Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread III

Part 126, Chapter 2142
Chapter Two Thousand One Hundred Forty-Two



12th May 1972

Wunsdorf-Zossen

“I’m surprised by all of this” Suse whispered to Manny, “That is all.”

“I know you expecting more on a Friday night” Manny said apologetically, “But this has to be completed by Monday.”

When Suse had entered the small apartment that Manny was renting, she found that he had a massive stack of books on the table. These were mostly dry historical tomes that involved accounts of the Franco-Prussian War. He also had a movie script that he was going over page by page with a red pencil, suggesting revisions based on what he was finding in the books.

“It depends” Suse said, “What exactly it this about?”

She flipped through the script. Judging by the sheer number of pages and what looked to be a staggering amount of detail as well as what would be a massive production.

“The battles of Mars-La-Tour and Gravelotte” Manny answered, “How they led up to the Siege of Metz and the writer told me that he thinks that modern Germany and the Heer were born out of these battles.”

“This is what the Second Army is having you do?”

“This is what my Uncle Stefan suggested would be a good use of my time” Manny replied, “Helping determine if a movie is going to get the support of the military is a big deal, and it is not the Second Army, it is the OKH.”

Suse knew that Manny’s Uncle was a high-ranking Officer in the Staff of the High Command, the third member of the Mischner family who had made the rank of General. She just didn’t know that he would suggest a position for a nephew while he waited for the Fourth Panzer to give him new orders. Of course, he might do such a good job that the High Command might just decide to keep him. It was an outcome that Suse wouldn’t be entirely displeased to see come to pass.

“What is your opinion so far?” Suse asked as she sat down across the table from Manny.

“That these battles were bloody stalemates” Manny replied, “It is easy to see a direct line between them and the battles of the First World War. There is even mention of Verdun and Units I’ve served with in the research materials if you would believe that.”

“Does the script reflect that?” Suse asked.

“Yes and no” Manny replied, “I get the impression that if the connection gets made too explicitly then it might make my superiors unhappy. So, I have been going through the script and finding the accounts of the soldiers who were on the ground at the locations described. No one with a modicum of sanity can argue with something that is a demonstratable fact.”

“You are so sweet when you are an idealist” Suse said with a smile. “People argue facts all the time, so you might be disappointed.”

“Someone has to be an optimist” Manny said, “With you being so cynical all the time.”

“I consider myself a realist” Suse said, “It comes from living in a world where it seems like everyone is taller than you.”

“I think you use that as an excuse” Manny replied.

“Says someone who is taller than most people” Suse said, “And don’t ever say that again, it is the sort of thing my mother would say to me, and I hate it.”

“I will try keep that in mind” Manny said as Suse picked up one of the heavy volumes stacked on the table. Opening it she saw an engraving of a violent scene involving Horse Cavalry, the caption below it said von Bredow’s Death Ride, the Prussian 7th Cuirassiers charge French Guns.

“They needed Panzers” Suse said.

Manny gave her a look.

“I agree” He said, “Except in the field you often only have what you bring with you. The funny part is that your grandfather longed for those days, or at least that is the impression I get from those who knew him.”

“He died before I was born” Suse said, “I have seen the movies about his life though, how he brought the cavalry traditions back in armor and wish I had known him. He was an innovator.”

“Talk to your father then” Manny said, “He probably knew that side of Marshal von Wolvogle better than anyone.”

That caught Suse a bit short. She had heard her mother talk about her maternal grandfather dozens of times. Her father had not mentioned having known him, but he must have. It seemed odd.



Wahlstatt, Silesia

Bas had been pulled out of school for a few days, returning only after he had been present when his father had been Ennobled by the Emperor for his service in Argentina. Coming back, Bas had swiftly learned that nothing had changed as far as the school was concerned. Niko was a Prince and they had never cared about that in the least, so they were even less concerned with whatever it was that Bas was these days.

While he was away though, something happened that was equally momentous in his thinking. Niko told him as they were waiting for lights out.

“Opa told me that he got us tickets for the Olympics” Niko said.

“Won’t that run into September?” Bas asked.

“He spoke with the Headmaster and Gruber thinks that it will be edifying for us to go to Munich” Niko said, “He thinks that we should take inspiration for the athletes we meet.”

“We’ll actually be able to meet the athletes?” Bas asked, “I thought that wasn’t a part of it.”

“We’ll be with Opa” Niko replied, “If anyone can get access, its him.”

“I hadn’t thought of that” Bas said as the lights were turned out which ended conversation. It being a Friday night, there was no set wakeup time, so no one was wasting time on getting to sleep. That said, you could never tell when Staber Arbeit would set up a fire drill or a surprise inspection. Bas fell asleep thinking about watching the Olympics live as opposed to the narrow view of television.
 
