Prologue
Berlin, Germany
January 6th, 1945
The Grantville Public Library was doing a land office business. Ever since the library had been opened to outside researchers all sorts of interesting individuals had shown up, with even more interesting results.
Adolph Hitler closely watched Dr. Theodor Morell administer his morning injection. Within moments the Führer’s spirits lifted, a feeling of well being washed through him, and his palsied hands steadied. Nonetheless, he turned his head away from the corpulent doctor as soon as he could.
The man’s body odor repelled most people, but when combined with his severe halitosis his presence repulsed one and all.
“Thank you, Herr Doktor Morell. As usual you have immensely improved my mood.”
“Mein Führer, it is an honor to serve you.” The man immediately collected his instruments and departed through the private door.
Once the door was shut Hitler waved his good arm around to dispel the doctor’s odor. Since the July attempt on his life, his right arm did most of the work. A light knock sounded on the door leading to his outer office.
“Enter!” His voice had become vibrant again, which added to his elevated mood.
Reichsmarschall Herman Göring, resplendent in full dress uniform, strutted into the room followed by two men in brown business suits preserved from the late 1930s.
Two sparrows following a peacock, Hitler thought. He braced himself for bad news. Since the success of Operation Watch on the Rhine, or as his troops termed it, Ardennenoffensive, and splitting the Allied armies, the tables were slowly turning against the Third Reich again.
He wondered why the Reichsmarschall wore a smirk rather than his normal pressed lips. Perhaps the news wasn’t bad.
“Mein Führer, I bring you astounding news! Uranverein has produced results to a degree that will win the war.”
“Do remind me which project we are discussing.”
“Our project to smash atoms, to make weapons capable of unleashing unimagined force, using uranium. Some of our Jews originally came up with the idea in the 1930s.”
“Have those Jews been exterminated?” Adolph could feel his heartbeat increase, reminding him of old times, which made him feel even more animated.
“Of course, mein Führer.” Göring’s right eye squinted ever so slightly and Hitler knew the man was lying. As his interest had been piqued, he dismissed all thoughts of Jews.
“Tell me of this weapon.”
Göring stepped to one side and with a flourish, waved his left arm at the men behind him. “I present Doktor Erich Schumann, and Doktor Kurt Diebner. They have persevered and accomplished a miracle.”
Hitler waved dismissively at Göring. “Then allow them to speak!”
Göring’s mouth closed with an audible snap.
“Mein Führer,” the first man said, “I am Erich Schumann and this is my colleague, Kurt Diebner. We have successfully created a bomb that will destroy, at the least, an entire city, and perhaps a small country.”
“A bomb? How can one bomb destroy a city the size of London?”
“It is a very complicated weapon that requires incredible amounts of fissionable elements. Suffice it to say that we have created two such bombs, but have yet to test them in the field.”
“Do you believe they will work on that grand of a scale?”
“Yes, Führer. I would stake my life on it.”
“You already have. How large are the weapons?”
“Many tons. They would each require our largest bombers for delivery.”
Hitler’s gaze swung to Göring. “Do we have such aircraft?”
“Of course, mein Führer. Two Heinkel He-390s are being loaded with the weapons as we speak. Our question for you is; where do we drop each of them?”
“How far can the aircraft travel?”
“To the east coast of the United States in one direction or to Moscow in the other.”
“All of you come with me.” Hitler stood and slowly walked over and opened a third door revealing his private war room. Maps festooned the walls where six officers moved markers, spoke urgently into telephones, or conversed between themselves.
As soon as Hitler entered the room all motion ceased and the six men snapped to attention and rendered a perfect salute.
“Heil Hitler!” the SS colonel snapped. The other five echoed his words.
“What are the dispositions of our armies on the Eastern Front? Don’t give me platitudes–I need the truth!”
The colonel stood tall. “We are outnumbered five to one, mein Führer. Our forces are falling back and our non-German troops are deserting in droves. The situation grows darker by the hour.”
“If you could drop one bomb that could devastate a radius of–” Hitler turned to Doktor Erich Schumann and cocked his head.
“If you time it for an air blast,” Schumann spoke quickly, “you could wipe out five square kilometers.”
“Is that all?” Hitler felt the old throb in his temple that warned him against further agitation if he valued coherency. He stopped and took a deep breath, willed his heart to slow. “How can five square kilometers win the war?”
“That would cause instantaneous annihilation of everything in that area, mein Führer!” Schumann didn’t seem as sure of himself as before. “The damage would be incredibly wide spread beyond the detonation point, it would just take them longer to die.”
“How wide spread?”
“We estimate at least a one hundred kilometer radius, Führer. All we have are conjectures as how debilitating the weapon will be in the long run. We need to test it.”
Hitler turned back to the colonel. “Where?”
The colonel tapped a wall map with a long pointer. Where the tip touched, the map bristled with miniature flags denoting Soviet Army divisions.
“If the choice were mine, Warsaw is the place I would use it to achieve fullest potential. If what this man says is true, we could cripple the Russian advance, perhaps fatally.”
Adolph turned back to Göring. “Make it happen.”
“That’s one of the weapons, Führer. Where do you want the other one dropped?”
“Washington, D.C., you said your bomber could fly that far.”
“It can get there and deliver the device, but it will be a one-way mission.”
“Make the crew all members of the Knights of the Iron Cross with Golden Oakleaves, Swords, and Diamonds. Award them yourself in my name with the gratitude of the German people.”
Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring stretched to his full height and attempted to pull his gut up to his chest as he saluted. “I will order both missions immediately, Führer!”
Hitler nodded his understanding and walked back into his office. The two scientists glanced at Göring before following the Führer. Schumann gestured for Diebner to precede him out of the office and then hesitated in front of his leader.
“If you don’t mind me asking, Führer, why did you target Soviet armies and the American capitol?”
“If we kill the body of the Russian snake the head will wither and die in Moscow. With the Western serpent we must kill the head.”