Death's Head Legion (8 page)

It fell on Heydrich to draw more from Dr. Übel.

The doctor was prepared for this. Several months before he'd provided the General's Hall projectionist the proper overhead slides and film footage for this exact contingency. The inner circle of the Black Sun understood the broad concepts but not the details. Only a few had been fully briefed on the scale and depth of Project Gefallener.

“The primitive introduction of the GR-68 compound to the human system results in an equally primitive reaction and product,” Dr. Übel said as a screen dropped behind him. “This infection of a subject through direct contact with blood and other body fluids takes a significant amount of exposure to the bloodstream for effective transmission—far more than most blood-borne viruses. Left to itself, when successful this is the natural transmission of a most unnatural compound. This is the result,” he concluded as black-and-white footage from various experiments began to roll on the screen.

A series of title cards explained that the first group was an early number of GR-68 test subjects, labeled GR-68 Zeds. Political prisoners injected with blood from the infected Ahnenerbe agent, they had returned from the Balkan expedition after being cut by a fragment of the Spear of Destiny.

There was a flash, and the camera showed the inside of a glass-enclosed cell. The GR-68 Zeds shambled mindlessly about the enclosure. It showed “food” being dropped into the enclosure—live lab animals—and the Zed creatures all instantly attacking the small animals, grabbing and eating them alive. A member of Dr. Übel's staff poked at one of the Zed creatures with a sharpened metal pole through a small window as it ate. At first the technician poked gently enough, and was ignored as the Zed stood eating a still twitching rabbit. Then, with a heave, the technician drove the spear through the Zed creature's leg, and was still ignored. The scene was repeated with electric cattle prods, pistol fire, and other attempts to cause a reaction.

The screen went blank for a moment and another scene began in a different lab setting. A bound GR-68 Zed creature was bound to a lab table as a seated technician took a tissue sample. As the technician turned his back to smear the sample on a slide, the Zed loosened its bonds. The camera jolted, indicating that the cameraman was trying to warn the technician. But it happened too fast. The creature bit into the man's shoulder. The technician jumped away, the look of terror on his face far worse than the simple pain of a bite would warrant. A guard stepped into the frame then and shot the Zed in the head. It ceased movement. The camera operator started to lower the camera, then realized he had to keep rolling. He focused in on the bitten technician. The man still looked terrified. He held up his hands at something off camera. The camera swung around and caught the guard, who with no hesitation or ceremony raised his pistol and shot the technician in the head. The guard then turned toward the cameraman, whose arms were visible as he appeared to reassure the guard he had not been bitten.

“The GR-68 Zed is virtually indestructible,” Dr. Übel said, “but possesses minimal dexterity and intelligence, and is driven solely by base feeding instincts. Something about the infection and acute ambulatory necrotic atavism drives the subjects to consume that which they no longer are or possess—living tissue.”

Deitrich wondered where the cold draft he felt originated.

“Base necrosis and decay follows, with life span for the GR-68 Zed subject ranging from two months to a year, depending on environmental conditions and other variables. Notably, those infected while living last significantly longer than those infected postmortem. This GR-68 Zed creature is remarkably similar to those found to exist in Haitian and West African lore. We theorize a common source. These creatures are, however, nothing like what was once documented in Eastern Europe and the Middle East in the past millennia, the
draugrs
—the bodies of dead Viking warriors—and the ghuls of the Arabian desert sands. But they share too many characteristics not to have some commonality of origin.”

The screen showed a time lapse of primary infection, to the asymptomatic stage where the victim looked to be suffering a minor bout of flu, to the symptomatic stage, and to the final stage where the test subjects had the foggy eyes, sunken cheeks, and waxen appearance of walking cadavers.

“From introduction to final stage in a living subject, full infection takes about ten hours. It's significantly less for postmortem infections. We don't know why. Final stage subjects manifest few bodily functions and no internal function. They do not even digest that which they eat—they eat endlessly, until their stomachs or bowels literally burst. Only their motor functions seem to be active, and likewise, massive trauma to the brain is the only thing that can stop them. What drives them? We still don't know,” the doctor said.

