Stupid Luck and Happenstance.
- Thread starter Peabody-Martini
- Start date
Shirley Temple would have been 22 and the Wiki says she retired from films in 1950. Elizabeth Taylor would have been 18.
She'd get turned down because there are entirely too many Elizabeths in the story.
Breathtakingly beautiful woman, though. If they did the movie who would they cast as Kat? Audrey Hepburn would be 21.
She'd get turned down because there are entirely too many Elizabeths in the story.
Breathtakingly beautiful woman, though. If they did the movie who would they cast as Kat? Audrey Hepburn would be 21.
Ahhh..... That was HILARIOUS. In a total Dr House style.
I would have proposed Kat for the Space Project but ironically the Ulcer from the stress would blacklist her for several years until she its given a green light from Doctors if she is ever invited to become the first woman in space...
I would have proposed Kat for the Space Project but ironically the Ulcer from the stress would blacklist her for several years until she its given a green light from Doctors if she is ever invited to become the first woman in space...
She was 12 in 1950.
Edit: maybe the butterflies will flap their wings and she won't get sloshed and drown after a fall off a yacht.
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Jehane as a public figure can not stop any film being made about her, but that film better not be libelous.
I doubt that if a film about Jehane is made in Germany or other parts of Europe that there wouldn't be a series of "accidents" happening.
Happy to see an update on Albrecht, I am just surprised that his instructors are not comparing him unfavorably to his father.
Without the participation of the United States in the ITTL wars, there is a lot of deadwood that did not get pruned as IOTL and that is hampering the reforms that President Truman wants for the military, also without it seems a central leadership that can cut through the institutional resistance that thwarting any reforms that intrudes on sacred cows.
I doubt that if a film about Jehane is made in Germany or other parts of Europe that there wouldn't be a series of "accidents" happening.
Happy to see an update on Albrecht, I am just surprised that his instructors are not comparing him unfavorably to his father.
Without the participation of the United States in the ITTL wars, there is a lot of deadwood that did not get pruned as IOTL and that is hampering the reforms that President Truman wants for the military, also without it seems a central leadership that can cut through the institutional resistance that thwarting any reforms that intrudes on sacred cows.
I regret that "Like" is the strongest endorsement I can give this post or that it can only be given once, it needs something more appropriate like a "Dear gods this is excellent" option.
Of course, you realise that now, Elizabeth Taylor will be looking at dying her hair Red in order to take a part in a movie of a book written by some Fleming hack that happens to portray a certain German as, (if I remember correctly), as a cold, sexless, humourless killer...
Directors and actors would be attracted by having the credits from participating in such a movie, and the producers would be attracted by the money that could be made. Most of the behind-the-scenes personnel would probably refuse to participate. "It would be disrespectful of Fräulein Strobel or Thomas-Romanova, whichever you think of her as. I'm not having anything to do with a project that Gräfin von Mischner dislikes. I was a Fallschirmjäger during the war and those SKA crazies she trained scare the piss outa me."
Part 59, Chapter 818
Chapter Eight Hundred Eighteen
14th April 1950
Rangsdorf Airfield
The Albatros Al-214 had been the workhorse helicopter for the previous five years. The latest versions had capabilities that Focke-Wulf/Albatros could never have imagined when they had started production in early 1944. Now with the new Al-18 Albatros was trying something new in partnership with the Turbine Engine Division of Mercedes Benz, they had totally redesigned what a helicopter looked like. The new turbine engine was much lighter than the radial engine used in the Al-214. That had necessitated the rethink. The Pilot and Co-Pilot were now in the cabin with the passengers even if it was still too loud to talk and the turbine engine was up above just below the rotor. It was said that the new helicopter could carry half again the amount of weight as the 214, it seemed hard to imagine how that much stuff might be crammed into it. Bags of concrete or something?
