Post by Lord Harrab on Jul 22, 2015 11:44:50 GMT
6:28 am, 12th of August, 1942
Pearl Harbor, Island of Oahu, Hawaii
Revenant Bunker 1.
Dr Astrid "Frankenstein." Portner
Fregattenkapitän, Exiled German Kreigsmarine
The sudden tinny ringing of the alarm clock split the darkness of Portner's quarters, sounding far louder thanh it should her beneath the earth until its vibration caused it to fall from its narrow perch beside her bunk and impact on the floor with enough force that it died with a soft and final "clink"
Sat at her desk with the single bulb of her lamp illuminating her tired and sleepless face, she turned to regard it as if it was some strange new development in her lab, ah yes she had promised herself that she would get some sleep in preparation for today, had set the alarm and even changed the sheets herself as a treat, then her assistant had arrived with the latest reports from those Revenants in the field, and then the Admiralty had wanted to know which units would be ready to sortie by dawn, and recon had wanted her to pass on the emergency rally and supply point location for the sector of operations and the next thing she knew her alarm clock was committing suicide.
She sighed, rummaged in the debris on her desk for her cigarettes, put one between her lips unlit, stood, gave the slept in bed a last longing look, then left to perform the countless thankless tasks each new day required.
the Matrosenhauptgefreiter standing guard outside her door saluted, using the old method before that madman had put his claws in everything and she returned it sleepily, then dismissed him and the past from her mind as the to-do list and habits of life here worked their way into the foreground of her brain.
As a naval officer navigating crowded and bustling corridors was second nature and owed nothing to her misfiring brain as, nodding to those officers she recognized and returning the hesitant salutes of the enlisted ranks absentmindedly, she made her way to her destination. Even now, a year after the war's start, having so many officers and ranks of different nations in close proximity and under the same broad umbrella of "Allied command" was confusing as hell and so most just saluted anyone who looked more important.
The lift at the end of the officer's quarters was crowded, overfull and headed the wrong way so she turned and entered the stairwell beside it, her step and her thoughts getting clearer and more energized the closer she came to her destination. By the time she stood and presented her papers to the stern looking MPs standing before a huge armored bulkhead, she was as alert and eager as she would have been had see been able to actually use her bed.
She stepped through, the door slammed and locked at her heel, and true silence washed over her with the smell of the sea.
For this was her domain, the one place that was truly hers and even the admiralty tred only on sufferance, for below the walkway she now stood, in berths of stone and water, the revenant ships slept in semi-darkness, sheltered from the world above.
The Battleships Warspite and Roma were close to the wall, their main guns shrouded, unloaded and even lashed to the deck, their naval ensigns hanging slack at their stern, the comparatively tiny form of Le Fantasque the french destroyer moored opposite them, huddled in close to USS Atlanta while U-107 wallowed in its own berth on the other side of the cavern like an alligator in the shallows, the nearby bulk of I-400 not managing to achieve the same sense of predatory intent as its smaller German cousin.
they looked like normal ships of their kind, certainly not apparently deserving of this rare place of security on the island, unless you looked closely and saw the faint ripples of light that ran down their length from bow to stern, the gentle twitching of their guns in their restraints as their captains dreamed.
The rest of the berths were empty, their ships either out in other theaters or still awaiting her to find them in the dark depths. she would have to check the Shroud once she was done here.
She felt the need to tiptoe here as she crossed the dockside towards the German uboat, she knew its captain would be here, they would all be here, with their ships, probably still plugged into their tanks, dreaming or listening or simply waiting, she was never sure what the Returned did with the nighttime hours, but just incase their memories were to vivid, their weapons were unloaded and kept secure, re-activating them each morning was a duty Portner
would give to no other, besides she liked talking to them although there were some questions she would never ask.
Beside the walkway to board the ship was an intercom and the doctor pressed it reluctantly, hating the necessity of what she did.
"Good morning, herr Kaptain."she said cheerfully into the microphone, "Permission to come aboard?"
Silence. Then the hatch on top of the conning tower unlocked with a thud that split the silence like a gunshot.
The others would be watching her now, she could feel their interest, Warpsites number 1 turret even half turned in its ring before the chains stopped it.
Astrid crossed the walkway quickly, climbed up to the access point and slid down into the heart of the reanimated German submarine.
