kat asked, breaking the silence.

“Me, nothing, provided that you actually do something for once” Peter replied.

“What am I supposed to do?” Kat said a bit exasperated. Everyone was telling her to do something without elaborating exactly what they wanted.

“Take a holiday in Switzerland” Peter replied, “Join the bored well-to-do housewives at one of the private clinics, except unlike them, take full advantage of the services offered as opposed to several weeks of drugged out bliss and extramarital affairs. That is far better than the alternative which ends with you being involuntarily committed here in Berlin and no one will think anything of it.”

“You seem to have thought this through” Kat said aware that this wasn’t an idle threat this time. Apparently, she had frightened Petia and Douglas with her recent behavior. There were also many who would delight in seeing her locked away, regardless of how it happened. Her spies in Franz Josef Strauss’ office said that the Head of Society of Silence was leaning hard on him to do exactly that now that brute force had failed. She had sent a message back to him with Tom, the sole survivor the attempt on Kat’s life, telling him that killing her would bring the wrath of the House of Hohenzollern. Even if he had successful, he wouldn’t have enjoyed it for long and just who had told him that she had her father’s lost fortune? She knew that the head of any criminal enterprise feared being made to look the part of a rube and had played on exactly that fear. It was looking like Strauss would be reaping the whirlwind because she had suggested that the Head of the GS had been played. Kat couldn’t think of anyone more deserving. When those two moved against each other it would be the sort of thing that spilled out of the shadows and into the streets. Perhaps getting out Berlin for a few months might be a good idea.

“Those who care about you do talk to each other” Peter said.

“Exactly what do you have in mind?” Kat asked.



Arkhangelsk, Russia

On a whim, Kiki had redirected the SMS Epione up a different canal, to the White Sea. The whole idea of having the Epione was to explore the inland waterways and see exactly where they might take her. Oddly, it had been the Patriarch of Moscow who had given her the idea as he had been blessing the Epione. He had mentioned her continuing mission to bring healing and reconciliation to the corners of the globe.

It seemed like a wonderful idea, just the waters that the Epione could ply were somewhat limited. That had gotten Kiki to thinking about just where the Epione could go. Looking at the charts had revealed that there was a canal that led to a series of lakes and rivers to the White Sea and the City of Archangel which was just south of the Artic Circle. It seemed like an amazing trip to make.

Her arrival in Archangel was not what Kiki was expecting at all. She had been expecting it to be low key, like then she had been in Amsterdam or Prague. Instead, she had the City Mayor and the Local Council on the waterfront to greet her and they were treating it like it was a huge deal.
 
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Now if I was Malcolm, once I got my commission, I would surely have a big chunk of leave available. Would he use it by heading to visit the Grandparents in Canada, particularly his namesake Grandfather, using GF Malcolm’s connections in the RCMP to explore the ‘Great White North’ to follow in the footsteps of some of his heroes? Maybe there’s a book in it, or if his Dad (and Zella) can get him a ‘portable video camera and still camera, a photobook & a documentary for TV?
Sure, Zella should go, but Malcolm should definitely ask Doug to come along. Now that Malcolm II is an adult, him, Doug, and Malcolm I together hanging out in a base camp trading stories would make for a nice chapter since the elder Malcolm is getting on in years.
 
Sure, Zella should go, but Malcolm should definitely ask Doug to come along. Now that Malcolm II is an adult, him, Doug, and Malcolm I together hanging out in a base camp trading stories would make for a nice chapter since the elder Malcolm is getting on in years.
Would be more Zella and Yuri training him on how to use the video gear. Agree that a father-son trip would make for good TV. Malcolm Sr maybe getting on, it he’s still well connected so he can smooth the way north, get Métis & Inuit guides, etc. Not to mention some home comforts at the bookends of the trip. There’ll also be some cousins to catch up with from Doug’s sister’s family.
 
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Peter has given Kat a good idea about going to a private clinic in Switzerland he probably has the clinic all picked out and more importantly the therapist he wants Kat to see.
Kat is very wrong if she thinks her death would keep Douglas and her children safe as the criminal organization will just go after them as they will no longer the protection that Kat provides and will extort every last thing from them that can be converted to cash and when that runs out their lives are over.
Setting FJS and the organization against each other is the best way for Kat to take each of them down together.

Kiki is probably doing the most to repair the relationship of Germany and Russia since the war and is being compared to "St. Sasha" .
Ironically Kiki is also going to find out that her mother Kira is also reveared in Russia for her work in protecting the Russian women POWs during the war, and for restoring a number of Russian Orthodox monasteries and contents which could lead to her to reevaluate her mother.
 
