Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread II
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Part 69, Chapter 1008
Chapter One Thousand Eight
17th April 1953
Wolfsburg
“If I wasn’t already married I would ask for your hand this instant” Ernst Preis said when Nancy walked into the Offices of the Promotions Department.
“Excuse me?” Nancy asked bewildered.
“You don’t know?” Preis asked I reply, “Unbelievable.”
“What am I missing here?” Nancy asked.
“You were just supposed to get a product placement in a film” Preis replied, “Instead you convinced the producer to push an entirely new script that practically has a Föhn 1200 staring in it.”
That didn’t sound right, Nancy thought to herself as she walked back to her desk. Picking up the phone, she called UFL and to her complete shock was put straight through to the Producer that she had talked to earlier that week.
“Fraulein Jensen, good to hear from you” The Producer said.
“Herr Preis just told me that you are going with a different film” Nancy said.
“Yes” The Producer said, “You gave us the core of what became the new script. Auto racing, cars, womanizing British spies, international intrigue and stupidity, star-crossed lovers, complicated family situations. There’s something for everybody.”
Nancy tried to remember everything that she had said over that lunch. She had been venting about, well, everything. Somehow, Nancy had said far more than she had intended to and when Kat found out about this she was going to kill her.
“And get this Nancy” The Producer said, “Edda van Heemstra read the script and wants the staring role. She particularly liked the who bit about the love interest’s father who pretends to be a likable oaf when he’s secretly a conniving ass.”
Nancy had heard of the Belgian actress from Gerta. Supposedly she had done well in some bit parts and Gerta had said that she would probably be the next big name in the Berlin Cinema. Kat was still going to want to kill her but if the script had everything that Nancy feared it did, then Kat was going to have to wait in line.
Langeoog Island
They were collecting shells on the beach which was fun. Kiki found a hermit crab in one of the shells and before anyone else saw it she threw it out into the water so that it could be free in the place where it belonged. The last week had been fun. They were staying in a hotel on the island, it not being the summer months the hotel staff had been happy to have them. There had been highlights, like the tour of the battleship. The tour had been given by this salty old sailor who seemed to have story about things that had happened aboard every part of the Rhineland. He also told stories about other ships, his life in the Navy and on the sea.
Then had come the arrival of Klaus Voll onto the island. That had seemed to confirm Zella’s worst fears that all they were expected to do was girly things. It hadn’t worked out that way. Sure, Voll had come to Langeoog to show them how to do things like hair and makeup, but it had turned out to be a lot of fun. He had said Kiki’s curls were the sort of thing that grown women would pay good money for. He had compliments like that for all of them and Kiki suspected that it was a part of his job to do that. She had to admit that it was fun to watch once she was aware of what Voll was doing. That night she had talked to Gia who had found it amusing that Kiki had picked up on it so fast.
“There are women who go their entire lives without noticing things like that” Gia said, “But it shouldn’t matter because it’s about feeling good about yourself. How you look beyond what you are wearing at any given moment.”
The rest of the days had involved spending time on the beach when they weren’t out doing something planned. Kat and Gia had mixed it up a bit that morning, saying that it was important that they needed to be able to protect themselves. Sitting on the beach, the girls had watched as they had demonstrated how to break a grip if someone grabbed their arm. It was a simple thing, but it was exactly what they had wanted the Gräfin to be teaching them all along.
“You finally got what you wanted” Kiki said to Zella who was walking with her down the beach.
“Not really” Zella replied.
“Gia was showing us how to break a grip” Kiki said, “You have to start somewhere, right?”
“If a man grabbed you by the arm you wouldn’t be strong enough to pull away like that” Zella said, “None of us would.”
Kiki was surprised by that statement.
“Think about what Gia really told us” Zella said, “Try to break the grip, but at the same time kick them in the shins and make a lot of noise. It’s so that someone else can save you and I already knew how to do that.”
Then Zella walked away.
At loss, Kiki just watched her friend. Zella had been easier to get along with a year earlier. There were times when she acted like her old self, at other times she just acted like this.
“Find anything good yet” Aurora asked.
“I found a hermit crab a little while ago” Kiki replied.
