Chapter 1: Chapter 1- Adler’s Proposal

Lilly Rohrbach had been in this bunker since she was around 17 years of age. Ever since the fall of Berlin and the mad dash to New Swabia left the young woman separated from her family who were high ranking members of the party. The children of the bunker had been there since they were born, some as old as 15. Lilly knew the wonders of the outside world, knew that outside of New Swabia, there were fields of endless dancing flowers, gentle winds and farms which reached far beyond the horizon. The children in the Adler Youth did not know of this, all they had known was Standartenfuhrer Manfred Adler and his 5th SS-Arktikgrenadier Regiment. Lilly's job in Ritscherberg was to teach the young ones about how gorgeous life in Germany was before the Americans and Soviet's had taken it over, destroyed it and the German people. Did she really believe what she was told to say? No, not particularly.. it sounded fake to her despite she herself growing up within the party. Something about Adler seemed wrong, he didn't seem to just be your "average" SS regimental commander.. She sighed and stood up from her desk, gathering her things and soon leaving the classroom into the hallways. Green and red carpet that always felt moist squashed beneath her feet, wood paneling rose from floor to ceiling and steel panels secured the top. Lilly shivered as she began her journey to the barracks, hanging right after she left the classroom. Normally, the SS was not allowed inside the civilian sectors of the bunker, but apparently today the rules were broken. A blindfolded and handcuffed man flailed, both his arms being held by two large SS arctic grenadiers, fully clad in armor.

 

"I DID NOTHING! NOTHING! LET ME GO! I'M INNOCENT!" Screamed the catatonic man. Lilly noticed as she flattened herself against the wall to let them march by her that the man was extremely thin to the point he looked starved half to death. Her blood ran cold when one of the arctic grenadiers looked her dead in the eyes, pure darkness stared back at her through dark spheres, face colored as soot with combat paint. The feeling didn't go away, even after her skirt stopped swaying from the force of the grenadiers marching. With ice running through her veins, Lilly quickened her pace only to be met face first with the man himself: Standartenfuhrer Adler. Adler had a fox like face, dark brown hair and bright green eyes, almost as pale as a late falls grass clippings. He smiled at Lilly.

 

"Good evening, Miss Rohrbach. I was coming to talk to you about something, but it seems you came to me. Come with me." Adler turned on his heel and Lilly trotted after, her blood slowly thawing as she walked. While he was not particularly large, Adler was tall and had broad shoulders which filled his uniform more than the lankier officers in the SS and Heer. Food was scarce to come by, strict rationing meant everyone ate the exact same thing, but everyone knew that the SS got more food than everyone to keep their minds and bodies in peak condition in order to retain a high level of readiness to respond to any threat. Lilly touched her stomach at the thought of food, lightly squeezing the little bit of puppy fat she had. Lilly was grateful that she had gotten one and a half rations in the hope she would become a mother soon. Adler had other plans for Lilly that did not involve motherhood and he made them clear when they reached an elevator.

 

"Don't worry about our loud friend who passed you in the hallway. He is mentally deranged." Adler noted, pressing the button for the 31st floor. "Now that we are in private, I have noticed your devotion to the party since you have arrived after the fall. And since you do not seem to be fond of motherhood, have performed excellently in your previous BDM shooting scores, I will offer you a position. A Sturmman has recently come down with an unknown illness and has perished as a result, you will be taking over his position. His quarters are yours too, as well as the usual benefits of the Schutzstaffel. Your things will be brought down eventually. When we get to the 31st floor, I will take you to the Quartermaster and Armorer to get your gear fitted and issued." Adler had finally stopped talking, allowing Lilly a response.