Ernst von Hanover looked out the open door and watched the ground race by below. He’d recently been promoted to Generalmajor and had been charged with evaluating the new helicopters. As it flared in to land, the helicopter skewed around sickeningly, he’d been warned that there were still stability issues that Albatros was trying to work out. There was only a dozen of the new helicopters, something that hardly mattered. The Paras had not been invited to the party that was happening in France and the Luftwaffe had always been reticent to show off new toys, so they were conducting operations like if it were a normal day. It was also with the added factor that an election was going on today which was why the Division was on standby, just in case the politicians managed to screw things up royally.
Jena
Presently, Chancellor Heuss was giving a lengthy televised speech about national unity and now that the election was done they needed to pull together as a country. Everyone understood the truth, he was pleading for his job. He’d been a compromise choice when Augustus Lang had resigned, the head of a minor party in the Governing coalition. When Jacob had talked to Augustus Lang a few days earlier he’d said that everyone had been expecting a status quo election, then Passat One had changed everything. It was a national and scientific achievement that rivaled anything done in the Second World War. Lang had said that no knew what was going to happen because of that. The national pride might buoy the right-wing parties, or the scientific nature of the whole thing might be a gift to the left, no one was quite sure. Tonight, as the returns had come in they had the answer to that. The Social Democratic Party had campaigned on how they led the world in the sciences and how that had made them one of the Great Powers. The SPD had also forced the end of conscription just days before the election, a move that was popular with voters. Now, they were on the verge of having an outright majority when all the votes were counted.
As a Naval Officer Jacob understood that this probably wasn’t great news for the Kaiserliche Marine. It was a possibility that he was prepared for. While this election result more than likely spelled doom for the Schlesien Class Battleships, there were several other more interesting projects that he could dazzle the politicians with. He knew that the future of the fleet was ironically in the air and in Earth orbit. The navy was well placed to exploit the new fields opening, they would just need to elbow the Luftwaffe out of the way. Jacob was certain that Emil Holz had to be just as aware of that as he was, and the Field Marshal was a dirty fighter in these political games. The Luftwaffe currently controlled nuclear development and Werther von Braun was one of their people. It was position that they were prepared to fight to the death for.
The meal tonight was pleasant and celebratory. Augustus and Rhona were good hosts for this sort of thing. It was nice seeing Sarah at ease with Carla, she’d clearly been fearful about what she would face tonight but had encountered no judgement. Nessa’s son Isaak, at the age of two was an unholy terror, but that was sort of what was to be expected. Nessa herself was pregnant again but had not announced it widely yet, she’d only told Jacob and Esther a few days earlier. She wanted a family and wasn’t wasting time in that regard now that she was in her thirties. Jacob wished Nessa well, but he couldn’t pretend to understand her.
At most parties the topics of politics and religion were forbidden but here those were the things that everyone was here to discuss. When Rhona had done the seating, she’d had Jacob seated across from Piers Sjostedt. While Sjostedt described himself as a simple Lutheran Pastor, Jacob knew better. Sjostedt was a Presiding Bishop in the Lutheran Church, known famously for being a campaigner for peace and social justice causes. As a young soldier he’d been through the Hell that was Verdun with August Lang, Walter Horst and Emil Holz, that was a bond that would be impossible to shake. Jacob knew that he would need to be cautious in what he said to Sjostedt.
“Your opinion Admiral?” Sjostedt asked.
“Regarding?” Jacob replied.
“The election” Sjostedt said, “Current events.”
“It will bring a lot of changes” Jacob replied, “A new round turf battles certainly.”
“Those always happen.”
“Certainly” Jacob said, “But it’s a complicated political situation atop it.”
“Only so many slices in the pie” Sjostedt said.
That was a perfect description for the situation, but Jacob wouldn’t say it aloud.
14th April 1950
Rangsdorf Airfield
The Albatros Al-214 had been the workhorse helicopter for the previous five years. The latest versions had capabilities that Focke-Wulf/Albatros could never have imagined when they had started production in early 1944. Now with the new Al-18 Albatros was trying something new in partnership with the Turbine Engine Division of Mercedes Benz, they had totally redesigned what a helicopter looked like. The new turbine engine was much lighter than the radial engine used in the Al-214. That had necessitated the rethink. The Pilot and Co-Pilot were now in the cabin with the passengers even if it was still too loud to talk and the turbine engine was up above just below the rotor. It was said that the new helicopter could carry half again the amount of weight as the 214, it seemed hard to imagine how that much stuff might be crammed into it. Bags of concrete or something?