“Where is it?”
“I threw it back into the sea” Kiki said, “It’s home.”
Aurora smiled at that answer.
17th April 1953
Wolfsburg
“If I wasn’t already married I would ask for your hand this instant” Ernst Preis said when Nancy walked into the Offices of the Promotions Department.
“Excuse me?” Nancy asked bewildered.
“You don’t know?” Preis asked I reply, “Unbelievable.”
“What am I missing here?” Nancy asked.
“You were just supposed to get a product placement in a film” Preis replied, “Instead you convinced the producer to push an entirely new script that practically has a Föhn 1200 staring in it.”
That didn’t sound right, Nancy thought to herself as she walked back to her desk. Picking up the phone, she called UFL and to her complete shock was put straight through to the Producer that she had talked to earlier that week.
“Fraulein Jensen, good to hear from you” The Producer said.
“Herr Preis just told me that you are going with a different film” Nancy said.
“Yes” The Producer said, “You gave us the core of what became the new script. Auto racing, cars, womanizing British spies, international intrigue and stupidity, star-crossed lovers, complicated family situations. There’s something for everybody.”
Nancy tried to remember everything that she had said over that lunch. She had been venting about, well, everything. Somehow, Nancy had said far more than she had intended to and when Kat found out about this she was going to kill her.
“And get this Nancy” The Producer said, “Edda van Heemstra read the script and wants the staring role. She particularly liked the who bit about the love interest’s father who pretends to be a likable oaf when he’s secretly a conniving ass.”
Nancy had heard of the Belgian actress from Gerta. Supposedly she had done well in some bit parts and Gerta had said that she would probably be the next big name in the Berlin Cinema. Kat was still going to want to kill her but if the script had everything that Nancy feared it did, then Kat was going to have to wait in line.
Langeoog Island
They were collecting shells on the beach which was fun. Kiki found a hermit crab in one of the shells and before anyone else saw it she threw it out into the water so that it could be free in the place where it belonged. The last week had been fun. They were staying in a hotel on the island, it not being the summer months the hotel staff had been happy to have them. There had been highlights, like the tour of the battleship. The tour had been given by this salty old sailor who seemed to have story about things that had happened aboard every part of the Rhineland. He also told stories about other ships, his life in the Navy and on the sea.
Then had come the arrival of Klaus Voll onto the island. That had seemed to confirm Zella’s worst fears that all they were expected to do was girly things. It hadn’t worked out that way. Sure, Voll had come to Langeoog to show them how to do things like hair and makeup, but it had turned out to be a lot of fun. He had said Kiki’s curls were the sort of thing that grown women would pay good money for. He had compliments like that for all of them and Kiki suspected that it was a part of his job to do that. She had to admit that it was fun to watch once she was aware of what Voll was doing. That night she had talked to Gia who had found it amusing that Kiki had picked up on it so fast.
“There are women who go their entire lives without noticing things like that” Gia said, “But it shouldn’t matter because it’s about feeling good about yourself. How you look beyond what you are wearing at any given moment.”
The rest of the days had involved spending time on the beach when they weren’t out doing something planned. Kat and Gia had mixed it up a bit that morning, saying that it was important that they needed to be able to protect themselves. Sitting on the beach, the girls had watched as they had demonstrated how to break a grip if someone grabbed their arm. It was a simple thing, but it was exactly what they had wanted the Gräfin to be teaching them all along.
“You finally got what you wanted” Kiki said to Zella who was walking with her down the beach.
“Not really” Zella replied.
“Gia was showing us how to break a grip” Kiki said, “You have to start somewhere, right?”
“If a man grabbed you by the arm you wouldn’t be strong enough to pull away like that” Zella said, “None of us would.”
Kiki was surprised by that statement.
“Think about what Gia really told us” Zella said, “Try to break the grip, but at the same time kick them in the shins and make a lot of noise. It’s so that someone else can save you and I already knew how to do that.”
Then Zella walked away.
At loss, Kiki just watched her friend. Zella had been easier to get along with a year earlier. There were times when she acted like her old self, at other times she just acted like this.
“Find anything good yet” Aurora asked.
“I found a hermit crab a little while ago” Kiki replied.