Another clip of laboratory film footage graphically showed the results of overfeeding a GR-68 Zed. Himmler's usual pallor shaded green. Even the veteran Deitrich was put off.

“This most base category may be a useful product under certain circumstances,” Dr. Übel went on. “Its rapid reproduction rate in a target locale would be ideal if we could program into its genome some sort of fail-safe—a preset decay rate or half-life, for instance. Subsequently, a few could be air-dropped into targeted population centers where they would spread their compound to the native population, which would then cease functioning after the half-life is reached. Otherwise, our Difference Engines project an exponential growth rate of the epidemic in short order.”

Himmler saw great possibilities for this. He liked the idea of delivering the GR-68 Zeds to high-population centers in places like the Freehold, the Confederate States, and Australia, where there would at least be a continent's distance between the Fatherland and these sorts of outbreaks.

“Of course, there would be great hazards associated with such a project—ideally we would undertake such operations only on geographically isolated areas, to prevent uncontrolled spread of the infection. And we may only wish to use this strategy where the GR-68 Zeds would be preferable to the existing population,” Dr. Übel said with a laugh.

“Yes, yes, of course. Isolated,” Himmler said, rubbing at his thin mustache.

“The GR-68 Zed is the most base category that can be produced, Herr Reichsführer,” the doctor explained. “There are several intermediate levels of higher complexity and varying degrees of contagion possible with the GR-68 compound. We can make them stronger, smarter, and more teachable. More than just mindless feeders, each higher category has its own strengths and weaknesses—varying degrees of dexterity, reasoning, contagion levels, sensitivity to certain conditions such as ultraviolet light, cold, and so on—but we could achieve our end goal of a true, thinking, fighting soldier that can't be hurt, that feels no weakness or compassion, and that follows the orders of the Black Sun exclusively.”

Himmler was curious on a practical level.

“What would the pinnacle of complexity be in this context?” he asked. “What kind of creature are you really talking about?”

“The highest degree, theoretically, would be that which was attributed to the Nosferatu,” the doctor said. “Of course, that degree of independent thought and motive would be self-defeating. Competitive, in fact. It would not want to serve—it would seek to rule.”

There were nods all around the table. Dr. Übel removed his thick glasses and polished them on his coat. The man seemed to have no eyes, Heydrich thought.

“What have you done with the creatures from these laboratory films?” Heydrich asked.

“Currently all of the test subject GR-68 Zeds have been destroyed. They pose too great a threat of outbreak even isolated in the most secure cells of Deep Hold 13, and there is the issue of their shelf life,” the doctor said. “However, we do retain the means to produce more at will.”

Himmler drank from his teacup. All discussion ceased.

“
Zehr gut,”
he said. “There may be use for such a program. But these dirty, mindless feeders are not the goal of Project Gefallener.”

The doctor nodded. “Of course, sir. The goal of Project Gefallener has always been the genesis of true
draugrkommandos
—the creation of unswervingly loyal, virtually impervious soldiers with a high degree of adaptability, dexterity, and possessing true problem-solving skills, reason, and arrested necrotic dissolution through internal desiccation or artificial preservation. The fallen heroes of the Reich rising up, so to speak.”

Himmler now nodded. “So why can't we use the compound we have?”

Around the table there were murmurs of assent.

“The creation of true
draugrkommandos
, and our next step in the even more advanced
draugr nár-fölr
form for Project Friedrich, requires access to the GR-68
source
compound—the Spear of Destiny—not the postcatalyzation compound we have now that we got from the infected agent.”

Uhrwerk nodded as the doctor spoke. The rest needed to be pushed across the line. .

“Dr. Übel is referring to the six axis process of controlled transmission and infection he described initially,” Uhrwerk said. “If you gave an engineer the individual parts for a machine gun, he could fashion a primitive musket; one cannot build a Maxim machine gun from a mere musket.”