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Hopefully this Munich Olympics won't nearly be as tragic as ours. God have mercy on anyone who targets this Olympic, because Kat and co. certainly won't.
 
Kurt loves Gerta very much.
Gerta loves her father very and like half of the Empire has an overly romanticized view of her father.
Kurt wants to tell Suse Rosa as much of the truth as possible without upsetting Gerta.
Kurt thinks that it would be easier to skip blindfolded through a minefield then trying to meet that goal.
 
O
Kurt loves Gerta very much.
Gerta loves her father very and like half of the Empire has an overly romanticized view of her father.
Kurt wants to tell Suse Rosa as much of the truth as possible without upsetting Gerta.
Kurt thinks that it would be easier to skip blindfolded through a minefield then trying to meet that goal.
On the other hand, it was the Old Wolf teaching the wet behind the ears officer aspirant how to ride and shoot like a real cavalryman that added some polish and lustre to Kurt. He can always tell Suse Rosa the glossed over story that without the Old Wolf teaching him to ride, he might never have swept her mother off her feet in the first ‘cavalry raid’ on Berlin after the war.
 
O

On the other hand, it was the Old Wolf teaching the wet behind the ears officer aspirant how to ride and shoot like a real cavalryman that added some polish and lustre to Kurt. He can always tell Suse Rosa the glossed over story that without the Old Wolf teaching him to ride, he might never have swept her mother off her feet in the first ‘cavalry raid’ on Berlin after the war.
Sure, but Suse is intelligent enough to ask questions that lead to non-glossed over answers.
 
O

On the other hand, it was the Old Wolf teaching the wet behind the ears officer aspirant how to ride and shoot like a real cavalryman that added some polish and lustre to Kurt. He can always tell Suse Rosa the glossed over story that without the Old Wolf teaching him to ride, he might never have swept her mother off her feet in the first ‘cavalry raid’ on Berlin after the war.
That is true but unlike many others he has a clear eye view of "The Old Wolf" and is aware of his many flaws both professionally and personally and in a contradictory manner Kurt may think it is a dishonor to the memory to gloss over them.
Kurt did admire Marshall von Wolvogle but he also knew what a manipulative bastard he was at the same time.
Suse Rosa knows the story of how her parents got married but not the more salacious aspects of how her mother didn't want to marry her father until he made a grand demonstration.
But the real problem for Kurt is that no matter how respectful he tells Suse Rosa the truth of her Grandfather is the danger that Gerta may take it the wrong way and become overdramatic with her reaction.
 
Gerta does idolise the Old Wolf, true, but she wasn't blind to his nature. Remember the running battles that she had with him over his excessive drinking? Also remember that her own mother had her more than half-convinced that the relationship was strictly pragmatic. That said and done, Kurt was far more aware of what von Wolvogle was like when Gerta wasn't around.
 
Gerta does idolise the Old Wolf, true, but she wasn't blind to his nature. Remember the running battles that she had with him over his excessive drinking? Also remember that her own mother had her more than half-convinced that the relationship was strictly pragmatic. That said and done, Kurt was far more aware of what von Wolvogle was like when Gerta wasn't around.
While that is true time plus distance equals a different perspective once was an epic screaming fight between Gerta and her father is now a cute story where he is a charming rogue.
The more time that passes since the death of her father the more romanticize he becomes in Gerta's viewpoint.
 
Part 127, Chapter 2143
Chapter Two Thousand One Hundred Forty-Three



26th May 1972

Los Angeles

For Ritchie, things had gotten bit more complicated lately. Lucia had been forced to quit her job at Ralph’s a month earlier and had been getting bored at home. It was something that he got an earful about every time he came home, which wasn’t often because he was taking every opportunity to get paid overtime. At the same time, there were a gazillion things that needed to be done around the house before the baby arrived. So, he had been getting less sleep than normal and money had grown into something that was always at the back of his mind.

Sitting in their patrol car, Ritchie and Mike watched as the Taqueria did brisk business late on a Friday night. They had just finished eating lunch and were watching the people, looking to see if any trouble was brewing. Ritchie had tried dozing while Mike monitored the radios but had found that he was annoyingly wired. If this were midwinter and raining it would have suited him fine, except it was a warm spring night.

The crowd around the Taqueria was composed of those who came to the Arts District for the night clubs and galleries that were probably crowded tonight as well. When Ritchie had been riding with Bill Wilkinson, he had told Ritchie that his job in this part of town was to make sure that those inclined to do questionable things kept it discrete and only to intervene if it looked like someone was about to get themselves killed.