“Where is it?”
“I threw it back into the sea” Kiki said, “It’s home.”
Aurora smiled at that answer.
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Since the movie plot is more or less Nancy's idea, I hope she gets the right to edit some of the script to keep her out of hot water, and she also gets a large pile of cash for the providing the basis of the theme of the film.
Perhaps the name of one of the "womanizing British spies" could be something like "Ion Phlegm".
Perhaps the name of one of the "womanizing British spies" could be something like "Ion Phlegm".
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So Miss Hepburn is going to make this movie instead of Roman Holiday or has it not been released yet?
This movie should be made in English along with it being made in German as one of the goals of Volkswagen is to break in the North American auto market.
IOTL The Love Bug was a great advertisement for VW and the sales of the Beetle soared in the United States.
This movie should be made in English along with it being made in German as one of the goals of Volkswagen is to break in the North American auto market.
IOTL The Love Bug was a great advertisement for VW and the sales of the Beetle soared in the United States.
I don't think anybody who had any kind of contact with Johann Schultz would consider him likeable.
This is going to be awesome.I do not think our dear writer will rob us of the 'Mustang" just it will be a villains car whilst our hero runs rings round it in her nippy little Ffon 'Alpina'!!!
Naaa, My line of thought was started by the post that Nancy identified the principal buyers of VW cars would be mothers and daughters. I then remembered that the Original Mustang was also aimed at that market segment. The other bit was that the German Fohn wasn't working in the US. So the Fohn becomes the Mustang in the VS.
Thats' the cover of a lifetime. "Stop watching german b-reels, Meyers. Try to catch some real spies." Hiding in plain sight and all that jazz. Schultz Sen. is precisely the guy to open the "Fictional-Characters-Lair" bar directly across from CIA headquaters. And not use it as anything more than a bar. The spy-quipment is hidden somewhere more suitable.
I wonder if the jeep will become popular in this timeline?
I don't see any reason for it not to exist, but without American participation in the past wars it does not become an ubiquitous symbol of American abilities to mass produce a multi purpose vehicle that many nations used in very different ways.
I don't see any reason for it not to exist, but without American participation in the past wars it does not become an ubiquitous symbol of American abilities to mass produce a multi purpose vehicle that many nations used in very different ways.
OH MAN, NOOOO! I finished high school in 1977. I bought a 1966 Mustang coup after my junior year. I paid a whopping $50 for it, but since I live in Wisconsin, I did not get $50 worth of sheet metal with the car, as it was rusted out so badly. I had to tear the engine apart by myself and replace the timing chain. Amazingly it only took two days after I put the engine back together (the first time) to get it running. I promised myself I would never do anything like that again. It was a rust bucket, but it was my rust bucket.
I tried to sell it when I left for college, but since the floor boards were on their last legs, I ended up having to send it off to the junk yard. They paid me $80 for it. I saved the hub caps though and ended up selling them for $100 a year or so later. I still have a couple of things I took off the car before I sent it off to the glue factory. That was a sad, sad day for me.
I miss that car a lot. Someday, when money does not matter, I am going to buy a really nice one.
Thanks for the memories duckie..........
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Well, if the film ends up being a bigger hit than the Bond series, AND it portrays Fleming poorly, that might chaff Fleming's butt enough to save Nancy. Heck, at that point, Kat should autograph a copy and send it to him.
Part 69, Chapter 1009
Chapter One Thousand Nine
19th April 1953
Berlin
It was the opinion of Oberst of the 1st Foot that after spending two weeks with the girls in the East Frisian Islands that Kat should have received hazard pay as opposed to using up two weeks of leave. This year the academic schedule was that the longer holiday would fall in the July and August. The girls were decidedly disappointed about having to return to their lives after what had been a lot of fun. After spending all day Saturday sleeping Kat was back in the Palace giving Kira her briefing on the week’s events.
“Continued reports of violence even after arrests in Kenya” Kat read aloud.
“To think, the negotiations for the Treaty of Paris almost broke down over the disposition of African Colonies” Kira said.
“I know the history” Kat replied.
“But did you or anyone else learn from it?” Kira asked.