Himmler understood. He did well with analogy and metaphor.

“However,” Dr. Übel said, “we have completed the first five phases of our lab tests and Difference Engine models for Project Gefallener, and we are ready to proceed with the final phase as soon as we have the Spear of Destiny—in our hands. All of our plans come together when we have it. For years we have tried to harness the powers unleashed in the war in weapons and mechanical men and my transgenics. Now we will have the power we have sought. Our armies will be invincible.”

As the lights were raised to their usual grim level and the projector turned off, Heydrich took the floor.

“Our last communication from Der Schädel and Lieutenant Skorzeny came just before they departed from Rome on a Lufthansa airship. They indicated that once they landed in Volos, they were en route to recover the spear from a Gypsy tribe near the Argeş River at the Transfagarasan Road in Romania, near Piteşti,” he said. “Skorzeny was confident he would recover the spear within the next seventy-two hours.”

“Das es vunderbar!”
Dr. Übel said. When he saw the expression of those around the table, he explained. “I know this region well because of the extensive research we have done on the Romanian and Wallachian manifestations.”

Heydrich whispered to an aide, and moments later a map of Romania was projected onto the screen across the table.

The doctor pushed up next to the screen, studying the map in an attempt to orient himself.

“No . . . no . . . yes!” he said. “There it is. So very apt. Such a marvelous coincidence. And so very isolated. It is perfect. Perfect!”

Himmler was getting impatient with the meeting going off track. He indicated as much to Heydrich with an expression.

“Ah, yes. Herr Reichsführer,” Dr. Übel said, “the location to which Mister . . . um . . . Lieutenant Skorzeny referred, it is within just a few kilometers of Poenari Citadel—the very Wallachian castle of Vlad Tepes himself. It has been abandoned for centuries, and there are no nearby settlements. The structure is still sound, and of course it is located in Romania, not the Reich. It would make a perfect testing ground for the final stage of Project Gefallener. After all, if my research is correct, Vlad Tepes's power and immortality was the direct result of his exposure to the Spear of Destiny. And though he has not been heard from beyond legend for more than half a century, we may find additional artifacts that help us unlock the source of his power and mastery.”

Heydrich pointed out that the flight path to Poenari Citadel from Reich territory by way of cargo plane or airship would offer minimal detection. Ground extraction, likewise, was well within risk parameters for any size expedition up to thirteen hundred men plus materials.

Himmler liked this idea. He especially liked the idea of testing it on soil far from Wewelsburg.

“What would you need for your tests?” he asked the doctor.

Dr. Übel pursed his lips. “The equipment needs would be minimal. We would need the one thousand volunteers.”

Himmler eyed Heydrich.

“The thousand volunteers for Death's Head Legion,” Heydrich said. “They are ready to move on a moment's notice.”

“Zehr gut,”
Himmler said.

At the Reichsführer's order, Deitrich laid out the improvised action plan.

“Two Condor class airships can deliver Dr. Übel, his staff, and equipment, the Death's Head Legion, an additional contingent of SS commandos, and the necessary material and logistical support needed to establish a clandestine operation in Poenari Citadel. The airships can be loaded and airborne within twenty-four hours; they can make delivery under cover of darkness less than six hours later,” the head of the Waffen-SS said. “We can have the whole operation running within the citadel, and a secure perimeter established shortly after.”

Hoffstetter added, “There are no known villages within ten miles of the castle, but there is the possibility of isolated travelers and even small Gypsy camps. We can task small, discreet patrols to eliminate any such contacts.”

Himmler was pleased at the efficiency of his commanders. Deitrich was talking about establishing a secret, fully operational base in a castle on a mountain in foreign territory—a garrison with more than fifteen hundred soldiers and scientists and a working high-tech laboratory.

“Once Lieutenant Skorzeny and Der Schädel have the spear in their possession,” Heydrich explained, “they will break radio silence, at which time we can instruct them to make contact with the SS garrison at Poenari Citadel. They can deliver the Spear of Destiny directly to Dr. Übel.”