Ernst von Hanover looked out the open door and watched the ground race by below. He’d recently been promoted to Generalmajor and had been charged with evaluating the new helicopters. As it flared in to land, the helicopter skewed around sickeningly, he’d been warned that there were still stability issues that Albatros was trying to work out. There was only a dozen of the new helicopters, something that hardly mattered. The Paras had not been invited to the party that was happening in France and the Luftwaffe had always been reticent to show off new toys, so they were conducting operations like if it were a normal day. It was also with the added factor that an election was going on today which was why the Division was on standby, just in case the politicians managed to screw things up royally.
Jena
Presently, Chancellor Heuss was giving a lengthy televised speech about national unity and now that the election was done they needed to pull together as a country. Everyone understood the truth, he was pleading for his job. He’d been a compromise choice when Augustus Lang had resigned, the head of a minor party in the Governing coalition. When Jacob had talked to Augustus Lang a few days earlier he’d said that everyone had been expecting a status quo election, then Passat One had changed everything. It was a national and scientific achievement that rivaled anything done in the Second World War. Lang had said that no knew what was going to happen because of that. The national pride might buoy the right-wing parties, or the scientific nature of the whole thing might be a gift to the left, no one was quite sure. Tonight, as the returns had come in they had the answer to that. The Social Democratic Party had campaigned on how they led the world in the sciences and how that had made them one of the Great Powers. The SPD had also forced the end of conscription just days before the election, a move that was popular with voters. Now, they were on the verge of having an outright majority when all the votes were counted.
As a Naval Officer Jacob understood that this probably wasn’t great news for the Kaiserliche Marine. It was a possibility that he was prepared for. While this election result more than likely spelled doom for the Schlesien Class Battleships, there were several other more interesting projects that he could dazzle the politicians with. He knew that the future of the fleet was ironically in the air and in Earth orbit. The navy was well placed to exploit the new fields opening, they would just need to elbow the Luftwaffe out of the way. Jacob was certain that Emil Holz had to be just as aware of that as he was, and the Field Marshal was a dirty fighter in these political games. The Luftwaffe currently controlled nuclear development and Werther von Braun was one of their people. It was position that they were prepared to fight to the death for.
The meal tonight was pleasant and celebratory. Augustus and Rhona were good hosts for this sort of thing. It was nice seeing Sarah at ease with Carla, she’d clearly been fearful about what she would face tonight but had encountered no judgement. Nessa’s son Isaak, at the age of two was an unholy terror, but that was sort of what was to be expected. Nessa herself was pregnant again but had not announced it widely yet, she’d only told Jacob and Esther a few days earlier. She wanted a family and wasn’t wasting time in that regard now that she was in her thirties. Jacob wished Nessa well, but he couldn’t pretend to understand her.
At most parties the topics of politics and religion were forbidden but here those were the things that everyone was here to discuss. When Rhona had done the seating, she’d had Jacob seated across from Piers Sjostedt. While Sjostedt described himself as a simple Lutheran Pastor, Jacob knew better. Sjostedt was a Presiding Bishop in the Lutheran Church, known famously for being a campaigner for peace and social justice causes. As a young soldier he’d been through the Hell that was Verdun with August Lang, Walter Horst and Emil Holz, that was a bond that would be impossible to shake. Jacob knew that he would need to be cautious in what he said to Sjostedt.
“Your opinion Admiral?” Sjostedt asked.
“Regarding?” Jacob replied.
“The election” Sjostedt said, “Current events.”
“It will bring a lot of changes” Jacob replied, “A new round turf battles certainly.”
“Those always happen.”
“Certainly” Jacob said, “But it’s a complicated political situation atop it.”
“Only so many slices in the pie” Sjostedt said.
That was a perfect description for the situation, but Jacob wouldn’t say it aloud.