It seemed like every week there were new reports about uprisings in various African colonies. Kat remembered that during the police action in South Africa she had gone through the relevant files in the Imperial Archives and what she found had surprised her and not in a good way. The German Empire might have lost all of its African Colonies during and just after the First World War but the time before that had not been bloodless. The response to the rebellion that had occurred in South-West Africa in 1904 had disturbed Kat greatly. Did they have any standing to criticize other nations, France and the UK in particular, after what they had done fifty years earlier? Kat feared that the answer to Kira’s question about what had been learned was a rather emphatic “No.”
Looking to the next story, “Graf von Richthofen to host International conference on the effects of industrial pollution here in Berlin” Kat read aloud and then looked up, “Do you have a response prepared?”
Kira’s face was unreadable. “Your sister is right in the middle of that?” She asked.
“Yes” Kat saw no reason to deny that. Kat should have seen it but hadn’t. Ilse had spent her childhood with no family, then when she had finally found her family she had been immediately rejected by their father. Meeting the Graf had filled some sort of need that she had. Still, this crusade of theirs was starting to ruffle a lot of feathers. Personally, Kat felt that perhaps those feathers needed to be ruffled.
“Elizabeth the II of England has all but endorsed this conference” Kira said.
“After how she lost her father is that a surprise?” Kat asked.
“I understand why” Kira replied, “But I also understand the high likelihood that Graf von Richthofen has his own personal agenda. Does your sister understand that?”
----------------------------------------------------------------
It looked too elegant, like something an artist might come up with. If Ilse were religious, she might look at it as an example of how the hand of God could touch the world in subtle ways. However, as a Biologist she was aware of how delicate that structure could be, so that evolution was possible if the current theories held up.
“What is that?” Anne asked as she looked over Ilse’s shoulder at the magazine she was reading.
“A discovery out of England” Ilse answered, “The structure of deoxyribonucleic acid, double helix.”
“It looks pretty” Anne said with a smile.
Ilse was willing to give Anne a bit of latitude this week, her novel had been rejected by another publisher and she had been feeling like a complete failure. She seemed to be better now, and Ilse had to concede that Anne was right about it looking pretty.
“This is considered the building blocks of life itself” Ilse said.
“That’s wonderful” Anne said and then she changed the subject, “I’m meeting Kris for lunch, want to come along?”
Anne and Kris had formed a bond over the last couple years, sharing a similar religious background. That was however where their commonalities ended.
“Kris feels that if you don’t start getting out then we can just shovel a bit of dirt over you and call it good.”
That sounded like the sort of thing that Kris might say.
“Let me guess” Ilse said, “Kris wants to go somewhere she can get a BLT.”
“With extra bacon” Anne said, “She’s terrible that way.”
“Perhaps you should ask Nancy too” Ilse said, “She could use the distraction.”
Since Nancy had gotten back from Canada she had been staying with them. Over the last couple days, she had been anxious about something. Then on Friday there was a phone message that Petia had left for her, some woman named Edda wanted to meet with Nancy. After that, Nancy had not gotten out of bed all day Saturday, now on Sunday midday she was still there.
“That might be a bit of work” Anne said.
“Perhaps” Ilse replied, “But she’ll thank us for it.”
Ilse had her own reasons too. Strength in numbers, she thought to herself.
Ilse had been working hard on overcoming her fear of open spaces. Something that had proven impossibly difficult, anytime she stepped outside she felt like her lungs were freezing and her heart was going to leap out of her chest. Still, she would walk with Anne and Nancy to meet Kris for lunch. Even if it killed her.
“What do you want us to do if you have another panic attack?” Anne asked.
That was reminder to Ilse, there substantial disadvantages to living with people who knew her so well.
19th April 1953
Berlin
It was the opinion of Oberst of the 1st Foot that after spending two weeks with the girls in the East Frisian Islands that Kat should have received hazard pay as opposed to using up two weeks of leave. This year the academic schedule was that the longer holiday would fall in the July and August. The girls were decidedly disappointed about having to return to their lives after what had been a lot of fun. After spending all day Saturday sleeping Kat was back in the Palace giving Kira her briefing on the week’s events.
