Playing For Real
Going Home . . . But Where?
by
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“This is communications spacecraft one, we are trying to evade and will be overtaken shortly. Please advise – what are we to do?”
Hörtz heard this in his command spacecraft. “Luftwaffe Headquarters, I thought you said the 162s and 262s would be there before the communications spacecraft would be engaged?”
“Kommadeur, we don’t understand. Our data tells us that is what should happen. However, it appears the invaders’ capabilities are superior than we anticipated.”
“What? That is ridiculous. My report about my encounter verified they were more capable than our data analyzers projected. Why didn’t you use that in your analysis?”
“Kommadeur, we never received such information for the analysts to factor into the equations. Consequently, we fear for the communications ship’s survival.”
Suddenly, Hörtz realized that the report he had given to the SS never reached the Luftwaffe. They had kept it secret – kept it to themselves. He was disappointed, distressed, and very angry. He now realized why the SS and SA were always so secretive. Everything they did was based upon both pure paranoia and an insatiable lust for power. He remembered he had seen this characteristic in the first group of technicians with whom he had worked.
Hörtz promptly said, “Luftwaffe Headquarters, please make a formal request into why the information I provided during the inquiry was kept secret and demand it be turned over to you immediately. Will you do that?”
“Yes, we will Oberstleutnant Hörtz. What do you want to do about the communications relay spacecraft?”
Hörtz knew he had to do something and felt he did not need prodding. He listened with horror as the communications came in from the endangered spacecraft.
“We cannot escape them. There are too many and they are too fast. We are trying to –” Then only static, followed by silence.
Everyone knew the spacecraft was lost. Hörtz felt despair over the loss of the crew. With great effort, he forced himself back to reality and to other important matters – the Tiger was out of contact with the facility.
“Luftwaffe Headquarters do not put the second communications spacecraft into relay position until the support spacecraft arrive. You must ensure the invaders cannot harm the communications spacecraft. Do whatever is necessary to protect it, even if you have to destroy the invaders.”
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About the Book
In the madness inherent when worlds are engulfed in the chaos of war, a group of individuals, sharing little in common other than the desire to survive, band together to resist that which appears inevitable – defeat and death. Despite overwhelming odds against them, their tactical resistance generates a change of strategic significance, affecting not only the military situation but also the social and political foundations of their societies.
Unaware of these peripheral but significant consequences of every action they take, Rudi and his allies plan their offensive actions against the invaders, whose only purpose in life is to kill.
But the military decisions Rudi and his comrades face during combat, pale in comparison to the personal choices confronting them as they must decide what course of action to take: either ensure the safety of their families or continue the fight and possible alter the outcome of entire civilizations. Exacerbating the difficulty of their individual decisions is the rapidly changing dynamics of the social and political infrastructures, all of which, unbeknownst to them, are directly tied to every action they take – resulting in an almost insurmountable paradox
Even though Rudi and his men feel confident of their chances in combat, the terror and hardships they, their families, and the worlds at war will experience are far from over; for just winning the fight does not end the struggle. The intertwining of each world’s social, political, and military machinations creates a morass that threatens to overwhelm them all.
About the Author
* This is the second in a trilogy, wherein three worlds collide, and their respective cultures, political infrastructure, and military are altered by this very interaction.
The author’s background in military history stems from a widely diversified military career, followed by decades of studying the evolution of societal changes caused by the collision of military and political interaction. The author has garnered extensive historical perspective into the interplay within societies and cultures and brings this delicate relationship forward in a powerful novel.
The extensive, but subtle subplots walk the reader through these relationships and enable an understanding of the interaction of diverse yet similar cultures, and their individual, but similar reaction to crisis.
The author has both personally experienced these reactions as well as studied them. The description of this collective metamorphosis of cultures, societies, political infrastructure, and military hierarchy is blended together to enable an understandable insight into the socio-political-military transformation forced by incredible external stress.