Crybaby. Any landing you walk away from is a good one.
Every time I see this photograph I see that photograph I figure that the Pilot never heard the end of it and the RIO must have crapped himself.
A couple of guys go over the side on cables and hook it up to Tilly the salvage crane . This ain't their first rodeo.
Edit: "The US Navy's first Tilly was manufactured by LeTourneau Technologies and it's a play on that name."
Edit: "The US Navy's first Tilly was manufactured by LeTourneau Technologies and it's a play on that name."
Hmmm... It would be ironic that while Albrecht wasn't a good pilot for the World War II's style and tactics, he is one of those who in the age of high subsonic and supersonic combat, with maneuvers and reactions fast as a rattlesnake sometimes, it's actually a natural.
It would be even more amusing if he, in his first combat if it happens, he goes into the "zone", that sort of Zen state where he is utterly focused on his preys, evading enemy missiles and such, all while everyone else is with a WTF expression...
It would be even more amusing if he, in his first combat if it happens, he goes into the "zone", that sort of Zen state where he is utterly focused on his preys, evading enemy missiles and such, all while everyone else is with a WTF expression...
In that case, yes. The pilot managed to miss all wires. On the upside, the plane was hung out to air out after what happened in the cockpit.
Part 59, Chapter 819
Chapter Eight Hundred Nineteen
16th April 1950
Berlin
The British tabloids had a field day when they learned about what Kat had done and their German counterparts had picked up the story along with a disturbing percentage of the otherwise serious right-wing newspapers. Lizzy Taylor ripped to pieces by Tigress of Pankow was the gist of it and those had been the tame headlines. The rest had grown more lurid, clearly intended to play upon the small-minded nature of the readers. Kat had ignored all of it until Kira had brought it up with her.
“The last thing you need is for the public to learn how temperamental you can be” Kira said, “You’ve managed to keep your various health problems out of the papers. But if they start digging how long until they learn that you were hospitalized with a bleeding ulcer? Having you tell off this actress will result in that.”
“It’s not like that was a psych ward” Kat replied, she was prepared to talk about the day’s events, the recent election and other things. Instead Kira wanted to talk about her which was the last thing she wanted to talk about. “That girl came through Customs on false pretenses, my supervisor said that she was lucky I didn’t have her arrested and detained.”
Kira stared at Kat for an excruciatingly long moment. “When you say things like that it fills me with dread about what Kristine will be like in a decade” Kira said flatly.
“I was nothing like Kiki” Kat replied.
“No, you weren’t” Kira said, she hated it when people referred to her daughter by that nickname. “According to everyone I’ve talked to you were a precocious little girl who became what you are. Kristine is already very cynical and entirely too serious for someone her age and I cannot imagine it will get better.”
“And you think she’ll end up like me?”
“I should be so fortunate, you have some incredible accomplishments. However, you insist on doing things that have the people who care about you watching through their hands covering their eyes because they can’t bear to watch you self-destruct again.”
The words of Johann Schultz echoed through her head again about how she’d quit everything she’d ever started.
Wunsdorf-Zossen
Helene was talking on the phone with Sophie who was excited about her election victory. It was a pleasant change from how quiet the house was. Manfred and Katherine were asleep for their afternoon nap, but Hans should have been in the sitting room watching Football. Instead, he was in France with his Regiment. Helene was finding that she didn’t like it when the house got too quiet.
“That means that you are moving to Berlin” Helene said.
“Not really” Sophie said, “It means that I’ll be working there though. Any more thought on running yourself?”
Helene wondered who might have told Sophie about that.
“Thinking about it” Helene said, “But I’ve already too many irons in the fire.”
“There is more news too” Sophie said, Helene couldn't help but notice a hint of disappointment in Sophie's voice. “I was just told that we've won enough seats to make the reforms we were talking about last week.”
“I thought that you said that you considered those to be a pipe dream.”
“That was before the election, things have changed” Sophie replied, “Imagine if you hadn’t been required to give up your career when you had children.”