That was why Ritchie was ignoring the three men who had just walked out of the Taqueria who he was certain were carrying a few different types of mind-altering substances in their pockets. They looked the type. There was a beat to Hell Chevy Impala full of lowriders who passed down the street, the music blasting out the windows. They belatedly spotted the patrol car, and the music suddenly went quiet.

“Nothin’ suspicious about that” Mike said.

Ritchie just shook his head.

“Nothing like a guilty conscience to keep those punks in line” Ritchie said.

“If you say so” Mike replied, “I’d say those boys are more worried about getting busted with whatever they got and don’t want trouble.”

“Same difference” Ritchie said, and they shared a laugh.

That was when the radio came to life. “Attention all units, be on the lookout for a yellow 1971 Ford Mustang Fastback. Driver is believed to be armed and dangerous.” Then a patrol car to the north near Elysian Park spotted a car resembling the one in the APB turning from Interstate 5 onto the 110.

“We can move to intercept” Mike said.

Ritchie didn’t say anything in reply, instead he put the car into gear, pulled out inti street as Mike turned on the lights and siren. He could see dozens of faces watching in surprise as Ritchie threw the car into the tightest U-turn it could manage. The patrol car was the Dodge Police Pursuit Special, a modified version of the 69’ Dodge Polara, the big Chrysler V-8 440 engine roared as he did his level best to avoid peeling out and accelerate smoothly. Still, the Dodge wasn’t a car that did subtle. The crowd of onlookers got a full display of why there were few cars that could keep up with a Pursuit Special and that it ate lesser cars for breakfast.

Speeding down the surface streets, Ritchie threw the car up the nearest onramp to Highway 10 as Mike was calling in to Dispatch that they were rolling towards the Harbor Freeway ahead of the high-speed chase that was moving south on the 110.

This time of night the traffic was light as Ritchie let the car move at its most comfortable pace, the cars ahead of them were moving the right in a rare observation of traffic rules. Glancing down at the speedometer, he saw that the patrol car was doing just over ninety. He knew that if pressed the car could go much faster than that. He slowed when they reached the junction between the 10 and 110, just in time to see the pursuit pass by as they took the overpass over the highway and the ramp dropped them onto the Harbor Freeway. As they merged with the 110 Ritchie floored the accelerator, speedometer quickly hit one-twenty and stopped, even though the car continued to accelerate. Ritchie knew that a car like the one he was driving had been clocked going one hundred forty-nine miles-per-hour, he figured that this was as good a time as any to put that to the test.

Ritchie noticed that he was passing the other patrol cars, mostly they were new Plymouth models that the Department had been acquiring. They could turn on a dime but lacked the sheer power of the older Dodge models.

All the problems in Ritchie’s life faded into obscurity as Ritchie blasted down the highway, suddenly he noticed that he was on the tail of a yellow Mustang Fastback, MACH ONE spelled out across the back. To his chagrin he realized he felt a bit like the dog who finally caught a car and didn’t know what to do with it. That moment of clarity reminded him of the local geography and that he didn’t need to do anything. The problem was about to become self-correcting.

The Harbor Freeway took a sharp left turn east to merge with the Seaside Freeway, Highway 710, and the Vincent Thomas Bridge. The driver of the Mustang was seemingly unaware that he was running out of Highway. Ritchie eased his foot off the accelerator pedal, and the car dropped to saner speeds. The Mustang flew on ahead, right before the driver saw the yellow warning reflectors too late to react. From a few hundred yards back, Ritchie saw the Mustang try to make the turn at well over a hundred. It struck the concrete barricade in a shower of sparks before it disappeared in a cloud of smoke Ritchie saw the wheels come off the ground and the car tumbling end over end.
 
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Someone who is an icon IOTL just bought it before or after their OTL time was up...or not.
If so let the Guessing Games commence.
 
Someone who is an icon IOTL just bought it before or after their OTL time was up...or not.
If so let the Guessing Games commence.
Bob Seager was Mach 1 owner, so, OTL, was Jim Morrison, although he allegedly wrapped his around a lamp post in West Hollywood. Could it be that this time he's in a stolen car and equally unable to drive?
 
Well one point for not following the US movie cliche there the car always starts burning.
If this is someone famous in the car the Made-for-Television Movie will have explosions and this is around the same time that Steven Spielberg is starting out first directing TV episodes and later making his breakout TV movie Duel.
 
The 1969 Dodge Polara Pursuit, and it is every bit the beast that was described in the last post.

dodge-polara-cop-car.jpg
 

ferdi254

Banned
Excuse me but a ten years advanced Germany would have had a 450 SEL 6,9 plus several Porsche models that would have made short shrift of such a Dodge.

140 mph as top speed? How slow would you go?

Even OTL in the 70s US cars were low quality gas suzzlers.
 
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