“Continued reports of violence even after arrests in Kenya” Kat read aloud.
“To think, the negotiations for the Treaty of Paris almost broke down over the disposition of African Colonies” Kira said.
“I know the history” Kat replied.
“But did you or anyone else learn from it?” Kira asked.
It seemed like every week there were new reports about uprisings in various African colonies. Kat remembered that during the police action in South Africa she had gone through the relevant files in the Imperial Archives and what she found had surprised her and not in a good way. The German Empire might have lost all of its African Colonies during and just after the First World War but the time before that had not been bloodless. The response to the rebellion that had occurred in South-West Africa in 1904 had disturbed Kat greatly. Did they have any standing to criticize other nations, France and the UK in particular, after what they had done fifty years earlier? Kat feared that the answer to Kira’s question about what had been learned was a rather emphatic “No.”
Looking to the next story, “Graf von Richthofen to host International conference on the effects of industrial pollution here in Berlin” Kat read aloud and then looked up, “Do you have a response prepared?”
Kira’s face was unreadable. “Your sister is right in the middle of that?” She asked.
“Yes” Kat saw no reason to deny that. Kat should have seen it but hadn’t. Ilse had spent her childhood with no family, then when she had finally found her family she had been immediately rejected by their father. Meeting the Graf had filled some sort of need that she had. Still, this crusade of theirs was starting to ruffle a lot of feathers. Personally, Kat felt that perhaps those feathers needed to be ruffled.
“Elizabeth the II of England has all but endorsed this conference” Kira said.
“After how she lost her father is that a surprise?” Kat asked.
“I understand why” Kira replied, “But I also understand the high likelihood that Graf von Richthofen has his own personal agenda. Does your sister understand that?”
----------------------------------------------------------------
It looked too elegant, like something an artist might come up with. If Ilse were religious, she might look at it as an example of how the hand of God could touch the world in subtle ways. However, as a Biologist she was aware of how delicate that structure could be, so that evolution was possible if the current theories held up.
“What is that?” Anne asked as she looked over Ilse’s shoulder at the magazine she was reading.
“A discovery out of England” Ilse answered, “The structure of deoxyribonucleic acid, double helix.”
“It looks pretty” Anne said with a smile.
Ilse was willing to give Anne a bit of latitude this week, her novel had been rejected by another publisher and she had been feeling like a complete failure. She seemed to be better now, and Ilse had to concede that Anne was right about it looking pretty.
“This is considered the building blocks of life itself” Ilse said.
“That’s wonderful” Anne said and then she changed the subject, “I’m meeting Kris for lunch, want to come along?”
Anne and Kris had formed a bond over the last couple years, sharing a similar religious background. That was however where their commonalities ended.
“Kris feels that if you don’t start getting out then we can just shovel a bit of dirt over you and call it good.”
That sounded like the sort of thing that Kris might say.
“Let me guess” Ilse said, “Kris wants to go somewhere she can get a BLT.”
“With extra bacon” Anne said, “She’s terrible that way.”
“Perhaps you should ask Nancy too” Ilse said, “She could use the distraction.”
Since Nancy had gotten back from Canada she had been staying with them. Over the last couple days, she had been anxious about something. Then on Friday there was a phone message that Petia had left for her, some woman named Edda wanted to meet with Nancy. After that, Nancy had not gotten out of bed all day Saturday, now on Sunday midday she was still there.
“That might be a bit of work” Anne said.
“Perhaps” Ilse replied, “But she’ll thank us for it.”
Ilse had her own reasons too. Strength in numbers, she thought to herself.
Ilse had been working hard on overcoming her fear of open spaces. Something that had proven impossibly difficult, anytime she stepped outside she felt like her lungs were freezing and her heart was going to leap out of her chest. Still, she would walk with Anne and Nancy to meet Kris for lunch. Even if it killed her.
“What do you want us to do if you have another panic attack?” Anne asked.
That was reminder to Ilse, there substantial disadvantages to living with people who knew her so well.
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If the US Army buys them, I'd hope ITTL that the Bantam company gets to build them instead of the design being given to Willis and Ford as happened IOTL. From the Wiki :