I just got the thought of all the ghosts of the dead Kaisers sitting on the deck of the Epione drinking, smoking, and chatting about their descendants.

That would be an interesting conversation to overhear.
 
I just got the thought of all the ghosts of the dead Kaisers sitting on the deck of the Epione drinking, smoking, and chatting about their descendants.
Considering that the Epione is owned by Kiki the reactions would range from amused to totally aghast.

The Medieval Kings would scratch their heads at the thought of Germany united under the House of Hohenzollern but be pleased that their descendants had come out on top in the end.

Friedrich II, AKA the Great, would be delighted in that Germany had remained a center of Arts and Learning, but would probably be saddened that his distant Grandniece, Victoria, Princess Consort of Bavaria, has to keep the same sort of secrets that he did.

Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz doubtless would be delighted that Kiki has earned a Doctorate and has proven herself to be extremely formidable in the process, but be less than thrilled by how that takes her away from her family.

Wilhelm I, a staunch conservative, would probably be horrified by how socially liberal society has become over the prior century. However, with Bismarck whispering in his ear even in the afterlife, he would see the possibilities of the Europa Project, particularly if Germany is leading it.

Friedrich III would be happy that most of the reforms that he championed became a reality in the 20th Century.

Wilhelm II would be pleased that Germany got it's place in the sun and is a world power exceeding France and the United Kingdom, but the demise of the Battleship and the shrinking of the German Navy would cause him a great deal of distress. There is also the minor consideration of his great grandson's marriage...

Wilhelm III would probably be pleased that Germany is in a period of relative peace and prosperity, but would then be distracted when Zella walked past...
 
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ferdi254

Banned
IMO it should be the Russians doing such a trip. ITTL it was clearly Russia which started WW2 and caused massive suffering to Germany and Poland.

KiKi going on such a trip is a bit like the daughter of Breshnev doing such a trip in Germany in the 70s.

So I am guessing Kiki would get a lot of Flak from the conservatives while praise by other people for starting to build a bridge which the other side should have done.
 
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Given the success of the Epione, I wouldn't wonder if she were coppied by some militaries in Central and Eastern Europe and by organisations such as the Knights of St. John and the International Red Cross.
 
This is a two way street and this particular trip is not over yet. So, you'll see.
The situation in Russia is very complicated with contradictory goals and sentiments.
The main cultural events defining post war Imperial Russia is "The Lost Generation" and Boris Pasternak without being thrown in the gulag IOTL could have written a follow up novel about the Granddaughter of Doctor Zhivago who is part of "The Lost Generation".
There is also the humiliating defeat of the Soviet Union in the war but that can be laid at the feet of " Stalin, Bolsheviks, and the Jews" but just like IOTL the propaganda ITTL is focused on the "Motherland" instead of the defending the Socialist ideology.
There can also be an emphasis on the redemption of the New Imperial Russian Army in the war fought in Manchuria against the Japanese.
And as I pointed out before there is the need to honor the dead soldiers who fought bravely against the Allies without acknowledging Stalin and the Communist Party and the Soviet Union.
The various Memorials to the Lost all across Russia is the best that could be figured out at this time but later on with a more honest reappraisal new ways of honoring the dead will happen.
With all of that being said Kiki an Imperial Princess that has Romanov blood in her and is a communicate in the Russian Orthodox Church is the best person to start to bring a healing between Germany and Russia and because of Russian pride Germany must make the first move.
 
I can imagine at their some point in time that the more powerful nations have a liaison from their domestic law enforcement agency stationed at their embassy as an example Great Britain has someone from Scotland Yard at the British Embassy to help coordinate information about criminals working in both countries.
I have a scenario where the domestic law enforcement liaison goes to the place in the embassy where the foreign intelligence agent is and informs them that they got a heads up about apparently30 or so known members of an organized criminal gang has gone missing mostly the lower ranked one but a few of the mid level guys are also missing and a couple of the heavy hitters are gone too.
The foreign intelligence agent will ask what the big deal is and what does it have to do with him only to be told that the target was Kat and that is going to set off a lot of alarm bells throughout the international intelligence agencies.
 