Instantly she could feel it, the static charge of the interior of a revenant vessel, growing and fading as if in time with a heartbeat and turning from the ladder at last, she came face to face with Kapitanleutnant Ulrich Wulfhetz, in his tank.
He saluted, his movements unhindered by the greenish liquid around him or the cables that snaked out from his spine into the hull of the ship, crisp, professional, no wasted words, the Submariner's way. She returned it with a smile, many found the Returned slightly glowing eyes unnerving, but as the reason they were here at all, she endured and suppressed her discomfort. These men had died in service, returned to service and deserved every honor and respect she could heap on their shoulders.
"Kapitanleutnant. The day has come." she said warmly, walking to were the map-table hung before the tank and moved it closer on its rails so she could access it. The Captain turning his gaze to regard it, his features just as they had been in his first life, only the eyes were different on a revanant.
She realized she was staring and quickly marked several points on the map in red, "resupply points."she said, pointing to each one, "where you are to meet up with supply vessels if you need to and cannot return to port.
Black lines were added, from midway to the Philippines, one arched down to the Australian cost and several ended on the Japanese home island.
"enemy fleet movements, accurate as to yesterday, invasion transports and capital ships mostly,any information we get will be sent to you. Otherwise engage at your own discretion."
blue squares were added, most at the end of the black lines
'friendly fleet locations, they will not be aware of your operation so use caution to not spook them, alright? again, if they change location we will inform you."
She pulled a folder from inside her coat and pinned three photos to the board.
"your wolf pack awaits you up in pearl, U-511, USS Swordfish, and I-18, you will have chance to meet their captains at the briefing in half an hour."
That said, she moved over to where the helmsmen would have sat had this vessel been crewed by humans, pulled a key from around her neck, and inserted it into a lock.
Chains disengaged, torpedoes slid into tubes and the deckgun on the hull rotated fully around as its auto loader chambered a round.
"Feel free to run any drills you desire, but be at the main briefing room below the entrance by 0700, if you have questions ask me there or chance me down as i wake up your brothers and sister."
She saluted him again, then crossed to the ladder and exited the vessel.
I-400's deck guns were already pointed at the tower hatch by the time she returned to the deck. it was no threat, but a reflection of the captain's attention being focused on her, The eagerness for action was now palpable in the cavern. Wulfhetz must have broadcast her words to the rest of the fleet.
Dr Astrid "Frankenstein." Portner removed the unlit cigarette from her mouth, sighed again, then trotted over to the other sub to unlock its restraints, aware the others would be waiting, some may even climb out of their tanks to talk to her, and she would listen and answer best she could.
Player ships are currently on lockdown, but players can have their captains run shakedown and preliminary tests as an introduction, or radio/have their captain walk over to the Doctor or another ship if they wish to converse. once introduction posts are made, the briefing will begin.
"enemy fleet movements, accurate as to yesterday, invasion transports and capital ships mostly,any information we get will be sent to you. Otherwise engage at your own discretion."
blue squares were added, most at the end of the black lines
'friendly fleet locations, they will not be aware of your operation so use caution to not spook them, alright? again, if they change location we will inform you."
She pulled a folder from inside her coat and pinned three photos to the board.
"your wolf pack awaits you up in pearl, U-511, USS Swordfish, and I-18, you will have chance to meet their captains at the briefing in half an hour."
That said, she moved over to where the helmsmen would have sat had this vessel been crewed by humans, pulled a key from around her neck, and inserted it into a lock.
Chains disengaged, torpedoes slid into tubes and the deckgun on the hull rotated fully around as its auto loader chambered a round.
"Feel free to run any drills you desire, but be at the main briefing room below the entrance by 0700, if you have questions ask me there or chance me down as i wake up your brothers and sister."
She saluted him again, then crossed to the ladder and exited the vessel.
I-400's deck guns were already pointed at the tower hatch by the time she returned to the deck. it was no threat, but a reflection of the captain's attention being focused on her, The eagerness for action was now palpable in the cavern. Wulfhetz must have broadcast her words to the rest of the fleet.
Dr Astrid "Frankenstein." Portner removed the unlit cigarette from her mouth, sighed again, then trotted over to the other sub to unlock its restraints, aware the others would be waiting, some may even climb out of their tanks to talk to her, and she would listen and answer best she could.
Player ships are currently on lockdown, but players can have their captains run shakedown and preliminary tests as an introduction, or radio/have their captain walk over to the Doctor or another ship if they wish to converse. once introduction posts are made, the briefing will begin.