 

"Herr Adler.. the Waffen-SS?" Lilly played with one of her two golden braids, bouncing it up and down in her hand. "I am honored." Lilly did not speak her mind, instead she was cut off by the thunk of the elevator and Adler rapidly exiting, turning left. Lilly followed on his left side. The space was ample, the corridors large. To the right through a wide window, Haunebu saucers spread out across a wide, rectangular hangar, ME262s of all kinds lined the sides. Were they readying for a deployment? Hangar doors were open, but Adler did not seem concerned. Was it really true that the arctic grenadiers went out all the time? They were not just rumors? Lilly had stopped to gawk at the magnificence of the organized chaos, bombs and rockets were loaded to the bottoms of ME262s and the Haunebu saucers loaded with ammunition and men. An orchestra of noise came through a door which had opened a stairway level below them. Banging, shouting and grinding were just a few of the noises which were heard before Adler put a hand on her shoulder, yanking her away from the window.

 

"Ack!-" Lilly exclaimed, trailing behind Adler once more as white armored arctic grenadiers clamored down stairs to open a door to get into the hangar. This was just one small section of the 31st floor according to a map she briefly saw. The Quartermaster's office was large, gigantic even. Gear lined walls but she had no chance to see any of it before she was yanked yet again into a small fitting room with two men in slacks and work shirts. Their frigid hands poked her, prodded her and took measurements. They noted to themselves she was small and would need a smaller uniform than most men did. Before she knew it, she was in the nude and had a pair of issued underwear thrown at her face. Standing there now in just that underwear, bare armor without any paint on it was fitted to her body with leather straps. It seems that the fitters were pleased with how the armor fit her and turned away. It was now when she realized Adler was nowhere to be found and the room was extraordinarily cold.

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"Your tags." One of the men said, thrusting a pair of dog tags into Lilly's hands and then a uniform. Then, they were gone. Once the uniform was on, Lilly looked at the mirror on the wall. A field gray t-shirt and snow white pants. It seems that they had forgotten an overshirt, perhaps it was given to her later?

 

"ACK!" Adler had opened the door and tugged on her arm, causing her to fumble out of the room. The two men from before were busy at work putting together the rest of her kit. An STG-47, the latest in military technology, was sitting on the table next to them. It was a heavy looking firearm painted snow white, wrapped in a black netting and worn looking. Lilly walked over to the armorers and watched them as they worked, sizing out gear and collecting every single piece of kit, stuffing clothing into a duffel bag and equipment on a hangar along with armor. Sticking her name on it, the shorter of the two ran it out and the taller handed her the duffel bag. Both were almost silent the whole time, but the tall one whispered.

 

"Good luck." before he disappeared into the tiny room and Adler reappeared.

 

"Welcome to the 31st Floor, Sturmman. Time to go to your quarters." Everything moved so fast for Lilly, now holding a 40 pound duffel bag. Her pace was slower than before as the two twisted through corridors. The corridors opened into a large room, stairs on either side as rooms extended to the ceilings which were some 30 feet high, rooms stacked four high. Adler smirked, he seemed to be enjoying confusing Lilly. Continuing all the way down to the end of the room, the duo went up a single flight of stairs to the first room on the far left. Peaking in through various open doors, she noticed filth and messiness, bedsheets on the floor and clothes strewn about. A pleasant surprise was in front of her after Adler opened the door. Clean, crisp sheets, no dust and nothing on the floor. A medal shadowbox stood on the dresser. The room itself was spacious for a one person room in a bunker, she could lean left and right and not hit the walls with her fingertips, a dresser, single wide bed and footlocker. A folder sat on the bed with a key on top.

 

"I trust you'll find these accommodations acceptable. Dinner is in three hours. Look in the folder after I depart." Lilly's head turned to Adler who once again had that sly, fox-like smile on his face. Lilly brought herself to attention and brought her fist to her chest, exclaiming "Heil Adler!" Adler was pleased and got far too close to Lilly, bringing a chocolate bar out from his pocket and handing it to her. It too was freezing to the touch, just like Adler's skin. Lilly's blood ran cold when she got a good look at his face small, dark red and ragged scars were apparent underneath his eyes. Turning away, he left the room and down the stairs. Lilly was left in the dead mans room, left to inspect what this soldier had left behind for her.

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