Part 131, Chapter 2243
Chapter Two Thousand Two Hundred Forty-Three



27th August 1973

Lake Onega, Russia

They were down to the last of the videotape and Kiki was still doing interesting things. It was an odd complaint to hear from Yuri as Zella was trying to concentrate on her book. The rain this afternoon had kept them inside the saloon as they had crossed a lake that felt more like a small sea. The book, one of hundreds that Kiki had on board. It was a convoluted and dense read, reflecting the country that it was set in as Zella had discovered on this trip. It felt as if they were living within the pages of such a novel after they had been informed by radio that their passengers were waiting for them in Saint Petersburg.

The book was centered around a family trying to survive in Russia and Europe during the Second World War on both sides of the conflict and the decade or so that followed but featured multiple viewpoints from characters scattered from Paris to the Russian Far East. Some of the things Zella had a hard time wrapping her head around. Like how a young woman, an orphaned daughter of a dissident poet, could be living in Moscow under the protection of her Uncle, an NKVD Officer, at the beginning of the book other than as a plot contrivance to have the protector become the protected. Kiki told her that it made more sense if she had read the prior novel first because it would give her a great deal of context about who everyone was. It seemed that this book was published posthumously as a sequel of a book that was equally sprawling. Of course, Kiki didn’t have a copy of the first book aboard the barge, much to Zella’s complete annoyance.

Looking out the window at the distant lakeshore, Zella wished that the Epione was a speedboat, and they could get to Saint Petersburg already. It seemed like this entire country was forested and flat where it wasn’t a lake or river. It was rather monotonous, which made Kiki’s choice to divert them to Archangel odd from Zella’s perspective.

The passengers that they would be taking on board there were Vasily Dzhugashvili and Svetlana Alliluyeva, which was a bit of a surprise considering who they were and that the Epione was one of the slowest means of travel available. Kiki said that it was in keeping with the mission of the Epione, that they had an older brother who lived in Munich, and she felt obligated to help facilitate that reunion. Still, their father had been the monster under the bed for Kiki when she had been growing up and while Zella could understand Kiki helping Svetlana, who had ironically become a dear friend of Kiki’s cousin Gia, Vasily was a different story.

Vasily Dzhugashvili had the dubious distinction of being the last General Secretary of the Soviet Union. Of course, that had been because Vasily had been in his apartment on a drunken bender while everyone with greater seniority had either killed each other or fled Moscow. When he had finally sobered up enough to figure out what had happened, he had discovered that he was leading a nation on the brink of defeat. Basically, all he had been able to do was surrender the City of Moscow to Field Marshal von Wolvogle, marking the conclusion of the Soviet War. He seemed like the sort of person who Kiki avoided if she could help it.

For Zella, it was enough for her to get on the radio and try to get ARD to send additional supplies to them because that was going to be quite a story and her employers would be unhappy if she didn’t get film of it. Considering that it was an odd sort of game of telephone that they were playing, Zella had no idea if it would work. She was kicking herself for not taking up Kiki’s offer to have her motorcycle or car on the boat, because that had certainly been a possibility. The idea that Zella’s car could be lifted onto the roof behind the pilot house by a crane, as if it were parked there had been an interesting idea. She had remembered that the roads outside the major cities were a bit dodgy though and had decided that it would be an invitation to get stuck somewhere out in the middle of nowhere. Now, it seemed like it would have been nice to have had the option though Zella didn’t have the first clue as to where she might have found Sony video cassettes in Russia.

It was one small disappointment on what had been a successful effort. The other one was that there had not been time for them to look too deeply into Yuri’s background. It seemed that the place his mother had come from was quite obscure and she had not been helpful before they had left Berlin. Whatever had happened three decades earlier still caused that much anger. So, that was going to have to wait for another time. One odd aspect of this trip though was that it had swiftly become clear to Yuri that as far as the Russians were concerned, he was German. That was totally contrary to how he knew he was seen in Germany, and it was probably the millionth example of how Yuri was a square peg in a world full of round holes.
 
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Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night
It very frustrating to read or watch a sequel without getting context from the previous books and movies.
I wonder how far Boris Pasternak had written before dying and who helped finish it.
The return of the children of Stalin is an interesting development and Zella getting exclusive coverage is just going add to her reputation as someone who can get stories that no one else can.
Yuri is going to find out that as a child of the “Forgotten” (called that because their families back in Russia and the Russian government itself want to forget that they exist) I hat he is not alone and Zella will use that angle to get her story.
With the better treatment of the Russian POWs ITTL Stalin’s son who was captured IOTL gets to live and as one of the “Forgotten “ he too couldn’t go back to Russia and probably is a leading figure in keeping them connected.
 
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