“I didn’t give up my career” Helene said, “I just waited until I started it.”
“It was nice that you had that option, but a few months ago you acknowledged that if your background was different your choices would have been very different.”
Helene remembered that conversation. She had never for an instant thought that any of this would really happen any time soon. Her and Sophie had talked at length about the choices she’d been faced with and how it had been easier to just stay home with her children. Sophie had pointed out then and today that others wouldn’t have nearly as many options. Helene recalled Kat saying that it was common for women in the neighborhood where she’d grown up to leave children with family or friends so that they could get back to work because food didn’t put itself on the table. The changes in law and policy would give them more options and it might have given Helene herself other options than the ones that she had taken.
“You really think you could get that” Helene said, “It seems like it would be a big lift and you are going to get an extreme reaction.”
“When you joined the Auxiliaries did you worry about any of that?” Helene asked, “Or did you go ahead and do it?”
“That wasn’t my thinking at the time” Helene replied, “I just wanted to be doing something to contribute to the war effort.”
Sophie laughed at that, “That’s what I want too, to contribute” She said, “Not just for me though, I want others to be able to as well.”
“You think this really is going to happen?” Helene asked.
“I’d like to see them stop us” Sophie replied.
Unnamed Oasis, Arabian Desert
Watching the animals being watered reminded Nassim Abdullah of his latest problems, people were like those animals except the thirst was for things other than water. He had grown in stature since the raid on Riyadh that had made them rich for a time. Nassim had the rifle that he’d taken from a dead British soldier on the first night across his knees as he watched the animals.
The threats had grown as well, every night Nassim saw evidence of that, the light that flickered as it passed overhead across the night sky. It was the Germans who were said to have done that, another decadent European power putting their arrogance on display for all the world to see. It was said that there was a vast wealth under the sands of this desert that Nassim had no use for but people in other lands needed to drive their industry. It was drawing the British, Americans, Germans and even the French to this desert where they attempted to seduce the Sultans who pretended to own this land. The same Sultans who cowered behind their walls. Only they would be so weak willed and forgetful to listen to the honeyed words of such people.
Nassim’s father had told him of the time that their tribe had fallen under the spell of the British who had needed them to fight their Turkish enemies. The war had ended, and they had seen that the promises made by the British had been worthless. For Nassim there was a lesson in this the infidels were liars, any fool knew that. But there was a possibility there, they were liars to each other as well. Their thirst for petrol was like the goats he watched trampling each other to be the first to get to water. He understood the desert and himself in a way that no outsider possibly could. There was an advantage there, he just needed to think of how to exploit it.
16th April 1950
Berlin
The British tabloids had a field day when they learned about what Kat had done and their German counterparts had picked up the story along with a disturbing percentage of the otherwise serious right-wing newspapers. Lizzy Taylor ripped to pieces by Tigress of Pankow was the gist of it and those had been the tame headlines. The rest had grown more lurid, clearly intended to play upon the small-minded nature of the readers. Kat had ignored all of it until Kira had brought it up with her.
“The last thing you need is for the public to learn how temperamental you can be” Kira said, “You’ve managed to keep your various health problems out of the papers. But if they start digging how long until they learn that you were hospitalized with a bleeding ulcer? Having you tell off this actress will result in that.”
“It’s not like that was a psych ward” Kat replied, she was prepared to talk about the day’s events, the recent election and other things. Instead Kira wanted to talk about her which was the last thing she wanted to talk about. “That girl came through Customs on false pretenses, my supervisor said that she was lucky I didn’t have her arrested and detained.”
Kira stared at Kat for an excruciatingly long moment. “When you say things like that it fills me with dread about what Kristine will be like in a decade” Kira said flatly.
“I was nothing like Kiki” Kat replied.
“No, you weren’t” Kira said, she hated it when people referred to her daughter by that nickname. “According to everyone I’ve talked to you were a precocious little girl who became what you are. Kristine is already very cynical and entirely too serious for someone her age and I cannot imagine it will get better.”
“And you think she’ll end up like me?”
“I should be so fortunate, you have some incredible accomplishments. However, you insist on doing things that have the people who care about you watching through their hands covering their eyes because they can’t bear to watch you self-destruct again.”
The words of Johann Schultz echoed through her head again about how she’d quit everything she’d ever started.
Wunsdorf-Zossen
Helene was talking on the phone with Sophie who was excited about her election victory. It was a pleasant change from how quiet the house was. Manfred and Katherine were asleep for their afternoon nap, but Hans should have been in the sitting room watching Football. Instead, he was in France with his Regiment. Helene was finding that she didn’t like it when the house got too quiet.
“That means that you are moving to Berlin” Helene said.
“Not really” Sophie said, “It means that I’ll be working there though. Any more thought on running yourself?”
Helene wondered who might have told Sophie about that.
“Thinking about it” Helene said, “But I’ve already too many irons in the fire.”
“There is more news too” Sophie said, Helene couldn't help but notice a hint of disappointment in Sophie's voice. “I was just told that we've won enough seats to make the reforms we were talking about last week.”
“I thought that you said that you considered those to be a pipe dream.”
“That was before the election, things have changed” Sophie replied, “Imagine if you hadn’t been required to give up your career when you had children.”
“I didn’t give up my career” Helene said, “I just waited until I started it.”
“It was nice that you had that option, but a few months ago you acknowledged that if your background was different your choices would have been very different.”
Helene remembered that conversation. She had never for an instant thought that any of this would really happen any time soon. Her and Sophie had talked at length about the choices she’d been faced with and how it had been easier to just stay home with her children. Sophie had pointed out then and today that others wouldn’t have nearly as many options. Helene recalled Kat saying that it was common for women in the neighborhood where she’d grown up to leave children with family or friends so that they could get back to work because food didn’t put itself on the table. The changes in law and policy would give them more options and it might have given Helene herself other options than the ones that she had taken.
“You really think you could get that” Helene said, “It seems like it would be a big lift and you are going to get an extreme reaction.”
“When you joined the Auxiliaries did you worry about any of that?” Helene asked, “Or did you go ahead and do it?”
“That wasn’t my thinking at the time” Helene replied, “I just wanted to be doing something to contribute to the war effort.”
Sophie laughed at that, “That’s what I want too, to contribute” She said, “Not just for me though, I want others to be able to as well.”
“You think this really is going to happen?” Helene asked.
“I’d like to see them stop us” Sophie replied.
Unnamed Oasis, Arabian Desert
Watching the animals being watered reminded Nassim Abdullah of his latest problems, people were like those animals except the thirst was for things other than water. He had grown in stature since the raid on Riyadh that had made them rich for a time. Nassim had the rifle that he’d taken from a dead British soldier on the first night across his knees as he watched the animals.
The threats had grown as well, every night Nassim saw evidence of that, the light that flickered as it passed overhead across the night sky. It was the Germans who were said to have done that, another decadent European power putting their arrogance on display for all the world to see. It was said that there was a vast wealth under the sands of this desert that Nassim had no use for but people in other lands needed to drive their industry. It was drawing the British, Americans, Germans and even the French to this desert where they attempted to seduce the Sultans who pretended to own this land. The same Sultans who cowered behind their walls. Only they would be so weak willed and forgetful to listen to the honeyed words of such people.
Nassim’s father had told him of the time that their tribe had fallen under the spell of the British who had needed them to fight their Turkish enemies. The war had ended, and they had seen that the promises made by the British had been worthless. For Nassim there was a lesson in this the infidels were liars, any fool knew that. But there was a possibility there, they were liars to each other as well. Their thirst for petrol was like the goats he watched trampling each other to be the first to get to water. He understood the desert and himself in a way that no outsider possibly could. There was an advantage there, he just needed to think of how to exploit it.
Just what the world needs right now, a four-way proxy war in the Middle East.
Kira should teach Kat a lesson by having her make nice with Miss Taylor.
......Oh buggered cockbiting fucktards. You intend to have the Persian Gulf become the Vietnam War ITTL, but with more Players and supporters, no?